A special presentation from the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse. Our first podcast during these pandemic times… In the Fall of 2017, the now shuttered brick-and-mortar location of the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse hosted “Baseball in Black and White: The Watercolor Paintings of James Fiorentino.” In the Fall of 2021, the Studio 7 Fine Art Gallery in Bernar…

San Francisco Year Zero: Political Upheaval, Punk Rock, and a Third-Place Baseball Team with Lincoln Mitchell Special Roundtable Guests: Jennifer Blowdryer and Kenneth Sherrill A wide-ranging conversation touching on San Francisco in the 1970s, George Moscone, Harvey Milk, Dan White, urban America, political campaigns, city government, the San Fran…

War in the Ring with John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro -- and special Roundtable Guest: Mitch Nathanson. A wide-ranging conversation touching on a behind-the-scenes look at the writing process and the challenges of a Young Adult book, Joe Louis and the IRS, Max Schmeling’s actions during the Nazi regime, Jim Bouton, Dick Allen, Willie Horton and the D…

Doc, Donnie, The Kid, and Billy Brawl with author Chris Donnelly and special Roundtable Guest: Tony Denera. We discussed Major League baseball in 1980s New York, Gary Carter, Don Baylor, Nelson Doubleday, George Steinbrenner, Frank Cashen, Seinfeld, Bat Day, Billy Martin, Ed Whitson, the National and American Leagues, the All-Star Game, Duane Reade…

Inside the tailgating, ticket-scalping, mascot-racing, dubiously funded, and possibly haunted monuments of American sport "For one year, I traveled the United States visiting sports stadiums -- all manner of arenas, domes, ballparks -- for the purpose of writing a book. The idea was to go beyond the ball games and architectural blueprints to explor…

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, tucked away in upstate New York in a small town called Cooperstown, is far from any major media market or big league stadium. Yet no sports hall of fame's membership is so hallowed, nor its qualifications so debated, nor its voting process so dissected. Since its founding in 1936, the Hall of Fame's st…

The untold story behind the first great sports film... The Pride of the Yankees: Lou Gehrig, Gary Cooper, and the Making of a Classic On July 4, 1939, baseball great Lou Gehrig stood in Yankee Stadium and gave a speech that contained the phrase that would become legendary: "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." He died two y…

A franchise and fan base in perpetual search of validation finally had its ticket punched as 2016 dawned. Mike Piazza, who held records in one hand and a city's rapt attention in the other, gained election to the Hall of Fame. Within weeks of this long-awaited announcement, the ballclub with whom he chose to cast his eternal lot, the New York Mets,…

"Making My Pitch: A Woman's Baseball Odyssey" tells the story of Ila Jane Borders, who despite formidable obstacles became a Little League prodigy, MVP of her otherwise all-male middle school and high school teams, the first woman awarded a baseball scholarship, and the first to pitch and win a complete men's collegiate game. After Mike Veeck signe…

Baseball in the 1920's is most known for Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees, but there was another great Yankees player in that era whose compelling story remains untold. Urban Shocker was a fiercely competitive and colorful pitcher. With the 1927 Yankees, widely viewed to be the best team in Major League Baseball history, Shocker pitched with guts…

A Pulitzer Prize-winner returns to the Clubhouse. It Happens Every Spring: DiMaggio, Mays, the Splendid Splinter, and a Lifetime at the Ballpark -- opinions and reflections on the National Pastime from one of New York's most popular sportswriters. As these gents would say... "It can be stated as a law that the sportswriter whose horizons are no wid…

The real Joe DiMaggio -- remembered by the man who knew him best in the last decade of his life. Candid and little-known stories about icons from Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and his Yankees teammates on the field to Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and other great celebrities off the field. Dr. Rock Positano, an internationally renowned foot specialist…

Hank Greenberg was coming off a stellar season where he hit 40 home runs and had 184 RBIs. Even with his success at the plate, neither Greenberg nor the rest of the world could have expected what was about to happen in 1938. From his first day in the big leagues, the New York-born Greenberg had dealt with persecution for being Jewish. From a teamma…

As a player, Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel's contemporaries included Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson... and he was the only person in history to wear the uniforms of all four New York teams: the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, and Mets. For more than five glorious decades, Stengel was the undisputed, quirky, hilarious, and beloved face of…

buck•et list - noun informal - a number of experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or accomplish during their lifetime All New York Yankees fans have a bucket list of activities to take part in at some point in their lives. But even the most die-hard fans haven't done everything there is to experience. Sportswriter Mark Feinsand led…

"The '60s were a time of conflict, progress, tragedy, triumph, and unforgettable events in the nation and its pastime. One Nation Under Baseball connects the two in revealing and insightful fashion." -Bob Costas One Nation Under Baseball highlights the intersection between American society and America's pastime during the 1960s, when the hallmarks …

"Quit praying for me alone, Ma, and pray for the whole team." -Jackie Robinson's letter to his mother in 1947, his rookie season Journalist and baseball lover Ed Henry reveals for the first time the backstory of faith that guided Jackie Robinson into not only the baseball record books but the annals of civil rights advancement as well. Through rece…

