Classic Baseball Radio

Bill James called him “the slowest man who played baseball,” yet his ten years with a batting average over .300 would make him attractive to any team. In his seventeen years, he was the first catcher to earn two NL Batting Awards. He finished with a career .306, but it was one lapse of concentration in Game 4 of the 1939 World Series he would be remembered for. Taking a hard-hit ball without a protective cup in the tenth inning left him dazed while the World Series winning run stole home. Rather than the fateful Game 4, let's step back a few days and remind ourselves that a World Series is more than a single play. Lombardi is still catching, Bucky Walters is his starting pitcher, and the game is in the oppressive and hostile Yankee Stadium. The classic team of Red Barber and Bob Elson are behind the microphone. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA193910050.shtml This game was played on October 5, 1939. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

There are pitchers who have storied careers, workhorses who can support a team’s offence for many years, and pitchers who shine brightly and burn out in a single season. Fritz Peterson was a workhorse. He had a winning record in seven of his eleven years in the Majors and posted a career 133-131 record. His time and productivity with the New York Yankees puts him currently in ninth-place in the all-time games started, and tent on innings pitched. However, it was the year 1970 that truly illuminated his career. With a career-best winning percentage of .645, he reached the psychological milestone of 20 wins on the last day of the season. This was also the year he received his only call up to the All-Star Game, a testament to his exceptional performance. Yet, despite these achievements, he never had the opportunity to play in a post-season game. As the Yankees visit the Athletics, Peterson holds a 2-2 record and he's looking to establish himself in the rotation. Frank Messer and Bob Gamere share play-by-play and color duties in today's classic game. You can find the boxscore here. This game was played on May 7, 1970. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Legendary manager and player Whitey Herzog died this week at the age of 92. Here at Classic Baseball Radio, we'd like to take a moment to remember a career that caught fire after the playing ended, with one of his last appearances on the diamond. Herzog made it to the majors, playing for the Washington Senators in 1956. He spent time with the Athletics, Orioles, and Tigers before retiring from on-field duty in 1963. Only then, with his playing career no longer a hindrance, would Herzog and his bleached near-white hair find the place the Baseball Gods had carved out for him. Working through various backroom roles, from scout and coach to general manager and director, Herzog found his joy one step back from the diamond. As a manager, he excelled, racking up six division wins, three pennants, and one World Series-winning team. For today's game, we're returning to the dead-rubber days of September 1961. The New York Yankees have the pennant pretty much sewn up, and the Orioles have earned third place. Herzog bats in the heart of the order, facing Ralph Terry of the Yankees. Phil Rizzuto takes you up to the sixth inning, with Mel Allen closing out the microphone game. You can find the boxscore here. This game was played on September 20, 1961. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Imagine your playing career saw you selected seven times to play in the All-Star game, led the league in stolen bases, posted four seasons of .300 plus baseball, had a hitting streak of 34 games, and averaged over 100 runs per season throughout your career. Yet his name is one that never stood out, partly because he's on a Red Sox team with the greatest hitter who ever lived… and his older brother was Joe DiMaggio. This is the life of Dom DiMaggio, who spent eleven years of his eleven-year career in the Majors with the Boston Red Sox. As with almost every player in the forties, the prime playing career was given to service during World War 2. David Halberstam called him "the most underrated player of his day”, and it’s not hard to see why. Let’s remember Dom with today’s game, which is a classic. It's 1949, and the Red Sox are facing the New York Yankees. Boston's finest have posted a 96-57 season against the Yankees 96-57. Yep, it's a winner-takes-all game on the final day of the regular season. Dom is leading off for the Red Sox, with his brother Joe in the clean-up spot for the Yankees. Speaking of legends… Mel Allen and Curt Gowdy will take you through this crunch game. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA194910020.shtml This game was played on October 2, 1949. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Can you go through an entire season on First Base without having an error charged to you? Unless your name is Steve Garvey, the answer is no. As you might have surmised, Garvey did just that, posting his yet-to-be-equalled feat in 1984 with the San Diego Padres. With a career .294 on 2599 hits and 272 home runs, Garvey's no slouch. A standout number, though, has to be his 1270 consecutive games played. Let's rewind the clock to 1973. It's September 28th, and the Dodgers have sewn up the division and are in a dead rubber with the San Diego Padres. Garvey is camping out, as always, on first base. Years down the line, he’ll join the Padres from the Dodgers, but there were a few All-Star appearances and one World Series ring before that point. Vin Scully has the microphone. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN197309280.shtml This game was played on September 28, 1973. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

