PBS Michiana - WNIT

South Bend: Built by Baseball

Sports EN ↓ 6 episodes

From the greatest women's baseball pitcher to the high schooler who earned a major league contract, South Bend is home to some incredible baseball stories. This 6-episode series dives into the tales of the city's early baseball heroes (or villains).Hosted by producer Nathan Krebs, with writer and historian Aaron Helman as featured guest. The feature documentary "South Bend: Built by Baseball" is also available on YouTube.

Author

PBS Michiana - WNIT

Episodes

Charles "One-Arm" Schmalzried - A Tale of Perseverance 20.05.2026 18:14

His name speaks for itself - Charles "One-Arm" Schmalzried did indeed face an uphill battle in life. Yet Charles pushed forward, and later became South Bend's best industrial league pitcher with the Muessel Breweing Company. Nathan Krebs and Aaron Helman explore Charles' early life, the accident that took his arm, and how he became perhaps South Bend's first true baseball sta...

Eddie Hanyzewski - Striking Out Big-Leaguers in High School 13.05.2026 19:05

It's rare to see a young ballplayer make the jump straight from the sandlot to the Show. But after striking out 14 Chicago Cubs in an exhibition game, Eddie Hanyzewski was on his way to the big leagues. Join Nathan Krebs and Aaron Helman as they talk about Eddie's dominant high school and industrial league career, as well as how this local kid became an instant South Bend legend. You can also find...

The Unshakeable Demons of "Curve Ball" Ring 06.05.2026 18:06

Devastating curveball? Check. Long track record of arrests in two separate cities? Check. John "Curve Ball" Ringelski was a tremendous pitcher in South Bend's industrial league, but he could never shake his inner demons. Nathan Krebs and Aaron Helman explore the wild life of "Curve Ball" Ring up to his last punchout - literally. You can also find the feature documentary &qu...

The Legend of "Bashful" Stanley - A Hero Who Vanished 29.04.2026 18:19

Winning an industrial league championship should mean that you'd be famous for a long time, right? That's not the case with South Bend's "Bashful" Stanley - a one-year wonder of a pitcher who mysteriously disappears from all historical record. Nathan Krebs and Aaron Helman take a look at Bashful Stanley's glorious 1922 campaign with the George Cutter team, as well as South Bend's robust industrial...

"Wee" Dickie Kerr - A Short King in South Bend 22.04.2026 14:53

"Wee" Dickie Kerr may have lacked stature, but he was all skill. From refusing to rig the 1919 World Series as a member of the Chicago White Sox, to his later years in South Bend's industrial league, Dickie dominated the competition from the pitcher's mound. Nathan Krebs and Aaron Helman dive into the stories that made Kerr a folk hero and an inspiration to future big-leaguers. Y...

The Greatness of Jean Faut - A Women's Baseball Icon 15.04.2026 17:43

A women's baseball Hall-of-Famer, and the only professional baseball player to throw two perfect games, Jean Faut is an undisputed all-time great. But to play baseball while your jealous husband is your manager? That's a different matter entirely. Join Nathan Krebs and Aaron Helman as they explore Jean's origin story and her career with the South Bend Blue Sox of the All-American Girls...