Clear the Field Podcast

This Week’s Lineup: - The final (weird) numbers from 2026, and Nico Hoerner saves Paul’s bacon in real time - Winning the West ain’t what it used to be - A record year for ballpark stunt food - Ted’s ballpark angel blesses him with great seats and unlimited ice cream - Max Scherzer’s farewell - Justin Verlander’s farewell, and Paul does his own 21-year look-back Programming Note With the regular s...

The incredible true story the Kansas City A’s “Satchel Paige Appreciation Night” on September 25, 1965, when Paige, age 59, got another opportunity to pitch against big-league hitters and made the most of every inning. Episode Highlights: - Looking for work and watching out for moose - Charles O. Finley’s Kansas City circus - The Athletics sign Paige for one night only - The 1960s get a look at a...

This Week’s Lineup: - Champagne problems in the locker room - Project Runway: Minor League Baseball - Tristan Peters’ 18-pitch at-bat and the White Sox’ “dumb stuff” - The Immaculate Inning and the Abhorrent Inning - Crochet ramping up; Needlepoint shut down for season - Building the lore of the new Women’s Pro Baseball League What’s This? Every few weeks in “Slap Hits,” Ted and I cover whatever h...

This Week’s Lineup: - Why they sell a Cubs-themed parrot at Wrigley Field - Broadcast shenanigans in Houston - Recapping Pope Hat Night and tipping our mitres to the supreme homer - Brand-new old gloves - Travis Bazzana brings cricket into baseball —succeeds Support Us If you’re a fan of the podcast, nothing says it like becoming a paid subscriber at Project 3.18 . Paid subscribers receive some sp...

In the conclusion of our deep-dive into a rare baseball forfeit in 1949, an outraged crowd unleashes a veritable grocery store on three stoic umpires. Here’s the first part of the story, in case you need it: Episode Highlights: - The fiercest wolves in baseball - The difference between cute projectiles and ugly projectiles - One fan, one hundred glass bottles thrown - Ted gives this week’s basebal...

In 1949, a team of showboating umpires tangled with the last group of fans still being served (non-alcoholic) drinks in glass bottles. It didn’t end well. Episode Highlights: - The Philadelphia Phillies’ mid-life identity crisis - Three performative umpires - Ted tries to make “Pafko” happen - Shibe Park: No booze, but projectiles welcome - History repeats itself and Richie Ashburn lights a fire u...

This Week’s Lineup: - A visit to the National Ballpark Museum in Denver - Keeping tabs on author Eric Nusbaum - Wrigley Field needs an F-16 rule - Cal Raleigh and Hack Wilson (Here’s an outstanding write-up of Hack Wilson, the good and the ugly, by writer Jacob Bielecki) - Shifts in starting pitching milestones . Who’s the next pitcher to throw 2,000 innings? Will anyone? - The Altoona Curve and a...

In 1983, Dave Winfield thought the bird would clear the field. It didn’t. Episode Highlights: - What’s a gull? Canada edition - Exhibition Stadium, scene of the crime (?) - Dave Winfield throws and a life is “pffft” out, but what really happened? - A Canadian Inspector Javert and his pinstriped Valjean - The Toronto justice system wakes up with a bevy of regrets - A forensic examination turns the...

This Week’s Lineup: - Pete Crow-Amstrong’s Interview Range - Walker on Walker at the Home Run Derby - Muncy v. Muncy and a story of the time Connie Mack made his own pair of Socks - Chase DeLauter, mountain mama? - Marlins say “no-no” to Eury Perez’s perfecto What’s This? Every few weeks in “Slap Hits,” Ted and I cover whatever has delighted us from present-day baseball (or sometimes things even f...

In 1977, the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets were caught up in a catastrophic power outage that sent Fun City back to the Stone Age. Highlights: - A blowout at Indian Point plunges Shea Stadium (and New York) into darkness - Camaraderie lights up the town and the ballpark - Jane Jarvis’ musical comedy soothes the sweating masses - Ten minutes of phantom ball in the headlights - The Cubs’ weirdest n...

In a very special episode, Gordon (The Athlete Archives) joined us to talk about a shared love: the baseball name. We never did define the term, but the three of us certainly knew some good ones, famous and obscure. To keep things interesting, we each threw in a fake name and player, to see if the other guys could spot it. Our record at uncovering fraud was mixed; hopefully yours will be better. E...

In 1963, pitching was different, but even by those standards, this game was completely ridiculous. Episode Highlights: - The indignities of 42 (the age). - A clown car of legends pulls up to Candlestick Park. - Extra innings? No problem for these starters. - The atmospheric adventures of the old ballpark off San Francisco Bay. - Willie Mays “takes care” of his pitcher (and the wind-burned crowd)....

This Week’s Lineup: - Ted’s NL All-Star round-up. How many times have you voted? - The uncanny horrors we can expect at the A’s new ballpark in Las Vegas! - By far our most sophisticated reference to seat cushions. - Rafael Devers doesn’t want to be lifted for a pinch-runner. Tries Jedi mind trick. Fails. - This week in Jazz Chisholm, Jr. Support Us If you’re a fan of the podcast, nothing says it...

