Show overview
Back When There Was Baseball has been publishing since 2023, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 166 episodes. That works out to roughly 150 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 47 min and 58 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language History show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 19 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Rex Naylor.
From the publisher
Step into the golden era of America's Pastime with "Back When There Was Baseball." Uncover the untold stories, thrilling triumphs, and heart-wrenching trials of the sport's most iconic figures, spanning from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s - a transformative era when the baton was gracefully handed from titans like Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays to the new generation of legends like Johnny Bench, George Brett, Mike Schmidt, and Nolan Ryan. Each episode of "Back When There Was Baseball" is more than a mere retrospective; it's a journey through time. We weave together the intricate narratives of these athletes' careers, personal lives, and the broader socio-political context of their times. This is where you'll find the real drama, the human stories behind the home runs and record-breaking performances. But our journey won't stop there. We'll occasionally veer off the beaten path, reaching back into the 1950s - a time many argue was the apex of Major League Baseball. Expect special episodes dedicated to this remarkable decade, spotlighting its most distinguished players and most memorable games. "Back When There Was Baseball" is more than a podcast; it's your ticket to the front row of history. Whether you're a baseball enthusiast, a history buff, or simply someone who loves a good story, this podcast is your gateway to an era of baseball that shaped the game we know and love today. So, grab your cap, dust off your mitt, and join us for a fascinating journey into the heart of baseball's most legendary moments.
Latest Episodes
View all 166 episodesBack When There Was Baseball: Leron Lee
Back When There Was Baseball: Bill Haller
Back When There Was Baseball: Al Woods
Back When There Was Baseball: Pat Zachry
Back When There Was Baseball: Darrel Chaney
We travel back to the 1970s with our guest this week. Darrel Chaney played in the Majors from 1969-1979. He started out his athletic career as a Parade All American quarterback in 1965. Darrel turned down scholarship offers to Notre Dame and Michigan State to pursue his baseball career. He made his name as a utility-infielder, but as all utility players will tell you, they intended to be starters and Darrel was no exception. But when you look at the Cincinnati Reds lineup during the years he was with the club (1969-1975), you had to have been an outstanding player to even make the team. Darrel was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 1976 where he finally got his chance to start and had the best season of his career. Join us as we go Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Darrel Chaney.
Back When There Was Baseball: Don Cooper
We merge modern day baseball with baseball played 40+ years ago when we go Back When There Was Baseball. Don Cooper joins us this week. Don played in the Minor/Major Leagues from 1978-1987 with stints in the Majors with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. His experience as a pitcher helped him immensely as he became a pitching coach and had a long stint with the Chicago White Sox from 2002-2020. What is amazing about this long stint is that he worked for 4 different managers: Jerry Manuel, Ozzie Guillen, Robin Ventura and Rick Renteria. He was part of the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox and coached some outstanding pitchers during his tenure.
Back When There Was Baseball: John Doherty
We take the time machine back to the early 1970s with our guest John Doherty. John was drafted in the 1st round of the 1970 MLB January Draft - Secondary Phase by the California Angels. He played in the Major/Minor Leagues from 1970-1978. John suffered an arm injury early in his career which relegated him to 1st Base. He broke into the Majors in 1974 with the Angels and had a decent season. He also played in the Majors in 1975 which was the last time he played in the Major Leagues. Join us as we go Back When There Was Baseball with our guest John Doherty.
Back When There Was Baseball: Curt Kaufman
Curt Kaufman joins us this week. Curt received a scholarship out of high school to play baseball at Iowa State University. After that he was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the New York Yankees on July 10, 1979. He worked his way through the minor leagues rather quickly and was named the International League Relief Pitcher of the Year in 1983 with 25 saves while playing for Columbus. Curt first appeared in the Majors with the Yankees in 1982 and was up for a short stint in 1983. He was traded to the California Angels in December of 1983 in exchange for Tim Foli. He played the 1984 season with the Angels and never made it back to the Big Leagues as elbow surgery curtailed his career. Join us as we go Back When There Was Baseball to the early 1980s with our guest Curt Kaufman.
Back When There Was Baseball: Doug Rau
Doug Rau joins us this week. Doug had a good collegiate career at Texas A&M which earned him a #1 draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the secondary phase of the June 1970 draft. He had an 81-60 record with a career ERA of 3.35 from 1972-1981. However, Doug may be best known for his infamous mound visit during Game 4 of the 1977 World Series as manager Tommy Lasorda was mic'd. He was a very effective pitcher until arm problems curtailed his career. Doug was part of 3 World Series teams, however the Dodgers lost all 3 (1974 to the Oakland A's and 1977-1978 to the New York Yankees). Join us as we travel Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Doug Rau.
Back When There Was Baseball: Rudy Meoli
Rudy Meoli joins us this week. Rudy played in the Major and Minor Leagues from 1969-1979 for several teams (California Angels, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies). He got up to the Majors in 1971 for a short stint, but 1973 was the season that he established himself. Rudy started at 2B for the Phillies during that infamous 23-22 game with the Cubs on May 17, 1979, which ended up being his last year in the Major Leagues. Join us as we take a trip Back When There Was Baseball to the 1970s with our guest Rudy Meoli.
