Snoopy is the shortstop/groundskeeper for Charlie Brown’s baseball team. The all-time best groundskeeper is of course KC’s George Toma. As for shortstop, see below.
Hot Stove #6 – Pitchers and Catchers Report, Roger Angell, The Catches, PECOTA and the Oscars
Today is the big day! Royals pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Surprise, Arizona:
Hot Stove #5 – War and WAR, What are They Good For? – From A to Z, Abe Lincoln to Ben Zobrist
The Civil War: I promise this story will end on a baseball note, so please stick with me through some battle history of the Civil War. My source is a fine book written by David Von Drehle, a Kansas City-based writer and editor-at-large for Time Magazine. I met David at a Rainy Day author event last winter and bought a copy of his Rise to Greatness – Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year. That year was 1862, and one of the perils was that George McClellan was in charge of the army and all but refused Lincoln’s prodding to become more aggressive in the war. McClellan was constantly saying he needed more supplies and men before he could mount a new battle. So he sat. In June, the flamboyant Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart rode all the way around McClellan’s army for reconnaissance, and on his way cut telegraph wires, collected prisoners and horses and disrupted Union supply lines. Lincoln was not pleased. In October, McClellan was again declining to move when General Stuart made yet another bold dash around the Union army, looting a major supply depot and gathering livestock. Lincoln’s response:
Hot Stove #4 – Snow, Third Base, Taxes, Reader Comments and Ballet
“There are only two seasons – winter and baseball”: So said my favorite baseball owner, Bill Veeck. I got this quote from Inside Pitch, a weekly newsletter from the Baseball Hall of Fame. I recently signed up as a member of the HOF and got a junior membership for my 10-year-old grandson Ian. Within the next year or two, we hope to travel to Cooperstown for our first visit. The Veeck quote led off an article about Hall of Famers Ty Cobb and Ed Walsh who are shown in this photo packing snow to practice throwing curveballs in wintery NY in the early 1920’s. They could also do that this week with the blizzard that hit NY.
Hot Stove #3 – Martin Luther King Day, Vic Power, Alex Gordon, HOF and CHIEFS!
Kansas City Monarchs and the Major Leagues: Three years ago, my annual Martin Luther King message highlighted the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the role played by Bill Veeck in the integration of baseball. As noted then, the roster of the Kansas City Monarchs produced not only Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn, 1947), but also the first blacks to play for six other of the then-existing 16 teams. One of those was catcher Elston Howard who played for the Monarchs from 1948 to 1950. He went from the Monarchs to the Yankee farm system (including 1953 with the Kansas City Blues ) and was then promoted to the Yankee roster in 1955. This takes us to the story of Vic Power.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – 2016 “Everybody Deserves a Shot” – Alexander Hamilton and Sam Phillips
Another year, another MLK Day. My 15th annual message is attached below. The ideas for this year’s message came from unexpected sources.
My beach read on a December vacation was the new Peter Guralnick biography Sam Phillips: The Man who Invented Rock ‘N’ Roll. I was intrigued by Guralnick’s conclusion that Phillips had three major passions: civil rights, baseball and the music form that became rock ‘n’ roll. Those of you who have read my musings on these three subjects will not be surprised that this makes Sam my soul brother.
Hot Stove Post #2 – Reader Comments
I had not planned to again hit your inbox before Rita and I headed to Puerto Vallarta, but the all-time outfield sparked some reader comments that I wanted to pass along.
Hot Stove League – Inaugural Post
First, an apology to those who thought they were off this list for the winter. The Hot Stove League posts are meant to go only to those who made a reply to the last post.
2015 ROYALS POSTSEASON
From: Lonnie Shalton
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 4:10 PM
To: Lonnie Shalton
Subject: (Post 1) It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over – Yogi Berra (and Lee Judge) Continue reading
Larry and Diana’s Excellent Virtual Adventure to Prague – July, 2015
Long term planning does not always work out. Diana and Larry Brewer have long had Prague on their bucket list and the four of us scheduled a trip for July. Di took ill at the wrong time, and so she and Larry are working through trip cancellation insurance issues. The good news is that Di is on the road to recovery and the four of us plan to attend our fifth consecutive Telluride Film Festival over Labor Day Weekend. This assumes Rita’s ears un-pop by then (those long flights over the ocean).