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iTunes Link RSS Link Every baseball field has its quirks, right? Your favorite park surely has a feature or two that you love and perhaps drives visiting players mad. But what if a field had something that everybody thought was a little off? Or, perhaps, a little up? Clark Field in Austin was the home of the University of Texas Longhorns for almost half of the 1900s. And it featured one of the... Source

iTunes Link RSS Link Every baseball field has its quirks, right? Your favorite park surely has a feature or two that you love and perhaps drives visiting players mad. But what if a field had something that everybody thought was a little off? Or, perhaps, a little up? Clark Field in Austin was the home of the University of Texas Longhorns for almost half of the 1900s. And it featured one of the most unique quirks in ballpark history. With help from EJ Fagan, we’ll take a look at Clark Field’s, well, crazy outfield. Music: CSUS – Vaporize Me BasementStudios – Chasing Dreams ROKAFLOW -Lenti Jazz

iTunes Link RSS Link Opening Day is once again upon us. This is, indeed, a good thing. We get nostalgic at the beginning of the season. It brings us so much — relief that Spring has finally arrived, anticipation for our teams’ chances at contention, the promise of well-fought contests and exciting pennant races. But over all these years, the circumference of baseball has extended beyond the foul... Source

iTunes Link RSS Link Opening Day is once again upon us. This is, indeed, a good thing. We get nostalgic at the beginning of the season. It brings us so much — relief that Spring has finally arrived, anticipation for our teams’ chances at contention, the promise of well-fought contests and exciting pennant races. But over all these years, the circumference of baseball has extended beyond the foul lines. Our national pastime has prompted the incubation of things beyond the ballpark. Some of them are silly, others we wouldn’t want to live without. Baseball is poised to bring us joy once again. This episode of Stealing Home looks at some other things our favorite game has provided us.

iTunes Link RSS Link What makes a baseball curse? A good story, certainly. A reputation for losing always helps. But the best ones revolve around a singular figure — a singular figure that’s dead. There needs to be that ghostly presence that floats above the stadium and the standings. The Red Sox had Babe Ruth. The Cubs had that goat, and, to a lesser extent, Steve Bartman. But Bartman was a big... Source

iTunes Link RSS Link What makes a baseball curse? A good story, certainly. A reputation for losing always helps. But the best ones revolve around a singular figure — a singular figure that’s dead. There needs to be that ghostly presence that floats above the stadium and the standings. The Red Sox had Babe Ruth. The Cubs had that goat, and, to a lesser extent, Steve Bartman. But Bartman was a big Cubs fan. And he’s still alive. Babe Ruth won a load of championships with the Yankees — what reason would he have to curse the Red Sox? And goats are idiots. They can’t even comprehend complex emotions like revenge, and certainly not from the grave. No, a good curse needs a ghost with a grudge. A skeleton with a bone to pick. A good curse needs a figurehead. Randy and Harland were born in Oklahoma and Indiana, respectively, over 60 years apart. It’s hard to definitively say whether or not they met, but it’s probably safe to say they never did. Yet their lives are inextricably linked. It is for a fairly silly reason, surely, but the silliness is almost part of the charm. It starts off like a war story: two strangers’ lives are ensnared in an historical event that takes place thousands of miles from their homes. But it’s not a war story. It’s a story about baseball and chicken and a river. And how all three can create specters that haunt a city for decades.

iTunes Link RSS Link (Illustration by Brooke Howell) Fine listeners, You will notice two things about Stealing Home. First off, it’s actually been updated. I’m sorry about the wait, but it ties into the second part. First, the new episode. It is slightly different than what you’d probably expect. This is in part because some fine folks here at The Hardball Times have worked hard in releasing a... Source

iTunes Link RSS Link (Illustration by Brooke Howell) Fine listeners, You will notice two things about Stealing Home. First off, it’s actually been updated. I’m sorry about the wait, but it ties into the second part. First, the new episode. It is slightly different than what you’d probably expect. This is in part because some fine folks here at The Hardball Times have worked hard in releasing a really great book — When the Sparrow Sings — and I want to help promote that. It’s a wonderful story, by Jason Linden, and to help those who haven’t yet read it, or those who want to relive it, Jason has read the first chapter for Stealing Home. If you like it, please consider buying the whole book, which was published earlier today. The second part is that I’m looking to expand what Stealing Home is, and what it means. Part of the reason of the posting drought has been my insane schedule. It was unavoidable, and something had to suffer. I’m sorry to say that it was the podcast. But I’ve also been thinking real hard about the future of the show. To be totally blunt, it has spun into something that I’m not comfortable with anymore — it’s something I didn’t envision when I first started. This is not uncommon in the world, I suppose. But I don’t want to keep going the way I have anymore. The idea behind Stealing Home has always been to break away from the traditional “two dudes talking about sports” model, and to concentrate on the stories. This was difficult and time consuming, and I fear that’s why I strayed from it. I tried once, but I got scared, and I defaulted back to the norm. But no more. I can’t say I know exactly what the show will sound like six months or a year from now, but I want to try some new things. I hope that you’ll still find the content engaging and thought-provoking. Give it a few episodes to get used to the new direction. I think (and hope) that you’ll like it. Episode 23 features very little of me. And that’s OK. Because this podcast should be about stories, and Jason has a great one to share. Thanks to all of you for listening, for all your kind words, and for pushing me out of this extended and unintentional hiatus. It is wonderful to have such a supportive and engaging audience. Take care, David (Music provided by Chino Yoshio and Peter Bille Larson)

