Pretzel Pezzullo
John "Pretzel" Pezzullo (December 10, 1910 – May 16, 1990) was a professional baseball player whose career spanned eight seasons, two of which were spent with the Major League Baseball (MLB) Philadelphia Phillies. Pezzullo, a pitcher, compiled an earned run average (ERA) of 6.36, allowing 61 earned runs off of 116 hits, five home runs, and 51 walks while recording 24 strikeouts over 86 innings pitched. Pezzullo also played in six seasons of minor league baseball. He made his MLB debut at the age of 24 after spending a season in the minor leagues for the New York Giants organization. Pezzullo earned the nicknamed "Pretzel" after his unusual pitching style. After retiring from baseball, Pezzullo moved to Dallas, Texas, where he died of cancer on May 16, 1990. Early life Pezzullo was born on December 10, 1910, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He had four siblings and is of Italian ancestry. Pezzullo attended school until the eighth grade, after which he went to trade school to learn c ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a base on balls, walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum. There are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, left-handed specialist, lefty specialist, setup man, and the closing pitcher, closer. Traditionally, the pitcher also bats. Starting in 1973 with the American League and spreading to further leagues throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the hitting duties of the pitcher have generally been given over t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National League (baseball), National League and American League, as the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL or NA). Minor League Baseball originated as simply the organization of lower tiers of professional baseball in the United States, comprising clubs that lacked the financial means to compete with the National League and later the American League. The association of minor leagues remained independent throughout the early 20th century, protected by agreements with the major leagues to ensure they were compensated when minor-league players were signed by major-league clubs. Later, Minor League Baseball evolved to be constituted entirely of farm team, affiliates of larger clubs, giving young prospects a chance to develop the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Retrosheet
Retrosheet is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose website features box scores of Major League Baseball (MLB) games from 1906 to the present, and play-by-play narratives for almost every contest since the 1930s. It also includes scores from all major league games played since the 1871 season (the inception of organized professional baseball), as well as every All-Star Game and postseason game, including the World Series, as well as the Negro leagues' East–West All-Star Game and World Series. History Retrosheet informally began in 1989, through the efforts of Dr. David Smith, a biology professor at the University of Delaware, and fellow baseball enthusiasts. Building on momentum begun by writer Bill James' Project Scoresheet in 1984, Smith brought together a host of like-minded individuals to compile an accessible database of statistical information previously unavailable to the general public. Smith originally contacted teams and sportswriters in order to gain a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hit By Pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided that (in the plate umpire's judgment) he made an honest effort to avoid the pitch, although failure to do so is rarely called by an umpire. Being hit by a pitch is often caused by a batter standing too close to, or "crowding", home plate. The rule dates from 1887; before that, a pitch that struck the batter was merely a ball. Official rule Per baseball official rule 5.05(b), a batter becomes a baserunner and is awarded first base when he or his equipment (except for his bat): *is touched by a pitched ball outside the strike zone, *''and'' he attempts to avoid it (or has no opportunity to avoid it), *''and'' he did not swing at the pitch. If all these conditions are met, the ball is dead, and other baserunners advance if they are forced ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dick Bartell
__NOTOC__ Richard William Bartell (November 22, 1907 – August 4, 1995), nicknamed "Rowdy Richard", was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from to . One of the most ferocious competitors of his era, he won both admirers and critics at each stop during a career which saw him traded every few seasons, often under acrimonious circumstances. While hitting .300 over a full season five times, the two-time National League All-Star led the National League in double plays four times and in putouts and assists three times each. From 1927 through 1946, Bartell played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1927–30), Philadelphia Phillies (1931–34), New York Giants (1935–38, 1941), Chicago Cubs (1939) and Detroit Tigers (1940–1941). After two years of military service in World War II, he played briefly in 1946 before retiring. At 5'9" and 160 pounds, he batted and threw right-handed. Career A native of Chicago ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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George Watkins (baseball)
George Archibald Watkins (June 4, 1900 – June 1, 1970) was a Major League Baseball player, born in Freestone County, Texas who owns the National League record for the highest batting average in his rookie season, batting .373 in his rookie year of , with the St. Louis Cardinals. Watkins went on to play until the season with the New York Giants (), the Philadelphia Phillies (-1936), and Brooklyn Dodgers (1936), never again posting a batting average over .312. On June 24, , he hit three home runs in one game. In 894 games played, Watkins compiled a .288 batting average (925-3207) with 490 runs scored, 73 home runs, 420 RBI, a .347 on-base percentage and a .443 slugging percentage in seven major league seasons. He posted a career .956 fielding percentage. In nine World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Johnny Vergez
