Podcasts about sports' forgotten heroes

Jimmy Wynn was one of baseball’s most feared sluggers of the 1960s and early 1970s. Playing for the Houston Astros, however, muzzled just how powerful a hitter he was. Wynn and the Astros called the Houston Astrodome home, and it was by far one of the most difficult stadiums in baseball history to launch home runs in. Yet, Wynn, still put up remarkable numbers. In fact, Wynn produced nearly all of the power the Astros possessed. In 1967 he walloped 37 homeruns, while the rest of the Astros managed to hit just 56. In 1968 he hit 26 homeruns, while the rest of the team hit just 40; and in 1969, Wynn hit another 33 homeruns while the rest of his teammates hit 71. Wynn’s relationship with the team and manager Harry Walker was not exactly great. In fact, despite Wynn’s power, Walker tried to change Wynn’s approach at the plate which would have reduced his power and made him into more of a line drive and opposite field hitter. Wynn fought back and never acquiesced. Of course, this put a strain on the whole team and ultimately, the Astros fired Walker and eventually traded Wynn to the Los Angeles Dodgers … and it was with the Dodger where Jimmy Wynn enjoyed his happiest and best season. In 1974, Wynn hot a Los Angeles record 32 homeruns, a career-high 108 RBI and batted .271 to help lead L.A. into the World Series against the Oakland A’s. Wynn, by the way, also started the All Star game in 1974. Known as the “Toy Cannon” a nickname he did not appreciate at first, Wynn was small in stature (just 5-feet-9) but loomed large at the plate. For his career he slugged 291 homeruns, knocked in 964 and hit .250. By today’s standards, not overwhelming. But if you consider the fact that Jimmy Wynn played most of his games in the Houston Astrodome, the site where fly balls went to die, and the fact that he out homered his team at home on a routine basis, then you would understand just how dangerous a hitter the “Toy Cannon” was. Mark Armour, one of the founders of the baseball biography project for SABR, joins the podcast to talk about the great Jimmy Wynn. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

In the mid-1990s the Canadian Football League was struggling financially. The league had teams in all of Canada’s big cities with the exception of Montreal. Out west were the British Columbia (Vancouver) Lions, the Edmonton Eskimos, Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders. In the east were the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Rough Riders and the Toronto Argonauts. There was really no place left for the CFL to expand and realize the windfall it needed from expansion fees. So, the CFL looked to the lower 48 and expanded to Sacramento in 1993. In 1994 it added teams in Baltimore, Shreveport, and Las Vegas; and in 1995 it expanded to Birmingham and San Antonio. The expansion money gave the league the boost it needed. However, none of the new U.S.-based teams really caught on with the exception of one – Baltimore. Football fans in Charm City were starving for a professional football team, especially after the Colts had left in the middle of the night a decade earlier and the NFL teased Baltimore with possible expansion teams and the possibility of a relocating franchise. None of those scenarios ever developed, so when the CFL announced it would expand to Baltimore, football fans got behind the team. Instantly, Baltimore, which had hoped to use the name Colts but was denied by a judge the day before its first-ever game, established itself as one of the CFL’s best. The Baltimore CFL’ers, as they were known during their first season, put together a team stocked with experienced CFL talent and a CFL coaching staff. Fans came out in droves. In fact, Baltimore led the CFL in attendance, and the fans were rewarded with a team that went 12-6 and advanced all the way to the CFL’s championship game – the Grey Cup. The CFL’ers lost that game to BC, 26-23, but returned in 1995 with unwavering determination. It paid off as the newly-named Stallions went 18-3 and won the Grey Cup. Along the way, though, Art Modell announced he was going to relocate his Cleveland Browns to Baltimore. Once it became official, and even though the Stallions were in the midst of a championship run, the fans stopped showing up for the games. Shortly after the Stallions 37-20 win over the Stampeders, Baltimore closed shop and the CFL was done in the U.S. Ron Snyder who wrote the book, “The Baltimore Stallions: The Brief, Brilliant History of the CFL Championship Franchise,” talks about the Stallions, the CFL and the history of football in Baltimore on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Andy Pafko was a household name in Chicago for much of the 1940s. He made his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1943 and became a fixture in their lineup until he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers midway through the 1951 season. Pafko represented the Cubs in the classiest of ways and helped Chicago win the National League Pennant in 1945. Unfortunately, the Cubs lost in seven games to the Detroit Tigers and would not return to the World Series until 2016. A return to trip the World Series was certainly not the fault of Pafko. He was an All Star for the team