Back When There Was Baseball

We are joined this week by former Major League right-handed pitcher Glenn Abbott. Glenn pitched in the Big Leagues from 1973-1984. He came up in the Oakland A's organization when they won 5 straight AL West titles (1971-1975) and 3 World Series (1972-1974). He was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 1976 expansion draft and played with Seattle from 1977-1983, where he played for the Mariners longer than any other player from their original 1977 opening day roster. We hope you enjoy this look Back When There Was Baseball with the "Swingin' A's" and the Seattle Mariners playing in the Kingdome.

Our guest this week was in the game of baseball for five decades. Mark Wiley talks with us, not only about his playing career, but also his coaching and administrative career. Mark was not highly touted out of high school but had a great college career at Cal Poly Pomona and was drafted in 1970. He threw a ton of innings as a young minor leaguer and developed some arm problems, which hindered his career. When Mark retired as a player in 1980, he went right into coaching and did a great job building the Cleveland Indians staff that was very successful in the late 1990s. Enjoy this conversation with Mark Wiley, Back When There Was Baseball.

Rich Nye joins us this week on the podcast. Rich was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 14th round of the 1966 draft out of Cal-Berkeley and it didn't take him long to make it up to the parent club. He talks about his time with the Cubs and manager Leo Durocher. The Cubs were contenders when he pitched for them in the late 1960s. Rich left baseball and became a veterinarian specializing in exotic and avian medicine. Join us this week as we go Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Rich Nye.

Tom Satriano joins us this week on the podcast. Tom was an original Los Angeles Angel in 1961, signed out of USC's baseball program. He played in the infield as well as catcher throughout his MLB career (1961-1970). The Angels were an expansion team, but quickly played .500 or better baseball and were competitive throughout the 1960s. Tom talks about his career, along with some of his teammates and coaches when we go Back When There Was Baseball.

Former MLB pitcher Dick Stigman joins us this week. Dick was a left-handed pitcher from 1954-1967. He is most remembered for his stint with the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins. Dick had a career record of 46-54 with a 4.03 ERA. But the stat that jumps out is that he started 119 games in his career and completed 30 of those games. Dick also was part of the Minnesota Twins 1965 World Series team. It is with pleasure that we provide Dick Stigman Back When There Was Baseball.

Clay Dalrymple joins us this week. Clay played in the Majors from 1960-1971 with the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles. Clay was part of the Phillies collapse in 1964 and also part of 3 World Series teams with the Orioles from 1969-1971. He reflects on these years and also playing for managers Gene Mauch and Earl Weaver. Clay threw out almost 50% of the base runners that attempted to steal against him and was an outstanding defensive catcher in his days. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with Clay Dalrymple.

Dave Pagan joins us this week on the show and he is our first player who grew up in Canada. Dave grew up in the middle part of Saskatchewan and shares his story of how he overcame the weather and lack of baseball equipment. He played in the Majors from 1973-1977 with the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates before arm trouble ended his career. Join us as we travel Back When There Was Baseball with our first Canadian player.

We have a special podcast this week to discuss Tommy John surgery and how pitching has evolved from our time period Back When There Was Baseball (mid-1960s through the mid-1980s) to today. We are joined by Rich Hand, former MLB pitcher from the 1970s, and one of the best, if not the best, pitching coaches in MLB history, Leo Mazzone. Rich and Leo provide their perspective on these topics. This is a fascinating podcast and should provide you some insight into the current state of pitching compared to the years we cover Back When There Was Baseball.

We revisit the success of the "Swingin' A's" this week. Our guest is Bill North who arrived in Oakland in 1973 and played there through the 1978 season. Bill was part of two World Series championships (1973-1974) and appeared in the 1975 ALCS along with the 1978 NLCS and World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He led the league in stolen bases twice (1974 and 1976) while playing a stellar center field. Bill was successful in both leagues and can be summed up as a WINNER. Join us Back When There Was Baseball with a look back into the 1970s with one of the best center fielders of that era.

Earl Stephenson joins us on the podcast this week. Earl pitched in the Majors/Minors from 1967-1979. He had to endure military service which disrupted his progress early on. Earl was a left-handed pitcher that, whatever the reason, never seemed to get a chance. He had a really good season with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1972 but was abruptly traded to Philadelphia after the season. He had some really good years at AAA after that but was never called up. Earl recalls his career in baseball and provides some insight which answers some of the questions about his career. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with our guest, Earl Stephenson.

