Maje McDonnell
Robert A. "Maje" McDonnell (July 20, 1920 – July 8, 2010) was an American coach, scout and official with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Until he retired in , McDonnell served for four decades as the Phillies' "goodwill ambassador," and was an employee of the team for five of the eight National League pennants it has won, and both of its World Series championships. McDonnell was considered a face of the Phillies franchise. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he attended the city's Northeast High School. McDonnell was a right-handed pitcher in college baseball who stood tall and weighed . He attended Villanova University, where he also played basketball despite his stature. He joined the United States Army during World War II and rose to the rank of major, saw combat in the European Theater of Operations, and was awarded a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and five battle stars. McDonnell joined the Phillies as a batting practice pitcher in 1947, and was serving a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisions. Beyond the manager, more than a half dozen coaches may assist the manager in running the team. Essentially, baseball coaches are analogous to assistant coaches in other sports, as the baseball manager is to the head coach. Roles of professional baseball coaches Baseball is unique in that the manager and coaches typically all wear numbered uniforms similar to those of the players, due to the early practice of managers frequently being selected from the player roster. The wearing of uniforms continued even after the practice of playing managers and coaches waned; notable exceptions to this were Baseball Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack, who always wore a black suit during his 50 years at the helm of the Philadelphia Athletics, and B ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis powers. World War II was a total war that directly involved more than 100 million personnel from more than 30 countries. The major participants in the war threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. Aircraft played a major role in the conflict, enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and deploying the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was by far the deadliest conflict in human history; it resulted in 70 to 85 million fatalities, mostly among civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocides (including the Holocaust), starvation, ma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ballantine Brewery
P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company was an American brewery founded in 1840, making Ballantine one of the oldest brands of beer in the United States. At its peak, it was the 3rd largest brewer in the US. The brand is currently owned and operated by Pabst Brewing Company. Throughout history it is best known for its Ballantine XXX Ale; however, in August 2014 Ballantine IPA relaunched and has been received with mixed reviews (3.46 on Untappd). Ballantine is Pabst's foray into the craft beer market. History Ballantine era The company was founded in 1840 in Newark, New Jersey, by Peter Ballantine (1791–1883), who emigrated from Scotland. The company was originally incorporated as the Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company. Ballantine rented an old brewing site which had dated back to 1805. Around 1850, Ballantine bought out his partner and purchased land near the Passaic River to brew his ale. His three sons joined the business and in 1857 the company was renamed P. Ballanti ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mayo Smith
Edward Mayo "Catfish" Smith (January 17, 1915 – November 24, 1977) was an American professional baseball player, manager, and scout who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics. Smith had a 39-year baseball career from to . He is also the namesake of the "Mayo Smith Society", the Detroit Tigers international fan club that awards the "King Tiger Award," each year. Smith served as the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies (–), Cincinnati Reds (), and Detroit Tigers (–), compiling a managerial record of 662–612 (). He received The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award in after the Tigers won the American League (AL) pennant by 12 games with a record of 103–59 () and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1968 World Series. ESPN has ranked Smith's decision to move Mickey Stanley to shortstop for the 1968 World Series as the third "gutsiest call" in sports history. Smith also played professional baseball for 18 seasons from 1933 to , includi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Terry Moore (baseball)
Terry Bluford Moore (May 27, 1912 – March 29, 1995) was an American professional baseball center fielder, manager, and coach. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (–, –), and later coached for them (–, –). Moore managed the Philadelphia Phillies, taking the reins from Steve O’Neill, for the second half of the season. Playing career A right-handed batter and thrower, Moore began his professional baseball career in 1932. In 1934, he hit .328 in the American Association and earned a roster spot with the Cardinals the following season. Moore joined the Cardinals the year after the Gashouse Gang won the 1934 World Series. He hit for a career .280 batting average in 1,298 games, with 80 home runs. He played on two National League championship and world champion teams: the 1942 and 1946 Cardinals. During his career (interrupted by World War II service), he played with greats such as Dizzy Dean, Joe Medwick, Frankie Frisch, Johnny Mize, Enos Slaughter, and Stan Musial — ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Steve O'Neill
Stephen Francis O'Neill (July 6, 1891 – January 26, 1962) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, most notably with the Cleveland Indians. As a manager, he led the Detroit Tigers to the World Series championship, Early life O'Neill was born in Minooka, Pennsylvania (now a part of Scranton), to Irish immigrants from Maum, County Galway, Michael "Squire" O'Neill and Mary ( Joyce) O'Neill. He was one of four brothers who escaped a life in the coal mines by playing in the major leagues.Kashatus (2002), pg. 14. Other notable members of the O'Neill family were Jack, a catcher in the National League (1902–1906); Mike, a right-handed pitcher in the NL (1901–1904, 1907); and Jim, an infielder with the American League Washington Senators (1920, 1923). Baseball historian William C. Kashatus noted that Michael and Jack "would become the first brother battery in major league history". The O'Neill brothers "were kno ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eddie Sawyer
