Paul White
@paulwhite.bsky.social
Transplanted Bostonian. Husband & Dad. History & baseball nerd. Jayhawk. Dog lover. @IBWAA and @SABR member. Writer of things. www.lostinleftfield.com. Author of Cooperstown's Back Door: A History of Negro Leaguers in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Paul White
@paulwhite.bsky.social
· Nov 15
Book Day!
The journey seemed awfully long at times, and frightfully condensed at others, but the day has finally arrived.
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I’m happy to announce that my book, "Cooperstown’s Back Door: A History of Negro Leaguers in the Baseball Hall of Fame," is now available! Here’s all the information you need to order (including a coupon!), plus a sneak peak. @ibwaa.bsky.social
We’ve got Phillies coming and going, from new Hall of Famers to washed up relievers, and hot prospects both arriving and departing. All in this week’s Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Phillies Comings and Goings Edition
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January 30, 2026 at 3:01 PM
We’ve got Phillies coming and going, from new Hall of Famers to washed up relievers, and hot prospects both arriving and departing. All in this week’s Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is currently in the news for having a flawed process. The Baseball Hall of Fame should take note, since they’ve never given players like Mike Tiernan a fair look. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Baseball Remembers: Mike Tiernan
Here’s every player to:
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January 29, 2026 at 1:44 PM
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is currently in the news for having a flawed process. The Baseball Hall of Fame should take note, since they’ve never given players like Mike Tiernan a fair look. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Can you imagine the chaos in the stands when Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge hits their 500th career homer and people fight for the ball? Well, in Ted Williams’ case, picture the exact opposite. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Forgotten Treasures: Ted Williams’ 500th Homer Ball
Pick the biggest current hitting star in baseball.
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January 28, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Can you imagine the chaos in the stands when Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge hits their 500th career homer and people fight for the ball? Well, in Ted Williams’ case, picture the exact opposite. @ibwaa.bsky.social
In 1941 the Cardinals were in a dogfight for the pennant when they lost two starting outfielders to injury, yet they decided to leave their top prospect in the minors. Some kid named Stan Musial. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Delaying Stan Musial
In 1941, the Cardinals were playing way over their heads.
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January 27, 2026 at 2:07 PM
In 1941 the Cardinals were in a dogfight for the pennant when they lost two starting outfielders to injury, yet they decided to leave their top prospect in the minors. Some kid named Stan Musial. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Buddy Bell unfortunately started his career in the shadow of the greatest defensive third baseman ever. That’s a shame, because it’s possible Bell was the next-best defender there, ever. @ibwaa.bsky.social
First Gloves: Buddy Bell
If Brooks Robinson didn’t exist, there’s a very strong chance we’d all be talking about Buddy Bell as the greatest defensive third baseman in baseball history.
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January 26, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Buddy Bell unfortunately started his career in the shadow of the greatest defensive third baseman ever. That’s a shame, because it’s possible Bell was the next-best defender there, ever. @ibwaa.bsky.social
We have nothing but Hall of Fame (or close) pitchers from the Cleveland Indians in today’s Friday Stuff. That includes the worthy, the unworthy, the unelected, and even an appearance by Satchel Paige. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Hall of Fame (or near) Indians Pitchers Edition
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January 23, 2026 at 1:59 PM
We have nothing but Hall of Fame (or close) pitchers from the Cleveland Indians in today’s Friday Stuff. That includes the worthy, the unworthy, the unelected, and even an appearance by Satchel Paige. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Voting for David Wright for the Hall of Fame is fine. He was a good player. But voting for ONLY David Wright, and doing so anonymously, is both cowardly and indefensible. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Anonymous David Wright Vote
Now that all of the various Hall of Fame voting results are known, I’ll offer up a few thought in the coming days and weeks, but want a bit of time to digest it all first.
open.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Voting for David Wright for the Hall of Fame is fine. He was a good player. But voting for ONLY David Wright, and doing so anonymously, is both cowardly and indefensible. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Two guys named Socks have played in the big leagues, both for A’s. This one deserved to be there long before he got the chance.
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@ibwaa.bsky.social
Late Bloomers: Socks Seybold
Two different players named “Socks” played for the Philadelphia A’s.
