Think about this. You’re a Major League pitcher and you pitch in the World Series four times. You start four games and complete three of them. The game you didn’t complete, you pitch 8 2/3 innings. One of those four games, you pitch a 2-hit shutout and your overall ERA for those games is 1.01. You would certainly be one of the more talked about “great” pitchers each year when the post-season comes along. Well, that’s not the case for Monte Pearson. Those are his numbers and so few people can tell you much about Pearson. He was traded to the New York Yankees from the Cleveland Indians … actually, he was a “throw-in”. During his five years with the Yankees, in which he faced several injuries, he went 63-27. There were times management thought he wouldn’t be able to take the ball in the World Series, but when his spot in the rotation came up, Pearson was always ready. And his stats prove it. A terrific pitcher, Pearson was the subject of a new bio written for the SABR (Society of Baseball Research) bioproject by Dan Schoenholz, and on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Dan and I talk about the remarkable career of Pearson, his extraordinary World Series career, and the unfortunate incident after his playing days were over that might have affected his notoriety. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Sports' Forgotten Heroes

111: Monte Pearson-MLB

In 1950, the residents of Milwaukee, Wisconsin were given hope. Hope that with the building of a new stadium, professional sports would follow. Well, it didn’t happen right away, but it didn’t take too long before Lou Perini moved his Boston Braves of the National League to Milwaukee. On, April 6, 1953, the Milwaukee Braves took the field for the first time in County Stadium and a love affair between a city and its team was born. In fact, even today, there are those who can’t get over the fact that the Braves packed up after the 1965 season and left for Atlanta. Even with the Seattle Pilots moving to Milwaukee in 1970, there are those who felt so betrayed, they have watched baseball since. They enjoyed the experience of going to County Stadium and watching their beloved team featuring the likes of Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews and so many others win the World Series in 1957. They came out in record-breaking numbers … over two-million packed the Stadium in 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957 – they were the first team to cross that threshold. The Brewers moved into the old ballpark in 1970 and stayed through the 2000 season; and the Green Bay Packers played anywhere from two to four games there every year between 1953 and 1994. Even the Chicago White Sox played a few “home” games there during the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Was the stadium a palace? Nope. Did it have phenomenal, ultra-modern features? Nope. It was just a structure. A building where people could go to watch the favorite baseball players, their favorite football players, grab a hot dog and a drink, sit back and take it all in. In his new book, “On Story Parkway,” author Jim Cryns recalls the events that led up to the building of the stadium, the determination of Bud Selig to get another baseball franchise in Milwaukee after the Braves left and the great memories and stories so many had in relation to the stadium on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Join me and Jim as we talk about the history of Milwaukee County Stadium, some of the great events that happened there, its birth and its final stand. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

110: Milwaukee County Stadium-MLB & NFL

In 1909, pitcher Jack Quinn made his Major League debut. 24-years later, 1933, Quinn made his final appearance. A remarkable career, in which he was out of the game in 1916 and 1917, had come to an end. Incredibly, part of the reason he didn’t play in 1916 and 1917 was because many thought Quinn was too old. Yet, after he came back in 1918, he went on to pitch 16-more years and when he retired, depending on who you ask, he might have been as old as 51. Meanwhile, another pitcher who came back after a time away from the game was Howard Ehmke. Limitless in potential, Ehmke was also a thinking-man’s pitcher and sometimes over analyzed and would also occasionally lose concentration. Combined with continual injury battles, Ehmke, who never realized his full potential made his Major League debut 1915 and retired in 1930. Jack Quinn and Howard Ehmke both enjoyed terrific careers with many highs and many lows; and their careers intersected two times, first the Boston Red Sox and later they played together with the Philadelphia Athletics where they enjoyed one of their most exciting seasons, 1929. Quinn was a key contributor to the pitching staff of those Athletics, while Ehmke pitched one of the greatest games in this history of the World Series when he won game one. In their new book, “Comeback Pitchers, The Remarkable Careers of Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn,” authors Steve Steinberg and Lyle Spatz do a phenomenal job of chronicling their careers and lives … and on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Steinberg joins for a terrific discussion about both pitchers. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

