John Thorn
@johnthorn.bsky.social
Official Historian, Major League Baseball. Since 2011, I have posted a story a week at ourgame.mlblogs.com. Past though timeless tales available at https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/archive. Views are my own, not those of MLB. Nerdy badinage a specialty.
According to Joe Gould, whose secret was immortalized by Joseph Mitchell, "the Indians considered themselves smarter than white men, because they had more time to think. They realize that punctuality is the thief of time. The more time a man gives to his engagements the less he has for himself."
November 14, 2025 at 4:44 PM
According to Joe Gould, whose secret was immortalized by Joseph Mitchell, "the Indians considered themselves smarter than white men, because they had more time to think. They realize that punctuality is the thief of time. The more time a man gives to his engagements the less he has for himself."
Here's the daguerreotype:
November 11, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Here's the daguerreotype:
In honor of Veterans Day, here is a photo of the oldest known American war image, depicting General John Ellis Wool during the Mexican War commenced in 1846. And because there is always a baseball angle, a dag of Abner Doubleday at the Battle of Buena Vista, near Saltillo, 1847.
November 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
In honor of Veterans Day, here is a photo of the oldest known American war image, depicting General John Ellis Wool during the Mexican War commenced in 1846. And because there is always a baseball angle, a dag of Abner Doubleday at the Battle of Buena Vista, near Saltillo, 1847.
Jackie Robinson also played with Chet Brewer's Kansas City Royals after leaving the Monarchs in 1945. Jules Tygiel and I wrote this story in 1988. ourgame.mlblogs.com/jackie-robin...
November 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Jackie Robinson also played with Chet Brewer's Kansas City Royals after leaving the Monarchs in 1945. Jules Tygiel and I wrote this story in 1988. ourgame.mlblogs.com/jackie-robin...
Aha. I see that you have taken the image for Stoolball, not Base Ball.
November 4, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Aha. I see that you have taken the image for Stoolball, not Base Ball.
"To the next destin'd post" ... missing from your image.
November 4, 2025 at 5:52 PM
"To the next destin'd post" ... missing from your image.
How was a baseball game scored before there were scorebooks? These two images provide the answer: a scoring stick, with a notch for each run scored by one team on the top, and for the other, the bottom. This is why a game has a "score" and why a pitcher notches a win.
November 4, 2025 at 4:25 PM
How was a baseball game scored before there were scorebooks? These two images provide the answer: a scoring stick, with a notch for each run scored by one team on the top, and for the other, the bottom. This is why a game has a "score" and why a pitcher notches a win.
Somehow new to me. Of course there have been many great finds since 1994. See: protoball.org.
November 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Somehow new to me. Of course there have been many great finds since 1994. See: protoball.org.
Slide, Kelly, Slide: 1927 Yankees melodrama. A rookie pitcher gets drunk before a big game and is fired. In Game 7 of the World Series, the Yankees run out of pitchers (foreshadowing today). The batboy finds the fired star, who pitches till the end and scores the winning run.
October 30, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Slide, Kelly, Slide: 1927 Yankees melodrama. A rookie pitcher gets drunk before a big game and is fired. In Game 7 of the World Series, the Yankees run out of pitchers (foreshadowing today). The batboy finds the fired star, who pitches till the end and scores the winning run.
This expresses no selection (or wish) for an outcome in 2025. My pal Dinn Mann shot this at the 2018 World Series. When I was ten, in 1957, I thought the Brooklyn Dodgers were packing their steamer trunks for a holiday, soon to return to Ebbets Field.
October 26, 2025 at 3:26 PM
This expresses no selection (or wish) for an outcome in 2025. My pal Dinn Mann shot this at the 2018 World Series. When I was ten, in 1957, I thought the Brooklyn Dodgers were packing their steamer trunks for a holiday, soon to return to Ebbets Field.
Especially good today:
October 21, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Especially good today:
In all the coverage of Ohtani's great night, I have seen mentions of Babe Ruth (of course), Tony Cloninger, and Rick Wise, maybe Jim Tobin ... but not Guy Hecker, the pitcher who in 1886 led his league in batting average while winning 26 games (two years earlier, he had won 52).
October 18, 2025 at 6:39 PM
In all the coverage of Ohtani's great night, I have seen mentions of Babe Ruth (of course), Tony Cloninger, and Rick Wise, maybe Jim Tobin ... but not Guy Hecker, the pitcher who in 1886 led his league in batting average while winning 26 games (two years earlier, he had won 52).
Just bought this reproduction poster (12 x 18) on Ebay. "Chevalier Ernest Thorn magician poster #1 1892 We Are Coming America." Halloween-ish, I suppose, but I have other reasons for buying. ourgame.mlblogs.com/magicians-bl...