in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950. He enjoyed his two best years of his 17-year career while playing for the Cubs. In 1948, he hit .312 with 26 homeruns and 101 RBI; and in 1950 he hit .304 with 36 homeruns and 92 RBI. But, the Cubs couldn’t find a way back to the top of the standings with Pafko in the lineup, so they traded him to the Dodgers midway through 1951, and playing for the Dodgers, albeit just for 1 ½ years, might be where Pafko is best remembered. He was a part of the Dodgers historic collapse in 1951, was the leftfielder who watched the famous Bobby Thomson homerun sail over his head, and in 1952 put together a terrific season to lead the Dodgers into the World Series against the New York Yankees. Pafko hit .287 that year with 19 homeruns and 85 RBI. But the Dodgers lost the series in seven games and Pafko was traded to the Milwaukee Braves after the season had concluded. With Milwaukee, Pafko was a key cog in the Barves two World Series appearances – a seven-game series win over the Yankees in 1957 and a seven-game series loss to the Yankees in 1958. The fact that Pafko does not get more notoriety for his career is a head-scratcher. Perhaps it was because he spent so much time on the bench hurt because of his reckless abandon play that made him one of the game’s best defensive outfielders, and we’re going to explore that and more with Joe Niese who wrote the book, “Handy Andy” on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

In 1964, Skip Lockwood was being looked at by several Major League Baseball teams. The Kansas City A’s and their general manager Pat Friday offered Lockwood a signing bonus of $35,000. Lockwood wrote a “1” in front of the 35 and convinced Friday and A’s owner Charlie Finley he was worth every penny. Finley agreed and Lockwood’s career was underway. A third baseman, one week out of high school, Lockwood joined the A’s on the road for some batting practice before he was to be assigned to a minor league team. The A’s batting practice pitcher didn’t care too much for Lockwood and beaned him. Quite a rude welcome; and that’s just one of the many stories Lockwood tells us on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Converted to a pitcher after not succeeding as a hitter, Lockwood was the No. 1 man out of the pen for the New York Mets of the mid-1970s closing out games for the likes of Seaver, Koosman and Matlack. He threw in the mid- to upper-90s and stared down some of the game’s best, guys like Aaron, Reggie, Schmidt, Stargell, Parker and more. Lockwood who just released his first book, “Insight Pitch”, shares many stories with us, like the time he was credited with his first stolen base due to a prank made by Max Patkin, the time he walked into the wrong bullpen, and having to travel with his Class A team in a caravan of three station wagons – a whole team in three station wagons! Join Skip Lockwood for these stories and more on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Edd Roush was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. A star for the Cincinnati Reds of the 19-teens and the 1920s, Roush also played in one of the most famous World Series of all time, the 1919 Series between the White Sox and the Reds. While so many players from Chicago have been written about and are well-known, especially Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver, Kid Gleason and Eddie Cicotte; so few know about the stars of the 1919 Reds, such as Roush. A .323 career hitter, Roush spent 12 years with Cincinnati batting .325 with 199 stolen bases, 260 doubles, 152 triples and he hit 47 homeruns too! Edd’s granddaughter, Susan Dellinger, wrote a terrific book about the 1919 series and included a great deal of background on her grandfather. Susan also dives into the 1919 scandal from the Reds perspective. Titled, “Red Legs and Black Sox,” Dellinger joins the podcast to talk about the career of Edd, his few years in the rival Federal League, the 1919 series – from the standpoint of the Reds, and so much more including: how “shady” characters were hanging around the team, how Hal Chase tried to fix games in 1918 and 1919, and Edd’s hitting lessons from the great Ty Cobb … lessons that turned him from an average hitter into one of the game’s best. In fact, if not for two protests, Roush would have won three-straight batting titles. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The name Drazen Petrovic might not be familiar to many of today’s NBA fans. But for those who recall the early 1990s and the sudden rise of the then New Jersey Nets, Drazen Petrovic is a name that brings up memories of a sharpshooting guard, a star on the rise, and man whose life was tragically cut short in a head-on collision along the famed autobahn. Petrovic, born in Croatia, had a passion for basketball matched by few. Every waking second, every chance he had, he was practicing the game. Gym rat? That was Drazen Petrovic. And he didn’t just practice shooting. He practiced and drilled virtually every aspect of the game as often as possible from the time he was a young schoolboy. Drazen had a goal, he wanted to play in the NBA. And he worked hard. He played for his local Sibenik, Croatia team. He also played for Cibona and Rea Madrid. He olayed on the