Before 2001, there had never been a Japanesse position player make it to Major League Baseball. This is the story about one of the greatest pure hitters the game has ever seen. His rise to and through the majors, is unlike any other story in baseball. The player shrouded in mystique, would open the door for his countrymen proving once and for all, that Japanese players could not only play in Major League Baseball, they can excell and shatter records. A true game changer in the history of the game.

Of all the wacky promotions baseball has used in their storied history to bring fans to the ballpark, Disco Demolition Night will forever live in infamy. The brainchild of Mike Veeck from the White Sox front office and a local Chicago rock and roll disc jockey, would declare war on the popular genre of disco music. For 98 cents and a disco album, fans could get a ticket to watch both games of a Tigers/White Sox double header. Between games, the plan was to take all the records collected at the turnstiles, and blow them up in centerfield with dynamite. What could possibly go wrong? #SteveDahl #GerreMeier #WDAI #WLUP #MikeVeeck #BillVeeck #ComiskeyPark #RonLeflore #KenKravic #JimmyPiersall #HarryCarey #DiscoDemolitionNight

This week, I dig into the fascinating history of Wrigley Field. From it's birth in 1914, and all of her renovations through the years. One of only two jewel box stadiums left in the major leagues, Wrigley still stands as a testament to the way baseball used to be played. After 108 years of incredible baseball stories, Wrigley in all her magnificence, is poised to shine for yet another century.

**** Spoiler Alert**** This week, we will try something we have never done before at Backwards K Pod, and give a reveiw and the backstory of the 1993 baseball comedy classic. The Sandlot. The coming of age story of young teenage boys in 1962, who together would learn the valuable lessions in life such as S'mores, friendship, kissing a girl and baseball. A podcast chock full of unforgettable scenes, whatever happen to that actor as well as behind the scene nuggets of info. The movie is just shy of 30 years old. But does it still hold? #ScottieSmalls #BennyTheJet #JamesEarlJones #TheBeast #Sandlot #HamPorter #YeahYeah #JakeRobinson #LetsTalkBaseballPodcastNetwork #BackwardsKPod

Before the internet age and 24 hour sports programming, This Week In Baseball was able to bring video, of all the teams in the major leagues, into your local market and on your living room TV. A concept unheard of until then. The creatively, innovative show would also breath life, and ressurect the career of broadcast legend Mel Allen, who was living a sad nomadic baseball life, after his iconic Yankees career ended abrubtly and without cause. Before this show could get greenlit, it had many daunting challenges to overcome. This is the story of must see 1980's television, if you were a baseball fan. This is the story of This Week In Baseball with Mel Allen. #ThisWeekInBaseball #GeoffBelinfante #JohnScott #GatheringCrowds #OzzieSmith #NBC #NewYorkYankees #RedBarber #MelAllen #JakeRobinson #LetsTalkBaseballPodcast Network #BackwardsKPod

This week, we take a look at the biggest baseball scandal at the time, since the 1919 World Series fix. Seven of some of the biggest names in baseball, took the stand before a federal grand jury, to expose the incredible network of players using cocaine, as well as the local Pennsylvania baseball fans who would ultimately pay the price, for servicing the player's insatiable appetite for the drug. An enterprise so expansive, that even the Pirates' mascot, the Parrot, was conducting deals in the Pittsburgh clubhouse during games. #PeterUeberroth #JoaquinAndujar #DaleBerra #EnosCabbell #KeithHernandez #JeffLeonard #DaveParker #LonnieSmith #RodScurry #KevinKoch #CurtisStrong #DaleShiffman #JAAllen #AdamORenfro

This is probably, the craziest baseball stories you have never heard. It's so crazy, that Adam Sandler actually considered doing a movie about it. Former MLB catcher Rick Dempsey, once told a group of us in a bar, the story of how his little league California travel team coach, was robbing banks, to fund the team. All the way to the Pony League World Series in Washington, Pa. Thank the baseball gods, I have a platform to tell this incredible story. Backwards K Pod Where We Collect Ballplayers And Their Stories The Mutt And Jeff Bandits.... This is their story #MuttAndJeffBandits #RickDempsey #RobinYount #LarryYount #JohnJennings #PaulRosenbluth #BruceDavis #RandyCohen #TerryHankins #AugieMurillo #LetsTalkBaseballPodcastNetwork #JakeRobinson #BackwardsKPod

There is no country on the planet that ties their national identity to baseball like the Dominican Republic. How does a country with a population of 10.4 million people, produce 11% of the players in Major League Baseball? This week will examine all things Pelota.

Baseball and the Dominican Republic. This their story.

#OsvaldoVirgilSr #LIDOM #TigrisDelLicey #LeonesEscogido #EstrellasOrientale #AguilaCibañez #ToroDelEste #GigantesDelCibao #10YearWar #RafaelLeonidasTrujillo #Buscones

With 4 World Series Appearances, 6 NL West Crowns, and two world titles, the Cincinnati Reds dominated 70’s like no other MLB team during the decade. Fueled by the Great Eight lineup which featured the MLB all-time hit king, 3 Hall Of Famers, 6 NL MVP, 4 NL Home Run titles, 3NL batting titles, 25 Gold Gloves and 63 World Series appearances. The Big Red Machine would prove to be one of the most dominant teams ever.

This their story…

#CincinnatiReds #MajorLeagueBaseball #BigRedMachine #SparkyAnderson #TonyPerez #JoeMorgan #DaveConcepcion #PeteRose #GeorgeFoster #CaesarGeronimo #KenGriffey #JohnnyBench #BackwardsKPod #JakeRobinson

While Jackie Robinson is rightfully embraced as the man who would smash the color line in 1947, it was Moses Fleetwood Walker who was actually the first black man to play Major League Baseball, a whole 63 years before Jackie would take center stage. In fact, it was due to Walkers participation during that 1884 season, that the powers that be, would establish the racist color line. This is the oft-forgotten story of Moses Fleetwood Walker.

Backwards K Pod

Where We Collect Ballplayers And Their Stories

#MosesFleetwoodWalker #WeldyWalker #MichiganWolverines #ToledoBlueStockings #ChicagoWhiteStockings #WilliamEdwardWhite #WilliamVoltz #TommyMullane #JakeRobinson #BackwardsKPod #LetsTalkBaseballPodcastNetwork