Baseball History Podcast

Moses Fleetwood Walker, nicknamed “Fleet,” was born October 7, 1857 in Mount Pleasant, Ohio. Tall, slender, handsome, and intelligent, he became the first black player to play in the major leagues when he played 42 games with the Toledo Blue Stockings of the American As­sociation in 1884.

Gaylord Jackson Perry was born September 15, 1938 in Williamston, North Carolina. Over 22 seasons, he won 314 games by frustrating batters and umpires with his, allegedly, illegal pitches. He was the first pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues.

Jacob Nelson “Nellie” Fox was born December 25, 1927 in St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania. The 5’10″ 160-lb Fox was long one of the top American League second basemen.

Miller James Huggins was born March 27, 1879 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nicknamed “Mighty Mite”, he managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships.

Michael Jack Schmidt was born September 27, 1949 in Dayton, Ohio. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies and by the time he retired early in the 1989 season, he had established himself as the best all-around third baseman of all time.

Edward Victor Cicotte was born June 19, 1884 in Detroit, Michigan. Had Eddie not agreed to throw the 1919 World Series, and not been banned from baseball as a result, he would have been remembered as one of the game’s greatest pitchers. He had a repertoire of deceptive pitches, and used pinpoint control and psychology.

Billy Leo Williams was born June 15, 1938 in Whistler, Alabama. Sweet-swinging Billy Williams was often overshadowed by flashier players during his heyday but he was a dependable star for 14 full seasons as a Cub.

Donald Scott Drysdale was born on July 23, 1936 in Van Nuys, California. At the prompting of his father, a baseball coach who thought it better to save his arm for later, Drysdale didn’t begin pitching until age 16. Two years later the lanky right-hander found himself in Bakersfield with the California league.