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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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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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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"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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