Skip's Corner: Nashville Baseball Podcast

In what must be one of baseball’s most productive offensive games ever in Sulphur Dell, Chattanooga outlasted Nashville, 24-17, in the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday, June 12, 1946.Nashville won the first game that day by a score of 4-3, but the nightcap was one for the record books.Listen as I tell about this and other  high-scoring games in the 1940’s, some of them for the Southern Association record books!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Have you ever wondered what ballplayers did during the off-season back in the day when salaries were not exorbitant like they are now?What did Nashville Vols do in the offseason?In this episode, hear how players would be spending their winter once the 1952 Southern Association season ended!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Hugh Hill was born on July 21, 1879, in Ringgold, Georgia, and signed with Newt Fisher’s 1901 Nashville baseball club in the inaugural season of the Southern Association. As a pitcher, he won six games while losing five, playing in 51 games because he was also an outfielder.The ball club won the pennant that season, and when 1902 rolled around, Fisher had Hill on his ball club for another year. And what did he do in his second season?Hill hit for a .416 batting average. Depending on who you believe, it was a record that was never topped in the 61-year history of the Southern Association.In this episode I tell about Hill in 1902  and the controversy surrounding his remarkable batting record.Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Today, April 1st, marks a day of notoriety all its own. I have heard of pranks on April Fool’s Day that run the gamut, and if you have had fun with it, been the butt of a joke, or if you have made a family member mad, it is a fun day in most cases. Unless it is taken to an extreme, which I do not forgive. Some are funny. Others? Not so much.Baseball has a history on April 1, too, from games to player’s birthdates and deaths. In this episode, you will hear a few of my favorites in all those things - no foolin'!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

It was going to be the trip of a lifetime, and boy, was I excited about it. For most of my life, I had dreamed of visiting Cooperstown, and finally, it was going to happen.In this episode, I tell about a special visit that rivals two spring training trips, MLB World Series and All-Star games, and the birth of all four of my children.Well, maybe not the last part. But it I will cherish my first visit to the special place known as the National Baseball Hall of Fame!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Betty-Jane Taylor and I have known each other through her husband Larry, who not only played for the Nashville Vols, but was basketball and baseball coach at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.Larry passed away not quite two years ago, on April 21, 2022, at the age of 91. He was a good baseball friend and loyal member of the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association.International Women’s Day was celebrated only a few days ago, but the month to recognize women is March and I was fortunate to be able to speak with Betty-Jane and hear her perspective about life in sports. It's a voice framed around baseball, but so much more than that, and I think you will enjoy our conversation.Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Tennessean sports editor Dave Ammenheuser coordinated a spring training trip in 2016, and I tagged along with high school teammate Bart Leathers and everyone’s “Mr. Nashville Baseball”, Farrell Owens (both deceased). Dave has moved on to various assignments, but eight years later, here we are to talk about that great six-games-in-five days “immaculate visitation!”It was a remarkable time with friends, and I hope you enjoy listening to us talk about our trip!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Tony Rankin loves the game of baseball as much as anybody, both as an autograph collector and with a passion for its purpose.A clinical therapist, speaker, and author, in this Skip’s Corner episode Tony explains how we like to remember things that take us back to a fun place in life that we don’t necessarily  have today when he says:“Baseball is the commonality a lot of people have that brings about hope, peace, and contentment.”Recently installed as president of the Old Timers Baseball Association of Nashville, he intends to press the importance of baseball to the Nashville baseball community. I hope you will listen to our conversation!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

As we bring Black History Month to an end, I want you to know about a special player with a special talent. Ray Dandridge never had the chance to play in the majors, but the record shows he was clearly one of the greatest third basemen of all time.And, he had a brief connection to Nashville baseball.Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, Dandridge had glory on the field from his early days to the day he died, and Nashville had a small part in his legacy.Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

If you have never been to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, it is worth a few hours of your time. It honors athletes, teams, coaches, sportswriters, and sports executives for their contributions to sports in our state.In celebraton of Black History Month, it is important to highlight inductees who played Negro Leagues baseball, and to call attention to those who have been omitted. Maybe they do not all qualify for induction, but in my book, they certainly are worthy of consideration.In this episode, I tell about the inductees from the Negro Leagues!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Clinton “Butch” McCord was destined to be one of baseball’s greatest players. The color of one’s skin was a factor in many baseball careers throughout the United States, and Butch ran into many roadblocks along the way, too. But never did he let them get him down.I have spoken about Butch many times, but never have I made him the subject of an entire podcast episode. Today, I am going to right that wrong, and I am glad to be including it during February, Black History Month.When he passed away in 2011 , he left me and many friends with words that spoke true. Listen  as I tell about Butch’s special life and give insight into those special words.Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Michael Thurmon was one of the organizers of the Tennessee Vintage Base Ball Association. His love for history led him to study early base ball, as it was played in the middle of the 19th Century.Today, he has taken his love for The Game to coach a team of youngsters who he teaches baseball skills, but he goes a step further, too: He teaches him about the history of the National Pastime, including the Negro Leagues.If coaches would do what Michael has done, baseball would be understood in a more pleasant way. Learning from an early age helps to set a foundation that can set up a long season of memories.Without including Negro Leagues history, no baseball player, young or old, can truly understand what that foundation truly is. In this episode, I ask all coaches to tell about baseball history, and be sure to include the history of the Negro Leagues!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

