Baseball Discourse

My podcast is undergoing a name change, from "The Baseball Beat" to "The Baseball Podcast."  In the podcast, I explain why the name change has been undertaken.

Also, April 15 is "Jackie Robinson Day" throughout major league baseball.  I talk about the day and also about an interview I did with Negro League baseball star and Hall of Fame player Buck Leonard.

Below are links to stories I discussed in the podcast.

Buck Leonard interview

Red Barber interview

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Hank Aaron, at one time Major League baseball's all-time home run hitter. Aaron, 86, died on Jan. 22.

His passing brought back memories for me, as I harkened back to the time I gave the baseball Hall of Fame player a ride back to his hotel. I recall the story in this latest episode of The Baseball Beat.

University of Connecticut icon Dee Rowe died on Sunday. He was 91. Rowe was much admired, not only at UConn but throughout sports. He was not only a successful coach of the UConn men's basketball team, he later became a successful fundraiser and goodwill ambassador for the university.

How many know that Dee Rowe was also a big baseball fan, who frequently visited New Britain Stadium? When William Dowling and Coleman Levy purchased the New Britain Rock Cats in 2000, they not only revived a stagnant franchise, they reached out to many people, among them Rowe.

When Rowe visited the ballpark, he would always make sure to drop by and visit Rock Cats voice Jeff Dooley and me in the broadcast booth. Occasionally he would sit in on the broadcast, including the night of July 19, 2000. I was calling the play-by-play, while Rowe talked baseball and UConn basketball. At the time, the men's hoop program had been riding a 10-year high as one of the best programs in the nation. The Rock Cats, then the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, were playing the Cleveland Indians affiliate the Akron Aeros, who eventually became the Rubber Ducks. Rowe joined me during the last of the sixth inning.

Enjoy, as Rowe relives some UConn memories.

Was Bob Feller the greatest Cleveland Indian? You can make an argument in his favor. Dec. 15, 2020 will mark 10 years since the passing of the Hall of Fame pitcher. I had planned to release the interview I recorded with Feller in 1983 around this date, not knowing the story would break that Cleveland will be changing its team name.

As for Feller, when I taped the interview with him he was touring the country, putting on pitching exhibitions, before minor league baseball games. I was in Kinston, NC, broadcasting for the Toronto Blue Jays A ball club in the Carolina League, when Feller passed through. He gave me a marvelous interview and even sat in the booth with me, during the game, to provide commentary.

I do not pretend to know what Feller might have said about Cleveland changing its nickname, but I do know a lot of what he said about pitching in the interview could easily apply to today.

In the interview, we talk about his pitching philosophy, how he pitched to Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio and much more.

David Dahl, non-tendered by the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 2, will be a good acquisition for some MLB club now that he is a free agent. I explain why in my opening comments of the podcast.

How many recall Max Patkin, the "Clown Prince of Baseball?" I had the chance to interview him on June 14, 1984 and he was terrific. Patkin, who was nearing 65 at the time of the interview, performed his antics on baseball fields across the country, until 1995.

By the way, "the Chicken" to which Patkin refers was the "Famous Chicken," Ted Giannoulas. I interviewed Ted too and will resurrect that interview on a future podcast.

The World Series is over and now the real fun begins. Major League baseball is faced with a myriad of challenges, not the least of which is what will happen to the minor leagues?

MLB's agreement with the NAPBL has expired. Once separate entities, with MLB clubs supplying the minor leagues with their players, MLB will now bring the NAPBL under its wings, exerting total control over the minor league framework. Franchises will be contracted and other major changes will be made.

To that end, I thought it would be a great time to delve into my archives and post two interviews I recorded with author and former newspaper journalist Andrew Linker of Harrisburg. Linker is a walking encyclopedia about minor league baseball, and I always look forward to our conversations, when visiting Harrisburg. His books remind us of how important the minor league landscape is to baseball's overall fabric. I can only hope that the "Lords of Baseball" will remember this in their redesign of the minor league template.

Below are links to the Linker books we talk about.

• One Patch of Grass
• Clippings: All the Other Cool Stuff That Didn't Fit into the First Book
• The Class of '93: How One Baseball Team Wrecked An Entire League

In the summer of 2019, before MLB adopted the extra-inning rule, the minor leagues were employing it.  It became the subject of debate in this roundtable, converted into a podcast, with the guests' permission. 

Now that Major League Baseball's expanded post season is underway, you will be hearing plenty from commentator John Smoltz. The former Atlanta Brave and Hall of Fame pitcher does a superb job, providing insight for FOX and the MLB Network.

With the Atlanta Braves attempting to win their first post season series in 19 years and Smoltz a major part of baseball's post season broadcasts, David O'Brien thought it a good time to write a story about the trade that sent Smoltz from the Detroit Tigers to Atlanta. Entitled "What if the Braves had not traded Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz?"

O'Brien's story immediately caught my eye, because I was there, when word was received about the trade. I provide the background in my latest podcast.

In 1973 I interviewed Willie Mays and Tug McGraw, during a New York Mets media day for radio stations on the Mets' network. At the time, I was a teenager interning at the radio station in my hometown of Torrington, CT.

To say I was nervous to interview arguably the greatest player in the game in Mays, would be an understatement. The interview was awkward and lasted about 75 seconds, but I am including it in this podcast, because how often does a teen get to interview Willie Mays?

I am also including the interview with McGraw, who died in 2004, because it was the opposite of the Mays' interview. The closer for the Mets was gracious, perhaps sensing how nervous and young I was.

Coincidentally, the father of award-winning country singer Tim McGraw, turned out to be one of the vital cogs for the Mets that season. He led a dramatic September comeback. The Mets went from last place in the Eastern Division to winning it and advancing to the World Series, before losing to the Oakland Athletics. And it was McGraw who coined the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe," during the Mets furious drive to the top.

I hope you enjoy both interviews.

Terry Tata was 13-years-old, while his friends played sandlot baseball. Instead of playing, he umpired those same games in his hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut. Serving as an arbiter placed him on a path to realize his dream of becoming a major league baseball umpire.

A few years back, I interviewed Tata for another podcast I hosted. I decided to dig into the archives and post the interview, because what he says today, resonates as much as when he discussed his career a few seasons ago.

Tata umpired MLB games from 1973 to 1999. During that time, he worked four World Series, seven League Championship Series and three All-Star games. In this interview, he shares some of the moments of his illustrious career, including the first MLB game he umpired and what Paul O'Niell said to him, after striking out to end a World Series game at Yankee Stadium.

As for changes in the game, including the review of umpires' calls with replay, Tata has some thoughts about that too.