Wausau’s forgotten ballplayer: The curious, cross-country baseball life of Rudy Baerwald By Jim Force, special to Wausau Pilot & Review Walk into many Wausau establishments and you’ll see photos of Johnny Schmitz, local ball player who made it big as a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs back in the 1940s and 50s. But he wasn’t the only Wausau athlete to make it to the big leagues, and he wasn’t the first.

🏆⚾ Great weekend read! Before Wausau's Johnny Schmitz made it to the big leagues, there was Rudy Baerwald—aka "Rudy Bell"—our town's first MLB player with a secret identity, a stolen base streak, and a story worth toasting over a beer. 🍻 Who knew? #WausauHistory #BaseballLore #LocalLegends

The Big Unit vs The BIrd Randy Johnson baseball shirt
⚾ One pitch. One bird. Baseball history in one graphic.
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Yankee Stadium opened in 1923.
They won the World Series that year.
The new Yankee Stadium opened in 2009…
They won the World Series that year, too.
Coincidence? Pinstripe magic?
#BaseballLore #FunFact

Discover the truth behind Sidd Finch, the mythical rookie who 'threw' a 168 mph fastball thanks to Tibetan monk training. #SiddFinch #BaseballLore #SportsPranks #AprilFools #GeorgePlimpton #MythBuster #BaseballHistory #LegendaryStories #TrendingSports # #SportsIllustrated