Baseball History Podcast

Patrick Edward Dobson, Jr. was born February 12, 1942 in Depew, New York. Early in his Major League career, Dobson developed a strong working relationship with pitching coach Johnny Sain. He said Sain told him that he gripped the ball too tight and was teaching him to relax. Dobson explained that it gave his pitches better movement. Sain also taught him a different grip for his slider and it became his best pitch.

William Beck Nicholson, nicknamed “Swish”, was born December 11, 1914 in Chestertown, Maryland. Nicholson was the prototypical home run hitter of the early 1940s. His numbers don’t look impressive today, but in that era, 20 homers was a big deal.

James Patrick Seerey, nicknamed “Pat”, was born March 17, 1923 in Wilburton, Oklahoma. Seerey hit the ball a long way, but he also led American League batters in strikeouts in all four of his seasons as a regular. He became the fifth Major League player to hit four home runs in a game.

Donald Ralph Wert, nicknamed “Coyote”, was born July 29, 1938 in Strasburg, Pennsylvania. A fine glove man, Wert led American League third basemen in fielding in 1965. Playing in all of the Tigers’ 162 games that year, he led them with 159 hits.