We are airing this podcast this week in honor of Brant Alyea, who passed away on February 4, 2024. Brant Alyea joins us this week on the podcast. He had an illustrious career at Hofstra University on the hardwood playing for Butch van Breda Kolff and also on the baseball diamond. Brant signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds in 1962, then the Washington Senators chose him in the first-year minor league draft in November of the same year. Brant talks about the influence Coach Ted Williams had on him as well as his two years in Minnesota before playing for the Oakland A's in 1972. Brant earned the starting spot in right field for the A's in 1972 before pulling a groin muscle in August of that year, which sidelined him for the rest of his career. Look Back When There Was Baseball at the career of Brant Alyea and what it was like playing in the American League from the late 1960s through the early 1970s.

Bob Galasso joins us on the podcast this week. Bob had a short, but very interesting career in the Majors. He came out of Connellsville High School (PA) and his high school did not have a baseball team. After being founded in American Legion ball, he ended up converting to a pitcher shortly after joining the Orioles organization in the Minors. Bob had to work his way up through the Orioles organization with their great staff at the Major League level (Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally, Pat Dobson, Ross Grimsley) and also in the Minors (Mike Flanagan, Scott McGregor, Dennis Martinez). Bob got a break when he was selected in the expansion draft by the Seattle Mariners. He had his best year in 1979 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Enjoy this conversation Back When There Was Baseball with Bob Galasso about how tough it was breaking into the Majors, especially after switching positions.

Bob Beall is our guest this week. Bob played in the Phillies, Braves and Pirates organizations during his career which lasted from 1970-1981. Bob was drafted in the 28th round of the 1970 June Draft by the Philadelphia Philles out of Oregon State University. Bob actually played some 3rd base as a left-handed fielder at Oregon State, which was very unusual. He worked his way to the Major Leagues and had some significant playing time during the 1978 season with Atlanta. Bob was a switch-hitting line drive hitter during his career and played mostly at 1st base. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane to the 1970s Back When There Was Baseball.

Bob Randall is our guest this week. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Kansas State University in 1969. Bob ended up stuck behind those great Dodger infielders in his stint with L.A. (1969-1975) and could not break into the Big Leagues. He got his break when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins in December of 1975. Bob started at 2nd Base with the Twins in 1976 and had a nice year appearing in 153 games. He then platooned with Rob Wilfong for the next few years, before retiring from the game. Bob then got into collegiate coaching heading the Iowa State team (1985-1995) and then the Kansas Jayhawks club (1996-2002). We hope you enjoy this look at Bob Randall and the Minnesota Twins in the mid-late 1970s, Back When There Was Baseball.

Tom Grieve joins us this week. Tom was a 1st round draft pick in the 1966 MLB draft by the Washington Senators. In fact, Tom and his son Ben were the 1st father-son team to both be drafted in the 1st round. He made it up to the Big Leagues in 1970, then in 1972 to stay. Tom was a streaky hitter and finally got a chance to play regularly when Frank Lucchesi became the Texas Rangers manager in 1975-1976. Tom talks about his career as a player, then after baseball, he discusses his career as the Rangers' GM, then their color analyst for many years when we go Back When There Was Baseball.

Our guest this week is Tom Burgmeier. You should remember Tom as a left-handed relief pitcher mainly in the 1970s, but do you really know how good he was? Tom pitched in the Majors from 1968-1984, had a record of 79-55 with an ERA of 3.23. The last six years of his career his ERA was under 3.00. That is incredible considering he was over 35 each of those years. The 1978 one-game playoff between the Red Sox and Yankees was the only postseason game his teams played in. To accomplish all he did, on mostly sub-par teams, is astounding. We hope you enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with Tom Burgmeier.

Our guest this week is remembered for his great comeback from cancer, then the ending of his career in Montreal. But did you remember how effective he was as a left-handed pitcher in the 1980s? Dave Dravecky joins us this week to talk about his playing days at Youngstown State University through his last MLB game with the San Francisco Giants. He broke into the Majors with the San Diego Padres in 1982 and his career ended in 1989 with the Giants. Dave had an ERA of 3.13 with a career record of 64-57. These are outstanding stats and may have led him to Hall of Fame consideration had he been fortunate enough to play longer. Join us as Dave recalls his career as we go Back When There Was Baseball into the 1980s.

