2 April 26

Snoopy and the rest of Charlie Brown's team are helping me celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first National League game, between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Caps, in Philadelphia, 1876. The history after that is very convoluted . . . 

 The Red Caps had been the Boston Red Stockings in the earlier National Association, but when the National League was formed, the Boston team became the Red Caps to avoid confusion with the new Cincinnati Red Stockings. Over the years this team changed names several times: Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, Bees, and finally Braves. In 1953 the franchise moved to Milwaukee, and then in 1966 to Atlanta, where the Braves continue to play in the National League. 

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Athletics team that played in that first game was expelled from the National League at the end of the season. Other teams with the Athletics name played in Philadelphia from 1882-1891, in different leagues, but the Athletics team that started there in 1901 in the American League existed through 2024 as the Oakland Athletics (moving from Philadelphia to Kansas City in 1955, and then to Oakland in 1968). That franchise plans to move from West Sacramento to Las Vegas in 2028!

30 October 23

 This year's World Series features games between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Texas Rangers. When I was growing up my team was the Philadelphia Phillies; at that time there were 10 teams in each of the two leagues. Now there are thirty teams, arranged in six divisions of five teams each.

7 April 22

The major league baseball season starts today, and Snoopy and Charlie Brown are ready!

2 February 21

 It's Groundhog Day. I have no groundhog tie. So I'm letting Snoopy help celebrate the founding of the National League on this date in 1876! I also want to acknowledge the birthdays of musicians Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) and Graham Nash (Crosby, Stills and Nash) (1942).

18 September 19

It's getting close to the end of the 2019 baseball season! At least the "regular" season, where the battles are raging to narrow the field down to the eight teams for the playoffs, including the race for the "wild card" spots . . . This year's crop includes the familiar Yankees, Cardinals, Braves and Dodgers, but the Red Sox are gone. (The Cubs still have some chances!) Snoopy is happy to be a player on Charlie Brown's team!

23 August 18

Tomorrow night we're going to a baseball game between the Lexington Legends and the Hagerstown Suns. If those team names are unfamiliar, you aren't a fan of minor league baseball, at least in the South Atlantic League. I'm wearing my Snoopy baseball tie today, because Fridays are casual-dress days!

11 July 17

103 years ago today, 19-year-old George Herman “Babe” Ruth played his first major league baseball game, as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He would go on to greatness with hitting home runs, setting a single-season record (60 HR) in 1927 that would last for 34 years. His career total 714 home runs, ending in 1935, lasted as the record until 1974. On my tie, Snoopy has just smacked the ball for a very long hit -- maybe a home run!

2 October 16

Sixty-six years ago today, Charles Schulz published the first Peanuts® cartoon! Snoopy joined the cast two days later. Baseball became a theme in Charlie Brown's life in the summer of 1951, with his first appearance as pitcher showing up on 24 August.

23 September 15

Today the baseball world learned of the death yesterday of Yogi Berra, famous catcher for the New York Yankees in the 1950s and 1960s. When I was ten years old (1963), the Yankees' roster included Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Bobby Richardson, Jim Bouton and other gods of baseball. Yogi is frequently credited with the aphorism "It ain't over until it's over." You can read more about his famous quotations at http://goo.gl/eu7nHO.

6 February 14

Happy Birthday, "Babe" (George Herman) Ruth! He was born on this day in 1895.

27 November 12

Yesterday, Nov. 26, marked the 90th birthday of Charles Schulz. Any day is fine for Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

6 February 12

George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born on February 6, 1895.

06 February 11

George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born on February 6, 1895.

02 August 09

Last evening we went to a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Cincinnati Reds. We were celebrating Jonathan's 21st birthday! Our seats were in the "free food" section, where we could get all the hot dogs, diet Cokes, popcorn, peanuts and potato chips we desired. Jonathan's favorite team, the Rockies, won the game 6-2.

06 April 09

First day of Major League Baseball season. Charlie Brown and Snoopy are excited.

22 October 08

Tonight is the first game of the 2008 World Series, featuring the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. I grew up paying attention to the Phillies, but my allegiances have varied to include the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies.