July 4, 1950-Pitcher Danny Wilson becomes the second black player and first black pitcher in New Orleans Knight history when he debuts in the first game of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies before a packed house of 54,955 at Brennan Park, one of the largest crowds in the stadium's history.

Wilson's contract had been purchased by Jeremiah Brennan from the Birmingham Black Barons for $50,000. He had been playing in th minors, with the plan to call him up in 1951. An injury...

Thomas Richard "Tom" Ray-Left-handed star pitcher of mostly bad teams in the 1970s. Like Dan Nichols before him, grew up in the Chicago area rooting for the White Sox, attended Game 1 of the 1959 World Series with his parents. Star pitcher and quarterback in suburban high school, drafted out of H.S. by the Cincinnati Reds in 1966. Reds waited patiently for him to harness his fastball, but after two trials with the parent club in 1968-69, were convinced he couldn't develope any other pitches....

Some of the characters I created to fill the roster of the New Orleans Knights from 1892-present

Jeremiah Thomas Brennan II-team founder and first owner. A rigid segregationist whose old world ways were mourned upon his passing in 1950, just as his son was integrating the Knights.

Jeremiah Thomas Brennan III-son of the founder; World War I veteran (Army-First Cavalry); ex-minor league catcher; team GM and owner from 1950-70s. He integrated the team despite rigid, raging...

I wrote in an earlier entry that my mind is swimming with the possiblities of what to write in this blog. My head is crammed full of 30 years worth of imagination that I never wrote down. I don't know why. Laziness, I guess. Plus a feeling that it wasn't good, or I should be doing other things and not whittling my life away with stupid daydreams. Still, I came up with a lot of stuff-I created my own baseball and football teams, along with a bevy of fictional baseball players that I placed on real...

a list of sluggers who have done the feat, the year and the pitcher that served up the homer

1923-Rogers Hornsby-Cardinals
Doc Kressler

1930-Hack Wilson-Cubs
Dan Nichols

1935-Buddy Lewis
Carl Hubbell-Giants

1936-Wally Berger-Braves
Art Jones

1947-Jackie Robinson-Dodgers
Mark Murphy

1951-Dom Chelini
Robin Roberts-Phillies

1953-Al Montgomery
Joe Nuxhall-Reds...