Our guest this week is Fred Holdsworth. Fred pitched in the Major Leagues from 1972-1980. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1970 MLB Draft and was looked upon to add to the Tiger pitching staff. He got called up to the Majors rather quickly and couldn't break into the Tigers rotation. He then gets traded to the Baltimore Orioles, who had a better pitching staff. Fred talks about his career, being called up and down from the Minors to the Majors and playing for managers Billy Martin, Ralph Houk, Earl Weaver and Dick Williams. Take a trip with us Back When There Was Baseball.

Steve Grilli joins us this week. Steve came out of Gannon University and was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1970. He worked his way through the Minors and made his Major League debut in 1975. Steve stayed up with the Tigers through the 1977 season and was part of that magical season of 1976 where he was part of the pitching staff that included Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. He is the father of Jason Grilli who also pitched in the Majors for 18 seasons. We hope you enjoy this trip into the mid-1970s Back When There Was Baseball.

Our guest this week is left-handed pitcher Gary Lucas. Don't be fooled by Gary's record of 29-44, as Gary had a career ERA of 3.01 which was phenomenal considering he not only started, but also relieved during his career. He played in the Majors from 1980-1987 for the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos and California Angels. Gary talks about his career and how tough the National League East was when he was with Montreal. He also discusses that infamous Game 5 of the AL Championship Series in 1986 between the California Angels and Boston Red Sox. Sit back and enjoy a look Back When There Was Baseball.

Our guest this week was considered by many who played for the Chicago White Sox as the best batting practice pitcher of all time. Glen Rosenbaum signed with the White Sox in 1955, but never made it to the Big Leagues despite a career record of 95-45. Listen to Glen, or "Rosie" as his teammates referred to him, talk about the reason Manager Al Lopez never brought him up to the Majors. Rosie also shares many stories of his days in baseball, which lasted from 1955-1965 as a player, then until 1998 as a coach/traveling secretary. Enjoy this look Back When There Was Baseball.

Tom Bruno joins us this week. Tom was a pitcher from 1972-1979. He was childhood friends with Randy Poffo (the infamous Macho Man Randy Savage) and they played a lot of baseball together. Tom was in the Kansas City Royals organization and was selected in the expansion draft in November 1976 by the Toronto Blue Jays. After a disappointing season in Toronto in 1977, Claude Osteen helped resurrect his career in St. Louis in 1978, which was his best year in the Majors. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Tom Bruno.

Bob Coluccio is our guest this week. Bob played in the Majors from 1973-1978 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. He is an interesting subject as he fell 35 games short of an MLB pension according to the pre-1980 rules. You will enjoy the stories Bob shares and we review the fact that he is another player that fell through the cracks. Take a trip Back When There Was Baseball and listen to Bob share his story and career through MLB.

Our guest this week holds a special place in host Rex Naylor's heart. Rex was presented a Wilson A2150 baseball glove at 10 years of age by his stepfather, with Chris Speier's autograph on the glove. This inspired Rex to follow our guest this week, Chris Speier's career, and a fabulous career it was. Chris got to the Majors in a hurry with the San Francisco Giants and played in the 1971 NLCS against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was traded in April of 1977 to the Montreal Expos and was a member of the growth of the Expos during the late-1970s through the early 1980s. Join us as "The Alameda Rifle" discusses his career when we go Back When There Was Baseball.

Our guest this week is Billy Sample. Billy came out of James Madison University and was drafted in the 10th round of the free agent draft in 1976 by the Texas Rangers. He was a career .270 hitter for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves. Billy is a mystery, since he was a very productive hitter and left the game in his early 30s which was rather young. He hit in the .280s his last two years. Billy was an outstanding line-drive hitter, who could run the bases well. Listen in as Billy discusses his career and talks about his early exit in the Major Leagues when we travel Back When There Was Baseball.

Frank Carpin joins us this week. Frank played baseball at Notre Dame and was signed into the New York Yankees organization in 1959. The Yankees were known for their great farm system, but at this time (early 1960s) they stripped their coaches out and moved them up to the Big Leagues. This story is how bad the Yankees farm system became which led to their mediocre performance during the CBS years (1965-1972). Frank was part of that minor league system but overcame it with a solid year with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965. Frank talks about working through the Yankees system and finally getting his opportunity in the Big Leagues Back When There Was Baseball.