October 17, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Just bought this reproduction poster (12 x 18) on Ebay. "Chevalier Ernest Thorn magician poster #1 1892 We Are Coming America." Halloween-ish, I suppose, but I have other reasons for buying. ourgame.mlblogs.com/magicians-bl...
When did the World Series begin? After the Detroit Wolverines defeated the St. Louis Browns in 1887, they flew pennants at Recreation Park.
October 15, 2025 at 7:06 PM
When did the World Series begin? After the Detroit Wolverines defeated the St. Louis Browns in 1887, they flew pennants at Recreation Park.
This is an amazing survivor, even as a carbon copy: a letter from Detroit Tigers' manager Bill Armour to Ty Cobb informing him that his rights have been purchased from Augusta in the South Atlantic (Sally) League. Dated August 25, 1905, 17 days after Ty's mother had shot his father to death.
October 15, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This is an amazing survivor, even as a carbon copy: a letter from Detroit Tigers' manager Bill Armour to Ty Cobb informing him that his rights have been purchased from Augusta in the South Atlantic (Sally) League. Dated August 25, 1905, 17 days after Ty's mother had shot his father to death.
Fans outside Huntington Avenue Grounds, Boston, prior to 1903 World Series. Note the baskets for the newsboys.
October 15, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Fans outside Huntington Avenue Grounds, Boston, prior to 1903 World Series. Note the baskets for the newsboys.
JACKIE ROBINSON HALL OF FAME INDUCTION RING, at auction at Christie's; opening bid $250K.
October 14, 2025 at 8:21 PM
JACKIE ROBINSON HALL OF FAME INDUCTION RING, at auction at Christie's; opening bid $250K.
Charlie Sweeney at San Quentin.
October 14, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Charlie Sweeney at San Quentin.
On October 10 (yesterday) in 1845, was played the first baseball game that would hit the newspapers. Brooklyn beats NY, 22-1. Reported three days later, in True Sun, October 13, 1845.
October 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM
On October 10 (yesterday) in 1845, was played the first baseball game that would hit the newspapers. Brooklyn beats NY, 22-1. Reported three days later, in True Sun, October 13, 1845.
Acquired last year from Ebay: 1908 Magic Moving Picture Card advertised as "Person Bear Or Dog Mechanical PC [postcard]." It was instantly recognizable to me as R.F. Outcault's Buster Brown and Tige. I used to wear "his" shoes; fit was checked in store by X-Ray (a fluoroscope).
October 11, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Acquired last year from Ebay: 1908 Magic Moving Picture Card advertised as "Person Bear Or Dog Mechanical PC [postcard]." It was instantly recognizable to me as R.F. Outcault's Buster Brown and Tige. I used to wear "his" shoes; fit was checked in store by X-Ray (a fluoroscope).
Shave and a haircut, two bits. (Don't get me started on the origin of "a bit" ... suffice to say, 12.5 cents.)
October 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Shave and a haircut, two bits. (Don't get me started on the origin of "a bit" ... suffice to say, 12.5 cents.)
Piling on, I know, for 1886 and 1887:
October 4, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Piling on, I know, for 1886 and 1887:
Bob Caruthers of the St. Louis Browns pitched in Game One and Two of the 1885 World Series, then played right field in Games Four and Five. I know that folks like to date the World Series to 1903, or even to 1905, but rival leagues played what was called a World's Championship Series in 1884-90.
October 4, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Bob Caruthers of the St. Louis Browns pitched in Game One and Two of the 1885 World Series, then played right field in Games Four and Five. I know that folks like to date the World Series to 1903, or even to 1905, but rival leagues played what was called a World's Championship Series in 1884-90.
“Well — it’s our game; that’s the chief fact in connection with it; America’s game; it has the snap, go, fling of the American atmosphere; it belongs as much to our institutions; fits into them as significantly as our Constitution’s laws; is just as important in the sum total of our historic life.”
October 4, 2025 at 2:37 PM
“Well — it’s our game; that’s the chief fact in connection with it; America’s game; it has the snap, go, fling of the American atmosphere; it belongs as much to our institutions; fits into them as significantly as our Constitution’s laws; is just as important in the sum total of our historic life.”
BTW, one of my "perks of office" was a sufficiently deep pocket to purchase this volume, so desirable among my early-baseball peers--especially for this, from the issue of December 6, 1856.
October 2, 2025 at 9:00 PM
BTW, one of my "perks of office" was a sufficiently deep pocket to purchase this volume, so desirable among my early-baseball peers--especially for this, from the issue of December 6, 1856.