Reading Baseball

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Reading Baseball is a WSIU Radio original series of baseball essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, editor of the St. Louis Baseball Reader and author of Growing Up With Clemente and the upcoming Pops: The Willie Stargell Story.

WSIU Staff


    • May 30, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 4m AVG DURATION
    • 216 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Reading Baseball

    Reading Baseball: Has baseball gone batty?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 5:02


    The hot topic at the beginning of the Major League Baseball season was the emergence of torpedo bats.

    Reading Baseball: A sad day for Saluki baseball fans

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 4:55


    Pete Peterson explains how Derek Shelton faced an uphill battle in getting the Pirates to be contenders.

    Reading Baseball: Was the Pope a baseball fan?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 4:59


    The recent death of Pope Francis got Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson thinking about his visit to the U.S. nearly ten years ago.

    Reading Baseball: The 400th edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 5:00


    Pete Peterson celebrates the 400th edition of Reading Baseball, which started in 2004.

    Reading Baseball: The integration of Chicago baseball

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 4:59


    A new book out this spring highlights the breaking of the color barrier by the Chicago White Sox and Cubs in the 1950's.

    Reading Baseball: The 1985 I-70 World Series

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 4:54


    A new book is out focusing on the 40th anniversary of the 1985 World Series.

    Reading Baseball: Itchy Jones at the bat

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2025 4:54


    Pete Peterson once again remembers the time Jones became a cover boy when SIU Press reprinted a critically-acclaimed baseball book.

    Reading Baseball: Vic Harris, baseball's winningest manager

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 4:58


    Pete Peterson tells us about a legendary negro league manager who Pete believes was wrongly left out of the Baseball Hall of Fame again.

    Reading Baseball: The golden at bat

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 4:57


    Baseball has found some innovative ways recently to try and make the game more appealing to fans.

    Reading Baseball: It's a Wonderful Life, but not as a Cardinals fan

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 4:58


    Pete explains how his wife Anita's disgust with her hometown Pirates led her to become a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, just for a fleeting moment.

    Reading Baseball: Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 5:02


    Since his recent death, the debate has been reignited as to whether Pete Rose should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    Reading Baseball: Can baseball save us from politics?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 4:58


    If the current political atmosphere has you wanting a distraction, commentator Pete Peterson may have just the thing.

    Reading Baseball: In praise of the White Sox

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2024 5:04


    The Chicago White Sox set a record with 121 losses in 2024.

    Reading Baseball: My 1930's era baseball glove

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 5:02


    Pete Peterson tells us the story of how became the owner of a special glove.

    Reading Baseball: The greatest living ballplayer

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 4:34


    Pete Peterson tells us who he thinks is the greatest living baseball player following the death of Willie Mays.

    Reading Baseball: The curse of the mustache

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 5:02


    Pete explains the why his mustache turned out to be a curse for his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates.

    Reading Baseball: What's a doubleheader?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2024 4:59


    Pete Peterson looks at how modern day baseball's day-night doubleheaders are not doubleheaders at all.

    Reading Baseball: My first, and last, mustache

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 4:47


    Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes has made a big impression on fans, including our own Pete Peterson.

    Reading Baseball: Our last trip to Pittsburgh?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 4:59


    Pete Peterson explains why his most recent trip to Pittsburgh was extra special.

    Reading Baseball: I oughta know Milwaukee

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 4:54


    Pete Peterson recaps Milwaukee's baseball history.

    Reading Baseball: Remembering the Say Hey Kid

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2024 4:54


    Pete Peterson remembers the great Willie Mays, who died recently at the age of 93.

    Commentary: Deja vu all over again: Another 5K

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2024 5:08


    Pete Peterson has been an avid runner for many years.

    Reading Baseball: Baseball's farewell to arms

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2024 5:01


    Pete Peterson examines the rash of injuries to pitchers already this MLB season.

    Reading Baseball: Remembering Whitey Herzog

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 5:02


    Herzog died recently at the age of 92.

    Reading Baseball: Baseball's first great Jewish star

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2024 4:48


    Pete Peterson examines Hank Greenberg's Hall of Fame career.

