 There is no spitting in baseball.  At least in 2020.  As Major League Baseball prepares to launch a truncated 2020 season, it has issued a litany of guidelines in the era of Covid-19.  Among them?  No spitting.  I talk about some of the new rules in place and also remember Eddie Kasko, the manager of the Boston Red Sox for four seasons.  Eddie died three days shy of his 89th birthday on June 24. In talking about Kasko, I also remembered Dick Williams, who managed the Red Sox to the 1967 pennant.  I caught up with Williams, when he was managing the Montreal Expos in 1980 and I replay the short interview I had with him.  Forgive me, if the tape sounds a bit wobbly, as the interview was recorded on a cassette recorder and is some 40 years old. Williams, by the way, was one of the few people to manage pennant winners in both leagues. As promised in the podcast, here is the link to the round table interview I conducted on the extra inning rule. CLICK HERE        

Baseball Beat

No spitting in baseball; recalling Dick Williams

 With less than two weeks to go before the presumptive start of the truncated 2020 Major League baseball season, the Houston Astros have cancelled their summer camp session because of Covid-19. It is the second time the Astros have cancelled a session. What are the implications? I talk about this in my latest podcast. Once again, I dip into my archives and pull out an interview I did with Mike Greenwell from 36 years ago. Greenwell played his entire 12-year career with the Boston Red Sox. When you examine his career statistics, you note they were more than just respectable, they were downright very good. I talk about that, in addition to replaying the interview, which occurred on May 16, 1984, when I was broadcasting games for the Kinston Blue Jays of the Carolina League. 

Astros cancel session; recalling Mike Greenwell

 As Covid-19 has thrown baseball a curve ball, the sport is now contemplating seven-inning games. And I remember John McNamara, the former big league manager, who died on July 28, 2020. With the virus sweeping through the Miami Marlins, MLB has had to make some changes on the fly to its already reduced schedule. Among the items under discussion between the owners and the players' association, is doubleheaders consisting of two seven-inning games. In this podcast, I explain why this is a great idea. Also, McNamara, who died at the age of 88, was given a bad rap for being the manager of the Boston Red Sox in the 1986 World Series, for not pulling Bill Buckner for defensive purposes from first base, with the Sox three outs from a World Series title over the Mets. I look back at the interview I did with McNamara, when he was the manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 1979. 

Seven-inning games and my interview with John McNamara

 Major League baseball players are blaming the lack of video for their hitting woes. J.D. Martinez is among those complaining that players' access to in-game video has been limited because of Covid-19 and recent cheating scandals. How did the players of yesteryear manage without videos? When Pat Crawford died  at a nursing home in Morehead City, N.C. 26 years ago, he was the last surviving member of baseball's famous Gashouse Gang, the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals team which on e the World Series over the Detroit Tigers in seven games.  He died three days shy of his 92nd birthday on Jan. 25, 1994. Eleven years before his death, Crawford was living in Kinston, NC, where I was broadcasting the Carolina League games of the Toronto Blue Jays affiliate.  Through the club's owner, Ray Kuhlman, I met up with Crawford in his home.  He graciously gave me a interview, reminiscing about his baseball playing days, including the Cardinals, for whom he played in 1933 and 1934.   Crawford got into two games in that infamous 1934 World Series. The series became renown because it was played closely until the final game, when the Cards annihilated the Tigers, 11-0 in Detroit.  However, the game made headlines because of a hard slide into third  base in the top of the sixth inning by the Cardinals' Joe Medwick. That led to a brief fight between Medwick and Detroit third baseman Marv Owen.  However, when Medwick took his position in left field in the last of the sixth, frustrated Detroit fans pelted him with fruit, vegetables, bottles and cushions. Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis, in attendance, ordered Medwick removed from the game.  It became the only time in the history of the major leagues that a commissioner ejected a player from a game. Crawford played 318 games in the big leagues with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Cardinals.  He had a lifetime .280 average and played first base, second base and third base.  He also played collegiate baseball with Springfield College in Springfield, MA, Ohio State and Davidson College. I hope you enjoy the interview, as Pat Crawford, whose real name was Clifford Rankin Crawford, takes us back to a different era of Major League Baseball. 

