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Old Baseball News

@oldbaseballnews.bsky.social

6.7K followers 1.5K following 7.4K posts

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 · 9h

7000 days ago (August 10, 2006), Cubs P Mark Prior goes three innings, allows four walks and five runs in what turns out to be his final MLB appearance. Prior, once among the best players in baseball, is done at age 25. He tries to come back in 2010 but never returns to the show.

photo of mark prior pitching. source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark-prior_delivery_chicago_07-30-2004.jpg

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 9h

18000 days ago (June 28, 1976), in a legendary nationally televised start, Tigers rookie Mark Fidrych does his whole thing: Talks to the ball, manually adjusts mound dirt, gets a bunch of people out. Fidrych goes all nine innings in a 5-1 home win over the Yankees. He’s now 8-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

1976 06 28 ABC MNB - Yankees at Tigers (Mark Fidrich)

YouTube video by Classic MLB1

www.youtube.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 9h

28000 days ago (February 10, 1949), the Indians sign shortstop Artie Wilson, who led the Negro American League with a .433 batting average last season. The Yankees cry foul, saying they had claimed him.

Wilson wants to play in Cleveland but the commissioner sends him to New York instead. Phooey.

photo of artie wilson in a cleveland uniform. alas, he didn't get to do this during ballgames.

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 9h

33000 days ago (June 4, 1935), Cards P Dizzy Dean, angry about the fielding behind him, screams at his teammates in the dugout in front of an entire stadium of people. Back on the mound, Dean just starts lobbing the ball instead of pitching.

Unsurprisingly, Cards lose to the Pirates 9-5.

Why Dizzy Dean let Pirates take batting practice in game

Ticked off with his Cardinals teammates and the plate umpire, Dizzy Dean threw a tantrum instead of his fastball. On June 4, 1935, at Pittsburgh, the St. Louis ace experienced an unlucky inning aga…

retrosimba.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 9h

37000 days ago (June 21, 1924), Browns catcher Tony Rego makes his MLB debut. At 5’4”, Rego is the shortest C in major league history.

You’d think he would have drawn a bunch of walks, but somehow he did not. (4 career walks in 44 MLB games)

a stock image of a really little kid wearing baseball catcher equipment. he's very small, like tony rego.

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 9h

38000 days ago (September 25, 1921), the Baltimore Orioles (International League) finish off their season with a doubleheader sweep over Jersey City. That gives the O’s 119 wins on the year, a record in organized baseball.

Baltimore P/1B Jack Bentley hit .412 with 87 extra-base hits in 1921.

Baltimore’s Forgotten Dynasty: The 1919-25 Baltimore Orioles of the International League – Society for American Baseball Research

sabr.org

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 9h

44000 days ago (April 22, 1905), Giants 1B Dan McGann reacts to being tagged out at the plate by punching Phillies catcher Fred Abbott. Abbott chucks the ball into McGann’s back, both are ejected, and Phils phans start throwing stuff on the phield, including bricks and stones.

Philly gonna Philly.

image in the format of a title card from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: "The Gang throws things at Dan McGann"

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 9h

49000 days ago (August 13, 1891), Giants pitcher Bob Barr has his debut with the team cut short when he’s conked on the head by a ball that was hit foul, then thrown back over the grandstand onto the field.

It’s an unintentional baseball El Kabong.

a cartoon man with a guitar on his head .

Alt: a cartoon man with a guitar on his head .

media.tenor.com

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 22h

-- Austin Hedges and Stephen Vogt, October 2025.

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 22h

10/9 Birthday Team (text version)
C:Brian Downing (51.5 WAR)
1B:Joe Pepitone (9.7)
2B:Brian Roberts (29.5)
3B:Joe Sewell (54.9)
SS:Freddie Patek (24.1)
LF:Starling Marte (29.3)
CF:Jimmy Welsh (8.2)
RF:Branch Russell (19.9)
SP:Rube Marquard (32.4)
Others: M.Haefner, J.Lamb, B.Moose, A.Maul, D.Holland

photos of baseball players. clockwise from top left: Starling Marte, Brian Roberts, Brian Downing, Joe Sewell, Branch Russell, Rube Marquard, Freddie Patek

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 22h

Freezing cold take alert: When Cleveland traded Félix Fermín for Omar Vizquel, I remember thinking that there wasn't much of a difference between the two. They were both glove-first shortstops who couldn't hit, so what was the point?

Not my finest bit of analysis, as it turns out.

