Baseball by the Book

Episode 335: "Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years"

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Author Steve Gietschier joins us to discuss his new book chronicling baseball history from the 1930s to the 1950s. We discuss how MLB survived the Dep...

Episode 334: "Why We Love Baseball"

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning author Joe Posnanski returns to the podcast to talk about 50 moments (and more) that tell the story of baseball history and why the spor...

Episode 333: "The One Hundred Most Important Players in Baseball History"

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nobody doubts Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente are among the most important baseball players ever. But Dorothy Kamanshek? Dolf Luque? M...

Episode 332: "Tales from the Dugout"

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Hagety, broadcaster for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, takes us on a journey through 1,001 of the zaniest moments in minor league baseball histo...

Episode 331: "Suds Series"

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rickey Henderson stole 130 bases. Cal Ripken Jr.'s legendary streak began, although no one knew it at the time. The Big Red Machine broke down as the ...

Episode 330: "Welcome to the Circus of Baseball"

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ryan McGee spent the summer of 1994 working as a $100-a-week intern for the Class-A Asheville Tourists of the South Atlantic League. Three decades lat...

Episode 329: "Major League Baseball Players of the 1970s"

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Let's remember some guys. Author Bill Ballew joins us to discuss his new biographical dictionary of every MLB player who debuted in the 1970s — all ...

Episode 328: "Baseball's Brief Lives"

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Steven Goldman joins us to discuss his collection of essays inspired by his podcast The Infinite Inning. From Pete Rose and Henry Aaron to Ski Melillo...

Episode 327: "Beauty at Short"

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author Tom Alecia joins us to discuss the remarkable life and career of Dave "Beauty" Bancroft, one of baseball's most unlikely Hall of Famers. 

Episode 326: "Stumbling Around the Bases"

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author Andy McCue joins us to discuss how the American League mismanaged integration and expansion, allowing the National League to forge ahead in att...

Episode 325: "Intentional Balk"

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Armour joins us to discuss the history of cheating in baseball, from the 19th century to current issues like electronic sign stealing and Spider ...

Episode 324: "Stolen Dreams"

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1955, a group of Black Little Leaguers in South Carolina was denied a chance to play for the chamlpionship because of the color of their skin. Auth...

Episode 323: "Not an Easy Tale to Tell"

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Raph Carhart joins us to discuss a new SABR collection that looks at how Jackie Robinson's legacy has been reflected and shaped by pop culture and lit...

Episode 322: "Whispers of the Gods"

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Author Peter Golenbock joins us to discuss his new oral history collection, which includes more than a dozen interviews with former baseball players c...

Episode 321: "Red Barber"

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're in the catbird seat as author James R. Walker joins us to discuss his biography of legendary baseball broadcaster Red Barber. 

From the Patreon archives: "Baseball's Great Experiment"

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For Jackie Robinson Day, we make this classic bonus episode from our Patreon page available to everyone. Adrian Burgos, Mark Armour and Lisa Alexander...

Episode 320: "Charlie Murphy"

30 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the early 20th century, Charlie Murphy was the most successful — and controverisal — owner in the major leagues. Author Jason Cannon joins us t...

Episode 319: "Ted Sullivan, Barnacle of Baseball"

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ted Sullivan, once known as "the Daddy of Baseball," is almost entirely forgotten today. Author Pat O'Neill joins us to discuss the life of the Irish ...

Episode 318: "Max Gordon"

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're back! Author Jacob Kornhauser joins us to discuss the remarkable and inspiring story of former Oregon State outfielder Max Gordon. 

Episode 317: "The Baseball 100"

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Where does Pete Rose rank on the list of baseball's all-time best players? Was Barry Bonds better than Henry Aaron? Where do players like Sadaharu Oh ...

From the Patreon archives: '70s baseball movies

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Now available for all. Dan Epstein, Josh Wilker and Willie Steele join us to discuss "The Bad News Bears," "Bang the Drum Slowly" and more baseball mo...

From the Patreon Archives: "The Glory of Their Times"

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We are making available to everyone for the first time our All-Star panel discussing "The Glory of Their Times." Rob Neyer, Jon Leonoudakis and Skip D...

Episode 316: "My 1961"

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andy Strasberg turned 13 in 1961, the same year his hero Roger Maris made baseball history. Strasberg joins us to discuss how that remarkable year cha...

From the Patreon Archives: '80s baseball movies

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of the upcoming "Field of Dreams" game, we are making this patron-only bonus episode available to everyone. No decade had as many beloved bas...

