Ruby Dee (1922-2014)

Actress Ruby Dee has passed away at the age of 91.

The Emmy Award winning and Oscar nominated actress, best known for her roles in A Raisin in the Sun and American Gangster, also starred in two baseball movies, both as a Brooklyn Dodgers wife.

In 1950 she starred as Rachel Robinson in the Jackie Robinson Story, alongside the future Hall of Fame ballplayer himself.

Ruby was friends with both Rachel and Jackie Robinson before the movie.

In 1977 Ruby starred alongside Paul Winfield as Ruthie Campanella in "Alive," a TV movie based on Roy Campanella's autobiography.

Ruby Ann Wallace was born in Cleveland, Ohio on October 27, 1922.

I'll always remember Ruby Dee for her being married to actor Ossie Davis, who passed away in 2005.

Ruby died of natural causes in New Rochelle, NewYork.

May God Bless her and her family.

Happy Baseball Birthday...President George H. W. Bush

 A 90th Happy Baseball Birthday! to former Yale first baseman and 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush.

George Herbert Walker Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts.

Mr. Bush went to college at Yale, where he played first base for the Bulldogs.

First Base was the position played by his favorite big league player, a guy named Lou Gehrig.

Bush captained the Yale team to the first two College World Series, in 1947-48, played at Hyames Field in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

This month the College Baseball Hall of Fame brakes ground on a new building in Lubbock, Texas, to be named after President Bush.

While he was President, Mr. Bush kept his Yale first baseman mitt in his desk in the Oval Office.

Growing up in Kalamazoo, and attending Western Michigan University, I heard stories that the young Yale first sacker had hit a home run over the train tracks across Stadium Drive.

I don't know if the story is true, and if it is, was the home run hit in a regular game, or in one of the College World Series games.

I love this Topps Baseball card of President Bush In his Yale University Uniform.

No matter if the homer story is true, we still send out our best wishes for a Happy Baseball Birthday to our former Commander In Chief.



UPDATE... Happy Baseball Birthday! #91 Mr. President!  

Play Ball!

Happy Baseball Birthday...Roger Bresnahan

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday! Is Hall of Fame player and manager Roger Bresnahan.

Roger Philip Bresnahan  was born in Toledo, Ohio, on June 11, 1879.

At the age of 16 Bresnahan played semi pro ball in Manistee, Michigan, and would make several minor league stops, including playing for his hometown Toledo Mudhens before getting to the big leagues.

Bresnahan made his debut in the big leagues on August 27, 1897 for the then Washington Senators of the National League.

In 17 big league baseball seasons Bresnahan played every position on the baseball diamond in 1,446 games, batting .276 in 4481 at bats.

In the 1905 World Series Bresnahan caught all give games for the champion Giants, including all three complete game shutouts by Christy Mathewson.

Brensnahan is most famous in baseball history not for any hit, throw, or play he made, but for what he popularized...catchers shin guards.

Brensnahan first wore shin guards in a ball game in 1907, and although several complaints were made, baseball allowed the equipment, and catchers all around baseball began using the protective guards.

Brensnahan also managed in the big leagues, as player/manager for both the St. Louis Cardinals (1909-12), and the Chicago Cubs (1913-15).

Brensnahan last big league appearance was a the Cubs player/manager, on October 3,1915.

Brensnahan stayed in baseball after his playing days, as a coach for the Giants and Detroit Tigers, before becoming the owner of the Toledo Mudhens.

Brensnahan passed away from a heart attack on December 4, 1944, in his hometown of Toledo, at the age of 65.

In 1945 the Veteran's Committee voted Roger Bresnahan into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Happy Baseball Birthday Roger Bresnahan!

PLAY BALL!

Bob Welch (1956-2014)

Happy Baseball Birthday...Kate Upton

Today's Happy Baseball Birthday goes out to baseball fan Kate Upton, who turns 22 today.

Katherine Elizabeth Upton was born in St. Joe's, Michigan, on June 10, 1992.

We love Kate, and we love the Detroit Tigers.

It just so happens that on Kate's birthday tonight Tigers right hander and Kate boyfriend Justin Verlander is pitching in Chicago against the ChiSox.

I'm expecting a big night from Justin tonight, as the Tigers have lost 2 on a row, and are in need of a big time performance tonight from Verlander.

Maybe Kate will be good luck for Justin and the Tigers tonight.

First No-Hitter in Negro National League...June 6, 1921

93 years ago Negro National League baseball fans were treated to the first ever no hitter pitched in the league.

The feat was accomplished on June 6, 1921, by William Miller Gatewood of the Detroit Stars.

Bill Gatewood was born in San Antonio, Texas, on August 22, 1881.

Starting in1906, when he debuted with the Cuban X Giants of the Cuban American Clubs Series, Bill Gatewood made many stops, including Philadelphia, New York, St. Louis, Detroit, Milwaukee, Toledo, Memphis, Baltimore, and finally Birmingham, in 1928.

Gatewood passed away on December 8, 1962, at the age of 81, in Columbia, Missouri.

Thanks to the great baseball fans at When We Wore Fedoras fir the post on their Facebook page.

YOGI BERRA and Normandy..70 years ago today

70 years ago today, June 6, 1944, the Allied Forces stormed the beaches at Normandy, the first day of the beginning of the end of World War II.

Among the many young sailors fighting for our freedom that day was a kid from St. Louis, Missouri, Peter Edward Berra.

YOGI Berra would one day play big league baseball for the New York Yankees, the heir apparent at catcher for legendary Hall of Fame back stop Bill Dickey.

Wearing the same pinstripes number 8 of Dickey, Berra would become the American Leagues best catcher, a three time A.L. MVP, and ten time World Series Champion.

YOGI Berra is 89 years old now, and is one of our true heroes, not only from the ballparks, but from that infamous day off the coast of Normandy.

Berra and 150,000 Allied Forces attacked the German Army on the beaches of France that morning, and we are here today because of their bravery.

God Bless those who served that day, including Lawrence Peter Berra.

Don Zimmer(1931-2014)

Former Brooklyn Dodgers third baseman and long time big league manager and coach hands passed away tonight at the age of 83.

God Bless Don and his family.

This Little Leaguer needs a bone marrow transplant

This Little guy is Baylor Fredrickson.

He played Little League baseball for a team coached by Moneyball writer Michael Lewis.

Baylor is half Japanese and half German, and needs a bone marrow transplant.

Please re-post this, someone may be able to help little Baylor.

Let's all help Baylor so he can once again Play Ball!

Happy Baseball Birthday...Little League Baseball

Little League Baseball was first played as an organized game the week of June in 1939.

My brother and I had the honor of playing Little League baseball in Portage, Michigan, in the early 1970s.

Happy Birthday Little League Baseball...Play Ball!