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 22h

If someone had told me that Victor Vodnik was a lesser-known alter ego of a rapper like Kool Keith or MF DOOM, I absolutely would have believed it.

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 22h

A sneaky-good Birthday Team today. Sewell-Patek-Roberts in the infield is effective if not flashy, I genuinely had no idea that Starling Marte is nearing 40 career WAR, and Brian Downing was a power-hitting catcher (eventually an OF) who got on base.

This is definitely a lineup you can work with.

graphical version of 10/9/2025 birthday team

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

10/8 Birthday Team (text version)
C:Ed Kirkpatrick (8.2)
1B:Olmedo Sáenz (5.3)
2B:Danny Murtaugh (6.4)
3B:Enos Cabell (11.3)
SS:Donie Bush (39.4)
LF:Ping Bodie (14.7)
CF:George Metkovich (5.8)
RF:Wally Moses (36.7)
SP:Mike Morgan (26.2)
Others: P.Splittorff, Do.Crandall, J.Lush, Jer.Reed, T.Herrin

photos of baseball players. clockwise from top left: Paul Splittorff, Donie Bush, Mike Morgan, Enos Cabell, Ping Bodie, Wally Moses, Doc Crandall

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

Another pretty okay Birthday Team today. No legends, but also no real weaknesses. The worst everyday player is Olmedo Sáenz, who was totally adequate. The back end of the pitching staff isn't great, but again: There's nobody who's genuinely bad.

By the way, that's not *the* Bernie Williams in LF.

graphical version of 10/8/2025 birthday team

Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

Sure, it's like Astros legend Dwight Gooden, Cleveland great Cecil Fielder, Expos legend Randy Johnson, Orioles great Jim Thome...

(Also, yeah, I was just goofin' around.)

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

Speaking as a fan of Scottish indie rock, this is indubitably true.

A tip of the cap to Chemikal Underground, Rock Action, and the other great Glaswegian record labels.

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

4000 days ago (October 25, 2014), the Giants whomp KC in Game Four of the World Series, evening up the series at two games apiece. Hunter Pence has three hits and three RBI in an 11-4 win for San Francisco.

2014 World Series San Francisco Giants VS Kansas City Royals Game 4

YouTube video by John Quinn

www.youtube.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

(I see you scowling at me, Josh Gibson. I think you probably were better than Piazza, but the sample size is so small relative to Piazza's career. This is why I said perhaps.)

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

It's really weird to me that MLB dot com published a column saying the Marlins did well in this trade.

Preston Wilson was a good player. They flipped Yarnall for Mike Lowell. Both true.

But goodness, they traded perhaps the greatest offensive catcher in history for Preston Wilson and Ed Yarnall.

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

10000 days ago (May 22, 1998), the Marlins send franchise legend Mike Piazza to the Mets in a trade they’d probably like back. New York sends Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall, and a PTBNL to Florida. Piazza (LA/FLA/NYM in ‘98) becomes the first player to play for three teams in one year and have 100+ RBI.

Who won the Mike Piazza trade? Not just the Mets

May 22 is one of the most important dates in New York Mets history, marking the anniversary of the team's trade for Mike Piazza. The deal, which went down on May 22, 1998, saw the Mets receive Piazza ...

www.mlb.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

12000 days ago (November 29, 1992), the New York Times publishes the infamous Marge Schott interview. The Reds’ owner says Hitler was good at first, that she was joking when she used the n-word, and that she just doesn’t understand why “Jap” is offensive.

*exasperated sigh*

BASEBALL; Marge Schott: Baseball's Big Red Headache (Published 1992)

www.nytimes.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

Best comp I can come up with is Skenes, but if he was 19 years old, played in New York, and threw 5 MPH harder than just about everybody else.

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

15000 days ago (Sept 12, 1984), Mets P Dwight Gooden strikes out 16 Pirates, bringing his season total to 251 whiffs and breaking Herb Score’s MLB record for rookies.

For the younger people here, pre-shoulder injury Gooden was otherworldly. It was must-watch TV when he pitched.

Dwight Gooden sets rookie strikeout record | 09/12/1984

Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden collects his 246th strikeout of the season, passing Herb Score's rookie strikeout record

www.mlb.com

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Old Baseball News @oldbaseballnews.bsky.social · 2d

18000 days ago (June 26, 1976), Memphis Blues (International League) OF Terry Puhl hits a grand slam. It’s his second bases-loaded home run of the year.

Puhl ends the season with a total of two home runs, both of the salami variety.

photo of melville, saskatchewan's own terry puhl