Classic Baseball Radio

A Saturday game in May can be both an inconsequential checkmark in a season and a game that can be looked back on as a captivating moment in history. It’s impossible to look back at 1972 and ignore the first players' strike that disrupted the first two weeks of the season. Spring training was curtailed, and both hitters and pitchers are still struggling with timing in May. 86 games were wiped from the schedules, never to be rescheduled. The Padres will end up playing just 153 games, while the Mets will play 156.Also looking to find his way in the season is Mets manager, Yogi Berra. Following the sudden passing of Gil Hodges, Berra is finding his feet and beginning to understand the core of the Mets' line-up. It’s an intense spotlight that will shine brightly on him during the 1972 season, as the Mets finish a credible third. That core would head into 1973 ready to claim the National League pennant.The biggest name in the Mets’ line-up is surely Tom Seaver. He has already posted two 20-win seasons (with 25 wins in 1969 and an on-the-nose 20 wins in 1971) and has a Cy Young to his name. Facing him was seen as a near-automatic loss. Not only that, but his record against the San Diego Padres is even more impressive. In terms of overpowering presence, he’s less Mr Terrific and more Mr Terrifying.Can the Padres, with rookie pitcher Bill Grief, hurl the ball and swing the bat to find some magic?Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from May 6, 1972. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.** Links **You can find the boxscore here:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197205060.shtml A deep look at the legendary life and career of Tom Seaver, detailing his journey from Fresno, California, to his status as the premier pitcher of his generation.  https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tom-seaver/Why is Tom Seaver the undisputed Franchise player of the Mets, and how does he compare to other players?https://sny.tv/articles/mets-all-time-team-26-manProfiling Bill Grief, the durable 6'5" right-handed Texas native who out-duelled Seaver on this afternoon, examining his high-strikeout velocity and post-baseball academic achievements.  https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bill-greif/A tribute to Nate Colbert, the Padres' first true superstar, recounting his 163 franchise home runs and his devotion to youth ministry.https://www.mlb.com/news/nate-colbert-diesAn account of the sudden passing of Mets manager Gil Hodges just days before the delayed 1972 season, detailing how a grief-stricken clubhouse transitioned under Yogi Berra's leadership.http://www.centerfieldmaz.com/2020/04/remembering-mets-history-1972-mets.htmlYogi Berra’s 1972 Hall of Fame Induction, including context for his managing duties with the 1972 Mets. https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/berra-koufax-inducted-amid-star-studded-class-of-1972The history of the youth-heavy Padres rosters, Buzzie Bavasi’s ticket-promotion strategies, and the physical toll of injuries on the 1972 rotationhttps://eastvillagetimes.com/the-history-of-the-san-diego-padres-volume-1-1969-1973/2/.  A comprehensive breakdown of the historic 13-day player strike in April 1972, analysing how it changed labour relations and shortened the schedule.https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-strike-of-1972-when-cooperation-failed/How the 1972 player strike served as Marvin Miller’s first monumental victory, earning players pension increases and third-party salary arbitration.https://blogs.fangraphs.com/marvin-millers-legacy-and-the-decline-of-labor/

The Chicago Cubs are on a tear. The Northside faithful can feel a dynasty building beneath their feet, with every pitch, every hit, and every run coming home. And now they have a hero.In what was seen as the most lopsided and controversial transfers in baseball, even while it was happening, the New York Yankees placed their star pitcher Hank Borowy on waivers, and the Cubs slammed $100,000 into the Bronx Bombers’ outstretched hands. The Cubs needed to win right now, and the chequebook  is wide open. Two days after he went on waivers, Borowy is stepping on the mound at Wrigley Field, ready to prove the Yankees wrong and take his new club to the National League pennant. It’s a five-game series against the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cubs have won the first four games. Handing his new team a sweep would make for a memorable first game.It’s also worth noting that we have players such as the anchorman Stan Hack at third base, and Phil Cavarretta on his way to the NL Batting Championship and the 1945 NL MVP, for the Cubs. For the Reds, you have the inspirational Dick Sipek, the first deaf player in the majors since Herbert Murphy in 1914, and the Iron Man Frank McCormick, fresh from his 652 consecutive appearances record during World War 2.The Cubs are heading to the top of the mountain; they are unstoppable, and they have the world at their feet. But, as we know thanks to the advantage of history,  there’s a billy goat waiting for the Cubs at the end of the season. Until that happens, let’s share the joy in Wrigley Field as the Cubs charge towards the pennant with their brand new pitcher.Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from July 29, 1945. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.** Links **You can find the boxscore here:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHN/CHN194507292.shtml The Associated Press obituary for Phil Cavarretta, the 1945 MVP, with personal anecdotes from his son about his father's "all-out" playing style.https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/latimes/name/phil-cavarretta-obituary?id=60242123 The Dunn County Historical Society: A local history perspective on Andy Pafko’s upbringing on a 200-acre Wisconsin dairy farm and his community legacy. https://www.dunnhistory.org/andy-pafko The history of the 1952 Topps set and why Pafko’s card became a "Holy Grail" of the hobby. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hero/Andy_Pafko_Biography.shtmlHank Borowy’s Pinstripe Tenure – A look at Borowy’s career in New York before the shock waiver deal that sent him to Chicago. https://www.yankeenumbers.com/210/HankBorowy Shoestring Catches analyses the financial "robbery" that saw the Yankees sell their ace for $100,000. https://shoestringcatches1999.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/baseball-history-hank-borowy-and-cubs-win-nl-pennant/Reading the Signs, The story of mentor Dummy Taylor and his protégé Dick Sipek, the first player to escape the "Dummy" nickname. https://www.humanitieskansas.org/get-involved/kansas-stories/people/reading-the-signsA tribute to the Kansas City native Vern Kennedy, highlighting the pitcher’s collegiate career and his 1935 no-hitter.https://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/vern-kennedy-2/A tribute to "Smiling Stan" Hack, the leadoff master and retroactive three-time Gold Glove winner.https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/stan-hack/The biography of "Big Bill" Nicholson, the slugger who terrified pitchers and achieved legendary RBI totals.https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bill-nicholson/

