What the Meltdown Means

   Today’s post is the first in what will become a semi-regular feature at the blog: a guest column, categorized as “Brain Food.” The concept is simple: invite baseball historians or writers to contribute something original which is not baseball-related. It’s an intellectual sorbet, if you will; a chance to put away the microfilm, Win [...]

Satchel Paige- 1960

I’ve got a new piece on Satchel Paige posted over at seamheads. The essay focuses on one of Satchel’s “lost seasons,” 1960, a year mostly glossed over in the biographical stuff on Paige.  The man had an interesting life, and even in a *down year* his travels and tribulations are more compelling than most ballplayer’s [...]

Interview: KJOK

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

First a confession. When I learned KJOK was a rabid St. Louis Cardinals fan, I was surprised to discover he could not only read and write, but was a proficient numbers analyst as well. Having grown up in an ultra-conservative Chicago Cubs household, I was raised to not trust those who lived south of Springfield, or west [...]

The House of Beards

There was once a group of bearded religious zealots who traveled around the country, playing baseball, entertaining people, hocking merchandise, and spreading the good news that we were all going to die in the very near future.
            When we talk about the House of David, one of the things we forget (one of the things [...]

Interview: Gary Ashwill

Gary’s Favorite Cookie

If you have a serious interest in Negro League or Cuban baseball history, but haven’t yet discovered the work of Gary Ashwill, you might be in jeopardy of having your Baseball Dork Membership revoked.  Ashwill was a member of the Negro League Research and Authors Group (NLRAG), a team charged with the responsibility [...]

Kid K: 1998 to 2008

 
Eulogy time. 
 
I don’t usually write about modern baseball, because I’ve sort of lost contact with it over the past few years, having found more interesting things to occupy my time.  But I’ve got this ridiculous urge to break with form and briefly chime in on the apparent end of Kid K’s pitching career here [...]

Pimpin’ What’s Next…

We’ve got some fresh baseball information on the way! In the next couple days, we’ll have an interview with Negro League expert Gary Ashwill, a former member of the Negro League Authors and Researchers Group (NLRAG), and author of an upcoming book from McFarland.  Plus, I hope to tickle your fancy with some House of David [...]

J.K. Rowling’s Money

Not figuring on too many people reading this one, so I’ll just go balls out and cut it loose here…
 
At Halloween I posted a true story about a house I once lived in; an old place where things went bump in the night, doors slammed shut and potted plants moved before one’s very eyes. Once [...]

Simkus Inks SABR to 1-Year Deal

Simkus, seen here researching American baseball history, has signed SABR to a one-year deal.

CHICAGO- In a deal rumored to have been in the works for several months, Scott Simkus has officially signed the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) to a one year contract.  Although the particulars have been kept private, sources close to both [...]

Home Cookin’ with Cool Papa

As some of you know, I’m under contract with the Strat-O-Matic Game Company, helping them prepare a Negro League All-Star simulation game based on some extensive original statistical research.  Most of the stuff is proprietary to the game company and must be kept under the vest.  If I leak some of the good stuff, I run [...]