This is one of the most inspirational stories you will ever hear. The subject of our podcast today is Bobby Bonner. He was a great prospect for the Orioles, drafted in the 3rd round of the 1976 MLB draft behind Cal Ripken, to replace Mark Belanger at shortstop. Unfortunately, due to an unbelievable set of circumstances and setbacks, Bobby never truly received an opportunity in the Big Leagues. However, God had other plans for Bobby's life, and he followed the Lord's calling. This is a fitting story for the Christmas season, and we hope these words inspire you as much as they did us.

Bump Wills joins us on the podcast this week. Bump is the son of Maury Wills and had a successful career along with his father. Bump signed his MLB contract with the Texas Rangers after playing for Bobby Winkles at Arizona State. After only 2 years in the Minor Leagues, Bump made his MLB debut in 1977 and finished 3rd in the running for Rookie of the Year. He played with the Rangers from 1977-1981, then moved over to the National League for a year with the Chicago Cubs. Bump has some great stories to share about his time in the Majors Back When There Was Baseball.

There are two MLB pitchers that were inflicted with polio that we know of. We had Rich Hand on this podcast a few weeks ago and now we have the second, Gary Ryerson. Gary talks about pitching with polio and doing so effectively. He was very close to enrolling at Arizona State, but accepted an offer from the San Francisco Giants. Gary pitched in the Majors and Minors from 1966 through 1976. Listen in as he recounts his career and some very interesting stories Back When There Was Baseball.

What a better way to celebrate baseball than to revisit the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. With us is Pat Darcy. Pat was on the mound when Carlton Fisk hit his infamous home run in Game 6 of this series. Pat shares his memories not only of that game, but of the culmination of the Reds first World Series victory under manager Sparky Anderson. He also discusses what changed the course of direction for the Reds in the regular season that allowed them to win 108 games and finally win it all. This is a great interview Back When There Was Baseball.

Who is the only person to officiate All-Star games in both MLB and the NBA? We have him as our guest this week and his name is Jake O'Donnell. Jake is more noted for his outstanding NBA officiating career (1967-1995), but we are talking with Jake about his MLB umpiring career which spanned from 1967-1971. Jake was the second-base umpire in that momentous 1971 All-Star game held at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. He discusses Reggie Jackson's monstrous home run along with being on the field with so many future Hall-of-Famers. Jake also was elected to umpire the 1971 ALCS between the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland A's. Sit back and enjoy the ride Back When There Was Baseball where Jake relives baseball from his umpire's perspective.

Hector Cruz joins us this week. Hector signed his MLB contract at age 17 in 1970. He came from Arroyo, Puerto Rico along with brothers Jose and Tommy. His career spanned from 1970-1982 along with playing in Japan in 1983. Hector talks about his journey to the U.S. with very little understanding of English. He worked his way to the Big Leagues first appearing in 1973 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Join us Back When There Was Baseball with Hector Cruz as he discusses his career.

Pitcher Rich Hand is our guest this week. Rich is one of only two pitchers in MLB history that played with polio (Gary Ryerson being the other). You will enjoy Rich's stories about playing for the Alaska Goldpanners with Bob Boone, Dave Kingman, Dan Pastorini (yes, the Houston Oilers quarterback) among many others. Rich had some solid seasons with Cleveland and Texas in the early 1970s. He was one of the few pitchers that seemed to get along with Ted Williams. You will enjoy these stories and many others when we take a look Back When There Was Baseball with Rich Hand.

The time machine travels back to the 1980s to take a look at our guest this week, Ted Power. Ted had an interesting path to the Major Leagues, through amateur baseball and Kansas State University. Ted ended up stuck in the mix with a lot of great young pitchers in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, but on October 15, 1982 he got his break, being traded to the Cincinnati Reds. His best years were with Cincinnati in 1984 (11 saves) and 1985 (27 saves). He is one of the few pitchers who was able to start out his career as a relief pitcher, then convert to a starter, then back to a relief pitcher and he was successful at each position. We hope you enjoy this conversation with one of the best pitchers in the 1980s.

