Baseball
Cleveland becomes first MLB team with numbers on back of jerseys
On April 16, 1929, the Cleveland Indians open the season with numbers on the back of each player’s jersey, the first Major League Baseball team to do so. The numbers make it easier for scorekeepers, broadcasters and fans to identify players. Cleveland wins the game against the ...read more
The Most Accomplished Deaf Player in MLB History
William Hoy was not Major League Baseball’s first deaf player, but he was the game's most successful. He finished his career, which spanned from 1888-1902, with 2,048 hits, 596 stolen bases and 725 runs batted in. In the 21st century, Hoy received consideration by the Veterans ...read more
MLB commissioner suspends players in drug scandal
On February 28, 1986, Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth suspends 11 players. including some of the sport's biggest names, for their involvement with illegal drugs. The suspensions are the most severe in the baseball since the infamous "Black Sox Scandal" in 1919. ...read more
Multi-sport star Jim Thorpe signs MLB contract with Giants
On February 1, 1913, 25-year-old multi-sport star Jim Thorpe—who won two gold medals at the 1912 Olympics—signs a Major League Baseball contract with the New York Giants. The signing comes on the same day Thorpe returns his Olympic medals to Sweden for a violation of amateur ...read more
American League is founded
On January 28, 1901, professional baseball’s American League is founded in Chicago. The league plans for a 140-game schedule, 14-man rosters and a players’ union. Franchises are in Baltimore (Orioles), Boston (Americans), Chicago (White Stockings), Cleveland (Blues), Detroit ...read more
MLB owners approve interleague play
On January 18, 1996, Major League Baseball owners unanimously approve interleague play for the 1997 season. The owners' vote, which called for each team to play 15 or 16 interleague games, breaks a 126-year tradition of teams only playing games within their league during the ...read more
The Black Trailblazer Who's the Only Person in Baseball, Basketball Halls of Fame
Cumberland Posey, the only person in the Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame, was not only an excellent athlete. He also was one of the shrewdest businessmen and talent evaluators in the Negro Leagues, a fierce advocate for Black baseball and a sports pioneer. Early in the 20th ...read more
Chicago Cubs win first World Series title since 1908, snap 'curse'
On November 2, 2016, the Chicago Cubs win their first World Series championship since 1908, beating the Cleveland Indians, 8-7, in a thrilling Game 7 delayed by rain. "Let It Reign," reads the headline in the next day's Chicago Tribune sports section. The win snaps the “Billy ...read more
Pittsburgh beats Boston in first World Series game
In Boston on October 1, 1903, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Americans, 7-3, in the first professional baseball World Series game. Pirates right fielder Jimmy Sebring hits the first World Series home run—an inside-the-park shot to deep center field off Americans ace Cy ...read more
9 Baseball Stars From the Negro Leagues Who Dominated the Game
Until Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color line in 1947, Black Americans' professional baseball opportunities were limited primarily to the Negro Leagues. These leagues showcased impressive talent, from power hitters Buck Leonard and Josh Gibson to pitchers ...read more
The Crime of Passion That Led to Babe Ruth's Epic World Series Home Run
Babe Ruth’s called shot in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series remains one of the most famous home runs in baseball history. What’s much less known, however, is that Ruth’s blast would likely never have occurred except for a remarkable chain of events that started with three ...read more
Toronto Blue Jay Joe Carter wins World Series with ninth-inning home run
On October 23, 1993, Toronto Blue Jay Joe Carter wins the World Series for his team by whacking a ninth-inning home run over the SkyDome’s left-field wall. It was the first time the World Series had ended with a home run since Pittsburgh’s Bill Mazeroski homered to break a 9-9 ...read more
10 of the Biggest Blunders in World Series History
The World Series has been a stage for some of Major League Baseball's greatest plays as well as its most ignominious moments. From dropped balls to a blown umpire call, here are 10 of the Fall Classic’s most noteworthy blunders. 1. New York Giants' Fred Snodgrass, Game 8, 1912 ...read more
7 of the Most Memorable World Series in Baseball History
Major League Baseball history is filled with memorable World Series, from the first in 1903 to the 21st century. The New York Yankees, who have won more titles (27) than any other big-league team, have played in many World Series that have captured the imaginations of sports fans ...read more
The 18-Year-Old Woman Who Struck Out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig
In the depths of the Depression, Joe Engel, the "Baron of Baloney," would do almost anything to promote his minor league baseball team. The owner of the Chattanooga (Tennessee) Lookouts traded a shortstop for a 25-pound turkey, placed singing canaries in grandstands, and featured ...read more
The Most Dramatic Home Run in World Series History
The World Series has produced many moments of incredible drama, but only in 1960 has the Fall Classic ended with a Game 7 home run. That World Series was among the wildest in baseball history as the New York Yankees outscored the Pittsburgh Pirates, 55-27, and second baseman ...read more
What Was the Curse of the Bambino—and How Was Baseball's Greatest Hex Broken?
Before gaining his greatest fame with the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth was a star with the rival Boston Red Sox. As an ace pitcher and slugging outfielder, Ruth helped Boston win three World Series titles in his first six seasons with the team. Then, after the 1919 season, Red Sox ...read more
When 20-Year-Old Rookie Fernando Valenzuela Captivated LA—and Major League Baseball
In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela woke up from a nap and began pitching, and winning, sparking the phenomenon known as “Fernandomania” and almost singlehandedly repairing a fractured relationship between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the city's Mexican American community. As an encore, ...read more
The Epic Battle to Beat Babe Ruth's Home Run Record
In an epic drama spiced with improbable plot twists, New York Yankees stars Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris dueled in 1961 to break Babe Ruth’s Major League Baseball season record for home runs. Their pursuit of the magical mark of 60, set by the Yankees’ legend in 1927, captured ...read more
How a 1921 Baseball Radio Broadcast Marked the Dawn of Sportcasting
Before Harold Arlin voiced the first Major League Baseball broadcast on August 5, 1921, the only way to experience a game was to go to the ballpark. The only way to follow scores was to look up at a wooden scoreboard to see them changed manually. Legends have sat behind ...read more
Willie Mays breaks National League home run record
On May 4, 1966, San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays hits his 512th career home run to break Mel Ott’s National League record for home runs. Mays would finish his career with 660 home runs, good for third on the all-time list at the time of his retirement. Willie Howard ...read more
Jackie Robinson becomes first African American player in Major League Baseball
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson, age 28, becomes the first African American player in Major League Baseball's modern era when he steps onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to compete for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson broke the color barrier in a sport that had been segregated for ...read more
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was an African American professional baseball player who broke Major Leagues Baseball’s infamous “color barrier” when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Until that time, professional ballplayers of color suited up for teams only ...read more
Jackie Robinson’s Battles for Equality On and Off the Baseball Field
Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the Major Leagues on April 15, 1947, when he took the field in the top of the first inning against the Boston Braves. When Robinson took his spot at first base, he broke baseball’s six-decade-long color barrier, which ...read more