You are really going to enjoy this Nashville Baseball History podcast episode. Joey Hale, who coached the Southeast regional team from Goodlettsville to the 2012 Little League United States Championship, is my guest.He describes the journey to Williamsport and tells about each player. His passion for baseball and teaching youngsters the game is evident, too. It does not end with the 2012 team, either, as he returned to the LLWS with another team in 2016.The second trip will be a podcast episode for the future, but listen todoay to hear Joey talk about the 2012 experience! (Image Courtesy Goodlettsville Little League)Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Nashville’s reading public who relied on the written word from the newspapers, the morning Nashville Tennessean and evening Nashville Banner (the Banner is long gone and the Tennessean is no longer the up-to-date version, through no fault of its own) knew they could trust the writers to deliver the best coverage, the best detailed account of a game or situation, and do it in a sensible way to earn the trust of those readers.One who stands out to me as I research Nashville baseball history is George Leonard. His coverage of the Vols in their home ballpark, Sulphur Dell, is epitomized by a booklet he co-wrote with his boss at the Banner, Fred Russell, entitled, “Vol Feats, 1901-1950,” an exhaustive, all-inclusive look at the highlights of the Nashville Vols. I refer to my copy often.Then, there’s an article Leonard wrote that was published in The Sporting News’ May 10, 1950 edition that gives his description of Sulphur Dell. In this episode I tell about his excellent illustration of Nashville’s beloved ballpark. Won't you listen?Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

When the Nashville Baseball Club needed a manager to bring the team out of the Southern Association cellar, Bill Bernhard was just the man to do it. With nine seasons of major league experience, and nearly Cleveland's big league manager, Bernhard immediately made an impact.The man known for his genteel demeanor, he learned his craft from Hall of Fame manager Connie Mack and Cleveland managers Bill Armour and Nap Lajoie and led the Vols to the 1908 pennant.In this episode I tell about his career beginning in upstate New York to his death in San Diego. Won't you listen in?Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Dick Sisler came from a baseball family. His father, George, was a two-time batting champion and a career .340 hitter and was named to the inaugural class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.His brother, Dave Sisler, pitched in the major leagues for Boston, Detroit, Washington, and Cincinnati, and his brother, George, Jr., was president of the International League between 1966 and 1976 after serving as a general manager for several teams in the minors.In this episode, I talk about Dick Sisler's claim to fame that included a heroic home run in 1950 that became immortalized in a Pulitzer and Nobel Prize novella. Seven years later, he became manager of the Nashville ball club for three years, and the city has claimed him as a favorite baseball son ever since.Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

A few years ago I selected the Top 10 Most Influential People in Nashville Baseball History with the emphasis on "influential." That list  was limited in that regard, but I have a dream to produce a Baseball in Nashville Hall of Fame by taking nominations from others.That list could be honed down to a select few for induction in 2024, with more added each year. I have not determined the exact perameters, but to get started I am asking everyone to submit their choices.By listening to this episode, my first for 2024, you will understand what I am looking for. Happy selecting - thank you!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

Guy Lefty and Christine lived only a few blocks from Sulphur Dell, where he played baseball for the Nashville Vols for 20 years. He found it hard to continue their holiday traditions when she passed away, but during one visit to the old ballpark, a surprise was in store.Listen to this fictional account of a beloved ballplayer and a Christmas Day surprise. Merry Christmas!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

During the 61-year existence of the Southern Association, only three players hit for an average over .400, and all three played for the Nashville Vols.In all, 18 players who led the league wore a Vols uniform, and in this episode I name each one. Insight into the controversy of Hugh Hill's .416 batting average in 1902 is explained, too, and I hope you will listen!Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!

David Lindsey's father, Eldon "Toby" Lindsey, was a minor league pitcher and played parts of two seasons for the Nashville Vols with six seaons in the minors before serving in the military. His influence on David and his brothers Gerry, Jimmy, and Danny, all excellent players in their own right, went a long way in  each one finding a special place in sports.In this episode, David and I talk about his amateur career beginning in his hometown of Columbia, Tennessee, with baseball stops at Columbia Central High School, Columbia Military Academy, Memphis State, David Lipscomb College, and Cumberland in Lebanon. Each were threads in the cloth of David's career, and I hope you will tune in and listen to the terrific story of David Lindsey.Want to stay in touch? Find me here:Twitter: Skip's CornerInstagram: @skipscornerFacebook: Skip NipperEmail me: 262downright@gmail.comAll Skip’s Corner episodes © 2022-2024 by Skip Nipper. All Rights Reserved.Thanks to my podcast producer David Nipper, who also wrote and performs the background music, "Sulphur Dell Sunset" © 2017 Black Train Records. All Rights Reserved.Thanks for listening!