899 games pitched, all in relief, with a lifetime 99-76 record; the delightfully named Sparky Lyle was an era-defining relief pitcher. Take his 1977 Cy Young award, the first AL reliever to do so, twice picking up the AL saves record, and three all-star appearances. Then you have his back-to-back World Series in 77 and 78, plus writing the book on the 78 season ('The Bronx Zoo'). Lyle has the numbers, the prestige, and the passion to lay claim to being one of the most important relievers in the history of the game. He found his grove with the Boston Red Sox before being traded to the New York Yankees… a move which boosted his career but on reflection one the Red Sox might have wished they could have taken back. Let's unite the old and new for today's game as Lyle's Yankees welcome the Lyle-less Red Soxs. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197107100.shtml This game was played on July 10, 1971. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Apart from the occasional “one and done” years, the only team to have a winning record over .500 in every year they played is the Milwaukee Braves. There were losing years under the Boston Braves and Atlanta Braves banners, but the thirteen years in Milwaukee stand apart not just in this franchise but in every franchise. From the pennant-winning streak between 53 and 59, through record-breaking appearances, to a World Series win in 1957, this is a storied part of the team's history. Let's pick up one of those stories for today's game. It's May 1957; not only have the Braves rushed out to a 17-7 record, but their divisional rivals, the Dodgers, are struggling to find their footing. Visiting Country Stadium with a 13-10 record, the Dodgers are hoping the legendary Don Newcombe can pitch them into a winning streak. And don't forget who's behind the microphone… an incredibly young Vin Scully. You can find the boxscore here. This game was played on May 14, 1957. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Johnny Bench was the acknowledged leader of the Big Red Machine, the Cincinnati Reds’ era-defining team that won six divisional titles, four pennants, and two World Series. A master of both offence and defence, Bench held the record for home runs by a catcher for over thirty years, along with two years leading the National League for home runs and three years leading with RBIs. Alongside those awards sit ten Golden Gloves, 100 games or more behind the plate for 13 straight years Bench is arguably Baseball's greatest catcher. Let's celebrate that with a trip to 1974, with Bench posting 108 runs, 33 homers, 129 RBIs, and 315 total bases. As always, the Reds are chasing the Dodgers. Behind 7.5 games at the start of Augst, the Reds are just two games behind as the Pittsburgh Pirates visit Riverfront Stadium Nellie King and Bob Prince are your guides behind the microphone. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CIN/CIN197408130.shtml This game was played on August 13, 1974. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

He's probably the greatest first basemen of all time, with a career .273, 2,583 hits, 1,305 runs, and 1,636 RBI; he was called up to the All-Star game fourteen times, and was the ninth player to reach 500 home runs. Yet Ernie Banks never won a World Series ring. The simple answer is that he started his Major League career with the Chicago Cubs, played with them for eighteen years, and retired from the Majors as a Cub. His one-club career earned him the nickname “Mr. Cub,” which he wore with pride and a smile. Unfortunately, the Cubs’ record over a near two-decade span is best forgotten (especially the 1969 collapse of 17 losses in the last 25 games of the regular season). For today's game, we're going back to September 1962. The New York Mets are finishing up their first season in their temporary home of the Polo Fields. The baseball world expected this to be the final game at the hallowed ground (but some fun and games at Shea Stadium meant the Mets would return here in 1963). The team of Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, and Bob Murphy calls what they think is the final Polo Ground game. The Cubs are 57-100 and second-last in the league, and the Mets are last. In the head-to-head, the bottom of the table teams are level at 7-7 with four games to play… You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196209230.shtml This game was played on 23 September, 1962. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Who’s the best pitcher baseball ever saw? There's a lot of names to cosndier. Who's the best left-handed pitcher baseball ever saw? That list is a lot shorter, and near the top - perhaps at the very top - is Lefty Grove. There’s ’s no louder-than-life personality to help us remember him by; there’s no stunning images on early TV coverage, nor are there mythical stories to pass on. As the image of baseball moved on in the fifties, the exploits of Grove and many of his compatriots faded from sight. Yet Grove's numbers show we're missing something. He has 300 career wins, four times annual winner in the American League, nine times the annual ERA leader, and seven times the strikeout leader. Throw in six All-Star call-ups, and you have a storied career. We join Grove on the mound in 1936. He's moved on from the record-breaking days of the Philadelphia Athletic to the Boston Red Sox… and still breaking records. 1935 saw a 20-12 season a league-winning ERA of 2.90. 1936 is shaping up to be more of the same. The Chicago White Sox welcome Grove and the Red Sox, and George Watson and Hal Totten are taking us through the plays. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA193607310.shtml This game was played on 31 July, 1936. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