Episode 315: "11 in '11"

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The St. Louis Cardinals have won 11 World Series, but perhaps none is as special to its fans as the miracle 2011 title. Author Benjamin Hochman joins ...

Episode 314: "Forty Years a Giant"

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For four decades, Giants owner Horace Stoneham was a pivotal figure in baseball. He brought Willie Mays to the majors, pioneered player development in...

Episode 313: "The Best Little Baseball Town in the World"

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For a short time in the 1950s, tiny Crowley, La. was the toast of the baseball world as its Class C Millers drew enormous crowds and won multiple penn...

Episode 312: "Double Plays and Double Crosses"

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1920, as rumors about the previous World Series swirled, the White Sox battled the Indians and Babe Ruth's Yankees for the American League pennant....

Episode 311: "Walter Alston"

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Walter Alston lacked the flash of fellow managers like Casey Stengel, Leo Durocher or Tommy Lasorda. But the Ohio native was one of the most successfu...

Episode 310: "1962"

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Major league baseball came to Texas and returned to New York. Maury Wills and Don Drysdale dominated, but the Dodgers lost the pennant to the hated Gi...

Episode 309: "The Giants and Their City"

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From 1976 to 1992, the San Francisco Giants were mostly mediocre, rarely loved in their own city and constantly looking for a way to get out of frigid...

Episode 308: "Clubbie"

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Greg Larson spent two years as a clubhouse attendant for the Aberdeen IronBirds. Along the way, he encountered future major leaguers like Trey Mancini...

Episode 307: "The Pride of Minnesota"

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Minnesota Twins of the 1960s featured a slew of stars who ended the long run of American League dominance by the New York Yankees in 1965. Author ...

Episode 306: "Tony Lazzeri"

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Lazzeri was baseballs first Italian-American star and a key member of the legendary Murderers' Row Yankees of the 1920s. But today the Hall of Fa...

Episode 305: "Comeback Pitchers"

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning author Steve Steinberg returns to the podcast to discuss the remarkable careers of Jack Quinn and Howard Ehmke, two mostly forgotten pit...

Episode 304: "Gathering Crowds"

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When baseball free agency began in the late 1970s, many owners predicted doom for the national pastime. Instead, the game entered an era of sky-rocket...

Episode 303: "The Captain and Me"

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ron Blomberg and Thurman Munson may have seemed like an odd couple, but the gregarious kid from Georgia and the grumpy All-Star catcher were the best ...

Episode 302: "Two Sides of Glory"

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's it like to be on the losing end of one of the most famous World Series in baseball history? Author Erick Sherman talked to Bill Buckner, Wade B...

Episode 301: "The Best Team Over There"

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Before World War I, Grover Cleveland Alexander was "The Great Alexander," a superstar pitcher who dominated the National League. After the war, Ol' Pe...

Episode 300: "Baseball's Greatest Hit"

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Katie Casey is baseball mad, and so are we! It's Opening Day AND it's the 300th episode of Baseball by the Book, so we're celebrating by taking an in-...

Episode 299: "Our Team"

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In 1948, the Cleveland Indians became the first integrated major league team to win the World Series. Author Luke Epplin joins us to discuss Larry Dob...

Episode 298: "The Only Way is the Steady Way"

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Author Andrew Forbes joins us to discuss his new collection of essays on Ichiro Suzuki and other baseball topics, including the 2003 Tigers, Tris Spea...

Episode 297: "Cobra"

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dave Parker was one of baseball's brightest stars in the late 1970s, a batting champion with power and a deadly right arm. But injuries and drugs dera...

Episode 296: "Lights, Camera, Fastball"

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Hollywood Stars were the team of, well, Hollywood stars. For two decades, Gilmore Field in Los Angeles was the place to be for celebrities from C...

Episode 295: "Viva Baseball"

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From Dolf Luque to Fernando Valenzuela to Pedro Martinez, Latin Americans have long played baseball in the United States — and faced significant rac...

Episode 294: "Pudge"

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Carlton Fisk hit one of baseball's most legendary home runs, but his long career was much more than that. Doug Wilson joins us to discuss the hard-nos...

Episode 293: "Singled Out"

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a little more than a decade, Glenn Burke went from starting in the World Series to living on the streets of San Francisco, addicted  to drugs and ...

Episode 292: "Ken Williams"

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For a period in the early 1920s, Ken Williams rivaled Babe Ruth as the top slugger in baseball — kind of.  Author Dave Heller returns to the podcas...

Episode 291: "Playing with the Enemy"

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Gene Moore was a teenage baseball phenom with big league dreams before World War II derailed his plans. But when his second chance came along years la...

