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PODCAST

This Week In Baseball History

Mike Bates and Bill Parker

This Week In Baseball History is a weekly podcast devoted to the history of baseball, hosted by Mike Bates and Bill Parker, the co-founders of The Platoon Advantage and writers on many fine websites.

history

All Episodes

01:08:15

Episode 11 Rerun - Mashi Murakami Mania! (with...

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/08/16

Major League Baseball, like America, is at its best when it's diverse and reflective of the countries that play the game. So this week, 59 years after the anniversary of Masahiro Murakami Day at Candlestick Park, Mike and Bill, along with special guest and Murakami biographer Rob Fitts (robfitts.com), remember the first player of Japanese descent to play in the Big Leagues. Mashi's career took him from Japan to Phoenix to Fresno and San Francisco before finally returning to Japan in 1966. Along the

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01:13:07

Episode 341 - Ott's Got A Lot (Of Home Runs)

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/08/02

Why is Mel Ott such an enigma? For all of his accomplishments, we really know very little about the stocky little right fielder who made hittiing at the Polo Grounds an art. So, on the 79th anniversary of his 500th homer, Mike and Bill go looking for the best hitter no one talks about today. Plus, happy birthday to Freddie Fitzsimmons and Larry Doyle! And farewell to Hank Foiles and John Upham.

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01:24:43

Episode 340 - The Hall's Molitor

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/07/26

In honor of Joe Mauer going into the Hall of Fame, Mike and Bill look back at another Minnesotan who was inducted 20 years ago this week, the great Paul Molitor. The fellas look back at his career's rough start, the injury problems and personal demons that almost sunk him, and the late career, DH-fueled revival that ultimatel paved his path to the Hall. Plus, happy birthday to patron request Dave Stieb and Moe Drabowsky!

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49:36

Episode 7 (Re-run) - The Black Sox Go To Trial (with...

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/07/19

With Mike out on vacation and the annual SABR convention just on the horizon, it's a great time to revisit one of our earliest episodes with our favorite person from SABR, Jacob Pomrenke (@buckweaver), on the 103rd anniversary of the start of the Black Sox trial.

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01:33:49

Episode 339 - One Random Game III

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/07/12

After a couple of bummer weeks, Mike and Bill decided to dust off a favorite old gimmick and pick a random game to write about from this week in baseball history. The random number generator hit on the Royals vs. the Blue Jays from July 12th, 1987. Learn about weirdos like Garth Iorg, Jeff Musselman, Lloyd Moseby, Bud Black and more. Plus, happy birthday to Willie Wilson! It is also Chuck Knoblauch's birthday. And farewell to Bill Murphy and Cuno Barragan.

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01:28:35

Episode 338 - The Life and Times of Orlando Cepeda

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/07/05

With sadness, Mike and Bill reflect on the career and impact of the second Giant legend to leave us in the last two weeks. Orlando Cepeda was a tremendous slugger and a Puerto Rican pioneer in Major League Baseball, who built on his legendary father's career, destroyed his reputation after his career ended, then rebuilt it. Plus, happy birthday to Greg Vaughn and Ed Rile! And farewell to Buzz Stephen, Joe Shipley, Sean Burroughs, and Tom Tischinski.

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01:32:10

Episode 337 - Farewell, Willie Mays

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/06/28

How do you calculate everything we lost with the passing of Willie Mays? How do you calculate all that he gave us in 93 years of life? It is impossible. After covering his early years in New York in Episode 203 and his middle years in San Francisco in Episode 148, Mike and Bill return to finish out the story of Willie Mays's life and career. His return to New York with the Mets, the ridiculous ruling that forced him out of baseball, his triumphant return, and the legacy he leaves behind. Plus, happy

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57:32

Episode 148 Rerun - Willie Mays Has His Best Day Ever

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/06/25

Willie Mays is, undisputedly, one of the top two or three players in baseball history, a breathtaking blend of power, average, and defense that often defied description. One such day was 59 years ago this week, when Willie hit four home runs in one game against the Braves. But Willie was just getting started, and would spend the rest of the decade proving that he was unlike anyone else who had ever played in the Majors before. Mike and Bill go through Willie's time in San Francisco, the triumphs and

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01:11:26

Episode 203 (Re-run) - Willie Mays Meekly Debuts

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/06/23

There may have never been, and may never be, a baseball player better than Willie May. But it didn't seem like that at first, as Mays struggled upon his initial exposure to the Bigs 70 years ago this week and would suffer a crisis of confidence that could have ended his career before it began. How did he get through it to become Willie Freaking Mays? Mike and Bill look back at Willie's rise to find out. Plus, happy birthday to Dave Hollins and Deacon Phillippe!

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01:12:22

Episode 105 (Rerun) - Bo Jackson Joins the Royals

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/06/21

There may have never been an athlete as singular as Bo Jackson, a two sport star whose potential and flashes of brilliance tantalized the world until it all came crashing down. On the 38th anniversary of him signing with the Kansas City Royals, Mike and Bill look back on Bo's careers, his downfall, his comeback, and his legacy. Plus, happy birthday to Wally Joyner and Doug Mientkiewicz!

