Also 100 years ago:

Richmond Times Dispatch:

What will probably sound the death knell of the United States League of Professional Baseball Clubs occurred yesterday, when the Forest City Ball and Amusement Company surrendered its Cleveland franchise, paid the players in full, and announced its intention of quitting.
...

Before the final action taken by the Cleveland magnates vague rumblings of discontent had been heard from Washington. George Browne, manager of the Washington club, several days ago issued an ultimatum to the effect that his club would quit the field unless paid salaries in full.

The league stumbled around for a couple more weeks before giving up the ghost. A re-formed US League was back on the field in 1913 and was also a trainwreck.

The Pittsburgh club, named the Filipinos in 1912 after manager Deacon Phillippe, eventually became the Pittsburgh Rebels in the 1914-15 Federal League.

I suppose you could also call today's Birthday Team the Reggie Cleveland All Stars.

C: Frank Mancuso
1B: Hugh Bradley
2B: Ricky Gutierrez
3B: Augie Galan
SS: Buzzy Wares
LF: Zack Wheat
CF: Dummy Hoy
RF: Algie McBride

SP: Deacon Phillippe
SP: Willis Hudlin
SP: Reggie Cleveland
SP: Brewery Jack Taylor
SP: Jordan Zimmermann
RP: Mike Gonzalez

Manager: Buck Showalter
Owner: Tom Ricketts
Fun Names: Harry Child, Earl Huckleberry, Pop-boy Smith, Frosty Thomas, Spider Wilhelm
Author: Lawrence Ritter
Designated Aussie: Phil Coorey

The short and ugly word is "lied", or "a liar". It's a phrase famously used by Teddy Roosevelt.

Oh, wow. Thanks. 1912 was a bizarre time.

The all-birthday team can also use Negro League Hall of Famer Martin Dihigo.

Up at THT today, I got an item commemorating that today is the tenth anniversary of Shawn Green's big day, going 6-for-6 with four homers and 19 total bases.

Plus a list of other anniversaries/day-versaries on the day.

I brought this up yesterday - but what is going on with Torii Hunter? Why does he get to miss 2 weeks just because his son was arrested? Why are the Angels allowing it?

I brought this up yesterday - but what is going on with Torii Hunter? Why does he get to miss 2 weeks just because his son was arrested? Why are the Angels allowing it?

As a practical matter they may not have much choice. I haven't followed the story much but the accusations appear quite serious and I can easily see a father trying to be there for his son. Even if Hunter's contract were voided he probably would have more than enough money to be comfortable for the next several decades so he may be in a position where if the Angels told him he had to come back he would just say "bite me, I'm staying with my son. Feel free to void the contract and go #### yourself."

I suspect it is not that harsh. My guess is Hunter has told the Angels "look, until something happens here I'm not going to be able to focus on baseball and I need to be with my family" and they have said it was OK.

That's all a guess though. Like I said I haven't followed the case too much and I don't know exactly how the bereavement leave works in MLB (that's the leave he is availing himself of isn't it?).

One more thought; Hunter's kid is 17. The lawyers around here can weigh in but is it possible the DA has asked Hunter to remain available since the child is still a minor?

I thought Hunter was on the "restricted list", not "bereavement list".

He's on paid leave, much like a lot of people in nice jobs would be if they had to deal with this.

FWIW, I read one of the girls has already recanted her story.

I recall reading a (very early, very vague) article that made it sound like the mother was somehow involved too. She was arrested for something. That could put a wrench into Torii letting her be in charge of things so he can travel the country playing baseball. Even if the mom was 100% perfect, if I was the dad, I'd want to be there.

But isn't 2 weeks an inordinately long amount of time? Even for sick children or parents, players rarely miss more than a game or 2. I can understand the Angels letting him miss a little time for a family emergency, but 2 weeks worth of games? When no one's life is in danger? I assume Hunter isn't slaving away all day preparing legal documents. This seems completely unprecedented.

But isn't 2 weeks an inordinately long amount of time? Even for sick children or parents, players rarely miss more than a game or 2. I can understand the Angels letting him miss a little time for a family emergency, but 2 weeks worth of games? When no one's life is in danger? I assume Hunter isn't slaving away all day preparing legal documents. This seems completely unprecedented.

It does seem unusual, perhaps even unprecedented, but i'm not sure who you're objection is with. The Angels have opted to let Hunter do this, perhaps because a) they don't think he'd be terribly productive with this weighing on him, b) they think such an above-and-beyond act of goodwill to one of their players will benefit the organization in such a way that it offsets the loss in production created by his absence, c) they just think it's the right thing to do.

I guess my post came across wrong. I have no objection with it (although if I were an Angels fan I might), I just thought it is highly unusual and was a little surprised no one was talking about it.

I guess my post came across wrong. I have no objection with it (although if I were an Angels fan I might), I just thought it is highly unusual and was a little surprised no one was talking about it.

Gotcha. You're right, it does seem pretty damn unusual, though I'm struggling to find any similar stories (serious trouble at home like that) that would provide an appropriate parallel. Surely there must be some.

