In 1961, Chuck Dressen told Bob Uecker that there was no place in baseball for a clown. But Uecker proved him wrong over the next 64 years, becoming a beloved backup catcher, World Champion, scout, broadcaster, actor, raconteur and, eventually, Hall of Famer. He became the very manifestation of the American Dream, the son of an immigrant and high school dropout who found success through hard work, talent, good humor, and kindness. He turned being the butt of a joke into an art form over 90 years. This week, as Mike and Bill mourn his passing, they celebrate one of the great lives and people in baseball history.

Plus, happy birthday to Jon Matlack and Chick Gandil!

And farewell to Don Ferrarese, Al Ferrara, Don Young and Tommy Smith.

Apologies for the truncated version of this episode that appeared initially. This has been rectified in this re-posting. 

Bernice Gera tried exceptionally hard to become one of baseball's pioneers. And, in many ways, she succeeded when, 53 years ago this week, a court ordered the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues to hire her as the first professional female umpire in minor league history. But her story is also an indictment of the culture of baseball, as she was hounded and bullied out of the sport by the worst misogynits on and off the field after umpiring just one game. Her story is a reminder that Baseball has always resisted change, often with threats of violence, that would allow it to be more inclusive, even when that change would have no effect on the game itself. 

Plus, happy birthday to Ed Sartwood and Bob Forsch!

And farewell to Bud Daley, Gaylen Pitts, Rudy May, and Ray Semproch.

Bernice Gera tried exceptionally hard to become one of baseball's pioneers. And, in many ways, she succeeded when, 53 years ago this week, a court ordered the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues to hire her as the first professional female umpire in minor league history. But her story is also an indictment of the culture of baseball, as she was hounded and bullied out of the sport by the worst misogynits on and off the field after umpiring just one game. Her story is a reminder that Baseball has always resisted change, often with threats of violence, that would allow it to be more inclusive, even when that change would have no effect on the game itself. 

Plus, happy birthday to Ed Sartwood and Bob Forsch!

And farewell to Bud Daley, Gaylen Pitts, Rudy May, and Ray Semproch.

Apologies for the re-run. Bill's family had a medical issue this week (everyone is fine, thankfully), so we are re-releasing our 2018 episode on the fascinating Glenn Davis and the disastrous trade that Orioles made to acquire him.

In the long history of trades, few have ever been so disastrous for a team than the Orioles acquisition of Glenn Davis, 34 years ago this week, for Pete Harnisch, Steve Finley, and Curt Schilling. Perhaps a good idea in theory, Davis was a rising star from a horrifying childhood whose bizarre injury issues kept scuttling any chance he had of fulfilling his promise in Baltimore. (Disclaimer: This episode contains frank discussions of child abuse and suicide.)

Either traveling or recovering from travel, Bill and Mike break format to run through the current Hall of Fame ballot, and each find themselves at least one vote short to accomodate all the deserving candidates. But will the agree on who those deserving candidates are?

In memory of his passing and in celebration of what would have been his 66th birthday, please enjoy this re-release of our episode focusing on the great Rickey Henderson: 

One of the most dynamic players of all time, Rickey Henderson still has many fans polarized. But everyone seems to agree that he was the best leadoff man and base stealer in baseball history. And, it was 28 years ago this week that he cemented those titles with his 939th career steal, breaking Lou Brock's all time record. Mike and Bill dig into Rickey's past and his path to becoming, in his words, "The Greatest," as well as his excellent and unexpectedly extended denouement. Plus, happy birthday to Phil Garner and Jeff Reboulet!

Free agency doesn't seem that complicated, but 44 years ago this week, the Boston Red Sox made a colossal error, accidentally non-tendering two of their biggest stars, Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk. Mike and Bill trace the careers of two of the 1970s and 1980s best players, find out what went so wrong at the end of 1980, and sort through the fallout of one of baseball's biggest blunders. Plus, happy birthday to Andy Van Slyke and Moose Skowron.

With the holidays on the horizon, Mike and Bill were feeling a little scrambled and decided, rather than focus on one prominent player or incident, they'd just pick a game at random and talk about it. They landed in Montreal on August 19th, 1974, as the Padres took on the Expos. In addition to an exciting back and forth game, they talk about Parc Jarry, Willie Davis, Ron Hunt, the Chuck Taylor All Stars and more!

Plus, happy birthday to Jimmy "Pepper' Austin and Ernest "Spoon" Carter!

Understandably underappreciated due to his complete inability to hit, Luis Aparicio fell into disfavor amongst new fans in the 21st century. But, on the 54th anniversary of his trade from the White Sox to the Red Sox, Mike and Bill discover that there was far more to Aparicio's game than meets the eye, including some of the best defense of all time and the blinding speed that brought the stolen base back to baseball after years of dormancy.

Plus, happy birthday to Cookie Lavagetto and Gary Ward.

And farewell to Bob Speake and Ozzie Virgil Sr.

The first thing most people think about when they think about Hal Newhouser is World War II. That's ironic, given that he was not allowed to serve. But his dominance during the war years led to the longstanding belief that he was some kind of mirage, created by the lack of talent in the American League in those years. But, as Mike and Bill found out as they traced his career on the 80th anniversary of winning his first of consecutive MVP awards, that's not remotely the whole story, as  Newhouser remained a dominant and Hall of Fame caliber pitcher for several years after everyone came home. 

Plus, happy birthday to Billy Rogell and George Burns.

And farewell to John Baumgartner and Joey Jay.