The Baseball 100

When Bonds was intentionally walked 120 times in 2004, do you know who was second? Jim Thome. With 26. Intentional walks were not up around the game. They were only up for him. Bonds was playing at his own level.

The first time Aaron hit with his right hand on top of the bat, he homered.

The only trouble is: Does anyone want balance in Ty Cobb’s story?

“Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.” “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”

“It ain’t gambling if you know. It ain’t bragging if you can do it.”

“Do you throw that fast consistently?” the team’s manager asked. “No, sir,” Paige said. “I do it all the time.”

In 1909, Wagner was far and away the most famous and beloved baseball player in America. As such, when the American Tobacco Company decided to put together its baseball card set, he was the most important player for the company to secure. It’s unclear how the ATC negotiated with players for photo rights. In most cases, they probably didn’t. A few p

A young pitcher, facing Hornsby, complained about a pitch being called a ball. “Son,” umpire Bill Klem said, “when you pitch a strike, Mr. Hornsby will let you know it.”

in 1920, a 25-year-old Hornsby—a lifetime .310/.370/.440 hitter to that point—hit .370/.431/.559, leading the league in all three splits, and he also led the league in hits, doubles, RBIs, and total bases. Over the next five seasons combined—this is so ridiculous—Hornsby would hit .402. Nobody, not even Ty Cobb, hit .400 over five full seasons.