Technology, hidden tarps and Tucson's last stand

Thanks to the magic of Google Alerts, I've read some fascinating articles this week that contain nuggets about the history of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Here are three such stories:

Tom Priddy, who works for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, wrote an article about the search for information about his grandfather, Brown Rogers. Rogers was a minor league pitcher who played for seven seasons (1907-1913). He played his last season with the Los Angeles Angels (of the PCL) in 1913 - one hundred years ago. During his search, Priddy learned he has two great uncles who also played baseball. The article is a great read and it highlights how technology can connect generations like never before.

The San Diego Union-Tribune ran a blurb recently about an incident it refers to as the "hidden tarp" trick that happened 50 years ago this week. Go check it out. In a way, it's the opposite of the famous snowplow NFL game in New England in 1982.

The Arizona Daily Star published a story yesterday about how Tucson's final season there (they are moving to El Paso in 2014) is the last stand for minor league baseball in the city. The article chronicles the dwindling attendance over the years. It's a sad story, but a worthy read.