Players blame lack of video and Pat Crawford remembered

 Paul Hensler loves history, baseball and writing and he has been able to turn those passions into a career as an author. Hensler, an adjunct lecturer at Trinity College and Manchester Community College, has written several books on baseball, authored pieces for the Society for American Baseball Research and spoken at several baseball-related symposiums. Hensler writes baseball books I recently interviewed Hensler about his baseball books, including The American League in Transition, 1965-1975: How Competition Thrived When the Yankees Didn't. He has also completed another book about baseball and we talk about that as well. Hensler is making his second appearance on The Baseball Beat. In his first appearance he discussed his book about legendary Connecticut broadcaster and sportscaster Bob Steele. The book is entitled Bob Steele on the Radio: The Life of Connecticut's Beloved Broadcaster. Grenke telegraphs pitches on purpose As always, I get into some of the latest baseball news, including the Cardinals finally playing baseball, Zach Grenke telegraphing pitches and the shockingly, poor play of the Boston Red Sox. 

Author Paul Hensler combines passions

 Terry Tata was 13-years-old, while his friends played sandlot baseball. Instead of playing, he umpired those same games in his hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut. Serving as an arbiter placed him on a path to realize his dream of becoming a major league baseball umpire. A few years back, I interviewed Tata for another podcast I hosted. I decided to dig into the archives and post the interview, because what he says today, resonates as much as when he discussed his career a few seasons ago. Tata umpired MLB games from 1973 to 1999. During that time, he worked four World Series, seven League Championship Series and three All-Star games. In this interview, he shares some of the moments of his illustrious career, including the first MLB game he umpired and what Paul O'Niell said to him, after striking out to end a World Series game at Yankee Stadium. As for changes in the game, including the review of umpires' calls with replay, Tata has some thoughts about that too. 

39. Former MLB ump Terry Tata recalls career

 In 1973 I interviewed Willie Mays and Tug McGraw, during a New York Mets media day for radio stations on the Mets' network. At the time, I was a teenager interning at the radio station in my hometown of Torrington, CT. Dan Lovallo interviews Willie Mays To say I was nervous to interview arguably the greatest player in the game in Mays, would be an understatement. The interview was awkward and lasted about 75 seconds, but I am including it in this podcast, because how often does a teen get to interview Willie Mays? I am also including the interview with McGraw, who died in 2004, because it was the opposite of the Mays' interview. The closer for the Mets was gracious, perhaps sensing how nervous and young I was. Coincidentally, the father of award-winning country singer Tim McGraw, turned out to be one of the vital cogs for the Mets that season. He led a dramatic September comeback. The Mets went from last place in the Eastern Division to winning it and advancing to the World Series, before losing to the Oakland Athletics. And it was McGraw who coined the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe," during the Mets furious drive to the top. I hope you enjoy both interviews. 

40. Interviewing Willie Mays and Tug McGraw

 Now that Major League Baseball's expanded post season is underway, you will be hearing plenty from commentator John Smoltz. The former Atlanta Brave and Hall of Fame pitcher does a superb job, providing insight for FOX and the MLB Network. With the Atlanta Braves attempting to win their first post season series in 19 years and Smoltz a major part of baseball's post season broadcasts, David O'Brien thought it a good time to write a story about the trade that sent Smoltz from the Detroit Tigers to Atlanta. Entitled "What if the Braves had not traded Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz?" O'Brien's story immediately caught my eye, because I was there, when word was received about the trade. I provide the background in my latest podcast. 

41. Remembering John Smoltz trade

 The World Series is over and now the real fun begins. Major League baseball is faced with a myriad of challenges, not the least of which is what will happen to the minor leagues? MLB's agreement with the NAPBL has expired. Once separate entities, with MLB clubs supplying the minor leagues with their players, MLB will now bring the NAPBL under its wings, exerting total control over the minor league framework. Franchises will be contracted and other major changes will be made. To that end, I thought it would be a great time to delve into my archives and post two interviews I recorded with author and former newspaper journalist Andrew Linker of Harrisburg. Linker is a walking encyclopedia about minor league baseball, and I always look forward to our conversations, when visiting Harrisburg. His books remind us of how important the minor league landscape is to baseball's overall fabric. I can only hope that the "Lords of Baseball" will remember this in their redesign of the minor league template. Below are links to the Linker books we talk about. One Patch of Grass Clippings: All the Other Cool Stuff That Didn't Fit into the First Book The Class of '93: How One Baseball Team Wrecked An Entire League 

