Backwards K Pod

Frank Thomas looked more like an NFL Tight=End, looking to create space in the end zone to receive a touchdown, than he did a baseball player. But in many ways, the 6'5" 275 pound icon was ostensibly a contact hitter trapped inside of a slugger's body, with a judicious knowledge of the strike zone and quick hand-eye coordination. He was a dog on the hunt, looking to inflict pain on opposing teams, thus earning the well deserved moniker; The Big Hurt. Even in the context of playing in one of the greatest offensive eras in the game's history, Frank's raw production is staggering, From 1991 to 1997, he strung together seven consecutive seasons with 20 home runs. 100 or more walks, 100 or more RBI and a .300 average, No player before or since has equalled the feat. He is the all-time White Sox leader in home runs, doubles, walks, OBP and SLUG. Thomas would achieve these benchmarks through hard work, persistence, and never taking anything for granted. This week we do a deep archaeological dig into the baseball path laid down by the man. #FrankThomas #TheBigHurt #ColumbusGeorgia #BobbyHoward #AuburnUniversity #HalBaird #PatDye #WaltHriniak #BoJackson #OaklandAthletics #TorontoBlueJays #JeffTorborg #PamelaThomas

The Negro Leagues produced some of the finest third-basemens in the history of the sport of baseball. Guys like Jud Wilson, Oliver "The Ghost" Marcelle and Ray Dandridge held down the Hot Corner. inspiring and challenging future generations to meet their standards. But many of the league historians consider Judy Johnson the finest of them all. He was Baryshnikov in cleats with his flawless footwork and stellar glove at third. At 5'10'. 150 pounds soaking wet, Johnson dominated the game with his solid defensive fundamentals, incredible base-running instincts, and a line-drive bat designed to find gaps in the outfield for extra bases. While Satchel Paige's game was a flamboyant display of athletic genius, Judy's was one of quiet exuberance and steely focus. While Josh Gibson game revolved around his sheer belligerent power, Johnson thrilled spectators with his finesse. While Cool Papa Bell was blessed with blazing speed, Johnson had intelligence and instincts. This week we do an archeological dig into the legends career that begins in Wilmington. Delaware and ends in the pantheon of immortals in Cooperstown. New York. #WilliamJuliusJudyJohnson #SnowHillMaryland #WilmingtonDeleware #EdBolden #HilldaleDaisies #HomesteadGrays #PittsburghCrawfords #PopLloyd #BrodieFrancis #JoshGibson #CumPosey #GusGreenlee #KansasCityMonarchs #ConnieMack #LeoDurocher #AnitaIrons

At the height of his powers, Reggie Jackson was a box-office spectacle, who's on-field exploits were matched by his larger than life personality, and his fearless ability to speak his truth to power. Whether you watched him strikeout, a record setting 2,597 times, or watched him hit one of his 563 home runs, fans and haters alike, couldn't take their eyes off of him, as he was surely one player worth the price of admission. His complex profile study, is but an evolutionary link in the chain of black baseball players that have performed on the Major League level. Unlike many of the black players that came before him, who kept their heads down and played the game with a quiet grace, Reggie was outspoken, brazen and arrogant. He played with a chip on his shoulder, and he is one of the few professional athletes who could produce at a high level, while playing angry. #ReginaldMartinezJackson #MartinezJackson #MrOctober #OaklandAthletics #CharlesOFinley #RollieFingers #SalBando #JoeRudi #BaltimoreOrioles #NewYorkYankees #GeorgeSteinbrenner #BillyMartin #ThurmanMunson #CaliforniaAngels #JohnMcNamera #ReggieBar

By the time Steve Carlton's 24 year Major League Baseball career was in the books, he had more pickoffs than any pitcher who ever played the game at the highest level, the second most strikeouts ever behind only Nolan Ryan, and the ninth most wins in the long history of the National Pastime. Armed with a devastating, mind-bending slider, the man known as "Lefty" seemingly toyed with the best hitters on the planet. This week's archeological dig is into the path laid by the quirky left-hander from his beginnings as an athletic kid in Miami, Florida, to his annoiting as an immortal with his 1994 induction in to the National Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown. New York. #SteveCarlton #Lefty #St Louis Cardinals #BobGibson #TimMcCarver #TimWise #PhiladelphiaPhillies #1980WorldSeries #CyYoungAward #ChicagoWhitesox #SanFranciscoGiants #ClevelandIndians #MinnesotaTwins #NationalBaseballHallOfFame

