Category: Baseball

Mark Koenig and a Legend

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The following is an excerpt from a book, The Least Among Them, I am writing about the Yankees that is currently in development:

            Mark Koenig was the Yankees starting shortstop for three seasons from 1926 through 1928.  Koenig was an erratic fielder, leading the league in errors in 1926 and 1928.  As a batter, he  usually served as the number two batter in the line-up,  hitting just before Babe Ruth.  After batting .319 in 1928 and .292 in more limited duty in 1929, Koenig got off to a slow start in 1930.  By the end of May, he was batting only .230.  On May 30, 1930, the Yankees traded Koenig, along with future Hall-of-Famer Waite Hoyt to the Detroit Tigers for Ownie Carroll, Harry Rice, and Yats Wuestling.  Of the three, only Harry Rice, who played 100 games for the Yankees in 1930 (batting .298) had any significant impact on the team.  After the trade, Koenig bounced between four teams over the remaining six years of his career, but during that time he influenced one pennant race and, in an indirect way, one of the most legendary moments in the history of baseball.

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NY Yankees in WWII

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The following is an excerpt from a book, The Least Among Them, I am writing about the Yankees that is currently in development:

Over five hundred Major League baseball players enlisted or were drafted into the United States Armed Forces during World War II.  Of course, not all of these players saw combat or dangerous action.  In fact, during the war years there was some criticism that star players, being very athletic, were not more involved in combat.  This certainly wasn’t true of all big league players.  Former (and future) professional baseball players were present at most of the important engagements of the war.  This includes numerous players who wore the Yankee pinstripes.  The following list summarizes some of the battlefield action faced by Yankees players in World War II.

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Is This…?

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I love baseball.

My dad loves baseball even more than I do.

That’s where this story begins…and ends.  It’s what this story is all about.  Baseball.

The American Game.

The Great American Game…

Well, maybe it’s about more than that.  It’s about fathers and sons.

And baseball.

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Brooks, Yaz, and Carlton Fisk

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A few weeks ago, I took out my old set of 1977 Topps baseball cards.  I wanted to find a card to use for a photograph for a blog post.  I have been having fun creating unique pictures to use with this blog.

This afternoon, I finally got around to putting the card I had picked back into the plastic sheet where it had been housed for many years.

The baseball card I had chosen for the photograph, and was holding, was a card of Thurman Munson.  Thurman was, of course, the Yankees All-Star catcher.

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Missing From Monument Park – Part III (Conclusion)

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The following is the third (and final) installment in my series examining the greatest third basemen in Yankees history.

For Part I, please click here: https://drpaulsem.com/2016/03/13/missing-from-monument-park-part-i/

For Part II, please click here: https://drpaulsem.com/2016/03/15/missing-from-monument-part-part-ii/

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Missing From Monument Part – Part II

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The following is the second of a three part series examining the greatest third basemen in Yankees history.  To read Part I, please click here:

https://drpaulsem.com/2016/03/13/missing-from-monument-park-part-i/

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Missing from Monument Park – Part I

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The New York Yankees have a tradition of honoring the greatest players in their history with monuments in Monument Park located within Yankee Stadium.  Through the 2015 season, there were twenty-six Yankees players recognized in this hallowed ground.  (This number excludes Billy Martin who is arguably included more for his managing than his playing days as a Yankee.)  The Yankees have honored nine pitchers, seven outfielders, five catchers, three first basemen, a shortstop (Phil Rizzuto, although a certain Derek Jeter will soon join him) and a second baseman.  In total, a player from every position on the diamond is recognized except for third base.  There are no Yankee third basemen in Monument Park.

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Baseball History 2 – Joe Glenn

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Joe Glenn was a catcher who played for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, and the Boston Red Sox, mostly during the 1930’s.

Hidden among Glenn’s rather undistinguished career are a few unique moments that help to show why the history of baseball is so fun to study.

Glenn first appeared in the Major Leagues in 1932 with the Yankees.  A late-season call-up, he appeared in six games and managed two hits in 16 at bats.  Both of Glenn’s hits, two singles, came in the same game off long-time Major League pitcher Sad Sam Jones.

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Baseball History 1- Frank Baumholtz

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This is one reason why I love baseball…

Due to many obligations, my seventeen year old son and I had not seen much of each other for the past several days.  So, as I was doing some mindless tasks, he joined me in my home office to talk baseball.

The name “Stan Musial” came up.

I’m a life-long Yankees fan, but I hold a special place in my heart for Ted Williams and Stan Musial as they were my father’s and my uncle’s favorite players when they were growing up.  I enjoy talking about these legends from baseball’s past.

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