Backwards K Pod

!981; The Summer Of Fernandomania

The 1981 MLB season is best remembered for two things; a strike shortened season breaks the season into a story of two halves, and the birth and rise of Fernandomania in Los Angeles. Fernando Valenzuela, was the youngest of 12 siblings, from the backwater town of Etchohuaquila, Mexico. He would rise from abject poverty, to become the bightest star, in the baseball universe in the early 1980's. His play would elevate the game to more new fans to the Major League product, than any player before or since. He would also unite the Dodgers organization with the Mexican population in Los Angeles, 20 years after Dodgers Stadium at Chavez-Ravine was built on a stretch of land, that saw three prominent Mexican-American communities, wiped off the map by eminant domain, for a failed public housing project. #FernandoValenzuela #LosAngelesDodgers #EtchohuaqilaMexico #MikeBrito #AlCampanis #TommyLasorda #Fernandomania #BlueMonday #BobbyCastillo #CarlHubbel #Screwball #BKP #BackwardsKPod #JakeRobinson

The History Of Baseball In Pittsburgh

This week I do a deep dive into the history of baseball in the Steel City. I will give you the genesis backstory on a major league team that has been around since 1882. When a rag-tag group of guys from the Burgh, who called themselves the Alleghenies, would play the then young sport of baseball, after working all day in the mills. I will discuss the rich Negro League heritage of the city, where two of the most consequential Negro League teams, the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays called home. And I dig into the history and construction of Three Rivers Stadium and the Buccos current baseball cathedral, PNC Park. #PittsburghPirates #RobertoClemente #HonusWagner #BillMazeroski #PittsburghCrawfords #HomesteadGrays #PNCPark #ThreeTiversStadium #ExpositionPark #Alleghenies #WillieStargell #ForbesField

Stan ” The Man” Musial; The Donora Greyhound

With his famous corkscrew stance, off balanced follow through, and inside-out swing; line drives came off of Stan Musial's bat like bullets. He spent 22 years in the majors, all with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played in three World Series. and 24 All Star Teams, while winning 7 batting titles, and three league MVP Awards. This week we do a deep character profile dig on " The Man", who is best remembered for his brilliant consistency and gentlemanly disposition. #StanMusial #TheDonoraGreyhound #TheMan #Stashu #LucaszMusial #MaryMusial #OllieVanek #BranchRickey #DickieKerr #LilMusial #SaintLouisCardinals #SportsmanPark

Ty Cobb; The Georgia Peach

I've had to re-learn the Ty Cobb story, that I've heard all of my life, because a fraudulent, hack sportswriter had always set the false narrative. This week i will do a deep character profile study of the great Tyrus Raymond Cobb. Discern between the researched facts and the myths, that made up this most complex man. And hopefully i can be but a piece of justice, for the Ty Cobb legacy, that has been unfairly maligned, in the generations after his death. #TyCobb #GeorgiaPeach ##NarrowsGeorgia #RoystonGeorgia #WHCobb #AmandaCobb #DetroitTigers #GeorgeLeidy #NapoleanLaJoie #TrisSpeaker #BanJohnson #ConnieMack #PhiladelphiaAthletics #WillieMays #RoyCampanella

Jim Abbott

At every level of baseball, Jim Abbott had doubters and skeptics. They doubted him in grade school little-league, high school, college, and the major leagues. He had model size, and a 95 MPH fastball. By any standard, he would be considered great. What made Abbott stand out during his amateur and pro career, were the challenges he overcame to compete at the highest level. Jim was born with a deformed right arm, and ostensibly played the game one-handed. This week we dive into his inspirational story. #JimAbbott #1998Olympics #MichiganWolverines #FlintMichigan #CaliforniaAngels #NewYorkYankees #ChicagoWhiteSox #MilwaukeeBrewers

The Baker Bowl; From Sugar To Sh*t

This week we dive into the history of the Baker Bowl, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1887-1938. There were two versions of the ballpark. While both were considered state of the art engineering marvels of their day, both would be beset by tragedy, and both would devolve from sugar to shit. #BakerBowl #NationalLeaguePark #PhiladelphiaPhillies #AlfredReach #ColonelRogers #WilliamBaker #ReadingRailroad #PhiladelphiaAthletics #ShibePark #TheHump #EdDelahanty #GroverClevelandAlexander #GeraldNugent #ConnieMack

Lou Gehrig; The Iron Horse

This week we do a deep dive into the legend of the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig.
While the roaring 20's was the perfect age, for the larger than life, overindulgent, and bombastic Babe Ruth. The 1930's saw the country headed for dark times, and economic collapse. Baseball now needed a hero who was solid, dependable and dignified. The baseball universe would find that hero in Lou Gehrig. #LouGehrig #NewYorkYankees #EleanorGraceTwitchell #HeinrichGehrig #ChristinaGehrig #CommerceHighSchool #ColumbiaUniversity #JohnMcgraw #AndyCoakley #MillerHuggins #BabeRuth #PeeWeeWanniger #WallyPipp #JoeMcCarthy #ALS

The History Of Baseball In Minnesota

Milwaukee has a rich baseball tradition, and a legacy that goes back to the 1870's. Granted, it's never been the center of the mid-west baseball universe, and never will, considering Chicago's close proximity. But the last quarter of the 19th century, and the first half of the 20th century, often found the city of Milwaukee, in the thick of major league baseball, but never quite able to sustain a big-league club, for the long term. All that changes in 1953, when the Boston Braves came to town. Milwaukee is a baseball town. From the dedicated fandom for their World Series Champion Milwaukee Braves of 1957, to the way a small market Brewers team, stands among the ten best attendance totals year after year. This week we do a deep dive into the history of baseball in the region, and the three stadiums that have been home to the city's teams; Borchert Field, County Stadium and American Family Field. #Milwaukee #MilwaukeeCreams #MilwaukeeBrewers #LloydStreetGrounds #WrightStreetGrounds #MilwaukeeBraves #MilwaukeeBrewers #OttoBorchert #BorchertFields #CountyStadium #BudSelig #MillerPark #AmericanFamilyField