Sep 14On Rosh HashanahKen Holtzman, MLB’s Winningest Jewish Pitcher BASEBALL HISTORY When the Chicago Cubs called up Ken Holtzman from the Rookie Pioneer League in 1965, some within the organization predicted that the lefty flamethrower would be the next Sandy Koufax. Both were tall, lean, Jewish flamethrowers. Holtzman had an outstanding 17-year-long career…Baseball History4 min readBaseball History4 min read
Aug 8Fitch’s Downgrade of U.S. Debt to AA+ is GenerousTroubling Specifics On August 1, the rating agency Fitch dropped the U.S. government’s long-term credit rating from AAA to AA+. Fitch said the downgrade “reflects the expected fiscal deterioration over the next two or three years, a high and growing general government debt burden, and the erosion of governance.”…Fitch Ratings4 min readFitch Ratings4 min read
Aug 7On Purple Heart Day …Honoring Charles Durning, Character Actor and WWII Hero Charles Durning’s D-Day memories were so painful that for decades he suppressed them. Drafted at age 20, Durning eventually earned a Silver Star for valor, a Bronze Star for meritorious service in a combat zone, and three Purple Hearts, given in the…Purple Heart Day4 min readPurple Heart Day4 min read
Jul 19Cooperstown Needs to Restore Excellence, Tighten Induction StandardsWith the Hall of Fame induction ceremony set for the July 21–24 weekend, here’s a baseball quiz. The question: What do Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Scott Rolen and Fred McGriff have in common? Not many fans are fooled. Although Ruth, Cobb, Rolen and McGriff have skill levels that range from…Baseball3 min readBaseball3 min read
Jul 11Like the Old Gray Mare, All-Star Game ‘Ain’t What She Used to Be’Time was when the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was a special event. Fans were eager to see the superstars of the National League and American League compete on one field in one special game. But interleague play, which began in 1997, put the kibosh on that. Here’s Philadelphia Phillies’…All Star Game3 min readAll Star Game3 min read
Jul 4Independence DayGeorge M. Cohan, the Yankee Doodle Boy George M. Cohan, the son of Irish immigrants — often described as the man who owned Broadway — dominated American theater from 1901 until 1940. During that four-decade period, the man born on the Fourth of July produced 80 Broadway shows, many of which he wrote himself, and wrote more…Independence Day3 min readIndependence Day3 min read
Jun 19Father’s DayMazeroski on His World Series Winning Homer — “Dad Would Have Loved It” The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls, and the Pittsburgh Penguins, five Stanley Cups. But no matter what the future may hold, for sheer ecstasy among Pittsburgh fans, nothing will ever top the October 13, 1960, 3:36 p.m. thrills. At that instant, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski took his…Pittsburgh Pirates4 min readPittsburgh Pirates4 min read
Jun 121941: Ruth, Cobb Meet on Links to Determine ‘Left-Handed, Has-Beens’ Golf ChampionWhen the U.S. Open field tees off at the Los Angeles Country Club, the golfers should give a hat tip to the man who made their $20 million purse possible — Babe Ruth, the sport’s pioneer. The “Big Bam” took up golf in 1914 when he was a rookie left-handed…Baseball History4 min readBaseball History4 min read
May 25MEMORIAL DAY SpecialRemembering Americans Who Lost their Lives for America Parents Mourn Hero Son Killed in Vietnam, 1968 Mark Edward Vanderheid was born in Tonawanda, New York, on February 11, 1949. Four months after his 20th birthday, and only six months after he arrived in South Vietnam in 1968, Vanderheid, a U.S…Memorial Day3 min readMemorial Day3 min read
May 14On Mother’s DayChristina Gehrig, the Iron Horse’s Iron-Fisted Mom Lou Gehrig had two women in his life, his mother Christina and his wife Eleanor. Had the two been able to get along, the personal life of the legendary New York Yankees ballplayer and Hall of Famer would have been less stressful. During…Baseball4 min readBaseball4 min read
