Life At The Ballpark

Veteran play by play man Bob Carpenter shares stories about growing up a Cardinals' fan in St. Louis, about being mentored by Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck, calling games for the World Champion Washington Nationals, and what it will be like for broadcasters and players in this unusual 60 game season.

Texas Rangers Hall of Famer Jim Sundberg shares stories from his 16 seasons in the big leagues, including playing for Billy Martin, and catching Nolan Ryan.  Jim also shares about his new "Legacy Playbook, 50 Days Of Encouragement To Pass On What Matters Most."

Missing baseball?   Enjoy my conversation with New York Yankees' legend Bobby Richardson, 7 time all star, and the only World Series MVP to play for the losing team.  He shares stories about the '61 home run race with Maris and Mantle, and about his relationship with The Mick which began when Bobby was 19 years old and culminated with his (and Bob Costas') famous eulogy at Mantle's funeral televis...

On this episode of Life at the Ballpark you'll hear the story of a kid from South Carolina who at age 14 saw the movie "The Pride of the Yankees", the story of Lou Gehrig, and would one day stand on the very same spot at Yankee Stadium for Bobby Richardson Day where Lou gave his famous "I'm the luckiest guy" speech

Ben Frederickson is a Sports Columnist at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and broadcaster at The Big 550 KTRS where he covers the St. Louis Cardinals. Ben shares some great stories about Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa, and we kick around some ideas of what the Cardinals' lineup may look after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

What does a sportswriter write about when there are no sports? Ben Frederickson shares his insight into covering the St. Louis Cardinals during the COVID-19 shutdown of 2020.

You'll hear the story a former CNN news correspondent who covered the Gulf War and the Branch Davidian siege, who now as a baseball broadcaster shares a perspective about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the sport he loves.   You'll also hear from blind sportscaster Bryce Weiler whose Beautiful Lives Project gives those with disabilities life changing experiences in sports.

On this episode of Life at the Ballpark you'll hear the story of a high school phenom from Southern California, who signed his first professional contract at the age of 17 with the team he grew up rooting for and by one of the great characters in Dodger history.  Hear how his major league debut coincided with the end of Sandy Koufax's Hall of Fame career!    

Enjoy some great baseball stories during our time away from the game. Astros' broadcaster Steve Sparks shares how he made the Top Ten list for goofiest sports injuries, how learning to throw a knuckleball became his ticket to the big leagues, and how he "died" three times after suffering a heart attack just a couple of months before spring training.  

Veteran broadcaster Tom Grieve shares stories from his career as a player, GM, and broadcaster with the Texas Rangers.   You'll hear of the early days of the franchise's move from Washington, D.C. to Texas, and what it was like to play for Ted Williams, Whitey Herzog, and Billy Martin.   Tom shares the thrill of broadcasting a major league game in which his son Ben played, and about his favorite m...

On this episode you'll hear Tom Grieve share about his life at the ballpark, from being a #1 draft choice, to player for one franchise in two different cities, to GM, to longtime broadcaster for the Texas Rangers.   A member of the Texas Rangers' Hall of Fame Tom has been a witness to every major event in Rangers' history.

On this episode, you'll hear the story of Bill Brown whose 30-year broadcast career with the Houston Astros gave him a unique peek into baseball history, including their 3 consecutive one hundred loss seasons followed by 3 one hundred win seasons, and the entire career of two Hall of Famers, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell.   "Brownie" shares how his time in the military set the stage for his broadc...

On this episode, you'll hear the story of a man whose knowledge of his team's history and his view of every game from right next to the dugout give him a unique perspective to the sights and the sounds of the ballpark.   In the second part of our conversation Astros' team historian, Mike Acosta shares the importance of his favorite player Nolan Ryan returning to the team , the story behind retriev...

Mike's love for baseball was fueled by his childhood fascination with the 8th Wonder of the World; the Astrodome, an architectural innovation that forever changed the design of sports stadiums.    Mike shares about his documenting of the historic moments in Astros' history, including this season's creation of the Astros' Hall of Fame.   

Pat Williams, Senior Vice President and founder of the Orlando Magic, a recipient of  a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame, and named one of the 50 most influential people in NBA history.   Pat's love for baseball dates back to growing up with Ruly Carpenter, the son of the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies.  Pat played baseball at Wake Forest and two years in the minor l...

In part two of this interview with Curt Nelson, he will share the insightful stories recorded within the Negro League Hall of Fame.  Discover how this talent-rich league of African-Americans helped shape even more than just baseball history, it shaped American history.

Curt Nelson has been with the Kansas City Royals since 1999. Curt isn't just the Director of the Royals Hall of Fame, he helped spearhead its development in 2009.  Curt shares stories from their two World Series Championships as well as their four AL pennants.  

The 14-year major league veteran shares what it was like to hit a walk-off home run in extra innings against Arizona in the 1999 NLDS playoffs.   Todd  was also on the bases for one of the rarest plays in baseball history—now referred to as Robin Ventura's walk-off "Grand Slam Single" in the '99 NLCS.

Ken shares stories spanning his career as an athletic trainer for Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, then for the expansion Toronto Blue Jays in 1977, then director of spring training for the Blue Jays in Dunedin, and ultimately to the president of the Florida State League.  Ken reveals that he is also to the answer to a question in Trivial Pursuit Canadian edition.

Dann shares what it was like to have to step into the shoes of future Hall of Famer Johnny Bench in his rookie year with the Cincinnati Reds. You'll also hear about the respect and friendship he developed with another Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn with the San Diego Padres.  Dann is currently the Manager of the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League at Roger Dean Chevrolet in Jupiter, FL.

Ricky Horton pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angelos Dodgers, and Chicago White Sox before moving to the press box as a play-by-play announcer for Fox Sports Midwest.  During his time on the field, Ricky Horton experienced some of the most dramatic moments in baseball history, including one of the worst blown calls when Don Denkinger called the Royal's Orta safe at First Base.  Ricky also...

The veteran reporter shares stories from his 17 years covering the Marlins, from their World Series championship in 2003 to the sale to Derek Jeter's ownership group and the rebuilding process. Joe offers insight into the convergence of tradition newspaper sports reporting to the digital age of MLB.com and social media.

Mid-America Emmy award-winning Dan McLaughlin shares stories from his more than two decades of calling Cardinals' baseball, his first when he was only 23.  Dan shares about his most embarrassing moments (involving A.J. Burnett's nipple rings), his friendship with Tim McCarver, advice given him by the legendary Jack Buck, and his love of the game and the team he grew up rooting for (Ozzie Smith was...

Rick shares his observations about how spring training has changed over the 42 years he's covered the St. Louis Cardinals.  He shares stories about Cardinal greats Red Schoendienst, Lou Brock, Albert Pujols, and gives insights to how roster decisions are made during spring training. Rick also shares stories from his Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown, New York in 2007, along with Tony Gwynn and...