Houston Astros 1997–2005: The “Killer B’s” of Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Lance Berkman starred for this group. The ’Stros won consecutive division titles in 1997, 1998, and 1999 before finally reaching the World Series in 2005 (losing to the White Sox).
Babe Ruth wears his crown. (1921)
Jackie Robinson on the set of The Jackie Robinson Story. (1950)
Willie Mays’s “The Catch.” (1954)
Charles M. Schulz, creator of the legendary Peanuts comic strip, pays homage to Willie Mays. (1966)
Sandy Koufax pitches for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 1965 World Series.
Hank Aaron at a press conference after breaking the all-time home run record. (1974)
Rickey Henderson breaks the career stolen bases record. (1991)
Boston Braves second baseman Johnny Evers and manager George Stallings in the dugout. (1914)
Jackie Robinson with Gil Hodges and Duke Snider. (1952)
Owner Charlie Finley with the 1974 Oakland A’s.
Barry Bonds with manager Dusty Baker. (1993)
Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa share a hug. (1998)
New York’s Daily News celebrates the local champs. (1998)
Bill Mazeroski helps the Pittsburgh Pirates win the 1960 World Series with a walk-off home run.
Roberto Clemente slides into home plate. (1969)
Will McEnaney and Johnny Bench celebrate the Cincinnati Reds’ 1975 World Series victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Reggie Jackson reaches out to his fans. (1977)
Sporting News cover on November 8, 2004, celebrating the Boston Red Sox’s return to glory.
The St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their 2011 World Series victory over a heartbroken Texas Rangers team.
A Timeline of Baseball’s Key Moments
(Top 40 Style)
1869: The Cincinnati Red Stockings become baseball’s first professional team
1884: Pitchers were allowed to throw overhand
1903: Boston defeats Pittsburgh in the first “World Series”
1908: The Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the last time (so far)
1920: The ball is changed to a “live” ball for more offense
1927: Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs in a single season
1933: The first All-Star Game is played
1935: Babe Ruth retires with 714 home runs
1939: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum opens
1939: Lou Gehrig plays the last of a record 2,130 consecutive games
1941: Ted Williams hits .406, the last player to hit .400
1941: Joe DiMaggio sets the consecutive-games hitting streak record with 56 in a row
1947: Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American player in the major leagues
1947: Larry Doby becomes the American League’s first African American player
1951: Major League Baseball’s first transcontinental TV broadcast
1958: The Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants move to Los Angeles and San Francisco
1961: Roger Maris hits 61 home runs, breaking Babe Ruth’s single-season record
1969: The American and National Leagues each split into two divisions
1969: The pitcher’s mound is lowered from fifteen inches to ten, again to help the offense
1972: Hank Aaron signs the richest contract in history at the time: three years, $600,000
1973: The American League adopts the designated hitter rule
1974: Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record
1974: Catfish Hunter signs five-year, $3.75 million contract with the Yankees
1975: The Cleveland Indians name Frank Robinson the first African American manager
1975: Players granted free agency by arbitrator Peter Seitz
1981: Players strike for fifty days
1987: The Chicago Cubs play Wrigley Field’s first-ever night game
1994: Players strike on August 12; World Series cancelled for first time since 1904
1995: Major League Baseball introduces wild card playoff teams
1995: Cal Ripken Jr. breaks Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak
1997: Major League Baseball introduces interleague play
1997: The Florida Marlins become the first wild-card team to win the World Series
1998: Mark McGwire hits 70 home runs, breaking Roger Maris’s single-season record
2000: Alex Rodriguez signs a ten-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers
2001: Barry Bonds hits 73 home runs, breaking Mark McGwire’s single-season record
2004: The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1918
2005: The Chicago White Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1917
2007: Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record, finishing his career with 762
2010: The San Francisco Giants win the World Series for the first time
2014: Major League Baseball introduces instant replay challenge system
INDEX
The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.
