OH BOY! Baseball Season is Here! -- March 24, 2025

Seattle Star, 20-March-1925

I sure am looking forward to the new season. The Seattle Star offered to help kids acquire the tools of the trade, a bat, a glove and a ball, in return for taking subscription orders.

Baseball and Coca-Cola -- March 15, 2025

Macon Telegraph, 22-March-1925

This ad announces that "Coca-Cola Will Be Sold INSIDE The Baseball Park This Season." The Macon Peaches played in the South Atlantic League. 

Training for the Big Show -- March 6, 2025

San Francisco Examiner, 17-March-1925

Here we see the 1925 San Francisco Seals in Spring Training. Bert Ellison played for the Seals from 1921 to 1927 and managed them from 1923 to 1926. I don't know why he is holding a fish.

He once hit five home runs in a PCL double header.

Bivens -- Wow -- July 6, 2024

Sunday we went to our first Giants game since COVID-19. There was a full house because we were playing the Dodgers and the first 15,000 fans received Giants caps with mouse ears. The kindergartners should like them when I do yard duty. 

Spencer Bivens made his first start and went five scoreless innings. As you can see from the image above, the Giants scored in each of the first four innings. He left with a 5-0 lead. We saw Shohei Ohtani for the first time in person. Bivens struck him out twice. Things got a little close in the last innings, but the Giants won. BART and Muni were crowded coming and going because of the game and the Pride Parade. 

The weather was warm and sunny. 

Tributes to Willie Mays surround his statue.

The scoreboard displayed this animation after Matt Chapman's home run. 

Tribute to Willie Mays -- June 20, 2024

Major League Baseball had been planning to have a tribute to Willie Mays tonight at Rickwood Field, where he broke in with the Birmingham Black Barons. When he died this week, the tribute became even more important than it had been.  Before the game, a large group of Negro League veterans took the field. 99-year-old Reverend Bill Greason, a Black Barons teammate, threw out the first pitch. 

The Giants wore their San Francisco Sea Lions uniforms and the Cardinals wore Saint Louis Stars uniforms. 

Unfortunately, the Cardinals won 6-5. 

sfgiants.com

Baseball Today -- June 18, 2024

San Francisco Bulletin, 04-June-1924

The Salt Lake City Bees visited the San Francisco Seals for a Pacific Coast League game. Notice that both "baseball" and "today" are written without hyphens. This was a transition that was going on during the 1920s. The Seals won 9-1.

San Francisco Bulletin, 04-June-1924

COVID-19, Vaccine, Masks, Church, Baseball and School -- May 31, 2024

cdc.gov

Covid-19 trends are rising slightly because of a new strain. 

Our former so-called president was found guilty on all 34 felony counts related to election interference. He is the first former president to be convicted of a felony. He won't go to jail yet.

The Giants made a nice surge towards the end of the month.

Fleet Walker Dies -- May 11, 2024

Louisville Courier-Journal, 17-May-1924

Moses Fleetwood Walker, who died 100 years ago today, on 11-May-1924, was the first man of color to play major league baseball without passing as white. His brother, Weldy Walker, was the second. Fleet Walker played for Oberlin College and the University of Michigan. In 1883, he served as a catcher for the Toledo Blue Stockings in the Northwestern League. After winning the league championship, the Blue Stockings moved to the American Association in 1884. The American Association of that time was regarded as a major league. After injuries caused him to miss more than half the team's games, the financially challenged Blue Stockings released Fleet Walker in September. Walker encountered much racism. He played in the minor leagues until 1889.

Baseball -- Pacific Coast League -- April 28, 2024

Los Angeles Evening Post-Record, 25-April-1924

The Pacific Coast League San Francisco Seals visited the Vernon Tigers at Washington Park in Los Angeles. Vernon is a suburb of Los Angeles, but the Tigers shared the field with the PCL's Los Angeles Angels. "Ladies free except on opening of series, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays."

Under Auspices of Black Sox Baseball Club -- April 27, 2024

Baltimore Afro-American, 18-April-1924

The Baltimore Black Sox were a Negro League baseball team which played in various leagues from 1913 to 1936. The Get-Together Dance sounds like fun. 

Pepsi-Cola -- When Thinking of Baseball -- Always Think of Pepsi-Cola -- April 13, 2024

Winston-Salem Journal, 08-April-1924

This is the largest Pepsi-Cola ad that I have found. It invites people to think about Pepsi when they attend the opening day of the Winston-Salem Twins in the Piedmont League. The Twins played the Greensboro Patriots and beat them 4-0.

COVID-19, Vaccine, Masks, Church, Baseball and School -- March 30, 2024

cdc.gov

Covid-19 trends seem to be going down. Many people seem to be coming down with Covid-19 again, but the cases may be milder.  

More food aid is getting to Gaza, but there is still a risk of mass starvation. Israel is preparing to enter the last city in the south of Gaza, Rafah. President Biden called on the Israelis to be more careful of innocent lives. The whole world is calling for a ceasefire. 

The House is still delaying aid to Ukraine. The Republican Party is beholden to Putin. I am sorry to have to write that. 

The Giants have had a mixed record in spring training. It has been nice to see Pablo Sandoval again. He probably made his last appearance as a Giant during the Bay Bridge Series. 

