Backwards K Pod

After a half decade of missed opportunities, political wrangling, financial issues and eventually watching Denver and Miami, recieve new baseball franchises; the NBA Suns owner, Jerry Colangelo, becomes the face of a group, trying to bring a team to the Phoenix metropolitan area, in the next round of expansions, set to begin in 1998. This responsibility requires him to not only bring an MLB team t...

This week we examine the life and career of one of baseballs most prodigous power htters that ever lived, Jimmy Foxx; The Beast. The powerful farm boy from Sudlersville, MD, who was signed by Connie Mack at the age of 16, and made his major league debut, before the end of his high school junior year. Even though, he is statistically, the most dominate major league hitter of the 1930's decade, Doub...

With Shibe Park, Crosley Field, the Polo Grounds, Forbes Field and Comiskey Park already in our BKP collection, this week we add the grand-daddy of all the throwback cribs; the iconic and majestic Ebbets Field of Flatbush, Brooklyn. The former home of dem bums, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Throughout sports, there are certain franchises, that have such a storied tradition, that their legacy never dies. T...

The all-black baseball team, the Wichita Monrovians, existed in an era, where much of their historical record of team exploits, and stats have been lost in time. But their legacy endures after almost 100 years, because of their victory over the domestic terrorist organization, the Wichita Klu Klux Klan #6 baseball team in 1925. #JakeRobinson #WichitaMonrovians #KluKluxKlan #WesternColoredLeague #T...

For a generation of American League baseball fans, Rod Carew was the definition of a batting champion. The owner of a career .328 batting average, and 3,053 hits, to go along with his seven batting titles, and 18 All-Star nods, Carew tormented American League hurlers, with a smooth swing, from a crouched stance, his lightning fast wrist and impeccible hand-eye coordination. From his birth on a seg...

He led the National League in home runs eight times. He also led the league in in OPS and extra base hits five times, as well as RBI's four times. He was awarded six Silver Slugger Awards for offensive excellence, and 10 Gold Gloves for his defensive excellence, the most by any player in National League history who has manned the Hot Corner. He is Michael Jack Schmidt, the switch-hitting Short Sto...

"Kid Natural" Ryne Sandberg let his glove, bat and legs, do his talking on the baseball diamond. By the time his 16 year career was completed, Sandberg's play had announced him as one of the greatest second basemen, to ever play the game of baseball. The Cubs' fans affectionately nicknamed him Ryno, and he quickly became their fan-favorite champion during the 1980's. A hard-working ballplayer, who...

This week, BKP celebrates the 83rd birthday, of the living legend, and Detroit Tigers' fan-favorite pitcher, Mickey Lolich. Although he is most recognized for his 1968, World Series MVP heroics, that saw him out-duel Cardinals' Ace Bob Gibson for the championship prize, it is way too easy to forget that his 2,832 career strikeouts, are still the third most by a southpaw, behind only Steve Carlton...

This week, Jake is joined in the dojo, with Omar Gobby, as they critique the movie Chasing 3,000. An Independant film, released in 2007, about the journey of Mickey Sitka (played by Trevor Morgan), and his younger brother Roger Sitka (Rory Caulkin), who has muscular dystrophy, from California to Pittsburgh in 1972, to watch their baseball idol, Roberto Clemente chase the magical 3,000 hit benchmar...

This week, we dig into the complex history of the 14th oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues, T-Mobile Park in Seattle Washington. With the deteriorating Kingdome literally falling apart, and after years of behind the scenes political wrangling by the King County Council, The Mariners ownership group, as well as the tax paying citizens of Seattle. The future health of the franchise, finally had sta...

Hideo Nomo could have stayed in Japan and played ball. Made alot of money, and enjoyed his fame, but he wanted more for himself. His move to play in America, was an attack on the Japanese baseball establishment, but it also promoted thought for not only future Japanes ballers, but the whole entire Asian-Pacific rim, as he offered a pathway of least resistance, to playing the best of the best. He w...

The numbers jump right off the screen, when it comes to looking up his stats. Even in an era where power reigned supreme. His 612 home runs rank eighth on the MLB all-time rank and his 1,747 walks rank seventh. Only six player have totaled 1,700 Walks and 1,699 RBI in the history of the game; Babe Ruth, Mel Ott, Carl Yastrzmeski, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds and Thome. And yet the blue-collar kid fro...

