The Athlete Archives

Ed Farmer vs Al Cowens - sign stealing, bean balls and baseball in the 1980sWhite Sox pitcher Ed Farmer hit Al Cowens in the face, breaking his jaw. A year later Cowens charged the mound in retaliation.

Captain Jack Glasscock and my N28 Allen & Ginter

Dwight Gooden was Rookie of the Year in 1984 and had a truly historic season in 1985, winning the Cy Young Award.Dwight experienced a traumatic event as a child and suffered from addiction most of his adult life. He's currently clean and healthy.#nymets #nyyankees #mlb #yankees #mets #baseball

Al Kaline (Mr. Tiger) is a Hall of Fame player for the Detroit Tigers. He was a broadcaster for the team alongside fellow HoFer George Kell.In this video I share my collection of Kaline cards as I share storiess from his life and career.#mlb #detroittigers #detroit #tigers #baseball #baseballcards #vintagebaseball

"Peg Leg" Patty O'Doul - Deadball era ballplayer for Connie Mack

Cecil Travis was a career Washington Senator who lost 4 years to military service for WW2. He was an elite hitter before the war but was never able to regain his pre-war ability upon returning from service.

Oscar Gamble

Jay Buhner (BONE) - with Vintage Dave T

The T206 baseball card set was printed from 1909-1911 and distributed in packs of cigarettes. Come listen to the stories of 7 men featured in this set.

Pete Reiser

Boog Powell

Bob Cerv was a legendary Weston, Nebraska born and raised athlete. He had a front row seat to the great Maris/Mantle HR chase of 1961 as a roommate of both sluggers. He is a decorated WWII veteran and survivor of the Battle of Leyte Gulf.Come join me and my friend Drew as we chat about Bob Cerv.Drew's channel:  @CleanCheapShots ​

Jim Gilliam with Cory Smith from  @TrueCardAdv  #mlb #basesball #dodgers

Big Klu is an iconic Cincinnati Reds first baseman. I was joined by Rob from  @RobCashCards  to chat about his career and his legacy.

Jim Eisenreich - Tourette Syndrome in MLB

Vida Blue was a pitcher for the Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants and KC Royals. He won the Cy Young and MVP in 1971 and seemed to be on a HoF trajectory.That all got derailed as he got mixed up in cocaine in the early 1980s. Still, he was an incredible pitcher and 3 time World Series champion.I'm joined by  @mikethesportshistorycollec1947  to discuss his career, look at some memorabilia and talk about Vida's legacy.

Frenchy Bordagaray shocked the world when he showed up to spring training with a mustache. Come join me to hear about this unique guy in baseball history.

Terrance Gore is an example of what makes baseball the best sport ever created. He is a man with really only 1 skill - he can run fast. He used that skill to earn 3 World Series championship rings.#baseball #braves #kansascityroyals #mlb #dodgers

Graig Miller from  @MidLifeCards  joined me to chat about Graig NettlesHe was a standout 3rd baseman who played most famously for the NY Yankees. He was known as an elite defender.Join us as Graig shares some personal anecdotes and some of his most prized memorabilia.Graig's channel: @MidLifeCards ​

Benny Kauff was banned from baseball by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis despite being acquitted in court for auto theft.Was Judge Landis justified in his decision?For more in depth discussion of Benny Kauff cards see this video from  @DansVintageBaseballPC  :https://youtu.be/JN1BbLlm2qM?si=JJMStNbg4VX5keq6

Everything you always wanted to know about Dick Pole and Pete LaCock but were afraid to ask.#mlb #mlbhistory #royals #cubs #redsox #mariners

Paul Jackson from Project 3.18 and I talk about an incredibly unique game between the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics of 1912. A heckling fan, Ty Cobb suspension and a nervous Frank Navin resulted in Hughie Jennings recruiting players off the streets of Philly.It's a crazy story shared by Project 3.18's Paul Jackson.Paul Jackson’s Project 3.18:https://www.project-318.com/Paul’s presentation at SABR 53:https://sabr.box.com/shared/static/1l2gyw4iphufyowlmppvwb1bdno61jg5.mp3And his PowerPoint slides:https://sabr.box.com/shared/static/bvg8rpqvhjz7377i4uv2xpthp3383htl.pptxThe excellent work of Kevin Barwin:https://sabr.org/journal/article/paper-tigers-how-a-player-strike-put-a-team-of-misfits-on-a-major-league-field-for-a-day/New York Tribune from May 16, 1912:https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030214/1912-05-16/ed-1/The game log:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA191205180.shtmlWhat the heck is physiognomy?:https://www.britannica.com/topic/physiognomy-divinationAnd opprobrious?:https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opprobriousThe trolley strike in 1910 Philly:https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/general-strike-of-1910/

