Shows / Back When There Was Baseball
Back When There Was Baseball
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…
Episodes
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Lou Klimchock
Lou Klimchock is our guest on the podcast this week. Lou played in the Majors from 1958-1970 with the Kansas City A's, Milwaukee Braves, Washington Senators…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Jim Rooker
We are going back into the mid-1960s through the 1970s this week with our guest. You should remember Jim Rooker as a Pittsburgh Pirate, but he actually started…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Ken Singleton
Our guest this week is one of the best switch-hitting power hitters of his time period. Ken Singleton joins us this week to talk about his illustrious career…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Glenn Abbott
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Mark Wiley
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Rich Nye
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Tom Satriano
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Dick Stigman
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Clay Dalrymple
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Dave Pagan
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Tommy John Surgery & the Evolution of Pitching
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bill North
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Earl Stephenson
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Brant Alyea
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bob Galasso
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bob Beall
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bob Randall
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Tom Grieve
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Tom Burgmeier
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Dave Dravecky
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Fred Holdsworth
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Steve Grilli
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Gary Lucas
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Glen Rosenbaum
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Tom Bruno
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bob Coluccio
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Chris Speier
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Billy Sample
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Frank Carpin
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bobby Bonner
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bump Wills
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Gary Ryerson
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: 1975 World Series with Pat Darcy
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Jake O'Donnell
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Hector Cruz
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Rich Hand
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Ted Power
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Paul Hartzell
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Balor Moore
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Buzz Capra
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Len Matuszek
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Tom Griffin
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Andy McGaffigan
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Ken Tatum
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Phil Roof
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Gary Neibauer
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Fred Beene
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Jim Price
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bob Lacey
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Dick Bosman
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bruce Kimm
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Danny Boone
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Frank DiPino
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…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Ron Stone
Our guest this week is Ron Stone, former Philadelphia Phillies outfielder from 1969-1972. Ron started his career in the Baltimore Orioles organization, then…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bobby Valentine
We go back in the time machine this week to the late-1960s through the mid-1970s with our guest Bobby Valentine. You should recognize that name, but maybe as…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Al Clark
We are privileged to have long-time American League umpire Al Clark as our guest this week. Al umpired from 1976-2001 and was a member of the umpiring crew in…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Bill Dawley
There were only three players in MLB history that started the year in the Minor Leagues and made the MLB All-Star game. Our guest his week, Bill Dawley, was…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Juan Berenguer
Our guest this week is Juan Berenguer, better known as Senor Smoke, El Gasolino, the Panama Express, or Pancho Villa. Juan was the first Panamanian baseball…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Leo Mazzone
We are blessed to have one of the greatest pitching coaches of all time with us this week. Leo Mazzone joins us to talk about his career as a pitching coach…
Back When There Was BaseballBack When There Was Baseball: Jim Lefebvre
Our guest this week is the 1965 National League Rookie of the Year. His name is Jim Lefebvre, and he played with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1965-1972, then…