Williamsport, Pennsylvania and their little league baseball complex fields are nestled beautifully in the rolling hills of the Keystone State. Every Year in August, thousands of people from arond the wold descend on the sleepy, baseball town, to witness, the forever magical union of baseball and childhood play for two weeks. It is the sheer essence of baseball. it is everything that grown-ups aspi...

Rollie Fingers was the right player, at the right time, while playing for the right teams, to forever change the complexion of the Closer role in baseball. When FIngers reached the majors, the Closer role was limited, as Starting Pitchers rarely left games with a lead. But as team offenses became more powerful, after expansion in 1969, as well as the introduction of the DH in 1973, and without Tom...

Over 60 years after it's creation, the baseball board game phenomenon known as Strat-O-Matic, still has a large cult following. The impetus of the game was the brainchild of 11 year old Hal Richman, who was a ravenous stat-crazy baseball fan, with very little athletic ability himself. The young boy developed the game, as a way to escape his chaotic and difficult childhood, while generations of sea...

This week, we take a look back, at the one year season, of the failed expansion franchise; the 1969 Seattle Pilots. A lukewarm fan base, failed stadium bonds votes, a sickly temporary ballpark, insufficient capital, outrageous ticket prices, an atrocious concession deal, and no local TV broadcast.... What could possibly go wrong? #SeattlePilots #DeweySoriano #MaxSoriano #WilliamDaly #GabePaul #Cha...

This week we take a deep dive into the life and baseball career of arguably the greatest defensive third-basemen who has ever lived, and Orioles loyalist Brooks Robinson. There is a saying where I come from and it goes; In New York, they name Candy Bars after Reggie Jackson, in Baltimore, the citizens name their children after Brooks Robinson. And that is not empty platitudes being offered up, it...

Eddie Waitkus was the Fred Astaire of first-basemens during his era because of his nimble defensive footwork and his impeccable grace around the bag. He was a solid, productive bat, finishing with a .285 average over his 11 year career with the Cubs, Phillies and Orioles. But that is not what he is most remembered for, if he is remembered at all. On June 14th, 1949, he is lured by an 18 year old o...

This week, we add to our baseball stadium collection, the now third oldest National League crib, Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. The beautiful retro jewel-box, that sits just a long fly ball from the Rocky Mountains, is one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the history of MLB. We take a deep dive into the waters and explore Coors Field's fascinating history of dinosaur bones, hum...

With all the missing stats and data from his career, Satchel Paige's verified numbers do not do him justice. The numerous stories of his exploits on the mound however, has forever left his mark and kept his memory alive in the baseball universe, all these years later. His bluster and self-promotional showmanship would make him bigger than the game and mere stats. This week, we will sift through th...

At the age of 10, while watching a baseball game at Detroit's TIger Stadium, Derek Jeter, caught up in the euphoria of the moment, tells his parents. "One day you two will see me play baseball here." He lay in his bed that night with his future entirely mapped out in his head. in his own words, " I fell asleep that night, and in some ways, I never woke up from the dream." This is the story about t...

In 1909, after the rise of Shibe Park in Philadelphia, for the A's a year ealier, Keystone State rival Pittsburgh, at the behest of Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss, decides they would like to build an MLB crib, that will surpass the magnificence and splendor that Shibe had to offer. The result was the massive, yet palatial baseball cathedral known as Forbes FIeld. From 1909 to 1970, Forbes Field was...

In 1938, German scientist split the atom for the first time, and the nuclear age is born. The Nazis give the task of building the Atomic Bomb to Nobel Peace prize-winning nuclear physicist Werner Heisenberg. In response to the threat of Hitler with nuclear weapons, the United States government devises a plan to send someone after the German scientist to ascertain the validity of the intelligence r...

This week we take a look at one of baseball's most exclusive fraternity; The Black Aces. This was the brainchild of former MLB pitcher Mudcat Grant, who had the vision of recognizing the rarest of all baseball breeds the African-American pitcher. To qualify for induction into this group, you have to be an African-American pitcher, who has 20 or more wins in a season' There are currently 15 members...

When Yankees catcher Thurman Munson died in a fiery plane crash, in his prime, at the young age of 32, he left behind a decade of brilliance and domination at his position, that has rarely been seen before or since in the game's illustrious history. From his younger days of excelling in three sports, and being offered scholarships to two of them, to his rise through the ranks at Kent State Univers...