We boot up our trusty Flux Capacitor this week for a trip back to 1978 -- a year when baseball provided a much-needed escape for a nation in flux. We sit down with David Krell, author of "1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era," to relive one of Major League Baseball’s most unforgettable seasons — one filled with historic milestones, dramatic showdowns, and larger-than-life personalities.

From Bucky Dent’s legendary home run that crushed Red Sox fans’ hearts to Reggie Jackson’s World Series heroics, 1978 was a year of baseball drama at its finest. We discuss Ron Guidry’s dominance (25-3, 1.74 ERA), Pete Rose’s 44-game hit streak, Tom Seaver’s one-and-only no-hitter, and Willie McCovey’s 500th home run — all set against the cultural backdrop of disco fever, bell-bottoms, gas-guzzling cars, and Hollywood 1950s-era escapist nostalgia.

Beyond the ballpark, America found itself beset with post-Watergate political disillusionment, confronted with rapidly rising economic inflation, and mired in a stubbornly persistent energy crisis. Krell takes us on a deep dive into how baseball intertwined with the era’s biggest moments, making 1978 not just a great season, but a reflection of the times.

So, dust off your turntable, crank up some Bee Gees, and join us for a conversation that captures the magic, madness, and milestones of 1978 — both on and off the field.

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Sports historian Josh Elias stops by for a deep unraveling of the often misunderstood story behind the 1949 merger that created the National Basketball Association (NBA) as we know it today. 

Drawing from his historically essential 2024 book The Birth of the Modern NBA: Pro Basketball in the Year of the Merger, 1949-1950, Elias takes us back to the pivotal moment when the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL) merged, uniting disparate big-city teams with small-town clubs - and setting the stage for professional basketball’s future in the US.

We dive into the tensions between East Coast metropolises and Midwestern industrial towns; the unexpected power struggles between the last BAA champion (and superstar George Mikan-led) Minneapolis Lakers and the final NBL winning Anderson (Indiana) Packers; and the NBA's early challenges with segregation, cultural divides, and an uncertain post-WWII American economy.

Elias also shares some of the wildest and most fascinating anecdotes from his research, including mob-connected team owners, bizarre halftime performances, airport mishaps, and brushes with history-making figures like Jackie Robinson, Chuck Connors, and even a young pre-politics Gerald R. Ford.

Step back in time to revisit the NBA’s chaotic, colorful, and often overlooked first season - one that shaped the league for generations to come. 

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We go North of the border this week for the curious story of the dramatic and chaotic origins of the National Hockey League with hockey historian and long-time Windsor Star sports columnist Bob Duff ("The First Season: 1917-18 and the Birth of the NHL").

While today’s NHL is a global powerhouse celebrating over a century of hockey history, its very first season (1917-18) was a near disaster. Born out of a backroom maneuver to oust controversial Toronto owner Eddie Livingstone, the league’s inaugural outing was anything but smooth. 

From a player shortage caused by World War I conscription, to the sudden collapse of the four-team-league's Montreal Wanderers after their arena burned down, to competition from the rival Pacific Coast Hockey Association, to various threats of revenge from Livingstone - the NHL teetered on the edge of failure. And yet, against all odds, it survived.

"The Duffer" walks us through that unlikely initial NHL season, the struggles that nearly ended it before it truly began, and the league's first-ever Stanley Cup championship - as the "Toronto Hockey Club" (or was it "Arenas" or "Torontos"?) bested the PCHA's Vancouver Millionaires in a best-of-five final.

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America’s pastime has long been more than just a game - it’s a reflection of the country itself. But what happens when the heart and soul of small-town baseball is threatened by the forces of modern sports economics? 

We sit down with New York Times-bestselling author ("The Prisoner in His Palace") and former Army Ranger Will Bardenwerper to discuss his new book "Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America" - a poignant memoir that explores the fate of minor league baseball in Batavia, New York, and what it reveals about the state of America today.

Bardenwerper takes us behind the scenes of a declining Rust Belt town’s fight to keep its baseball tradition alive after Major League Baseball's contraction of Batavia's beloved Muckdogs (née Clippers, Pirates, Trojans & Indians) - along with its history-laden circuit, the Class-A New York-Penn League - in 2020. 

Through rich storytelling and a cast of unforgettable characters, Bardenwerper paints a picture of resilience, community, and the enduring magic of the game. As Batavia fights to keep baseball alive, Homestand captures not just the town’s defiance in the face of MLB’s power grab, but also the broader struggles of small-town America against economic forces beyond its control.   We also explore Bardenwerper’s unique perspective as a veteran, journalist, and author - connecting themes of war, political division, and the still uniquely unifying power of a simple summer night at the ballpark.   + + +   SUPPORT THE SHOW:

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Strap in and try to keep up, as we attempt to follow the peripatetic 58-year journey of one of the NBA's most wandering franchises - with New York-area sports beat reporter Rick Laughland ("A History of the Nets: From Teaneck to Brooklyn").

Today's Brooklyn Nets club began its life in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans - a charter member of the American Basketball Association, playing at the Teaneck Armory.  A year later, they moved to Long Island (LI Arena, then Island Garden, then Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum) to become the New York Nets, winning two ABA championships (1974, 1976) behind superstar Julius Erving. 

Absorbed into the NBA in 1976, the team struggled financially and was forced to sell Erving, leading to early-season struggles. In 1977, they relocated to the Garden State as the New Jersey Nets, playing at Rutgers Athletic Center (now Jersey Mike's Arena) before moving to Brendan Byrne (aka Meadowlands) Arena in 1981.  

After almost becoming the "Swamp Dragons" in 1994, the early 2000s saw breakthrough success with Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Richard Jefferson - making back-to-back NBA Finals runs in 2002 and 2003. 

