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Old Baseball News

@oldbaseballnews.bsky.social

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Digging through old newspapers to deliver the freshest, latest breaking baseball news from decades ago. If you like current baseball too, I wrote @dingerbot.bsky.social to post every time there's a home run. Also developed everybaseballscore.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · Oct 18

Since there appear to be a whole bunch of people leaving The Bad Place to join us: It's pretty self explanatory what I do here, I guess.

Anyway...

Big fan of Cleveland baseball, indie rock, and obscure pop culture references.
Big disliker of the racist asshats who segregated baseball.

Welcome!

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

3000 days ago (July 28, 2017), Cards rookie Luke Voit hits a line drive up the middle so hard that it hits Arizona P Robbie Ray in the head, then is caught on the fly in foul territory for an out. Ray never loses consciousness, thankfully, but is out for a month.

Video of the incident is attached.

ARI@STL: Ray takes comebacker off head, exits game

YouTube video by MLB

www.youtube.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

6000 days ago (May 11, 2009), San Francisco and Washington play a game featuring the tallest pitching matchup in history: 6’10” Randy Johnson of the Giants faces off against 6’9” Daniel Cabrera of the Nats.

Of course the Giants were involved. Nominative determinism.

Cabrera, Nats Fall Short

www.washingtonpost.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

7000 days ago (August 15, 2006), not to be outdone by the Cubs and Astros playing 18 innings in Houston, the Diamondbacks and Rockies play 18 innings too. Arizona wins it 2-1. This is the first time in history that two games on the same day go 18 innings.

Let's Play Two: A Pair Of Games Go 18 Innings For First Time In Big League History

The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs played on and on, long after Roger Clemens left and Brad Lidge blew another save. Nine innings, 12, 15 ... 18! And they weren't alone.

www.wave3.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

7000 days ago (August 15, 2006), the Cubs and Astros play a marathon in Houston. The Cubs probably feel pretty good about their five runs against Roger Clemens, but it goes to extra innings 6-6.

Chicago finally wins it 8-6 in 18 innings, using all 25 players including two pitchers as pinch hitters.

Astros tumble in 18 innings against Cubs

The longest regular-season game in the history of Minute Maid Park came to an end Tuesday...

www.chron.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

18000 days ago (July 3, 1976), the Bird continues to be the word. Tigers rookie Mark Fidrych wins again, this time shutting out the Orioles for his eighth win in a row.

photo of mark "the bird" fidrych and big "the bird" bird

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

19000 days ago (October 7, 1973), on the same day the Mets tie the NLCS at a game apiece, Oakland does the same thing over in the American League. Sal Bando has two home runs for the A’s, who double up the Orioles 6-3.

1973 10 07 Athletics at Orioles ALCS Game 2 Baseball Radio Broadcast

YouTube video by Classic Baseball on the Radio

www.youtube.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

19000 days ago (October 7, 1973), the Mets get back into the NLCS, winning the second game 5-0 over Cincinnati, thanks to a two-hitter from Jon Matlack. Andy Kosco has both Reds hits.

1973 10 07 NY Mets vs Reds NLCS Game 2 Complete Radio Broadcast

YouTube video by Classic Baseball on the Radio

www.youtube.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

20000 days ago (January 11, 1971), 27-year-old Tigers pitcher John Hiller has a heart attack. He survives but misses the 1971 season.

Surgeons remove seven feet of Hiller’s intestines to deal with a cholesterol issue; he returns in ‘72 and becomes an elite reliever for most of the decade.

John Hiller: Come Hiller High Water

Let's face it - I'm not much of a numbers girl. Just ask my grade 10 math teacher, lacrosse legend, John Tavares (seriously). Mr. Tavares did everything he could to try and help me pass, and...

www.blessyouboys.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

29000 days ago (May 22, 1946), in the tenth inning of a tie game in Brooklyn, the Cubs’ Len Merullo slides hard into the Dodgers’ Eddie Stanky at second base. Stanky responds by whacking Merullo in the face with the ball and a near-riot ensues. Both are ejected, as you’d expect.

The Old Brawl Game: Cubs vs. Dodgers in the 1940s – Society for American Baseball Research

sabr.org

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 7h

Really wanted to use this video for the Virgil Barnes vs. Jesse Barnes game.

Barnes & Barnes - Fish Heads (1980) (4K 60fps)

YouTube video by The 80s, a Decade of Music (Master Noise HD 60fps)

www.youtube.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

37000 days ago (June 26, 1924), two brothers face each other as starting pitchers for the first time in major league history. Virgil Barnes and the Giants beat Jesse Barnes and the Braves 8-1.

The second matchup of brothers takes place three days from now between Barnes and Barnes.

The Barnes brothers battle it out in a pitching duel (June 26, 1924)

In a matchup at the Polo Grounds on June 26, 1924, Giants’ right-hander Virgil Barnes faces his older sibling, Jesse, marking the first time brothers have started against one another in major…

braveshistoryblog.wordpress.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

40000 days ago (April 9, 1916), in the wake of Tris Speaker refusing to take a pay cut of more than 50%, the Red Sox throw up their hands and trade him to Cleveland.

