Midnight Library of Baseball

People think they know what they saw in 1993 between Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura, just like they think they know what they saw in the 1996 collision between Albert Belle and Fernando Vina. But they don’t, because behind the scenes, the code was dictating the behaviors and actions of players. In this episode, I break down some of the most important and interesting elements of the code, elements th...

Before Roy Hobbs of “The Natural,” there was Eddie Waitkus, a star of the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, whose forgotten true story was more fascinating than the fiction that came after.

In this episode, I dive into the life and career of Rick Ankiel, whose unbelievable twists and turns are only surpassed by the amazing relationship he developed with a baseball team and baseball town. 

In this episode, Jeffrey Lambert, host of the podcast, Rounders, stops by to chat with me about what makes baseball so different from other sports, and why we love it so much. We also discuss cultural shifts that have affected the game, as well as some of our favorite all-time baseball books. 

People who remember relief pitcher Donnie Moore often connect Moore’s role in what Al Michaels called “the most dramatic hour of sports I’ve ever seen," to Donnie Moore, three years later, shooting his wife and himself. In this episode, I explore the deeper story that sheds light on what happened on July 18, 1989. 

In part 1 of a three-part series, I trace the echoed story of Bill Buckner and his infamous error back to the source, and back even before that, to get a full picture of what happened before, during, and after the game, so that we can understand what we lose when we begin to see the echo as the story. 

In this episode, I'll explore the true story of Doc Moonlight Graham from Field of Dreams, and other men who could have been known for a major league baseball career, but ended up being known for something else entirely. 

In this episode, I’ll explore the reasons why there has not been a female at the highest level of baseball, and the factors involved in a female making it to the big leagues. And by the end of the episode, I will be asking a completely different question.

In this episode, I explore one of the most famous moments in baseball history, and how this moment might be the result of cheating. I also discuss the culture of cheating in baseball, and if there's a problem with cheating. 

In this episode, I do a deep dive into the history of baseball salaries, how much players actually made compared to today, and the many ways players supplemented their income. I also discuss a new way for minor league prospects to cash in on the major league experience.

Gambling was instrumental in the formation and spread of professional baseball, but it has also been a toxic part of the game. Today, we look at this love-hate relationship.

In this episode, we take a look at some current practices that separate baseball from other sports. We also discuss a few rules and realities that used to exist, like pitchers throwing the ball underhand, and players playing full seasons bare-handed.

A few major league pitchers have found enormous success in the knuckleball, paving careers that outlasted most of their contemporaries. But for all its power and effectiveness, the knuckleball is almost nonexistent in today’s game, and has rarely been used by more than a handful of pitchers in any decade since its creation. In today’s episode, we find out why.

In 1920, Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch, the only major league player ever to be killed during gameplay. Many players owe their added safety to the obvious and not-so-obvious changes that took place following Chapman’s death. In this episode, we explore the events that led to Chapman’s death, and baseball’s grudging modernization.

Lou Gehrig is one of the most famous and well-loved baseball players of all time. In the United States and other countries, Gehrig is also the namesake for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease. In this episode, we examine the possibility that Gehrig did not have the disease, and the ramifications of this possibility.