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Bump Wills
Elliott Taylor "Bump" Wills (born July 27, 1952) is an American former professional baseball player, a second baseman in the major leagues for the Texas Rangers (1977–1981) and Chicago Cubs (1982). He also played two seasons in Japan for the Hankyu Braves (1983–84). Wills is the son of a major league shortstop who later managed the Seattle Mariners. Playing career A switch hitter, Wills played college baseball at Arizona State University under College Baseball Hall of Fame coach Jim Brock. As a major league rookie in 1977, he was on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' That season at Yankee Stadium, Wills and Ranger teammate Toby Harrah hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs on Saturday, only the second time this feat has ever occurred in a major league game, and the only time on consecutive pitches. Harrah's came on a drive to the right-center field gap; on the play, Yankee outfielder Lou Piniella hit the wall and was injured. By the time another player was able to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who were typically poor at batting and were often placed at the bottom of the batting order. Today, shortstops are often able to hit well and many are placed at the top of the lineup. In the numbering system used by scorers to record defensive plays, the shortstop is assigned the number 6. More hit balls go to the shortstop than to any other position, as there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the ball slightly. Like a second baseman, a shortstop must be agile, for example when performing a 4-6-3 double play. Also, like a third baseman, the shortstop fields balls hit to the left side of the infield, where a strong arm is needed to throw out a batter-runner befo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella ( usually ; born August 28, 1943) is a former professional baseball player and manager. An outfielder, he played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees. During his playing career, he was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 and captured two World Series championships with the Yankees (1977, 1978). Following his playing career, Piniella became a manager for the Yankees (1986–1988), Cincinnati Reds (1990–1992), Seattle Mariners (1993–2002), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003–2005), and Chicago Cubs (2007–2010). He won the 1990 World Series championship with the Reds and led the Mariners to four postseason appearances in seven years (including a record 116-win regular season in 2001). He also captured back-to-back division titles (2007–2008) during his time with the Cubs. Piniella was named Manager of the Year three times during his career (1995, 2001, 2008) and finished ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1977 New York Yankees Season
The 1977 New York Yankees season was the 75th season for the Yankees. The team won the World Series, which was the 21st title in franchise history and the first under the ownership of George Steinbrenner. New York was managed by Billy Martin, and played at Yankee Stadium (1923), Yankee Stadium in The Bronx. The season was brought to life years later in the book and drama-documentary, ''The Bronx is Burning.'' The Yankees also hosted the 1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. To date, this is the most recent time the All-Star Game host team has won the World Series the same year. Offseason The Yankees signed Reggie Jackson to a five-year contract, totaling United States dollar, $2.96 million, on November 29, 1976. Upon arriving in New York, Jackson asked for uniform number 9, which he had worn in 1975 Oakland Athletics season, Oakland and 1976 Baltimore Orioles season, Baltimore. However, that number was being worn by third baseman Graig Nettles. So, noting that then-all-time ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inside-the-park Home Run
In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer". Discussion To score an inside-the-park home run, the player must touch all four bases (in the order of first, second and third, ending at home plate) before a fielder on the opposing team can tag him out. If the defensive team commits one or more errors during the play, it is not scored as a home run, but rather advancing on an error. At advanced levels of play, the batter scoring due to one or more errors by the defense is colloquially referred to as a Little League home run. The vast majority of home runs occur when the batter hits the ball beyond the outfield fence on the fly. This is purely a feat of hitting with power, along with a fortuitous flight angle of the ball. The inside-the-park home run has a different character: it combines fast baserunning ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toby Harrah
Colbert Dale (Toby) Harrah (born October 26, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball from to . Harrah played the majority of his career for the Texas Rangers franchise, including his rookie season during the team's final year as the ( Washington Senators era) in 1971. He also played for the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees. In 1992, he briefly served as manager of the Rangers. Harrah most recently served as the assistant hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers. Playing career Harrah was scouted as a high school baseball player in his hometown of LaRue, Ohio, but was not signed at graduation as most scouts expected him to attend college on a baseball scholarship. Legendary scout Tony Lucadello later discovered that Harrah was not attending school, but was instead working in a factory in nearby Marion. Lucadello signed Harrah for the Philadelphia Phillies in December, . After one year in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yankee Stadium (1923)
