iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

In 1933, Mel Almada faced Babe Ruth, who started the last game of the season for the Yankees (his last pitching performance), and then a few weeks later, he squared off against Satchel Paige in the integrated California Winter Lg. Might be the only person to face both men, same year.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

First the Pope sends his well wishes to the White Sox before the postseason. And now they have God sitting in the front row.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

PCA-Dependancy: When Pete Crow-Armstrong had two or more hits in a game, the Cubs went 35-8 this summer. When PCA had only one (or none) they went just 54-67, including the playoffs.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

When I’ve watched the Yankees the last few years, my mind keeps expecting to see Tino, Jeter, Mariano & Bernie on my TV screen. It’s weird. Those clubs are just burned indelibly into my memory. Tonight I’m watching TV, I’m like, “Who are these imposters, pretending they’re the Yankees?” They’re good

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I realize the baseball postseason is kicking off today, but I just remembered Bob Cousy (age 98) is still with us

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Good luck on your quest, Mark. As an aside, proto-SI cover boy Ralph Beard seems to have been captured in the middle of a hamstring injury.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Looks like what Mickey might look like after a night out with Billy and Whitey. A rare picture of Mickey looking awkward on a baseball diamond.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

If you can only get one channel, KXLY looks like a good one

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Great pic! Hard to believe he- AND Kevin Foster, sitting by the dugout- are no longer with us.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Much shorter schedules (He averaged 220 per 162)

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Growing up, Capone had been a pretty good amateur pitcher back in Brooklyn. You can find stories about him in the local papers, striking out 15, winning, that sort of thing. He could play baseball, he was a good player, but this was before he became interested in a) making money, and b) killing.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Important: this is Bo Jackson with an artificial hip. He can’t move like a normal athlete anymore but could still uncork missiles.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The players today train harder than any group of ball players in history. It’s just Father Time is undefeated and there is a new crop of 97+ mph cannon arms coming up every spring, non-stop

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Judge will be 35 next April. It’s all about health. If he bounces back next year, has a good season, hits 40+, then sure, he’s got a shot. I’m rooting for him, rooting for all of them, but I’m with Sheehan (and you), it’s a young man’s game.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

This might be the Golden Age of “Everybody Hits 200+ Career Home Runs— Even Middle Infielders — But Nobody Sticks Around Long Enough, or Stays Healthy Enough, to Hit 500+”

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Will any active players wind up with more than 500 career home runs? There are roughly 20 players with 200 or more right now, and two already have more than 400 (Stanton and Trout), but their ages, man, I dunno. Schwarber, Bryce and Machado might have the best shot, but I’d still bet against it. 1/2

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Oh wow, I actually collected those back in 1978. I remember the lower grade, white card stock, kind of like the first Donruss set a few years later. They had a funny smell out of the package, too. Not sure if they came with gum or not? Haven’t thought about those in almost 50 years.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

They wrote a couple sentences in ALL CAPS because that’ll let em know “we mean business, bucko!”

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I was at the debut of the Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) in Springfield IL tonight. Saw Tony LaRussa, Dave Stewart and Keith Foulke there. Mo’ne Davis played center and lead off the first inning

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

My wife (Borat’s voice) is an art teacher. She inherited some vintage paper supplies for her classroom, some dating back to the 50s, and in the pile is this baseball wrapping paper, likely from the 1970s..

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

In 1952, 45-year-old Satchel Paige threw a 12-inning shutout (with 9 strikeouts) against the Detroit Tigers. That summer he went 12-10 with a 3.07 era and 10 saves. Two shutouts.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

And since we’re just shooting the shit here, if I had seven points, I’d add Gambling. Gambling is a huge baseball story.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

I’m missing one- the embrace of Negro League history, from the special Negro League Hall of Fame election class in 2006, to designating Negro League statistics as an official part of the MLB records in 2020. I’d bump minor league contraction in favor of this, obviously.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

What are the 5 biggest baseball stories of the 21st century so far? In no particular order, here’s mine: A. PED reckoning B. World Baseball Classic (and globalization, generally, from Ichiro to Ohtani) C. Banana Ball D. Contraction of minors E. Optimization- training, stat cast, replay. And yours?

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Yes, this helped guide me to local papers. Some were digitized, but 10-15 years ago, many weren’t. I made lots phone calls and exchanged emails with librarians, historical societies, small time newspaper offices and other researchers from around the country. Traveled a bit, too.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Notable: the Grays are often credited with 9 consecutive championships, from 1937-45. But on their own letterhead, they don’t credit themselves with the league crown in 1939. Although they DID have the best overall record that season (by far), the Baltimore Elite Giants were named league champs.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I rebuilt the 1943 Negro league stats now included as part of the official MLB statistical record. A huge breakthrough in my research was uncovering this 4-page Homestead Grays press release from late in the season, hidden in the archives at Howard Univ. It was a road map for finding box scores.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Jacob Misiorowski (RH phenom pitches tonight vs Mets) has a bizarre split slash vs Lefties. LHB are slashing .098/.189/.142 against him in 229 PA. Righties have gone .204/.254/.331 in 193 PA. It’s jaw-dropping how dominant he’s been this season, currently 10-4 1.62 whip of 0.757

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

We’re five, six years away from robot players, robot umps, bot fans, and what not.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Congrats Adam! I’m really looking forward to your book! Now get back to writing

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I have to mute the TV during the mic’d up player stuff. Cringe

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Gavvy: he’d win by hitting 2 out of 20 over the fence.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Correction: Chico and The Man(s)

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

That’s kind of what I’m thinking, Mike, at least offensively. There isn’t a universe where Willson could play center, but yeah.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Wish I could have seen him play. You know, there’s supposedly box scores published for the 25th Infantry team in the Philippines (Manila Times) from 1912, when Bullet and baby teenager Oscar Charleston were both on the team. We have to figure out how to access those for your Wreckers database.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Since Babe Ruth is missing, it’s obviously Michael Jordan. But Bronny James gets a good laugh over here. And modern GOAT: Ohtani

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Can’t sleep so I’m sitting here wondering what kind of career Willson Contreras might of have had if he’d come up as a LF or 1B instead of as a catcher?

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Nice! I was at the game where they gave those away and had the set for several years. Disappeared when I went away to college. Classic case of Mom throwing them out.

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

In physics, this is known as “String Theory.” Have fun, buddy…

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Big fan of both the 1933-34 Goudeys AND goofball slugger Babe Herman

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Scott Simkus @scottsimkus.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

My Grandfather had 1933-34 Goudey cards that survived into later adulthood. A basement flood in the late 1960s destroyed them. His matchbook collection from the same era- all post-prohibition restaurants and watering holes in Chicago- survived. I have them. Not nearly as cool. Or valuable.

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