"Keep your temper. A decision made in anger is never sound." Ford Frick is best known as the baseball commissioner who put the "asterisk" next to Roger Maris's record. But his tenure as commissioner carried the game through pivotal changes -- television, continued integration, West Coast expansion and labor unrest. During those 14 years, and 17 mor…

In his shrewd analysis -- Will Big League Baseball Survive? -- Lincoln Mitchell asks whether the sport will continue in its current form as a huge, lucrative global business that offers a monopoly in North America and whether those structures are sustainable. Mitchell places baseball in the context of the larger, evolving American and global entert…

"I just won the Nobel Prize of baseball." -Elston Howard, American League MVP, 1963 Snubs. Grudges. Conspiracies. Incompetence. All in a day's work for some of those who vote on Baseball's Most Valuable Player Award. From its colorful and scandalous beginnings more than a century ago, the MVP has evolved into the most prestigious -- and contentious…

“This is a tough park for a hitter when the air conditioning is blowing in.” -Bob Boone When it opened in 1965, the Houston Astrodome -- nicknamed the Eighth Wonder of the World -- captured the attention of a nation, bringing pride to the city and enhancing its reputation across the country. It was a Texas-sized vision of the future, an unthinkable…

White, black, Jewish, Christian, wealthy, working class, conservative, liberal -- the Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1960s embodied the disparate cultural forces at play in an America riven by race and war. In “The Last Innocents,” award-winning writer Michael Leahy tells the story of this mesmerizing time and extraordinary team through seven players -…

“For all who care about baseball, character, and leadership, Michael Tackett has brought us the inspiring and unforgettable story of a phenomenal coach and his legacy.” -Michael Beschloss, historian and political commentator Clarinda, Iowa, population 5,000, sits two hours from anything. There, between the corn fields and hog yards, is a ball field…

“Ralph Kiner was a jewel. He loved the game of baseball. He loved to talk baseball.” -Tom Seaver One of the staples of the long and storied history of baseball on television is the postgame show, and none was more beloved than “Kiner’s Korner.” From the early 1960s into the 1990s, Hall of Famer and iconic broadcaster Ralph Kiner hosted the show tha…

“The Freedom of Information Act is a critical and sometimes underappreciated tool that allows all of us access to the records of our government. It was through the act that I obtained copies of more than nine hundred pages of FBI documents related to the Black Legion. These proved vital.” -Tom Stanton In the mid-1930s, Detroit reigned as the City o…

“When he was eight, Dad got into a name-calling fight with the little white girl who lived across the street. The children’s verbal battle was interrupted when the girl’s father came outside and started throwing rocks at my father.” -Sharon Robinson, Jackie’s daughter "Jackie Robinson In Quotes: The Remarkable Life of Baseball's Most Significant Pl…

In 1966, Jim Palmer was just 20 years old when he became the youngest pitcher to throw a World Series shutout, helping lead the Baltimore Orioles to their first-ever championship. Two years later, Palmer's budding career almost ended due to arm problems. Yet, he mounted an inspiring comeback and reached the pinnacle of his profession, becoming the …

“All things considered there are only two kinds of men in the world -- those that stay at home and those that do not. The second are the most interesting.” -Rudyard Kipling The stellar play and fascinating backstories of exiled Cuban ballplayers in Major League Baseball has become one of the biggest headlines in America's national pastime. On-field…

What would happen if two statistics-minded outsiders were allowed to run a professional baseball team? It’s the ultimate in fantasy baseball: You get to pick the roster, set the lineup, and decide on strategies -- with real players, in a real ballpark, in a real playoff race. That’s what baseball analysts Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller got to do when…

“The Cubs became a metaphor for the underdog, the loser, lovable or not, that we as a species can’t help but instinctively pull for.” -Joe Mantegna, actor "The Last Chicago Cubs Dynasty: Before The Curse" by Hal Bock The last time the Chicago Cubs played in the World Series, World War II had just ended. The last time they won a World Series, World …

“I believe God Almighty hisself would have trouble handling Richie Allen.” -George Myatt, Philadelphia Phillies’ interim manager, 1969 When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Dick Allen in 1960, fans of the franchise envisioned bearing witness to feats never before accomplished by a Phillies player. A half-century later, they’re still trying to make …

“I’m so proud of what we accomplished in that magical 1986 season and the brotherhood that we still have for one another all these years later. Enjoy this personal portrayal of one of baseball history’s greatest and most charismatic teams.” -Davey Johnson In 1986, the bad guys of baseball won the World Series. “What if I actually went out and visit…

“Larry Doby’s trials, and the triumphs that earned him a place in Cooperstown, are a stirring story wonderfully told by Douglas Branson.” -George F. Will Just eleven weeks after Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, Larry Doby became the first black player to integrate the American League, signing with the Cleveland Indians in July 1947. Dob…

