Eddie Collins: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1939

Born: May 2, 1887

1905-06: Quarterback of the Columbia Football Team

Debut: September 17, 1906 (Philadelphia A’s)

1907: Graduated from Columbia

1907: Coached Columbia baseball after getting caught playing pro ball under a pseudonym

1908: Joined the majors for good

1909: Named A’s starting second baseman

1910: A’s win World Series

1910-14: Collins was part of the “$100,000” infield.

1911: A’s win World Series

1913: A’s win World Series

1914: AL MVP

1914: A’s win pennant; lose World Series to the “Miracle” Braves

1914: Connie Mack offered Collins an unprecedented 5-year contract; Collins declined and was sold to the White Sox

1915: First season with the Chicago White Sox; Collins made $15,000 with Chicago.

1917: White Sox win World Series

1919: The “Black Sox” throw the World Series. Collins did not participate in the fix.

1924: Named Player/Manager of the White Sox (174-160 record)

1926: Fired as Sox manager

1927: Returns to A’s.

1929: A’s win World Series

1930: A’s win World Series

1930: Retired at season’s end

1931-32: A’s coach

1933-47: Boston Red Sox GM

1939: Elected to Hall of Fame on the 4^th ballot

1946: Red Sox win the pennant, but lose World Series to the Cardinals

1947-51: Served in the Red Sox front office after stepping down as GM

Died: May 2, 1951

1999: Nominee for the All Century Team

Accomplishments:
6x World Champion

1914 AL MVP

Candidate for Greatest Second Baseman of All Time

.333 career hitter

3315 career hits

1300 RBI

741 steals

438 doubles

187 triples

.424 career OBP

512 sacrifice hits (#1 all time)

4258 total bases

1821 runs

Led league in runs scored: 3x

100 + runs: 7x

Stolen base leader: 4x

30+ steals: 12x

40+ steals: 10x

50+ steals: 6x

60+ steals: 3x

81 steals (1910)

Led league in walks in 1915 (119)

100+ walks: 2x

Hit .300 or better: 19x

.400+ OBP: 17x

.900+ OPS: 6x

Postseason batting: .328 in 6 World Series

Managerial Record:
174-160 (.521) No Pennants

Charles Comiskey: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1939

A timeline of his life and career.

Born: August 15, 1859

Debut: May 2, 1882 (St Louis Brown Stockings)

1883-1889: Managed the Browns (563-273 record and four championships)

1890: Player/Manager for the Chicago Pirates (75-62 record)

1891: Back to St. Louis

1892-84: Played for and Managed the Cincinnati Reds (202-206 record)

1900: Became owner of the White Sox

1901: White Sox win Pennant (No World Series until 1903)

1906: White Sox win World Series

1910: Built Comiskey Park

1917: White Sox win World Series

1917: Becomes bitter enemies with AL President and Founder Ban Johnson

1919: White Sox throw World Series because their owner is ridiculously cheap

1920: Grand Jury convened in Black Sox Scandal

1921: Key evidence in the trial disappeared.

1921: The Black Sox are acquited, but Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned the eight men for life. The team collapsed and took a long time to recover. The White Sox do not win another pennant until 1959 and another World Series until 2005.

Died: October 26, 1931

1939: Elected to Hall of Fame on the Second Ballot

1958: Comiskey Family sell the White Sox

1974: The Godfather Part II mentions the fixed World Series.

1988: The movie Eight Men Out chronicles the 1919 World Series.

2010: HBO’s Boardwalk Empire covers the scandal.

Accomplishments:

Led league in At Bats in 1888 (576)

Managerial Record:

840-541 Record (.608) with four pennants

As an owner:

Four Pennants (1901, 1906, 1917, 1919)

Two World Championships (1906, 1917)

Built Comiskey Park

His frugal nature resulted in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal

Cap Anson: Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 1939

Cap Anson Timeline:

Born: April 17, 1852

1866-67: Sent to boarding school at Notre Dame

1868: Spent one semester at the University of Iowa. He was expelled for bad behavior.

1871: Began playing pro ball

Debut: May 6, 1871

1875: Managed Athletics for 8 games (4-2-2)

1879: Named Captain/Manager of the Cubs leading to his nickname “Cap”

1880s: He pioneered new managerial techniques including using a third base coach, signals, and a pitching rotation (2 starters). He was also pioneered Spring Training.

1880-82: Won NL Pennant three consecutive years (no World Series)

1883: He refused to play an exhibition game against the Toledo Blue Stockings because their catcher, Moses Fleetwood Walker, was black. He backed down when told his team would not be paid if they forfeited.

1885-86: Won back-to-back NL Pennants

1887: Baseball officially segregated. Anson is partially to blame, but does not deserve to be singled out for the action.

1888: Began an on-again-off-again acting career

1890s: He claimed to have invented the hit-and-run

July 18, 1897: Collects 3000^th hit

1897: Fired as Cubs’ manager. At the time, they were called the Colts. After his firing, they were called the “Orphans” since they lost their “pop.”

1897: Record with the Cubs: 1282-932 (.579) and 5 Pennants

1898: Managed the Giants briefly (9-13 record).

