Skip Nipper’s Nashville Baseball Podcast

Word has come that beloved Old Timers board member Larry Cole passed away on Sunday, January 4, 2025. Though I may have given tribute to him in an earlier podcast, he is worthy of what I can say about him now.  I hope you will enjoy hearing about his baseball career and how he touched others,. Rest in Peace, coach Cole. Want to stay in touch? Find me here: X: mrsulphurdell Instagram: @ nashville_b...

John (Johnny) Andrew Beazley, born on May 25, 1918, was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves. As a rookie in 1942, Beazley went 21–6 with a 2.13 ERA for the Cardinals. His 21 wins and 2.13 ERA ranked him second in the National League. He completed his remarkable feat by pitching two complete-game wins in the team's World Seri...

I want to introduce you to someone who is an historian, educator, vintage base ball player (yes, base ball is two words in vintage baseball), web developer, and contributor to the history of the 19th Century game. His name is Chris Ryland, also known as “Books” to his Nashville Maroons teammates in Tennessee Vintage Baseball. His love of history and the vintage game have led him to interesting his...

Invited to a Nashville tryout, Morristown’s Warren “War” Sanders made the team and remained with the club for two seasons. Instrumental in Nashville’s first two Southern Association championships in 1901 and 1902 when the left-hander was 21-9 and 22-12, his contract was sold to the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1903 season. He did not have the same success in his later career; his baseball story is...

You will probably not have a clue who the my choice is as  “Father of Nashville 19th Century Baseball.” His name is Will Bryan, and he did not even start out as a baseball man.  His exploits are remarkable albeit he was also a bit of a scoundrel. He is still on my list because he not only helped found the inaugural Southern League in 1885, he helped form the first professional Nashville baseball t...

The Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team was established in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1978, after Larry Schmittou and a group of investors purchased the rights to operate an expansion franchise of the Double-A Southern League. The Sounds played their home games at Herschel Greer Stadium fromryschmittou #herschelgreerstadium #nashvillebaseball Want to stay in touch? Find me here: X: mrsulphur...

Negro Leagues baseball history, with emphasis on the last five years or so, which has generated interest among fans throughout the country, has a way to go. The year 2020 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro National League. COVID-19 postponed much of the attention to the recognition of baseball’s Negro League past. There is still much catching up to do. Want to stay in to...

I have had folks ask me how I came up with the handle “Mr. Sulphur Dell.” You may be surprised that I did not give it to myself. In this episode, I tell how it came about while filling you in on the importance of other baseball nicknames. #mrsulphurdell #nashvillebaseball #baseballnicknames #sulphurdell Want to stay in touch? Find me here: X: mrsulphurdell Instagram: @ nashville_baseball Facebook:...

Raymond Johnson spent many years in the sports department at the Nashville Tennessean , the local morning newspaper. He would often revisit the past in his "One Man's Opinion" sports columns. Although he loved all sports, from football to horse racing, and from basketball to softball, I particularly enjoy reading what he writes about baseball. My admiration for Johnson does not end...

Nashville high school baseball goes way back, as far back as there have been school teams, helping to set the foundation of local sports. One of the more exciting years I have read about was in 1956, when a few of the high school teams that no longer exist have strong programs, excellent athletes, and paved the way for the continued love of baseball in Nashville. I often want to relive those days...

Nashville's unique baseball charm is evident in its rich history of amateur leagues, some dating back to the 19th Century. These leagues were not just about competition, but also about the whimsical "for the championship of the city" challenges that added a special flavor to the game. Listen to one of the great years for amateur baseball was 1928, a year that saw the continuation of...

To attract fans to Nashville's opening day in 1947, the Nashville Tennessean published a report on the history of Sulphur Dell by J. D. Brown. I read this article in the podcast; it gives a detailed account of when the ballpark was transformed into its present configuration at the time. Moreover, opening day marked a significant milestone in Buster Boguskie's career as a Vols player. His...

In 1938, a consolidation of farm clubs between Brooklyn and Nashville was agreed upon at an all-day conference in Cincinnati between Larry MacPhail, the new Dodgers boss, and Nashville owner, Fay Murray. But for the outbreak of World War II and Murray’s death, the new relationship could have rivaled Branch Rickey’s farm system. In this episode, I tell about MacPhail’s career decisions impacting Na...

