The Hall of Very Good Podcast is focused on you, the fan. Each week, Shawn Anderson and Lou Olsen sit down and talk to people in and around the game of baseball that help make America's Pastime great.
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Iowa state representative J.D. Scholten joins the boys to talk about growing up the Hawkeye State’s only Brad Radke fan, getting back on the mound for the Sioux City Explorers (and how he has a gigantic plush Minion to thank), sending his cap to Cooperstown, working with Major League Baseball to end blackouts and, yeah, that bus fire.…
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America’s favorite former mayor and Cooperstown correspondent Jeff Katz joins the boys (for the eleventh time!) for entirely way too much Pete Rose chatter and to re-cap Hall of Fame Induction Weekend 2024, talk about the overall vibe of the event, previews next year’s ballot and predicts how insanely packed it will be. Also…does Tim Salmon travel …
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Managing partner of Renaissance Associates (and self-proclaimed “problem solver”) Kevin Barrows joins the boys to talk about being a sports detective, his television show of the same name, tracking down some of the sportsworld’s biggest lost treasures, what he collects, the challenges of being a New York sports fan and why he compares his time with…
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To celebrate Women in Baseball Week, former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher Maybelle Blair returns to talk to the boys about “A League of Their Own” on Amazon Prime, shares her thoughts on the show’s cast, reveals what prompted her to come out and gives an update on the IWBC’s efforts to turn Rockford, Illinois, the “cradle …
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To celebrate Women in Baseball Week, Baltimore Orioles head groundskeeper Nicole Sherry joins the boys to talk about how she almost quit baseball to work at a golf course in Hawaii, gets into the specifics of creating grass patterns in the outfield, recalls shagging flies for and getting lost in the dreamy blue eyes of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. …
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To celebrate Women in Baseball Week, legendary organist Nancy Faust joins the boys to talk about how she got her start with the Chicago White Sox and whether or not she ever imagined spending 41 years on the southside, shares her excitement over finding an old reel-to-reel recording of her first game, recalls the team’s infamous “Disco Demolition N…
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Women in Baseball Week: Janet Marie Smith
35:18
35:18
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35:18
To celebrate Women in Baseball Week, renowned ballpark architect Janet Marie Smith joins the boys to talk about being rejected by and then designing Camden Yards for the Baltimore Orioles, her current gig with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the difference between building a stadium from the ground up and renovating one that’s been standing for almost a c…
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To celebrate Women in Baseball Week, 2017 J.G. Taylor Spink Award recipient Claire Smith joins the boys to talk about how she got her start in journalism, shares the story she was most proud to cover, reveals the one story all baseball fans should be following and, lastly, advocates for Billy Williams to join the podcast. This episode originally ai…
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For the sixth time, Phil Hecken, the newly-minted lead dog at Uni Watch Blog, joins the boys to talk about his new gig, when he first got interested in watching unis (get it?), previews the 2024 MLB All-Star Game jerseys, breaks down what makes a good City Connect cap, gives an update on his Monday night curling league and introduces the world to t…
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Award-winning sculptor Lou Cella joins the boys to talk about how he got his start in art (including the biggest influence on his career), the hardest part of the human body to sculpt, why the Ryne Sandberg statue outside Wrigley Field might be his most personal piece so far, his special connection to the family of former Seattle Mariners announcer…
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Episode 426: Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti
41:30
41:30
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Competitive eater Patrick “Deep Dish” Bertoletti is back to talk to the boys about returning to Surf and Stillwell for the annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating contest and preparing for no Joey Chestnut, whether or not he actually likes hot dogs, his least favorite food to eat (looking your way, Uranus Fudge Factory), what he’d eat t…
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Episode 425: Ted Giannoulas aka The Famous San Diego Chicken
45:06
45:06
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The Famous San Diego Chicken, Ted Giannoulas, re-joins the boys to talk about his memories of headlining at historic Rickwood Field, the Major League ballpark he (surprisingly) never had a chance to perform at, the night no one laughed at his antics, how many chicken heads he travels with, Lady Gaga stealing his gimmick and goes back 45 years to Ju…
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Longtime journalist Chris Cillizza joins the boys to talk about the newfound joy he finds in covering whatever he wants on a daily basis, playing basketball against Allen Iverson at Georgetown, whether or not there will be another 300-game winner in Major League Baseball, shares his favorite baseball movie, where he was the night of June 17, 1994 (…
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A half-century after surviving Ten Cent Beer Night, lifelong Cleveland resident Ken Kowalski joins the boys to talk about what went down on June 4, 1974, shares his memories of Municipal Stadium, his connection to seven-time All-Star Ken Keltner and realizes that he and Lou have something in common.
