This Week In Baseball History

Apologies! We had to scrap a new episode this week due to some unexpected personal conflicts. Luckily, we have a banger (no pun intended waiting in reserve. There have been few pitching prospects as exciting as Herb Score, and few downfalls that have been disappointing. This week, 69 years ago, Score was struck by a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald, knocking him out of the rest of the season and, supposedly, ruining his career. But the truth is more complicated, as Mike and Bill find as they examine the rest of his comeback. Plus, happy birthday to Prince Fielder and Rip Sewell!

Perhaps the greatest father/son pitching duo in baseball history, Luis E. and Luis C. Tiant pitched at least a total of 29 years at the big league level, and an unknown number of other seasons in the Caribbean and for high quality barnstormers. While they could not be more different on the mound, they were both exceptional, as the St. Louis Cardinals found out 87 years ago last week (we're a week late with this episode), when Luis Sr. beat them in Cuba in an exhibition contest. Mike and Bill look back at the long and exceptional career of two pitching geniuses, neither of whom are given nearly enough credit today. Plus, happy birthday to Johnny Callison and Elmer Valo!

Mike and Bill are back home for the Holidays and, as every year, are confronted with the reality that they're the idiot brothers of some very talented and impressive people. So, in honor of that, we present this re-run of Episode 279: Sometimes it's hard being brothers. It's even harder being brothers when you're the black sheep of the family. The guy who has to watch his sibling, who shares so much of your DNA, exceeds all your wildest hopes and dreams while you're left behind. Not that we're speaking from experience or anything. But, after he signed with the Giants 116 years ago this week, Henry Mathewson could probably tell us all what it felt like. Taking inspiration from Christy's kid brother, Mike and Bill look back at six siblings who failed to live up to their family name. Plus, happy birthday to Steve Balboni and Mike Lieberthal!

Mike's doing better after his bout with pneumonia, but his voice is still on the fritz this week. So we have one more classic episode of TWIBHistory for you before we get back to business of recording new material. Apologies all around, but the good news is that we get the chance to rebroadcast one of the most compelling and tragic stories we've done. Lyman Bostock was one of the most dynamic young stars in the American League, compared favorably with Rod Carew and predicted to win multiple batting titles. He was one of the early benefactors of free agency, was quickly becoming one of the most popular players in the game, and may have been on a Hall of Fame track. But 41 years ago this week, Bostock was the victim of a senseless shooting and died, leaving his fans wondering what might have been. Mike and Bill look back on his brilliant career that ended far too soon and the tragedy of both his death and travesty of justice that followed. Plus, happy birthday to Jeffrey Leonard and Jon Garland.

Apologies for an extra re-run this month. Mike is dealing with a personal thing, and we will be back with a new episode next week. Some people podcast about history. Some people witness it. Melissa Ludtke made it happen, successfully fighting back against Bowie Kuhn and Major League Baseball to ensure women in journalism could be on equal footing with male sportswriters. Mike, Bill and Mike Duncan (@MikeDuncan) talk with her about that experience, about the importance of representation for women in baseball, and about the book she was working on at the time. This book is now finished and is called Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle To Get Inside. It's fantastic.

The 1970s era cool just wafted off of Dave Parker, the gigantic Pirates slugger who was one of the best, if not THE BEST players in baseball in the last half of that decade. Parker's persona, his play, and his essence were all larger than life and are still clear almost 50 years later. That bigness, however, led to problems later in his career, both on and off the field, but ultimately set up a fine career denoument as a productive DH, and a Hall of Fame induction scheduled for later this month. Commemorating the passing of the great Cobra, Mike and Bill look back at a pretty impressive, though flawed, career and person. Plus, happy birthday to Cy Blanton and Gene Alley! And farewell to Frank Johnson and Vic Harris.

Mike and Bill are off this week at SABR and are getting this classic episode up late. In that spirit, please enjoy this encore presentation of Episode 298: With the White Sox threatening to leave the Windy City and abscond to Tampa if they didn't get a new stadium 37 years ago this week, and with the Illinois legislative session winding down to the end of its session and the funding bill a few votes short, he weirdest thing happened. Time, on (and only on) the floor of the state legislature, stopped for three whole minutes, giving the Governor and House Majority Leader time to rally the support necessary to pass the bill. In honor of this miracle, of sorts, Mike and Bill look back at the history of the original Comiskey Park, and the hijinks that ultimately led to its replacement. Plus, happy birthday to Alejandro Peña and Howie Pollett!

Don Drysdale was one of the most intimidating pitchers to ever take a big league mound, and his career seemingly reached its peak 57 years ago this week when he broke the record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched just before having the record snapped at 58 2/3 innings. Mike and Bill look back at this icon of the 1960s and are surprised to find out, while he became an ace almost immediately, it took a few years for Big D to pick up his enduring reputation as a brushback artist. Plus, happy birthday to Van Lingle Mungo and Ken Singleton! And farewell to Tommy Helms and Marshall Edwards.

Due to a personal conflict, Mike was unable to help with a new episode this week. So, in honor of Memorial Day, we are re-running a very early episode of TWIB History, in which Mike and Bill celebrate the life and career of Eddie Grant, an underappreciated Phillies, Reds, and Giants third baseman who gave his life in the Argonne Forest in the closing days of World War I. Grant's sacrifice was commemorated by the Giants 104 years ago this week with a touching memorial at the Polo Grounds, which was stolen after the Giants' final game there and disappeared from the historical record. Also happy birthday to Larry Jackson and Eric Davis.

It's one of the most iconic records in sports, Joe DiMaggio's unbelievably improbable 56 game hitting streak, that began 84 years ago this week. With Kyle Schwarber's 47 game on-base streak now snapped, Mike and Bill thought it was appropriate to revisit the greatest streak of them all, going step by step through this incredible accomplishment and marvel at the talent and luck it took to ultimately pull it off. Plus, happy birthday to Chicken Wolf and Gentleman Jim Hickman!

One of the most awe-inspiring superstars of all time, Jimmie Foxx didn't start out that way, joining Connie Mack's Athletics at the age of 16. Foxx spent three years mostly ridiing the bench while he matured, during which, 100 years ago this week, he collected his first hit. Mike and Bill look back on The Beast's incredible career and sad end and find a lovable good-natured man who turned into a monster with a bat in his hands. Plus, happy birthday to Chris Carpenter and Nip Winters! And farewell to Jim Breazeale and Art Shallock.

Between the generations of three inning late game relievers like Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage and the one inning high leverage relievers like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, there was Lee Smith. Smith bridged the gap between these groups, starting his career as a stopper and ending it as a closer. Along the way, 32 years ago this week, Smith set the major league record for career saves, which lasted until Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera blew past him in the 2000s. Mike and Bill look back at the life and career of one of the most intimidating pitchers of all time, and find a self-described "country boy" who stumbled into his life's calling. Plus, happy birthday to Kid Elberfeld and Hal Morris! And farewell to Scott Sauerbeck and Bobby Malkmus.

55 years ago this week, if the story is to be believed, a truck waited at a rest area in the middle of Utah, waiting to find out if it should travel west or east. In the balance hung the hopes of two cities that each wanted a big league baseball team. In Part 1 of a two part episode, Mike and Bill look at the troubled first year of the Seattle Pilots and the messy process that left them on the verge of moving to Milwaukee. Plus, happy birthday to Gary Pettis and Tommy Holmes! Part 2: Bud Selig and the Birth of the Brewers: https://thisweekinbaseballhistory.libsyn.com/episode-195-bud-selig-and-the-birth-of-the-brewers-part-2