Adam Greenberg and I discuss his career, life after baseball and what it's like to climb back into the box after getting drilled in the head.You can buy Adam's book on Amazon:https://a.co/d/gY6OdmmAnd you can contact Adam through his website:https://www.adamgreenbergofficial.com

Rupert Mills played for the Newark Peppers of the Federal League in 1915, and well, sort of again in 1916.This Notre Dame educated lawyer refused a contract buyout at 1/6th of its value which led to him being the only player left in the Federal League for 1916. In order to fulfill his contract he had to "play baseball" by himself.

Curt Flood sued Major League Baseball and commissioner Bowie Kuhn arguing that the reserve clause was illegal. His case led to hugely significant changes.I'm joined by friends Sean, Mike and John to discuss Curt's legacy.#mlbhistory #cardinals #supremecourt #vintagebaseball

John Berardino (later, Beradino) was a professional baseball player who became an acting legend on General Hospital as Dr Hardy. He recorded nearly 3,100 episodes of the famed soap opera.

Sy Rosenthal had a brief career with the Boston Red Sox, but he should be remembered for his many contributions to society and his sacrifice in WW2. He was paralyzed as a casualty of the sinking of the USS Miantonomah.

Nap Rucker is a deadball era baseball player from Alpharetta Georgia. In this video I visit Nap's gravesite in Roswell, GA and talk to a Nap Rucker expert and collector, Sean Pagaduan.#baseballhistory #mlbhistory #brooklyn #dodgers

Brawl in Atlanta - Braves vs Padres August 12 1984Paul Jackson from Project 3.18 and I talk about a game between the Braves and Padres from August of 1984 in which 16 players would eventually be ejected.Paul's Project 3.18 can be found here:https://www.project-318.comHere's the game log on baseball-reference:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL198408120.shtml

Fernando Valenzuela's significance to the Latino population in LA can't be overstated. #baseball #vintagebaseball #dodgers #mlb

Drew and I chat about Bert Campaneris and the A's franchise Drew's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CleanCheapShots #baseball #baseballhistory #oaklandathletics #theathletearchives #mlb

Mike and I discuss Lou Brisssie, cotton and buying vintage baseball cards on a budget. Mike's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCqfb4oGftUJ7I9QdsRrBg7Q Here's a direct link to Mike's video on Rick Monday: https://youtu.be/7XvCcmhe_H0?si=F19K-nBOB1LSCO3V #baseball #vintagebaseball #ww2 #theathletearchives #mlb #vintagebaseball #vintagebaseballcards

The 2024 Chicago White Sox were bad. But they were FAR from the worst ever. My friend Sean joins me to discuss the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, the worst team in baseball history.

Dan Lynch from  @DansVintageBaseballPC  joins me to discuss a hero of his - Bobby Murcer. We talk about Bobby, unique batting stances, and the crap that was 1981 Fleer. #nyyankees #baseballhistory #mlb

Biographer Kyle McNary joins me to discuss Negro League baseball's Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe. Kyle's book: https://www.amazon.com/Ted-Double-Duty-Radcliffe-Baseballs/dp/0964200201/ SABR oral history (Fay Vincent with Double Duty): https://sabr.org/interview/ted-double-duty-radcliffe-2002/ Bob Kendrick's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4IuNh3DNKpWmBTTERvD87c The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: https://www.nlbm.com #negroleagues #baseballhistory #mlb

There are 6 men who played professional baseball who lost their lives on D-Day during Operation Overlord. This is my tribute to these fall soldiers. #vintagebaseball #baseballhistory #baseball #wwii #ww2 #dday

Mike and I discuss Rick Monday and the draft system, digging graves and transistor radios. Mike's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCqfb4oGftUJ7I9QdsRrBg7Q Other channels mentioned in this video include Dan's Vintage Baseball PC: https://www.youtube.com/@UCgxU1Ob6ypHLXneueSUFMYw and Drew at Clean Cheap Shots: https://www.youtube.com/@UCFjPUQh-i0YFnId31YR7W2w Here's a direct link to Mike's video on Rick Monday: https://youtu.be/X4E4MdULoVA?si=8P6iy9EHvUrMaKDF #baseball #vintagebaseball #dodgers #theathletearchives #mlb #vintagebaseball #vintagebaseballcards