international stage. He caught the eye of Notre Dame’s Digger Phelps. He caught the eye of the Portland Trailblazers too and they made him a 3rd round selection in the 1986 NBA Draft. After legal battles, jumping through hurdles, and gaining his release from Real Madrid, Drazen finally made it to the NBA. At first, though it was quite disappointing. Drazen saw little playing time as the Blazers were a title contender. In fact, in Drazen’s first year, Portland made it to the NBA Finals against the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons. Drazen’s second year was even more disappointing as he slid further down the bench and he demanded a trade. Portland obliged and sent Drazen to the Nets. Drazen adapted to the Nets style of play, worked hard and ultimately became the team’s leader. Drazen had an electric personality and knew how to get a rise out of the crowd, could shoot the ball from virtually anywhere on the court, and gained the respects of his fellow players and coaches. He led the Nets to the playoffs. But that’s when tragedy struck. Author Todd Spehr, who wrote the book, “The Mozart of Basketball; The Remarkable Life and Legacy of Drazen Petrovic,” joins the podcast from Australia to talk about the man voted by his fellow players as the greatest European Basketball Player in history. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The name Oscar Charleston is not familiar to many. An absolute star in baseball’s Negro Leagues, Charleston’s best years came before there was much structure in the Negro Leagues. His prodigious power, spectacular defense and winning ways came before the more popular names of Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Buck O’Neill took the field. Oscar played for the likes of the Indianapolis ABC’s, Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords and even though he never played in Major League Baseball, he still drew comparisons to such legends as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker. So, who was Oscar Charleston? Jeremy Beer recently released an incredible biography on Oscar titled, “Oscar Charleston, The Life and Legend of Baseball’s Greatest Forgotten Hero.” This bio, which won the Seymour Medal, which is awarded by the Society for American Baseball Research – SABR – for the best baseball history or biography published in the preceding year, covers so much of Oscar’s life, from his childhood, through his stints in the military, and of course his career. Jeremy shares much of Oscar’s life on this episode of SFH. We discuss such topics as the early days of the Negro Leagues, who the movers and shakers were in the Negro Leagues, Oscar’s forays to the Cuban League, the Hotel League, and how he fared on the diamond when he did get the chance to face Major League pitching. And, by the way, no matter who Oscar faced, he took them deep. The stories of Oscar’s power are legendary, his ability to track down balls and leap over walls to haul them back in are still celebrated today and the stories of his uncanny ability to come up with clutch hits will make you wonder why such a fabulous ball player is so unknown. After listening to Jeremy on this episode of SFH will certainly help you discover one of the greatest ball players ever and help you to understand why, in 1976, Oscar Charleston was elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame and leave you scratching your head as to why it took so long. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

When you think of the greatest defensemen to ever play in the NHL, a few names come immediately to mind: Bobby Orr, Doug Harvey, Ray Borque and Denis Potvin. But one of the most overlooked names is Pierre Pilote and he deserves to be mentioned in any conversation when it comes to who was the greatest blueliner to ever play. Some of the reasons Pilote might be overlook, and even forgotten, are: his name only appears once on the Stanley Cup, he didn’t start playing in the NHL until he was 24, and he never scored at the pace of an Orr, Borque or Potvin. When Pilote played the game, defensemen were not known as big-time scorers. Yet, Pilote led the Blackhawks in scoring during their incredible run to the 1961 Stanley Cup Championship. Pierre was as tough as nails. He never won a Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship, but he won the Norris Trophy three times. The NHL started to track plus/minus during the 1959-60 season, and in the 10 years that followed, twice Pilote led the league. In 1963-64 he was a plus 31 and in 1966-67 he was a plus 54. Only twice did he end a season minus. The Blackhawks were not a very good team when Pierre joined them having qualified for the playoffs just twice for the post season in the 10-years prior to his arrival. In his final 10-season with Chicago, the Blackhawks made the post season every year, three times making it to the Stanley Cup Finals and they won it 1961. Despite starting the game at such an advanced age, his mid-teens, Pierre Pilote made up for lost time quickly and ultimately wound up in the Hall of Fame. Waxy Gregoire, a terrific writer who co-authored the book, “Heart of the Blackhawks,” with Pilote is on SFH for an in-depth discussion about the man who helped turn the Blackhawks fortunes around. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Darel Carrier is one of the greatest players to ever play in the ABA, the American Basketball Association and he joins me on this edition of Sports Forgotten Heroes. A prolific shooter from 3-point territory, Darel was named to the ABA’s All-Time team and is the leagues career leader in field goal percentage from downtown. In fact, for his career, Darel averaged exactly 20 points-per-game. Darel was a terrific high school basketball player who was offered scholarships by the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University. A home-body, as he explains on today’s show, Darel chose WKU over UK and became the Hilltoppers go-to guy almost immediately. His skill on the court caught the eye of the then St. Louis Hawks and Darel was drafted by the team in the 9th Round of the NBA Draft. However, rather than try the NBA, Darel received (as he said) a better offer from the Phillips 66’ers (then one of the greatest Industrial League teams) with the promise of a job. So, off to Oklahoma Darel went and goodbye to the NBA. After three years with Phillips, a new professional basketball league was launching and it was placing a team near Darel’s home in Kentucky. So, Darel opted to try his game on the professional level with the Kentucky Colonels of the ABA (American Basketball Association) and he, along with Louie Dampier, formed one of basketball’s greatest backcourt tandems. The two of them were deadly from downtown and helped build one of the ABA’s most dominant teams. But injuries (a herniated disk and later a torn Achilles) ended Darel’s career after just six seasons. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Darel talks about his career and the decisions he made that ultimately shaped his career. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Jerry Quarry was one of boxing’s most gifted fighters. But, he had two major flaws that were impossible to overcome: his size and his “thin” skin. First, his size. Most heavyweight boxers fought at weights that surpassed 200-pounds. Quarry was smaller and fought most of his fights between 175 and 185 pounds. As for the “thin” skin, that’s the best way I can describe how easily he cut. Those two flaws, certainly affected Quarry’s chances to win a heavyweight championship. As an amateur, he won the Gold Gloves. But as a professional, he fought for a heavyweight belt four times, but in each instance he lost. Quarry, who was 53-9-4 as a professional, could punch with anyone. Whether he hit you with his right or left, both were powerful. He was technically smart, and he offered brutal beatings of Ernie Shavers, Floyd Patterson and Ron Ellis – all top contenders. Quarry, who started to train in a boxing ring at the age of six, came from a family of boxers. He fought 200 times as an amateur, and basically lived his life in the ring. But, by the time he was 56, his body gave out and he succumbed to dementia pugilistica. A sad end to a wonderful life, and career. And that career saw him step into the ring against the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. In fact, his bout against Frazier on June 23, 1966 was named Fight of the Year. During Quarry’s days in the ring, there was a period of time where he was named as the most popular fighter in the world by “The Ring Magazine”, spent some time on TV as an actor appearing in such popular shows as Adam-12 and I Dream of Jeannie. But, Quarry’s mission was to win the heavyweight championship. Sadly, he never realized that goal. Perhaps, had there been a cruiserweight division when he fought, Quarry might have had a much different career. But, that weight division didn’t exist, and Quarry had to step into the ring against some of the sport’s most legendary boxers and the beating he took were brutal. George Thomas Clark, who appeared on Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for discussions about Teofilo Stevenson and Archie Moore, returns to SFH for an in-depth discussion about “The Bellflower Bomber” – Jerry Quarry. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The New York Rangers are one of the NHL’s six original teams, and throughout their history, the one position the Rangers have been known for is goalie. They have had some of the most successful goalies in the game suit up for them, most recently Henrik Lundqvist. In fact, several who have worn the Rangers sweater have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, we’re going to go back in time and talk about three goalies in particular: Dave Kerr, Chuck Rayner and Lorne “Gump” Worsley. Sure, many might have heard of Gump, after all, his name is on the Stanley Cup several times as the man between the pipes for the Montreal Canadiens. But Gump first came up with the Rangers and he really never got along with management and New York traded him to Montreal. While with the Rangers, however, Worsley was the main reason why the team was competitive. Nonetheless, the Rangers still traded him. Long before Worsley played for New York, Dave Kerr was the man between the pipes and he famously led New York to a Stanley Cup Championship in 1940. After his playing days were over, Chuck Rayner played goalie for the Rangers. Chuck, however, never finished the season with a plus .500 record. Yet, Rayner was so good, he was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Three great goalies, three goalies many Rangers and hockey fans might not know much about. George Grimm, a Rangers historian, recently released a book, “Guardians of the Goal,” a historical look back at the men who minded the nets for New York, returns to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a wonderful discussion about these three New York goalies: Dave Kerr, Chuck Rayner and Gump Worsley. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2020 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

