Tales from the Dugout: 1,001 Humorous, Inspirational and Wild Anecdotes from Minor League Baseball

by Tim Hagerty

A wild bull on the field, a fly ball caught by a train conductor, a pitcher taking the mound barefoot—Minor League Baseball has been played across the country in cities large and small for more than a century, and there are thousands of stories to tell from it.

Tales from the Dugout collects the zaniest Minor League stories. Given its long history, it is no surprise that the game has encountered some bizarre things over the years. This humorous and outlandish collection of stories is sourced from newspaper archives and the Baseball Hall of Fame Library in Cooperstown, New York, and includes a foreword by former MLB All-Star Billy Butler. Whether you're a baseball fanatic or just a fan of sports history, this book captures the spirit of the game.



- HOLE IN In 1942, a Milwaukee Brewers batter hit a low line drive that bounced down the right field line. He rounded the bases while confused Louisville Colonels fielders searched for the ball. They eventually found it inside a gopher hole.
- TOO The Denison Tigers started the 1896 Texas Association season with a pitcher's mound that was 70 feet from home plate.
- MONKEYING A chimp's escape turned a Southern Association game into pandemonium on July 17, 1909. "Henry the Chimpanzee," the New Orleans Pelicans' official mascot, busted from his cage and chased players around the field. The chimp then went after fans, who ran from him screaming. The game was delayed a few minutes while Henry was restrained.
- HEADLESS A police department in Ohio got a call about a missing head. The Lake Erie Crushers' mascot's head was stolen in 2011, forcing the mascot to miss a few home games. After learning through media reports that police were investigating, the thief returned the head by inconspicuously placing it under the ballpark's tarp.

Tim Hagerty has broadcasted professional baseball games since 2004. He's the author of two baseball books and hundreds of national baseball articles for Baseball Digest , MLB.com, Sporting News , The Hardball Times , and other publications.

Genres: Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Alex Yurcaba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun! I would’ve loved some more details on some of these stories, but overall this was very cute. I loved the illustrations! Great gift for baseball fans of all ages!

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read.
Only in the Minors.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent light read, makes a fantastic gift for baseball fans.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read about a wide swath of stories from the minor leagues, spanning over 130 years of minor league baseball. Given the variations in leagues and players and locations, there are no shortages of true tales. Some involve players that would go on to great acclaim in the majors. Others maybe only had their one moment in baseball. Still, a lot of fun tales. No doubt that if one could encompass all of the tales of the minors, it would take at least 1001 volumes. A fun read, especially for baseball fans. Probably would make an awesome calendar (or series of calendars).

[Steph]

I did this on audio and don’t think that’s the best way to read this. It’s very short info sections about random things that have happened in the minors and with only a few sentences per item it felt disjointed on audio. I’d say grab the book and read it a little at a time instead.

[Dave Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories, fun format. You can just pick it up anywhere and read a bunch of cool anecdotes, and once you start reading, you don't want to put it down.

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book about minor league fun facts. Loved it!