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PODCAST

Midnight Library of Baseball

bendavidorlando

In the Midnight Library of Baseball, Ben Orlando offers a unique perspective to historic and modern aspects of the game. He does so with no loud music and no jarring sounds. Tune in to discover the untold stories that make baseball so much more than a game.

sports baseball

All Episodes

48:16

Ep. 24: The Tools of Ignorance, Part 3 - Action and...

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/05/20

In this episode, I dive into the origins of the baseball bat, the number one piece of marketing equipment in the history of the game. I also discuss the colorful stories of the inspirational, stubborn, superstitious men who wielded this instrument of hope and despair.

en

39:41

Ep. 23: The Tools of Ignorance, Part 2 - Glove Affairs

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/05/14

What began as an object of great shame eventually turned into the most intimate relationship between a ballplayer and an object. Come along on this fascinating journey of the baseball glove, from infamy to celebration, honor, and love.

en

24:15

Ep. 22: The Tools of Ignorance, Part 1

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/05/05

In this episode, I explore the history of the baseball, and some surprising facts about what was initially used inside a baseball. I also discuss changes to the ball that greatly affected the game, and how a few additional simple changes could help evolve the game for the better.

en

49:29

Ep. 21: Three Home Run Races and How They Changed...

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/04/24

The three major home run races in baseball history were between six very different men. In this episode, I explore these mythic figures, and discuss how they were a product of their times and also instrumental in shaping what came next.

en

01:04:05

Bonus Episode: Mark Armour and Dan Levitt Stop By The...

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/04/15

I had the pleasure recently of sitting down with Dan Levitt and Mark Armour, authors of the book, Intentional Balk: Baseball’s Thin Line Between Innovation And Cheating. We dig into the gray areas of cheating, what cheating and innovation have meant to baseball, baseball fans, and Mark and Dan. We also discuss where the game is headed and what kind of cheating and innovation we might see in the future.More info about the book is at https://intentionalbalkbook.com and the book can also be found at

en

32:42

Ep. 20: More core stats are lies? Say it ain't so, Joe

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/04/08

In terms of traditional stats that have misled fans, players, and managers for decades, the pitcher win is a whopper. In this episode I discuss the origins and many examples and reasons why wins and saves have been so problematic, and also why we love them all the same.

en

31:44

Ep. 19: When Stats Lie and We Have to Say Goodbye

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/03/31

A few of the pillars of baseball statistics contain serious flaws, but it can be hard to turn away from them. In this episode, I discuss the historical reasons for trusting these stats, the consequences of this trust, and the reasons why so many closed their eyes to the truth for so long.

en

40:14

Ep. 18: Barnstorming and the Most Perfect Baseball

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/03/25

Before there were leagues in baseball, there was barnstorming, and as major league baseball expanded, with its rules, revenue, and discrimination, barnstorming remained to remind players and fans what baseball was, when stripped down to nothing but the game.

en

35:42

Ep. 17: Substances in Baseball, Then and Now

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/03/19

In this episode, I explore the origins and background of various popular substances in Major League Baseball, and the entertaining and heartbreaking stories that go with them. From Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter on LSD, to the tragic end to one of the best players in the game in his prime, to the debate of performance enhancing drugs and some surprising arguments.

en

27:52

Ep. 16: The Untold Story of Tobacco in Baseball

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/03/11

There are a lot of surprising twists and turns in the history of tobacco in Major League Baseball. In this episode, I will answer why smokeless tobacco was so popular during the origins of baseball, why it then almost disappeared, and how it roared back despite its known dangers.

en

22:02

Ep. 15: The Natural Vs Field of Dreams

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/03/03

I’ve written about both The Natural and Field of Dreams, so I thought it would be fun to compare the two films, based on a number of different criteria, to see, in the end, which film came out ahead.

en

29:49

Bonus Episode: Author Jason Turbow Visits the Library

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/02/26

In this episode, I talk with Jason Turbow, author of “The Baseball Codes, the Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime,” about his updated views on the code since writing the book and viewing the changes in baseball.

en

43:55

Ep. 14: The Code

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/02/19

People think they know what they saw in 1993 between Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura, just like they think they know what they saw in the 1996 collision between Albert Belle and Fernando Vina. But they don’t, because behind the scenes, the code was dictating the behaviors and actions of players. In this episode, I break down some of the most important and interesting elements of the code, elements that the baseball world works hard to keep secret.

en

49:54

Ep. 13: Searching for the Real Natural

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/02/12

Before Roy Hobbs of “The Natural,” there was Eddie Waitkus, a star of the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, whose forgotten true story was more fascinating than the fiction that came after.

en

34:29

Ep. 12: The Strange and Wondrous Life of Rick Ankiel

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/01/29

In this episode, I dive into the life and career of Rick Ankiel, whose unbelievable twists and turns are only surpassed by the amazing relationship he developed with a baseball team and baseball town.

en

41:55

Bonus Episode: Rounders Host Jeffrey Lambert Visits...

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/01/23

In this episode, Jeffrey Lambert, host of the podcast, Rounders, stops by to chat with me about what makes baseball so different from other sports, and why we love it so much. We also discuss cultural shifts that have affected the game, as well as some of our favorite all-time baseball books.

en

23:43

Ep. 11: The Echo of Donnie Moore

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/01/16

People who remember relief pitcher Donnie Moore often connect Moore’s role in what Al Michaels called “the most dramatic hour of sports I’ve ever seen," to Donnie Moore, three years later, shooting his wife and himself. In this episode, I explore the deeper story that sheds light on what happened on July 18, 1989.

en

24:09

Ep. 10: The Echo of Bill Buckner

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2024/01/09

In part 1 of a three-part series, I trace the echoed story of Bill Buckner and his infamous error back to the source, and back even before that, to get a full picture of what happened before, during, and after the game, so that we can understand what we lose when we begin to see the echo as the story.

en

26:48

Ep. 9: The Could Have Beens

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2023/12/30

In this episode, I'll explore the true story of Doc Moonlight Graham from Field of Dreams, and other men who could have been known for a major league baseball career, but ended up being known for something else entirely.

en

27:30

Ep. 8: Will a Female Ever Play Major League Baseball?

Midnight Library of Baseball ·

2023/12/23

In this episode, I’ll explore the reasons why there has not been a female at the highest level of baseball, and the factors involved in a female making it to the big leagues. And by the end of the episode, I will be asking a completely different question.

en

87 results

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