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Mark Malkoff returns to talk to the boys about his new podcast, Inside Late Night, the history of sports and the late night shows, talk show hosts that probably should have gotten more of a chance behind the desk, the legacy of Hall of Fame broadcaster Harry Caray and the art of baseball nicknames.
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Logan Wiening from Old Fort Baseball Co. joins the boys to talk about their shared connection with the AAGPBL, getting his start in graphic design and how that led to launching an apparel company, the popular Support Local Baseball Sticker Club, why it’s easy to hate the St. Louis Cardinals and whether or not Lou would want to hit the field as an o…
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Fresh off his European vacation, The Dank Diplomat, comedian Ngaio Bealum, returns to celebrate Episode 420 with the boys, shares his favorite ballpark food, the best Major League city to get high in (and the player he’d most like to get high with), playing golf with Bobby Bonds and accidentally brings back The PsyPhy Original Podcast.…
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1985 World Series champion and (should-be) eight-time Gold Glove Award winner Jim Sundberg joins the boys to talk about his journey from tiny Galesburg, Illinois, to the Texas Rangers, what likely cursed the Brewers prior to his arrival in Milwaukee, being part of the longest game in Major League Baseball history, playing “peacemaker” after Andre D…
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Geoff Schumacher joins the boys to talk about his personal interest in the seedy Las Vegas underbelly, the history of The Mob Museum, why we’re all still enamored by the 1919 Black Sox scandal, whether or not he’s excited about baseball (seemingly) heading to Sin City and shares the story of everyone’s favorite mass murder…the St. Valentine’s Day M…
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Ben Christensen, Community Engagement Manager for Hat Club, joins the boys to talk about the benefits of being a Hat Club member, his own involvement with the company, a lifelong obsession with headwear and why he’s the perfect person to rep the brand, how he chooses his eclectic hat and jersey combos and the good and bad (it’s mostly bad) of the c…
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The day was April 15, 1997 and, apparently, all Hell was about to break loose at Major League Baseball's inaugural Jackie Robinson Day celebration at Shea Stadium. “We have snipers all around the stadium, just in case something were to happen" is what the Secret Service told Mr. Met, the New York Mets beloved mascot. Did the Secret Service REALLY w…
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Just in time to celebrate the 35th anniversary of "Major League” (and the 30th anniversary of “Major League 2”!), author Jonathan Knight returns to talk to the boys about the best and worst baseball movies, the lasting legacy of the “Major League” franchise, why Milwaukee was chosen to play host to the 1989 film and, for some reason, the weird coin…
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On April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron sent an Al Downing pitch over the left field wall for his 715th home run. Waiting for him at third base...Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Ron Cey. Was "the Penguin" secretly hoping Hank would go yard? How would he react the next time he encountered the new home run king? To listen to the entire interview, CLICK HERE.…
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Brad Balukjian, author of The Six Pack, returns to talk to the boys about how many miles he traveled to write his latest book compared to the last one, promoting the thing now versus during a pandemic, whether or not it’s too early to plan his next project, re-connecting with The Iron Sheik (and getting closure) and Shawn and Lou become the charter…
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Friends of Rickwood executive director Gerald Watkins joins the boys to talk about the history of "America's Oldest Baseball Park" (and what it takes to keep it as historically accurate as possible), getting the attention of MLB and convincing them to bring a regular season game to the field and how the greatest basketball player of all-time helped…
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