Just another Friday night in the Steel Capital of the world, and the defending World Series champions welcome the St Louis Cardinals to Pittsburgh? Think again.The Pirates’ 1960 World Series win feels like it is from another era, as the team struggled through injuries and performance, but was still adrift in the middle of the National League. The NL is looking tired as well, stuck with 8 teams and a 154-game season, waiting for the expansion and a league-wide draft to rip up the old order.Yet the new order is on the field tonight, as the Forbes Field crowds witness what we now know is a Hall of Fame showcase: the legendary Stan Musial in the twilight of his career, the power of Roberto Clemente on his way to his first batting title, the defensive wizard Bill Mazeroski, and a young, ferocious Bob Gibson. It’s Bob Gibson who stands out. In 1961, Gibson unlocked his pitching, moving from a sophomore-year ERA of 5.61 to throwing 10 complete games and posting an ERA of 3.24. He’s tonight’s starting pitcher, throwing to the young Tim McCarver, also on his way to changing the baseball world forever.Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from June 16, 1961. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.** Links **You can find the boxscore here:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PIT/PIT196106160.shtml An overview of Forbes Field’s unique characteristics, including "Death Valley" and the hard infield.https://www.brooklineconnection.com/history/Facts/ForbesField.html A comprehensive look at Gibson’s career, including his intimidation tactics and Harlem Globetrotters background.https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bob-gibson/ How Bill White, Curt Flood, and others integrated the Cardinals' spring traininghttps://www.stlredbirds.com/2020/11/08/how-bill-white-curt-flood-and-others-integrated-cardinals-spring-training/ Tribute to Ken Boyer, still the only Cardinal to hit for the cycle twice.https://www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com/tribute-to-ken-boyer/ Carl Warwick’s aggressive pinch-hitting approach coming off the bench for St. Louis.https://retrosimba.com/2025/04/21/carl-warwick-came-through-in-a-pinch-for-cardinals/ A look at Dick Groat’s role in one of the most efficient double-play tandems in baseball history. https://www.psacard.com/cardfacts/baseball-cards/1961-topps/dick-groat-1/45518 Was Left-Handed catcher Smokey Burgess one of the best-hitting catchers of all time? https://tht.fangraphs.com/bl-tr-part-2-the-best-left-handed-hitting-catchers-in-major-league-history/ Examining Clem Labine’s durability as a reliever and his success in neutralising great hitters like Stan Musial.https://thisdayinbaseball.com/clem-labine-page/ Tim McCarver’s transition from a bonus-baby catcher to a three-time Emmy-winning broadcaster.https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tim-mccarver/Tim McCarver and Chris Cannizzaro’s catching duel during 1961.https://retrosimba.com/2017/01/04/catching-competition-chris-cannizzaro-vs-tim-mccarver/ The 1961 MLB Expansion Draft: How the Cardinals and Pirates lost key players like Bob Lillis and Hal Smith to the new franchises. https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-colt-45s-and-the-1961-expansion-draft/ “Tim McCarver Sings Selections From The Great American Songbook.”https://www.discogs.com/release/12488582-Tim-McCarver-Sings-Selections-From-The-Great-American-Songbook

