Baseball by the Book

By Justin McGuire

Arts

What's Baseball by the Book about?

A veteran baseball journalist interviews today's best baseball authors about their books.

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Episode 335: "Baseball: The...

11.22.2023

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 Depression, the rise of the radio, World War II, the end of the color barrier ...

Baseball by the Book episodes:

11.22.2023 Episode 335: "Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years" 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 Depression, the rise of the radio, World War II, the end of the color barrier ...
10.03.2023 Episode 334: "Why We Love Baseball" 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 sport means so much to so many.
09.06.2023 Episode 333: "The One Hundred Most Important Players in Baseball History" Nobody doubts Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente are among the most important baseball players ever. But Dorothy Kamanshek? Dolf Luque? Masanori Murakami? Author Lincoln Mitchell joins us to discuss how his selection of important baseball players differs from ...
07.28.2023 Episode 332: "Tales from the Dugout" 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 history. Along the way, we'll meet wild bulls, sprinting weiner dogs, greased pigs and pitchers locked ...
05.03.2023 Episode 331: "Suds Series" 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 Cincinnati Reds hit rock bottom while Steve Garvey and Tommy Lasorda found themselves ...
04.10.2023 Episode 330: "Welcome to the Circus of Baseball" 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 later, McGee —now a senior writer for ESPN — has written a memoir about his misadentures ...
01.13.2023 Episode 329: "Major League Baseball Players of the 1970s" 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 1,312 of them, from Don Aase to Richie Zisk. Ballew spent decades researching and ...
10.03.2022 Episode 328: "Baseball's Brief Lives" 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 and Pee-Wee Wanninger, Goldman explores the interconnectedness of baseball and the greater world.
08.31.2022 Episode 327: "Beauty at Short" 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.
08.11.2022 Episode 326: "Stumbling Around the Bases" Author Andy McCue joins us to discuss how the American League mismanaged integration and expansion, allowing the National League to forge ahead in attendance and prestige.
07.20.2022 Episode 325: "Intentional Balk" 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 Tack.
06.09.2022 Episode 324: "Stolen Dreams" 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. Author Chris Lamb joins us to discuss the heartbreaking story of the Cannon ...
05.23.2022 Episode 323: "Not an Easy Tale to Tell" 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 literature. He gives his thoughts on "The Jackie Robinson Story," "42," plus a Broadway ...
05.03.2022 Episode 322: "Whispers of the Gods" Author Peter Golenbock joins us to discuss his new oral history collection, which includes more than a dozen interviews with former baseball players conducted over the course of five decades. From Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Roy Campanella to ...
04.19.2022 Episode 321: "Red Barber" We're in the catbird seat as author James R. Walker joins us to discuss his biography of legendary baseball broadcaster Red Barber.
04.15.2022 From the Patreon archives: "Baseball's Great Experiment" For Jackie Robinson Day, we make this classic bonus episode from our Patreon page available to everyone. Adrian Burgos, Mark Armour and Lisa Alexander join us to take a deep dive look at "Baseball's Great Experiment," by Jules Tygiel.
03.30.2022 Episode 320: "Charlie Murphy" In the early 20th century, Charlie Murphy was the most successful — and controverisal — owner in the major leagues. Author Jason Cannon joins us to discuss the iconoclast behind the Chicago Cubs dynasty.
03.17.2022 Episode 319: "Ted Sullivan, Barnacle of Baseball" 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 immigrant who discovered Charles Comiskey, took baseball international and coined the word 'fan.'
02.23.2022 Episode 318: "Max Gordon" We're back! Author Jacob Kornhauser joins us to discuss the remarkable and inspiring story of former Oregon State outfielder Max Gordon.
10.19.2021 Episode 317: "The Baseball 100" 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 and Josh Gibson belong on a list of the top 100 players? Author Joe ...
09.29.2021 From the Patreon archives: '70s baseball movies 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 movies from the 1970s.
09.01.2021 From the Patreon Archives: "The Glory of Their Times" 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 Desjardin join Justin McGuire to discuss Lawrence Ritter's classic oral history.
08.18.2021 Episode 316: "My 1961" 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 changed his life and led to an enduring bond with the Maris family.
08.10.2021 From the Patreon Archives: '80s baseball movies 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 baseball movies as the 1980s. From "The Natural" in 1984 to "Field of Dreams" in ...
08.04.2021 Episode 315: "11 in '11" 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 us to discuss David Freese, Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols and a legendary ...
07.21.2021 Episode 314: "Forty Years a Giant" 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 ...
07.13.2021 Episode 313: "The Best Little Baseball Town in the World" 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 ...
06.29.2021 Episode 312: "Double Plays and Double Crosses" 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 ...
06.22.2021 Episode 311: "Walter Alston" 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 ...
06.15.2021 Episode 310: "1962" 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 ...
06.08.2021 Episode 309: "The Giants and Their City" 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 ...
05.25.2021 Episode 308: "Clubbie" 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 ...
05.18.2021 Episode 307: "The Pride of Minnesota" 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 ...
05.11.2021 Episode 306: "Tony Lazzeri" 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 ...
05.04.2021 Episode 305: "Comeback Pitchers" 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.
04.27.2021 Episode 304: "Gathering Crowds" 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 ...
04.20.2021 Episode 303: "The Captain and Me" 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 ...
04.13.2021 Episode 302: "Two Sides of Glory" 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 ...
04.06.2021 Episode 301: "The Best Team Over There" 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 ...
04.01.2021 Episode 300: "Baseball's Greatest Hit" 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 ...
03.30.2021 Episode 299: "Our Team" 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 ...
03.26.2021 Episode 298: "The Only Way is the Steady Way" 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 ...
03.23.2021 Episode 297: "Cobra" 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 ...
03.16.2021 Episode 296: "Lights, Camera, Fastball" 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 ...
03.09.2021 Episode 295: "Viva Baseball" 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 ...
03.02.2021 Episode 294: "Pudge" 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 ...
02.23.2021 Episode 293: "Singled Out" 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 ...
02.16.2021 Episode 292: "Ken Williams" 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 ...
02.09.2021 Episode 291: "Playing with the Enemy" 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 ...
02.02.2021 Episode 290: "The Last Boy" "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 ...