If you're looking for the greatest baseball dynasty, you have to consider the Alou brothers. Three exceptional ball players—Felipe, Matty and Jesús—hold a joint first as the first 'three brothers on one team' when they all played for the Giants against the Mets on September 10, 1963. Between them, they gather World Series rings, All-Star appearances, and batting championships before moving into the back offices of various clubs and influencing countless up-and-coming players, including Felipe's son Luis (who would go on to manage the New York Mets in 2019). It's Felipe Alou we're going to highlight. As well as seventeen years playing in the majors, his fourteen years of managing put him in rare company… only himself, Joe Torre, and Frank Robinson have racked up 2000 hits, 200 home runs, and 1,000 managerial wins. All that is ahead of him. For today's classic game, Alou is Milwaukee’s lead-off hitter as they visit Shea Stadium in a doubleheader against the New York Mets. The Braves took the first game 8-2. Can they build on their 10-10 record for the year? Over to WGY Radio for the second game. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196505092.shtml This game was played on 9 May, 1965. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Eleven years after becoming the first expansion team in the American League, the Washington Senators left the capital, headed to Texas, and became the Rangers. It wasn't an easy start, with 100 losses picked up in both 72 and 73. The Rangers would bounce back with 74 and 75's records above .500. Titles would take a little longer, with the franchise not picking up a league title until 1996, a first pennant in 2010, and a first World Series victory in 2023. For this week's broadcast, we're returning to that turbulent 1972. Coming off the All-Star break, The Rangers are on the road and facing a doubleheader against the Yankees. With 40 games left in the season, the Rangers are 26 games behind .500, hoping for a streak to help them lift the spirits of its new fanbase. It would be a futile chase. The Yankees' Frank Messer, Bill White, and Phill Rizzuto broadcast team take you through the game. You can find the boxscore here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197208291.shtml This game was played on 29 August, 1972. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

For the 1961 season, the Washington Senators moved out of the capital to play ball in Minnesota as the Twins. Marque names such as Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison, and Jim Perry helped the team make its mark in its new home. Four years later, the Twins would win the AL pennant and bring it to Minnesota for the first time. As for Washington, the city would not be left without a baseball team. Immediately replacing the Washington Senators in 1961 were… the Washington Senators. The team with an old name was one of two AL expansion teams, and success did not come easy. The team's first pennant was in 2010, but by then, they had moved to Arlington as the Texas Rangers. That first year saw them finish behind everyone else in the AL, posting a 61-100 record. 1961 was the year of a dominant Yankees team, finishing 47 and a half games ahead of the Senators. But what of their head-to-head? We join the Senators at Yankee Stadium on 2nd July; the two teams’ record is 3-3, and we have Bob Delaney hosting, with Phil Rizzuto and Red Barber on the play-by-play. You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA196107020.shtml This game was played on 2 July, 1961. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

A gentleman in demeanour but a superman when slugging. That was Harmon Killebrew, Idaho's greatest home-run hitter and a legend at the plate. He was a 13-times All-Star, a 6-time AL home-run leader, a 3x AL RBI leader, and the 1969 MVP. When he retired, he was fifth in the all-time Home Run record, and his 573 bombs are still enough to hold twelfth place today. He could easily reach the edge of the yard, notably being the first of only four players to ever bat over the left field roof of Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The batting earned him the nickname of "killer" no doubt helped by his name, yet he was seen as one of the politest players in the game. And he's definitely not the slugger in the MLB logo. We join Killebrew and the Twins as they welcome the Yankees to the Metropolitan Stadium. The twins have a commanding 53-29 record—they are on their way to a 102-win season and the first AL pennant for the Twins in Minnesota. Killebrew is in his beloved role as the cleanup hitter and is facing the Yankees Al Downing. Jerry Coleman and Red Barber share the microphone for the Yankees Radio Network. You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN196507110.shtml This game was played on 11 July, 1965. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

He was the the first Caribbean and the first Latin-American player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame; he hit .317 over 17 years with exactly 3000 hits in a career cut short in a tragic plane crash. He was selected for 15 All-Star games, won 12 Gold Gloves as an outfielder, and led the NL batting tables for four years. On top of that, he undertook countless opportunities to work with charities, always looking to make a difference in people’s lives. When the MLB renamed its trophy to the player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team”, The Roberto Clemente Trophy, you know that Clemente's name will echo through the ages. Given his quiet yet powerful presence, let's skip over the World Series and Championship games. A mid-season game feels more appropriate, so we'll turn to the 45-48 Pirates as they visit the 29-63 Expos in 1969. Can Pittsburg keep climbing back up, and reach .500 before the All-Star break? Dave Van Horne and Russ Taylor will take you through the game. You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MON/MON196907170.shtml This game was played on 17 July 1969. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

