For the final episode of season 1, I dive into the major league catcher and the tools that make him what he is today. Because of his equipment, the catcher is literally masked, but there are so many other areas where he is overlooked and underestimated. In this episode, I explore these areas, and why they have come to be.…

In this episode, I dive into the origins of the baseball bat, the number one piece of marketing equipment in the history of the game. I also discuss the colorful stories of the inspirational, stubborn, superstitious men who wielded this instrument of hope and despair.By bendavidorlando

What began as an object of great shame eventually turned into the most intimate relationship between a ballplayer and an object. Come along on this fascinating journey of the baseball glove, from infamy to celebration, honor, and love.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, I explore the history of the baseball, and some surprising facts about what was initially used inside a baseball. I also discuss changes to the ball that greatly affected the game, and how a few additional simple changes could help evolve the game for the better.By bendavidorlando

The three major home run races in baseball history were between six very different men. In this episode, I explore these mythic figures, and discuss how they were a product of their times and also instrumental in shaping what came next.By bendavidorlando

I had the pleasure recently of sitting down with Dan Levitt and Mark Armour, authors of the book, Intentional Balk: Baseball’s Thin Line Between Innovation And Cheating. We dig into the gray areas of cheating, what cheating and innovation have meant to baseball, baseball fans, and Mark and Dan. We also discuss where the game is headed and what kind…

In terms of traditional stats that have misled fans, players, and managers for decades, the pitcher win is a whopper. In this episode I discuss the origins and many examples and reasons why wins and saves have been so problematic, and also why we love them all the same.By bendavidorlando

A few of the pillars of baseball statistics contain serious flaws, but it can be hard to turn away from them. In this episode, I discuss the historical reasons for trusting these stats, the consequences of this trust, and the reasons why so many closed their eyes to the truth for so long.By bendavidorlando

Before there were leagues in baseball, there was barnstorming, and as major league baseball expanded, with its rules, revenue, and discrimination, barnstorming remained to remind players and fans what baseball was, when stripped down to nothing but the game.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, I explore the origins and background of various popular substances in Major League Baseball, and the entertaining and heartbreaking stories that go with them. From Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter on LSD, to the tragic end to one of the best players in the game in his prime, to the debate of performance enhancing drugs and some surp…

There are a lot of surprising twists and turns in the history of tobacco in Major League Baseball. In this episode, I will answer why smokeless tobacco was so popular during the origins of baseball, why it then almost disappeared, and how it roared back despite its known dangers.By bendavidorlando

I’ve written about both The Natural and Field of Dreams, so I thought it would be fun to compare the two films, based on a number of different criteria, to see, in the end, which film came out ahead.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, I talk with Jason Turbow, author of “The Baseball Codes, the Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime,” about his updated views on the code since writing the book and viewing the changes in baseball.By bendavidorlando

People think they know what they saw in 1993 between Nolan Ryan and Robin Ventura, just like they think they know what they saw in the 1996 collision between Albert Belle and Fernando Vina. But they don’t, because behind the scenes, the code was dictating the behaviors and actions of players. In this episode, I break down some of the most important…

Before Roy Hobbs of “The Natural,” there was Eddie Waitkus, a star of the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies, whose forgotten true story was more fascinating than the fiction that came after.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, I dive into the life and career of Rick Ankiel, whose unbelievable twists and turns are only surpassed by the amazing relationship he developed with a baseball team and baseball town.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, Jeffrey Lambert, host of the podcast, Rounders, stops by to chat with me about what makes baseball so different from other sports, and why we love it so much. We also discuss cultural shifts that have affected the game, as well as some of our favorite all-time baseball books.By bendavidorlando

People who remember relief pitcher Donnie Moore often connect Moore’s role in what Al Michaels called “the most dramatic hour of sports I’ve ever seen," to Donnie Moore, three years later, shooting his wife and himself. In this episode, I explore the deeper story that sheds light on what happened on July 18, 1989.…

In part 1 of a three-part series, I trace the echoed story of Bill Buckner and his infamous error back to the source, and back even before that, to get a full picture of what happened before, during, and after the game, so that we can understand what we lose when we begin to see the echo as the story.…

In this episode, I'll explore the true story of Doc Moonlight Graham from Field of Dreams, and other men who could have been known for a major league baseball career, but ended up being known for something else entirely.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, I’ll explore the reasons why there has not been a female at the highest level of baseball, and the factors involved in a female making it to the big leagues. And by the end of the episode, I will be asking a completely different question.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, I explore one of the most famous moments in baseball history, and how this moment might be the result of cheating. I also discuss the culture of cheating in baseball, and if there's a problem with cheating.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, I do a deep dive into the history of baseball salaries, how much players actually made compared to today, and the many ways players supplemented their income. I also discuss a new way for minor league prospects to cash in on the major league experience.By bendavidorlando

Gambling was instrumental in the formation and spread of professional baseball, but it has also been a toxic part of the game. Today, we look at this love-hate relationship.By bendavidorlando

In this episode, we take a look at some current practices that separate baseball from other sports. We also discuss a few rules and realities that used to exist, like pitchers throwing the ball underhand, and players playing full seasons bare-handed.By bendavidorlando

A few major league pitchers have found enormous success in the knuckleball, paving careers that outlasted most of their contemporaries. But for all its power and effectiveness, the knuckleball is almost nonexistent in today’s game, and has rarely been used by more than a handful of pitchers in any decade since its creation. In today’s episode, we f…

In 1920, Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch, the only major league player ever to be killed during gameplay. Many players owe their added safety to the obvious and not-so-obvious changes that took place following Chapman’s death. In this episode, we explore the events that led to Chapman’s death, and baseball’s grudging modernization.…

Lou Gehrig is one of the most famous and well-loved baseball players of all time. In the United States and other countries, Gehrig is also the namesake for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease. In this episode, we examine the possibility that Gehrig did not have the disease, and the ramifications of this possibility.…