42. Linker reminds us what's good about minors

 David Dahl, non-tendered by the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 2, will be a good acquisition for some MLB club now that he is a free agent. I explain why in my opening comments of the podcast. How many recall Max Patkin, the "Clown Prince of Baseball?" I had the chance to interview him on June 14, 1984 and he was terrific. Patkin, who was nearing 65 at the time of the interview, performed his antics on baseball fields across the country, until 1995. By the way, "the Chicken" to which Patkin refers was the "Famous Chicken," Ted Giannoulas. I interviewed Ted too and will resurrect that interview on a future podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z61l4QMCb8E 

43. Dahl a good acquistion and recalling Max Patkin

 Was Bob Feller the greatest Cleveland Indian? You can make an argument in his favor. Dec. 15, 2020 will mark 10 years since the passing of the Hall of Fame pitcher. I had planned to release the interview I recorded with Feller in 1983 around this date, not knowing the story would break that Cleveland will be changing its team name. As for Feller, when I taped the interview with him he was touring the country, putting on pitching exhibitions, before minor league baseball games. I was in Kinston, NC, broadcasting for the Toronto Blue Jays A ball club in the Carolina League, when Feller passed through. He gave me a marvelous interview and even sat in the booth with me, during the game, to provide commentary. I do not pretend to know what Feller might have said about Cleveland changing its nickname, but I do know a lot of what he said about pitching in the interview could easily apply to today. In the interview, we talk about his pitching philosophy, how he pitched to Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio and much more. 

44. Bob Feller: the greatest Cleveland Indian?

 University of Connecticut icon Dee Rowe died on Sunday. He was 91. Rowe was much admired, not only at UConn but throughout sports. He was not only a successful coach of the UConn men's basketball team, he later became a successful fundraiser and goodwill ambassador for the university. How many know that Dee Rowe was also a big baseball fan, who frequently visited New Britain Stadium? When William Dowling and Coleman Levy purchased the New Britain Rock Cats in 2000, they not only revived a stagnant franchise, they reached out to many people, among them Rowe. When Rowe visited the ballpark, he would always make sure to drop by and visit Rock Cats voice Jeff Dooley and me in the broadcast booth. Occasionally he would sit in on the broadcast, including the night of July 19, 2000. I was calling the play-by-play, while Rowe talked baseball and UConn basketball. At the time, the men's hoop program had been riding a 10-year high as one of the best programs in the nation. The Rock Cats, then the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, were playing the Cleveland Indians affiliate the Akron Aeros, who eventually became the Rubber Ducks. Rowe joined me during the last of the sixth inning. Enjoy, as Rowe relives some UConn memories. 

45. Dee Rowe and baseball

 I was saddened to hear of the passing of Hank Aaron, at one time Major League baseball's all-time home run hitter. Aaron, 86, died on Jan. 22. His passing brought back memories for me, as I harkened back to the time I gave the baseball Hall of Fame player a ride back to his hotel. I recall the story in this latest episode of The Baseball Beat. 

46. Hank Aaron needed a ride

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Hank Aaron, at one time Major League baseball's all-time home run hitter. Aaron, 86, died on Jan. 22. His passing brought back memories for me, as I harkened back to the time I gave the baseball Hall of Fame player a ride back to his hotel. I recall the story in this latest episode of The Baseball Beat.

University of Connecticut icon Dee Rowe died on Sunday. He was 91. Rowe was much admired, not only at UConn but throughout sports. He was not only a successful coach of the UConn men's basketball team, he later became a successful fundraiser and goodwill ambassador for the university. How many know that Dee Rowe was also a big baseball fan, who frequently visited New Britain Stadium? When William Dowling and Coleman Levy purchased the New Britain Rock Cats in 2000, they not only revived a stagnant franchise, they reached out to many people, among them Rowe. When Rowe visited the ballpark, he would always make sure to drop by and visit Rock Cats voice Jeff Dooley and me in the broadcast booth. Occasionally he would sit in on the broadcast, including the night of July 19, 2000. I was calling the play-by-play, while Rowe talked baseball and UConn basketball. At the time, the men's hoop program had been riding a 10-year high as one of the best programs in the nation. The Rock Cats, then the AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, were playing the Cleveland Indians affiliate the Akron Aeros, who eventually became the Rubber Ducks. Rowe joined me during the last of the sixth inning. Enjoy, as Rowe relives some UConn memories.

Sportscaster Dan Lovallo talks about baseball and includes current interviews and interviews from his archives.

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Baseball Beat

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