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, released November 15.
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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
Harmon Killebrew in Royals gear. A guy whose father-in-law made him quit baseball. A tragically anonymous death. It’s probably a downer, but it’s the unhappy endings edition of Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Unhappy Endings Edition
open.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Harmon Killebrew in Royals gear. A guy whose father-in-law made him quit baseball. A tragically anonymous death. It’s probably a downer, but it’s the unhappy endings edition of Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
It’s wonderful when fans love a player so much that they’re willing to defend them against even better players. But sometimes that passion borders on the delusional, not only with fans but also with the Hall of Fame. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Arguing Mattingly vs. Hernandez
Man, the people who love Don Mattingly really loooooooove Don Mattingly.
open.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:26 PM
It’s wonderful when fans love a player so much that they’re willing to defend them against even better players. But sometimes that passion borders on the delusional, not only with fans but also with the Hall of Fame. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Rickey Henderson is the answer to most questions about stolen bases, but in today’s unlocked, free-to-all edition we note that Otis Nixon is the surprising answer to a few of them thanks to the remarkable shape of his career. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Late Bloomers: Otis Nixon
Which player, since 1900, stole the most bases from the age of 30 onwards?
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November 12, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Rickey Henderson is the answer to most questions about stolen bases, but in today’s unlocked, free-to-all edition we note that Otis Nixon is the surprising answer to a few of them thanks to the remarkable shape of his career. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Ken Raffensberger lived a lucky life. Found by a scout during the Depression, played 15 big leagues years, married over 60 years, five kids, lived to the age of 85. But when it came to winning, he was one of the unluckiest pitchers ever. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Baseball Remembers: Ken Raffensberger
I’m not sure if there was an unluckier pitcher in the history of baseball than Ken Raffensberger.
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November 11, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Ken Raffensberger lived a lucky life. Found by a scout during the Depression, played 15 big leagues years, married over 60 years, five kids, lived to the age of 85. But when it came to winning, he was one of the unluckiest pitchers ever. @ibwaa.bsky.social
We stumbled across a team photo of the Birmingham Black Barons on a recent trip, and it occurred to me that their place in civil rights history and in the Negro Leagues has largely been overlooked. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Forgotten Treasures: The Birmingham Black Barons
No matter where we turned on our recent trip through a few southern cities, we kept running into reminders of baseball.
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November 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
We stumbled across a team photo of the Birmingham Black Barons on a recent trip, and it occurred to me that their place in civil rights history and in the Negro Leagues has largely been overlooked. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Hall of Fame continues to overlook some deserving players, so this week’s Friday Stuff is focused on underappreciated stars, plus a birthday shout out for my son, who turns 30 today! @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Underappreciated Stars Edition
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November 7, 2025 at 1:59 PM
The Hall of Fame continues to overlook some deserving players, so this week’s Friday Stuff is focused on underappreciated stars, plus a birthday shout out for my son, who turns 30 today! @ibwaa.bsky.social
Rogers Hornsby had the reputation of a great player who wasn’t a good manager, but in 1926, while managing the Cardinals, he made two great deals that brought them the team’s first championship. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Deals that Enabled the Cardinals’ First Title
In 1925, the Cardinals were just about the most “mid” team in baseball.
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November 6, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Rogers Hornsby had the reputation of a great player who wasn’t a good manager, but in 1926, while managing the Cardinals, he made two great deals that brought them the team’s first championship. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Hall of Fame is very good at washing their hands of controversial people and issues whenever they can, and their most recent version of this has left some excellent players out in the cold. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Hall of Fame's Handwashing
Let me say up front that what follows is likely an overly cynical view of the Hall of Fame.
open.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:39 PM
The Hall of Fame is very good at washing their hands of controversial people and issues whenever they can, and their most recent version of this has left some excellent players out in the cold. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Sure I’ve written about Nellie Fox before, but when someone sends you a photo of a vintage Nellie Fox glove they found out in the world, then you write about Nellie Fox’s and his excellent defense. These are the rules. @ibwaa.bsky.social
First Gloves: Nellie Fox
I’ve written about Nellie Fox before, quite a bit actually.