Our former so-called president had until 25-March-2024 to post a huge bond after losing his real estate fraud case. His lawyers were able to get the bond amount reduced and to get an additional ten days. 

My students are making good progress with Code Avengers. 

Terry's Terrific Wallop Thrills Giants' Observers -- February 28, 2024

Buffalo Courier, 29-February-1924

Spring training games have started. In 1924, Bill Terry made his spring training debut with the New York Giants. He played first base for the team from 1923 until 1936. He managed the Giants from 1932 to 1941. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1954. He hit .401 in 1930, becoming the last National League player to hit .400. "Robins" was another name for the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

Terry's Terrific Wallop 

Thrills Giants' Observers

New York, Feb. 28 -- William Terry, $50,000 first baseman bought from Toledo, joined the Giants at Sarasota yesterday and astonished observers by cracking out the longest home run seen in Florida in ages, according to enthusiastic reports reaching here. Terry hit .311 and made fifteen home runs for the Mud Hens last season.

Frank Frisch, regarded as a candidate for the "most valuable man" honors this season, will leave today for the camp. Other veterans are slated to depart Monday.

New from Clearwater, Fla., where the Robins are tuning up, has Manager Robinson worrying about his catchers. Zach Taylor of last year's squad is a holdout, and the purchase prices of Mike Gonzales from St. Paul is being held up. President Ebbets refused to comment on the rumor that Same Bohne of the Reds was to be traded to Brooklyn. 

Yankee officials have served notice on holdouts that the club has made its final offers, Sam Jones, Bob Shawkey, Herb Pennock, Wally Pipp, Aaron Ward, Bob Meusel and Whitey Witt have not yet signed. 

COVID-19, Vaccine, Masks, Church, Baseball and School -- January 31, 2024

cdc.gov

California has updated its COVID guidelines on isolation.

covid.ca.gov

Israel has changed the intensity of its operations in Gaza. Famine is spreading in the area. 

Ukraine and Russia appear to be in a stalemate.

Dusty Baker is returning to the Giants as a special assistant. 

Trump lost another lawsuit and will pay $83.3 million.

Catholic Schools Week started at Good Shepherd. 

For Those Who Were Forced to Stay Home During the World Series -- January 18, 2024

Washington Times, 07-January-1924

Sportswriter and pioneer radio broadcaster Graham McNamee described the 1924 World Series on a temporary network put together by Westinghouse Broadcasting, including KDKA in Pittsburgh and WJZ in Newark.

Thomas Meighan was a big star in silent films. 

Sadly, the Giants lost the series in 7 games against the Washington Senators. Game seven went 12 innings.

Plenty of Baseball Interest Found in Far East Countries -- December 28, 2023

Circleville Herald, 22-December-1948

After World War Two, there was lots of interest in baseball in Japan, the Philippines and Formosa (Taiwan). San Francisco Seals manager Lefty O'Doul had connections with Japanese baseball that went back to a barnstorming tour with Babe Ruth. 

COVID-19, Vaccine, Masks, Church, Baseball and School -- October 30, 2023

cdc.gov

My wife and I have been beset by bad coughs, so we have not yet gotten our new COVID-19 boosters. We hope to get our flu shots at the same time.

The Giants signed Bob Melvin as their new manager. I remember when he played for the Giants. He was very good when he managed the Athletics. Working for a team that pays people in money rather than hot dogs should be even better. 

Bruce Bochy's Texas Rangers beat Dusty Baker's Houston Astros in the ALCS. Dusty Baker announced his retirement. Texas and Arizona played in the World Series. 

We went without a Speaker of the House for most of the month. The guy they chose voted against certifying the election and is a Trump cultist. 

We have been able to use the computer lab at Good Shepherd and it is working well. 

There are reports that Russian troops in Ukraine are performing acts of insubordination..

House of David vs Joe Green's Chicago Giants -- October 28, 2023

Saint Joseph Herald-Press, 13-October-1923

The Chicago Giants were an original member of the Negro National League when it was founded in 1920. The team did not have a home field. Joe Green was owner, manager and outfielder. The House of David was a Michigan religious commune that raised money in various interesting ways, including a barnstorming baseball team. Male members of the sect, and players on the team, who were not always members of the sect, were required to wear long beards.

The two teams played a series of five games in Saint Joseph, Michigan, at the House of David Park. I can't find a box score for the fourth game. 

Base-Ball To-Day, Sacramento vs. San Francisco -- October 26, 2023

San Francisco Bulletin, 11-October-1923

The Sacramento Senators of the Pacific Coast League visited the San Francisco Seals at Recreation Park.

The Seals won 9-5 and clinched the PCL pennant.

COVID-19, Vaccine, Masks, Church, Baseball and School -- September 30, 2023

cdc.gov

COVID-19 is on the rise again. A new vaccine is available. I have been wearing my mask more outside of the house.

The Ukrainian offensive is making progress. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to the US to address the UN General Assembly. Many Republicans are taking Putin's side, calling for an end to aid.

The Giants struggled along to the end of the season. They remained in contention for a wildcard spot for a surprisingly long time. Manager Gabe Kaplan got fired with three games to go. 

They moved the tabernacle at Good Shepherd Church. I have been teaching at Good Shepherd School in Pacifica, but they tore the floor out of the computer lab and redid it. When that was done, they redid the walkway outside. When all of that was done, the Scholastic Book Fair took over the room for a week.