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January 21, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Two guys named Socks have played in the big leagues, both for A’s. This one deserved to be there long before he got the chance.
@ibwaa.bsky.social
@ibwaa.bsky.social
George Altman was a baseball pioneer, one of the few veterans of the Negro Leagues, MLB, and Japanese baseball. But he almost became a high school basketball coach instead. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Baseball Remembers: George Altman
George Altman lived a remarkably eventful life.
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January 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM
George Altman was a baseball pioneer, one of the few veterans of the Negro Leagues, MLB, and Japanese baseball. But he almost became a high school basketball coach instead. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Maybe it’s junk. Maybe it’s awesome. The only way to find out is to show you ten random baseball objects found nearby and take a poll to see if it was all a worthwhile exercise. And it’s free! @ibwaa.bsky.social
Forgotten Treasures: Ten Random Objects
As you might imagine, when I go antique browsing with my wife we find a very small number of cool or valuable baseball items and a much larger number of things that could most charitably be called jun...
open.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Maybe it’s junk. Maybe it’s awesome. The only way to find out is to show you ten random baseball objects found nearby and take a poll to see if it was all a worthwhile exercise. And it’s free! @ibwaa.bsky.social
It’s all Cardinals pitchers in this week’s Friday Stuff, from incredibly obscure to the most famous possible. We examine trades, Hall of Fame votes, and perhaps the most forgotten one-hitter in franchise history. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
St. Louis Cardinals Pitchers Edition
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January 16, 2026 at 1:57 PM
It’s all Cardinals pitchers in this week’s Friday Stuff, from incredibly obscure to the most famous possible. We examine trades, Hall of Fame votes, and perhaps the most forgotten one-hitter in franchise history. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Texas Rangers had focused on pitching just once in their first 40 years, and it worked. But then they ignored that and threw a pile of money at Álex Rodríguez anyway. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Rangers’ Bad ARod Bet
It seems like a long time ago now, back when the franchise was an expansion team in Washington and then stuck in an afterthought ballpark between Dallas and Fort Worth, but the Rangers were a pretty t...
open.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:37 PM
The Texas Rangers had focused on pitching just once in their first 40 years, and it worked. But then they ignored that and threw a pile of money at Álex Rodríguez anyway. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Relief pitchers aren’t known for their defense, but when you’re 5-foot-8 like Roy Face, you’ll use every little advantage to succeed, including playing your position well. @ibwaa.bsky.social
First Gloves: Roy Face
There’s only so much to say about the defense played by relief pitchers, but if have a soft spot for Roy Face because you’re both not very tall, and then you run across this glove out at at an antique...
open.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Relief pitchers aren’t known for their defense, but when you’re 5-foot-8 like Roy Face, you’ll use every little advantage to succeed, including playing your position well. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The postseason tends to make heroes, guys who perform well under that pressure. But it makes some goats, too, and sometimes those are the players you wouldn’t expect. Like Joltin’ Joe. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Postseason Underachievers
I could go two different ways with this, and eventually I might.
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January 13, 2026 at 1:54 PM
The postseason tends to make heroes, guys who perform well under that pressure. But it makes some goats, too, and sometimes those are the players you wouldn’t expect. Like Joltin’ Joe. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Eddie Joost had a reputation as a banjo-hitting pest. Then a wartime job built his muscles, and glasses fixed his vision, and suddenly he became something else entirely. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Late Bloomers: Eddie Joost
Eddie Joost once said of himself, “I’m a highstrung sort of guy.” Others called him “prickly,” or a “pepperpot,” or a “sparkplug.” In Ira Berkow’s book about Lou Brissie, The Corporal Was a Pitcher, h...
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January 12, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Eddie Joost had a reputation as a banjo-hitting pest. Then a wartime job built his muscles, and glasses fixed his vision, and suddenly he became something else entirely. @ibwaa.bsky.social
No special theme in today’s Friday Stuff, but tons of great ballplayers, including a couple of Hall of Famers with odd names, a couple of relievers who are more comparable than you’d think, and the great but overlooked Dick Lundy. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Retread Content Edition
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January 9, 2026 at 1:59 PM
No special theme in today’s Friday Stuff, but tons of great ballplayers, including a couple of Hall of Famers with odd names, a couple of relievers who are more comparable than you’d think, and the great but overlooked Dick Lundy. @ibwaa.bsky.social
I normally don’t use Baseball Remembers on recent players, but Hall of Fame voters seem to have forgotten how good Mark Buehrle was, especially compared to Andy Pettitte. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Baseball Remembers: Mark Buehrle
Why am I using a Baseball Remembers edition to write about a player who only retired ten years ago and is currently on the BBWAA ballot for the Hall of Fame?