We have a Pennsylvania player today, but not one who played for the Philadelphia Phillies or Pittsburgh Pirates. Paul Hartzell played high school baseball for Central Columbia High School near Bloomsburg, PA, then went on to Lehigh University. Paul made it to the Big Leagues for the 1976 season with the California Angels. He was part of that pitching staff which included Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana. Paul was a starter and reliever with the Angels from 1976-1978. He then went to the Minnesota Twins for the 1979 season. Paul developed arm problems, so his career was short, but the stories are fantastic and Paul was a part of those up-and-coming Angels teams in the mid-to-late 1970s. Enjoy the ride down memory lane Back When There Was Baseball.

Balor Moore is our guest this week. Balor started his career on fire with an ERA under 1.00 in his first season in A ball in 1969. He got his first opportunity in the Big Leagues with the Montreal Expos in 1970 and had a really good season in 1972. Unfortunately, Balor gave up Mike Schmidt's (1972) and Mike Tyson's (1973) first home runs. Balor had a thrill of a lifetime when he threw a perfect game in November of 1973 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Balor is a fascinating story and he is fantastic at recalling his career. We take a step Back When There Was Baseball this week to remember Balor Moore and his career.

Buzz Capra joins us this week on the podcast. Buzz was drafted by the New York Mets in 1969 while leading Illinois State to a Division II National Championship. His career lasted from 1969-1977 and he had a part in some great seasons. Buzz was a member of the New York Mets roster that made it to the 1973 World Series, losing to the Oakland A's in 7 games. He was sold to the Atlanta Braves in March of 1974 and the Braves cashed in as Buzz led MLB with a 2.28 ERA. He started 27 games, finishing 11 of them while compiling a 16-8 record. Arm problems developed and his career ended in 1977. Enjoy this interview with Buzz Capra as we go Back When There Was Baseball.

If you are a long-time Phillies fan, you will remember our guest this week. Len Matuszek joins us to discuss his career. Rex remembered Len's contributions in the last month of the 1983 season which culminated in a World Series appearance for the Phils. Len also had a solid 1984 season before being shipped to Toronto. He was a rare 2-sport athlete in college (Toledo) and came to the Phillies with high promise, but never was given much of an opportunity. Len discusses his career and how he ended up with the Dodger organization involved in the 1985 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Sit back Phillies/Dodgers fans and enjoy this interview Back When There Was Baseball.

It is rare that a player who played in every year during the decade of the 1970s is not recognized by either Rex or Steve, but our guest this week fits into that category. Tom Griffin joins us this week as we delve into his "mysterious" career. When we looked at Tom's stats, we were left scratching our heads as to how a player with this much impact on the game went unrecognized by us. Tom had a career record of 77-94 with an ERA of 4.07. He played for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, California Angels, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates in a career that spanned 1969-1982. One very important statistic to note about Tom's career is that once he made the Houston Astros as a roster player out of spring training (1972), he never went back to the Minor Leagues. Join us as we go Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Tom Griffin.

Our guest this week is pitcher Andy McGaffigan. Andy played in the Majors from 1981 through 1991. He has a career record of 38-33 with a respectable ERA of 3.38. Listen in as Andy discusses playing in the Division II World Series, how tough it was to play baseball in Montreal, along with what it was like being a relief pitcher and spot-starter Back When There Was Baseball.

Today's guest is Ken Tatum, relief pitcher 1969-1974. Ken played college baseball at Mississippi State and signed with the California Angels after college. The Angels brought him up to the big leagues in 1969 and he responded with a great season. He appeared in 45 games, saving 22 of them with an ERA of 1.36. Ken also finished 4th in the 1969 AL Rookie of the Year balloting. He was having another good season in 1970, when he hit Paul Blair with a pitch that broke Blair's nose and sidelined him for several games. Listen to Ken discuss this incident along with the rest of his career in a fun interview.

Phil Roof joins us on the podcast this week. Phil started his baseball career in 1959 signed by the Milwaukee Braves and lasted through the 1977 season. He played for the Milwaukee Braves, Los Angeles and California Angels, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City and Oakland A's, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Phil caught one of the best pitching staffs in the game's history with Cleveland (Sam McDowell, Luis Tiant and Sonny Siebert to name a few). He also caught Warren Spahn in spring training, along with Catfish Hunter, Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat and Jim Perry. Phil is full of knowledge about the game and its history. Sit back and enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball.

