by JoeMagennis on March 15, 2010
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Seamheads.com Founder and Managing Editor, Mike Lynch is our guest on this episode of the Cover the Bases podcast. He is the author of two baseball books and writes regularly as his web site. We really appreciate the time that he took out of his night to talk some baseball with us.
His most recent book is It Ain’t So: A Might Have Been History of the White Sox in 1919 and Beyond
. It is published by McFarland, and was released in November of 2009.
Mike took a completely unique approach to writing about the Chicago White Sox team of 1919. After first pitching the concept to his publisher and getting some push back, he pitched another book which turned out to be Harry Frazee, Ban Johnson and the Feud That Nearly Destroyed the American League
. Once McFarland saw what Mike could accomplish, they let him revisit his concept for examining what might have happened if the Black Sox scandal had never taken place.
Out of the Park Baseball provided the computational muscle, while Mike allowed the players who were banned from baseball in 1920, to continue on in their careers. Mike chronicled the impact that this would have had on the American League races, as well as some World Series Championships. He played the 1919 World Series, completed the 1920 season, and then reset all of the American League teams each season to play a “might have been” version of the White Sox. This simulation and writing process took Mike about 10 years to complete.
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by JoeMagennis on March 21, 2010
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We have a unique topic on this episode of Cover the Bases. Rather than the biographies, histories and memoirs that we usually speak about, instead we cover myths, legends and ghost tales with Dan Gordon. Dan is a Thomas J. Watson Fellow and has covered the game of baseball internationally, but discovered the folklore and story telling near his home on Cape Cod MA., leading him to seek out those same types of stories in baseball.
His first book is Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends, and Eerie Events
published by Lyons Press. He has a followup book coming out in the summer of 2010 called Field of Screams. There is a web site to find information about his books at HauntedBaseball.com.
With his co-author and classmate from Union College, Mickey Bradley, Dan headed off to his first Spring Training with a few ideas and some access to players. With a bit of apprehension his first interview was Turk Wendell, one of the most superstitious and colorful characters in the game. Turk’s initial advice was to “go talk to the Yankees” which seemed to be a common response.
The book opens with the Yankees in their Spring Training facility called Huggins Stengel Field. The team trained there from the 1920’s up through the Sixties, and carries many stories from local residents and grounds crew. Dan always makes it a point to visit some of the old facilities around baseball since they have a great chance of catching a glimpse of nostalgia. It is said at Huggins Stengel that you can see Babe Ruth’s apparition and Casey Stengel sitting in the dugout, as well as noises of card games in the clubhouse.
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by JoeMagennis on March 21, 2010
1975 Topps 
Tim Foli
Each day we feature something from our collection of childhood bubblegum memories. For those who remember them, these baseball cards have their own stories to tell.
What does this card bring to mind for you? Please share in the comments!
We would love to hear from you. Send a Tweet to @baseballisms with a quick message, send us an email or visit our Upload page with a video message. We look forward to growing a community of fans interested in the poetry of the game of baseball!
by JoeMagennis on March 20, 2010
1976 Topps 
Rich Folkers
Each day we feature something from our collection of childhood bubblegum memories. For those who remember them, these baseball cards have their own stories to tell.
What does this card bring to mind for you? Please share in the comments!
We would love to hear from you. Send a Tweet to @baseballisms with a quick message, send us an email or visit our Upload page with a video message. We look forward to growing a community of fans interested in the poetry of the game of baseball!
by JoeMagennis on March 19, 2010
1976 Topps 
Jay Johnstone
Each day we feature something from our collection of childhood bubblegum memories. For those who remember them, these baseball cards have their own stories to tell.
What does this card bring to mind for you? Please share in the comments!
We would love to hear from you. Send a Tweet to @baseballisms with a quick message, send us an email or visit our Upload page with a video message. We look forward to growing a community of fans interested in the poetry of the game of baseball!
by JoeMagennis on March 18, 2010
1989 Topps 
Ramon Martinez
Each day we feature something from our collection of childhood bubblegum memories. For those who remember them, these baseball cards have their own stories to tell.
What does this card bring to mind for you? Please share in the comments!
We would love to hear from you. Send a Tweet to @baseballisms with a quick message, send us an email or visit our Upload page with a video message. We look forward to growing a community of fans interested in the poetry of the game of baseball!
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