Writing

In addition to my ongoing research about the Black Sox Scandal, I also write about many other aspects of baseball history. Here is some of my recent work:

Dazzling Debuts: First At-Bat Home Runs

Dazzling Debuts: First At-Bat Home Runs is a multimedia celebration of the major-league players who swung for the fences and, against the odds, connected with destiny. From the earliest days of the game to the modern era, the lore of the first at-bat home run has captivated fans and players alike. Featuring exclusive oral history interviews, video highlights, biographies, and game recaps, Dazzling Debuts also explores first at-bat home runs in the Negro Leagues, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Visit SABR.org/dazzling-debuts to learn more.

Jackie 75: Baseball’s Re-Integration

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson trotted out to first base at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn — the first Black man to appear in the all-White major leagues in the twentieth century. With Jackie Robinson 75: Baseball’s Re-Integration, SABR commemorates the 75th anniversary of a historic moment in baseball and in American society. We dive into the SABR Research Collection archives and draw on the contributions of more than 85 SABR authors and historians to tell the story of Robinson’s complicated, never guaranteed, journey as a civil rights pioneer on and off the field. Visit SABR.org/jackie75 to learn more.

The 1919 Flu Mask Baseball Game

A batter, catcher, and umpire stand at home plate, all wearing cloth masks over their mouth and nose. The photographs are some of the most enduring images of the 1918-19 global influenza pandemic that infected an estimated 500 million people, nearly one-third of the world’s population, and the cause of nearly 50 million deaths over a 24-month span. If these images did not survive, it might be hard to believe such an absurd spectacle ever took place: a baseball game played while everyone present was wearing flu masks. It happened only once, during a California Winter League game on January 26, 1919, in Pasadena, where city officials enacted — and enforced — a strict ordinance requiring all citizens to cover their faces while out in public. Read the full article at SABR.org.

By The Numbers: Iconic Numbers in Baseball

Baseball’s iconic numbers roll off the tongue easily. They are instantly recognizable to generations of fans, who understand their significance without any explanation necessary. The complete history of the game can be told through numbers like Bob Gibson’s ERA (1.12), Cy Young’s win total (511), and Cal Ripken’s consecutive games streak (2,632). From the Civil War to the sabermetric WARs, baseball’s greatest players, teams, and moments from its earliest origins to the modern era are captured in statistics that still catch our attention. Click here to download the PDF. Originally published in the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Memories and Dreams magazine.

Baseball ghosts in Bisbee, Arizona

Copper City Classic

You can feel the ghosts more easily in Bisbee, Arizona, than just about anywhere else in America. The presence of the past is evident as soon as you pass through the tunnel carved into the Mule Mountains that takes you back in time to a town hailed as the “queen of the copper mines.” Most of all, you can feel the spirit at Warren Ballpark, Bisbee’s century-old baseball stadium and communal gathering space that has played host to generations of ballplayers from Hall of Famers to high schoolers on its dusty diamond. Click here to read the full article.

SABR BioProject: Chipper Jones

JonesChipper-Topps-HOF

Chipper Jones was groomed for superstardom, with a cool nickname to match his father’s Hall of Fame idol, Mickey Mantle. The Atlanta Braves selected him as the No. 1 pick in the 1990 amateur draft and over the next two decades, he helped lead the franchise to its greatest heights, winning a World Series in his rookie season, earning the National League’s Most Valuable Player award, and becoming the face of a baseball dynasty. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018.  Read my SABR biography of Chipper Jones at SABR.org.

Books

Here are books to which I have contributed as a writer or editor:

Articles