Before a brief move to Newark's Prudential Center (2010–12), the team relocated to Brooklyn's purpose-built Barclays Center, with a complete franchise name, logo and color-scheme rebrand.  Initially building around Deron Williams, they later pursued star power with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, followed by Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden in 2019–2021.

Still bereft of an elusive NBA title, will the Nets continue to ply their trade in Brooklyn - or will they eventually return to their nomadic ways?

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We're positively kvelling over the brand new anthology from this week's guest Eric Gouldsberry - "Our Life and Times with the Earthquakes" - which vividly (and lovingly) portrays the thrilling early days of the original San Jose Earthquakes franchise (1974-84) of the old North American Soccer League, and the transformative impact it brought to the Bay Area's fast-growing Santa Clara Valley.

Through his personal journey as a devoted fan and with never-before-seen images captured by his father - "official unofficial" team photographer Ray Gouldsberry - Eric brings to life the magic of a team that ignited an untapped soccer fan base in the South Bay and helped define the 1970s-era pro version of the "beautiful game" in America.

We explore the club's ingenious marketing tactics, pioneering players, eclectic fans, and the various highs and lows of the original Earthquakes both on and off the field - all set against the meteoric rise and ultimate collapse of the enigmatic NASL.

It's all here: cozy Spartan Stadium, its painted field, cheer instigator (and Episode 7 guest) "Krazy" George, the "Shakers," indoors at the Cow Palace - plus, the little-known origin story of 1978's expansion Oakland Stompers and the intense-but-brief rivalry that time forgot!

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After a decidedly meh NBA All-Star Weekend, we rewind back to one of the league's most influential historical tributaries - the American Basketball Association (1967-76) - and the criminally little-known story of how its demise left a generation of pioneering pro players out in the cold.

Michael Husain is the writer, director, and co-producer of the groundbreaking documentary The Waiting Game - which spotlights the relentless efforts of the determined non-profit Dropping Dimes, as it fights to help reclaim the overdue benefits and back pay the forgotten star athletes of the ABA were promised as part of their absorption into the NBA in 1976.

It's a story of players who helped shape the style, pace and culture of modern basketball, but now struggle to afford life-saving medications, avoid eviction, and secure basic financial stability - even as the NBA rakes in over $10 billion annually. 

Husain shares exclusive insights into the making of the film, the enduring legacy of the ABA, and the still-ongoing battle for justice and recognition for its players, and their contributions to the evolution of the game.

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We hearken back to baseball's humble beginnings this week, as author/historian Jeff Orens ("Selling Baseball: How Superstars George Wright and Albert Spalding Impacted Sports in America") takes us on a journey through the late 19th century, when the game was rapidly evolving from a casual pastime to America's national sport - with two larger-than-life figures at the center of its transformation.

In Orens' telling, players-turned-sports-businessmen George Wright (Cincinnati Red Stockings, Boston Red Stockings, Boston Red Caps, Providence Grays, and later, Wright & Ditson Co.), and Albert Spalding (Rockford Forest Citys, Boston Red Stockings, Chicago White Stockings, and his eponymous sporting goods company still in business today) were the first superstars of "professional" baseball - driven by a competitive rivalry on the field and complementary marketing skills off it, helping modernize the game/industry we know today.

And our conversation doesn't shy away from controversy, either. We'll delve into Wright's and Spalding's roles in perpetuating the infamous "Doubleday myth," which erroneously credited Civil War hero Abner Doubleday with inventing baseball. Orens provides insight into how these influential figures helped legitimize this false narrative, shaping/tainting baseball's origin story for generations to come.

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Ain't no stoppin' us now this week as we lay down the indoor soccer turf and roll out the red carpet for one of the Major Indoor Soccer League's steeliest defenders and long-time St. Louis Steamers fan favorite Carl Rose.

Known best for his seven stellar seasons (1979-86) with the MISL's most commercially successful franchise, Rose actually began his pro indoor career along with the debut of the league itself (1978-79) as a member of the inaugural title-winning New York Arrows.  

A two-time indoor All-Star, Rose earlier plied his soccer trade outdoors with the Canadian National Soccer League's Toronto Emerald - including call ups for the nation's 1975 Pan-American and 1976 Olympic squads, alongside future NASL & MISL teammates Jack Brand, Bob Bolitho, Peter Roe, Tino Lettieri, Wes McLeod, and Jimmy McLoughlin.

We tackle all of that and lots more - including Rose's challenges overcoming a serious career-ending injury and becoming a standout youth coach in St. Louis - as well as his hot takes on the state of the game in the US.

His new memoir "A Resilient Spirit" is a great read, and is available wherever good books are found (or the link below!).

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We throw another Duraflame into the hot stove this week for a look back at the sterling, but oddly overlooked career of one of baseball’s greatest "golden age" hitters. 

Biographer Jerry Grillo ("Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize") helps us sort out the intriguing story of batting titan Johnny Mize - whose 15-year major league journey playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York version of the Giants and five World Series-winning seasons (1949-53) with the New York Yankees - generated ten All-Star Game appearances, and a plethora of National League titles in home runs (4x), RBIs (3x) and hitting (1939) - despite missing three full seasons (1943-45) for wartime service with the US Navy.

Widely considered a cinch for the Hall of Fame upon his retirement in 1953, Mize's path to Cooperstown instead took 28 years until a Veterans Committee vote in 1981 finally brought him into the pantheon of the sport's greats.

Find out why the pride of Demorest, Georgia's road to baseball immortality took so long, why one of the sport's greatest underappreciated hitters unquestionably belongs in the Hall - and how the "Big Cat" unwittingly helped influence today's billion-dollar trading card industry!

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