Episode 290: "The Last Boy"

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"Don't be like me," Mickey Mantle told the world toward the end of his life. Emerging from a troubled childhood in Oklahoma, the Mick became baseball'...

Episode 289: "Just Like Me"

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Even the pros were once kids on the sandlot. Author Kelly G. Park talked to 18 former ballplayers about their experiences playing youth baseball. He j...

Episode 288: "The New York Mets in Popular Culture"

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

From "The Odd Couple" to "City Slickers" to "The West Wing," the Amazin' Mets have been at the center of pop culture. Author David Krell joins us to d...

Episode 287: "Zack Wheat"

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Zack Wheat was among the greatest players in the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers, one of baseball's most storied teams. So why has the Hall of Fame ou...

Episode 286: "Where Nobody Knows Your Name"

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Triple-A baseball. So close the Show, yet so far away. Best-selling author John Feinstein spent the 2012 season traveling to Durham, Pawtucket, Lehigh...

Episode 285: "Tom Seaver"

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For generations of fans, Tom Seaver was the Mets: A charismatic superstar pitcher who led the franchise to the heights of glory. Despite that, the Hal...

Episode 284: "The Baseball Talmud"

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sandy Koufax or Hank Greenberg? Or maybe Lou Boudreau? It's a special Hanukkah episode as author Howard Megdal joins us to debate the greatest Jewish ...

Episode 283: "Havana Hardball"

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In February 1947, as the Cuban League pennant race culminated in a dramatic showdown between bitter rivals Almendares and Habana, Brooklyn Dodgers min...

Episode 282: "We Played the Game"

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Inspired by "The Glory of Their Times," Danny Peary spent two years in the early 1990s traveling the country searching for retired baseball players. T...

Episode 281: "Negro Leaguers and the Hall of Fame"

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dick Lundy. Chino Smith. Cannonball Redding. These men are among the greatest baseball players who ever lived, author Steven Greenes says, yet they ar...

Episode 280: "A Year of Playing Catch"

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Every day for a year, Ethan Bryan played catch. Along the way, he met former big leaguers, inspirational children, international stars and everyday Jo...

Episode 279: "Dalko"

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Dalkowski may have been the fastest pitcher in the history of baseball. So why did the legendary lefty never play an inning in the major leagues...

Episode 278: "Gotham Baseball"

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson to Tom Seaver and Derek Jeter, New York has produced more legendary baseball players than any other city. Author Ma...

Episode 277: "Eddie Cicotte"

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Eddie Cicotte was a stocky right-hander who used a dizzying array of junk pitches to become one of the Deadball Era's top hurlers. Then he threw it al...

Episode 276: "Arky"

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Arky Vaughan was one of baseball's greatest shortstops, a nine-time All-Star who dominated in the high-scoring 1930s. So why did it take him more than...

Episode 275: "How Baseball Happened"

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Baseball has been lying about its own origins for more than 150 years, author Thomas W. Gilbert says. Half-truths, exaggerations and outright lies hav...

Episode 274: "Buzzie and the Bull"

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the surface, legendary general manager Buzzie Bavasi and journeyman outfielder Al "The Bull" Ferrara wouldn't seem to have much in common. But Ken ...

Episode 273: "SABR 50 at 50"

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Society for American Baseball Research is celebrating its 50th year. Mark Amour joins us to discuss this collection of 50 essential SABR articles ...

Episode 272: "Deaf Players in Major League Baseball"

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Since the earliest of big league baseball, deaf players have been part of the National Pastime. Author R.A.R. Edwards joins us to share the stories of...

Episode 271: "Miracle on Grass"

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Twenty years ago this month, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda led a group of minor leaguers to an improbable Gold Medal win over the mighty Cubans a...

Episode 270: "Cy Young"

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An Ohio farm boy who never finished high school, Cy Young went on to win more games than any pitcher in history and become synonymous with pitching ex...

Episode 269: "Pride of Smoketown"

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords, featuring Hall of Famers like Josh Gibson and Cool Papa Bell, are considered by many to be the greatest team in the his...

Episode 268: "Baseball's Greatest Series"

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 1995, the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees met in something called the American League Division Series, a new round of postseason play necessi...

Episode 267: "Mr. Met"

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For four decades, Jay Horwitz was the beloved PR director of the New York Mets. Horwitz joins us to tell tales of Gary Carter, Daryl Strawberry, Mike ...

Episode 266: "24"

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After nearly nine decades on the planet, baseball legend Willie Mays has plenty of stories to tell and life lessons to impart on younger generations. ...

