Jim Bottomley played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1922 to 1933. During his 11 years with the Redbirds, Bottomley just might have been the best first baseman in the National League. If he wasn't you'd be hard-pressed to find another first baseman who was better. During that 11 year span, Bottomley hit .325, whacked 181 home runs and knocked in 1,105. In 1928, he won the National League MVP. Four times, he helped the Cardinals win the pennant and in 1926, he helped St. Louis to a magical...

Sid Gordon broke into the Majors in 1941 with the New York "baseball" Giants, bounced back-and-forth between the minors, served for two years during World War II and then made it back to the big league club in 1946; and proceeded to put together a terrific career. In fact, from 1948 through 1952 he established himself as one of the game's best by averaging 27 home runs a year, over 97 RBI a year, and during that 5-year span he hit .292 with his high, for that stretch, coming in 1950 when he...

He is the only quarterback - ever - to only play for 10 seasons and lead his team into the championship game every year of his career. He won the championship seven (7) times. And, yet, when the discussion about who is the greatest QB of all-time comes up, very few football fans mention the name Otto Graham. He played for the Cleveland Browns when they were "born" as an AAFC (All America Football Conference) team. The Browns, simply stated, were the best team in the league. In fact, Graham...

In 1967, a new basketball league was born, the ABA (American Basketball Association) with teams in 11 cities including Indianapolis, Oakland, New Orleans, Denver and Dallas. The ABA also put a team in Pittsburgh, the Pipers. After a slow start, the Pipers got it going and twice won as many as 14 games in a row. In fact, the Pipers finished the season with a record of 54-24. They won the Eastern Conference and then worked their way through playoffs. In the first round, they swept the Indiana...

Steve Wright played 12 years in the NFL as an offensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Raiders and a two detour into the USFL with Oakland Invaders. His story is quire remarkable considering how he wound up a starter despite being undrafted out of the University of Northern Iowa. But his determination and persistence not only helped him make the Cowboys in 1981, but become a fixture on the O-Line. He played with and against some of the game's...

Art Ross is a true hockey legend. Not only was he a superb player before and during the formative years of the NHL, but he was also an innovator. In fact, many of Ross's innovations are still evident in today's game, beginning with the puck. But, it was on the ice where Ross made a name for himself. A tough and rugged defenseman, Ross was one of the top 2 or 3 players on the ice when hockey was in its pre-NHL days. Ross bounced around from team to team (many factors went into his choice on...

There have been so many dominant teams in the history of professional football and, in particular, teams with dominant defenses. In recent times, the 2007 New England Patriots who went 16-0 before losing in the Super Bowl. This year (the 2023 season), the Baltimore Ravens defense has been somewhat dominant, and their teams of the early 2000s were as tough as nails. Back in the 80s there were the Chicago Bears of Mike Singletary and Richard Dent, the New York Giants with Lawrence Taylor and...

In the 1940s and into the 1950s, the NFL had a troubled franchise. Originally known as the Boston Yanks, the team played in Boston (with a slight detour in 1945) from 1944 through 1948. They relocated to New York for the 1949 season and renamed themselves the New York Bulldogs. In 1950, they called themselves the Yanks and after the 1951 season, they called it quits. Now, the NFL could not move forward with an odd number of teams. So, they found themselves a buyer and took a chance on an...

NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING HISTORY is presented by the Sports History Network, the headquarters for sports yesteryear. ABOUT SHOW: My name is Mark Morthier, and I host yesterday’s Sports on the Sports History Network. As many of you know from reading my articles and listening to my podcasts, I am not only an avid weightlifter but a fan of the sport as well. I’m excited to share my newest adventure, a show dedicated to promoting weightlifting, while also looking back at some...

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. NETWORK SPONSORS Row One - the vintage shop for sports history fans! HIGHLIGHTED SHOW I am Chad Cain your host of One Guy with a Mic Presents: History of Dingers and Dunks. I am going to be bringing the history of baseball and basketball to life. For every one of you that doesn’t know anything about the history of baseball or basketball, this is your place to learn. If you know some...

Total Sports Recall is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. EPISODE SUMMARY “Covering Sports from a Different Angle” HARV ARONSON (HOST) BACKGROUND Harv Aronson was born and raised in Pittsburgh but now lives in Florida with his beautiful wife Melissa. Harv currently writes for Abstract Sports, the Sports History Network, and the magazine Gridiron Greats. Harv wrote the published book "Pro Football's Most Passionate Fans" (Amazon link) and as a...

The Official Football Learning Podcast is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear. HIGHLIGHTED SHOW - FOOTBALL LEARNING ACADEMY Each week, the official Football Learning Academy podcast will take you deep into the history of this great game. Through interviews with players, coaches, or administrators in the NFL, as well as interviews with Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors, authors, and historians, you will learn about how the game evolved and important...

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The greatest players to have ever appeared in a Major League Baseball game are honored and immortalized in Cooperstown, New York at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Players like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson. Ted William and Joe DiMaggio. Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial. Of course there's Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Tom Seaver and more recently Ken Griffey, Jr. and Mariano Rivera. But there are dozens upon dozens more who have been enshrined and whose stories we know so little...

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In 1941, the USGA cancelled the U.S. Open because of World War II. But the strange thing about the cancellation is the fact that the USGA still staged a tournament, the Hale America National Open. Now, while it was moved from Interlachen in Minnesota to the new Ridgemoor Country Club just outside of Chicago, there were very few differences between the Hale America and a U.S. Open. Ridgemoor was an easier course. The U.S. Open Championship trophy was not awarded. But consider this: there was...