The Sox get Sam Jones and their choice of Fred Thomas or Bill Wambsganss. Boston picks Thomas. This was not the right choice.

photo of sad red sox fans with bags over their heads

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

10/14 Birthday Team (text version)
C:Joe Girardi (5.6 WAR)
1B:Joe Start (32.4)
2B:Paul Radford (12.2)
3B:Tommy Harper (25.7)
SS:Frank Duffy (10.4)
LF:Al Oliver (43.6)
CF:Oscar Charleston (48.0)
RF:Kole Calhoun (14.7)
SP:Harry Brecheen (42.3)
Others: W.Aikens, E.Figueroa, M.Kelly, A.Shamsky,R. Church

photos of baseball players. clockwise from top left: Joe Start, Tommy Harper, Oscar Charleston, Merrill Kelly, Al Oliver, Ed Figueroa, Harry Brecheen

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

I've said this before, but I'm not totally certain Oscar Charleston is the greatest ballplayer who ever lived. I'm also not sure he's *not* the greatest of all time, so that's quite a center fielder out there on today's Birthday Team.

Decent supporting cast: Al Oliver, Harry Brecheen, Joe Start.

graphical version of 10/14/2025 birthday team

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

10/13 Birthday Team (text version)
C:Frankie Hayes (10.4 WAR)
1B:Scott Cooper (6.2)
2B:Fred McMullin (2.8)
3B:Eddie Mathews (96.0)
SS:Swede Risberg (3.2)
LF:Bob Bailey (28.8)
CF:Fred Lewis (5.3)
RF:Lou Clinton (4.0)
SP:Rube Waddell (58.4)
Others: B.Donovan, T.Hoffman, E.Yost, D.Miller, R.Moffitt

photos of baseball players. clockwise from top left: Bob Bailey, Trevor Hoffman, Bill Donovan, Rube Waddell, Eddie Mathews, Frankie Hayes, Eddie Yost

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

It's probably reasonable to assume that yesterday's Birthday Team leads the league in Black Sox. The good news is that we probably won't have to worry about what they do in October, unless they fix a fishing tournament or something.

Three HOFers: Mathews, Waddell, Hoffman.

graphical version of 10/13/2025 birthday team

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

10/12 Birthday Team(text version)
C:Rick Ferrell (30.7 WAR)
1B:Phil Weintraub (9.0)
2B:José Valentín (31.6)
3B:Tony Kubek (18.3)
SS:Joe Cronin (64.8)
LF:Nolan Reimold (2.9)
CF:Ketel Marte (35.6)
RF:Pete Hill (4.2)
SP:Sid Fernandez (32.7)
Others:G.Beckert, G.Iorg, T.Sturtze, P.Smith, D.Davis, A.Smith

photos of baseball players. clockwise from top left: Glenn Beckert, Joe Cronin, Ketel Marte, Sid Fernandez, Tony Kubek, Rick Ferrell, José Valentín

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

Heck of an infield on Sunday's Birthday Team. There are four really good players for three middle infield positions, so Ketel Marte goes to CF.

Pete Hill's a lot better than that 4.2 WAR total would suggest; he was 37 when the Negro National League was launched.

graphical version of 10/12/2025 birthday team

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

10/11 Birthday Team (text version)
C:Bob Stinson (4.3 WAR)
1B:Mike Fiore (1.4)
2B:Ty Wigginton (2.9)
3B:Gio Urshela (8.7)
SS:Silvio García (4.0)
LF:Dmitri Young (12.2)
CF:Buttercup Dickerson (7.1)
RF:Curt Ford (1.6)
SP:Will White (34.9)
Others: O.Hernández, G.Olson, B.Chipman, B.Fischer, T.Sugano

photos of baseball players. clockwise from top left: Buttercup Dickerson, Will White, Bob Chipman, Gregg Olson, Orlando Hernández, Dmitri Young, Gio Urshela

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 8h

Saturday's Birthday Team isn't terribly impressive, but it does have some fun: Will White yelling "Whoop-La", El Duque's bonkers windup, Da Meat Hook in left, and Buttercup Dickerson being named Buttercup Dickerson.

If we're lucky, maybe Bob Stinson can set up a postgame Replacements reunion.

graphical version of 10/11/2025 birthday team

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 1d

3000 days ago (July 27, 2017), the Nats hit five homers in the third inning in a 15-2 win over Milwaukee. Four of them come consecutively. Brewers pitcher Michael Blazek, in his first and last career start, coughs up all five gopher balls. That’s a new record, breaking the record of 4 set in 1894.

Nationals crush five homers in the 3rd inning

YouTube video by MLB

www.youtube.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 1d

4000 days ago (October 31, 2014), after giving him assurances that he’d be retained for 2015, the Cubs fire manager Rick Renteria.

It’s kind of gross ethically, but it works for them: They hire Joe Maddon and he wins the whole thing in 2016. That makes Northeast Ohio sad.

Cubs Fire Manager Rick Renteria

The Official Site of Major League Baseball

www.mlb.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 1d

8000 days ago (November 18, 2003), Barry Bonds wins his record 6th National League MVP award and his 3rd in a row.

Bonds becomes the second-oldest player to be named the MVP, after Bobby Shantz, who as I type this is the oldest MVP winner in quite a different way.

Barry Bonds 2003 Home Runs (45)

YouTube video by greendayrock

www.youtube.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 1d

10000 days ago (May 28, 1998), up 8-6 in the ninth with the bases loaded, Arizona manager Buck Showalter does the almost-unthinkable: He intentionally walks the batter, forcing in a run. The batter, of course, was Barry Bonds and the gambit works: Diamondbacks escape 8-7.

D-backs walk Bonds with the bases loaded

YouTube video by MLB

www.youtube.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 1d

14000 days ago (June 15, 1987), the Pirates’ Jim Morrison - not that one - somehow manages to get caught stealing home twice in the same inning. He’s caught once but is able to go back to third on an error. The CS counts but he’s not actually out. Then he tries again and gets caught again.

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