Ex-Boston Red Sox Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield Dead At 57

Carl Erskine, 1950s Dodgers Pitcher, Dead at 97

Carl Erskine, , 1950s Dodgers Pitcher, , Dead at 97. NBC reports that the baseball legend died at Community Hospital Anderson in Indiana. He was one of the last surviving members of the celebrated Brooklyn teams from the 1950s, having spent his entire career playing for the Dodgers. He was one of the last surviving members of the celebrated Brooklyn teams from the 1950s, having spent his entire career playing for the Dodgers. Between 1948 and 1959, Erskine and the Dodgers took home five National League pennants. Between 1948 and 1959, Erskine and the Dodgers took home five National League pennants. The right-handed pitcher had a career record of 122-78 with 981 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.00. Erskine's best season came in 1953 when he led the National League with a record of 20-6. In 1954, Erskine had another All-Star season, winning 18 games. Out of his five World Series appearances, the Dodgers beat the Yankees in 1955 to win their only championship. Out of his five World Series appearances, the Dodgers beat the Yankees in 1955 to win their only championship. With Erskine's passing, 88-year-old Sandy Koufax becomes the lone surviving Dodgers player from that 1955 World Series team. With Erskine's passing, 88-year-old Sandy Koufax becomes the lone surviving Dodgers player from that 1955 World Series team. In July of 2023, the Baseball Hall of Fame's board of directors awarded Erskine with the Buck O'Neil lifetime achievement award. In July of 2023, the Baseball Hall of Fame's board of directors awarded Erskine with the Buck O'Neil lifetime achievement award. For millions of fans, he was a baseball hero. For his family and thousands of Special Olympians, Carl was someone who always believed everything was possible. , Jane Forbes Clark, Baseball Hall of Fame chairman, via NBC. His legacy is one of deep compassion and encouragement of the human spirit, Jane Forbes Clark, Baseball Hall of Fame chairman, via NBC

This Day in History: Jackie Robinson Breaks Color Barrier

This Day in History:, Jackie Robinson Breaks Color Barrier. April 15, 1947. The 28-year-old baseball player became the first African American to play for Major League Baseball. The Georgia native stepped onto the grass of Ebbots Field in Brooklyn as a Brooklyn Dodger. Two years later, the star infielder was named the National League's MVP as well as a batting champ. He led his team to six National League pennants and the World Series in 1955. Robinson was subjected to the racism of both players and baseball fans throughout his career. Jim Crow laws forced him to dine at different restaurants and stay at different hotels than the rest of his team. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. His number, 42, was the the first to be retired in 1997