STITCH X STITCH PODCAST

Dick Bosman, this week’s guest on Stitch x Stitch, won an American League ERA title in 1969 and threw a 79-pitch no-hitter against Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando and the World Champion Oakland A’s in 1974, while armed with a fastball that topped out in the mid-80s. He was also a steadfast ally of Marvin Miller, at a time when taking a strong stance on labor matters could be hazardous to a player’s career aspirations. Dick weathered the 1972 strike as the Texas Rangers’ player representative, but he remains convinced that his union advocacy led to him being blackballed from the game at age 32. Fifty years later -- after a long and successful run as a pitching coach and mentor to many -- he shares his memories of a momentous time for baseball labor and the game.

Larry Dierker, our latest guest on Stitch x Stitch, broke into the big leagues as a “bonus baby’’ with the Houston Colt .45s in 1964 and celebrated his 18th birthday with a first inning strikeout of Willie Mays. Over the next four decades, he became synonymous with Houston baseball as a two-time All-Star pitcher, Astros manager and team broadcaster. In this episode, Dierker reflects on the formative years of the union and the partnership between Marvin Miller and players that forever changed the game. His memories run the gamut -- from Leo Durocher scattering players with fungoes as they assembled for a union meeting in the outfield to an awkward encounter with a general manager who responded to his request for a raise with silence and a puff of cigar smoke. Dierker shares his story with an eye for detail, a wry sense of humor, and an enduring commitment to the player fraternity and the game he loves.

Woody Woodward on Hank Aaron, the Big Red Machine & Baseball’s Economic Revolution

 Six-time All-Star Sam “Sudden Sam” McDowell joins Stitch x Stitch for an unfiltered look at the early years of the MLBPA and the uphill battles Players faced long before free agency reshaped the game. Raised in a Pittsburgh union household, McDowell first encountered Marvin Miller as a child attending a steelworkers’ meeting with his father. He immersed himself in union leadership as a young strikeout machine with the Cleveland Indians in the 1960s, and never hesitated to make his voice heard or his presence felt during the formative years of the MLBPA.

Dave Stewart joins the MLBPA's Stitch x Stitch Podcast with a rare, full spectrum view of baseball’s labor history, shaped by his years as a World Series MVP, Roberto Clemente Award winner, and one of baseball's famed "Black Aces.'' He reflects upon his Oakland roots, the influence of veterans like Dusty Baker, Davey Lopes and Reggie Smith during his formative years with the Dodgers, and the lessons he learned from the 1981 strike. Stewart carried that same passion into his post-career stints as a Player agent and big-league general manager, and he continues to embrace his role as a guardian of the game.

Seven-time All-Star and 1981 World Series champion Reggie Smith joins Stitch x Stitch for a powerful, firsthand look at baseball’s labor history and the civil rights struggles woven into his early career. From confronting racism in minor league towns to absorbing the lessons he learned from Marvin Miller, Jackie Robinson and other influential figures, Smith explains how his experiences shaped his commitment to the MLBPA and the advancement of Players who would come after him.

Phil Garner, the hard-nosed infielder known as “Scrap Iron,’’ joined Stitch x Stitch for a colorful look at the battles that shaped modern baseball, from the early fights over the reserve clause to the birth of free agency, the chaos of collusion, and the replacement spring of 1995. He explained how young Players learned to navigate an all-powerful ownership class, why pioneers like Curt Flood and Andy Messersmith changed the entire sport, and how Marvin Miller’s steady leadership taught Players to debate, organize and stand together.

COMING SOON: The Major League Baseball Players Association has a rich history dating back to its inception under founding executive director Marvin Miller in 1966. The MLBPA's Stitch x Stitch Podcast seeks to tell that story through the eyes of Players, who share their personal recollections of the union's early growth, nine strikes and lockouts, and the contributions of Miller, Curt Flood, Andy Messersmith, and so many other groundbreaking figures. 

For this project we've interviewed Players whose careers cover a span of seven decades, and collected an oral history that charts the union's path and the bonds that unite Players across generations.