Gene Bearden has an unbelievable story. He was the hero of the 1948 Cleveland Indians, but his tale also includes quite the surprising experience in WWII #baseball #vintagebaseball #cleveland #clevelandguardians #indians #worldseries #theathletearchives #mlb #vintagebaseball #vintagebaseballcards

Come and listen to the story about a man named Ernie Shore. He was credited for throwing one of the very few perfect games in MLB history until it was revoked in 1991 (rightfully so, in my opinion). One of the more interesting parts of this story for me is the background of the home plate umpire that day - Brick Owens. I hope you learn something and enjoy the video. #mlbhistory #redsox #baberuth #mlb #sabr

Sloppy Thurston's name made the news this week as Chicago White Sox closer Michael Kopech pitched an immaculate inning. Come on in and find out who Sloppy Thurston was. #mlb #mlbhistory #baseball #whitesox

Bullpen carts...they're fun, they're silly, they are awesome. #mlb #mlbhistory

There have been reports accusing synthetic turf, specifically AstroTurf from Veteran's Stadium, of possibly causing the brain cancer deaths of Phillies and Royals of the 1980s. Ken Brett, Dan Quisenberry, Dick Howser, Tug McGraw, Johnny Oates, John Vukovich, Bobby Murcer all died of brain cancer. Is there enough evidence to support the assertion? What are the chemicals in synthetic turf (PFOA and PFOS) that make it dangerous? What does the CDC, EPA and WHO have to say?

Bert Shepard and Pete Gray are the only two amputees to ever play MLB. The Flat Tires and Broken Wings were amputee teams that were organized after WWI and gained real momentum and popularity after WWII. #mlb #mlbhistory #theathletearchives #amputee CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:30 - Bert Shepard 07:00 - Pete Gray 11:40 - Flat Tires & Broken Wings

Believe it or not, baseball was actually played at German POW camps in WWII. A small number of these men would eventually make it to MLB. I hope you enjoy this video and tribute to these brave men. 00:00 Introduction 03:57 Red Cross 04:32 MIS-X 05:00 Baseball in camps 09:27 Photos by Angelo Spinelli 11:06 MLB POWs "POW Baseball in World War II: The National Pastime Behind Barbed Wire" - Tim Wolter "The Escape Factory: The Story of Mis-X, the Super-Secret U.S. Agency Behind World War II's Greatest Escapes" - Lloyd Shoemaker National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville, GA - https://www.nps.gov/ande/planyourvisit/natl_pow_museum.htm "Life Behind Barbed Wire: The Secret World War II Photographs of Angelo M. Spinelli" - Angelo Spinelli

Everything you could possibly want to know about batting gloves. Batting gloves are ubiquitous in baseball today. But when did players start wearing them? Who was the first? How many gloves do players go through in a season? Why should anyone care?

Dan Quisenberry was a sidearm and submarine pitcher for the Kansas City Royals. He was part of the 1985 World Series championship team. #baseball #vintagebaseball #kansascityroyals #mlb

In the deadball era of baseball there were human mascots that teams employed because they thought they were lucky. These individuals perversely were considered luckier the tougher their situation in society. This included physically challenged and mentally challenged kids and adults. #baseball #vintagebaseball #nygiants #deadball #theathletearchives #mlb

Rick Ankiel suffered one of the more memorable attacks of the yips on national TV during the 2000 NLDS, breaking MLB records nobody wants. He reinvented himself and became one of the games best defensive outfielders. #baseball #nymets #washingtonnationals #theathletearchives #mlb #atlantabraves #stlcardinals #cardinals

RA Dickey battled a rough childhood with sexual abuse and a series of professional setbacks as he attempted to become a MLB pitcher. He eventually turned to the knuckle ball to save his career, becoming the best pitcher in the game in 2012. #baseball #vintagebaseball #nymets #knuckleball #torontobluejays #theathletearchives #mlb #minnesotatwins #tennesseevols #universityoftennessee

Sam Nahem was a pitcher in the 1940s. He served in the Army Infantry in WWII and both managed and pitched for the OISE All-Stars. OISE won GI World Series which was played on the renamed "Soldier Field" in Nuremburg, Germany. Nahem was at the forefront of pushing for racial integration in baseball. He picked two Negro League stars for his team: Willard Brown and Leon Day (both Hall of Famers). Nahem was a Jewish player winning a championship in a stadium Hitler built. The power of that can't be overstated. #baseball #vintagebaseball #negroleagues #jewish #theathletearchives #mlb #vintagebaseball #vintagebaseballcards #ww2 #history