Episode 265: "The Hall Ball"

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For eight years, "the Hall Ball" went on a journey to have a picture taken with every member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, living and dead. Author Ral...

Episode 265: "The Hall Ball"

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For eight years, "the Hall Ball" went on a journey to have a picture taken with every member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, living and dead. Author Ral...

Episode 264: "Cleveland Rocked"

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 1995, the once-lowly Cleveland Indians dominated the American League and slugged their way to the World Series for the first time in four decades. ...

Episode 263: "Doc"

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A phenom at 22, nearly out of baseball at 23, Roy Halladay bounced back to become one of the dominant pitchers of the 2000s before injuries derailed h...

Episode 262: "The Cactus League"

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Emily Nemens joins us to discuss her debut novel, which tells the story of one spring training for the fictional Los Angeles Lions. From superstar slu...

Episode 261: "Mrs. Morhard and the Boys"

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Before there was the Little League World Series, there was the Little World Series, played at Cleveland's League Park in 1941. Author Ruth Hanford Mor...

Episode 260: "Let's Play Two"

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author Ron Rapoport had numerous conversations with Ernie Banks in anticipation of collaborating on an autobiography with the Hall of Fame slugger. Th...

Episode 259: "One Tough Out"

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rod Carew joins us to discuss his legendary career, his troubled childhood and how he was persevered through family tragedy and life-threatening medic...

Episode 258: "The Called Shot"

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Did Babe Ruth really call his shot? Author Thomas Wolf takes us back to the baseball season of 1932, which included an off-field shooting, a spectacul...

Episode 257: "Isabel 'Lefty' Alvarez"

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author Kat Williams joins us to discuss the remarkable life of Isabel "Lefty" Alvarez, who came to United States at fifteen, speaking no English, to p...

Episode 256: "A Fan's Guide to Baseball Analytics"

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Baseball's advanced statistics can be confusing. WAR. FIP. wOBA. wRC. What does it all mean?  Anthony Castrovince joins us to discuss how to make sab...

Episode 255: "Issei Baseball"

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the early days of the 20th century, a group of young immigrants formed the first professional and semi-professional Japanese baseball teams on eith...

Episode 254: "Stealing Home"

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Three lively Mexican-American communities once stood in the hills that are now home to Dodger Stadium. Author Eric Nusbaum joins us to discuss an incr...

Episode 253: "Bouton"

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jim Bouton was a true baseball revolutionary, challenging a conservative baseball establishment that was desperately trying to keep a changing world a...

Episode 252: "The Inside Game"

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The anchoring effect. Outcome bias. The sunk-cost fallacy. Keith Law, senior writer for The Athletic, joins us to discuss how psychological and econom...

Episode 251: "Buzz Saw"

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After the Nationals started the 2019 season 19-30, nobody gave them much of a shot to even make the playoffs. But led by a veteran pitching staff and ...

Episode 250: "Summer Baseball Nation"

17 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From Cape Cod to Alaska and many places in between, Will Geoghegan spent a summer visiting the nation's wood bat collegiate leagues. The author joins ...

Episode 249: "Future Value"

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the MLB Draft to international academies, the role of scouting in baseball has evolved considerably since the days of "Moneyball." Kiley McDaniel...

Episode 248: "Yogi"

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the streets of St. Louis to the beaches of Normandy to a spot behind home plate at Yankee Stadium, Yogi Berra became a baseball immortal and an A...

Episode 247: "The Wax Pack"

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Brad Balukjian opened a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards and then embarked on a road trip across the United States to search for the players on the c...

Episode 246: "Billy Ball"

03 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 1980, baseball's most controversial and colorful manager took over the lowly Oakland A's. The result was a tumultuous three-season reign that may w...

Episode 245: "Swing Kings"

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Baseball fans are living in the age of the home run, with new records being obliterated seemingly every year. Author Jared Diamond joins us to discuss...

Episode 244: "The Cup of Coffee Club"

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author Jacob Kornhauser joins us to discuss the stories of eleven men who played in just a single major league baseball game and how it affected their...

Episode 243: "Hall of Name"

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What's in a name? To author D.B. Firstman, everything. From Johnny Dickshot and Drungo Hazewood to Biff Pocoroba and Dorsey Riddlemoser, Firstman take...

Episode 242: "Live! From the NINE Conference"

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time, Baseball by the Book goes on the road. Host Justin McGuire moderates a three-author panel at the NINE Conference in Tempe, Ariz. J...

Episode 241: "The Incredible Women of the AAGPBL"

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

You've seen "A League of Their Own," now get the rest of the story. Author and illustrator Anika Orrock shares with us the amazing story of the All-Am...