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January 8, 2026 at 1:32 PM
I normally don’t use Baseball Remembers on recent players, but Hall of Fame voters seem to have forgotten how good Mark Buehrle was, especially compared to Andy Pettitte. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Baseball cards stopped being just for kids a long time ago, but when you see one from a certain year for a great player it can still launch a lot of childhood memories. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Forgotten Treasures: 1965 Topps Bob Gibson
Like most American men my age, I collected baseball cards as a kid.
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January 7, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Baseball cards stopped being just for kids a long time ago, but when you see one from a certain year for a great player it can still launch a lot of childhood memories. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Chicago White Sox are on the clock, and they would do well to study another #1 overall pick in Chicago to understand the bar they are hoping to clear with this year’s pick. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Drafting First
The Chicago White Sox are officially on the clock.
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January 6, 2026 at 2:04 PM
The Chicago White Sox are on the clock, and they would do well to study another #1 overall pick in Chicago to understand the bar they are hoping to clear with this year’s pick. @ibwaa.bsky.social
When someone tweets about a Richie Zisk baseball glove, should I make that an edition of my First Gloves series or an Educating Twitter edition? I couldn’t decide, so I did both. @ibwaa.bsky.social
A Richie Zisk Twitter/First Gloves Mash Up
Yes, that title is a mouthful., but I came by it honestly.
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January 5, 2026 at 1:49 PM
When someone tweets about a Richie Zisk baseball glove, should I make that an edition of my First Gloves series or an Educating Twitter edition? I couldn’t decide, so I did both. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The used to write newspaper headlines differently, and they stand as cool artifacts now. We include a clip of one with each entry in this week’s Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Cool Old Newspaper Headlines Edition
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January 2, 2026 at 2:05 PM
The used to write newspaper headlines differently, and they stand as cool artifacts now. We include a clip of one with each entry in this week’s Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Happy New Year! To kick off 2026 we’re playing a guessing game about a pitcher who threw a ton of shutouts after turning 30, but only once he changed his team and his style. @ibwaa.bsky.social
A Mystery Late Bloomer
I decided we need to play a guessing game with this one because, well, it’s New Year’s, and I just felt like it.
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January 1, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Happy New Year! To kick off 2026 we’re playing a guessing game about a pitcher who threw a ton of shutouts after turning 30, but only once he changed his team and his style. @ibwaa.bsky.social
New Year’s Eve is the time to look back at the year just finished, so here’s an unlocked edition counting down the ten most popular editions of Lost In Left Field from 2025. Happy New Year everyone! @ibwaa.bsky.social
Looking Back at 2025
We made it through another year, kudos everyone!
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December 31, 2025 at 2:05 PM
New Year’s Eve is the time to look back at the year just finished, so here’s an unlocked edition counting down the ten most popular editions of Lost In Left Field from 2025. Happy New Year everyone! @ibwaa.bsky.social
Today’s free, unlocked edition is from our archives, about “Golden Boy” Jackie Jensen, and the struggles with mental health that ultimately derailed an excellent career. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Archives: Baseball Remembers Jackie Jensen
(This edition first ran in August, 2023, one of the very first editions of Baseball Remembers.
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December 30, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Today’s free, unlocked edition is from our archives, about “Golden Boy” Jackie Jensen, and the struggles with mental health that ultimately derailed an excellent career. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Many people running social media accounts with huge followings don’t care about accuracy. They care about money. That’s a shame, because they’re damaging legacies by spreading misinformation. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Erasing Great Black Ballplayers
This gets pretty tiring.
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December 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Many people running social media accounts with huge followings don’t care about accuracy. They care about money. That’s a shame, because they’re damaging legacies by spreading misinformation. @ibwaa.bsky.social