The Daily Dose/April 29, 2026
By Gaylon Kent – America’s Funniest Guy™
Leading Off
Notes from around the human experience.
Editor’s Note: Today is the 150th anniversary of Louisville Grays first baseman John Carbine making five errors in a game in 1876. The record still stands and is the oldest record in the major league record book, and today’s Leading Off segment is authored by Mr Carbine.
Editor’s Note II: this item first ran in 2020.
HEY BATTER, BATTER…SWING: Hi baseball fans, John Carbine here. Thank you for remembering me. I was not a very good major league baseball player. 1876 was my only year in the NL and I had ten errors in my seven games for the Louisville Grays. I was the classic no-field, no-hit first baseman – never in any particular demand – and batted .160 and was released in June.
Baseball was real popular back then, but as a business, it was kind of hit and miss for a while, and it’s good to see the NL still going strong.
Dry, Technical Matter: The previous season, I had played with the Keokuk Westerns of the National Association (NA). Now, I know some of you don’t consider the NA a major league. The major league record book doesn’t. Clubs came and went – my Westerns only played 13 games – and schedules were changed on the fly from time to time, but it was the highest level of pro ball back then, and I always told folks I played two major league seasons.
Quote That Sucker: I remember after the game, my manager John Chapman said, “Christ, Carbine, we knew you weren’t any good, but we didn’t know you were that bad. Five errors could be tough to top.”
Ol’ Chap was a funny guy, and we got a chuckle out of that line, but we didn’t have those big gloves you have now, and fielding was tough. But he was right. A couple of other first basemen had five errors later in the year and a couple of others did it too, later, but no first baseman has been bad enough to have ever topped it.
Broad Historical Context: April 29, 1876, was just a few days after the first NL game. In fact, depending on the times the other two games that day started, it was either the ninth, tenth or eleventh game in National League history, so my record is the oldest.
The Bottom Line: I don’t know how many people have played big league ball over the years – Gaylon probably does – and most of them don’t make it into the ML record book, so I’ll take it. It’s nice to be remembered.
Today At The Site
Writing worth reading. Usually.
The Diary of a Nobody – Sparrow faces tragedy at the hotel. Today’s Diary.
We were devastated because we had no replacement pots ready to go, which meant two working men had to wait eight minutes for a fresh pot to be brewed…
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On This Date
Extra, extra, read all about it.
In 1946 – The International Military Tribunal for the Far East convenes in Tokyo, and indictes 28 Japanese leaders on assorted war crimes and crimes against humanity. The trial would begin on May 3, with defense testimony beginning in January. The defense rested in September 1947, and the judges released their verdicts 15 months later. Seven death and 16 life sentences were issued, with three dying in prison and the remainder being paroled the following decade.
In 1969 – The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers establish a new NBA Finals record for fewest assists in a game in an 89-88 Boston win. The teams combined for 21 assists, research into whose record they broke was inconclusive, and the record still stands. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor led with four assists, and the Celtics won the series in seven games.
In 1989 – Shenandoah is at #1 on Billboard’s country chart – then known as the Hot Country Singles chart – for the second and final consecutive week with The Church on Cumberland Road. It was the third of 15 Top 10 country hits for the group and was their first of five #1s. The song also went #1 on the country chart in Canada and was Billboard’s 29th-biggest country song of the year.
Some Philosophy Crap
The wisdom of the ages. Whatever.
…deep in your belly, you know what is right as well as any gentleman…{righteousness} involves two things: consideration for others and loyalty to others.
Gore Vidal
Creation
Answer To The Last Trivia Questions
Knowledge is power.
The all-time major league record for consecutive losses is 26, by the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1889.
Today’s Stumper
Match wits with Gaylon. It’s not that hard.
Who was the leading scorer in the 1969 NBA Finals? – Answer next time!
