Hardball: MLB History In First Person

The Silver Fox...The Duke of Flatbush...2 time world series champion with The Brooklyn/LA Dodgers...1 of the 3 great NY centerfielders of the his era. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DAVE "THE COBRA" PARKER A 2X World Series Champion..A 7X All-Star..2X L Batting Champion..3X GG Winner.. and the 1978 MVP...and a man whose life has taken a turn..a turn that has led him to a life of teaching and service.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the 75th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball was celebrated..it also became time to think about the 50th Anniversary of his passing. Kostya Kennedy has written an EXCELLENT book.. TRUE: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson. An original way to look back at Jackie's life and career..and the impact of both. Here's my conversation with the aut...

"Gator" "Louisiana Lightning" A true fan favorite..2X World Champion..A Yankee Captain who is immortalized in Monument Park along with the All-Time Franchise Greats. Humble. Grateful. I hope you enjoy my conversation with one of the guys I grew up watching. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DOMINIC PAUL DIMAGGIO "THE LITTLE PROFESSOR" It's hard to be underrated when you are a 7 time All-Star..or you accumulate both the numbers and respect that led Ted Williams to claim the man should be in the Hall of Fame..but the entirety of Dominic DiMaggios career and more importantly life is exemplary. Here he tells some of his story See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we celebrate Jackie Robinson Day..it's an honor to offer up this conversation from the early 2000's. The Public and Private side of the most important moment in baseball history..April 15 1947..and its impact on the Robinson family..The Game..and Society. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Allen "Davey" Johnson To give you an idea of what 50+ years in Major League Baseball can include if you're lucky..Davey will talk about his relationships with some of the best to ever play & manage The Game. Ted. Hank. Sandy. Earl. The Robinsons. World Series wins and losses and a Bear Bryant story as well. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two conversations..20 years apart..make up this Episode of HARDBALL. Frank Howard is beloved in the Baseball world..not just for his abilities on the field..but for who he was and continues to be off of it. 84 years young..and he offers insight to some of the best he played with and against... Dare you not to smile after this one is done. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Maddux was so good that he becomes one of those guys that you tell people 30 years after his retirement "I saw that guy. And nobody was better" Greg and I talk about where it started..and what his numbers and career mean to him. With a whole bunch in between. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BRUCE DOUGLAS BOCHY "BOCH" Straight shooter. And a touch and feel that only comes when you both respect and love your players and the game. 3 Titles..and perhaps (Buster Posey) never managing a Hall of Fame player in those runs. Here's his story.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HARDBALL PODCAST EPISODE #28 Willie Horton A sandlot star in the shadow of Tiger Stadium..Willie Horton became not only the player the Tigers wanted.but the man the city of Detroit needed. Beloved World Champion..you'll hear Willie talk about the 1967 riots and '68 World Series Title..and so much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hank Aaron Interview with Chris Dimino from 2001 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby Episode 28 Being "2nd" was for too long what Larry Doby was known for. I think you will hear today as Larry recounts his life on and off the field that he's been shortchanged by that narrative. The HOFer lived an incredible one. Baseball AND Social History lesson in 3...2... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter. Edward. Rose Charlie Hustle The Hit King Part One Pete Rose played one way..for 24 seasons. And he has no apologies..and doesn't care what you think of him..as long as you include "Winner" somewhere in your description of who he was as a player. This is Pete talking about BASEBALL. His career. His teammates. And how he views all of it. And that hopefully makes this different. See omnystudio...

How did a guy from a small town in Indiana find himself adopted by the fans of Brooklyn..and spend an incredible 11+ years being on and around one of Baseballs All-Time Most Beloved Teams. His walk through MLB History.. "Oisk"..tells his story..   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Special Episode this week as we will hear from 3 men involved in some of The Games most Historic HR Moments. The Firsthand Accounts of Roger Maris' 61, Bill Mazeroski's Game 7 WS Walk-off,  and Ted Williams Last AB ever home run by the men who gave them up. Wait until you hear the stories. There's a LOT in here, but you won't want to stop listening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Kirby Puckett A Chicago kid..whose baseball path to the Draft and Minor League baseball was as far from a straight line as you can get. A final Major League AB that we will talk about..and it's role in shortening the then 12 year career. This conversation from 2001 was after his HOF Election..but before serious off field allegations had surfaced. I will explain why I included this conversation in...

This Episode of HARDBALL is different. And timely. The "fight" between players and owners..based on "distrust" and now decades of acrimony..had a beginning. My conversation from 2001 with MLBPA's first Executive Director..and how baseball and sports..all of sports..were never the same after his election. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can't burst onto the scene any bigger than Fred Lynn did. The spotlight of a big market team..the hope of perhaps breaking the 57 year World Series drought in Boston..and the 1975 Rookie of the Year AND MVP leading his team into a Game 7 to cap off what would have been called one of the Greatest seasons ever for a young player in the Games history.. He'll talk about that and so much here.. See...

When you are as good as anyone in the game for a decade plus..3 Cy Young Awards and more wins than any pitcher of the 1970's..186..good..you will have your Sunday in Cooperstown. Jim will tell the story of before all of that here. How life changing moments..starting at his adoption at 2 days old through a car accident at 17 that could have derailed it all. Hope you enjoy Hall of Famer Jim Palmer....

Ron Santo was a better All-Around player than you know. Some thought he was in the Hall of Fame before he actually was. Others don't even know he is enshrined. That's a strange combination in this game. And he is here to tell his story..one that could have ended before it even got started because of a medical examine.... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may not know his name..but you need to know his story..and the stories he's about to tell. A man who won 130 games..and could have played in the NFL. Oh. And he pitched to both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Here he is..from our 2001 conversation..Elden Auker See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony "Mr. Padre" Gwynn  There has never been an athlete more associated with his city than Tony Gwynn. The Pride of San Diego in every way..and a better guy than hitter. And he was the best pure hitter the game had seen in over 50 years.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You don't have to be a Hall of Famer to be a "Legend" in New York Yankee History. Bobby proved that. Because he was a big part..some would say "The Glue"..of World Series Teams and a keeper of the stories that make the Yankees different than every other franchise in history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe Morgan has seen a lot in his lifetime. From the integration on baseball to being a part of broadcast history. And in between he built a sure shot Hall of Fame career..and more importantly to him..the career of a winner. We talk about that and more..including how the game has REALLY changed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.