A
Aaron, Estella, 40–41, 45–46, 49
Aaron, Henry, 26, 29, 40–50, 52, 113, 131, 152, 156
childhood of, 41–42
contract of, 214
family of, 40–42, 44–46, 48–49
home run record and, 43–48, 215
Jackie Robinson and, 42
racism toward, 44–45
statistics and records, 42–43, 50, 215
Aaron, Herbert, 41–42
Abbott, Jim, 21
African American player(s)
on Boston Red Sox, 24–25
on Brooklyn Dodgers, 16, 17, 18
difficulties of, 43, 44, 76, 77
first. See Robinson, Jackie
first American League, 21, 214
firsts for, 78
All-Star Game
1971, 90
first, 213
Alomar, Roberto, 210
Alomar, Sandy, 128
American League
designated hitter rule, 215
divisional split of, 214
first African American player, 21, 214
Anderson, Sparky, 164, 165
androstenedione, 118
Andrus, Elvis, 205
Arizona Diamondbacks, 149–50
Armbrister, Ed, 167
Atlanta Braves, 66, 84, 200
as beloved team, 210
comeback, 72
San Francisco Giants, comparison between, 102–5
in World Series, 102, 150, 172
attendance, 117
B
Baby Ruth! (candy bar), 8
Bagwell, Jeff, 211
Baker, Dusty, 101
Baker, Frank “Home Run,” 70
ball, type of, 6, 213
Baltimore Orioles, 36, 84, 85, 91, 93, 94, 112, 134, 156–58
Banks, Ernie, 152
Barnett, Larry, 167
Barry, Jack, 70
baseball
as America’s pastime, 6
attendance, 117
Babe Ruth’s influence on, 4, 7–8
first professional team, 213
first transcontinental TV broadcast, 214
free agency in, 56, 94–95, 175–76, 215
instant replay challenge introduced, 216
interleague play introduced, 215
racial integration of, 13–20
strikes, 87, 110–13, 116
timeline of key moments in, 213–16
wild card added, 215
Bauer, Hank, 81
Baylor, Don, 56–57
Belle, Albert, 115, 210
Beltre, Adrian, 200, 202
Bench, Johnny, 164, 165
Bender, Chief, 70
Berkman, Lance, 203, 205, 206–7, 211
Berra, Yogi, 81, 143, 146, 152
Big Red Machine, 92
Biggio, Craig, 211
Billingham, Jack, 92
Birmingham Black Barons, 25
Black, Joe, 78
Blanchard, Johnny, 146
Blue, Vida, 90, 92, 94
Bonds, Barry, 29, 53
contracts, 100, 102
illegal drug use by, 122
MVP awards, 100, 105
on Pittsburgh Pirates, 100
on San Francisco Giants, 100–101, 102, 104, 105–6
statistics and records, 11, 50, 102, 105, 125, 216
Bonds, Bobby, 53–54, 101
Boone, Aaron, 187
Boston Americans, 111–12
Boston Braves, 65–72, 84
comeback of, 68–71
record of, 67
Boston Red Sox, 59, 94, 134
African American players on, 24–25
Babe Ruth on, 6, 10, 67–68, 186
as beloved team, 109, 185, 210
New York Yankees and, rivalry between, 75, 133, 185–95
nicknames of, 66
Ted Williams on, 152
2004 team, 184–96
in World Series, 6, 10, 67, 135, 150, 163, 172-73, 182, 183, 186, 194, 216
Boston Red Stockings. See Boston Braves
Boston, as baseball city, 4
Boyd, Dennis, 96
Boyer, Clete, 146
Boys of Summer (Kahn), 77
Brock, Lou, 12, 53, 54, 56, 61
Brooklyn Dodgers, 67, 69, 74–84, 153
African American players on, 16, 17, 18
as beloved team, 209
Jackie Robinson on, 76–78
legacy of, 83
move to Los Angeles, 75, 82, 214
New York Yankees and, 74–75, 78, 79–82
Sandy Koufax on, 31
in World Series, 13, 18, 75, 78, 79–82, 135, 150, 173, 196
Buckner, Bill, 183
Bullinger, Jim, 128
Bumgarner, Madison, 161
Burkett, John, 104
C
California Angels, 94
Campanella, Roy, 17, 78, 80, 152
Campaneris, Campy, 90
Canseco, Jose, 210
Carbo, Bernie, 169
Carey, Max, 61
Carter, Joe, 59, 149
Cashman, Brian, 133–34
Cepeda, Orlando, 210
Chicago Cubs, 215
Sammy Sosa on, 117
in World Series, 9, 136, 213
Chicago White Sox, 117, 135, 196, 216
Chicago, as baseball city, 4
Cincinnati Reds, 52, 89, 92, 163–71, 182, 196–97, 213
Clark, Tony, 192
Clemens, Roger, 11
Clemente, Roberto, 20, 29, 32, 43, 47, 146, 151–60
charity work of, 158–59
as first Latin American superstar, 154–58
Gold Glove Awards, 154
nickname of, 155
playing style of, 153–55
as slighted by fans and media, 155
statistics and records, 156, 158
sudden death of, 158
in World Series, 156, 157, 158
as World Series MVP, 158
