Happy 4th, y'all!
It was on this date in 1939 that Lou Gehrig delivered his unforgettable farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, calling himself "the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
The Iron Horse was battling ALS, a cruel and devastating disease, yet he stood at that microphone with grace, humility, and courage, thanking his teammates, family, and the fans who had supported him.
Eighty-seven years later, it remains one of the most powerful and moving moments in baseball history.
⚾️ The Ryan Express
Throwing gas.
That's the name of the game today.
If you're a pitcher, you'd better be hitting the upper 90s or triple digits—or forget it.
That kid from Milwaukee, Jacob Misiorowski, just lit up the radar gun at 105.5 mph.
Yikes.
But with all due respect to today's young fireballers, we saw plenty of heat growing up in Anaheim.
His name was Nolan Ryan.
He pitched for the California Angels.
That's right, Arte. It was California.
The Angels stunk back then, just like they do now.
But at least we had Nolan.
Boy, could he bring it.
Every fifth day, the Big A came alive.
Nobody bothered to look at the standings. Nobody cared that the team wasn't going anywhere.
We had Nolan.
I was a Junior Angel back then—a goofy little club where us kids paid a few bucks, got a cheap plastic Angels helmet, and tickets to a handful of games.
One of those games turned out to be unforgettable.
September 7, 1974.
Nolan Ryan became the first pitcher in major-league history to officially break the 100-mph barrier.
Sitting in the bleachers that night, we really had no idea what we were witnessing.
To us, it was just Nolan being Nolan.
Now 52 years later, 100 mph almost feels ordinary.
Back then, 100 mph wasn't a number.
It was a myth.
And Nolan Ryan was the first to get there.
Here’s to the Ryan Express.
😮 Cooper Ingle
Ever have one of those moments when you messed up so badly that all you wanted to do was dig a hole and disappear?
Meet Cooper Ingle.
The young Cleveland Guardians outfielder had just gotten called up to the big leagues.
The Guardians were hosting the Rangers, with Ingle out in left field.
A fly ball was hit right at him, and he made the catch.
Thinking it was the third out, he proudly tossed the ball into the stands for some lucky fan to keep as a souvenir.
There was just one tiny problem.
It was only the second out.
Yikes!
With the ball now sitting somewhere in the seats, the runner on second came around to score on one of the more painful rookie mistakes you'll ever see.
The broadcasters tried to soften the blow.
"That’s a mistake that i promise will not happen again."
They're probably right.
Welcome to the big leagues, kid.
Baseball has a funny way of humbling everybody.
Just ask Cooper.
👕 Tarping Off
Folks.
We've got ourselves a dispute.
And the Commissioner's Office may have to get involved.
What came first?
St. Louis or Denver?
The Great Tarps Off Debate. 😂
It's been one of the best stories in baseball this year: grown men, many not in peak physical condition, proudly removing their shirts and waving them like rally towels.
It started in St. Louis...
Or did it?
Not so fast, says Denver.
Rockies Nation claims they were the first to go shirts and skins.
Outfielder Mickey Moniak fired the opening salvo:
"I think that we started it, and St. Louis is getting all the credit."
The Rockies insist Tarping Off began at Coors Field on April 8—an entire month before Cardinals fans bared their chests against the Royals.
And they have receipts.
Section 333, to be exact.
One witness described the scene:
"It just kept growing and growing. Every single time, we would be chanting, 'One of us! One of us!'"
God, I love baseball.
St. Louis versus Denver.
Who saw that coming?
Somewhere, historians are digging through cellphone videos like they're authenticating the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Only in baseball could two cities get into a full-blown argument over who was first to say:
"Fellas...
It's time."
Meanwhile, the inventors of the Wave are demanding an investigation of their own. 😂
Commissioner Manfred, please get to the bottom of this.
The people deserve answers. 🤔
🐮The Udder Tuggers
Folks.
I simply could not pass on this one.
A baseball team taking the field in overalls?
I kid you not.
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Milwaukee Brewers' High-A affiliate, apparently have an alternate identity:
The Udder Tuggers.
Tuggers?
To celebrate Wisconsin's dairy roots, the team suited up in overall-themed uniforms last weekend.
What a sight.
The Udder Tuggers.
Playing baseball.
In overalls.
The big leagues might have the Yankees and Dodgers.
But the minors have the Udder Tuggers.
Does it get any better than that?
⬆️ Captain America
One last story before we head off for the Fourth of July.
Twins prospect Walker Jenkins has a nickname:
Captain America.
This week, he lived up to it.
During pregame ceremonies in St. Paul, a young boy standing with the players suddenly fainted.
Jenkins sprang into action.
He scooped up the youngster and carried him to the dugout, where medical personnel treated him.
Thankfully, the boy is doing just fine.
Turns out, Captain America was the perfect nickname after all.
Good going, Walker!
On a holiday that celebrates the best of America, it feels like a pretty good place to end.
Happy Fourth, everybody.
See you next Saturday.
—Box
Have a great weekend.
If you liked our newsletter, share it with a friend.
Marina Del Rey