On September 17, 1920 at a car dealership in Canton, Ohio, a meeting took place between a group of men who loved football. All of these men, a group that included Jim Thorpe and George Halas – amongst others, had a passion for the game and there they created the American Professional Football Association (two years later it would change names to the National Football League). Another of the 12 men in attendance was Leo Lyons. Amazingly, Leo’s name, as one of the founding members of the NFL, is not documented anywhere in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. That will be corrected in June 2020 when the HOF dedicates a new exhibit about the found of the league. Leo, from Rochester, N.Y. started to dream of professional football when he was just 16-years-old. He told family and friends about his dream and goal of creating professional football, but they all laughed at him. Nonetheless, Leo never gave up on his dream, bought his own team, the Rochester (N.Y.) Jeffersons and years later, after striking up a friendship with Thorpe, was invited to that meeting and helped found the league which is now celebrating its 100th Anniversary. The hurdles and hardships, the passion and determination, and the bitter conclusion to Leo’s dream is all being documented in a new book, “A Journey From The Sandlots To The National Football League,” written by Leo’s great-grandson, John Steffenhagen. Steffenhagen, who was fortunate to know his great-grandfather, really didn’t understand who Leo was until after Leo’s death in 1976, has spent years collecting information, researching, writing and interviewing people about his great-grandfather, and he joins SFH for an in-depth discussion about one of the co-founders of the NFL, a man whom time has forgotten, but whom professional football owes so much – Leo Lyons. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin were one of the most controversial in history. As World War II was about to explode, there was much debate as to whether or not the 1936 Olympic Games should even be held. In fact, there was a lot of talk as to whether or not the U.S. should attend or boycott. After much deliberation, the U.S. decided not to boycott and off to Berlin the U.S. contingent went including the first-ever U.S. Men’s Basketball Team. Basketball was making its debut as an official Olympic event, and the U.S., as one might expect, was favored to win gold. Not only did the U.S. win gold, but it dominated the tournament. But that was only part of the story. Sure, with Berlin and Nazi Germany serving as a backdrop, there was no doubt that controversy would abound. But there was so much more. From the way the team was selected, to determining who would suit up for each game, to the Gold Medal Game and the awarding of the Gold Medals, this Olympic story is filled with controversy. Capturing it all was author Andrew Maraniss who just recently published a new book, “Games of Deception: The True Story of the First U.S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler’s Germany.” On this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Andrew joins the podcast to discuss the story about this fascinating team. We’ll cover how the team was selected, who the players were, and the fact that the man who invented the game, Dr. James Naismith, was not only in attendance, he was there to award the medals. We’ll also talk about the fact that the U.S. strongly considered boycotting and how one man persuaded the U.S. not to boycott. And let’s not forget, not only was this version of the Olympic Games held in a most controversial place, the basketball tournament was played outdoors, and the Gold Medal game didn’t come close to resembling what a Gold Medal game looks like today. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Earl Morrall threw for over 20,000-yards during his 21-year NFL career. He was a part of three teams that won championships and was named NFL MVP in 1968 and he played a HUGE role in the Miami Dolphins perfect season of 1972. Not bad for a backup quarterback. In fact, Morrall played backup for guys like Fran Tarkenton, Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese. When Unitas went down in 1968, the Baltimore Colts didn’t lose a beat and Morrall led them to the NFL Championship. In 1972, after Bob Griese went down, Morrall picked up the slack and went 9-0 to help the Dolphins complete the NFL’s only perfect season. Joe Gibbs, who led the Washington Redskins to three Super Championships, once said the second most important position on a football team is backup quarterback and Morrall just might be considered the greatest backup ever. Morrall, who passed away in 2014, went 63-36-3 when he was called