Older episodes

Baseball by the Book

What's Baseball by the Book about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Baseball by the Book episodes:

Episode 335: "Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years"

Episode 334: "Why We Love Baseball"

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

Episode 332: "Tales from the Dugout"

Episode 331: "Suds Series"

Episode 330: "Welcome to the Circus of Baseball"

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

Episode 328: "Baseball's Brief Lives"

Episode 327: "Beauty at Short"

Episode 326: "Stumbling Around the Bases"

Episode 325: "Intentional Balk"

Episode 324: "Stolen Dreams"

Episode 323: "Not an Easy Tale to Tell"

Episode 322: "Whispers of the Gods"

Episode 321: "Red Barber"

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

Episode 320: "Charlie Murphy"

Episode 319: "Ted Sullivan, Barnacle of Baseball"

Episode 318: "Max Gordon"

Episode 317: "The Baseball 100"

From the Patreon archives: '70s baseball movies

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

Episode 316: "My 1961"

From the Patreon Archives: '80s baseball movies

Episode 315: "11 in '11"

Episode 314: "Forty Years a Giant"

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

Episode 312: "Double Plays and Double Crosses"

Episode 311: "Walter Alston"

Episode 310: "1962"

Episode 309: "The Giants and Their City"

Episode 308: "Clubbie"

Episode 307: "The Pride of Minnesota"

Episode 306: "Tony Lazzeri"

Episode 305: "Comeback Pitchers"

Episode 304: "Gathering Crowds"

Episode 303: "The Captain and Me"

Episode 302: "Two Sides of Glory"

Episode 301: "The Best Team Over There"

Episode 300: "Baseball's Greatest Hit"

Episode 299: "Our Team"

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

Episode 297: "Cobra"

Episode 296: "Lights, Camera, Fastball"

Episode 295: "Viva Baseball"

Episode 294: "Pudge"

Episode 293: "Singled Out"

Episode 292: "Ken Williams"

Episode 291: "Playing with the Enemy"

Episode 290: "The Last Boy"