Baseball History Podcast

Richard William Marquard, nicknamed “Rube”, was born October 9, 1886 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Tall and gangly, with a cannon for a left arm, Rube Marquard made headlines around the country in 1908 when the New York Giants purchased his contract for the unprecedented price of $11,000, by far the largest amount of money ever paid for a ballplayer.

William Ellis Russell was born October 21, 1948, in Pittsburg, Kansas. Teamed with Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, and Ron Cey for over eight years, Russell was an integral part of baseball’s longest-lasting infield and a vital cog in the Dodgers’ annual drive for a pennant. He played his entire 18-year, 2,181-game career with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the starting shortstop for four National League pennant winners and one World Series champion

Antonio Oliva Lopez Hernandes Javique, better known as Tony Oliva, was born on July 20, 1938 in Pinar del Río, Cuba. Oliva is the only player in major league history to win batting titles in his first two full seasons. He was one of the most graceful, natural hitters of all time, but had his career cut short by a bad knee.

Edward Leslie Grant was born May 21, 1883 in Franklin, Massachusetts. Eddie Grant was a typical Deadball Era third baseman: mediocre offensively but defensively reliable, particularly against the bunt. He was fast on the bases and dependable in the clutch. Today, however, he is best remembered as the most prominent major leaguer killed in combat during World War I.