This week we profile the baseball life of the immortal Joe Morgan, who at 5'7", and 150 pounds, dominated the game and the second-base position like very few before him or since. Morgan develops a love for the game, cutting his teeth on the talented Oakland sandlots, and influenced by his farher's encouragement. Despite his diminutive stature, which made him overlooked throughout his youth, he displayed impressive talents, and confidence throughout his career. He plays ten years for the Houston Colt 45's, and establishes himself as a rising star in the National League, but it would be a career altering trade to the Cincinnati Reds Big Red Machine teams of the 1970's where he would attain legendary status as the team's sparkplug catalyst, He contributed to two Reds World Championships in 1975 and 1976, with back to back MVP seasons. His legacy in the game is not only earmarked by his on-field contributions, but his positive influence on younger players and his commitment to the sport until his passing in October of 2020. #JoeMorgan #CastlemontHighSchool #BobWright #BillyGoodman #HoustonColt45s #HoustonAstros #CincinnatiReds #BigRedMachine #TonyPerez #PeteRose #JohnnyBench #PhiladelphiaPhillies #SanFranciscoGiants #OaklandAthletics

This week i detail the baseball journey of pitching great Warren Spahn. By the time, his long and prolific career was in the books, he had amassed the most victories (363) in the game's history for a left-handed pitcher, the sixth most wins of all time and the most wins ever by a pitcher who pitched exclusively in the live-ball, modern era. All of his brilliance is magnified by the fact that he doesn't record his first win until he is 25 years old. He misses three years of Major League baseball in service to the United States during World War II. During the war, he is a hero at the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium. His exploits defending the Ramagen Bridge in Germany, earns him a battlefield promotion, a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a Presidential Citation, making him the most decorated Major League player during World War II. From humble beginnings in blue-collar Buffalo, New York during the Great Depression to the pantheon of of immortals in Cooperstown, we follow his long, amazing career. We also say our solemn goodbyes to "The Cobra" Dave Parker who succombed to his 10 year battle with Parkinson's Disease. #WarrenSpahn #MilwaukeeBraves #BostonBraves

This week, i do an archaelogical dig into 160 years of baseball history in Minnesota. In many ways, Minnesota was an early leader in team sports being played before large crowds, when the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes would play native lacrosse games, as far back as the 1600's, long before European settlers arrived. As for baseball, their timeline stretches back to 1857, when citizens from the town of Nininger, establish the first baseball team in state history. Soon after the conclusion of the American Civil War, various teams begin to sprout up in the Land Of 10,000 Lakes, most notably in Minneapolis-St. Paul, as well as many outlier towns like Red Wing, Fairbault, Minnehaha, St. Croix and Hastings, riding the wave of the young sport's growth and popularity. 160 years later, the region's baseball history continues to be written by the Minnesota Twins, who bring the Major League brand to the state in 1961, after Calvin Griffith and the Washington Senators relocate to the Twin-Cities. I also present the history and construction of their current Home ballpark. Target Field, which stands as a testament to the Twins vision of providing a cathedral, that is not only on the cutting edge of baseball stadium aesthetics and functionality, but also for sustainable practices. Demonstrating a commitment to enviromental responsibility, and providing an inspiration to the Twins fans, to be champions for the very planet that sustains us all. #NinningerNine #NorthStarBaseBallClub #IgnatiusDonnelly #CaptainRolinOllin #VermillionClubOfHastings #MinneapolisNine #RedWingCrescentClub #SaxonNine #OlympicNine #BanJohnson #CharlesComiskey #LexingtonPark #AthleticPark #NicolletPark #MetropolitanStadium #HubertHumphreyMetroDome #TargetField #RodCarew #HarmonKillebrew #MudcatGrant #TonyOliva #LymonBostick #KentHrbek #KirbyPucket #JoeMauer #MikeKelly

Carlton Fisk will probably always be most notably be remembered for his game-winning home-run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, but it would be his durability over the long haul, that would cement his Hall Of Fame resume. The 11 time All Star would become known for his in-your-face intensity. his ability to handle pitchers, and his incredible work ethic. He would go onto have a long and colorful 24 year Major League career. This week we follow the journey of this pugnacious backstop from his humble beginnings as farmboy growing up in Charlestown, New Hampshire, dreaming of one day playing basketball for his hometwon Boston Celtics, to becoming a catcher who's longevity and durability would help him rewrite the record books, at his position, in his image. #CarltonFisk #Pudge #BellowsFallsVermont #CharlestownNewHampshire #CecilFisk #LeonaFisk #ConradFisk #CalvinFisk #CedricFisk #JanetFisk #JuneFisk #LindaFoust #BillLee #RalphSivia #DarrellJohnson #BostonRedSox #ChicagoWhiteSox #DwightEvans #TomPaciorek #ThurmanMunson #GraigNettles #FenwayPark #ComiskeyPark

Andre Dawson, also known as "The Hawk", was one of the most dynamic and all-around polished players of hia generation. He was a legitimate five-tool player, even when his knees were screaming at him to hang em up. Over a career that spanned 21 major league seasons, he made an indellible mark, combining his raw power, speed and defensive prowess to become one of the game's most respected players. His journey from the sandlots of Miami, Florida, to hia rightful inclusion in the Hall Of Fame, is a testament to his dedication, resiliency and determination, to overcome obstacles, in his career, which included 12 knee surgeries, to becoming one of the greatest outfielders in baseball history. #AndreDawson #MontrealExpos #LaStadiaOlympique #FAMU #DickMoss #CollusionEra #ChicagoCubs #WrigleyField #EricShow #BostonRedSox #FloridaMarlins #NationalLeagueMostValuablePlayer #RookieOfTheYear

In an era dominated by sluggers putting up prodigious video game power-numbers, Vladimir Guerrero becomes one of the game's most electrifying players, in defiance of the baseball Gods with his five-tool arsenal of hitting for average, power, baserunning insticts, defense and the intercontinetal ballistic missile, he had for a right arm. His unlikely rise to baseball immortality begins in abject poverty in the Dominican Republic, as a fifth grade dropout, playing baseball in his barefeet on the dusty Dominican sandlots, and drinking rain water from the puddles in the Nizao Bani streets. His batting style was unconventional; See the ball, hit the ball, as hard as humanly possible, as he would swing at virtually any pitch offerred up to him, becoming one of the best bad ball hitters the game has ever seen. He was throwback to a different era of ballplayer, when batting gloves were shunned and pine tar covering the bat and helmet was a badge of honor. This week we follow his incredible baseball journey. #VladimirGuerrero #NizaoBani #DominicanRepublic #WiltonGuerrero #FredFerreira #MontrealExpos #FelipeAlou #PedroMartinez #AnaheimAngels #TexasRangers #BaltimoreOrioles

This week's biopic is on the greatest player in Brewers history, Robin Yount. Robin played on the competitive edge, and left everything on the field during his 20 year playing career. In fact, Yount left it all over the field, winning the American League MVP, at two different positions, 6 years apart. Drafted by the Brewers with the third overall pick in the 1973 Amateur MLB Draft, Yount makes his big-league debut at the age of 18, on Opening Day of 1974, as the Brewers starting Shortstop, and establishing himself as the new breed of power-hitting Shortstops that is so prevalent in the game today, before having a career threatening arm surgery and becoming a fleet-footed, sure-handed Center Fielder. #RobinYount #MilwaukeeBrewers #LarryYount #TaftCharterHighSchool #GeorgeBamberger #HarveyKuenn #PaulMolitor #CecilCooper #GormanThomas #BenOgilive #BJSurhoff #AmericanLeagueMVP #CountyStadium #GordonGoldsberry #DavidClyde #DavidStearns

This week we take an introspective look at the life and baseball journey of one Peter Lawrence "Yogi" Berra, who would become one of baseball's greatest characters and catchers. The World War II veteran and unprecedented 13 time World Champion as a player. was best described by his manager Casey Stengal, " As a very strange fellow with remarkable baseball abilities." He served as the anchor and bridge between the Joe DiMaggio and the Mickey Mantle era of the Yankees of the 1940's and 1950's, the storied franchise's most dominanat era. Not only would he craft a legendary playing career through grit and determination, he would also become a cultural icon, whose fame transcended the baseball diamond with his Yogiism style of speech, with phrases such as, "It aint over till it's over." and, " A Nickel aint worth a dime anymore." #YogiBerra #TheHill #JoeGaragiola #StLouisCardinals #BranchRickey #NewYorkYankees #LeoBrown #GeorgeWeiss #BrooklynDodgers #MelOtt #JackieRobinson #DonLarsen #CaseyStengel #GeorgeSteinbrenner #CarmenShort #BillDickey #GilHodges #PhilLinz

When a plumber's blowtorch accidentally causes Washington D.C's Boundary Field to burn to the ground in 1911. engineers from the Cleveland based Osborne Company quickly construct Griffith Stadium inside the skeletal remains of Boundary Field. and it would serve as the Senators home park from 1911 to 1961. The stadium would become a centerpiece for baseball in the district housing the Senators and the Homestead Grays Negro League team, as well as the Washington Redskins NFL football team, that relocates from Boston to Washington in 1937. It would also feature boxing and wrestling matches, concerts, the circus. religious revivals, George Washington University, the Georgetwon Hoyas, Howard University and Maryland Terrapins college sports during this time. This week's profile is on this throwback crib's profound construction and history that would leave an indellible impression on the sporting theater of the Nation's Capital. #ClarkeGriffith #GriffithStadium #WashingtonDC #WashingtonSenators #WashigtonNationals #WilliamHowardTaft #FranklinDelanoRoosevelt #GeorgeWashingtonUniversity #GeorgeTownHoyas #MarylandTerrapins #HowardUniversityHospital #WashingtonRedskins

Whenever Willie McCovey had a bat in his hands, he meant business. Whether it's a tight pennant race game in September against the Dodgers or a batting practice in May, his focus was to cut the ball in half and smoke line drives. His path to Major League immortality was oddly uneven, mostly due to circumstance. But despite all of the obstacles, mishaps and injuries he endured, he still managed to squeeze out a 22 year playing career that saw him belt 521 career home runs, earning him the admirations and respect pf seemingly every person he ever encountered, especially in his adopted hometown of San Francisco Giants. For the city by the bay, the loss of Stretch, was more than just the loss of a ballplayer. It was the loss of a local and civic institution, just as proinent as Alcatraz Prison, the Golden Gate Bridge, the cable cars, and they hills they race up and down. Willie McCovey was San Francisco. #WillieMcCovey #EsterMcCovey #FrankMcCovey #JessThomas #AlexPompez #MobileAlabama #SanFranciscoCalifornia #SanFranciscoGiants #WillieMays #OrlandoCepeda #CandlestickPark #SanDiegoPadres #OaklandAthletics

This week we profile the baseball life and journey of the legendary skipper Bobby Cox, who was became one of the most successful managers in the game's history, chartering the course for the Braves' dominanace during the 1990's and early 2000's. His teams would hold the unique distinction of winning 14 consecutive division pennants, and he would go onto become the fourth winningest manager in baseball history. The seeds of National League supremacy hardly happened overnight. It was a seed that would take 14 seasons to bear fruit, with an international sojurn along the way. #BobbyCox #AtlantaBraves #RalphHouk #NewYorkYankees #BillyMartin #TedTurner #PatGillick #TorontoBlueJays #JohnSmoltz #TomGlavine #GregMaddux #JohnSchuerholz #ChipperJones #MarquisGrissom

This week we take an introspective look at the fascinating History Of Baseball In Queens, New York. A story that begins in 1886, when Queens was the only municipalty in New York City that disregarded the Sunday Blue Laws, which prohibited commerce and personel ammusement on Sundays. The borough's landscape was dotted with three ballparks at this time, Ridgewood Parks One and Two in Woodhaven, and Dexter Park located in Jamaica, Queens, and because a blind eye was turned on the Sunday Blue Laws of New York City, Queens became the tourist destination spot on the day of the Sabbath, for the hard working blue-collar citizens of the city, as the Brooklyn baseball team, who would eventually become the Dodgers, begin scheduling Sunday games in the borough, Soon thereafter teams as far away as Jersey City begin scheduling home Sunday games there as well, when the Brooklyn ball team is out of town. 76 years later after the Dodgers and Giants flee the city for California, the expansion franchise team, New York Mets becomes the team most famously celebrated for calling Queens home, is born. This comes with two baseball stadiums in the team's history in Shea Stadium and Citi Field, and we will cover the construction and colorful histories of both cribs. #QueensNewYork #BrooklynGrays #SundayBlueLaws #GeorgeGrauer #GrauersRidgewoodPark #CharlieByrne #WilliamWallace #WallacesRidgewoodPark #JimKennedy #BrooklynGladiators #NatStrong #BillShea #GeorgeVMcLaughlin #WalterOMalley #WilliamShea #WillieStargell #JimBunning #JohannSantana #OJSimpson #BillBuckner #MikePiazza