In 1980, Detroit Tigers executive Jim Campbell closed the outfield bleachers at Tiger Stadium and vowed to win a generational standoff. This is the conclusion of the story we began in our last episode, “ A Day Without Bleacher Creatures .” Be sure to check that out! Episode Highlights: - Jim Campbell sets a Clear the Field record for cusses. - Tigers players pick a side. - A modern-day folk hero e...

In 1980, a fed-up Detroit executive closed the outfield seats at Tiger Stadium to teach unruly fans a lesson. Episode Highlights: - The biggest bleachers in baseball - The most infamous beer belly in Michigan - “Riot night” at the Corner - Jim Campbell, the heart of the Tigers - Bleacher Anthropology 101: Jerks, Their Manners and Habits - A twi-night doubleheader goes bad - Be sure to tip your cen...

This Week’s Lineup: - Paul is the new Etsy Witch - What you get for catching a foul ball in a major league park - The origins of the ABS head-tap - Ted wonders at the WooSox - Aaron Judge and the power of a few “choice words - Hazardous jewelry - The perfect custom jersey idea What’s This? Every few weeks in “Slap Hits,” Ted and I cover whatever has delighted us from present-day baseball (or somet...

In the 1970s heyday of baseball promotional gimmicks, opportunistic teams like the Astros, Phillies, Indians, and Padres dumped money on the field and invited fans to have at it. Episode Highlights: - The Houston Astros make money by giving it away. - Bill Giles’ Philadelphia Phillies lean into boz woz. - Cleveland scrambles for a million fans in 1974. - Paul submits a dark-horse candidate for gre...

This Week’s Lineup: - Paul’s unplanned solo podcasting career (3 mins) - Ted “inadvertently” joins Emo Night in Seattle - Paul Skenes and the quiet mind of the modern ace - The joy of the family reaction shot - The Minnesota Twins’ war on nostalgia (prepare to be outraged) What’s This? Every few weeks in “Slap Hits,” Ted and I cover whatever has delighted us from present-day baseball (or sometimes...

In 1961, a Detroit Tigers’ star went into the stands at Yankee Stadium to fight somebody and became the hero of the hour. Episode Highlights - The Colavito family reunion - The case of the odd, old-fashioned hat - Rip Collins, conscience for the Tigers - Thrown out for a most unexpected reason - The Yankee Killer strikes (it’s not who you think) - Baseball Ethics 101 - A father’s tough love Suppor...

This week’s lineup: - A teaspoon of loose bodies - Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania is going to the Squonks: https://www.milb.com/lehigh-valley/team/theme-nights - Ted’s idea for saving baseball - A baseball Pokemon mystery - Pittsburgh hosts the world’s most famous marmot What’s This? Every few weeks in “Slap Hits,” Ted and I cover whatever has delighted us from present-day baseball (or sometimes thin...

In 1925, one of the largest crowds in Comiskey Park’s history evaded some of the most sophisticated crowd control instruments then known to man. Highlights - An overflow crowd and the one rope to wrangle them all - The seat cushion falls into the wrong hands once again (”the boys from the stockyards”) - Joe Sewell singlehandedly finishes the baseball game - Translating 1920s baseball idioms - Ray...

This week Ted and I make the big leap from audio to video! Lots of great stuff in this episode that manages to hit Pokemon and philosophy with a shoutout to the Etruscan civilization, but for me the highlight is the opening graphic I layered in. Check out that fading effect! This week’s lineup: - A Minute of Actual Baseball Information (and why we’ll never discuss the Astros again) - Ted Reports f...

In 1900, hi-tech cheating involved a board, a telegraph, and a very long length of wire. Episode Highlights: - Christy Mathewson explains sign-stealing - Morgan Murphy and Pearce Chiles, baseball’s Butch and Sundance - An anonymous informant reveals a hi-tech operation - A puddle, a board, and a telegraph buzzer - The only King Ralph reference you’ll hear this week - Schemes proliferate throughout...

This Week’s Lineup: - A Minute of Actual Baseball Information - Tatsuya Imai’s “Wrong-Way” Slider - Ketel Marte and Freddie Freeman Hug It Out - Nelson Cruz’ Very Fine Display - The Brewers’ Clubhouse “Turtle” - A Home Run Call Legacy - Pittsburgh’s Blue-Collar Home Run Celebration What’s This? Every few weeks in “Slap Hits,” Ted and I cover whatever has delighted us from present-day baseball (or...

In 1977, a new-fangled technology had the umpires hunkered down. Highlights - A game for Luddites - Ted Turner’s wonderful toys - Ask for permission or forgiveness? - Why we didn’t replay balls and strikes for 50 years - The fallible machine and the "busher" in the box Support Us You can support Clear the Field by following the show on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts Spotify RSS Give a Rati...