One Season in Rocket City
An excerpt from Dale Tafoya’s new book about the 1985 Huntsville Stars
Oakland A’s
1980s First Round Ratings
I took a look at every team’s first-round picks over the course of the decade and rated the best and worst.
The Day the World Series Stopped
Jon Leonoudakis was in attendance at Game Three of the 1989 World Series with a VHS camcorder and his still camera. He recently released a film on his experience and gives us a preview.
7 minutes that explain the greatness of Rickey
A 12-pitch sequence from the 1989 ALCS shows the greatness of Rickey Henderson
Tricky Rickey
Rickey Henderson set a new stolen base record in 1982 but the mark would have come sooner had some shenanigans on the part of Billy Martin been allowed to play out.
7 Amazing Rickey Henderson Stolen Base Facts
Rickey Henderson was the best leadoff hitter in the history of the game and also one of the most exciting. Here are seven things Rickey did that will likely never be done again. 1: From 1970 through 1989, Rickey stole 283 more bases than anyone in baseball. He didn’t make his debut until 1979. Despite …
Dream Season: Rickey Henderson
Every player longs for that dream season. The one where they stay healthy and just produce. I’m going to crunch the numbers and create dream seasons for notable 1980s stars. This time I’ll take a look at Rickey Henderson. March/April 1988 By 1988, Rickey was well established as the premier base stealer of the time, …
The Remarkable Rookie Year of Mitchell Page
The Pirates bus sat waiting for a trip to Lakeland when someone told Mitchell Page to report to the team office. “I knew I was being traded,” he said of the 1977 Spring Training deal. “I just prayed it wasn’t to a contender. I wanted to go somewhere that would offer me an opportunity to play.” The …
Rick Langford: Iron Man
Billy Martin strode to the mound at Arlington Stadium to talk to his starter, Rick Langford. “I think it’s time now,” he said. It was September 17th, 1980 and the Oakland A’s were up two in the 9th inning with two outs. But Rusty Staub‘s 2-run homer in the inning was followed by a Bump Wills …
Billy Martin vs. the Marshmallow Man Part II
The story of how Billy Martin lost his job with the Yankees after a fight with a marshmallow salesman in October of 1979 is well known. But there’s an under-the-radar marshmallow story that’s just as good and perhaps even more volatile. In April of 1980, Martin brought his new team, the Oakland A’s, to Bloomington, MN …
John Wathan and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad May
A great month can make a season. In July of 1980, George Brett hit an amazing .494, en route to leading the major leagues with a .390 batting average. Likewise, some players perform exceptionally well against certain teams. Over his career, Babe Ruth slugged .744 against the Detroit Tigers. Ted Williams hit .374 against Orioles and Ty Cobb …
John Wathan and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad May Read More »