Edwin Milby Sawyer (September 10, 1910 – September 22, 1997) was an American manager and scout in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he led the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies — the "Whiz Kids", as the youthful club was known — to the second National League championship in team history. A scholar-athlete Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, Sawyer was a minor league outfielder in his playing days who batted and threw right-handed; he was listed as tall and . A rarity among baseball people of his era, Sawyer held an advanced degree from an Ivy League university: a master's degree in biology and physiology from Cornell. He had earned an undergraduate degree from Ithaca College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and later taught biology in the off-season.Silary, Ted (September 23, 1997). "Manager of Whiz Kids Dies at 87". ''Philadelphia Daily News''. Sawyer signed a contract to play in the New York Yankees' deep farm system in 1934. He reached the highest minor-league lev ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ben Chapman (baseball)
William Benjamin Chapman (December 25, 1908 – July 7, 1993) was an American outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for several teams. He began his career with the New York Yankees, playing his first seven seasons there. During the period from 1926 to 1943, Chapman had more stolen bases than any other player, leading the American League four times. After 12 seasons, during which he batted .302 and led the AL in assists and double plays twice each, he spent two years in the minor leagues and returned to the majors as a National League pitcher for three seasons, becoming player-manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, his final team. Chapman's playing reputation was eclipsed by the role he played in 1947 as manager of the Phillies, antagonizing Jackie Robinson by shouting racist epithets and opposing his presence on a major league team on the basis of Robinson's race with unsportsmanlike conduct that was an embarrassment for his team. He was fired the followin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager (commonly referred to as the manager) is the equivalent of a head coach who is responsible for overseeing and making final decisions on all aspects of on-field team strategy, lineup selection, training and instruction. Managers are typically assisted by a staff of assistant coaches whose responsibilities are specialized. Field managers are typically not involved in off-field personnel decisions or long-term club planning, responsibilities that are instead held by a team's general manager. Duties The manager chooses the batting order and starting pitcher before each game, and makes substitutions throughout the game – among the most significant being those decisions regarding when to bring in a relief pitcher. How much control a manager takes in a game's strategy varies from manager to manager and from game to game. Some managers control pitch selection, defensive positioning, decisions to bunt, steal, pitch out, etc., while others desig ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1950 Philadelphia Phillies Season
The 1950 Philadelphia Phillies won the National League pennant by two games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nicknamed the " Whiz Kids" because of the youth of their roster, they went on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees in four straight games. Previous off-season * October 3, 1949: Schoolboy Rowe was released by the Phillies. * November 17, 1949: Milo Candini was drafted by the Phillies from the Oakland Oaks in the 1949 rule 5 draft. * Prior to 1950 season: Bob Bowman was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies. On January 10, 1950, owner Bob Carpenter announced that the club had officially abandoned the nickname "Blue Jays" and would be the "Phillies". The club had adopted the nickname in 1944 but it never caught on among fans. City Series The pre-season 1950 City Series was planned for three games prior to Opening Day. Snow flurries and cold weather in Philadelphia caused the cancellation of the first game. The Athletics beat the Phillies 7–4 an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Batting Practice
B backdoor breaking ball :A breaking pitch, usually a slider, curveball, or cut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of the strike zone on the outside edge of the plate after seeming as if it would miss the plate entirely. It may not cross the front of the plate but only the back and thus have come in through the "back door". A slider is the most common version, because a slider has more lateral motion than other breaking pitches (it curves down and 'slides' across the zone). backstop :*The fence behind homeplate, designed to protect spectators from wild pitches or foul balls. :*Catcher, sometimes "backstopper". back-to-back :Consecutive. When two consecutive batters hit home runs, they are said to hit back-to-back homers. Or a pitcher may issue back-to-back walks, and so forth. bad-ball hitter :A batter who excels at hitting pitches that are outside the strike zone. Notable bad ball hitters include Yogi Berra and Vladimir Guerrero. bad hop ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, which took the form of a heart made of purple cloth, the Purple Heart is the oldest military award still given to U.S. military members. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York. History The original Purple Heart, designated as the Badge of Military Merit, was established by George Washington – then the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army – by order from his Newburgh, New York headquarters on 7 August 1782. The Badge of Military Merit was only awarded to three Revolutionary War soldiers by Washington himself. Washington authorized his subordinate officers to issue Badges of Merit as appropriate. Although never abolished, the award of the badge was not proposed again officially until ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |