Rounders: A History of Baseball in America examines baseball's journey from a diversion played on the outskirts of small towns to a pastime continually shaping this country's cultural identity. This sport isn't just about a ball-and-stick. It's a snapshot of ourselves, our nation, and our world.
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Lights, Camera, Fastball: Nine MLB Players Who Became Actors
Moving from a pro baseball diamond to a Hollywood set is a rare occurrence. The examples start in the early 1900s, when vaudeville and silent films were a natural spot for sports heroes. The pattern continues all the way to modern Hollywood studios and the current media scene.
We’re going to examine the stories of nine professional baseball players who leveraged their athletic careers to start new ones as on-stage or on-screen actors. Some were fueling a second passion, some did it for survival after playing days were done, and some used their skills on the field to build legacies that still exist in Hollywood today.
It’s been a fascinating topic to study. If you’re interested in learning more about the baseball to Hollywood pipeline, I highly recommend you check out:
- From Spring Training to Screen Test: Baseball Players Turned Actors (https://sabr.org/latest/sabr-digital-library-from-spring-training-to-screen-test-baseball-players-turned-actors/) which is an ebook produced by the Society for American Baseball Research and edited by Rob Edelman and friend of the show Bill Nowlin.
- The Hall of Famer Filmography (https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/hall-of-famer-facts/hall-of-famer-filmography) assembled by the National Baseball Hall of Fame
- The book Bats, Balls, and Hollywood Stars: Hollywood’s Love Affair with Baseball (https://www.amazon.com/Bats-Balls-Hollywood-Stars-Hollywoods/dp/1891928465) by Joe Siegman.
- Make sure to check out the episode about John McGraw (https://open.spotify.com/episode/1eLEFSSQ9Z1htT2QkEJiuN?si=_Xx56F73TyWssnby7q72ew) to learn more about his life and accomplishments.
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8 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT
Did the 1951 New York Giants Steal a Pennant?
"The Giants win the pennant!" is the most famous call in sports history. For 50 years, the 1951 National League pennant race was celebrated as the ultimate miracle—a 13.5-game comeback that shouldn't have been possible.
But it wasn't just a miracle. It may have been a heist.
In this episode, we break down the elaborate, high-tech cheating scheme the New York Giants ran out of the center-field clubhouse at the Polo Grounds.
We’re talking telescopes, hidden wires, and a buzzer system installed by an electrician who—in a cruel twist of irony—was a die-hard Brooklyn Dodgers fan.
We dive into:
The Scheme: How the "Polo Grounds Plot" actually worked.
The Stats: Did the buzzer actually help them hit? (The answer will surprise you).
The Confessions: Why the players weren't sorry, but proud of their "treachery."
Was Bobby Thomson’s "Shot Heard 'Round the World" tainted? Let’s dig into the details.
1 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
Celebrating Baseball’s Labor Hero: Curt Flood
Curt Flood's name might not be as widely recognized as other baseball legends, but his impact on professional sports, particularly Major League Baseball, is immeasurable and continues to resonate today.
A stellar center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, Flood made history not just with his glove and bat, but with his courageous stand against baseball's oppressive "reserve clause". Let’s look at the sacrifice and toll of being the prominent player to stand up for his peers.
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Inside a recent episode
Lights, Camera, Fastball: Nine MLB Players Who Became Actors
Published 23 Dec 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] In fact, he was the title character in a silent crime film called Detective Swift. Shortly after that film, he starred in a drama entitled Fighting Mad. He also appeared alongside one of his players, Mike Donlin, who we talked about previously, in that 1915 feature right off the bat. […]
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