Baseball History Podcast

Walter Irvin Lerian, nicknamed “Peck”, was born February 10, 1903 in Baltimore, Maryland. Showing great promise as the leading member of the Philadelphia Phillies’ young receiving corps at the close of the 1920s, Lerian joined the Philadelphia Phillies for the launch of the 1928 season and progressed from a seldom-used bench warmer and occasional pinch hitter to become the team’s primary catcher by mid-summer. At the conclusion of the 1929 season, just as he was coming into his own, his life and career were tragically cut short by an out-of-control vehicle.

Orval Overall was born February 2, 1881 in Farmersville, California. Though Overall’s career lasted just seven years, it was brilliant. A huge man for the Deadball Era, Overall was a right-handed curveball specialist who compiled a lifetime 108-71 record and 2.23 Earned Run Average

John Andrew Beazley, Jr. was born May 25, 1918 in Nashville, Tennessee. Beazley had a marvelous season in 1942, going 21-6 with a 2.13 Earned Run Average. He capped it off with two wins in the Cardinals’ World Series upset of the Yankees. While serving in the Air Force during WWII, he was sent to pitch for an Army team and severely hurt his arm.

Robin Evan Roberts was born September 30, 1926 in Springfield, Illinois. In his prime, pitching was easy for Roberts, who used to say, “Too many people try to make it more complicated than it really is.” A hard-nosed competitor, Roberts ranks as the winningest righthander in Phillies history.