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Baseball by the Book

A veteran baseball writer and editor explores the world of books about baseball through interviews with today's best baseball authors.
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Now displaying: Page 2
Jul 21, 2021

For four decades, Giants owner Horace Stoneham was a pivotal figure in baseball. He brought Willie Mays to the majors, pioneered player development in Latin America and Asia and helped bring baseball to the West Coast. So why has he been largely forgotten? Author Steven Treder joins us to discuss Stoneham's life and legacy. 

Jul 13, 2021

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 pennants. Then it all ended as quickly as it began. Author Gaylon White joins us to discuss a remarkable tale of murder, mystery and tragedy.

Jun 29, 2021

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. All the while, questions abounded: How much did baseball know about the 1919 fix? Why were the crooked players allowed to play? Were they still throwing games? Don Zminda joins us to discuss a remarkable baseball season.

Jun 22, 2021

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 successful skippers in major league history with more than 2,000 wins, seven pennants and four World Series titles. Author Alan Levy joins us to discuss how a career minor leaguer forged a Hall of Fame managerial career. 

Jun 15, 2021

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 Giants. Meanwhile, John Glenn orbited the Earth, Americans did the Twist and JFK faced down the Soviets. Author David Krell joins us to discuss the momentous year of 1962.

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Jun 8, 2021

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 Candlestick Park. But, author Lincoln Mitchell says, this forgotten era helped lay the groundwork for all the success the team has experienced in the 21st century. 

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May 25, 2021

Greg Larson spent two years as a clubhouse attendant for the Aberdeen IronBirds. Along the way, he encountered future major leaguers like Trey Mancini and Josh Hader and found out some harsh truths about life in the minor leagues. The author joins us to discuss his experiences and why he thinks baseball needs to treat its players better. 

Here's a link to the Slate article about Blake Bailey mentioned during the interview: https://slate.com/culture/2021/04/blake-bailey-lusher-journals-teacher.html

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May 18, 2021

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 Thom Henninger joins us to discuss how Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Billy Martin and Co. navigated America's most turbulent decade.

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May 11, 2021

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 Fame second baseman is mostly remembered for one moment of failure. Lawrence Baldassaro joins us to explain why Lazzeri's legacy goes far beyond striking out in the 1926 World Series.

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May 4, 2021

Award-winning author Steve Steinberg returns to the podcast to discuss the remarkable careers of Jack Quinn and Howard Ehmke, two mostly forgotten pitchers from the early 20th century. 

Apr 27, 2021

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-rocketing attendance, growing popularity and small-market World Series winners. Paul Hensler joins us to discuss how baseball fever gripped the nation from 1977 to 1989. 

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Apr 20, 2021

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 of friends on the Yankee squads of the early 1970s. Author Dan Epstein joins us to explain how he and Blomberg got together to tell the story of an unlikely friendship that ended in tragedy.

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Apr 13, 2021

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 Boggs, Roger Clemens and other members of the 1986 Boston Red Sox to find out. 

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Apr 6, 2021

Before World War I, Grover Cleveland Alexander was "The Great Alexander," a superstar pitcher who dominated the National League. After the war, Ol' Pete's life began to spiral out of control as he struggled with alcoholism, PTSD and epilepsy. Author Jim Leeke discusses the remarkable story of a man who went from the heights of the national game to dying alone in a rented room.

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Apr 1, 2021

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-depth look at "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Author Tim Wiles joins us to discuss how a hit 1908 song became an American classic. 

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Mar 30, 2021

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 Doby, Satchel Paige, Bob Feller, Bill Veeck and the rest of the history-making squad that has been overshadowed by Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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Mar 26, 2021

Author Andrew Forbes joins us to discuss his new collection of essays on Ichiro Suzuki and other baseball topics, including the 2003 Tigers, Tris Speaker and Pedro Guerrero. Plus, we chat about baseball under the shadow of COVID and nuclear annihilation.

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Mar 23, 2021

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 derailed his All-Star career before he found redemption and happiness in his hometown of Cincinnati. Author Dave Jordan joins us to discuss the autobiography he co-authored with Parker. 

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Mar 16, 2021

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 Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart to Barbara Stanwyck and Groucho Marx. Author Dan Taylor joins us to discuss the remarkable run of the Pacific Coast League franchise that pioneered air travel and TV and introduced the world to baseball uniform shorts. 

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Mar 9, 2021

From Dolf Luque to Fernando Valenzuela to Pedro Martinez, Latin Americans have long played baseball in the United States — and faced significant racism and cultural barriers along the way. Samuel Regalado joins us to discuss his efforts to chronicle the experiences of Latin major league players.

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Mar 2, 2021

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-nosed catcher who became a star in his native New England before an acrimonious split with the Red Sox led him to Chicago's South Side. Along the way, he became one of baseball's most respected — and hated — players.

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Feb 23, 2021

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 suffering from the disease that would eventually kill him. But Burke's role as the first openly gay player in MLB — and the inventor of the high five — has ensured his legacy will live on. Author Andrew Maraniss joins us to discuss the remarkable life and tragic death of a baseball pioneer.

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Feb 16, 2021

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 podcast to talk about the brief but memorable career of the St. Louis Browns star who became MLB's first 30-30 man and ignited a Hall of Fame debate that continues to this day.

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Feb 9, 2021

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 later, he wasn't sure he wanted to take it. Author Gary W. Moore (Gene's son) joins us to discuss the story of one man's hopes and disappointments amid the bloodiest conflict of the 20th century. 

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Feb 2, 2021

"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's biggest star under the bright lights of New York. But alcoholism and other personal demons trailed him throughout his life, overshadowing his prodigious home runs and World Series rings. Acclaimed author Jane Leavy returns to the podcast to discuss her biography of Yankee legend.

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