109: Quinn & Ehmke-MLB

Zack Wheat was overlooked by the baseball Hall of Fame for years. In 1959, after a unanimous vote, Wheat was elected to the Hall – an honor long overdue, but an honor he was able to enjoy in person. When you look back at the history of the great Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers teams, their all-time team reads like a who’s who of baseball history. Names like Koufax, Campanella, Hodges, Robinson, Reese, Snider, Garvey, Cey, Lopes, are all names that fans of the Dodgers from coast-to-coast love to recall and reminisce about. But one name that is usually omitted from that all-time great’s list is that of Zack Wheat. A star for the Dodgers from 1909 through 1926, Wheat was a career .317 hitter and as late as 1925 when he was 37, playing a full season, Wheat hit .359! He was a hitting machine. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, author Joe Niese returns to the podcast for a wonderful conversation about a guy who challenged the system, won … and lost … and was named one of the 100 greatest to ever play the game. Niese, who has been on SFH previously to talk about Gus Dorais, Burleigh Grimes and Andy Pafko, just released a new book, “Zack Wheat”, brings his passion and knowledge about Wheat to make for another terrific discussion about one of the greats – Zack Wheat. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

108: Zack Wheat-MLB

Archie Clark broke into the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakes in 1966. He came off the bench his first season (1966-67) and averaged 10.5 PPG. Over the course of the next few seasons, Archie brought two new moves to the game that so any players use today, the “Shake and Bake” and the “step-back”. And while Archie was an innovator on the floor with such moves, it was what he did off the court that has made the most important and lasting impression for the NBA stars of today – he challenged management when it came to contract negotiations. Very few players whose names weren’t Chamberlain, Russell, Baylor, etc. saw the big dollars of the day. But Archie fought and won. It was his determination that paved the way for today’s “supporting” players. But, Archie was more than a supporting player. He was a star, albeit, for teams that weren’t so great. After spending the first two years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Archie was traded to the Philadelphia Warriors (before they moved to San Francisco) for Wilt Chamberlain. He was also traded to the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) and spent time with the Detroit Pistons and the Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder). Archie enjoyed a terrific career and is on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes to talk about it all. Also on this episode of SFH is Bob Kuska who just released a new book about Archie, “Shake and Bake, The Life and Times of NBA Great Archie Clark.” Archie and Bob talk in great detail about Archie’s “battles” with management and how the game differs from what it is today, including the incredible demands placed on NBA players back in the late 60s and early 70s when it came to travel, the arenas they played in, three and four games in a row in different cities and the incredible pressure to play even if you couldn’t walk or shoot for fear of being cut. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

107: Archie Clark-NBA

Denny Shute won 16 PGA TOUR events including the 1936 and 1937 PGA Championships. In 1933, Shute outlasted Craig Wood in a 36-o playoff at St. Andrew’s to win the Open Championship. Largely forgotten, Shute had a marvelous career. In fact, it wouldn’t be until 2000 when another golfer, Tiger Woods, would win back-to-back PGA Championships (1999 and 2000). Shute played during the 30s and 40s when the fairways were largely ruled by guys like Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour and the game was just getting ready for the famous trio of Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. And, despite the notoriety and fame that all of the aforementioned received, Shute just kept going about his business. He recorded at least one victory every year from 1929 through 1934, finished second in the Masters in 1935, and then went out and won twice in 1936 and recorded wins in 1937 and 1939. But it was those three Majors that really vaulted Shute to the top of the game and he also finished second in the 1941 U.S. Open. Shute’s accomplishments on the golf course were finally recognized in 2008 when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, 34-years after his death. On this episode of SFH, I welcome back golf historian Tony Parker to talk about the marvelous and forgotten career of Denny Shute. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