Jean Louis Vergez (July 9, 1906 – July 15, 1991) was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman, his career lasted for 18 seasons (1926–43) and included all or parts of six years (1931–36) in Major League Baseball and extensive service in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Born in Oakland, California, to French immigrants, he graduated from nearby Alameda High School and attended Saint Mary's College of California. Vergez threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed . Vergez achieved early success in 1929–30 with his hometown team, the Oakland Oaks: he batted over .300 each season, smashed 46 and 29 home runs, and was the PCL's All-Star third baseman in 1929. Acquired by the New York Giants, he succeeded Hall of Famer Freddie Lindstrom as the Giants' regular third baseman in . Starting in 152 games as a rookie, Vergez reached career highs in hits, batting average (.278) and runs batted in (81). But was a year marred by personal tragedy. Just prio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Blondy Ryan
John Collins "Blondy" Ryan (January 4, 1906 – November 28, 1959) was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who is remembered primarily for his fielding and his starring for the New York Giants (NL), New York Giants' 1933 World Series winners. Biography Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Ryan graduated from College of the Holy Cross, Holy Cross in 1930, where he established himself as an outstanding two-sport athlete for the Crusaders. In 1926, as a member of the football team, Ryan tossed two touchdown passes to Hymie Shanahan against Harvard in a 19-14 HC victory. It was, however, in baseball where Ryan gained the most fame, as he was the star shortstop on Crusader teams that won the Eastern Intercollegiate Championship in 1929 and 1930. The team posted a 45-5-1 record in those years. Ryan was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame posthumously in 1964. While a student at Holy Cross, Ryan spent the summer of 1928 playing for the Orleans Firebirds, Orleans t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Arch Ward
Archie Burdette Ward (December 27, 1896 – July 9, 1955) was an American journalist who served as sports editor for the ''Chicago Tribune''. He was the creator of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament and the World Professional Basketball Tournament. Biography Ward was born in 1896 in Irwin, Illinois, and attended Columbia Academy and Columbia College (now Loras College) in Dubuque, Iowa. He worked for the '' Telegraph Herald'' in Dubuque in 1919. Ward completed college at the University of Notre Dame, where he worked as publicity director under Knute Rockne in 1919 and 1920, before graduating in 1921. Ward then worked for the ''Star'' in Rockford, Illinois, during 1921–1925. He joined the ''Chicago Tribune'' in 1925, and became sports editor in 1930. Ward is credited with conceiving of an All-Star Game in major-league-baseball, first contested in 1933. He also created the Golden Gloves, an amateur boxing tournament, and the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and WGN-TV, WGN television received their call letters. It is the most-read daily newspaper in the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region, and the List of newspapers in the United States, sixth-largest newspaper by print circulation in the United States. In the 1850s, under Joseph Medill, the ''Chicago Tribune'' became closely associated with the Illinois politician Abraham Lincoln, and the then new Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's progressive wing. In the 20th century, under Medill's grandson 'Colonel' Robert R. McCormick, its reputation was that of a crusading newspaper with an outlook that promoted Conservatism in the United States, American conservatism and opposed the New Deal. Its reporting and commenta ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Piedmont League
The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States. Cities represented The following cities hosted teams that were members of the Piedmont League (''in alphabetical order''): *Asheville, North Carolina: Asheville Tourists (1931–1932; 1934–1942); (formerly of the South Atlantic League, 1924–1930) *Charlotte, North Carolina: Charlotte Hornets (1931–1935); (formerly of the South Atlantic League, 1919–1930; 1937–1942, moved to the Tri-State League, 1946–1953, the South Atlantic League, 1954–1963, and the Southern League, (1964–1971) *Colonial Heights, Virginia & Petersburg, Virginia: Colonial Heights-Petersburg Colts (1954) *Columbia, South Carolina: Columbia Sandlappers (1934) *Danville, Virginia: Danville Tobacconists (1920–1924); Danville Leafs (1925–1926) *Durham, North Carolina: Durham Bulls (1920–33; 1936–1943) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Richmond Colts
The Richmond Colts were a minor league baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia that existed on-and-off from 1894 to 1953. They played in the Virginia League in 1894, and in another Virginia League in 1900, and another Virginia League from 1906 to 1914 and from 1918 to 1928. In 1932, they played in the Eastern League and from 1933 to 1953, they played in the Piedmont League. They were affiliated with the Philadelphia Athletics from 1935 to 1936, and the New York Giants from 1937 to 1938, in 1940, and from 1944 to 1950. As was more common during that time period, the Colts occasionally played exhibition games against major league teams. One of their home ballparks was Mooers Field, from the early 1940s until 1953, named after Eddie Mooers, who purchased the team in 1931. Prior to Mooers Field, the team played at Tate Field on Mayo Island in the James River, but that facility was destroyed in a fire in May 1941. (notes that team won Virginia League pennant in 1925) In 1953 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |