Sean and Eds Do Baseball

Sean throws a gem in our 2025 finale with the story of Dick Higham. A star player and manager in the 1870's that would graduate to be an umpire in the 1880's, but not for long. Higham would be accused of crookedness and was put on trial; facing the worst fate possible in baseball.

Eds toes the rubber with a doubleheader, 1870's style; with the life stories of James and Will White. Two brothers who not only bucked the trend by living clean lives in an era of debaucherous baseball stars but who also set the trend in numerous ways. Two of the earliest baseball stars on both sides of the ball the White Brothers left a lasting legacy upon the history of the game.

Sean pitches a complete game - but then gets moved to the bullpen - with the story of Rogelio "Roger" Moret. Moret became a can't miss prospect with Boston but couldn't solidify his position in their rotation. His career would fade as fast as it rose and unfortunately he would be known more for an infamous moment in the Texas Rangers clubhouse than his pitching.

Eds is on the bump in the middle of the World Series and throws Sean a slider with the story of the 1906 Chicago White Sox who were the underdogs against the Cubs juggernaut in the first ever subway series Fall Classic. Player Manager Fielder Jones ran a tight ship and captained his squad to victory against the record setting North Siders despite his team having the lowest team batting average ever to make it to the big dance.

Sean delivers a curveball as the Cincinnati Reds returned to the Fall Classic after losing in 1939 but this time they are playing for more than pride. They are playing to honour back-up catcher Willard Hershberger after tragedy struck the team mid-season.

Eds steps to the hill with a cutter; the inspiring life of Dave Dravecky. From humble beginnings in Youngstown, Ohio, Dravecky beat the odds and made it to the majors and became one of the big game pitchers of the 1980's. His inspirational career was tragically cut short at the end of the decade but that didn't stop him from continuing to serve a higher purpose beyond the diamond.

Sean winds up and delivers the story of Pascual Perez, a slim, erratic pitcher who had one of the wildest careers in baseball history. Whether in the middle of brawls, pennant races or drug controversies, Pascual was a spark plug for his teams, just don’t ask him for a ride if you wanna get to the ball park on time.  

Eds steps to the mound to tell the life story of Lou Novikoff; one of the game's purest hitters. Born in the Arizona desert to Russian immigrants, Lou tore it up on the fast-pitch diamond and worked his way to the majors becoming one of the most feared flash in the pan hitters of his day. He wasn't a Hall of Famer in Cooperstown but all who saw him play couldn't deny that "The Mad Russian" certainly made baseball more fun.

Due to some technical difficulties in the recording this week Sean and Eds are forced to revisit an episode from January of 2021. Sean and Eds record remotely this time as the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise. Sean listens through the power of the internet as Eds tells the tale of baseball's one millionth run scored, how 4 men had their chances to ink their name to the pages of oddball history and how the contest was decided by a foot race 2400 miles apart.

Sean tosses a curveball with the story of one of the first famous fans of the game; "Howlin'" Hilda Chester. Hilda lived a rough life but found solace in the bleachers of Ebbets Field screaming at her beloved Brooklyn Bums. Soon she was as big of a story as the Dodgers and became part of the team. That is until they broke her heart in 1957.

As Sean and Eds enjoy the All Star Break we turn back the clock to July of 2021 when they welcomed friend and former high school baseball teammate Matt Marchese (host of The FAN Hockey show, former producer of Prime Time Sports at Sportsnet 590 The Fan & writer for Sportsnet) to the podcast as Eds stumbles upon another story; this time with a local twist. A tale from the nebulous depths of baseball history that tells how the meteoric rise of a man who shovelled his way to the major leagues from the train yards to the ball fields was ultimately stymied in a surprisingly spectacular fashion.

Eds steps back into the chalked box and throws a complete game with the life story of Silver King. One of the "speediest" pitchers of the late 19th century who had a chip on his shoulder and very few friends on or off the field. King had a strong start to his career but the games growth during its infancy ultimately caused Kings promising career to fizzle out quickly, not before he left his mark in baseball's record books though.

Sean goes back to back with the tragic story of speedy first baseman Dennis "Dan" McGann. McGann was a star at the turn of the century who set records on the base paths, fought numerous opposing players as well as his former coach. Sadly, his family life off the field was marred by tragedy and he would be gone far too soon.

Guest Liz McGuire does some baseball with Sean and Eds as Sean delivers a wild pitch about possibly the worst team in modern professional baseball history; the 1988 Medicine Hat Blue Jays. Their record setting losing season wasn't pretty in the box scores or the standings, it sure was a lot of fun though!

Eds continues to deal as he finishes off the Christie Pits saga with the story of the 1933 riot that had been brewing on the streets of Toronto for years. The rise of anti-semitism in Hogtown and around the world catalyzed a six hour race riot between the Jewish youth of the city, their Italian neighbours and the Nazi punks that wished to see them banned from public spaces.  Special Thanks to Stephen Dame of SABR for anchoring most of the research for this story. Check out his article at sabr.org or the Fall 2023 editions of SABR's baseball research journal.

Eds returns to the bump with the story of how Hog Town's famed Christie Pits came to be. A beautiful park in the heart of Toronto that hosted the city's early softball leagues soon became the site of an event that catalyzed one of the darkest moments in 20th century Canadian history.

Sean keeps throwing and things get out of hand with Van Lingle Mungo. An arm injury, boozing, trade rumours, adultery, and confrontations with his managers lead to the end of his tenure in Brooklyn; and eventually his career, but not before one of the wildest stories in baseball history.

Sean pitches into extra innings starting with the origin and rise of Brooklyn Dodgers star Van Lingle Mungo. One of the best pitchers of the 1930’s, Mungo had the unfortunate luck of pitching in front of the Daffy Dodgers,  never experiencing team success despite impressive underlying personal stats. A confrontational personality, drinking and finally an arm injury would seal his fate as a forgotten Dodger great.

Sean and Eds share the tools of ignorance this time and catch a story from special guest pitcher; Sports Reference Director of Design and SABR member Adam Darowski who steps to the mound with a spot start. Adam tells the tale of a 1930's Dominican baseball league that was founded by a ruthless dictator who sought to ride the wave of baseball's popularity to both feed his obsession with power and win the hearts of his countrymen. He details the relatively unknown Latin superstars that made up the rosters  and the defection of many American Negro League players brought in to play for more money, and to their surprise... their lives.

Sean throws a change-up with some late break telling the tragic story of a much hyped Pirates prospect and the scout who promised to stay by his side. Edmead would prove to be everything the organization was hoping he'd be until a routine play in August changed baseball history.