History

Throughout our life time, we are all bound to face some sort of adversity. Whether it be trouble in school, recovering from an addiction,or coping with the loss of a loved one, it is never easy.

On February 26, 1935, Babe Ruth returned to Boston. Baseball's greatest player signed with the Braves, hoping to play for, and eventually manage, Boston's other team.

The Release

It was a dark, cold, rainy day when Yankees' owner Colonel Jacob Ruppert, Braves' owner Judge Emil Fuchs, and Babe Ruth met before a contingent of reporters at the Colonel's brewery.

In August 2006 at Massachusetts General Hospital after a car crash, the doctors diagnosed Jon Lester with lymphoma, a curable form of cancer.

In December of the same year ESPN reported that his cancer had been cured and he can return to baseball the very next season.

His return to the field was against the Cleveland Indians at Jacobs Field where hit pitched six solid innings and allowed five hits and two runs.

I happened across an item in the Feb. 3, 1915 edition of The New York Times, about a trade rumor during the winter meetings, which were being held in a New York City hotel.

Here's an excerpt: “As usual, the air was full of rumors of trades. The one rumor which seemed to carry the most weight was that the new owners of the Yankees had come to an agreement with Owner Joseph J. Lannin of the Boston Red Sox for a trade which would involve the transfer of one of the Boston left-handed pitchers to the Yankees.

Being a nice guy is overrated.

A team's ace pitcher doesn't have to be a Dale Carnegie protege.

The exact opposite, in fact, is often what's needed.

Bob Gibson had it.

"It" was the disposition of a hungry, caged lion.

Especially on the days that he was slated to pitch.

It was best to stay out of Gibson's way on those days. Gibson was never really known as a congenial man—still isn't, frankly—but he turned positively wretched when his turn in the rotation came up.

We all have a special place in our heart for that one special team. One where when you think back about them, it will always put a smile on your face. As a fan of the New York Yankees, I love them all. Although I was not alive for a hefty portion of them, the stories I have read and the film I have watched have made me appreciate each and every single one.

There are some great pitchers in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Of course there are some who arguably don’t even belong there.

I recently finished doing a series on the Top 10 (at each position) Players Not in the Hall of Fame, so I thought it would be appropriate to list the Top 10 at each position who are already in the HOF.

There are different schools of thought on compiling such a list, basically because several of the “Mayflower Boys” have well over 40 wins in a season, sometimes more than once.

Frank Robinson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles following the 1965 season. Robinson had batted .296 with 33 home runs, 113 RBIs, and a .540 slugging average, but the Reds needed pitching and owner Bill DeWitt thought that Milt Pappas was the answer.

Frank Robinson Won the Triple Crown

Milt Pappas won 12 games for the 1966 Reds.

Frank Robinson won the Triple Crown, and with major assists from Brooks Robinson, Boog Powell, and Curt Blefary, Frank helped the Orioles become the 1966 World Champions.

When you see Rollie Fingers, the first thing you notice is that perfectly coifed handlebar mustache. But behind the iconic lip sweater is 341 career saves, seven All-Star appearances, an MVP, and a Cy Young Award.

With Mustache May 2009 coming to a close, there was no one better to talk baseball with than Fingers.

Before the season began, they were typically picked to finish fourth in their own division.

Fred Claire, the embattled General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, managed to pry open the tight-fisted grip Peter O’Malley had on the organizations coffers. Claire was convinced that one fiery superstar, with a World Series ring and several All-Star game appearances to his credit, was the key to turning the Dodgers around.