Tag Archives: History
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Leo Durocher: Baseball’s Prodigal Son”
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
Washington Nationals Home Opener Game Results
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
Announcing a Forthcoming Conference: “NASA in the ‘Long’ Civil Rights Movement”
When: Thursday March 16 – Friday March 17, 2017 Where: United States Space and Rocket Center, Educational Training Facility, 1 Tranquility Base – Huntsville, Alabama 35805 On March 16-17, 2017, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center History Office and the University … Continue reading
The Cardinals and the Counterculture Catcher
Should the St. Louis Cardinals catcher of the 1970s, Ted Simmons, be in the Hall of Fame?I think it would be great, but it won’t happen unless the Veteran’s Committee acts. “Simba,” as Simmons liked being called, became an all-star … Continue reading
Apollo 13 and Nostalgia for an Earlier Time
A cultural debate has raged during the first part of the twenty-first century over the meaning of the Apollo program. Much of the recollection of Apollo’s legacy revolves around ideas of ‘progress’ for the American nation. At the same time, Apollo … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Defense Acquisition Reform, 1960-2009: An Elusive Goal”
Defense Acquisition Reform, 1960-2009: An Elusive Goal. By J. Ronald Fox, with contributions by David G. Allen, Thomas C. Lassman, Walton S. Moody, and Philip L. Shiman. Washington, D.C.: Center for Military History, United States Army, 2011. Written by the … Continue reading
A Brief on the Apollo 1 (Capsule 204) Fire on its 50th Anniversary
What happened? The Apollo 1 (204) Command Module was on the ground at the Kennedy Space Center on January 27, 1967 when a fire broke out in the capsule. The three crew members (Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Edward … Continue reading
Paper Proposal: “A Tale of Two Owners: The Parallel but Asymmetrical Careers of Gussie Busch and Ewing Kauffman”
I have put in to undertake this paper for the 29th Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, to be held at the MLB Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on May 31-June 2, 2017. Comments are welcome. A Tale of Two Owners: … Continue reading
A Truly Hilarious Cartoon on the Apollo/Saturn Stack
This cartoon from the XKCD website helps explain with considerable humor the awesomeness of the Saturn V. It uses onlty the most common words in English to rescribe the stack. You may find the original here. Enjoy!
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Dizzy and the Gashouse Gang”
Dizzy and the Gashouse Gang: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals and Depression-Era Baseball. By Doug Feldman. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2000. The so-called “Gashouse Gang” was one of the most engaging major league baseball teams of the first half … Continue reading
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