In the final season of the Nashville Vols in 1963, general manager Ed Doherty declared August 30 as "George Archie Night" at the ballpark—a fitting tribute to a local hero. Archie was a coach for the Nashville Vols at the time, an unpaid position at home games, and that’s how he was dressed when he was honored that night: in his Vols uniform. In this episode you will learn about this ded...

Stephen W. Dittmore has over 20 years of experience as a higher education administrator and professor. He received a PhD from the University of Louisville in 2007 and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from Drake University. His recently published book is an excellent account of the life of one of Nashville’s favorite baseball sons, most often referred to in local circle...

My brother Jim ("Jimbo," to me, mostly shortened to just "Bo") and I learned everything there was to know about The Game from our Dad, Virgil Nipper: how to throw, indeed, and how to hit. Jim sent me one of his unique perspectives not long ago as a letter on our lives at the ballpark. Bo remembers many things better than I do, and his letter helped me recall an earlier, more pe...

In 2005, the Nashville Sounds won the Pacific Coast League championship, the first pennant for the ball club since 1982. Teams are often pre-judged for success on where they are in the standings on Memorial Day. In this episode, you will learn about that great season and how the first two months of the PCL season marked the future for the Sounds! Want to stay in touch? Find me here: X: mrsulphurde...

In what I have often termed, “the greatest coup in the history of the Southern Association”, on November 8, 1938, Nashville club owner Fay Murray shocked baseball fans, Southern Association moguls, and everyone in between by announcing he had convinced Larry Gilbert, the New Orleans Pelicans veteran manager, to become the Nashville Vols manager, replacing Chuck Dressen. In this episode, I tell abo...

A baseball museum in Nashville could be a fantastic addition to the city's cultural landscape. Nashville already has strong ties to baseball, with a strong amateur baseball foundation, the Nashville Sounds, and the possibility of an MLB stadium in the future. A museum could showcase the history of baseball in the city, highlight its Negro League teams, and feature historical events of all asp...

Will General is the marketing director for Music City Baseball, the initiative is to bring MLB to Nashville as the "Nashville Stars.” He joined me to tell me how he is leading efforts to grow the Stars brand and how honoring the Negro Leagues’ legacy Is an essential ingredient to that end. Another ingredient is a new design concept and brand partnership with New Era Cap, the leading headwear...

Umpires have been criticized and disparaged for years, yet they continue to uphold the integrity of the game. The pay scale is pretty good, but defending one's decision in the old days could lead to fights among players, managers, and fans. The umpire's job can often become a thankless one, too, as being judge and jury usually leads to having to take cover. But they stand their ground, s...

On April 19, 1963, opening night in Knoxville before 2,827 fans to begin the season, Eddie Crawford stepped to the plate as the third batter in the first inning for Nashville, becoming the first Negro player to play in a regular season game for the Vols. Although he did not finish the year with the Vols, his claim to Nashville baseball history stands. In this episode you will learn about Crawford&...

We often think of Tennessee State and Fisk Universities as institutes of higher learning in Nashville for African American students. Did you know at one time there was another Black university? Founded in 1866 as the Nashville Normal and Theological Institute by the American Baptist denomination, it was renamed in 1874. A baseball team was formed in 1884 and played at least until the end of the 19...

Would you venture a guess as to which year was Nashville professional baseball’s first championship? The answer is 1895, and the team had an unusual name: Seraphs. Other members of the Southern League were Atlanta, Evansville, Little Rock, New Orleans, Memphis, Mobile, and Montgomery, and the pennant was not awarded until the season was over. What is a Seraph, you ask? In this episode, I’ll answer...

Before joining the Nashville Vols, Buddy Gilbert spent two seasons in Savannah, a Cincinnati Reds farm club, just like Nashville. One of his teammates in 1957 was Curt Flood, a 19-year-old prospect who played third base for the ball club. Flood would go on to be a star player for the St. Louis Cardinals. He would become well-known for challenging Major League Baseball's reserve clause, too, b...