What’s Happening in Baseball Today

The First Pitch: October 22, 2024

MLB announces that artificial turf will not be installed at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park, which will serve as the temporary home of the A’s through at least the next three seasons while a new yard is built in Las Vegas. The fake grass was considered due to the fact that the A’s would share the ballpark with the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A farm club, and that a true grass field will wear out from the constant use. But the players’ union was concerned that the fake turf would intensify the Sacramento summer heat—which typically surpasses 100 degrees—making conditions unbearable for players. 

After conversations with MLB field consultant Murray Cook, the league has decided to keep the grass.

It Was Whatever-Something Years Ago Today

1927: The Giants’ Ross Youngs dies of Bright’s disease, a kidney ailment, at the age of 30. In a 10-year career with the Giants, Youngs batted .322 with 1,491 hits. Diagnosed with the disease in 1926, he still managed to play 95 games and bat .306, but was too ill to return in 1927. 

1972: The Oakland A’s win their first world title since 1931 (when they were based in Philadelphia), stopping the Reds at Cincinnati in Game Seven, 3-1. Catcher Gene Tenace caps his breakout series performance with a pair of RBI hits, while stellar relief help from Catfish Hunter and Rollie Fingers lifts the A’s from the mound. 

2016: The Cubs win their first NL pennant since 1945 by downing Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in NLCS Game Six, 5-0. Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks is at his best, stifling the Dodgers with just two hits allowed through 7.1 innings before Aroldis Chapman takes it the rest of the way, surrendering only a walk.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

Arizona shortstop Gerald Perdomo is 25; soon to-be free-agent pitcher Corbin Burnes is 30; eight-time All-Star second baseman tarnished by PED penalties Robinson Cano is 42; 2010s reliever Darren O’Day is 42; man of 4,367 professional hits Ichiro Suzuki is 51; knuckleball workhorse of the early 1970s Wilbur Wood is 83. Born on this date is Hall-of-Fame slugger Jimmie Foxx (1907), 103-game winner Johnny Morrison (1895), two-time World Series-winning manager Bill Carrigan (1883), and 1890s pitcher Kid Carsey (1872).

Shameless Link of the Day

The second World Series played between the Dodgers and Yankees was notable as the first featuring Jackie Robinson. Here’s how that went.

This Great Game in Print

Baseball Cards at the Edge of War is the new book from author Todd Marcum that focuses on baseball’s legendary 1941 season and the “three bubble gum titans” that took on one another in an attempt to rule the burgeoning baseball card market. Marcum provides an introductory orientation with content from our 1941 Yearly Reader page, which is why you’ll find the names of TGG creators Eric Gouldsberry and Ed Attanasio on the book’s cover as co-authors. The core of the book that follows is devoted to the players and their baseball cards who graced the 1941 season. Baseball Cards at the Edge of War is now available on Amazon.

Temporarily Hacked

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To Whom It May Concern

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