There was Once a Baseball Player Traded for Bats

Today I found out there once was a baseball player traded for baseball bats.

“Bat Man”, as he was nicknamed after the trade, was actually named John C. Odom.  His life ended tragically just six months after the momentous trade.

After being signed by the San Francisco Giants in 2003 out of Tallahassee Community College, Odom was assigned to play…

Henry Chadwick, the Creator of the Baseball Box Score, Also was the First to Prove that the Rotation of a Baseball Could Cause the Ball to Curve in the Air

Henry Chadwick, the creator of the baseball box score, was the first to setup a demonstration proving that the rotation of a baseball could cause the ball to curve.  Before this, some pitchers had already observed and used this to their advantage (even though many of the day considered it cheating), but no one had yet proved that it…

Jim Gentile Becomes the First Major League Baseball Player to Hit a Grand Slam in Back to Back Innings

This Day In History: May 9, 1961

Yesterday Josh Hamilton tied an MLB record with 15 other players, hitting four home runs in one game.  Something even more rare happened on This day in history, Baltimore Orioles first basemen, ‘Diamond’ Jim Gentile, managed to…

This Day in History: Sports Illustrated Publishes an Article Alleging Pete Rose Bet on Major League Baseball Games

This Day In History: March 21, 1989

On This day in history, 1989, Sports Illustrated published an article alleging that Cincinnati Reds Coach and former star baseball player Pete Rose bet on Major League Baseball games.

Pete Rose started managing in 1984, while he was still a player, and continued…

Abner Doubleday Did Not Invent Baseball

General Abner Doubleday and His Wife

Myth: Baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday

This myth has been widely spread since 1907 and even today is sometimes presented by such people as Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig.  The fact of the matter is there is no record of Civil War General Abner Doubleday having anything…