106: Denny Shute_PGA

When it comes to firsts, Larry Doby just misses the mark. Jackie Robinson was the first to cross the color line when he did so for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Larry Doby was second (but the first in the American League to do so) when he made his debut for the Cleveland Indians on July 5, 1947. Frank Robinson was the first black manager in baseball history when he was named player-manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1975. Doby was the second black man to be named manager of a team when he was picked to do so for the Chicago White Sox in 1978. When you’re second, it just doesn’t come with the same notoriety. But being second is not a knock on Doby. In fact, Larry Doby was a star for Cleveland, and later the White Sox. In fact, he was the first black man to be part of a World Series champion when he led Cleveland to a 4 games to 2 win over the Boston Braves in 1948. He actually garnered regular season MVP consideration in his first full year with the team. He made the all-star team seven straight years from 1949 through 1955. He had a career batting average of .283, hit 253 homeruns and knocked in 970. In 1954 he led the American League with 32 homeruns and 126 RBI. Doby was a star and in 1998 received the ultimate honor with his induction into baseball’s Hall of Fame. On this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, I welcome special guest, Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro League’s Baseball Museum, as we talk about the marvelous career of the first man to cross the color line in the American League – Larry Doby. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

105: Larry Doby-MLB

Jim McCormick might not be a name familiar to most baseball fans, but it should be. After all, how many pitchers have tossed over 500-innings in a season five times AND 657 2/3 innings in one year? McCormick had seasons of 45, 40, 36 and 31 wins. He started 485 games and completed 466 of them. He won 265 games over his 10-year career (average of 26 per season) and posted an ERA of 2.43. But those numbers, as impressive as they are, pale in comparison to the other numbers that Jay Wiley has discovered when it comes to Jim McCormick. Wiley is on a mission and believes the fact that Jim McCormick not being a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is one of baseball’s biggest injustices. His arguments made it hard to disagree. In fact, Wiley created a website documenting all of this – mccormickforthehall.com – and he posts daily about the career of McCormick on twitter. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, I welcome Jay to the show for a terrific discussion about a pitcher whom time has forgotten and a guy who hasn’t been considered for the Hall since 1950, despite several of his contemporaries, guys whose stats don’t measure up to Jim’s, gaining induction. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

104: Jim McCormick-104

Craig Wood was known to the golfing world as the “Blonde Bomber’ for his prodigious drives. He was also pretty dangerous with a putter in his hand. But, Wood, for all his big drives and magic on the greens was missing one thing when it came to a popularity contest – he was not flamboyant at all. In fact, he pretty much kept to himself. He figured he would let his game do his talking. And, his game was pretty darned good. In fact, with a bounce here, a putt made there, or just one other break, and Wood would be much better known, after all, Craig Wood was the first golfer in history (and one of just two overall) to lose each of golf’s four Major Championships in a playoff. In 1933, he lost in a playoff in the Open Championship to Denny Shute; in 1934, he lost the PGA Championship in extra holes to Paul Runyan; in 1935, he was the cruel victim to Gene Sarazen’s miraculous “Shot Heard Around The World” and then lost in a playoff to the Squire; and in 1939, Wood lost in a playoff to Byron Nelson. But Wood kept after it and finally broke through in 1941 when he won the Masters and the U.S. Open. A 2008 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Wood won 21 times on Tour. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, I take a look back at the career of one of golf’s forgotten heroes – Craig Wood – with Connor Lewis from the TalkinGolf podcast and George Petro who is a collector of Craig Wood golf memorabilia. As a bonus, Connor and George start the show by talking about the ins and outs of starting and building a golf memorabilia collection. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

