From the dusty sandlots of Pottstown, PA to the storied ballparks that served as the backdrop to his remarkable career, 98 year old baseball legend and 1952 AL MVP Bobby Shantz looks back on his improbable path to the major leagues. Grab your peanuts and cracker jack and listen to one of the great stories from the golden age of baseball.  Support the Show.

Several months ago, I recorded an interview with the late Larry Lucchino. In addition to being an executive for the Orioles, Padres and Red Sox, Lucchino was a ballpark design revolutionary who ushered in the wave of retro ballparks beginning with Camden Yards. On this week's special episode of the Lost Ballparks podcast, Lucchino tells how the park of his youth, Forbes Field, inspired him to build Camden Yards and Petco Park. Listen now at lostballparks.com or search "Lost Ballparks"...

Steve Vucinich spent 54 years with the Oakland A’s working as a peanut vendor, a ballboy, and eventually the clubhouse manager.  The much beloved member of the Athletics was inducted into the Oakland A’s Hall of Fame in 2022. He was a part of the team for 7 different decades and has many stories to tell on this month's episode! Support the Show.

Rocky Colavito finished his career with 374 HR's and he played in 9 All-Star Games. Now 90 years young,  Rocky joins me on this episode to talk about his 1st game at the Polo Grounds, his tryout at Yankee Stadium, his love for Cleveland & the wedding gift the team gave him & his wife that he'll never forget! Support the show

Pete Weber, the voice of the minor league Buffalo Bisons (1983-1995),  called many games at historic War Memorial Stadium. He was there while they filmed "The Natural" and joins me on this episode to offer behind the scenes details about that all-time great baseball movie. We also spend time remembering some of the quirks and oddities of baseball's lost minor league ballparks. Support the show

Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins joins me to recount the "when" and "where" of attending his first MLB game, the unconventional method his Dad used to make him a strong pitcher, the trials of playing  in minor league ballparks of the segregated south in the early 1960's, the baseball legend he admired growing up who would become his roommate and surviving 10 cent beer night at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium! Support the show

Jon Miller, the longtime voice of the San Francisco Giants makes his return visit to Lost Ballparks. His first appearance on the podcast quickly became the most downloaded episode in LB podcast history. He is gracious enough to join us one more time for the series finale sharing his first hand experiences of broadcasting at some of baseball's iconic lost ballparks. Support the show

Mike McDermott began his career at Dodger Stadium as the visiting team batboy in the mid 1960's. He later transitioned to batting practice pitcher for the Dodgers; a position he held for 30 years! He joins me on this episode to talk about a Hall of Famer whose kindness he'll never forget, the time at Candlestick where he caused the game to be stopped and memories of many old, lost ballparks, including a particular goose bump inducing moment at Yankee Stadium. Support the show

Hall of Famer Ted Simmons joins me on this episode to talk about the first big league game his Dad took him to at Briggs Stadium (later named Tiger Stadium), coming back to play there as a major leaguer, catching Bob Gibson's only no-hitter at Three Rivers Stadium and the day he hitched a ride with a rock-n-roll legend. Support the show

Warren Brown's first job was working in the Red's clubhouse at Crosley Field. When the Reds moved into Riverfront Stadium in the middle of the 1970 season, he became one of their batboys. "Brownie" has great stories and wonderful memories to share of both ballparks, Sparky Anderson and the Big Red Machine. Support the show

Rick Dempsey, a member of the Orioles HOF,  joins me on this episode to talk about some of the great Lost American League ballparks of the 70's and 80's, his little league manager who turned out to be ______!!! the stadium where he nearly lost his life, and of course the '83 World Series (he was MVP) and the goose bump inducing '88 World Series! This is one of my all-time favorite interviews. Hope you enjoy it! Support the show

On this Extra Innings episode, Steve Garvey talks about the day he became a Brooklyn Dodger batboy in 1956, the first MLB game he attended as a teenager at Tiger Stadium and his walk off home run to win game 4 of the '84 NLCS that made him a San Diego legend! Support the show

On this episode of the Lost Ballparks podcast, Kent Hrbek, a member of the Twins Hall of Fame, joins me to talk about growing up a short bike ride away from Metropolitan Stadium, what it was like playing for the Twins in the ballpark he grew up going to, the challenges and joys of playing in the Metrodome, his practical joking teammates and of course, being a part of the first Twins championship. Support the show

