Past Ball Podcast

Who Invented Baseball? Many people have heard and think that Abner Doubleday invented the game known as baseball in Cooperstown NY home of the baseball HOF during the summer of 1839. As it turns out, the real history of baseball is a little more complicated than the Doubleday legend. The game appears to be a mix between rounders and cricket. In 1845 the NY Knickerbocker Baseball Club formed and cr...

May 13th, 1952 Ron Necciai (pronounced Net Shy) a 19 year old was slated to pitch for the Class D Bristol Twins an affiliation at the time of the Pirates, after he struck out 20 batters in his debut, then 19 in another game, then struck out 11 of 12 in a relief role three days later. As impressive as this was he did all this with terrible stomach issues. He battled stomach ulcers his entire life b...

The most iconic moment in MLB history could have been when Jackie Robinson signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers in April 10th, 1947. Not only a great moment in MLB history but American history. Jackie Robinson broke through the race barrier in baseball becoming a catalyst for other MLB owners to recruit and sign players based on talent not race. The 1947 contract with the Dodgers stipulates that Robins...

October 14th, 1992 was a day Pirate fans like myself will never forget. Pirates are up 2-0 in the bottom of the 9th game 7 of the NLCS. The braves get a run so it is now 2-1 with Francisco Cabrera up, David Justice on Third, and ex-Pirates Sid Bream on second. Sid was not known for his speed. Cabera rips one into left field to Barry Bonds who makes a great play and fires the ball home after Justic...

The Wave - is also referred to as the Mexican Wave is when a packed stadium and its group of fans successively stand, yell, and raise their arms and then immediately sit after reaching full height. The result is a wave of standing spectators that travels through the crowd, even though individual spectators never move away from their seats. The wave was created by "Krazy" George Henderson...

The Steve Bartman Incident - was a controversial play that occurred during a baseball game between the Cubs and the Florida Marlins on October 14, 2003, at Wrigley Field during the 2003 NLCS. It was game 6 in the 8th inning Cubs were up 3-0 and up 3-2 in the series. Luis Castillo hits a fly ball and Moises Alou chases it and jumps and tries to catch the ball near the wall.  A Cubs fan named Steve...

The Pine Tar Incident - also known as the pine tar game an incident that happened on July 24th, 1983 during a game between the Royal and the Yankees. Royals trailing 4-3 in the top half of the 9th inning with two outs George Brett hits a two-run homer off Goose Gossage to give the Royals the lead. Yankees Manager Billy Martin requested the umps check Brett's bat as there was a large amount of...

The Rally Cap - which is when you wear your hat in an odd way to bring your team good luck to rally back and win the game. Most often the rally cap is worn inside out and backward, or folded and worn bill up on half the head. The rally cap tradition started with the 1945 Detroit Tigers as some players wore their caps oddly as a way to urge their teammates on, and it worked as they won a World Seri...

The ivy that adorns the outfield walls at Wrigley Field in Chicago is primarily common Boston ivy, a clinging woody vine of the grape family. Native to eastern Asia, this import is the ivy that covers the walls of many colleges. It is the ivy of the Ivy League. The story of how the ivy got planted began when Bill Veeck was hired to work for the Chicago Cubs. Veeck’s father, William Veeck, Sr. had...

One of the more hilarious stories in MLB history was brought to us by none other than Bobby Valentine. During a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 9th, 1999 the Mets do a pitch out to try to catch the runner stealing in the 12th and Piazza is called for interference giving the batter a free pass to first. Valentine argues the call with one hand in his back pocket and was ejected and leaves...

It all started in Chicago, where a 24-year-old disgruntled bartender named Ron Grousl a loyal Chicago Cubs fan threw back a home run ball hit by Hank Aaron in 1970 in Wrigley Field. It turns out he was still pissed at Aaron because the year before, when he caught another home run by the legendary hitter he tried to give Aaron the ball, Aaron walked away, apparently trying to get off the field quic...

AJ Burnett often gets credit for creating the pie-to-the-face celebration. YOu know where when you walk it off or win the game you get a towel full of shaving cream to the face. Does it burn, yes. Is it worth it for doing something good? Apparently. The first shaving cream happened in 1967 and was featured on Topps NO 15 The Winners Celebrate. Orioles manager Hank Bauer had a face full of shaving...

Jorge Posada the great Yankee catcher was a bit of a tough guy and refused to wear batting gloves. Not wearing gloves and catching takes a toll on the hands and he wanted to toughen up the skin. He used an all-natural home remedy of urine. That’s right Jorge Posada would piss all over his hands during the winter and spring training to keep his hands hard. He was quoted saying you don’t want to sha...

Playing a prank on the new guy is no new thing in baseball. This one was a good one. Jerry Hairston Jr. played one of the cruelest jokes on catcher Gerald Laird during the spring of 2007, even getting approval from Rangers manager Ron Washington before doing so. Hairston arranged for two police officers to show up in the clubhouse and issue a warrant for Laird's arrest on charges of unpaid chi...

The first official game of baseball in the United States took place in June 1846 in Hoboken, New Jersey. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became America’s first professional baseball club. In 1871, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was established as the sport’s first “major league.” Five years later, in 1876, Chicago businessman William Hulbert formed the National Le...

Babe Ruth Hot Dog Eater. If you’re a Yankees fan, you’re more than likely quite familiar with George Herman Ruth Jr., better known to his friends and fans as “Babe” Ruth. Not only did he set several MLB records but the guy ate like we all want to but can't to stay athletic. The Past Ball Podcast is a podcast that gives you a quick story on some of the craziest, wildest, funnies, or just plain...