103: Craig Wood-PGA

  Andre Lacroix, the all-time leading scorer in the history of the World Hockey Association (WHA), is on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. A member of the WHA Hall of Fame, Andre totaled more points than any other WHA player, more assists and played in more games. Lacroix’s career started in the 1967-68 NHL season with the Philadelphia Flyers. But after a trade to the Chicago Black Hawks and a disappointing season in which he was relegated to part-time status, Andre was offered a fresh start with the newly-formed Philadelphia Blazers with a rival new league – the World Hockey Association. Andre jumped at the opportunity and proceeded to put up staggering numbers. In fact, Andre became just the second player in hickey history to record at least 100-assists in a season. He led the WHA in scoring three times, once broke the 50-goal barrier and helped put the WHA on the map. Despite all Andre did, however, the WHA just couldn’t overcome poor ownership, and minimal fan support. On this episode of SFH, me and Andre talk about all of that plus how he negotiated all of his own contracts, his constant movement from team to team, and what life was like in the WHA. Additionally, we will also talk about his book, “After the Second Snowfall: My Life On and Off the Ice,” the unique title and so much more. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

102: Andre Lacroix-NHL/WHA

The 1976 NBA Finals featured a mediocre team in the Phoenix Suns and the historic Boston Celtics. Boston, including the previous season and the first two games of these NBA Finals had won 8-straight against Phoenix. The Suns, who had gone 42-40 during the 1975-76 regular season, got on a roll. First, they downed the Seattle Supersonics 4 games to 2 and then they took out the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors in seven games to advance to their first Finals. Boston, meanwhile, had gone 54-28 during the regular season, defeated the Buffalo Braves in six games and the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals to setup this unlikely Finals showdown. Boston, coached by Tom Heinsohn and led by greats John Havlicek and Don Nelson, also had a terrific bench and budding star in Jojo White. The Suns were led by Paul Westphal (who was a part-time player for the Celtics the previous season), rookie Alvan Adams and the little-known Ricky Sobers. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, author Roger Gordon returns to the podcast. Gordon, who recently released a book about Game 5 of the 1976 Finals titled, “6.4.76 Phoenix Suns vs. Boston Celtics,” a game widely regarded as the greatest game of all-time, discusses the game and the unique controversies ( and they were unique, questionable, and looking back on it, crazy to think they could happen today) that helped make the game as legendary as it is. Additionally, we talk about six stars - and their careers - who played such pivotal roles in the game: Westphal, Adams, Sobers, White, Paul Silas and Dave Cowens. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

101: 6.4.76-NBA

Pete Sampras is not, necessarily, a name that most tennis fans think about when discussing the greatest to ever play. However, upon closer examination, especially when it comes to the greatest American men to ever play, not only should Sampras be considered, statistically speaking, he should be considered the best to ever play. Period. While Jimmy Connors won the most singles tournaments in the history of the game, Sampras’s 14 Grand Slam championships are a phenomenal number. At the time he won his 14th, no other male player in the history of the game had won that many. The problem Sampras has is that his reign as the man who had won more Grand Slam championships than anyone else in history was short-lived. While it took him 13 years to win them all, beginning with his improbable win over Andre Agassi in the championship match of the 1990 U.S. Open and ended with his win in the 2002 U.S. Open over Agassi once again, it didn’t take the amazing trio of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to surpass that number. Sampras played for such a short period of time, wasn’t a very fiery personality, he just went out there and won, and he never won the French Open. Those three facts are probably the biggest reason so few recognize the greatness of Sampras’s career. And that’s a shame, because Pete Sampras was as dominant a tennis player as anyone who has ever played the game. Many of his contemporaries, friends and rivals, talk so highly of Sampras and what they say can be read in a terrific new book, “Pete Sampras, Greatness Revisited.” The author of the book, Steve Flink, is on this episode of  Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a wonderful discussion about the all-time great. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

100: Pete Sampras

Their names are not the most recognizable when talking about the New York Rangers and hockey history: Arnie Brown, Dave Balon and Orland Kurtenbach. One name that is very recognizable is that of Walt Tkaczuk. All four played a pivotal role in one incredible game in 1970 – the final game of the regular season in which the New York Rangers needed a series of events to occur in order to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs after what had been one of the most promising seasons in franchise history had transformed into one of the most disappointing due to series of injuries beginning with a Brad Park broken ankle. In this game on April 5, 1970, all four players played a crucial role in vaulting the Rangers into the playoffs; and on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes we use the game as a device to talk about the careers of Brown, Balon, Kurtenbach, Tkaczuk and the colorful coach of the Rangers – Emile Francis. Each had terrific careers, but with the exception of Francis, it would be tough to devote an entire episode to each player. However, recalling their careers in this episode is a great way to honor each. Joining SFH to discuss each is Reg Lansberry who wrote a book about the game on April 5, 1970 called “9 Goals” and New York Rangers historian George Grimm. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

