Minisode: Killing Mr. Met
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
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 want to kill Mr. Met...and why? To listen to the entire interview, .
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Episode 416: Jonathan Knight
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
Just in time to celebrate the 35th anniversary or “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 coincidences surrounding the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln\ and their connection with showbiz siblings.
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Minisode: Hank Aaron Hits Number 715
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
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, .
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Episode 415: Brad Balukjian
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
Brad Balukjian, author of , 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 members of The Brad Pack!
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Episode 414: Gerald Watkins
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
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 energize baseball in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Episode 413: Mark Braff
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
Author Mark Braff joins the boys to talk about the idea behind his new book, , the role COVID played in getting it published, tracking down the men he talked to (and who he was hoping to get), securing Cal Ripken Jr. and how the promise of new sod got Roger Maris to return to Yankee Stadium.
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Episode 412: Jennifer McKenney
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
Autograph enthusiast Jennifer McKenney joins the boys to talk about why (and when) collecting baseballs signed by anyone who ever wore a Tampa Bay Rays uniform became a family endeavor, the players that were the best (and worst!) to deal with, how you begin to store and document such a large collection and whether or not Kevin Cash is really the best man for the job in St. Pete.
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Episode 411: Rafi Kohan
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
In addition to helping Lou pick a fight, author Rafi Kohan joins the boys to talk about about trash talking, the history of and psychology behind “the language of competition”, the different types of trash talking, how former All-Pro linebacker Bryan Cox used to hype himself up and introduces the world to the curious antics of Shep Messing. Also, is Donald Trump actually good at talking smack?
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Episode 410: Robert Wuhl
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
Just in time to celebrate the 35th anniversary of "Batman", award-winning actor and writer Robert Wuhl returns to talk to the boys about working with Tim Burton, carpooling with Jack Nicholson, (definitely not) stealing items from the set, re-visits commissioner Rob Manfred’s rule changes and does a deep dive previewing the 2024 baseball season.
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Episode 409: Timothy Jenkins
The Hall of Very Good Podcast
Longtime Seattle sports supercollector Timothy Jenkins joins the boys to talk about his lifelong obsession with the Pilots, explains how and when he got interesting in collecting, shares some of his favorite (and unique) items, whether or not Bud Selig merch is allowed in his home, recalls quizzing his all-time favorite baseball player and reveals just how many autographed Hall of Fame baseballs he has.
info_outlineAuthor Michael Ortman joins the boys to talk about the fifty-year journey that led to his book, Opening Day: 50-for-50, what he remembers from his first Opening Day back in 1970 (and why his dad even took him), the fortuitous gig that required him to be at the ballpark, which of the five presidential first pitchers had the best arm and, of course, starting his streak over post-pandemic.