The original Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx, the Bronx in New York City. It was the home baseball park, ballpark of the New York Yankees, one of the city's Major League Baseball franchises, from 1923 to 2008, except for 1974–1975 when the stadium was renovated. It hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the home of the New York Giants National Football League (NFL) team from 1956 New York Giants season, 1956 through September 1973 New York Giants season, 1973. The stadium's nickname, "The House That Ruth Built", is derived from Babe Ruth, the baseball superstar whose prime years coincided with the stadium's opening and the beginning of the Yankees' winning history. It has often been referred to as "The Cathedral of Baseball". The stadium was built from 1922 to 1923 for $2.4 million ($34.4 million in 2022 dollars). Its construction was paid for entirely by Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, who was eager to have h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. It is also known for its annual swimsuit issue, which has been published since 1964, and has spawned other complementary media works and products. Owned until 2018 by Time Inc., it was sold to Authentic Brands Group (ABG) following the sale of Time Inc. to Meredith Corporation. The Arena Group (formerly theMaven, Inc.) was subsequently awarded a 10-year license to operate the ''Sports Illustrated''-branded editorial operations, while ABG licenses the brand for other non-editorial ventures and products. History Establishment There were two magazines named ''Sports Illustrated'' before the current magazine was launched on August 9, 1954. In 1936, Stuart Scheftel created ''Sports Illustrated'' with a target market of sportsmen. He publis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1977 Texas Rangers Season
The 1977 Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing second in the American League West with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses. The 1977 Rangers were notable for having an American League record four managers in the same season. Frank Lucchesi began the season as the manager but team's board of directors decide to make a change after the Rangers entered June with a .500 record. Former Major League player and manager Eddie Stanky was introduced as the new manager on June 17 but changed his mind after one game and returned to his home in Alabama. Bench coach Connie Ryan served as the interim manager for six games before Billy Hunter was hired and led the team to a 60-33 record for the rest of the year. Offseason On December 10, 1976, shortstop Danny Thompson died of leukemia. Thompson had played in 64 games for the Rangers in 1976. Notable transactions * November 17, 1976: Bert Campaneris was signed as a free agent by the Rangers. * November 23, 1976: Doyle Alexander ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Brock
Jim Brock (July 24, 1936 – June 12, 1994) was the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team for 23 seasons from 1972 until his death in 1994. During his first year as head coach, Brock managed his team to a 64–6 record. That mark remains the NCAA record for all-time winning percentage in a single season (.914). Jim Brock's record at ASU was 1,100–440 (.714), and he also led ASU to thirteen College World Series appearances. In 1994, Brock battled liver and colon cancer that would take his life one day after the conclusion of the College World Series. Though his strength was waning, Brock did not miss a conference game through the '94 season. He led his team through the regional tournament at Knoxville, Tennessee, and was in the dugout when the Sun Devils beat University of Miami 4–0, in the opener of the College World Series. Speaking in little more than a whisper, he gave his team an inspirational pep talk after a scoreless first inning when he sensed that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arizona State Sun Devils Baseball
The Arizona State Sun Devils baseball program at the Arizona State University (ASU) is part of the Pac-12 Conference. Since it became a member of the Pac-12, it had the highest winning percentage, at .681, of all schools that participate in Division I baseball within the conference. ASU's NCAA leading 54 consecutive 30 win seasons was the longest streak in the nation. The Sun Devils have had just four losing seasons in program history (1963, 2017, 2018, and 2022). The Sun Devils had been nationally ranked during at least a part of every season of their 58-year history until 2017. The Sun Devils have finished 27 times in the Top 10, 22 times in the Top 5, and 5 times as the No. 1 team in the nation. ASU is one of the most successful college baseball programs in the country. The Sun Devils have won five national championships, the fourth-most by any school, and are 1st in total number of alumni to ever play in Major League Baseball. Notable Sun Devil baseball alumni include Barry B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
College Baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional players, as baseball's professional minor leagues are more extensive, with a greater history of supplying players to MLB. Moving directly from high school to the professional level is more common in baseball than in football or basketball. However, if players do opt to enroll at a four-year college to play baseball, they must complete three years to regain professional eligibility, unless they reach age 21 before starting their third year of college. Players who enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) regain eligibility after one year at that level. In the 2020 season, which was abbreviated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 300 NCAA Division I teams in the United States (including schools transitioning from Division ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