Cleveland Indians, 135–37, 215
as beloved team, 210
playoff drought of, 109
in World Series, 22–23, 134, 144, 150
Cleveland, Grover, 8
Cleveland, Ruth, 8
Cobb, Ty, 11, 52, 61
Coleman, Vince, 61
Collins, Eddie, 61, 70
Colorado Rockies, 102
comeback (2007), 72
comeback(s), 68–71, 72–73
complete games, 36
Cone, David, 130, 133
consecutive game hitting streak, 214
consecutive games played, 214, 215
contracts
Alex Rodriguez’s, 216
Barry Bonds’s, 100, 102
Henry Aaron’s, 214
Cox, Billy, 78
Craig, Allen, 204
Cruz, Nelson, 199, 202, 204–205
D
Damon, Johnny, 193, 194
Darcy, Pat, 170
dead-ball era, 6, 213
Detroit Tigers, 34, 92, 144, 173, 183, 201
DiMaggio, Joe, 26, 29, 52, 97, 109, 152, 214
Doby, Larry, 21, 23, 214
Downing, Al, 48
Drysdale, Don, 33
E
Eastwick, Rawley, 169
Eckersley, Dennis, 139, 210
Ellis, Doc, 90
Evans, Dwight, 169
Evers, Johnny, 68
F
fans
Atlanta Braves, 210
attendance, 117
Boston Red Sox, 109, 185, 210
Brooklyn Dodgers, 209
Cleveland Indians, 210
Los Angeles Dodgers, 109
1994 strike and, 112–13, 116
Oakland A’s, 210
performance-enhancing drugs and, 122, 138
San Francisco Giants, 210
FBI, 44
Feldman, Scott, 206
Feliz, Neftali, 203–5
Feller, Bob, 33
Fingers, Rollie, 90, 94, 211
Finley, Charlie, 88, 91, 94, 95
Fisk, Carlton, 164, 167, 170, 182, 210
five-tool players, 29
Flood, Curt, 20–21
Florida Marlins, 150, 215
Ford, Whitey, 143, 145
Foxx, Jimmie, 125
Franco, John, 139
free agency, 56, 94, 175–76, 215
Freese, David, 204–5, 206, 208
Fryman, Travis, 135–36
Furillo, Carl, 18, 78, 80
G
Garner, Phil, 97
Garr, Ralph, 48
Gehrig, Lou, 161, 214
Geronimo, Cesar, 168–69, 171
Gibson, Bob, 33, 38, 131, 153, 160, 183
Gibson, Kirk, 182–83
Glavine, Tom, 103, 210
Gonzalez, Luis, 149
Gordon, Tom “Flash,” 191–92
Graham, Archibald, 96
Greenberg, Hank, 21, 34, 126
Griffey, Ken, Jr., 29, 100, 115, 210
Griffey, Ken, Sr., 169
groundbreaking players, 20–21. See also specific players
Guerrero, Vladimir, 199, 200
Gwynn, Tony, 112
H
Hall of Fame, 18, 54, 56, 60, 68, 93, 95, 103, 123, 144, 158, 160, 164, 170, 201, 209, 210, 211, 213–14
Hamilton, Billy, 52, 61
Hamilton, Josh, 199, 205
Henderson, Rickey, 29, 51–61
as American League MVP, 58
as base stealer, 12, 54, 55–56
Bobby Bonds and, comparison between, 53–54
build of, 52
early life of, 51–52
as five-tool player, 55–56
as free agent, 56
as leadoff hitter, 53, 54–55
Lou Brock and, comparison between, 54, 56
on New
York Yankees, 56–57
number of teams played for, 59–60
on Oakland A’s, 51–52, 56, 57–58, 210
speed of, 51–52
statistics and records, 12, 54, 55–56, 58
in World Series, 58, 60
Hernandez, Orlando, 130–31, 133, 136–38, 188–89
Hodges, Gil, 18, 78, 80
Hoffman, Trevor, 139
home run record, 113–15
all-time lists, 50–51, 125
Babe Ruth and, 6, 10, 43–44, 213
Barry Bonds and, 216
Henry Aaron and, 43–48, 215
McGwire-Sosa pursuit of, 116–24, 132, 138
Roger Maris and, 214
Hooper, Harry, 52
Hooton, Burt, 179
Hough, Charlie, 180
Houston Astros, 211
Houston Colt .45s, 152
Howard, Elston, 81
Howard, Ryan, 125
Hrabowsky, Al, 97
Hunter, Jim “Catfish,” 89, 92–93, 94, 215
I
instant replay challenge introduced, 216
J
Jackie Robinson Award, 18, 203
Jackson, Joe, 97
Jackson, Reggie, 90, 91, 93, 94, 174–82
Babe Ruth and, comparison between, 176, 178
Billy Martin and, 176, 178, 180
as free agent, 175
on New York Yankees, 176
nickname, 180
on Oakland A’s, 175
personality of, 176–78
statistics and records, 202
unpopularity of, 176–78
in World Series, 160, 179–81, 202
Jeter, Derek, 29, 128, 130, 134, 149, 161, 190
Jewish player, Sandy Koufax as, 34–35
Johnson, Randy, 11, 39, 210
Johnson, Walter, 11, 38
K
Kaat, Jim, 11
Kahn, Roger, 77
Kansas City Athletics, 84, 89
Kansas City Royals, 152, 161, 173, 196, 209
Kennedy, John F., 46
King, Martin Luther, 45
Knoblauch, Chuck, 128, 134, 136
Koufax, Sandy, 30–38, 153
character of, 33–35
Cy Young Award, 32