Balbino Fuenmayor. Pronounced “Bal-BEE-no FWEN-my-OR.” (more…)
Author Archive | Jesse Goldberg-Strassler
The Golden Age of baseball? When you are 12 years old
When the New York Giants went west during the 1957-58 offseason, my Long Islander father went contrary to Tony Bennett and relocated his heart to San Francisco. The Giants lost the World Series to the Yankees in ’62, invariably finished second through the rest of the decade, spun their wheels in the ’70s, found fleeting […]
Outsider Baseball: Hardball on the fringe
Not every great ballplayer plied their trade in an MLB ballpark, as you’ll see in Jesse Goldberg-Strassler’s review of Scott Simkus’s noteworthy new book, Outsider Baseball. Within Scott Simkus’s Outsider Baseball: The Weird World of Hardball on the Fringe, 1876–1950, there are two books volleying back and forth. The first book introduces a formula, STARS, […]
Wrigley Field at 100: George Will on baseball’s grandest frame
Wrigley Field turns 100 years old this season, and a host of books are arriving on the scene to commemorate the occasion. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler reviews George Will’s A Nice Little Place on the North Side. Use either your imagination, or a handy search engine, and envision Georges Seurat‘s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of […]
Yes, it’s spring: Part 1
If it’s the end of February, it’s the real start of spring training, when Cactus and Grapefruit League games begin. Both circuits launched play today, so it’s time for a little reading from the late Ernie Harwell. Here’s the video, courtesy of the Detroit Free Press: The Tigers opened 2014 play today at historic Joker […]
Goldberg-Strassler: I am a sign of spring
If it’s the middle of February, it means two things: one, players are reporting to spring training, and two, seasonal employees are returning to the ballpark. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler is among the latter; here’s his story. I am a sign of spring. I work as a seasonal employee for the Lansing Lugnuts. I am away from […]
Celebrating all the pioneers during Black History Month
Jackie Robinson is rightly revered as a pioneering figure in baseball’s integration. But he was not alone and, as Jesse Goldberg-Strassler notes, pioneers like Buck O’Neil and Emmett Ashford deserve recognition from baseball fans during Black History Month. In an AP story from March 18, 1962, titled innocently “Cubs Assign Coaches for Farm Clubs,” the […]
Fifth Third fire brings back memories of past ballpark blazes
Ballpark fires are extreme rare these days, but at one time were a major threat to baseball operations. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler looks at how ballpark design changed because of fire awareness. On January 3, a fire significantly damaged Fifth Third Ballpark, home of the Midwest League’s West Michigan Whitecaps. Thankfully, no one was injured. Photographs of […]
Risk versus reward in home-plate collisions
It’s still a hot topic: the decision by Major League Baseball to eliminate home-plate collisions, protecting both catchers and baserunners. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler looks at how the change will affect the game. In Orlando last week, Major League Baseball announced an end to collisions at home plate. The exact details have not been announced yet, but […]
Gone too soon, or good riddance? Thoughts on Turner Field’s future demolition
Reaction to the news that Turner Field would be torn down in 2017 came in two forms: goodbye to a mediocre ballpark, versus disbelief that such a young facility is doomed. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler looks at the decision. A cell phone, we are told by the service providers, can be upgraded every two years — although […]
Why the Chihuahuas name works: It’s fun!
The PCL’s franchise in El Paso, formerly Tucson, revealed its nickname last week, immediately provoking reactions to the El Paso Chihuahuas branding. If you heard the news, it’s likely you had an immediate opinion as well; Jesse Goldberg-Strassler shares his. Your thoughts? The national reaction — the loudly shouting, negative, incredulous folks who could not […]
Prince George’s Stadium / Bowie Baysox
Hosting a series of future Baltimore Orioles stars — like Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy — while providing a series of memorable events for fans, Prince George’s Stadium is a comfortable place to take in a game, writes Jesse Goldberg-Strassler. FAST FACTS Opened: June 16, 1994Capacity: 10,000Dimensions: 309L, 405C, 309RSurface: GrassOwner: Maryland-National Capital Park and […]
PEDs intruding on the best time in winter: spring training
On the cusp of spring training, the top news coming out of the baseball community ideally would be season previews and the Nationals adding the honorable first-pitch-pioneering William Howard Taft to their Racing Presidents. But no: we are once again discussing PEDs, writes Jesse Goldberg-Strassler. The topic in baseball over the past few weeks: Tim […]