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01:19:25

Episode 336 - Honus Wagner Can't Count to 3000,...

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/06/14

We only have ten fingers and ten toes, so it's somewhat forgivable that, somewhere north of 20 you might forget how many hits you have. It's more strange for an entire baseball loving nation to do that, but that's what happened 110 years ago this week when the great Honus Wagner was celebrated for becoming the second player to reach 3,000 hits...weeks before he actually did so. What accounted for this accounting error? And why do we not really care? And what makes this oddly shaped German man so

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01:21:07

Episode 335 - Some Very Impressive Busts

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/06/07

While the MLB draft has been moved to July, it's the 58th anniversary of Steve Chilcott being taken first overall by the Mets in 1966, over Reggie Jackson. This was, of course, one of the great draft blunders in history, as Chilcott wouuld never make the majors and Reggie...did. In honor of this very Metsian mistake, Mike and Bill look back at other first overall picks who were complete busts for their clubs. Plus, happy birthday to Bryan Harvey and Merv Rettenmund!

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01:02:41

Episode 334 - An Only Very Slightly Abridged Holiday...

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/05/31

After a long weekend, Mike and Bill are back with an only slightly shortened episode. Don't worry though, there's still over an hour of birthdays, memorials, and emails from listeners with stories and lots of additional geological baseball names. We'll be back next week with a full episode. So happy birthday to George McQuinn and Gary Nolan! And farewell to Wayne Schurr, La Schelle Tarver, Odell Jones, and Chuck Seelbach.

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01:09:51

Episode 333 - Racing the Clock

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/05/24

On the 81st anniversary of the shortest nine-inning game in American League history, an 89 minute affair between the White Sox and Senators, Mike and Bill try to finish their episode about it before the game itself would have ended. Along the way, they talk about Luke Appling, knuckleballers, exactly what the Washington baseball team's nickname was at any given time, and whether Mickey Vernon is the gateway to getting Al Oliver into the Hall of Fame. Plus, happy birthday to Gil McDougald and Newt

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01:33:14

Episode 332 - Stan Really Is The Man

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/05/17

There is no arguing that Stan Musial is one of the finest players, and people, in baseball history, and this week marks the 66th anniversary of Baseball's Perect Knight collecting his 3,000th hit. Mike and Bill look back at one off the least controversial inner-circle hall of famers of all time, and document his Horatio Alger-esque journey to achieving the American Dream. Plus, happy birthday to Lave Cross and Hank Borowy! And farewell to U.L. Washington and Ed Ott

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01:02:38

Episode 149 (Re-run) - Damn Yankees Take Broadway

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/05/10

With our heroes sidelined this week for one last time, why don't we all kick back, relax, and take in a show. Baseball has inspired dozens of films, but thusfar only one major Broadway musical, the classic Damn Yankees, which debuted 65 years ago this week. Mike and Bill, both theater fans, dig into its history, and the legendary artists who brought it life on stage and screen. Plus, happy birthday to Mike Cuellar and Patron request Lennie Merullo!

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01:02:20

Episode 199 (Rerun) - Fleet Week

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/05/03

While his name is familiar to baseball history fans, the life of Moses Fleetwood Walker, the first acknowledged African-American man to play Major League Baseball, is not. On the 137th anniversary of his debut, Mike and Bill look back on that life, at the efforts of Cap Anson and other bigots to stop his career and ban other black players from the pro ranks, and the effect that treatment had on Fleet in his later years. Plus, happy birthday to Granny Hamner and Russ Ford!

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01:03:19

Episode 331 - Two Titans Fall

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/04/27

Last week, we learned of the deaths of Whitey Herzog and Carl Erskine, both icons within the game of baseball and beyond, but for vastly different reasons. This week, Mike and Bill look back at their incredible lives and the impact those lives had on the sport and the world at large.

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01:18:42

Episode 330 - The Rangers' Big Inning

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/04/19

How many rakes do you have to step on before the spectacle of it goes from funny to unfunny to hilarious again? Unfortunately for Baltimore fans, the Orioles put this to the test 28 years ago this week when the allowed 16 runs in the 8th inning to the Texas Rangers. As they sometimes do, Mike and Bill dig into this extraordinary inning on a granular level, talking about the players and events that made it so bonkers. Plus, happy birthday to Jim Lonborg and Dan Cotter!

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01:18:08

Episode 329 - Fox On The Sox

This Week In Baseball History ·

2024/04/12

Was Nellie Fox overrated by old school types who voted him into the Hall of Fame? Or is he undervalued by today's modern metrics that rank him as one off the weakest members of that exclusive club of players? The answer, most likely, is yes to both questions. But he was never more valuable than he was 65 years ago this week, when he collected five hits, including an uncharacteristic homer on Opening Day, kicking off the White Sox drive for the AL pennant in style. Mike and Bill look back at one of

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