upon to step in and lead his team. The legendary Don Shula, who coached Morrall with the Baltimore Colts, knew the value of having a great backup, and when the Colts waived him, Shula who had moved on to the Miami Dolphins, quickly claimed Morrall despite the fact that Earl was 38-years old and had already played 16-years. Mark Sullivan, who grew up a fan of the Baltimore Colts and later became a member of the Professional Football Researcher’s Association, the PFRA, has conducted hour upon hour of research, and has written several articles on his favorite sport – football . Recently, Mark authored an article about Morrall for the Coffin Corner, the PFRA’s publication. In that article, Sullivan detailed the career of Morrall and now he joins Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for an in-depth discussion about Earl. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

When the World Football League launched its inaugural season in 1974, all of the leagues 12 teams had very high hopes. But one team in particular thought it was going to do much better than it did – the Detroit Wheels. But, in reality, this team never stood a chance. After all, how can team expect to succeed when it’s operated with a pay-as-you-go mentality? The Wheels had 33 owners and none of them stepped forward to become the face of the team and actually run the franchise. Sure, the Wheels had a team president, general manager and a head coach. But none of them had a budget to run the franchise. The team president and general manager couldn’t sign any players while they sat idly by watching other WFL teams sign players. The team couldn’t find a place to play in Detroit, so it had to turn to Ypsilanti and Eastern Michigan University for a home. Fans didn’t show up. In fact, much to the embarrassment of the team, they thought they were going to sell out games, so they brought in auxiliary stands and at one particular game just one person could be seen sitting in one of the auxiliary stands. Not good. The coach didn’t have any professional coaching experience and that led to some very poor in-game decisions. Worse, the Wheels won just one of their first 14 games, and then they ceased operations with six games still to play! Truly an after thought, the WFL rushed the team into the field, and it probably should have waited until the league’s second season before launching in Detroit. Doomed from the beginning, the Detroit Wheels were, perhaps, the most poorly run franchise in the history of sports. Mark Speck who has written several papers, articles and books about the WFL and its teams including, “Nothing But A Brand New Set of Flat Tires,” visits Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for an in-depth discussion about this ill-fated franchise. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

There are figures in sports who are larger than the game whom people know so little about. One of the biggest of those names is Chuck Taylor. In fact, almost everyone who has ever laced up a pair of sneakers has worn a pair of Chuck All Stars, Converse’s best-selling shoe. Interestingly, very few people can tell you anything about Chuck Taylor. Many think Chuck Taylor is a fictional character, a person Converse created. Well, not only did Converse not make up the name Chuck Taylor, he was very real. Chuck Taylor was an extraordinary salesman who created an incredible brand. Once the good folks at Converse saw what Taylor could do, they turned the keys over to him and said “go”. Taylor put on basketball clinics around the country that were “must-see” events. Sold out gymnasiums were par for the course. He created an annual yearbook in which he named the best players and best teams in the country. If your name appeared, that was HUGE! It wasn’t some sort of non-sensical promotional tool, it was the real deal. Chuck wrote instructional pieces in the yearbook as well that helped tens-of-thousands of basketball players improve their game. Chuck Taylor rubbed shoulders with greats like Knute Rockne and John Wooden. If you knew Chuck Taylor, if you hosted one of his basketball clinics, your team was virtually guaranteed pairs of Chuck Taylor All Stars. That was a BIG deal! They were the best basketball shoes of their time. Today, while technological advances have surpassed these canvas shoes, they have now become a fashionable statement. More than 100-million pairs of Chuck Taylor All Stars are still sold every year. How did this all come about? Abe Aamidor who worked as a reporter for the Indianapolis Star, the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and other newspapers as well, and who has written several books, took on the task of writing a biography on one of the biggest and, perhaps, least known figures in basketball history – Chuck Taylor. Abe’s book, “Chuck Taylor All Star, The True Story of the Man Behind the Most Famous Athletic Shoe in History,” published by Indiana University Press, is a wonderful account of how Taylor did it all. Abe joins us on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a terrific discussion about Chuck Taylor. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