    Reading Baseball: An eclipse and baseball

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2024 4:52


    Pete Peterson, thanks to Mark Twain, finds a connection between baseball and eclipses.

    Reading Baseball: Paul Giamatti's Father, Bart Giamatti

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2024 4:57


    Pete Peterson recently learned Paul Giamatti's father is the former commissioner of baseball who banished Pete Rose from the game.

    Reading Baseball: Jim Leyland in, Barry Bonds out

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2024 4:55


    The newest inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame include longtime manager Jim Leyland.

    Reading Baseball: The American League's Jackie Robinson

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2024 5:04


    WSIU contributor Pete Peterson brings us his annual piece in honor of Black History Month.

    Commentary: Basketball at 80

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2024 5:03


    Pete Peterson tells us how a recent article reminded him of those days of going at it on the hardwood at the SIU Arena.

    Reading Baseball: Meeting Anita

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 4:53


    Pete Peterson remembers an chain of events more than 60 years ago that changed his life forever.

    Reading Baseball: Why We Love Baseball

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 4:57


    Pete Peterson talks about a new baseball book that highlights the magical moments in the game's history.

    Reading Baseball: Remembering Dick Groat

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2023 4:54


    Pete Peterson remembers Dick Groat, a two-sport athlete who passed away earlier this year.

    Reading Baseball: A letter to Cardinal fans

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2023 5:02


    Pete Peterson explains how laughter is the best medicine to deal with your team's woes.

    Reading Baseball: My baseball second childhood

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2023 5:03


    Pete Peterson remembers how the Pirates and the Cubs often battled for last place during his childhood in the 1950's.

    Reading Baseball: Back to Busch Stadium

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 4:50


    Pete looks back on the rough seasons for the Pirates and the Cardinals.

    Reading Baseball: Mark McGwire's statue

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2023 4:49


    The St. Louis Cardinals have a statue of Mark McGwire ready if he ever gets elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    Reading Baseball: The worst sports fans

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2023 4:58


    Pete Peterson describes an intense atmosphere as his family attended a Pittsburgh Pirates game recently.

    Commentary: Retired educator Pete Peterson on the teacher shortage

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2023 4:59


    Commentator Pete Peterson and his wife, Anita, are both retired teachers.

    Commentary: A tale from the gas station

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2023 5:02


    WSIU commentator Pete Peterson remembers his days pumping as as just two states still mandate full-service gas stations.

    Reading Baseball: All those home runs -- it's climate change

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2023 4:57


    Pete Peterson's commentary focuses on how a study has determined climate change is helping produce more home runs in Major League Baseball.

    Reading Baseball: The superstitious baseball fan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 5:01


    Pete Peterson explains how superstitious baseball fans are, especially his own wife.

    Reading Baseball: The pitch clock and beer sales

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2023 5:31


    In his latest commentary, Pete Peterson looks at how quicker games are creating an unexpected problem involving beer sales.

    Commentary: Out of Left Field

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2023 5:31


    Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson talks about the book Straight Man, which was developed into the TV series Lucky Hank.

    Reading Baseball: A Baseball Fairy Tale

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2023 5:23


    Pete Peterson's latest edition of Reading Baseball takes a look at the remarkable story of Drew Maggi.

    Reading Baseball: Take me out to a Cardinals game

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2023 5:29


    Pete Peterson tells us about his recent trip to a Pittsburgh Pirates-St. Louis Cardinals game in St. Louis.

    Reading Baseball: Baseball on the clock

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 5:31


    Pete Peterson explains his view on the new pitch clock in Major League Baseball.

    Reading Baseball: Take me out to opening day

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2023 5:29


    Pete Peterson's latest commentary highlights his childhood memories of opening day and the traditions born out of this special day across MLB.

    Reading Baseball: My Baseball March Madness

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2023 5:26


    Pete Peterson talks about his dream of playing professional baseball.

    Banning Roberto Clemente

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2023 5:17


    Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson takes exception to a Florida school district temporarily banning a children's book about Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.

    Commentary: McKees Rocks' Damar Hamlin

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2023 5:32


    WSIU Radio commentator Pete Peterson talks about Damar Hamlin's hometown, which is near where Pete grew up.

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