Category Archives: Sports

Wednesday’s Book Review: “Jimmie Foxx: Baseball Hall of Famer, 1907-1967”

Posted on August 2, 2017 by launiusr

Jimmie Foxx: Baseball Hall of Famer, 1907-1967. By W. Harrison Daniel. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 1996. In the small town of Sudlersville, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore there is life-size statue of Jimmie Foxx, one of the greatest players … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, History, Sports | Tagged 1907-1967, A League of their Own, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Fort Wayne Daisies, Jimmie Foxx: Baseball Hall of Famer, Maryland, McFarland and Co., Philadelphia Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Sudlersville, Tom Hanks, W. Harrison Daniel, World Series | Leave a comment

Celebrity Activism in Sports and Society

Posted on June 19, 2017 by launiusr

It is almost a truism in modern America that celebrities engage in various causes aimed at overcoming various challenges plaguing society. Much of this is accepted and even celebrated. As often as not, it is the result of a unique … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Personal, Politics, Sports | Tagged 1960s, American exceptionalism, baseball, Bono, Brigette Bardot, Charles Dickens, History, Jane Fonda, John Carlos, John Lennon, Mark Twain, Olympics, Tommie Smith, Yoko Ono | 2 Comments

Wednesday’s Book Review: “Leveling the Playing Field”

Posted on June 7, 2017 by launiusr

Leveling the Playing Field: How the Law Can Make Sports Better for Fans. By Paul C. Weiler. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000. Many of the major issues of modern professional sports revolve around issues of the law. Harvard University’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, History, Politics, Sports | Tagged baseball, basketball, football, George Steinbrenner, Harvard University Press, hockey, Leveling the Playing Field: How the Law Can Make Sports Better for Fans, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, Paul C. Weiler | Leave a comment

My Favorite Weird Baseball Promotions

Posted on May 15, 2017 by launiusr

My longtime friend Mike Green and I recently discussed the weirdest, strangest, most ridiculous promotions we could think of. Since we had collaborated on a biography of Charlie Finley, published last year by Walker and Co., we had a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Charles O. Finley, History, Oakland A's, Sports | Tagged 1960s, Bill Veeck, Charlie Finley, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, History, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Browns, Texas Rangers | 1 Comment

Wednesday’s Book Review: “Keeping Score: The Economics of Big-Time Sports”

Posted on May 10, 2017 by launiusr

Keeping Score: The Economics of Big-Time Sports. By Richard G. Sheehan. South Bend, IN: Diamond Communications Inc., 1996. Although it is now more than 20 years old and sports have changed significantly since the mid-1990s, there are several important insights in this … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, History, Sports | Tagged baseball, History, mlb business, Playoffs, Richard G. Sheehan, sports business, St. Louis Cardinals, World Series | 1 Comment

Wednesday’s Book Review: “Leo Durocher: Baseball’s Prodigal Son”

Posted on April 19, 2017 by launiusr

Leo Durocher: Baseball’s Prodigal Son. By Paul Dickson. New York: Bloomsbury, 2017. No doubt, Leo Durocher was a talented baseball player, coach, and manager. He was also MLB’s bad boy before Billy Martin took that title from him in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, History, Sports | Tagged baseball, Billy Williams, Bloomsbury, Branch Rickey, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Ernie Banks, Ferguson Jenkins, Hall of Fame, History, Houston Astros, Leo Durocher, Leo Durocher: Baseball’s Prodigal Son, MLB, New York Giants, New York Mets, Paul Dickson, Playoffs, Ron Santo, World Series, Wrigley Field | 1 Comment

Wednesday’s Book Review: “A Clever Base-Ballist: The Life and Times of John Ward Montgomery”

Posted on April 12, 2017 by launiusr

A Clever Base-Ballist: The Life and Times of John Ward Montgomery. By Bryan Di Salvatore. New York: Pantheon Books, 1999. Between 1878 and 1894 John Ward Montgomery amazed major league baseball fans on the field and exasperated owners off of … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Sports | Tagged A Clever Base-Ballist: The Life and Times of John Ward Montgomery, baseball, Brotherhood of National League Players, Bryan Di Salvatore, Grange, John Ward Montgomery, labor, labor unions, MLB, mlb business, New York Giants, Pantheon Books, reserve clause, William A. Hulbert | Leave a comment

Wednesday’s Book Review: “Bad Call: Technology’s Attack on Referees and Umpires and How to Fix It”

Posted on April 5, 2017 by launiusr

Bad Call: Technology’s Attack on Referees and Umpires and How to Fix It. By Harry Collins, Robert Evans, and Christopher Higgins. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2016. There is no question but that technology has changed the way in which fan … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Sports | Tagged Armando Galarraga, Bad Call: Technology’s Attack on Refugees and Umpires and How to Fix It, Christopher Higgins, Don Denkinger, English Premier League Football, Harry Collins, Hawk-Eye system, Jim Joyce, Jorge Orta, Kansas City Royals, MIT Press, MLB, referees, Robert Evans, St. Louis Cardinals, umpires, World Series | 1 Comment

Washington Nationals Home Opener Game Results

Posted on April 3, 2017 by launiusr

Today is the home opener for the Washington Nationals. After a long winter, and a deeply disturbing political season, I’m ready to get back to something a bit more uplifting. The Nationals are well positioned to win the National League … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, History, Sports | Tagged baseball, History, Playoffs, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, World War II | Leave a comment

Wednesday’s Book Review: “The Road to Madness: How the 1973-1974 Season Transformed College Basketball”

Posted on March 29, 2017 by launiusr

The Road to Madness: How the 1973-1974 Season Transformed College Basketball. By J. Samuel Walker and Randy Roberts. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2016. If you are even a moderate college basketball fan you cannot go wrong by … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Sports | Tagged Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), “March Madness”, basketball, Duke University, Final Four, J. Samuel Walker, John Wooden, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, North Carolina State University, Randy Roberts, The Road to Madness: How the 1973-1974 Season Transformed College Basketball, UCLA, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press, University of Virginia | Leave a comment