Back When There Was Baseball: Rich Garcia
American League umpire Rich Garcia joins us this week. Richie was one of the most highly respected umpires of his time period (1976-1999). During his career, he worked 2 All-Star games (1980, 1992), 3 ALDS (1995, 1997, 1998), 5 ALCS (1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1996) and 4 World Series (1981, 1984, 1989, 1998). Richie was part of some memorable post-season games including the great 1982 ALCS between the Milwaukee Brewers and California Angels. He was the first base umpire in Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS when Donnie Moore served up the infamous home run ball to Dave Henderson of the Red Sox. Richie was scheduled to be the left field umpire in Game 3 of the 1989 World Series before the earthquake delayed the series. Enjoy this look Back When There Was Baseball with umpire Rich Garcia.
Back When There Was Baseball: John Werhas
We take the time machine this week Back When There Was Baseball to the mid-1960s with our guest John Werhas. John was signed in 1960 by the Dodgers after being a 2-sport athlete out of USC (baseball and basketball). He was the opening day starter at 3rd base for the Dodgers in 1964. After he struggled hitting, Manager Walt Alston inserted Junior Gilliam at 3rd base which provided the Dodgers with an all-switch-hitting infield in 1965 (1B - Wes Parker, 2B - Jim Lefebvre, SS - Maury Wills, 3B - Junior Gilliam). John exited baseball after the 1973 season and devoted his life to the ministry.
Back When There Was Baseball: Art Howe
There were a few players in the 1970s whom Rex was told to emulate if he wanted to play Big League Baseball. Art Howe was one of them and he is our guest this week. Art started his athletic career as a football player at the University of Wyoming. After an injury, he concentrated on baseball and it paid dividends. Art started out in the Pirates organization but was traded to the Houston Astros and finally made it to the Majors permanently at the age of 30 in 1977. He was able to play all infield positions and was part of the Greatest 5-Game NLCS in history when the Astros lost to the Phillies in 1980. Not only did Art have a solid Major League career, but he followed that up with a solid managing career with a record of 1129-1137. We travel Back When There Was Baseball to the mid-1970s through the early-1980s with our esteemed guest, Art Howe.
Back When There Was Baseball: Ellis Valentine
When you talk about the greatest outfield arms in the history of the game players such as Roberto Clemente, Dave Parker and Ichiro Suzuki come to mind. However, our guest this week may have the greatest arm of them all. Ellis Valentine joins us to talk about his MLB career. Ellis was drafted in 1972 in the 2nd round by the Montreal Expos and made his Major League debut in 1975. He was part of that great outfield in the late 1970s which consisted of himself, Andre Dawson and Warren Cromartie. He was traded to the New York Mets in 1981 and also played for the California Angels and Texas Rangers to end his career. Injuries curtailed his career, but we consider Ellis one of the better players of his generation. Join us as we go Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Ellis Valentine.
Back When There Was Baseball: Tom Murphy
Tom Murphy joins us this week. Tom played in MLB from 1967-1979 with the California Angels, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. He pitched as a starter and a reliever. Tom was drafted out of Ohio University in 1967 and made his Major League debut with the Angels in 1968. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Tom Murphy.
Back When There Was Baseball: John Morlan
John Morlan is our guest this week. He played in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from 1971-1977 with stints in the Major Leagues in 1973 and 1974. John is our first guest that was drafted 4 times before signing with the Pirates out of Ohio University. He participated in the 1974 season which included the Dock Ellis incident where Dock attempted to hit every Cincinnati Reds batter on May 1. The Pirates also won the National League East but lost to the L.A. Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with John Morlan.
Back When There Was Baseball: Skip Lockwood
Our guest this week is former MLB pitcher Skip Lockwood. Skip signed with the Kansas City A's in 1964 for the unbelievable sum of $135,000. He started out at 3rd base and played behind Ed Charles in 1965 with the parent club. He had trouble hitting, especially during night games and was transitioned into a pitcher. Skip played for the A's, Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. He excelled with the Mets from 1975-1979 mainly as a closer. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Skip Lockwood.
Back When There Was Baseball: Doug Corbett
Doug Corbett joins us this week. Doug played college baseball at the University of Florida but was not drafted. He signed with the Kansas City Royals for $500 on a free agent contract in 1974. Doug debuted with the Minnesota Twins in 1980 and had a great year as a relief pitcher, which resulted in a 3rd place finish for Rookie of the Year award (behind Joe Charboneau and Dave Stapleton). He played for the Twins, California Angels and Baltimore Orioles in a career that lasted through the 1987 season. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Doug Corbett.
Back When There Was Baseball: Mike Stenhouse
We travel Back When There Was Baseball this week to the 1980s with our guest Mike Stenhouse. Mike was one of the best hitters in Ivy League history coming out of Harvard before signing with the Montreal Expos in 1980. Mike was able to hit everywhere he played, but he struggled when he got to the Majors. We speak with Mike about having to break into the lineup playing behind Andre Dawson, Warren Cromartie, Tim Raines, Terry Francona and Al Oliver to name a few. He talks about not getting a chance to play on a regular basis, which he needed to become consistent as a hitter. Mike shares some great stories and elaborates on the game being a "business" as we go Back When There Was Baseball.
Back When There Was Baseball: Sam Ewing
Our guest this week was All-Everything out of the University of Tennessee before he entered the professional ranks. Sam Ewing hit .412 during his career at Tennessee garnering him All-American status. After competing in the World Amateur Games, he started his Major League baseball career. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and had stints with the parent club in 1973 and 1976. Sam was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays out of the expansion draft in 1976. He had a very productive year in 1977, hitting .287 while platooning. Sam takes us on a trip Back When There Was Baseball and talks about being platooned and also being labeled, which was prevalent in the 1970s.