Thoughts on Baseball and Softball’s Olympic hopes being dashed

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board announced on 13 August that golf and rugby would be put forward for entry to the 2016 Olympics.  The decision ended baseball and softball’s hopes for an immediate return to the Olympic fold after a previous decision in 2005 removed the sports from the 2012 London Games.

Read more at BaseballGB about what this means for the future of baseball in Great Britain and as an international sport.

Keeping score: Pirates-Cubs 14 August 2009

When the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs met last Friday, there was plenty of action to witness both on the field and in the sky. Read my report of keeping score of the game at BaseballGB.

Mark Buehrle’s Perfect Game

Read about one Brit’s experience of following Mark Buehrle’s incredible perfect game from the UK.  It was the topic of this week’s ’Weekly Hit Ground Ball’ column at BaseballGB, a feature that is published every Sunday during the MLB season.

An All-Star team of Major Leaguers who have played in Great Britain

As part of Project Cobb, ex-’Baseball on Five’ presenter Josh Chetwynd (and author of two McFarland publications: British Baseball and the West Ham Club, and Baseball in Europe) has written an article compiling an All-Star team of players who have appeared on British soil over the years. 

Featuring greats such as Willie Stargell, Tris Speaker, Cap Anson, Sam ‘Wahoo’ Crawford, Bob Feller and AG Spalding, it makes for an impressive team.  More importantly, Josh’s article explains how every player ‘qualifies’ for the list, charting an interesting history of baseball on British shores.

Read the full article by clicking through to BaseballGB here.

BaseballGB reviews Baseball’s Great Experiment by Jules Tygiel

Baseball is rightly proud of the Jackie Robinson story.  When he ‘broke the colour line’ on 15 April 1947, he didn’t just set in motion the desegregation of baseball, he helped to pave the way for seismic changes throughout American society. 

Jules Tygiel’s book has been widely regarded as one of the seminal texts on this subject since it was first published in 1983.  It is therefore an important addition to any baseball fan’s collection. 

Read the full review here.

MLB has let itself down again

Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers are not the only ones affected by the star slugger’s positive drug test.  Baseball is taking a battering and Selig and company are failing to stand up for the sport.

Read more here.

Dodgers can survive Manny’s suspension

Mark George, a British Dodgers fan, was as shocked as anyone to hear about Manny Ramirez’s positive drug test.  However, he’s convinced that the absence of their star slugger doesn’t mean his team will fall apart.

Read Mark’s comments here.

BaseballGB reviews Boston Red Sox and the Meaning of Life by Mark Rucker

There have been countless books devoted to the Sox over the years and Boston Red Sox and the Meaning of Life is the latest. Great moments, players and memorable quotes from the history of the franchise are brought together in the second instalment of this new series.

Read a full review here.

Keeping Score – A Saturday night classic

Last Saturday’s 16-11 game between the Yankees and the Red Sox was a classic.  Read about the game from a scorekeeping fan’s perspective here.

BaseballGB reviews St Louis Cardinals: Past & Present by Doug Feldmann

The St Louis Cardinals are the latest franchise to have a book devoted to them in this impressive series by MVP Books.  Fans of the Red Birds will revel in this eye-catching compilation of great photos and descriptive text that provide a well-rounded history of their storied team.

Read the full review here.