Yankee In Exile

Incredible Sports Stories From the Past

New Posts Each Week!

I

No Timeouts On Bourbon Street

1993 NCAA National Championship Game  The Fab Five  Many decades ago, when the Beatles broke onto the scene, they received an iconic nickname: The Fab Four. Apparently the moniker was a clever marketing campaign made up by their press officer. Almost thirty years later, another group of “fabulous” young men broke out at the University…

Yankee In Exile's avatar by Yankee In Exile

The Millennial Cinderella

George Mason’s Incredible 2006 Final Four Appearance: Revisited 20 Years Later  2006 Final Four  It all went down in the RCA Dome (just typing the name of that now demolished stadium, is already filling me with nostalgia). It was in Indianapolis, just as it is again, 20 years after the date in question. The first…

Yankee In Exile's avatar by Yankee In Exile

How Close Did The MLB Come To Having Orange Baseballs?

Tales From Spring Training, Vol. 3  Wait….Did This Really Happen?  Indeed, at one point in MLB history, changing the color of a standard baseball from white to orange was proposed. Yes, I realize that seems utterly ridiculous and silly enough to be the punchline of a baseball themed episode of a bad TV show. However,…

Yankee In Exile's avatar by Yankee In Exile

  • No Timeouts On Bourbon Street

    1993 NCAA National Championship Game  The Fab Five  Many decades ago, when the Beatles broke onto the scene, they received an iconic nickname: The Fab Four. Apparently the moniker was a clever marketing campaign made up by their press officer. Almost thirty years later, another group of “fabulous” young men broke out at the University…

  • The Millennial Cinderella

    George Mason’s Incredible 2006 Final Four Appearance: Revisited 20 Years Later  2006 Final Four  It all went down in the RCA Dome (just typing the name of that now demolished stadium, is already filling me with nostalgia). It was in Indianapolis, just as it is again, 20 years after the date in question. The first…

  • How Close Did The MLB Come To Having Orange Baseballs?

    Tales From Spring Training, Vol. 3  Wait….Did This Really Happen?  Indeed, at one point in MLB history, changing the color of a standard baseball from white to orange was proposed. Yes, I realize that seems utterly ridiculous and silly enough to be the punchline of a baseball themed episode of a bad TV show. However,…

  • The Longest Big East Game Ever Played

    Syracuse vs. Uconn (March 12-13, 2009)  3 Hours and 46 Minutes  That’s how long, cumulatively, it took to play the six overtime 2009 Big East Tournament quarterfinal matchup between Syracuse University and the University of Connecticut. The longest Big East game ever played and the longest college basketball game of the shot clock era. This…

  • That Time Baseball’s Color Barrier Was Almost Broken……..In 1901

    Tales From Spring Training, Vol. 2 August 28, 1945  This is the date that Jackie Robinson signed a contract to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In April of 1947, he saw his first major league action and officially broke baseball’s decades old color barrier. However, the notion of Robinson being the first ever black player…

  • The Italian vs. The Ostrich

    Tales From Spring Training, Vol. 1  Ping Bodie That was the nickname of the San Francisco-born Francesco Stephano Pezzolo, an MLB outfielder of the 1910s and early 1920s. He was one of the first Italian-American players that professional baseball had ever seen. He spent time with the White Sox, A’s, and Yankees organizations as well…

  • The Olympics Were Hosted Where? 

    Forgotten Cities of the Winter Olympics  Winter vs. Summer The Summer Olympics often find themselves being hosted by some of the most important and influential cities in the world. Athens (the original organizer), Los Angeles, London, Rome, Sydney, Tokyo, Barcelona and, most recently, Paris. These municipalities are the centers of business, trade, and commerce both…

  • Is The Super Bowl Really Named After A Children’s Toy? 

    A Super Bowl Name Origin Story  What’s In A Name?  The Super Bowl is easily the most popular sporting event in North America. Last year’s (2025) edition set a record with 127.7 viewers across all television and streaming platforms. It’s not always the action on the field that’s the attraction either, with the halftime show…

  • Should Roberto Clemente’s Number Be Retired By All of Baseball?

    April 15, 1997 This was the day that the legendary Jackie Robinson’s number was retired by all of Major League Baseball. It was the 50th anniversary of Robinson’s big league debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers and of him becoming the first African-American since the 19th century to play in an integrated, top-level baseball game. During…

  • This College Football Trophy Was Lost for 80 Years………..

    Basic Information  Rivalry: Arizona vs. Arizona State.  First Meeting: November 30, 1899  All-Time Series Record: Arizona leads 52-45-1 Rivalry Trophy: Territorial Cup  These are the mundane statistics that one can easily find on wikipedia while searching for information about the rivalry that is also referred to as “The Duel in the Desert.” The yearly contest…