This Week In Baseball History

This Week In Baseball History is a weekly podcast devoted to the history of baseball, hosted by Mike Bates and Bill Parker, the co-founders of The Platoon Advantage and writers on many fine websites.

This Week In Baseball History is a history podcast hosted by Mike Bates and Bill Parker, with 100 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Mike Bates and Bill Parker hosts This Week In Baseball History, a history show with 100 episodes published.

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  Episode #36

  Episode 163 (Re-run) - Baseball's Back (45 Years Ago)!

  Aug 13, 20261h 26mS4

  With Mike away, cruising around the Pacific Northwest, the podcast is on the briefest of hiatuses. But all of baseball was on hiatus until this week, 45 years ago, when the owners and the players finally agreed to resume the 1981 season after missing almost 40 percent of the regular season. Mike and Bill look at the reasons behind the strike, who was at fault, how it got resolved, what effect it had on a deeply weird season, and the uncanny parallels to 2020, when they originally recorded this episode. Plus, happy birthday to Tommie Agee and Bill Monbouquette!

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #24

  Episode 415 - Radio Killed the Telegraph Stars

  Aug 6, 20261h 20mS10

  Today, you can follow baseball on the radio, tv, laptops and phones. But that wasn't the case until 105 years ago this week, when the Pirates and Phillies game was sent out over the airwaves to the greater Pittsburgh area. It was the start of a surprisingly slow process that brought us to where we are today due to the owners' intransigence. In honor of this anniversary, Mike and Bill look back at the various ways that baseball broadcasting has changed over the years, from the telegraph to streaming. Plus, happy birthday to Dolf Luque and Red Ames! And farewell to Al Closter, Al Worthington, Ossie Blanco and Derrell Griffith.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #25

  Episode 300 (re-run) - SABR Pirate Radio with Mike Veeck

  Aug 1, 20261h 26mS7

  With Mike and Bill at the 2026 SABR convention this week, they're reaching into the past to pull out one of their favorite SABR memories, when they got to speak to the great Mike Veeck, with their good friend, Mike Duncan. This was a special epsiode. Mike Veeck is, of course, the son of Bill Veeck, owner of the St. Paul Saints and Charleston River Dogs, business doer, book writer, fun haver, and family man. And there is a fantastic documentary about him and his family on Netflix, T he Saint of Second Chances. B ut, before you watch that, listen to him here as he talks about his amazing life and career in baseball.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #23

  Episode 414 - Joe Medwick Is Just Ducky

  Jul 23, 20261h 9mS10

  Though not talked about much today, there was a time when Joe Medwick seemed like he might become an inner circle Hall of Famer. And never more than 90 years ago this week, when he collected 10 straight hits over the course of three games. Mike and Bill look back at the man they called Ducky (very much against his wishes), and are surprised by his rapid decline after turning himself into one of the most dominant players in the game's history. Plus, happy birthday to Bob Meusel and Denis Menke! And farewell to Eddie Haas and Bob Lacey.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #22

  Episode 413 - The Texas Rangers and Special Guest T.R. Sullivan

  Jul 17, 20261h 45mS10

  Beat writers and ballplayers have all the best stories, but it's the writers who tell them best. Mike and Bill are reminded of that this week when they talk with legendary Rangers beat writer T.R. Sullivan about his fantastic new memoir, The Texas Rangers and Me: A Baseball Writer's Thirty-Two Years in Arlington about his time covering the ballclub from 1989 through the 2020. T.R.'s candid and funny and his memory for details is incredible almost four decades after getting his start. You're gonna love this. Plus, happy birthday to Johnny Wyrostek! And farewell to Charlie Moore and Mark Bailey.

  ListenShow Notes

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