This week's guest is Gary Neibauer. Gary pitched in the Majors from 1969-1973 for both the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Listen in as Gary discusses his career and playing with greats such as Hank Aaron, Orlando Cepeda, Phil Niekro and Steve Carlton. Gary also discusses that he was touted to be the Phillies second starter in 1972 before he suffered an injury that essentially ended his career. Neibauer is also one of the group of pre-1980 players who had less than four years of credited service and therefore not eligible for a pension.

Our guest this week is Fred Beene. Fred was in the Baltimore Oriole organization during their great years in the 1960s to early 1970s. He had trouble breaking into the Big Leagues until he was traded to the NY Yankees. He had two great years with the Yankees in 1972 and 1973, during the CBS years. If you don't remember Fred, you should, especially if you are a Yankee fan. This man was a very good relief pitcher when given the chance. Listen as Fred talks about baseball in the 1960s-1970s, Back When There Was Baseball.

Jim Price passed away on August 7, 2023. I conducted this interview with Jim in April of 2021. We are re-airing this as a tribute to his life and career. Jim Price is our guest this week. He is currently the color analyst for Detroit Tigers radio broadcasts and has been announcing for almost 30 years. Jim was a member of the 1968 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers. He came out of Hershey (PA) High School to play in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system. Jim was acquired by the Tigers in April of 1967 and made his MLB debut that year. He also was instrumental in the founding of the charity Jack's Place for Autism. Listen in as Jim discusses his baseball career as a player and also as an announcer.

Bob Lacey joins me on the podcast this week. Bob was drafted by the Oakland A's in 1972 at the start of the A's dynasty. Bob made it up to the parent club roster in 1977 after the team was dismantled. Bob had some really good years on the mound for the A's from 1977-1980 when they were rebuilding. You have to look at not only a player/pitcher's statistics, but on what type team they played on. When you look at Bob Lacey, he had some productive seasons with a below-par ball club. We go Back When There Was Baseball this week into the mid-late 1970s with our guest Bob Lacey.

Pitcher Dick Bosman is our guest this week on the podcast. Dick had a very good MLB career on mostly poor teams. Dick was the Washington Senators opening day pitcher for four consecutive seasons and that says something! He threw a no-hitter for the Cleveland Indians on July 19, 1974 against the powerful Oakland A's. He then finished his career with the three-time World Champion A's. Listen as Dick recalls some great stories Back When There Was Baseball.

This week, we are going back to the 45th anniversary of "Birdmania". For those who don't remember, this was in 1976 with Mark "The Bird" Fidrych setting Tiger Stadium in a frenzy with his pitching performance and antics on the mound. Fidrych passed away in 2009, but we have his personal catcher, Bruce Kimm, to talk about that magical season of 1976 for the Detroit Tigers and "The Bird". Kimm caught Fidrych at Evansville (AAA) in 1975 and followed that up in 1976 as his personal catcher on his starts for the Detroit Tigers. Bruce Kimm has gone unnoticed in years past, but we recognize the importance he had in being "The Bird's" battery mate. Listen in as we go back 45 years to that magical season of 1976 and "Birdmania". Open configuration options

Pitcher Danny Boone was the lightest pitcher to pitch in MLB history. He is listed in the stats at 5'8" tall and 150 lbs. Dan will relate that he was closer to 130 lbs. Dan is a descendant of THE Daniel Boone. His first name is Danny, even though MLB, along with other statistical websites, list it as Daniel. Danny started out in the California Angels farm system in 1977. He got his chance in 1981 after he was released by the Angels and signed by the San Diego Padres. Dan had a good season in 1981, but he was always told he was too small and didn't throw hard enough. That is very interesting as he was the top pitcher for the Padres in 1981 for strike outs per nine innings (Top 12 pitchers by innings). Dan also had an 8-year hiatus before coming back and pitching with the Baltimore Orioles in 1990. Enjoy this trip Back When There Was Baseball with our guest Danny Boone.

Our guest this week is Frank DiPino. Frank pitched with several teams and was very effective, mostly through the 1980s. He started out with Milwaukee and unfortunately was traded before appearing in the 1982 World Series. He then played with Houston and was traded in the middle of the 1986 season before he was able to appear in the NLCS against the N.Y. Mets. Frank played effectively in the league from 1981-1993 with an ERA under 4.00 and a record close to .500. Frank has some great stories, so sit back and listen Back When There Was Baseball.