Baseball History Podcast

Eldon John Repulski, nicknamed “Rip”, was born October 4, 1928 born in Sauk Rapids, MN. Repulski was a fine defensive player at all outfield positions but a streaky power hitter. He became the Cardinals’ regular centerfielder as a rookie in 1953.

Gerald Wayne Grote was born on October 6, 1942 in San Antonio, Texas. Grote become a key ingredient on Met teams for a dozen years. Lou Brock once said that Grote was the toughest catcher in the league to steal against. He was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.

Harold Patrick Reiser was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1919, in St. Louis, Missouri. His family called him “Pete” after the character “Two Gun Pete” from the Western movies he loved as a kid. He loved playing sandlot baseball with his father and his brothers, and quickly showed his natural talent. Tragedy and illness touched him even as a young teenager, though, when his beloved big brother Michael contracted scarlet fever and died right after signing a contract with the Yankees.

Ronald Ray Fairly was born July 12, 1938 in Macon, Georgia. A competitive player and highly disciplined hitter, Fairly had a short and compact swing with occasional power to all fields. He also walked often enough to post good-to-excellent on-base averages. With his glove, he was a competent first baseman and outfielder.

Pedro Guerrero was born June 29, 1956 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. Dodger management appeared to believe him capable of any athletic feat, and they thought nothing of shifting him to third base in mid-career. Although he gained a reputation for being shaky at third, statistics show that he was about as good as anyone in the league at getting to the ball.

John Alexander “Andy” Messersmith was born August 6, 1945 in Toms River, New Jersey. Messersmith was a good pitcher who spent more than a decade in the majors, but his mound performances will forever be overshadowed by the role he played in the advent of free agency.

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.

Charles Oliver “Charlie” Hough was born January 5, 1948 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He became one of the greatest starting pitchers in Texas Rangers history. The knuckleballer led Texas in wins, complete games, and innings pitched each year from 1982 to 1987, winning a higher percentage of his club’s victories than any other major league hurler those six years.

William Henry Davis, nicknamed “Three Dog,” was born April 15, 1940 in Mineral Springs, Arkansas. Widely considered to be one of the fastest players of the 1960s, Davis had 20 or more stolen bases in eleven consecutive seasons. Along with Maury Wills, he provided speed at the top of Los Angeles lineup, being part of three pennant-winning Dodgers teams.

Edwin Donald Snider, nicknamed “Duke”, was born September 19, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. A graceful center fielder with a picture-perfect swing, Duke Snider was the biggest bat in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ potent lineup of the 1950s. He hit 40 or more homers five consecutive times and led all batters in home runs and Runs Batted In during the ’50s.