Baseball History Podcast

Lynford Hobart Lary, nicknamed “Broadway”, was born January 28, 1906 in Armona, California. Lary was a well-traveled shortstop. He played for six different teams in a span of twelve years, including two stints with the St. Louis Browns and played for three teams in 1939. Primarily a singles hitter, Lary was a good defensive player with good hands and a strong arm.

Roger Eugene Maris was born September 10, 1934 in Hibbing, Minnesota. With one extraordinary season Roger Maris secured his place in baseball history. And yet his establishment of the major league home run record in 1961 proved to be more of a personal curse than a professional triumph.

John Joseph Murphy was born July 14, 1908 in New York City. A righthanded, curveballing control pitcher, Murphy began his career as a starter with the Yankees, starting 20 games as a rookie in 1934. After being switched to the bullpen the following season, he started only 20 more games in his 13-year career.

Wilson Lloyd Fewster, nicknamed “Chick”, was born November 10, 1895 in Baltimore, MD. Fewster broke into organized baseball in 1915 playing second base, and then in 1917 was brought up to the Yankees in time to debut on September 19. In 11 late-season games, he hit .222, driving in just one run and scoring twice.

Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh, nicknamed “Peck”, was born February 5, 1891 in Wooster, Ohio. Peckinpaugh was one of the finest defensive shortstops and on-field leaders of the Deadball Era.

César Leonardo Tovar was born July 3, 1940, in Caracas, Venezuela. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, César Tovar was a fixture at the top of the Minnesota Twins lineup. The speedy, enthusiastic Venezuelan came up as a second baseman, but he could handle just about any position.

Lewis Everett Scott, nicknamed “Deacon”, was born November 19, 1892 in Bluffton, Indiana. He was the steady infield leader of championship Red Sox and Yankee teams of the 1910s and 1920s and was considered to be the finest shortstop of his time. He set a Major League record for that time by appearing in 1,307 consecutive games.

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.

Francis Joseph O’Doul, nicknamed “Lefty”, was born on March 4, 1897, in San Francisco, CA. Lefty O’Doul was known first as a pitcher and then as one of the game’s best hitters. After leaving the majors, he managed in the Minor Leagues for more than 20 years, amassing more than 2,000 wins. He was recognized as one of the game’s great hitting instructors; men would travel far to have him critique their skills.

Edmund Walter Lopat (originally Lopatynski), nicknamed “The Junk Man,” but better known as “Steady Eddie”, was born June 21, 1918 in New York, New York. Lopat teamed with fireballers Vic Raschi and Allie Reynolds to be one of the Big Three starting pitchers on the New York Yankees’ five straight World Championship clubs from 1949 through 1953. He turned his lack of a fastball into an advantage, keeping hitters off stride with an assortment of slow breaking pitches thrown with cunning and accuracy. To frustrated hitters he was the Junk Man.