Seventy-five years ago (1946)…
Looney Tunes released “Baseball Bugs” (as in Bugs Bunny).
Bob Hope became a part owner of the Cleveland Indians (to be known as the Guardians starting in 2022).
During the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game last week, the main buzz was about Shohei Ohtani. Sho-Time! He is the first MLB player to be selected as both a pitcher and batter for the All-Star game. Below, Salvy Perez and Shohei Ohtani, the AL starting battery in the All-Star game. Continue reading
It’s the 4th of July. A good time for a story as American as baseball, mom and the immigration experience. For those looking for apple pie and Chevrolet, click here.
Firecracker Baby: On July 4, 1921, my mother Katie Lukomski was born in Sugar Creek, Missouri. In 1939, she married my father, Joe Shalton.
This morning, the post office is issuing a new stamp featuring Yogi Berra. Bob Costas will be on hand for the First Day of Issue event being held at the Yogi Berra Museum in Little Falls, New Jersey. Berra died in 2015, but he left a Yogi-ism for the occasion: “I just want to thank everyone who made this day necessary.” Continue reading
Last weekend, Rita and I celebrated our 40th anniversary with a staycation at the Crossroads Hotel. It got off to a nice start on Friday evening when we met Richard Martin for drinks in the hotel bar. The Royals were on TV and we saw them score nine runs in the first inning. After winning that game, the Royals were three games over .500 and two games away from a Wild Card slot. Continue reading
In local baseball news…
The Royals have rebounded from the losing streak and are back to .500 ball. Thank goodness. Below, in their Monarchs uniforms for MLB’s Salute to the Negro Leagues last Sunday, Royals players gleefully await Carlos Santana after his walk-off homer. Continue reading
I normally would not hit your inbox so quickly again, but this message is time sensitive.
This past Saturday night, Rita and I attended the Lyric Opera performance of Baseball: A Musical Love Letter.
It was delightful. On so many levels.
The time sensitive issue: There are only three more performances. This coming Thursday (7:30), Friday (7:30) and Saturday (2:00). The performances are in the Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building in the East Crossroads area – entrance at 18th and Charlotte. Continue reading
From 1985 to 1997, a group of fans gathered in Kansas City to participate in a draft for a “Home Run Derby.” Steve Roling won the trophy three times, so the trophy was named “The Rolling Cup” (Steve’s name being misspelled). Then the Derby went dormant for 23 years. Roling kept the trophy and sent this recent photo. Continue reading
On April 1, the 2021 MLB season began. On April 2, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred pulled the All-Star game from Atlanta. The broader story dates back to 1963.
Atlanta, Coca-Cola and Henry Aaron (1963-2021): In July of 1963, Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen did something that almost no Southern politician would do. He testified before Congress in support of civil rights legislation. “We cannot dodge this issue. We cannot…turn the clock back to the 1860s.” Continue reading