iTunes Link RSS Link Seeing a major-league game is always a thrill. Sure, the team might not be that great, but there’s no denying that the players on the field are some of the best in the world. But there’s those other leagues, too. Where the beer is cheaper and the seats are closer and the atmosphere is just a little more … fun. And those are the leagues we’re dealing with on this episode of... Source

iTunes Link RSS Link Seeing a major-league game is always a thrill. Sure, the team might not be that great, but there’s no denying that the players on the field are some of the best in the world. But there’s those other leagues, too. Where the beer is cheaper and the seats are closer and the atmosphere is just a little more … fun. And those are the leagues we’re dealing with on this episode of Stealing Home. Ben Hill runs the Ben’s Biz blog and writes at milb.com. He covers anything and everything dealing with minor league baseball. We’ll talk about how he got started on the beat, and some of the most memorable things he’s seen in his travels. If you haven’t subscribed to Netflix by now, here’s your reason. The Battered Bastards of Baseball is a documentary about the upstart Portland Mavericks, an independent baseball team founded by a movie star that fought both on the field and off to prove that they belonged. The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks are a member of the Alaska Baseball League, and host an impressive list of future major-leaguers that passed through their ranks. Henry Cole is a Fairbanks native, and we talk about the unique world of the short-lived baseball season in Alaska. And Marty Brennaman makes a slightly morbid case for the MVP of My Heart. (All original music by David Temple.)

iTunes Link RSS Link We all remember those players, coaches, or even teams that got away. They leave us wondering “what if?”, and make for great fodder for pub arguments for years and years. On this episode of Stealing Home, we look at just a few of those stories. Do you know Jonah Keri? You should! Do you know he’s an Expos fan? Of course you do! Have you read his book on the Expos? Buy it now! Source

iTunes Link RSS Link We all remember those players, coaches, or even teams that got away. They leave us wondering “what if?”, and make for great fodder for pub arguments for years and years. On this episode of Stealing Home, we look at just a few of those stories. Do you know Jonah Keri? You should! Do you know he’s an Expos fan? Of course you do! Have you read his book on the Expos? Buy it now! I talk with Jonah a little on his new book chronicling the garish introduction of the Expos and their untimely demise. Sam Dingman is a very funny, very insightful individual and a contributor to Stealing Home. He’s also an Orioles fan, for what that’s worth. When I asked him to talk about someone from his childhood that he lamented, he brought up Ben McDonald. I think it goes deeper than Ben McDonald, though. You’ll just have to listen. Tony Gwynn died and that REALLY made me sad. In terms of the grander stage of baseball, he’s really one that got away. I try to come to grips with that while not completely breaking down with The MVP of My Heart. (All original music by David Temple. Additional music from Warren Zevon and Frankie Yankovic)

iTunes Link RSS Link Episode 20 is all about those goofy creatures we love to laugh at–the mascots. I talk to author AJ Mass about his new book on life as a mascot. I then give a recommendation on an Internet TV series that profiles four separate mascots, and the lives of those inside. And old Matty is the MVP of My Heart. (all music by David Temple)... Source

iTunes Link RSS Link Episode 20 is all about those goofy creatures we love to laugh at–the mascots. I talk to author AJ Mass about his new book on life as a mascot. I then give a recommendation on an Internet TV series that profiles four separate mascots, and the lives of those inside. And old Matty is the MVP of My Heart. (all music by David Temple)

iTunes Link RSS Link Episode 19 of Stealing Home helps to ring in a new season. First, author Michael Clair shares his thoughts on how Opening Day can be made even better. And Larry DiVito, head groundskeeper at Target Field talks with me about his job and prepping for a new season. Then, I let NPR’s Jesse Thorn fill in for the usual MVP of My Heart by replaying an essay from his show Bullseye. Source

iTunes Link RSS Link Episode 19 of Stealing Home helps to ring in a new season. First, author Michael Clair shares his thoughts on how Opening Day can be made even better. And Larry DiVito, head groundskeeper at Target Field talks with me about his job and prepping for a new season. Then, I let NPR’s Jesse Thorn fill in for the usual MVP of My Heart by replaying an essay from his show Bullseye. (all music by David Temple)

iTunes Link RSS Link On this episode of Stealing Home, we look at some points of intrigue throughout baseball history. No talk of intrigue is complete without a discussion of the Pine Tar Game, so that’s where we start off. Then, author Rob Fitts joins me to talk about his fascinating book, Banzai Babe Ruth. Taking a cue from Fitt’s story, author Matthew Callan shares a reading from his novel Hang... Source

iTunes Link RSS Link On this episode of Stealing Home, we look at some points of intrigue throughout baseball history. No talk of intrigue is complete without a discussion of the Pine Tar Game, so that’s where we start off.   Then, author Rob Fitts joins me to talk about his fascinating book, Banzai Babe Ruth.   Taking a cue from Fitt’s story, author Matthew Callan shares a reading from his novel Hang a Crooked Number.   Plus, the MVP of My Heart. (all music by David Temple)