Clear the Field Podcast

In 1971, the ambitious and erratic owner of the Oakland A’s went all-in to change the number of balls for a walk from four to three.

Highlights

- A “wildly eccentric” owner goes to the library and gets a history of the base-on-balls

- A visiting Nippon Professional Baseball team beats the A’s at their own game

- The A’s owner puts words into the commissioner’s mouth to force the Angels to play

- Charlie Finley pivots to somebody else’s idea, the designated hitter rule, and finds what he was looking for all along

In 1971 (and 1969 and 1970), light aircraft used Chavez Ravine for target practice.

Highlights

- Vin Scully, aeronautics expert

- A blurb of a bombardment in 1970

- Animals on the grounds, flour from the skies

- Siege weapons at the ballpark? Really?

- Post-game speculation worthy of a ‘90s action movie

- Another unexpected target across the country? Paul asks questions.

In 1942, the wartime scrap effort costs the war-bound Giants a game.

Highlights

- Let’s Play Eight at the Polo Grounds

- Highlights from New York City’s Junk Drawers

- A youth movement as the Giants head off to war

- A mostly inexplicable crowd surge

- How America used “stuff” to win World War II

In 1942, major league baseball turned a few of New York’s green cathedrals into makeshift junk yards.

Highlights

- FDR nationalizes the National Game

- What scrap metal meant to the war effort

- Dispatches from the Junk Drawer War

- The Dodgers pitch in to help New York meet its quota

- A scramble at the Ebbets Field “scrap gate”

- Next time: Metal mania moves to Manhattan

In 1969, the Cubs’ famous fans had an incredibly special relationship with the team. In 1970, they didn’t.

Highlights

- The Bleacher Bum org chart

- The most special fan relationship

- A funereal end to 1969

- Mistakes were made, sayeth the Cubs' owner.

- The vibes shift at Wrigley Field in 1970

- Big Brother at the ballpark

Further Reading:

https://www.project-318.com/p/the-break-up

In 1907, Detroit’s ebullient manager tried to save his voice by coaching with a whistle and blew his way into trouble.

Highlights

- Some surprising HBP trivia

- Breaking down early 20th century noisemakers

- Verbal managerial subterfuge through the ages

- Instruments proliferate and umpires deteriorate

- The first-ever World(‘s) Series ejection goes to...you guessed it!

Further Reading:

Support Us

You can support Clear the Field by following the show on your favorite platform:

Apple Podcasts Spotify RSS

Give a Rating, Like, or Restack

If you enjoyed an episode on a platform like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, can you give it a quick rating and let folks know? A 5-Star rating helps our podcast appear as suggested and helps people find us.

Here on Substack, restacking an episode is one click that really helps us, so if you had fun, please click that button up there on the far right of the episode that has two circling arrows on it.

Email

If you have comments or details that add to our stories or ideas for future installments, send us an email at [email protected]. Gentle corrections are also welcome.

Warning: If a comment is particularly enlightening and/or funny, we might read it during a future episode.

On Social Media

Paul: Substack Instagram

Ted: Substack

Original Research and Writing: Paul Jackson

Production and Music: Ted Walker

Design: Ketaki Kulkarni

In 1987, the Mets / Cardinals rivalry exploded into a hunt for Howard Johnson’s magic bat.

Highlights

- Lawn Dart Day is cancelled.

- Corking 101

- Whitey Herzog’s haphazard investigation.

- Howard Johnson’s suspect bat.

- Unsatisfying allegations and extrajudicial acquisitions.

- Holding your feelings in your mustache.

- A harassment campaign leads to a new rule.

In 1987, sneaky power hitting turned the greatest National League rivalry you’ve never heard of on its head.

Highlights

- The rivalry that Bud Selig forgot.

- Great moments in name-calling.

- Lunar charts and ballpark giveaways.

- Is Jack Clark the K-Mart of baseball players and what does this mean?

- A sprinkle of seat cushions becomes a blizzard.

- Tommy Herr sends ‘em home happy and sans posterior support.

In 1987, Twins pitcher Joe Niekro was found with contraband in his pockets but not necessarily with larceny in his heart.

Highlights

- A pitching career that just kept going

- A sting operation in Anaheim

- Caught with red hands and perfect cuticles

- Following in Gaylord Perry’s footsteps (and getting lost)

In 1907, bad weather and a bored crowd mixed to create an on-field mess and a forfeited game.

Highlights

- Opening Day traditions at the turn of the century

- What people did to amuse themselves before cell phones

- A surprising lack of police protection leads to a forfeited game

- The reformer/crusader who decided to make an example out of baseball

Further Reading

Support Us

You can support Clear the Field by following the show on your favorite platform:

Apple Podcasts Spotify RSS

Give a Rating, Like, or Restack

If you enjoyed an episode on a platform like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, can you give it a quick rating and let folks know? A 5-Star rating helps our podcast appear as suggested and helps people find us.

Email

If you have comments or details that add to our stories or ideas for future installments, send us an email at [email protected]. Gentle corrections are also welcome.

Warning: If a comment is particularly enlightening and/or funny, we might read it during a future episode.

On Social Media

Paul: Substack Instagram

Ted: Substack