The Cleveland Indians were the team to beat in 1954, and frankly, nobody in the American League that year showed anything like the form needed to offer a consistent challenge. With a record of 111-43, the Indians walked away with the pennant and a record of .721—a record in the shorter 154-game seasons. They were the clear favorites going into the 1954 World Series, so it was a shock to lose two on the road to the New York Giants. With Game 3 in Cleveland, it was time to regain control from the Giants and get back on track to win the World Series. At least, that's what the Lakefront crowd hoped for. We've got Al Helfer and Jimmy Dudley taking us through the third game of the Fall Classic. You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE195410010.shtml This game was played on October 1, 1954. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Knuckleballer Wilbur Wood may not be one of the first names that come to mind when you ask about notable pitchers, but he left his mark in the books. Take the 1968 season, where he set the record for games pitched (88). He held the AL record for starting games for four years running, with a record 49 games started in 1972. And in 1972 he set a record that stands to this day. 376 and two-thirds innings pitched in a single season. Let's skip over the other record he still holds, namely the most hits allowed in a single season, with 381 in the 1973 campaign. Today's game is part of that marathon 1972 season. Wilbur Wood is the starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox as they welcome the Boston Red Sox… the team that gave Wood his first MLB start back in 1961. Ned Martin and Dave Martin split commentary duties. You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA197208201.shtml This game was the first game of a double-header on August 20, 1972. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

It would be hard for any pitcher to stand out with Sandy Koufax as a teammate. Don Drysdale made it look easy. The left-handed Koufax and the right-handed Drysdale are arguably the best pairing in Los Angeles sporting history, no matter the sport. Drysdale's lifetime ERA of 2.95 curiously matches his World Series ERA on a 3-3 record. Putting aside the first and last years of his 14-year career, he had more than ten wins per season, with 49 shutouts to his name. And he's sixth on the all-time 'Home runs by pitchers' table. Drysdale spent his entire time in the majors with the Dodgers, first in Brooklyn and then in Los Angeles. He held the club record for wins (209) when he retired, but his retirement was a historic moment for another reason. He was the last of the Brooklyn Dodgers on LA's roster. For today's broadcast, we're early in the 1963 season. The Dodgers are 25-16 and welcome the New York Mets who have posted a 16-25 record. Drysdale is on the mound, and he's never going to leave it until the game is over, no matter what the Mets throw at him. Behind the microphone, there are the familiar voices of Lindsey Nelson, Ralph Kiner, and Bob Murphy on the New York Mets Radio Network. You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN196305220.shtml This game was played on May 22, 1963. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Minnie Miñoso earned his legendary status countless times. He was the first Afro-Latino in the Majors, the first black player for the White Sox, and one of the first Latin Americans in the All-Star Game. He picked up three Gold Gloves, batted eight seasons over .300, and was the second player to appear in major league games in five different decades. Of course the White Sox retired #9. Our broadcast today goes back to 1953, and Miñoso is on course to post a .313 for the year. The White Sox have 42 wins so far and welcome the Browns, with just 27 wins, to Comiskey Park. Al Helfer and Art Gleason share the microphone, and they'll have their work cut out for them… everyone loves filling airtime when there's a mid-game rain delay! You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA195307010.shtml This game was played on July 1, 1953. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message

Let's take another game to appreciate the legendary Nolan Ryan. A Hall of Famer who played in the major leagues for 27 years, Ryan laid claim to be one of the greatest pitchers of all time. A lifetime .526 record, a record 5714 strikeouts, a record seven career no-hitters, a joint-record 12 one-hitters, and appearances in four separate decades. Yet he never won a Cy Young Award… perhaps another record he holds (most career walks by a pitcher, at 2795) played a part in that. His career took off when the California Angels picked him regularly as a starting pitcher after the Mets traded him in late 1971. We’ll jump forward a few years to the end of the 1973 season… a season with Ryan throwing two no-hitters and setting a high-water mark of 383 strikeouts. Ryan is on the mound and facing divisional rivals, the Minnesota Twins, in a final four-game series of the year. It's a dead rubber in the AL West, but the series will determine who finishes third in the league. The teams have a 7-7 record against each other, but the Angels are four games back. Four wins, and the Twins are overhauled. The pressure of pride is on. Dick Enberg and Dave Niehaus are behind the microphone. You can find the boxscore here. https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL197309270.shtml This game was played on September 27, 1973. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/classicbaseballradio/message