New York Post | Alan D. Gaff: This is an excerpt from Gaff’s new book about Lou Gehrig. It includes first-person columns written Gehrig himself. This one sees Gehrig praising his teammate Babe Ruth, for always being willing, in Gehrig’s eyes, what was required to win a ballgame. Gehrig also asserts his belief that Ruth’s record for home runs in a single season, which Ruth would set at 60, would stand forever. Roger Maris would break that record 33 years later.
CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: I know I’m a sucker for transaction trees, and this here is a pretty good one: a tree that follows every move the Yankees made that eventually culminated with the selection of Aaron Judge. The Yankees took Judge with a compensation pick they received when Nick Swisher turned down a qualifying offer and signed with Cleveland. It’s always fascinating to go down the rabbit hole of history and see how many little things had to tick into place to yield the outcome that is the present.
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Jaffe has a good long-read here on Cooperstown and the affects of this summer’s Hall-of-Fame induction cancellation, which would have seen Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Ted Simmons, and Marvin Miller enter the Hall. Jaffe delves into how the pandemic has impacted an institution like the Hall, as well as the small upstate town that it calls home. I certainly feel for the people hurt by a lost summer of baseball fans from all over the country and world coming to Cooperstown.
Also, make sure to check out our own Dan Kelly in his appearance on the Section 420: Talkin’ Yankees show, in which he talks all things Yankees farm system.