Historically Speaking: Audiences of Non-Largeness

Listen, boys and girls. It's Thursday, and you should be headed to study hall. If you find any of our former site visitors on your way, however, you'll get a free pass on today's assignment for turning them in. Tidbits, yonder.

* Back, back, back, back...way back to 1866, 23, July: The Cincinnati Red Stockings Baseball Club formed today.

* Fast forward 90 years: Joe Cronin and Hank Greenberg were inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame. Cronin logged a 20-year career as an infielder with the Pirates, Senators and Red Sox, compiling 170 homers, over 1400 RsBI, and a lifetime batting average of .301. Little Suzy Greenberg spent 14 years with the Tigers, smacked 331 home runs, 11 grand slams, and slugged .605.

* The previous year, Dick Stuart hit a home run in Philadelphia's 5-1 win over New York at Shea Stadium. Shea was the 23rd park in which Stuart hit a jack, a Major League record.

* The Boston Red Sox, on this date in 1987, waived first baseman Bill Buckner. He did not, however, clear waivers, and Buckner was acquired by the California Angels of California in exchange for Chris Carpenter, Chris Duncan, and a half-pound of homegrown. Buckner would later play for the Royals, then head back to Boston for 22 games in 1990, apparently semi-forgiven by the fan base for his 1986 World Series boo boo.

* It was today in 2000 when Lance Armstrong won his second Tour de France.

And your quote of the day came from the mouth of...



...the one and only Billy Martin, who, in 1978, had just seen his Yankee club win their fifth straight, a 3-1 edge over the White Sox at Comiskey. When asked about Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner, Martin replied: "The two deserve each other. One's a born liar; the other's convicted," which of course got Martin canned.