The Road to Cooperstown

Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk, Class of 2000, joins Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his unforgettable journey to Cooperstown. From the devastating knee injury early in his career that doctors said could keep him from catching again to exchanging punches with Thurman Munson during one of the heights of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry to the 50th anniversary of hitting one of the most famous home runs in bas...

Hall of Famer Rod Carew, class of 1991, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his journey to Cooperstown, a path built on a high degree of resilience and determination. The Hall of Famer reflects on his tumultuous relationship with his father growing up, his 1967 MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins, how Billy Martin’s confidence in him took him to new heights on the field, and how Nolan Ryan wa...

Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, class of 2014, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his memorable journey to Cooperstown. The Hall of Famer reflects on his decision to pursue the managerial path after his stint as a major leaguer, how his love of learning lead to obtaining a law degree, overcoming self-doubt in the skipper role, and how perseverance was at the helm of decision-making in the mids...

Hall of Famer Tony Pérez, class of 2000, alongside his son and former big leaguer Eduardo Pérez sit down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his long and momentous journey to Cooperstown. The Hall of Famer shares more on the hardships endured moving from Cuba to the U.S., being part of The Big Red Machine's dominant Cincinnati Reds team that won back-to-back World Series championships in 1975 and 1976...

Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, Class of 2025, joins Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his remarkable journey to Cooperstown. From his early days pursuing football in college to the moment he committed fully to baseball, Wagner shares the pivotal choices that shaped his career. He opens up about why he believed he was destined to be a closer and how conversations with fellow Hall of Fame relievers helped...

Hall of Famer Scott Rolen, class of 2023, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his emotional journey to Cooperstown. From winning Rookie of the Year with the Phillies to overcoming physical and mental adversity to help lead the Cardinals to the 2006 World Series title and cementing his status as one of the top defensive third basemen of all time during stops with the Blue Jays and Reds, Sc...

Hall of Famer Tony Oliva, class of 2022, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his journey from a small town in Cuba all the way to Cooperstown. From leaving his family to pursue a professional baseball career, winning back-to-back batting titles in his first two years in the big leagues and developing into a Gold Glove-winning outfielder, Oliva details his proudest accomplishments as he be...

Hall of Famer Jim Kaat, class of 2022, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his journey to Cooperstown that spanned parts of eight decades on and off the field. From outdueling Sandy Koufax in his first World Series start to becoming one of the best defensive pitchers the game has ever seen and finally winning a championship in his 24th season, Kaat details how he was able to consistently...

Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven, class of 2011, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his long and winding path to Cooperstown. Known for his devastating curveballs, the first Dutch-born member of the Hall of Fame shares how a Sandy Koufax anecdote shaped his father’s pitching philosophy, how a dugout conversation with Don Drysdale influenced his career, what he learned about pitching from Rod Car...

Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, class of 2005, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his ritual-filled journey to Cooperstown. From explaining his famous superstition of eating chicken before every game, the tragic event that eventually led to his leaving the Red Sox to join the Yankees and the story of how one of the most pivotal at-bats of his career ended without a single swing, Boggs details...

A day after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner and Ichiro Suzuki sit down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss their roads to Cooperstown. Hear some great stories and plenty of laughs as Sabathia discusses the time he nearly lost a $500,000 bonus for sticking up for a teammate, Wagner talks about his most memorable conversations during Hall of Fame weekend and Ichiro reveal...

Hall of Famer Larry Walker, class of 2020, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his emotional journey to Cooperstown. From giving up his childhood dream of playing in the NHL to pursue a baseball career to the unfortunate ending to his 1994 season with the Expos and his long wait for the call to join baseball's greatest club, Walker details how his admittedly "simple" approach made him one...

Hall of Famer Pat Gillick, class of 2011, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his international journey to Cooperstown. Gillick discusses the keys to building winning teams in different cities and countries, the blockbuster deals he made--and one he didn't make--involving multiple Hall of Famers and the emotional toll leading an organization can take, like the time he broke down in tears...

Hall of Famer Ted Simmons, class of 2020, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to reflect on his long and underappreciated journey to Cooperstown. From being humbled as a rookie by Cardinals legend George Kissell to the biggest adversity he faced once he made it to the big leagues to helping lead the Brewers to their first and only pennant, Simmons discusses the many lessons he learned as a player and e...

Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez, class of 2019, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his long journey from Puerto Rico to Cooperstown. From trying to emulate Roberto Clemente as a child to leaving the comforts of home for the uncertainty of a professional baseball career and adjusting to being a full-time designated hitter, Martinez details the challenges he encountered on his way to becoming on...

Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, class of 2018, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his remarkable journey to Cooperstown. From the difficult decision to leave his friends and hometown to play baseball at a different high school, to a serious knee injury that delayed his rookie season for an entire year, to the hitting advice that changed the trajectory of his career, Jones discusses the key mom...

Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, class of 2015, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his transformational journey to Cooperstown. From an encounter with another pitching legend that led to a change in mechanics to the tragic event that led him to start pitching with his infamous scowl, Johnson details the key moments that turned him into one of the most feared and dominant pitchers of his era. Vi...

Hall of Famer Lee Smith, class of 2019, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his journey from a small village in Louisiana all the way to Cooperstown. From his encounters with racism as the only black player on his high school team, nearly deciding to pursue a basketball career and life-changing advice from a fellow Hall of Famer, Smith details the key moments that made him one of the best re...

Hall of Famer Fred McGriff, class of 2023, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his long journey to Cooperstown. After being cut from his high school baseball team and hitting below .150 in his first year of professional baseball, hear how some advice from another future Hall of Famer helped turn McGriff into one of the most feared power hitters of his generation. Visit the National Baseball...

Hall of Famer Robin Yount, class of 1999, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his unlikely journey to Cooperstown. From making his MLB debut as a teenager to an offseason injury that helped launch the career of a Hall of Fame teammate to a difficult position change in the middle of his career, Yount details several obstacles he encountered and overcame on his way to baseball immortality. Fol...

Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, class of 1995, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss his journey to Cooperstown. After hitting just .196 in his first full season in the big leagues, Schmidt details how he turned himself into one of the most feared power hitters of his generation . Plus, hear why Schmidt believes his occasionally contentious relationship with Phillies fans helped him become one of...

Ahead of season two of the official podcast of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Jon Paul Morosi reflects on his most memorable moments from season one, including stories from Joe Torre, Craig Biggio and Adrián Beltré. The first episode of season two of The Road to Cooperstown drops Tuesday, May 6. Subscribe today so you never miss a moment. Visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame -...

Jon Paul Morosi is back for another season of the official podcast of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Hear from some of the greatest players in baseball's rich history - like Mike Schmidt, Robin Yount and so many more - as they discuss their struggles, their triumphs and their paths to immortality in Cooperstown.   Subscribe today so you never miss a moment. Visit the National Baseb...

Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey Jr., class of 2016, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi for a conversation about how his father’s footsteps helped lead him to Cooperstown. Griffey Jr. discusses patterning his game after his dad, being a part of the first father-son duo in the big leagues, lessons he’s shared with Lebron James, the guidance he received from Hall of Famers, navigating through the mental part...

Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera, class of 2019, sits down with Jon Paul Morosi for a conversation about how a kid from Panama became the first player ever unanimously inducted to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. One of the most dominant pitchers of his generation, Rivera discusses overcoming the language barriers he faced in communicating with teammates, what it feels like to pitch in the postseason...