open.substack.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Sure I’ve written about Nellie Fox before, but when someone sends you a photo of a vintage Nellie Fox glove they found out in the world, then you write about Nellie Fox’s and his excellent defense. These are the rules. @ibwaa.bsky.social
We all want to be part of something historically great, even the best. But claiming the events happening around us are the best ever, and having them actually be the best ever, are not the same thing. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Trapped in the Hyperbole of Now
It’s fun to be part of something great.
open.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:42 PM
We all want to be part of something historically great, even the best. But claiming the events happening around us are the best ever, and having them actually be the best ever, are not the same thing. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Try as I might, I’m afraid I couldn’t make this a Halloween-themed Friday Stuff and had to focus on the A’s instead, but I did go for the “treat” option of making it unlocked and free to all. Happy Halloween everyone! @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland A's Edition
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October 31, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Try as I might, I’m afraid I couldn’t make this a Halloween-themed Friday Stuff and had to focus on the A’s instead, but I did go for the “treat” option of making it unlocked and free to all. Happy Halloween everyone! @ibwaa.bsky.social
There are a handful of common reasons why some players don’t get to the big leagues until much later than usual, and nearly every one of them applied to Curt Davis. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Late Bloomers: Curt Davis
If there was a checklist of the most common reasons why a player didn’t debut with a big league team until they were much older than usual rookie, it would look something like this:
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October 30, 2025 at 12:32 PM
There are a handful of common reasons why some players don’t get to the big leagues until much later than usual, and nearly every one of them applied to Curt Davis. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Usually it’s a pretty straightforward exercise around here to write up a topic and find all the images that go with it. But not when it comes to players like Chaney White, whose greatness and likeness are nearly lost to us. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Baseball Remembers: Chaney White
Here’s a bit of information about how the sausage is made here.
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Usually it’s a pretty straightforward exercise around here to write up a topic and find all the images that go with it. But not when it comes to players like Chaney White, whose greatness and likeness are nearly lost to us. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Sometimes you stumble across items in antique stores that call forth all sorts of warm baseball memories, but there are other times when you come across things that recall some of the darkest events of the game’s past. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Sporting News, The Yankees, and Racism
I hesitate to call this one a “Forgotten Treasure.”
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Sometimes you stumble across items in antique stores that call forth all sorts of warm baseball memories, but there are other times when you come across things that recall some of the darkest events of the game’s past. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Recently my wife and I went on a road trip and it wasn’t until our third stop that I realized we were going through a series of cities with deep and/or interesting ties to the Negro Leagues. @ibwaa.bsky.social
A Negro Leagues Road Trip
It wasn’t intended that way.
open.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Recently my wife and I went on a road trip and it wasn’t until our third stop that I realized we were going through a series of cities with deep and/or interesting ties to the Negro Leagues. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Guys lose MVP awards all the time, but it stings more when you lose to your own teammate when you arguably had a better year than he did. We’ll cover a few of those cases in this week’s Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
MVPs Lost to Teammates Edition
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October 24, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Guys lose MVP awards all the time, but it stings more when you lose to your own teammate when you arguably had a better year than he did. We’ll cover a few of those cases in this week’s Friday Stuff. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The 1959 Chicago White Sox, the famed Go-Go Sox, won the pennant and were poised to compete for years. Then Bill Veeck traded away every single top hitting prospect they had in one disastrous offseason. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Failed Second Act of the Go-Go Sox
In 1959, the Chicago White Sox won the American League pennant for the first time in 40 years.
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October 23, 2025 at 12:48 PM
The 1959 Chicago White Sox, the famed Go-Go Sox, won the pennant and were poised to compete for years. Then Bill Veeck traded away every single top hitting prospect they had in one disastrous offseason. @ibwaa.bsky.social
He couldn’t run, but otherwise Norm Cash could do a bit of everything on the field. He’s probably remembered more for his personality off the field, though, and I think he’d be okay with that. @ibwaa.bsky.social
First Gloves: Norm Cash
Baseball has always been blessed with a healthy share of guys like Norm Cash, and it’s much more fun because of it.
