Back When There Was Baseball

Our guest this week is Fred Beene. Fred was in the Baltimore Oriole organization during their great years in the 1960s to early 1970s. He had trouble breaking into the Big Leagues until he was traded to the NY Yankees. He had two great years with the Yankees in 1972 and 1973, during the CBS years. If you don't remember Fred, you should, especially if you are a Yankee fan. This man was a very good relief pitcher when given the chance. Listen as Fred talks about baseball in the 1960s-1970s, Back When There Was Baseball.

Jim Price passed away on August 7, 2023. I conducted this interview with Jim in April of 2021. We are re-airing this as a tribute to his life and career.

Jim Price is our guest this week. He is currently the color analyst for Detroit Tigers radio broadcasts and has been announcing for almost 30 years. Jim was a member of the 1968 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers. He came out of Hershey (PA) High School to play in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system. Jim was acquired by the Tigers in April of 1967 and made his MLB debut that year. He also was instrumental in the founding of the charity Jack's Place for Autism. Listen in as Jim discusses his baseball career as a player and also as an announcer.

Bob Lacey joins me on the podcast this week. Bob was drafted by the Oakland A's in 1972 at the start of the A's dynasty. Bob made it up to the parent club roster in 1977 after the team was dismantled. Bob had some really good years on the mound for the A's from 1977-1980 when they were rebuilding. You have to look at not only a player/pitcher's statistics, but on what type team they played on. When you look at Bob Lacey, he had some productive seasons with a below-par ball club. We go Back When There Was Baseball this week into the mid-late 1970s with our guest Bob Lacey.

Pitcher Dick Bosman is our guest this week on the podcast. Dick had a very good MLB career on mostly poor teams. Dick was the Washington Senators opening day pitcher for four consecutive seasons and that says something! He threw a no-hitter for the Cleveland Indians on July 19, 1974 against the powerful Oakland A's. He then finished his career with the three-time World Champion A's. Listen as Dick recalls some great stories Back When There Was Baseball.

This week, we are going back to the 45th anniversary of "Birdmania". For those who don't remember, this was in 1976 with Mark "The Bird" Fidrych setting Tiger Stadium in a frenzy with his pitching performance and antics on the mound. Fidrych passed away in 2009, but we have his personal catcher, Bruce Kimm, to talk about that magical season of 1976 for the Detroit Tigers and "The Bird". Kimm caught Fidrych at Evansville (AAA) in 1975 and followed that up in 1976 as his personal catcher on his starts for the Detroit Tigers. Bruce Kimm has gone unnoticed in years past, but we recognize the importance he had in being "The Bird's" battery mate. Listen in as we go back 45 years to that magical season of 1976 and "Birdmania".

Pitcher Danny Boone was the lightest pitcher to pitch in MLB history. He is listed in the stats at 5'8" tall and 150 lbs. Dan will relate that he was closer to 130 lbs. Dan is a descendant of THE Daniel Boone. His first name is Danny, even though MLB, along with other statistical websites, list it as Daniel. Danny started out in the California Angels farm system in 1977. He got his chance in 1981 after he was released by the Angels and signed by the San Diego Padres. Dan had a good season in 1981, but he was always told he was too small and didn't throw hard enough. That is very interesting as he was the top pitcher for the Padres in 1981 for strike outs per nine innings (Top 12 pitchers by innings). Dan also had an 8-year hiatus before coming back and pitching with the Baltimore Orioles in 1990. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Danny Boone.

Our guest this week is Frank DiPino. Frank pitched with several teams and was very effective, mostly through the 1980s. He started out with Milwaukee and unfortunately was traded before appearing in the 1982 World Series. He then played with Houston and was traded in the middle of the 1986 season before he was able to appear in the NLCS against the N.Y. Mets. Frank played effectively in the league from 1981-1993 with an ERA under 4.00 and a record close to .500. Frank has some great stories, so sit back and listen Back When There Was Baseball.

Our guest this week is Ron Stone, former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder from 1969-1972. Ron started his career in the Baltimore Orioles organization, then was chosen by the Kansas City A's in the Rule 5 MLB draft in 1966. He played 26 games for the A's and had good numbers, but the A's sent him back to the Orioles in July of that same year. He was blessed to be traded to the Phillies in 1969 where he would get a chance to play. Ron played in the last Phillies game at Connie Mack Stadium (1970), then opened up Veterans Stadium the next year on the new "artificial turf". Take a trip with us Back When There Was Baseball to 1970, Ron Stone's best year of his MLB career.

We go back in the time machine this week to the late-1960s through the mid-1970s with our guest Bobby Valentine. You should recognize that name, but maybe as an MLB manager. We focus on his playing career this week. Bobby was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968 as the 5th overall pick. He was sent to rookie ball in Ogden, Utah, along with teammates Bill Buckner, Tom Paciorek, and Steve Garvey, to name a few, and Tommy Lasorda managed that team. Bobby got to the Big Leagues quickly, but his career was marred by injuries. He could play multiple positions, and before the injuries, he could run and hit well. Bobby was destined to be an outstanding player, but as we often discuss on this podcast, he had to overcome numerous injuries. Please look at the image below of an old knee brace. This is a replica of the one Bobby wore during his career. Join us as we go Back When There Was Baseball with Bobby Valentine.

We are privileged to have long-time American League umpire Al Clark as our guest this week. Al umpired from 1976-2001 and was a member of the umpiring crew in the 1978 AL East one-game playoff in Fenway Park between the Red Sox and Yankees (the famous Bucky Dent HR game). Al also umpired in the 1983 and 1989 World Series. You will not want to miss his discussion of that 1978 playoff game and the "Earthquake" World Series. Al Clark is the only umpire in MLB history of Jewish descent and was the only umpire to wear his name on his cap from 1976-1999 (AL). Al is very generous with his time and always an honor to interview.