Baseball

Title: Memorable Events in Baseball History

Description: A compilation of great events in baseball.

Categories: Baseball, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Black Sox, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Scandal

SEO: Baseball, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Black Sox, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Scandal

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Memorable Events in Baseball History

Baseball used to be “America’s favorite pastime.” I don’t think that ‘s true today. I’d say football. I was once a devout baseball fan when I was a kid. I lived about seven blocks from Cominsky Field—that’s what White Sox Park was once called. During the summer, I’d see about 20 home games. Back then it was easy to sneak in.

Unfortunately, being a Chicagoan, there isn’t much to crow about these days. The last time the White Sox won a world series was back in 2005, its first win since 1917. The last time the Cubs won a world series was in 2016. The last time they won a world series before then was in 1907 and 1908. But what the hell? Any team can have a bad century. The last time the Bears won a Super Bown was in 1985. I’ll tell ya’, it’s enough to make you root for the other team.

But back to baseball. So, what if it’s not America’s favorite pastime anymore? It has a rich history and memorable moments. Below are some of those highlights.

Babe Ruth Calls His Shot

At the top of the fifth inning Game 3 of the 1932 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees, slugger Babe Ruth with two balls and two strikes. Just before the pitch, Ruth pointed toward the outfield and hit a home run to center field. The next day, ecstatic reporters announced that Ruth had “called his shot,” and that his gesture toward the bleachers was a prediction of the home run. It became one of the great legends in baseball history. Although the exact details of where exactly Ruth was pointing and why are disputed, the home run that became known as the “called shot” has nonetheless become an immortal part of the Great Bambino’s legacy.

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Joe DiMaggio Sets an “Unbreakable” Record

Joe DiMaggio’s famous 56-game hitting streak began on May 15, 1941, ?when the Yankees outfielder hit a minimal single that started of one of the most legendary records in baseball history. It lasted for two months as DiMaggio got at least one hit in game after game.

DiMaggio’s streak ended 55 games later, he had set a record that many baseball experts consider to be unbreakable. So far, they have yet to be proved wrong. While DiMaggio himself said that he believed that someone would one day surpass his 56-game hitting streak. For 80 years, no one has come even close to that record since Joltin’ Joe set the record, nobody has even come close to beating it.

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The Chicago “Black Sox” Throw the World Series

Even before the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Chicago White Sox in the 1919 World Series, there was speculation that the losing team planned to throw the? Series and let the Reds win. In 1920, a grand jury discovered that eight White Sox players had been involved in a gambling conspiracy allow the Red Sox to take the series . Three players admitted to the grand jury that they had accepted money from gamblers. The plot to throw the 1919 World Series became known as the “Black Sox scandal,” and it remains one of the most significant controversies in the history of baseball. Eight players, including the legendary outfielder “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, were permanently banned from Major League Baseball, and in order to prevent future corruption, the role of commissioner was established and strict laws against gambling were instituted that remain in place today.

Lou Gehrig Gives a Retirement Speech for the Ages

When Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig announced his retirement in 1939, it shocked the baseball world. During his career, Gehrig’s seemingly endless endurance had allowed him to play in 2,130 consecutive games (a record that stood for nearly 60 years), earning him the nickname “the Iron Horse.”

However, in 1939, when Gehrig was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease ALS (which became commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), the Iron Horse was finally forced to end his baseball career. In the retirement speech he delivered at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, Gehrig told the crowd that despite his “bad break,” he considered himself “the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.” This iconic phrase, emblematic of Gehrig’s grace and humility, remains famous today, and his speech is often recognized as one of the greatest in sports history.

Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseball’s Color Barrier

In April 15, 1947, professional baseball was a racially segregated sport in the United States. Jackie Robinson’s historic debut at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field broke the so-called “color barrier.” Robinson faced great challenges during his MLB career, but his courage and talent opened the door for future generations of baseball legends. His abilities on the field earned him a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and in recognition of his trailblazing career, his number, 42, was retired league-wide in 1997.

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Frank Victoria is an award-winning author and screenwriter. He’s been an Amazon bestseller with his recent book, The Founders’ Plot, a political thriller for our times. He donates proceeds of his books to Tunnels to Towers and Fisher House, helping military veterans and first responders. His novella, The Ultimate Bet is available on his website and Amazon. Check out his new website: FrankVictoriaAuthor.com

? 2024 Frank Victoria

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