The Midnight Library of Baseball
Mining the History for Insights, Nostalgia, and Hidden Lives
Episode 22: The Tools Of Ignorance, Part 1
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.
Episode 21: Three Home Run Races and How They Changed Baseball
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.
Bonus Episode: Mark Armour And Dan Levitt Stop By The Library
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 book can also be found at https://www.amazon.com/Intentional-Balk-Baseballs-Innovation-Cheating/dp/B09ZZXTB7G
Episode 20: More Core Stats Are Lies? Say It Ain’t So, Joe
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.
Episode 19: When Stats Lie And We Have To Say Goodbye
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.
Episode 18: Barnstorming And The Most Perfect Baseball
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.
Episode 17: Substances In Baseball, Then And Now
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.
Episode 16: The Untold Story Of Tobacco In Baseball
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.
Episode 15: The Natural Vs Field of Dreams
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.
Bonus Episode: Author Jason Turbow Stops By The Library
There was a lot more to say after my recent podcast on The Code in major league baseball, so I sat down with an expert on the topic, Jason Turbow, author of “The Baseball Codes, the Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime,” to dig deeper into some of the most fascinating aspects of the code.
Episode 14: The Code
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.
Episode 13: Searching For The Real Natural
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.
Episode 12: The Strange And Wondrous Life Of Rick Ankiel
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.
Bonus Episode: Rounders Host Jeffrey Lambert Visits The Library
In this episode, Jeffrey Lambert, host of the podcast, Rounders, stops by the library 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.
Episode 11: The Echo Of Donnie Moore
People who remember relief pitcher Donnie Moore often connect two parts of his life: Moore’s role in what Al Michaels called “the most dramatic hour of sports I’ve ever seen," and three years later, when Moore shot his wife, and then himself. In this episode, I explore the deeper story that sheds light on what happened on July 18, 1989.
Episode 10: The Echo Of Bill Buckner
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.
Episode 9: The Could Have Beens
In this episode, I 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.
Episode 8: Will A Female Ever Play Major League Baseball?
In this episode, I 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.
Episode 7: Trick Or Cheat
In this episode, I explore one of the most famous moments in baseball history, and how this moment was probably the result of cheating. I also discuss the culture of cheating in baseball, and if there's a problem with cheating.
Episode 6: How Much Did They Actually Make?
In this episode, I do a deep dive into the history of baseball salaries, how much players actually made compared to today, and the many ways players supplemented their income. I also discuss a new way for minor league prospects to cash in on the major league experience.
Episode 5: Gambling - Savior And Destroyer Of Baseball
Gambling was instrumental in the formation and spread of professional baseball, but it has also been a toxic part of the game. Today, I look at this love-hate relationship.
Episode 4: They Used To Do That?
In this episode, I take a look at some current practices that separate baseball from other sports. I also discuss a few rules and realities that used to exist, like pitchers throwing the ball underhand, and players playing full seasons bare-handed.
Episode 3: Why The Knuckleball Is So Successful And So Rare
A few major league pitchers have found enormous success in the knuckleball, paving careers that outlasted most of their contemporaries. But for all its power and effectiveness, the knuckleball is almost nonexistent in today’s game, and has rarely been used by more than a handful of pitchers in any decade since its creation. In today’s episode, I find out why.
Episode 2: How Ray Chapman’s Death Saved Future Lives
In 1920, Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch, the only major league player ever to be killed during gameplay. Many players owe their added safety to the obvious and not-so-obvious changes that took place following Chapman’s death. In this episode, I explore the events that led to Chapman’s death, and baseball’s grudging modernization.
Episode 1: Did Lou Gehrig Have Lou Gehrig’s Disease?
Lou Gehrig is one of the most famous and well-loved baseball players of all time. In the United States and other countries, Gehrig is also the namesake for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease. In this episode, I examine the possibility that Gehrig did not have the disease, and the ramifications of this possibility.
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