“The Mets are gonna be amazing.” -Casey Stengel, circa 1975 They were coming off a seemingly endless string of losing records. They were considered years away from legitimate contention. They were derided and disregarded as a matter of course. But in 2015, the New York Mets changed their course and changed their story. The result was the best kind …

How one team embraced tradition and Moneyball at the same time... The St. Louis Cardinals have experienced the kind of success that is rare in baseball. They not only win, but do so with an apparently bottomless pool of talent, one that is mostly homegrown. “The Cardinal Way” -- a term that has come to represent many things to fans, media, and othe…

“Desegregation in baseball was hard on everybody.” -Monte Irvin, Hall of Famer An extraordinary history of the Negro Leagues and the economic disruptions of desegregating a sport Roberta Newman and Joel Nathan Rosen examine how the relationship between black baseball and black businesses functioned, particularly in urban areas with significant Afri…

A former CIA analyst walked through the Clubhouse door... In The Golden Era of Major League Baseball: A Time of Transition and Integration, Bryan Soderholm-Difatte explores the significant events and momentous changes that took place in baseball from 1947 to 1960. Beginning with Jackie Robinson’s rookie season in 1947, Soderholm-Difatte provides a …

“Coming events cast their shadows before.” -Thomas Campbell, Scottish poet On January 1, 1966, New York came to a standstill as the city’s transit workers went on strike. This was the first day on the job for Mayor John Lindsay. He would approach the transit shutdown with the sort of dynamic problem solving that would be his hallmark. He ignored th…

“Passion is the genesis of genius.” -Galileo Baseball Immortal: Derek Jeter takes you on a remarkable forty-year journey, letting you step inside the great Yankee shortstop’s life and career through his own words and those of the people who have known him best personally and in the sports community. The result is an incredible, insightful look at w…

Meet Arnold Hano. He might be the Babe Ruth of writers. Arnold has been published in nine decades, wrote twenty-seven books, sold over a million of them, and penned 500 magazine and newspaper articles. Hano! A Century in the Bleachers is the story of the extraordinary life and times of 93-year-old Arnold Hano, one of the most prolific writers of th…

In February 1947, the most memorable season in the history of the Cuban League finished with a dramatic series win by Almendares against its rival Habana. As the celebration spread through the streets of Havana and across Cuba, the Brooklyn Dodgers -- and a minor leaguer named Jackie Robinson -- were beginning spring training on the island. Robinso…

We are continually pulled to the story of the 1919 World Series and the Chicago White Sox -- The Black Sox -- because so much of modern sport, and our attitude towards it, springs from the scandal. In The Betrayal, Charles Fountain traces the Black Sox story from its roots in the gambling culture that pervaded the game in the years surrounding Worl…

An October evening in the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse with a World Series Champion. Michael Garry, author of Game of My Life: New York Mets, took us through the most unforgettable games in Mets history, as the franchise morphed from a dismal expansion team in 1962 to World Series Champions in 1969 and 1986 and then back to basement dwellers before m…

“I want you to stay away from my brothers. You are prone to trouble. You are always in trouble.” -Mickey Mantle After a private screening of the award-winning documentary Long Road Home, John Malangone spoke in the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse. In 1937, at the age of six, John found a broken umbrella in the basement of his East Harlem tenement. He st…

A phenomenal panel on a Friday evening in the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse... “At The Ballpark” with Lee Lowenfish, Roberta Newman, Charlie Vascellaro & Russell Wolinsky. They talked Baseball. We listened and learned. “At the Ballpark: A Fan’s Companion” is the perfect how-to guide -- especially for young fans -- illustrating the experience of watchi…

A tapestry of uplifting stories in which fathers and sons share the game... Almost two hundred father-son pairs have played in the big leagues. Kevin Cook takes us inside the clubhouses, homes, and lives of many of the greats. In visiting these legendary families, Cook discovers that ball-playing families are a lot like our own. Dan Haren regrets t…

“I watch a lot of baseball on the radio.” -President Gerald R. Ford Radio has brought the sounds of baseball into homes for almost one hundred years. The first All-Star Game, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ’Round the World.” Red Barber, Vin Scully, Harry Caray, Ernie Harwell, Bob Uecker, and dozens of other beloved announ…

“Ruppert and Huggins were the principal figures in the transition of the Yankees from an afterthought on the New York baseball scene to the nation’s greatest sports dynasty of the twentieth century.” -Marty Appel From the team’s inception in 1903, the New York Yankees were a floundering group that played as second-class citizens to the New York Gia…

The Mayor of Cooperstown, an author, and a former options trader walked into a Clubhouse... The never-before-told, behind-the-scenes story of the exciting and memorable 1981 baseball season. The year of Fernando Valenzuela, Pete Rose, the last Yankees-Dodgers World Series -- and the mid-season players’ strike that cut the heart out of the American …

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,” Billy Martin said. He was in second grade. Billy Martin is a story of contrasts. He was the “other” second baseman in New York in the 1950s, playing nearly every fall opposite Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson. He spent sixteen seasons managing in the big leagues and is considered by anyone who knows the sport to hav…