Backwards K Pod

Ted Williams; The Splendid Splinter

As long as Ted Williams could remember, his goal in life was to have people point at him one day and say, " There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived."
And while the the debate over the greatest hitter of all time will forever be vociferously argued by baseball fans as long as the sport is alive, One thing is for sure, The Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame, The Kid, deserves inclusion in any discussion on the topic.
From the multiple batting titles, MVP's, and Triple Crowns that he won, to missing his prime years defending the country in World War II and the Korean Conflict, This is the complex story of a complex man. Both loved and loathed, but ultimately respected for being a true American hero as well as a damn fine baseball player.

The Death Of Ray Chapman

The 1920 AL Pennant race was tighter than a bullfrog's ass. The Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox were in a virtual tie, while the New York Yankees are breathing down their neck a mere half game back in the standings. This would set the stage for the start of a pivitol three game series; Tribe vs the Yankees, at the Polo Grounds.
Game one, August 16th, 1920, saw Indians Shortstop Ray Chapman take a Carl Mays fastball to his head in the fifth inning. He would die 12 hours later, becoming the first and only MLB player to die as a direct result of an injury suffered in a major league game. This is the gruesome detailed account of that fateful day. How it changed lives? How it changed the game?
#RayChapman #CarlMays #ClevelandIndians #NewYorkYankees #PoloGrounds

The Big A Of Anaheim

This week, Backwards K Pod will be examining the history of The Big A; Angels Stadium of Anaheim.
From her humble beginnings of rural farmland, that once produced oranges, corn and alfalfa sprouts, to the home of a major league franchise that now produces Salmon and Trout. The 56 year old structure is now the fourth oldest stadium in the majors and has a checkered past that includes two major facelifts, country and western crooner Gene Autry, the NFL Rams and Disney.
THe Magic Kingdom may be the place where all the tourist go, but for the locals, the Magic Kingdom will always be the Big A.
#CaliforniaAngels #AnaheimAngels #GeneAutry #DelWebb #RexCoons #DodgersStadium #TheBigA #LongBeachAngels #NolanRyan #LARams

The Yankees Husband Swap

New York Yankees teammates and best friends, Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson would confide in one another that they were in love with each other's wives.
In one of the most bizarre baseball press conferences ever, The two players would announce that their wives had officially agreed in principle, to trading them AND their dogs to one another to live as their significant other.
This week's SHORT Stop POD, we examine the swapping of lives. What went right? What went wrong?
Backwards K Pod
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#FritzPeterson #MikeKekich #NewYorkYankees #MarilynKekich #SusannePeterson #RalphHouk #GeorgeSteinbrenner #Indians #Rangers #Mariners #MauryAllen

Baseball In The Kingdom Of The Netherlands SHORT Stop POD

When most people think of the Netherlands, they think Amsterdam, the Red Light District. the Devil's Lettuce and windmills. And while soccer is by far the number one sport in the country, the Dutch have become a powerful European baseball force.
As more and more quality players arrive from the Kingdom every year to the majors, I take a historical look at the oldest baseball league outside of the Americas, as well as the bright future of Dutch baseball.

Vin Scully Tribute

A bonus show, solemn tribute to arguably the greatest baseball play by play announcer who ever lived, Mr Vincent Edward Scully.
With his golden throated delivery, powerful command of the English language and impeccable timing, he deployed his oratory skills in a true art form. With a 67 year Dodgers career on his impressive resume, nearly all living baseball fans today, can mark a passage of time in their own lives, with the acknowledgement of his steady and familiar presence. Scully was the soundtrack of my sport's life when i was a mere boy and then when I became an old man. He was inherited art, handed down to me by my grandfather.
This is a bonus show tribute, to the remarkable life of Vin Scully
#VinScully #BrooklynDodgers #RedBarber #MelAllen #SandyKoufax #LADodgers #BranchRickey #WalterOMalley

The Mahatma; Branch Rickey

In a career that spanned over decades and generations, and with the constantly evolving nature of baseball, Branch Rickey was an innovative mind that changed the game forever.
He invented the Minor League farm system and batting helmets. He created the first Spring Training complex and advanced metrics like On Base Percentage and Total bases. Of course, he is most notably known for facilitating the arrival of Jackie Robinson, to the Brooklyn Dodgers, to smash the color line. His impact on the game is unparalleled even to this day and he is arguably the greatest baseball General Manager who ever lived. This is his story....
#BranchRickey #StLouisBrowns #StLouisCardinals #GasHouseGang #BrooklynDodgers #JackieRobinson #PittsburghPirates #RobertoClemente #Mahatma

1979 We Are Family Pittsburgh Pirates

The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, after a dreadful 4-10 start, makes some savvy trades and adopt the Sister Sledge hit song We Are Family as the team's motto. After a furious streak of winning baseball, the underdog Buccos, would work their way out of last place to finally overtake the Expos and Phillies for the NL East Pennant. After destroying the Reds in the 1979 NLCS, the Pirates would take on the favored Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, for the second time during the 70's.
Down three games to one in the World Series, patriarch Willie Stargell would galvanize his family and lead them to achieve the impossible.
#PittsburghPirates #BaltimoreOrioles #ChuckTanner #BillMadlock #DaveParker #WillieStargell #EarlWeaver #EddieMurray #KenSingleton #MikeFlanangan #OmarMoreno