Baseball History Podcast

Robert Richard Boyd, nicknamed “Rope”, was born October 1, 1919 in Potts Camp, Mississippi. Despite his high batting average, he lacked the home run punch expected from a first baseman and was primarily a pinch hitter in his last seasons.

George Clyde Kell was born August 23, 1922, in Swifton, Arkansas. Easily the best player to emerge during the WWII player shortage, Kell remained the American League’s premier third baseman long after the war had ended, and eventually earned a spot in the Hall of Fame.

John Lester Moss, nicknamed “Les”, was born May 14, 1925 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Moss played as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns for the most significant portion of his career, and was a backup catcher almost all his career. He also scouted, coached, and managed in the White Sox and Tiger organizations for nearly 30 years.

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.

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.

Frank Robinson was born in Beaumont, Texas, on August 31, 1935. His aggressive hitting style won the support of fans, with a plate-crowding stance that earned him frequent knockdowns and a hefty number of hit-by-pitcher passes to first.

Michael Kendall Flanagan was born December 16, 1951 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Armed with a big-breaking curveball, an underrated fastball and a great pickoff move, Flanagan strung together a decade of formidable pitching after losing his first five major-league decisions. From 1977 to 1987, he started more games than any other American League pitcher and posted a .500 or better record each season from 1977 to 1984.

Joseph Jerome McGinnity, nicknamed Iron Man, was born March 19, 1871 in the Quad City of Rock Island, Illinois. He was actually born Joseph Jerome McGinty but changed his last name to McGinnity as an adult. For a Hall of Fame pitcher, Joe McGinnity had a somewhat brief but effective big league career. He did not get to the majors until he was 28, then lasted only 10 seasons, but earned his nickname by his frequent appearances. He often pitched both halves of doubleheaders; a feat he performed three times in a single month winning all six games.

Clayton Errol Dalrymple was born December 3, 1936 in Chico, California. Remembered mainly for his strong-armed defense, Dalrymple actually won the Phillies’ regular catching job in 1960 with his bat. While Dalrymple’s hitting declined after his fourth year with the Phillies, his skills behind the plate kept him employed. He handled pitchers deftly and threw out a superior 49 percent of the runners who tried to steal against him during his career.

Scott Houston McGregor was born January 18, 1954 in Inglewood, California. He was a curveballing control specialist with an outstanding pickoff move, along with being one of the winningest pitchers of the 1980s.