Emmett Littleton Ashford

Emmett Littleton Ashford, nicknamed Ash, was the first African American umpire in Major League Baseball, working in the American League from 1966 to 1970.

In September 1965, Ashford’s contract was sold to the American League. Ashford made his debut at D.C. Stadium on April 11, 1966. He quickly became a sensation, becoming known for sprinting around the infield after foul balls or plays on the bases. Ashford also brought a new style to being an umpire. He wore jewelry, including flashy cuff links, and wore polished shoes and freshly-pressed suits. While some observers believed that his race prevented him from working in the majors earlier than he did, others maintained that his flashy style actually delayed his major league debut due to general disdain for umpires to draw attention to themselves.

The Sporting News stated that “For the first time in the history of the grand old American game, baseball fans may buy a ticket to watch an umpire perform.

Vida Blue

“I let the song build while I sorted through the pile of fat ripe grapefruit next to the basin. The biggest one of the lot weighed almost two pounds. I got a good Vida Blue fastball grip on the fucker—and just as “White Rabbit” peaked I lashed it into the tub like a cannonball.”

Hunter S. Thompson

Gaylord Perry

Perry had a reputation throughout his career for doctoring baseballs, and was inspected on the mound by umpires and monitored closely by opposing teams. He reportedly approached the makers of Vaseline about endorsing the product and was allegedly rebuffed with a one-line postcard reading, “We soothe babies’ backsides, not baseballs.”

Perry used his reputation to psyche out the hitters as well. As he looked in to his catcher for the pitch selection, Perry would touch various parts of his head, such as his eyebrows and his cap. In this manner, he may or may not have been applying a foreign substance to the ball on any particular pitch.

The spitball was not his only method for upsetting batters. Sports Illustrated‍ '​s Joe Posnanski wrote of Perry, “My favorite trick pitch of his was the old Puffball, where he would load up on rosin so that a puff of white smoke would release while he threw his pitches.

Baseball, Havana Cuba

By Sam Coldy

RIP Darryl Hamilton

“If you arrived at a ballpark and saw or heard he was around, you said to yourself: good, Darryl Hamilton is here.”

Keith Olbermann

Little League Baseball (1986-1990)

Mark Steinmetz

Francisco Quicutis

Cristal beer ad that featured amateur Cuban baseball player Francisco Quicutis of the Artemisa Club. Anyone that’s been to Cuba will tell you they’re either a Bucanero man or a Cristal man. I’m a Cristal man myself.

From Cuban Beisbol.

Almendares

1952-53 yearbook. From Cuban Beisbol.

Yemeni Tribal Fighters

Tribal militias compete with extremist groups for young recruits to resist advance of Shia Houthis. Full story here.

Phil Garner, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1979 Spring Training.

Miners’ Strike 1985

By Keith Pattison.