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October 22, 2025 at 12:40 PM
He couldn’t run, but otherwise Norm Cash could do a bit of everything on the field. He’s probably remembered more for his personality off the field, though, and I think he’d be okay with that. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Shohei Ohtani is great, and likely had the best game in postseason history a couple days ago. But we all need to pump the brakes about him being the first person to hit and pitch at this level, because he’s not. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Ohtani Unicorn Argument
I’m bumping the edition that was scheduled to run here today because the game Shohei Ohtani had on Friday demands some historical perspective.
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October 21, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Shohei Ohtani is great, and likely had the best game in postseason history a couple days ago. But we all need to pump the brakes about him being the first person to hit and pitch at this level, because he’s not. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Kenesaw Mountain Landis didn’t have many bright spots as baseball commissioner, but he often sided with players trapped unfairly in deep farm systems, helping players like Tommy Henrich make the big leagues. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Late Bloomers: Tommy Henrich
Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis is an easy guy to dislike.
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October 20, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Kenesaw Mountain Landis didn’t have many bright spots as baseball commissioner, but he often sided with players trapped unfairly in deep farm systems, helping players like Tommy Henrich make the big leagues. @ibwaa.bsky.social
There have been a lot of huge home runs hit in the postseason, some more famous than others. This week’s Friday Stuff edition is about some of the less famous ones that deserve their share of love. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Friday Stuff
Less Famous Postseason Homers Edition
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October 17, 2025 at 12:57 PM
There have been a lot of huge home runs hit in the postseason, some more famous than others. This week’s Friday Stuff edition is about some of the less famous ones that deserve their share of love. @ibwaa.bsky.social
A lot of players lost time to service in World War II, but few stars lost a shot at the Hall of Fame. Washington Nationals shortstop Cecil Travis was one of the unlucky ones. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Baseball Remembers: Cecil Travis
There are two people you need to know a bit about in order to understand what happened with Cecil Travis. Those two people are Hall of Fame shortstops Derek Jeter and Joe Sewell.
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October 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM
A lot of players lost time to service in World War II, but few stars lost a shot at the Hall of Fame. Washington Nationals shortstop Cecil Travis was one of the unlucky ones. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Remember bunting? We don’t see it much anymore, but it used to be a big part of the game. Even our greatest sluggers would do it, and apparently Starting Lineup wanted us to never forget that. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Forgotten Treasures: Bunting Griffey
You probably saw the headline above and thought, “Oh cool, he’s writing about Ken Griffey, Sr., bunting for a lot of hits.
open.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Remember bunting? We don’t see it much anymore, but it used to be a big part of the game. Even our greatest sluggers would do it, and apparently Starting Lineup wanted us to never forget that. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The folks at Fox Sports decided to publish an all-time team for the National League. That should have been a fun little exercise, but unfortunately they seem to have mostly forgotten that the league has existed for 150 years. @ibwaa.bsky.social
Fox Sports' NL Dream Team
The National League has been around for a long time.
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October 14, 2025 at 1:06 PM
The folks at Fox Sports decided to publish an all-time team for the National League. That should have been a fun little exercise, but unfortunately they seem to have mostly forgotten that the league has existed for 150 years. @ibwaa.bsky.social
In 1981 baseball had its first mid-season work stoppage and a third of the season was wiped out. Then the powers that be somehow managed to make the situation even worse. @ibwaa.bsky.social
The Split Division Titles of 1981
Game 1 of the 1981 National League Championship Series could have been a classic.
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October 13, 2025 at 12:43 PM
In 1981 baseball had its first mid-season work stoppage and a third of the season was wiped out. Then the powers that be somehow managed to make the situation even worse. @ibwaa.bsky.social