Irish Baseball Podcast

Scott Crawford of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is returning to the Irish Baseball Podcast to talk about the Blue Jays run to the World Series, the recent Netflix documentary about the Expos, and the excitement in Canada for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Dirk Baker has written a book about Kid Gleason.  Most famous for his time as the manager of the 1919 Chicago White Sox who threw the World Series, Gleason had an illustrious career as a player, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball.  Baker wants to share the whole story of the second-generation Irish American.

All five of the Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa were lost when their ship was blown up in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  The town of Waterloo still does a lot to preserve their legacy.  Pat Kinny, oral historian for the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veteran Museum in Waterloo will be Rick Becker's guest on the Irish Baseball Podcast today to talk about the brothers.

Sammie Samuels will be celebrating a different piece of Irish American history every month this year at the Irish American Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.  2026 is the 250th anniversary of the United States.  Many of our podcast episodes this year will be focused on the Irish immigrant and Irish American impact on the country in that time.

Irish Baseball Podcast host Rick Becker and Irish American Baseball Society founder John Fitzgerald talk about many of the great guests who have joined IABS members on the community network website over the course of 2025.  Hear from Steve Garvey, Mike Sweeney, and more.  

Danny Murphy was a star for Connie Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics in the early-20th Century.  An injury slowed down his career, but Tom Sullivan made sure that this great ballplayer with Irish roots was remembered with his book Baseball's Sherlock Holmes: Danny Murphy of the Philadelphia Athletics.

Hilary Beirne is making his second appearance on the Irish Baseball Podcast.  He is working on the project irishamerica250.org to celebrate the contributions of Irish immigrants and Irish Americans to the United States.  With the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July of 2026, we will be talking about many ways the Irish have impacted the country.

After spending the first part of his life focused on his love of music, Bill Nowlin is now focused on baseball.  The SABR member is working on something very special with Tim Carr and John Fitzgerald of the Irish American Baseball Society.

The Diddley Idols describe themselves as a full-band-duo.  The husband-and-wife team performs with a ton of electricity and energy.  Dave is also a pretty big New York Mets fan, so we will definitely be talking about that.

Corey Purcell and Deirdre Lockman of the tradition Irish band Poor Man's Gambit will join host Rick Becker on the podcast this week.  They will talk about their histories in Irish music and dance, and what type of bands are playing around Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Enda Reilly is a musician from Dublin who plays traditional Irish music and originals.  Irish Baseball Podcast host Rick Becker discusses music and Irish history with Enda.  

The 2025 Maryland Irish Festival is coming up on November 7th, 8th, and 9th.  On the podcast today, Irish Baseball Podcast host Rick Becker will talk with Michael McConnell.  Michael is the President of the Maryland Irish Festival, and will let us know everything we can expect if we attend this year's festivities.

Irish Baseball Podcast host Rick Becker is joined by Dr. Jimmy Moley to have a conversation about mental health in sports.  Moley is a sports psychiatrist, and sees the way early bad habits can come back to impact athletes in the professional and college ranks.

From the Irish Wolfhounds to baseball camps in Ireland to the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame and more, it has been a busy summer for the Irish American Baseball Society.  On this week's episode of the podcast, IABS President John Fitzgerald is going to talk about everything that happened over the past few months, and what it means moving forward for the organization.

The Oriole Advocates do a lot to promote the game in the younger generations.  Mary Jo Newville and Mike Licea of the Oriole Advocates will join host Rick Becker on this episode of the Irish Baseball Podcast.  You will find out how you can help them as they try to provide equipment for youth baseball, and you will find out a lot of ways to enjoy the city of Baltimore before an Orioles game.    

Rick Becker, host of the Irish Baseball Podcast, originally interviewed Dan Wallach of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum and Baseball Library in Greenville, South Carolina back in 2022.  In that conversation, Dan accurately predicted Joe Jackson's reinstatement to Major League Baseball after a lifetime ban.  Considering the relevance of this talk, we thought we would replay it here in 2025.

Geoff Freeborn is a former-professional pitcher in France, Germany, Canada, and the United States; a former-college coach; host of the Sidearmnation Podcast; and someone who is helping the Irish Wolfhounds find players who would be eligible to play for Ireland in the World Baseball Podcast.  On today's episode, Rick Becker talks to him about a variety of topics. 

John Fitzgerald was very close with General George Washington during the Revolutionary War in Valley Forge and Princeton.  Fitzgerald was an Irish-Catholic, who earned the trust of the most important man in the colonies and started the first Catholic parish in Virginia.  With the 250th anniversary of the United States coming up next year, it is the perfect time to take a look at some Irish people who played a role in the creation of the country.

John G. O'Dwyer has put together a collection of pilgrimages throughout Ireland.  In this week's episode of the podcast, host Rick Becker talks with O'Dwyer about the different pilgrim paths and why a pilgrimage is a great way to see the Emerald Isle.

Patrick O'Sullivan Greene is back on the show to promote his new book about F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Fitzgerald's Irish heritage was such an interesting part of his identity.  A part of his identity with which he sometimes struggled.  

Roger Bresnahan was one of the biggest stars in the game; playing in the biggest city in the country.  Since his death in 1943, the Hall of Famer has had his celebrity diminished greatly.  John Hussman is trying to change all that, and raise awareness of the greatness of this Irish-American ballplayer.

Marc Gunn has used the "Irish & Celtic Music Podcast" as a way to showcase great music from all over the world.  Rick Becker, host of the "Irish Baseball Podcast" talks with Gunn in today's episode to see what keeps him making new episodes.

Irish Baseball Podcast host Rick Becker sits down one more time with Steve Steinberg to talk about the author's book about Mike Donlin, and some of his other projects.  Mike Donlin is such an interesting character that this conversation has lasted three episodes of the show.

Rick Becker, host of the Irish Baseball Podcast, welcomes back Damian Shields, author of the book “Green and Blue: Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861-1865 (Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War).”  

John Fitzgerald, founder of the Irish American Baseball Society, sits down with former-MLB executive Dan Evans for a conversation spanning topics like Shohei Ohtani, scouting, and Irish heritage.

Rick talks with Damian Shiels, author of the book “Green and Blue: Irish Americans in the Union Military, 1861-1865 (Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War)."  Hear first-hand accounts from the letters of the soldiers themselves.

Host Rick Becker will talk with Colleen Monahan who is the chairwoman of the Baltimore Saint Patrick's Day Parade on this week's episode.  Monahan is in charge of the event which will take to the streets of Charm City on Sunday, March 16th of 2025.

Gabriel Fidler is an expert in European baseball.  If Ireland is ever to make the World Baseball Classic, Fidler knows the pitfalls the team would face along the way.  Host Rick Becker discusses that with him, and other topics, as well.

Steve Steinberg, along with his co-author, Lyle Spatz, Steinberg wrote the book “Mike Donlin: A Rough and Rowdy Life From New York Baseball Idol to Stage and Screen.”  Host Rick Becker talks with Steinberg today about Donlin's transition from baseball to the stage.  

Rick talks with Steve Steinberg, co-author of “Mike Donlin: A Rough and Rowdy Life From New York Baseball Idol to Stage and Screen.” 

Host Rick Becker talks with Eamon Fitzgerald, head of games for New York GAA.

Based on their true stories, Robert McLaughlin wrote a novelization of the lives of Danny Murtaugh and Mickey Vernon.  In today's episode, Robert talks with Irish Baseball Podcast host Rick Becker.

John Fitzgerald, founder of the Irish American Baseball Society, interviews Scott Orgera, author of the book “976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground."

For our 100th episode, Irish American Baseball Society Founder John Fitzgerald joins the show to interview the host, Rick Becker!

Irish American Baseball Society founder John Fitzgerald interviews Scott Orgera.  Scott wrote the book "976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground." 

Zak Ford, author of “Called Up: Ballplayers Remember Becoming Major Leaguers.”

Click here to listen to the first part of this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w9KjqIt_H4

Our guest is Rich Popovic from the New York-based Irish band Shilelagh Law. Visit them online at HalftheBottle.com.

Our guest this week is Eilidh McRae. Eilidh is a professional harpist and harp teacher living in Darien, CT. 

Host Rick Becker talks with Gabriel Fidler of the European Baseball website Mister-Baseball.

Our guest is Chris Woodward,  Senior Advisor to MLB and Player Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Our guest is Eddie MacIntosh, tattoo artist, musician, and designer of the Irish Wolfhounds logo.

Our guest is Darren Murphy, head baseball coach at South Hills High School in California.

Host Rick Becker talks with Eddie MacIntosh. Eddie is an artist, musician, and writer, as well as a proud member of the Irish American Baseball Society. Eddie is also the designer of the Irish Wolfhounds logo! Follow him at  @eddiemacintoshtattoo on Instagram and check out his band, The Pepperbot Bats.

Shauna Scanlon, a singer-songwriter from County Donegal, is Rick's guest on this episode of the Irish Baseball Podcast.

Los Angeles Dodgers Senior Advisor to MLB and Player Development Chris Woodward is our guest on this week's episode of The Irish Baseball Podcast. 

Matthew Repplinger, who has served a number of different roles in baseball, is our guest on this episode of The Irish Baseball Podcast. Matthew discusses the history of the game in Denver, Colorado before the 1993 inaugural season of the Rockies.  "Rep"  is the manager of the Martinez Sturgeon of the Pecos League.

Stephen Jenkins of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma is our guest on this episode of The Irish Baseball Podcast.   The Bob Dylan Center is currently running the exhibit on The Pogues the late Shane MacGowan, titled “They Gave the Walls A Talking.” 

In this episode, Rick Becker talks with Eamon Fitzgerald. Eamon is the Head of Games for New York GAA.

Rick talks with Steven Jenkins of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, OK, about the The Pogues and Shane MacGowan.  MacGowan is the subject of the exhibition, "They Gave the Walls A Talking."