By Ray Cavanaugh
It was surprising that Mickey Welch had such a successful pitching career: He didn't have much size (the Society for American Baseball Research describes him as “generously listed” at 5-feet-8 and 160 pounds); his fastball was nothing special; and he also had control issues (at times leading the National League in walks surrendered).
However, he … [Read more...] about Smiling Mickey Welch: Hall-of-Fame Pitcher • Occasional Poet • Lifelong Fan of the Game
Sports Archives
Smiling Mickey Welch:
Window on the Past
The Irish Bambino
In late 1990s baseball, home runs were everywhere. The balls were allegedly juiced. The sluggers were definitely juiced. Players who had been lanky rookies would later display cartoon-sized muscles, thanks to a regimen of syringes in the posterior. Even hitters of mediocre power were expected to belt 15 home runs per season. About one century earlier, however, 15 round-trippers … [Read more...] about Window on the Past
The Irish Bambino
Running Rings Around the Empire: The 1908 Olympics
In 1908, as the world’s attention focused on the Olympic Games in London, Britain had decided again not to allow Ireland to field its own team, imperiously stating, “Ireland is not a nation.” All Irish athletes would have to compete as members of the British team. The policy had worked well for Britain in the 1906 Intercalated Olympics in Athens, where Irish athletes won … [Read more...] about Running Rings Around the Empire: The 1908 Olympics
New York Hurling Classic 2019
℘℘℘ Four all-star hurling teams descended on the city of New York to battle it out for the top spot in the New York Hurling Classic 2019 in mid-November. Tipperary, Kilkenny, Wexford, and Limerick faced off against one another at Citifield in Queens. The festivities kicked off at the Harvard Club on Thursday, November 14, at a dinner honoring Tipperary, the reigning … [Read more...] about New York Hurling Classic 2019
Give It a Hurl: GPA All-Star Gala & Super11s
By Irish America Staff
Join the Gaelic Players Association on Friday, November 15 for the annual Ireland-US Gaelic Heritage Awards & Dinner Gala. This night is always a great gathering of friends, who join together to support over 2,300 current players and an ever-growing number of retiring and retired inter-county players, protecting their welfare both on and off the pitch. Legendary singer … [Read more...] about Give It a Hurl: GPA All-Star Gala & Super11s