July 4, 1939 — Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” Speech
July 3, 2010 by Mark Ahrens
Filed under Baseball History, Baseball Writing, Book Review
“I saw strong men weep this afternoon, expressionless umpires swallow hard, and emotion pump the hearts and glaze the eyes of 61,000 fans in Yankee Stadium. Yes, and hard-boiled news photographers clicked their shutter with fingers that trembled a bit.” So went Shirley Povich’s powerful and poignant lead to his Washington Post newspaper column.
On July 4, 1939, between [...]
April 15, 1947 Jackie Robinson’s Opening Day
April 15, 2010 by Mark Ahrens
Filed under Baseball History, Book Review
April 15th 1947 is one of the most signficant days in Major League history. It is the day that Jackie Robinson– an African American–first took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Jonathan Eig’s account of the events leading up to this day and beyond are contained in Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season.
It [...]
