History of Softball-(Part 5)

Sixteen inch softball got very popular in Chicago especially during the time of the Great Depression. All you needed to play it was a baseball bat and a 16” softball. Nobody wore softball gloves mostly because they couldn’t afford them. This caused you to become a better fielder because it is easier to catch a [...]

History of Softball-(Part 4)

Meanwhile, back in Chicago where softball began, it was getting even more popular. It was still played often indoors at armories. Also, outdoor softball in the city had need of a ball that wouldn’t go so far when it was hit with a baseball bat. It was played on playgrounds and small fields, so a [...]

History of Softball-(Part 2)

Softball remained an indoor game for the next several years. Obviously, the wrapped up boxing glove was traded in for an actual ball, and the broom stick for a baseball bat. Sizes of softballs ranged from twelve inches all the way up to seventeen inches. At the turn of the century, a guy named Lt. [...]

History of Softball-(Part )

Did you ever wonder how a game or sport got its beginning? Most people never think about it, they just play the game. That’s probably true with softball, but like all games and sports, it did have a beginning. Softball began in Chicago, Illinois on Thanksgiving Day in 1887. At a boat club called Farragut [...]

Heartbreak of the 1969 Cubs-(Part 2)

…Actually, the Cubs freefall was more “amazing” than the Mets climb. The Cubs lost 17 of their remaining 25 games as the Mets went zooming past them, and on to being the 1969 World Series Champions. Once again, Cubs fans were left holding the bag, only this time it was different. With all the excitement [...]

Putting Together a Family Baseball Game

There’s nothing better than watching your kids enjoy an impromptu game of baseball in the backyard on a warm summer night. Not only will they be getting a lot of physical exercise, but it’s also a great way to for the various family members to bond and spend some quality time together. If this sounds [...]

Chicago White Sox-1959

The city was Chicago. The year was 1959 and I was twelve years old. It had been fourteen years since any baseball team had won a pennant in the “second city,” so I had never seen a “friendly” World Series. I was a Cubs fan so the wait would be l-o-n-g! The White Sox were [...]

Baseball and a Wedding-(Part 1)

So, I opened my newspaper this morning to an article written by Vin Mannix, and there was a picture of a local couple standing on the pitchers mound at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, the spring training home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They will be married at home plate on Saturday, February 6th. It seems the [...]

The 7th Inning Stretch (Part 4)

A third theory was dug up by baseball historians. It shows a manuscript dated in 1869, a full thirteen years before the “Perfect” Brother Jasper’s timeout. It seems to be documenting what can only be described as a seventh inning stretch. The letter was penned by a member of the first professional baseball team, the [...]

The 7th Inning Stretch (Part 3)

Another theory was that Brother Jasper of Mary was given credit for bringing baseball to Manhattan College in the late 1800’s. Now, Brother Jasper was known as the “Perfect of Discipline,” (which means being in charge of keeping unruly students in line. This might have involved a baseball bat, but that is just my theory) [...]

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