Month: June 2016

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday that I probably should have…

The National Pastime Museum hosts one-hour live chats each time it publishes a new article. I’m having one at 9 a.m. PST for my Benny Kauff article.

I wanted to invite anyone interested to come take part. It should be a fun discussion about banned players, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and whatever else people are in the mood to discuss.

I have two new articles out today, and while I didn’t plan the scheduling, they correspond a little. I wrote about two of the more tragic figures in baseball history, even if the tragedy in each case might have been partly of their doing.

First, for Sporting News, I wrote about Billy Martin’s Hall of Fame case. It’s been 26 years since Martin died in a friend’s drunk driving accident, and I explored if his Hall of Fame window might be closing. The thought: Martin, who’s been a candidate at least six times, might still have a shot, but he’s going to have competition yet again this fall with Jim Leyland newly eligible.

Then for The National Pastime Museum, I wrote about Benny Kauff. Many baseball history fans might know the story of Kauff’s banning, how Kenesaw Mountain Landis made an example of him after his 1921 acquittal for allegedly participating in a car theft ring. What might not be as well known: Kauff’s life after banning, which included numerous arrests, a short playing career, and, finally, redemption. I had fun researching this one.

As always, thanks for reading.

My apologies.

I’ve been busy with various writing obligations and just realized I’ve neglected to post here since April 26. It’s sometimes hard to prioritize this site since, to be blunt, I don’t make any money at it and couldn’t earn anywhere close to a living even if I allowed advertising and pulled out all the stops. There simply isn’t enough interest in baseball history.

If I had a day job or was retired or financially dependent on another person, I might write frequently here. I think most baseball history bloggers fall into one of those three categories. But I’ve been making a living since October as a freelance writer and editor, which has meant focusing on paid work. I know in a given week how much money I need to make and what work I’ll need to do to make it. Most weeks, it’s a hustle.

At some point, I’d like to carve out an hour or two a day to write regularly here. I’m not there yet, though.

That said, here’s a month worth of Sporting News columns:

• How World War II kept Cecil Travis out of the Hall of Fame [May 30]
• Here’s why Adrian Beltre will be an easy Baseball Hall of Fame selection [May 24]
• Move the Hall of Fame from Cooperstown to NYC? Don’t be ridiculous [May 13]
• Jose Altuve is starting to look like a future Hall of Famer [May 10]

Again, my apologies. I’ll try to get back to posting links to my columns as I write them.