What a difference a year makes. From finishing second-last in the American League, the Boston Red Sox are sitting just one-and-a-half games behind the White Sox after the All-Star break. Their midweek series against the third-placed California Angels is another “must-win” series in the chase for their first pennant since 1946.The Angels are chasing just as hard, looking to show that the expansion team has just as much right to the top spot as legacy franchises like the Red Sox.A look down the rosters for both teams brings up players who are going to write themselves into the history books; you have rookie relief pitcher Sparky Lyle, who’ll take a Cy Young in 1977, two Gold Gloves with the Angels, Jim Fregosi and Bobby Knoop, and a certain Carl Yastrzemski.Yaz is on course to grab the Triple Crown in 1967, which would remain a feat unmatched in the league until Miguel Cabrera in 2012, and post 3,308 appearances while joining the 3,000-hit club over a 23-year career with the Red Sox.For this afternoon, it’s not only the third deciding game in the series, it’s two contenders chasing for the pennant, and no quarter will be offered.Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from July 27, 1967. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.** Links **You can find the boxscore here:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS196707270.shtml The Fenway Park Diaries recaps the game’s dramatic ninth-inning home runs and Yastrzemski's 10th-inning defensive gem.https://fenwayparkdiaries.com/1967%20red%20sox/sox%2007-27-1967.htm SABR look at the final day of the season and how the Angels played the spoiler role to help Boston complete ‘The Impossible Dream’ and win the pennant.https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-1-1967-red-sox-complete-impossible-dream/An analytical narrative focusing on Carl Yastrzemski’s torrid late-season hitting and the cultural impact of 1967 in Bostonhttps://thisgreatgame.com/1967-baseball-history/ Six Days in September, from The Hardball Times. An in-depth look at the 1967 pennant race, including the impact of Tony Conigliaro’s injury.https://tht.fangraphs.com/six-days-in-september-the-1967-al-pennant-race-part-1/National Baseball Hall of Fame profile of Carl Yastrzemski, highlighting his 1967 MVP season and his transition from Ted Williams to team legend.https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/yastrzemski-carlThe life and career of the Angels' All-Star starter Jim McGlothlin, who tragically died of leukaemia at age 32.https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-mcglothlin/ Crashing The Pearly Gates profiles Minnie Rojas’ Path to the Majors.https://crashingthepearlygates.com/2020/03/20/top-100-angels-95-minnie-rojas/ 

Can a four-game series define a season?The Brooklyn Dodgers’ “Boys Of Summer’ are no longer boys. The defending World Series champions find themselves in a three-way brawl for the 1956 National League pennant with the young upstart Milwaukee Braves and the heavy-hitting Cincinnati Redlegs. Every head-to-head matchup carried the weight of a play-off game, and pressures both on- and off-field impacted the season.The middle of June brings Milwaukee to Brooklyn in what would prove to be a critical four-game series.The Dodgers won the first two games, putting them three up over the Braves. In response, the Braves decided the best option ahead of the doubleheader to close out the series was to fire their manager, Charlie Grimm. Coach Fred Haney is stepping into the Sunday doubleheader as The Man.His first game went the way of the Braves, thanks to Joe Adcock’s legendary 550-foot home run onto the roof of the Ebbets Field grandstand. Now he’s hoping that his style of discipline during at-bats and base running can split the series and propel the Braves towards their first World Series appearance as a Milwaukee-based team.Ewan Spence and the Classic Baseball Radio team bring you this recreated radio broadcast from June 17, 1956. This should not be considered a complete or fully accurate historical record. Nevertheless, this is our story of the game.We thank Retrosheet, Sports Reference, Sports Logos Net, Tom R Audio, and  Crafting The Call.** Links **You can find the boxscore here:https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BRO/BRO195606172.shtml An account of Joe Adcock’s mammoth homer off Ed Roebuck, believed to be the only ball to ever land on the roof at Ebbets Field.https://thisdayinbaseball.com/joe-adcock-page/ A profile of the Milwaukee Braves’ Fred Haney, the manager whose mid-season appointment on June 16, 1956, sparked an immediate 11-game winning streak. https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/fred-haney/ A retrospective on the unique dimensions of Ebbets Field, the "short porch" in right field, and the legendary atmosphere of the Dodgers' home. https://thisgreatgame.com/ballparks-ebbets-field/An official overview of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ pennant-winning campaign of 1956 and their final years in New York. https://www.walteromalley.com/dodger-history/team-histories/1956/ A retrospective on Don Newcombe’s 27-win season and his dominance over the National League. https://www.mlb.com/news/don-newcombe-had-big-season-in-1956-c163639432A retrospective on Johnny Logan’s scrappy style and his famous dust-ups with pitchers like Don Drysdale.https://northwoodsleague.com/madison-mallards/2003/06/10/meetjohnnylogan/ A comparison of how the Braves' June performance at Ebbets Field impacted the final 1-game margin for the National League pennant. https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/1956-national-league-standings-june-17