1899: Opened a pool hall in Chicago. It was successful, but he was forced to sell in 1909 because his other ventures failed.

1900: Tried to form a rival major league, but it failed.

1900: Published his memoirs

1905: Chicago City Clerk

1907: Ran for Sheriff, but lost in the primary.

1907: Purchased a semi-pro team, which lost money.

1908: Formed a semi-pro football team, they won a title, but lost money.

1909: Filed bankruptcy

1921: Retired from Vaudeville

1922: Became GM of a golf club

Died: April 14, 1922.

1939: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his second ballot by the Veteran’s Committee

Late 20^th and early 21^st century: Debate rages as to Anson’s role in the segregation of the Major Leagues in 1887.

Accomplishments:
.334 career average

3435 career hits

First member of 3000 hit club

2075 RBI

Played record 27 seasons

.394 career OBP

2x Batting Champ

Led league in games played in 1890 (139)

Scored 100 runs in a season: 6x

Led league in hits in 1881 (137)

582 doubles

Led league in doubles: 3x

Led league in RBI: 8x

100 RBI season: 6x

Led league in walks in 1890 (113)

4x OBP Leader

OBP of .400 or higher: 8x

Slugging of .500 or higher: 7x

2x OPS leader

OPS of .900 or better: 7x

4592 total bases

1881 Total base leader (175)

As a Manager:
1295-947 record (.578)

Won 5 NL Pennants

Top 200 Albums of All Time: Tom Petty

Damn the Torpedoes: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1979)
MCA gained control of Tom Petty’s recording contract resulting in a legal battle. Petty was angry over the change in labels and the battle resulted in his bankruptcy. The record company eventually backed down. Damn the Torpedoes proved Petty’s big breakthrough. The title derived from Civil War Admiral David Farragut’s quote “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”

Key Tracks:
Refugee
There Goes My Girl
Even the Losers
Don’t Do Me Like That

Full Moon Fever: Tom Petty (1989)
Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne wrote a bunch of songs that did not sound like the Heartbreakers. So, Petty recorded them as a solo album. In the end, the Heartbreakers, sans drummer Stan Lynch, contributed to the album as did members of the Traveling Wilburys. The album represents one of the few times a really good album was also a commercial success.

Key Tracks:
Free Fallin’
I Won’t Back Down
Runnin’ Down A Dream
Yer So Bad

Mike Flanagan

Born: December 16, 1951

1971: Drafted by the Astros, but did not sign

1973: Drafted by the Orioles

1973-1975: Played in Minor Leagues

Major League Debut: September 5, 1975

1975: Graduated from the University of Massachusetts

1976: First Major League Win on September 1 against Kansas City

1978: Made AL All Star Team

1979: Won Cy Young Award (23-9, 3.08 ERA, 16 Complete Games)

1979: Orioles lose World Series to Pirates

2000: Elected to University of Massachusetts Athletic Hall of Fame

1983: Orioles win World Series

1987: Traded to Toronto

1989: Blue Jays win AL East

1991: Signs with Orioles as a Free Agent

1992: Retires

1995 and 1998: Orioles Pitching Coach

1996-97, 1999-2002, 2010: Oriole Broadcaster

He has also served as Oriole General Manager and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations.

Died: August 24, 2011

Accomplishments
1983 World Champion

1979 Cy Young Award Winner

1979 TSN Pitcher of the Year

1978 All Star

167-143 record

3.90 Career ERA

101 complete games

19 shutouts

Double digit wins: 8x

15 or more wins: 5x

Led league in wins: 1979 (23)

Led league in Game Starts: 1978 (40)

Led league in shutouts: 1979 (5)

200 or more innings: 7x

Sci-Fi History: The War of the Worlds (1898)

By 2011, we are used to movies and literature pitting mankind against evil aliens. In 1898, the concept was in its infancy. H.G. Wells split The War of the Worlds into two parts. Part One chronicles the alien invasion and the narrator’s attempt to find his wife and flee. Part Two delves into the world under Martian domination. In the end, the military cannot withstand the invaders. However, a naturally occurring pathogen destroys the aliens. Despite their technological advantage, they had no immunity to terrestrial diseases.

One interesting aspect of the novel is the concept of total war. The aliens attack without regard for life. Additionally, they assault with advanced weaponry resulting in maximum casualties and destruction. Wells wrote the novel over a decade before World War I’s killing fields and 40 years before World War II. Some of the other themes in the book include natural selection, evolution, colonialism, imperialism, and Social Darwinism.

The book has spawned many adaptations. In 1938, Orson Welles radio broadcast on Halloween created a mini panic. In 1953, Hollywood released the definitive movie version, which led to a TV sequel in 1988. In 2005, Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise united to film a remake more on par with the book than the 1953 version. There have also been comic books, cartoons, musicals, an audio adaptation featuring Star Trek cast members, and a 2001 version starring Superman.

Top 10 Relief Pitchers of All Time

#1 is Mariano. #1 old school is Rollie Fingers.

The complete 10:

Dennis Eckersley

Rollie Fingers

Goose Gossage

Bruce Sutter

Mariano Rivera

Trevor Hoffman

Hoyt Wilhelm

Tug McGraw

Lee Smith

Billy Wagner