Yankees or Highlanders?

With the celebration of Fenway Park's 100th Anniversary, and the Red Sox playing the New York Yankees last weekend, Kieth Olbermann, who's quite the baseball fan, and writes a baseball blog on MLBlogs.com, The Baseball Nerd , has a great series of articles on the Yankees/Highlanders nickname.

The Red Sox opened Fenway Park on April 20, 1912, hosting the New York Highlanders.

Or, was it the New York Yankees?

Olbermann has dug up some interesting stuff on the Highlanders/Yankees name, check it out.

A special place for Pudge Rodriguez

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez retired today, back in the heart of Texas, where he began his big league career 21 years ago.

I will always have a special place in my baseball fan life, and my personal life, for Pudge Rodriguez.

Not because he signed as a free agent with my team, the Detroit Tigers, a team Pudge made relevant once again just by signing his name.


That four year contract was the start of the Tigers as we know them today, even though Rodriguez has been gone several years now.


He was the start, bringing a business attitude and excitement the Tigers needed. 


That in itself makes Pudge special for Tigers fans, but for me, and my future wife, he would become something very special between us.

In the spring of 2005 my now wife and I had been dating for a few months when she came over to my apartment on night with dinner.

I had the Tigers game on TV, and as Rodriguez was coming to bat, Mario Impemba says..."that brings Pudge Rodriquez to the plate."

All my future wife heard was "Pudge," and that got her upset.

"How rude," she says, that's not a nice thing to say about someone."

Now, we baseball fans know why he's called "Pudge," we know it's a badge of honor, as it was with Pudge Fisk of the Red Sox back in the 1970's, one Hall of Fame catcher to another who would one day be in the HOF.

Before that moment, my future wife, Tracy , had no idea who Pudge Rodriguez was, why he was called that, or any other things about baseball.

She knew I was a Tigers fan, and that was it.

However, from that point on, a few things happened.

First, I had the opportunity to teach someone about the great game of baseball, including why Rodriguez was given his nickname.

Second, it made me look smart to someone I was dating, and that is always good.

Third, and the most important, I guess, is that Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez made himself a fan for life with Tracy(well...she didn't like him as a Yankee at all.), a fan who knew nothing about him, or baseball, until that night back in 2005.

In 2006 we ventured down to Lakeland, Florida for a Spring Training game at the Tigers home, Joker Marchant Stadium, and Tracy was just as excited to see Pudge play as I must have been some 40+ years ago when I was watching Bill Freehan, my hero, for the first time.

The story I tell you is what makes baseball special, the story telling, the teaching, the love of the game passed on down.

Pudge Rodriguez was a Hall of Fame catcher long before that chance encounter through the TV seven years ago, but the bond he created between myself and Tracy, through baseball, is part of our history together, as it will be forever, and for that, I'm forever grateful to him.

Happy Hearts Day, Baseball Style

Valentine's Day, February 14th, the day we tell and show that one special person in our lives we love them and cannot do without them.

My love is my wife Tracy, who takes care of me and loves me unconditionally, as she has since the very first time we went out together.

Over 40 years ago I found my first love, the great game of baseball.

Baseball fans love their teams, and their favorite players unconditionally.

We baseball fans have known the love of our teams, winning the World Series, and we know the heart break of them losing.


Win, or lose, we love them all the same.

Baseball is always tied with Valentine's Day, as pitchers and catchers always report around this time of the year, warming the hearts of all baseball fans as they anticipate their teams Spring Training games in the sunshine of Florida and Arizona.

Baseball and February 14th have given us gives us Pete Rose of the Reds, Ellis Valentine of the Expos, Candy Maldanado of the Dodgers, John "The Candy Man" Candaleria of the Pirates, Bobby Valentine of the Angels, and these other ball players with that special last name.

So, Happy Valentine's Day baseball fans, continue to show your love to that someone special, the one that has always been there for you...every spring...baseball is back.

Bailey's Baseball Book Reviews: Now available: The Greatest Show on Dirt

Bailey's Baseball Book Reviews: Now available: The Greatest Show on Dirt: It’s been 20 years since I worked for the Durham Bulls. Somehow those three years I spent at old Durham Athletic Park feel closer to me than...

Family First Baseman in Motown.

My Detroit Tigers have made a huge splash in the baseball off season, signing free agent first baseman Prince Fielder to a nine year, $214 million dollar contract.

Of course, no Tigers fan can see this signing and not think about Prince's father, Cecil Fielder, who played 6+ years at first base and DH for the Tigers from 1990-96, before being traded to the Yankees.

This caught my eye today. 

This t-shirt is available for at The Detroit Sports Site.

Baseball Blogathon Weekend

As the winter cold sweeps across the country baseball season seems like a long off dream, but baseball never goes away, and this weekend is a great example.

From 8am Pacific time tomorrow, January 14th, until 8am PST on Sunday morning, the "Old Time Family Baseball" blog will be hosting a 24 HR baseball blog-a-thon.

The blog will be non stop baseball talk with contributions from a bevy of baseball bloggers, including  20 of the best baseball writers on the web.

The non stop baseball talk is all in the name of charity, as the event tries to raise $2,000 for "Doctors Without Borders.org,"

The group provides medical help to over 60 countries threatened by "violence, neglect, or catastrophe ."

Their will also be a simultaneous watching of some old baseball movies, and a giveaway raffle for anyone who donates to Doctors Without Borders.

So, go check out the baseball fun, participate in the bolgging of baseball, and please, donate if you can.

How about some baseball trivia?

I love trivia, especially baseball trivia.

The grand history of baseball makes trivia special when the National Pastime is involved.

 Quick, can you name the big league who won 59 games before 1900?

How about the first two teams to play in the very first World series?

John Thorn is Major League Baseball's Official historian, and his knowledge is equaled by no one.

Check out this great article John wrote about his early TV fame and baseball trivia.....it's right here.

The questions are very cool, some easy, some not so much.

Good luck, let me know how you did....P.S...Old Hoss Radbourn and the Pittsburgh Pirates/ Boston Pilgrims are helpful information.