Baseball

Entries Tagged as 'Baseball'

Excerpt from The Greatest Show on Dirt

August 10th, 2012 · Comments Off · Baseball, The Greatest Show on Dirt

In honor of all the rain causing havoc at various ballparks today, here is a chapter from my novel The Greatest Show on Dirt about rain and tarp pulls, every minor league employee’s favorite exercise. By ten o’clock our last lingering co-worker was Shannon, who had hooked up with one of Burt’s business school buddies. [...]

Back from Durham–what a trip!

May 22nd, 2012 · Comments Off · Baseball, Reviews, The Greatest Show on Dirt

So, I’m back from Durham and still trying to process all of the people I met and places I visited in an action-packed three days. Normally even a long weekend feels like mere moments when I walk back into work the next day, but today at work it actually felt like a week since I’d [...]

Baseball Linsanity struck Pittsburgh in ’09

February 17th, 2012 · Comments Off · Baseball

Linsanity in the NBA has fans digging for comparable out-of-nowhere heroes in other sports. Some have cited Fernando Valenzuela, who opened the 1981 season by winning his first eight starts, including five by shutout, going nine innings every time out. Others like Bob “Hurricane” Hazle, who sparked the Milwaukee Braves by hitting .473 with five [...]

The ’91 Bulls: Old magic eludes “Perfect Game” Burlingame

February 7th, 2012 · Comments Off · '91 Durham Bulls, Baseball

Dennis Burlingame etched his name into Durham’s history book in his Bulls debut, tossing a seven-inning perfect game on Opening Day 1989. The then-19-year-old righthander teamed with southpaw Steve Avery to stifle the Frederick Keys 4-0 and 1-0 in a doubleheader Bulls fans would recall fondly for years. Avery, who held the Keys hitless until [...]

The ’91 Bulls: Caraballo creates havoc on basepaths

January 31st, 2012 · 1 Comment · '91 Durham Bulls, Baseball

Ramon Caraballo arrived in Durham in the spring of 1991 with a reputation as a man who made things happen. One season earlier he had tied for the minor league lead with 14 triples while swiping 41 bases for Burlington in the low Class A Midwest League. Those numbers would have been even more impressive [...]

The ’91 Bulls: Third time’s a charm for Nied

January 23rd, 2012 · 2 Comments · '91 Durham Bulls, Baseball

To celebrate the forthcoming release of my novel The Greatest Show on Dirt, which is set in Durham Athletic Park in 1991, I’ll be highlighting players from the real ’91 Bulls here on the site. A talent-laden club in a prospect-rich Braves organization, that edition of the Bulls finished 79-58, third best in the Class [...]

Winter ball in the States would reduce players’ risks

November 15th, 2011 · Comments Off · Baseball

In light of the elevated threats faced by baseball players in Venezuela and Mexico, maybe it’s time to consider an advanced winter league in the States, possibly in Florida, where suitable ballparks sit vacant until training camps open in February, or California, where generations ago the baseball world flocked every offseason. The high-profile abduction of [...]

Is your lead character the master of his domain?

November 3rd, 2011 · Comments Off · Baseball, Writing

Ever read a book, or even a short story, and hit a scene that just doesn’t quite work for you? Something’s just not right, but maybe you can’t put your finger on it. Or maybe you’re thinking, “you know, if the main character just masturbated in here somewhere this would be perfect.” Okay, me neither. [...]

Twenty years ago Morris turned in Hall-worthy performance

October 28th, 2011 · Comments Off · Baseball

Whew. Is this World Series thingy exciting enough for anyone yet? We’ve had pitchers’ duels and we’ve had blowouts. We’ve had heroic hitting exploits, capped by David Freese’s 11th-inning blast to end Game 6. We’ve had managerial gaffes, bonehead plays, and baserunning blunders. We’ve had no shortage of drama. And pitching changes. Wow. They need [...]

Globe opens up Theo-bashing to all comers

October 14th, 2011 · 2 Comments · Baseball, Blog

To most people, writing about sports for a newspaper probably looks like a pretty easy gig. Not nearly so difficult as, say, explaining business and economics to the local readership. Anyone can write sports. Aren’t those the guys who sailed through school with a C average? Look at Ray Barone. He’s a doofus. For some [...]