As a player, Billy Martin was a fundamentally sound second basemen with a .257 batting average over an 11 year playing career, most notably for the Yankees fom 1950 to 1957. On the World Series stage, he was a clutch beast with a .333/.371/.369 slash-line, 5 Home Runs and 19 runs driven in, with flawless defensive play. As a manager, he developed the reputation of a strategical genius, who could ostensibly turn almost any team into a contender. But he was also considered a longterm liability whose erratic personal behavior, usually due to his excessive alcohol consumption. and his inability to handle veteran players, or young pitchers, led to early dismissals. In his 16 seasons as a field general, he would win five divisional titles with four different franchises; two American League Pennants and a World Championship in 1977 with the Yankees. This week we profile the baseball journey of this brash, fearless, and pugnacious leader who would hone his craft on the Oakland sandlots, before implementing his lessons on life and winning in the majors. #BillyMartin #BerkeleyCalifornia #CaseyStengal #MickeyMantle #WhiteyFord #AlfredManuelPesanoJr #JoanPesano #JimmyPiersell #ClintCourtney #JackieRobinson #MattBatts #ReggieJackson #GeorgeSteinbrenner #MinnesotaTwins #DetroitTigers #OaklandAthletics #TexasRangers #NewYorkYankees

San Francisco Giants right-handed ace Juan Marichal was among the elite pitchers during the "The Golden Age Of Pitching" of the 1960's, but he always seemed to live in the shadows of Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson during that era. He was the winningest pitcher of the decade, and his 2.57 era during that span is third best behind only Koufax and his 2.37 and closer Hoyt Wilhelm's 2.16. This week we will cover the baseball journey of the kid who from humble beginnings as the poor farmer's kid from the Dominican Republic, would change his stars, becoming the first Dominican superstar player and a baseball immortal, changing the face of baseball forever. #JuanMarichal #SanFranciscoGiants #RamfisTrujillo #SandyKoufax #BobGibson #JohnnyRoseboro #LagunaVerde #JesusAlou #MattyAlou #FelipeAlou #AlmaCaravajal #AndyGilbert #AlDark #WarrenSpahn #BostonRedSox #LosAngelesDodgers

This week's focus is on the legendary pitching icon Ferguson Jenkins, who is arguably the greatest ballplayer that Canada has ever produced (with all apologies to Larry Walker) and indeed one of the country's finest all-around athletes ever. During a time that many consider "The Golden Age Of Pitching", Fergie stood shoulder to shouler with the era's greats, and he towered above the rest. He is the only (and most likely the last, considering the evolution of the bullpen in the modern game) pitcher in the last 50 years to win at least 20 games a year, for six consecutive seasons, and along with Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling, they are the only four pitchers in the game's long history with 3,000 strikeouts to their credit, and less than 1,000 walks surrendered. From Chatham, Ontario to Cooperstown, NY, I give you the life and baseball journey of this pitching great. #FergusonArthurJenkins #Fergie #DeloresJenkins #ChathamOntario #ChathamVocationalHighSchool #TerrysCoalYard #GerryMcCaffery #DaveDziadura #PhiladelphiaPhillies #ChicagoCubs #TexasRangers #BostonRedSox #JimBunning #BobGibson #HarlemGlobetrotters #GaryTempleton

Frank Robinson accomplished as much in the game of baseball, as anyone ever has; National League Rookie Of The Year, An MVP in both leagues, MVP of a World Series. MVP of an All-Star game, a Gold Glove Winner, American League Manager Of The Year, a Triple Crown winner, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal Of Freedom. His accomplishments on the diamond, led to his Hall Of Fame induction in 1982, in recognition of being one of the finest players in the history of the game. In 1975, he becomes the first black manager in the history of Major League Baseball, fulfilling Jackie Robinson's dream, and cementing his own legacy as a racial pioneer. But Frank wouldn't want to be remembered as a racial pioneer. He would prefer to be immortalized as a baseball player who perfected his craft, and a leader of men, to do things they never thought possible. This is the great Frank Robinson. #FrankRobinson #McCleymondsHighSchool #VadaPinson #CurtFlood #BillRussel #GeorgePowels #BobbyMattick #CincinnatiReds #BaltimoreOrioles #LosAngelesDodgers #CaliforniaAngels #ClevelandIndians #SanFranciscoGiants #MontrealExpos #WashingtonNationals #JimPalmer #BrooksRobinson #EarlWeaver