99: 9 Goals-NHL

Spec Sanders was somewhat of a football phenom. In fact, his days at the University of Texas made NFL teams take notice and in 1942 the Washington Redskins made Sanders the first-ever Longhorn to be taken in the first round when they selected him sixth overall. However, Sanders never put on the wine and gold of Washington. Following his days at Texas, Sanders joined his brothers in the Army as the U.S. was in the midst of World War II. Following his days in the military, a new league came calling, the AAFC and one of its new teams, the New York Yankees. Sanders took a chance on the new league and team and wound up putting on a show unlike anyone before him. Playing tailback and quarterback, it took Sanders just a bit to get going and by his second year he was a star rushing for over 1400-yards and scoring 18 touchdowns while also throwing for over 1400-yards and 14 touchdowns. But age and knee injuries were catching up and after just three years, Sanders called it quits. However, after taking off the 1949 season and with the AAFC shuttering its doors, a new team in the NFL, the New York Yanks, and a new coach, Ray Strader, talked Sanders out of retirement. He agreed to play but would only do so as a defensive back. Strader and the Yanks agreed … and all Sanders did was set an NFL-record with 13 interceptions in a 12-game season. For more about Spec Sanders and his incredible, but short, career, listen to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a wonderful conversation about a man whose impact on the game was huge, despite only playing for four seasons. . Gary Webster who wrote the book, “The League That Didn’t Exist: A History of the All America Football Conference,” returns to SFH for the conversation about Spec Sanders and the brief history of the New York Yankees and the New York Yanks. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

98: Spec Sanders-NFL

Tom Fears was a record-setter. When he broke into the NFL as a rookie in 1948, he caught 51 passes. His second year, the split-end caught an NFL-record 77 passes and scored nine touchdowns. He broke his own record in 1950 with 84 passes for 1,116-yards and seven touchdowns. In a game against the Green Bay Packers that year, Fears hauled in an NFL-record 18 passes. The NFL had never seen anything like Tom Fears before, especially when you consider the NFL was still a league that was basically a running game. But the Rams of the late 40s and early 50s were a high-flying, high-scoring team that took advantage of the skills of Fears and quarterbacks Bob Waterfield and Norm Van Brocklin. After his playing days were over, Fears remained in the game working his way up the ranks as a coach ultimately landing the job as the first-ever head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Of course, expansion teams usually find winning difficult, and the Saints were no exception. After three-plus years, Fears was let go. But he didn’t give up. He went back to being an assistant and patiently waited for another opportunity. It finally came with the Southern California Sun of the WFL. Later Tom was a player personnel director with the L.A. Express of the USFL and, afterwards, started his own scouting service working with/for teams like the Pittsburg Steelers and Houston Oilers. However, his scouting service met a cruel ending after Tom’s role with the production of the film, "North Dallas 40". Tom, who ultimately was enshrined in Canton as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame is this week’s topic on Sports’ Forgotten Heroes with my guest Lee Elder a football historian/researcher from the Professional Football Researcher’s Association. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2021 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

97: Tom Fears-NFL

Sports' Forgotten Heroes is a tribute to the stars who shaped the games we love to watch and the games we love to play. Sports' Forgotten Heroes is not about reliving the careers of superstars we talk about every day like Muhammed Ali, Jim Brown, Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan. Rather, Sports' Forgotten Heroes is about the stars who have faded away with time. Some were elected to their respective Hall of Fame, others might have had one great season, or just one great game that will live in infamy. Guys like Billy Cannon, Ed Delahanty and Bill Barilko - stars whom time has forgotten.

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Sports' Forgotten Heroes

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