There’s a great scene in Field of Dreams, though probably less memorable than the one where Ray Kinsella is playing catch with his dad or where Shoeless Joe first appears. It’s the scene in which Archibald “Moonlight” Graham gets his only at bat among major league ballplayers. The elder Graham, played by Burt Lancaster, has […]
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The Problem with “The DH Years”
Since 1973, the Designated Hitter rule, which allows a non-fielding player to bat in place of the pitcher in baseball’s American League, has certainly changed the game. There is a lot of ambivalence surrounding the DH, and I will not begin to try to deal with whether the rule should be changed. What I will […]
History of Baseball
Origins and Early Development: 1845 – The Knickerbocker Rules: Alexander Cartwright, and the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York codified the rules of baseball. The game began to be very organized. Some of the essential constituents brought about by the Knickerbocker Rules included a diamond-shaped infield with bases. Professionalization and Expansion: Major Milestones and […]
The Heart and Soul of Rugby: A Journey Through Its Storied Past
Origins and Early Development: Formation and Standardization:1871—Rugby Football Union (RFU) Formed: Rugby football was formalized through the establishment of a Rugby Football Union (RFU) in England in the year 1871. The RFU standardized the rules of the game, which really set rugby football apart from association football, otherwise known as soccer. Splits into Codes: Professionalization […]
History of Track and Field
Origins and Early Development: Modern Revival and Standardization:19th Century: Revival in England – This is where the modern revival of the sport took place. Schools and universities began organizing athletic competitions, probably due to the influence that ideas originating from the ancient Olympic Games had. 1866 – Establishment of the Amateur Athletic Club: The Amateur […]
Bo Kimble & Greg Anthony
On ESPN Classic the other night was a game that I found really intriguing: a 1989 preseason NIT matchup between UNLV and Loyola Marymount. I found it interesting that ESPN chose to replay this game because the two teams would meet in a much more meaningful game later that season in the NCAA tournament. But […]
The Greatest Sports Year: 1991
Sports Illustrated magazine, just after 1998 was safely in the rear-view mirror, said that that year was the greatest sports year ever. Ninety-eight was a phenomenal year, sure, with two sluggers chasing the greatest record in sports and Michael Jordan exiting basketball with a championship-winning shot. But it’s possible that 1998 was not even the best […]
Baseball’s Vices
Columnist George Will has pointed out that baseball is a game you can’t play with your teeth gritted. Which is true. But don’t let that lead you to the conclusion that baseball players are more easy-going than other athletes. To replace the “in the trenches” intensity of more physical sports, baseball players adhere to a […]
The Wave, the Rain Delay, and the Blue Rectangle on My Pants
Too many people are staying away from the ballpark these days. They claim that the games are boring, they move too slowly, and that making the trek out to a stadium just isn’t worth it when you can stay home and watch the game on TV for free. To those people I say, You get […]
History of Basketball
Origins and Development in the Beginning: Formation of Leagues and Professionalization: Expansion and Globalization: Modern Era:It is also during this period that the NBA finally achieves its pinnacle of success by globalization. Notable most influential international players who made an impact on the NBA within this period include Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and […]