Yorvit Torrealba missed over a month in 2009 after his son was kidnapped, even though the boy was missing for only a few days.

I guess my post came across wrong. I have no objection with it (although if I were an Angels fan I might), I just thought it is highly unusual and was a little surprised no one was talking about it.

I think part of it is even for the biggest ######### sportswriters out there it is kind of tough to condemn a man for being with his family during a trying time. I'm trying to find a way that even Plaschke or Shaughnessy or someone of that ilk would be able to write the column that says "why is Hunter selfishly spending time with his family instead of helping the slumping Angels right the ship?" and not unleash hell on their newspaper's ombudsman.

When no one's life is in danger?

Well, he's not in danger of dying, but his son's life is in danger.

I'm trying to find a way that even Plaschke or Shaughnessy or someone of that ilk would be able to write the column that says "why is Hunter selfishly spending time with his family instead of helping the slumping Angels right the ship?" and not unleash hell on their newspaper's ombudsman.

Really? A hack-job columnist could just say that comforting a rapist shouldn't be a reason to miss so many games.

the o's have promoted bundy to the carolina league.

This was on the same page as Dan's original link:

"Ty" Cobb may not play ball in New York until late this season, if at all. His trouble with a spectator threatens to bring him into court and Cobb has further heard that hooligans are looking for him to square accounts for the assault on the spectator. The New York club has guaranteed to give Cobb every protection inside the grounds, but he is frightened.

Was there anything akin to the restricted list back then? If so, could Cobb have "hid out" on the restricted list for any games in New York because he was frightened that hooligans would find him? No matter -- Cobb was such a tough guy that he was probably just being a ________ [short and ugly word] about being frightened.

Game of the day (yesterday): Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 7. Arizona took a big early lead - Josh Bell hit a 2-run homer in the second, Justin Upton drove in runs in the third and fifth, and Jason Kubel chased Upton home with a sac fly in the latter inning to pad the score to 5-0. The Dodgers got on the board in the top of the sixth on two singles, a wild pitch, and a sac fly, but Arizona countered in the bottom with an RBI double from Henry Blanco. Then, in the top of the seventh, LA erupted: Single, ROE, RBI double, 2-run single, ROE, RBI single, single; that scores 4 runs, putting them down 1 with the bases loaded and nobody out. They tied the game on a sac fly, but the D'Backs escaped on a double play, then took back the lead an inning later on a Lyle Overbay homer. In the top of the ninth, JJ Putz came in to nail down the win, and... didn't. A popup, two walks, and a strikeout brought Ivan De Jesus, Jr. to the plate with the go-ahead runs on, and he doubled to drive both of them in. Kenley Jansen entered for LA, and struck out the leadoff man... only to have him reach on a wild third strike. One out later, Upton singled to put the tying run on third, but Jansen induced a double play from Jason Kubel (-.45 WPA) to end the game.

It's the fourth-best 9-inning game of the season so far, #28 overall. Of the five most exciting games of 2012 to end in regulation, Arizona has played in four of them. (Which is good, because they've only had one extra-inning game so far this year.)

Random side note: Through 5/22/12, the four teams with the most boring average game are the Angels, Rangers, A's, and Mariners. Not a thrilling division, that.

Game of the day (last year): Cardinals 9, Royals 8 (10). That's a score and number of innings where you pretty much know it's going to be crazy, right? St. Louis put up three in the third on doubles from Yadier Molina and Daniel Descalso and a homer by Allen Craig; Kansas City picked up an Alex Gordon RBI double in the bottom of the inning, but the Cards piled on further in the fourth when Molina tripled with two runners on, then scored himself on a throwing error at the end of the play. The lead grew to 7-1 in the fifth on two singles and an RBI groundout, and St. Louis loaded the bases with one away later in the inning before mercifully-inserted reliever Greg Holland worked out of the jam. KC chipped away with a run on three singles in the fifth, and Jeff Francoeur knocked starter Jaime Garcia out of the game with a leadoff homer in the sixth. In came Miguel Batista, who promptly gave up a double to Billy Butler and a 2-run homer to Wilson Betemit, closing the gap to 7-5. In the seventh, the Royals picked up another leadoff homer, this one by Alex Gordon, and with two on and two out, Betemit singled. Francoeur, the lead runner, scored to tie the game; Butler, the trail runner, was thrown out a third to end the inning.

With a fresh start to the game, St. Louis put two on with one out in the eighth, and loaded the bases with one away in the ninth, but failed to score both times. In the tenth, on the other hand, they loaded the bases on a walk, an ROE, and a hit batter, then picked up two more walks to force in a pair of runs without the benefit of a hit. In the bottom of the inning, Kansas City scored on a pair of doubles to close back within a run and put the tying run at second with one out, but Fernando Salas stranded the runner there to end the game.

This year's game and last year's registered near-identical scores, both just above 5.

Article on David Nied. Doesn't appear to be any occasion, just a "where are they now" article (it could use an updated photo). I didn't know Nied's wife had a very premature baby when he was on the Rockies. The baby was born 1 lb, 5 oz, but the kid is now a high school pitcher.