Lucious Luke.
More than once, I’ve mentioned that Luke Easter is one of my favorite players in baseball history. This is due to Lucious Luke playing in what I consider the trifecta of great leagues during baseball’s Golden Era: The classic era of the Pacific Coast League, The Negro Leagues, and Major League Baseball. While his time in the PCL and in MLB was documented somewhat well, his time as a member of the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues was not. Outside of this incredible photo of Easter running down the first baseline, I’ve only seen one other photo of him with the Grays.
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Clemente & Chaney.
Roberto Clemente going in hard at second base, while Darrel Chaney of the Reds attempts to turn a double play. How can you not love this photo??
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The Splendid Splinter.
Back in July, I made the trek to San Diego to check out the All-Star Game festivities. It was an incredible experience and one that I’ll never forget. In ways, it was baseball overload, but I enjoyed every second of it, especially the All-Star Game Fan Fest.
At Fan Fest, there was a comprehensive timeline on display of San Diego baseball, from the late 1800s to the current Padres. This obviously included the old Pacific Coast League Padres, where I found this photo of Ted Williams, which was taken at Lane Field in 1937. I honestly thought I’d seen every documented photo of The Splendid Splinter during his time with the Padres, but apparently, I was wrong, as this one caught my eye and sparked my curiosity.
There’s something about this photo that I love. Maybe it’s old Lane Field behind him, in addition to the look on his face which reflects that he may not have been prepared to pose for the photo, as his bat is by his side and a teammate is sitting to his left. It’s just a great photo of a young man who’d one day be known as the greatest hitter of all time. (Image Source: Getty Images)
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Aaron & Newcombe.
Hank Aaron takes Don Newcombe deep during a Braves and Dodgers game in the early 1950s. This incredible photo showcases two amazing baseball talents from yesteryear who started their professional careers in the Negro Leagues. Newcombe played for the Newark Eagles from 1944 to 1945, while Aaron played with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1952.
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Weaver & Martin.
When I think of MLB Managers from the 1980s, Earl Weaver and Billy Martin quickly come to mind. When I think of Managers in MLB history who were highly polarizing figures, I also think of Weaver and Martin. So, when I found this photo of both Managers visiting before a game, it caught me off guard, as they were probably a bit over the top on the competitive side.
Based on what I know about the both of them, I just can’t see them fraternizing with the “enemy.” I assume that based on the fact that they were involved in the game for so many years, that they developed a mutual respect for each other, due to their similarities. Either way, I would have loved to hear these personalities talk about the game, or anything, as it would surely be entertaining.
