29 March 11

It's Cy Young's birthday, so here comes the pitch. Cy Young (March 29, 1867-November 4, 1955) was a major league pitcher from 1890 to 1911, playing for five different teams: the Cleveland Spiders, the St. Louis Perfectos, the Boston Americans/Red Sox, the Cleveland Naps and the Boston Rustlers. His record of 511 career wins tops the all-time list and is almost certainly guaranteed for history, 94 games ahead of second place (Walter Johnson) and hundreds ahead of any active players. His name lives on in the Cy Young Award, presented annually to the best pitcher in both the American and National Leagues. In the photo I'm wearing a replica of a 1910's-era Detroit Tigers baseball cap, borrowed from fellow EKU philosopher (and baseball trivia buff) Ron Messerich. In 1904, Cy Young pitched the first "modern era" perfect game against the Tigers. The new baseball season starts on Thursday!