7X Emmy Winner and longtime ESPN host (Sports Look/Up Close), Roy Firestone joins me on this episode to talk about his love for Old Miami Stadium, his days as a Baltimore Orioles batboy, his lifelong friendship with Brooks Robinson, the day he walked through an abandoned Memorial Stadium with Johnny Unitas and his once-in-a-lifetime interview with members of the 500 HR club (Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt and Frank Robinson). Support the show

George Toma, 94, has been doing groundskeeping since he was 12 years old. That’s 82 years! The man nicknamed, the "Sodfather" and "the Nitty Gritty Dirt Man" joins me on this episode to talk about being the head groundskeeper in Kansas City at Municipal Stadium for colorful owner Charlie Finley (in the 1950's and 60's), then Royals Stadium.  He has advised and been a part of the grounds installation and upkeep at the past 50 some Super Bowls, more ballparks and stadiums than we have time to...

Lost Ballparks Extra Innings: In this extra innings episode HOFer Reggie Jackson shares details of the first major league game he ever attended as a kid; where it was, who he was with, the teams playing that day and who his favorite player was. Support the show

Steve Stone was an All-Star, a Cy Young award winner (He won 25 games in 1980!), and for the past 4 decades has worked in the broadcast booth; first for the Cubs alongside Hall of Famer Harry Caray and since 2005 he has been calling games for the White Sox. He shares vivid details of Comiskey, Wrigley Field, Memorial Stadium, Candlestick and Municipal Stadium and of course some of the best Harry Caray stories I've ever heard! Click here to check out Steve's book. Support the show

Art Shamsky was a key member of the 1969 World Champion New York Mets. He joins me on this episode to talk about that magical year and what it was like playing with Tom Seaver, Pete Rose and Frank Robinson in those Lost Ballparks of the 60's - Forbes Field, Connie Mack Stadium, Crosley Field, the Astrodome and Shea Stadium. Click here for Art Shamsky's book: After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the '69 Mets  Support the show

Extra Innings Episode: Rollie Fingers, a 7X All-Star, 3X World Champion, MVP, Cy Young winner and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, joins me on this episode to talk about the first MLB game he attended as a kid, his 2 favorite ballparks to pitch in, "Harvey" the mechanical rabbit, historic Rickwood Field, and the 3 days he spent as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Support the show

Andy Strasberg is the author of My 1961. Andy grew up in the Bronx and unlike all of his friends who were Mickey Mantle fans, Strasberg loved Roger Maris. In 1961 he began to make daily journal entries that chronicled his life as a 13 year old Yankee fan, trips to Yankee Stadium with his Father and friends and vivid details of his dreams to 1. Meet Roger Maris. 2. Be given a game used bat by Roger Maris. 3. Be given one of Roger's home run balls. What followed that year and beyond, greatly...

Rick Rizzs has been calling Seattle Mariners baseball games since 1983! On this episode he talks about growing up in Chicago attending games at Comiskey Park, paying dues in minor league broadcasting, feeling like he could die at any minute calling games at old Cleveland Stadium, the unique peculiarities of Tiger Stadium and the Mariners historic run in 1995.  Support the show

Extra Innings Episode: Johnny Bench  joins me on this episode to talk about the first MLB game he ever attended, memories of Cincinnati's Crosley Field, what Willie Mays told him at the Astrodome in 1968, his 1971 All-Star game home run at Tiger Stadium and obeying his Mom during the 1972 NLCS at Riverfront Stadium.

Jack Morris was 254 game winner, a 5x All-Star, 4X World Champion, 1991 World Series MVP and a 2018 inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. On the premiere episode of season 5, Morris joins me to talk about growing up going to Metropolitan Stadium, his love for the most terrifying sport in human history, pitching at Comiskey Park, Jack Murphy, Tiger Stadium, that magical 1984 season and his return to Minnesota to play for his hometown Twins.

Fred Lynn was a 9X All-Star and the first player in baseball history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP and a Gold Glove in the same year! He joins me on the season finale to talk about the first game he attended as a kid, all things Fenway Park, that special 1975 Red Sox team, his first All-Star game at County Stadium in Milwaukee, the crazy event that probably cost the Angels the '82 ALCS and much more! Support the show