For four years, 1946 through 1949, the NFL faced stiff competition from an upstart league, the All America Football Conference. The AAFC was the real deal. Rosters featured such stars as Otto Graham, Joe Perry, Frankie Albert and Y.A. Tittle. It’s champion team, the Cleveland Browns, could compete with any NFL team and its coach, Paul Brown, created a passing attack that NFL teams just couldn’t defend. The AAFC introduced professional football to areas of the country that had never seen such a brand of football before. Of course, as with anything new, there were growing pains, and combined with dwindling attendance and rising player salaries, the AAFC - along with the NFL – was in danger of going under. But, the AAFC refused to give in. So, the larger league, the NFL, agreed to take in two of the AAFC’s best teams in 1950 - the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49’ers; and a third team in 1951 – the Baltimore Colts. The AAFC gave football so much, including teams to areas such as Miami, L.A. and San Francisco. The AAFC gave us unlimited substitutions, and it also gave us football’s first unbeaten team, the Browns. But why was there a need for a second league, and who was behind it all? Gary Webster who wrote a terrific book, “The League That Didn’t Exist: The All America Football Conference, 1946-1949,” discusses all this and more on this special extended edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Blanton Collier was the last coach to lead the Cleveland Browns to an NFL Championship; and he did so in 1964. Amazingly, if you ask most Browns fans who the last coach was to lead the team to a Championship most will say Paul Brown. Of course, Brown, for whom the team is named, was at the helm for a combined seven AAFC and NFL Championships. But his last title with Cleveland came in 1955. Sure, he led the Browns to a championship appearance in 1956, but that was the end of Paul Brown’s championship run. He was let go after the 1962 season and in stepped Blanton Collier who had the tall task of replacing a legend and rebuilding a championship pedigree. It didn’t take long. After the Browns had gone 7-6-1 in Paul Brown’s last year, Collier immediately restored Cleveland’s winning ways by leading the team to a 2nd Place finish in the Eastern Conference with a 10-4 mark. In 1964, Collier and the Browns went 10-3-1 and shutdown the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in the championship game 27-0. In all, Collier served as the head coach of the Browns for eight years, his worst season was his last when Cleveland went 7-7. But from 1964 through 1969, Cleveland was a threat to win the NFL Championship every year as Blanton Collier had the team rolling on all cylinders despite dealing with a major disability, management’s interference that led to the retirement of Jim Brown, and the fact that he was continually compared to his legendary predecessor. Despite Collier’s success, so few Cleveland fans recall the championship years of Blanton Collier and most would have trouble naming the coach of the last Browns team to win a championship. Roger Gordon who has written several books on the Browns, Indians and Cavaliers, including the recently released, “Blanton’s Browns” returns to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for an in-depth discussion on a coach whom all players loved. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

On November 28, 1929, Ernie Nevers scored six touchdowns for the Chicago Cardinals and kicked four extra points. That’s 40-points in one NFL game by one player, and that’s still the record. And Nevers did NOT do this against a pushover franchise. He scored all of the Cardinals points in a 40-6 win over the Chicago Bears. That’s only part of the story. Ernie Nevers was a phenomenal athlete. Not only was he a cornerstone of two NFL franchises, the Duluth Eskimos and the Chicago Cardinals, but he also pitched for the St. Louis Browns in 1926, 1927 and a part of 1928. Nevers was also a terrific talent in track and actually signed a contract to play professional basketball. But, football is where he really excelled. In fact, the 40-points he scored on that Thanksgiving Day was the middle game on an incredible stretch in which he scored all of the Cardinals points in a 19-0 win over the Dayton Triangles just four days earlier, and three days after he scored the 40-points he put up all of the Cardinals 13-points in a narrow loss versus the New York Giants. So, in the span of just seven days, Ernie Nevers scored 72 points – a record that will likely stand forever. On the diamond, Nevers was a pitcher. He never firmly established himself at the Major League level and went just 6-12 in his brief career. He’s probably best remembered for giving up two of Babe Ruth’s 60 homeruns in the Babe’s record-setting year of 1927. But football is where Nevers really made a name for himself. Nevers, who spent just two seasons with Duluth and three with the Cardinals, played in a total of 54 games. But what he did in those 54 games was so remarkable, that in 1963, Nevers was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in its inaugural class along with such greats as Red Grange, George Halas and Jim Thorpe among others. Lee Elder, a member of the Professional Football Researcher’s Association, returns to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a wonderful discussion on one of football’s all-time greats. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Joe Bauman was the first player in professional baseball history to hit more than 70 homeruns in a season. Bob Crues nearly hit 70 homeruns in a single season but came up just short with 69. Joe Brovia had nothing left to prove in the minor leagues and finally realized his dream of playing Major League Baseball when the Cincinnati reds called him up in 1955 at the age of 33. All three were stars for the minor league teams they played for, and only Brovia ever experienced the thrill of playing in the Show. Hard to imagine a guy could hit 72 homeruns in a year and never play in the Majors, but that’s the story of Bauman who got as close as Hartford and Milwaukee in the Boston Braves organization, but never adjusted to weather outside of his favorite places to play: Amarillo, Artesia and Roswell. As for Crues, his 1948 season in which he hit 69 homeruns went barely noticed and he never advanced beyond low levels of play even though he also hit .404 in 1948. Baseball has always been a tough and in certain instances a cut throat game, and not only did you have to be good, but you had to lucky to make it bask in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Crues never got an opportunity. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes we visit with Gaylon H. White who wrote the book, “Left On Base in the Bush Leagues,” a terrific celebration of the careers of several minor league ballplayers including Brovia, Bauman and Crues. Additionally, we’ll talk about Ron Necciai, the only man in the history of professional baseball to strike out 27 batters in a 9-inning game. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Baseball outlawed the spitball in 1920. However, each team was allowed to designate two pitchers (if they already threw the spitter) to throw it until they retired. Burleigh Grimes of the Brooklyn (Dodgers) Robins was one of those pitchers. His spitball was quite unique in that he “coated” the ball with a special sap from a type of tree in Polk County, Wisconsin. Grimes continued to use his spitter, whenever he felt necessary throughout his career which ended after the 1934 season. Overall, Grimes won 270 games and was enshrined in baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York by the Veteran’s Committee in 1964. A fierce competitor, Grimes never backed down from anyone and even let his teammates know it when he was unhappy with them. This trait - “fierceness” - might also be why so many baseball fans know the name Burleigh Grimes, but so few can tell you much about his career. It was Burleigh’s intense desire to win that actually proved to be a detriment to his career as he was shipped from team to team to team. In fact, Grimes changed addresses nine times during his 19-year career that saw him play for the Pirates (three times) the Dodgers (who were also known as the Robins, and we talk about that in this episode of SFH), the Giants, the Braves, the Cardinals (twice), the Cubs and the Yankees. In fact, after going 1908 in his lone season for John McGraw and the New York Giants, Grimes was traded because he just couldn’t get along with a few of his teammates. Well, maybe “getting along” is too strong, but he let it be known if he wasn’t happy with their play behind him when he was on the mound. And that’s too bad, because Grimes could pitch. He won 270 games during his career and helped four of his teams reach the World Series, coming out on the winning side once, 1931, when he went 2-0 for the Cardinals in the Redbird’s win over the Philadelphia Athletics. Author Joe Niese wrote a terrific biography on Grimes, “Burleigh Grimes, Baseball’s Last Legal Spitballer,” and is here to discuss the terrific career of Grimes and also talks about the unique spitball that Grimes threw. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Ray Billows was one of golf’s greatest players of his generation. But, instead of trying to make a living as a professional, Billows decided to remain an amateur and compete as such. Of course, this was at a time when amateur golf was considered a bigger game than professional golf and when the U.S. Amateur was much larger in stature than it is today. In fact, over the years some of the game’s most legendary names have won the U.S. Amateur, guys like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Guys on the losing side of the final match are also quite historic: Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and John Cook. Making it to the finals of the U.S. Amateur is an accomplishment in itself. After days of surviving 36-hole stroke-play rounds and 36-holes of match play rounds, the last two men standing tee it up for a final day of 36-holes of match play. Ray Billows, who won 74% of all the U.S. Amateur match-play events he played, made it to the finals three times. Unfortunately, however, Billows never came out on top and is the only man in history to lose the U.S. Amateur three times. How good was Billows? Byron Nelson said Ray Billows was best the long-iron player in the world. Bobby Jones said Ray executed certain shots better than anyone in the world. He played on two Walker Cup teams. Billows, who played in the Masters a few times, recorded a hole-in-one on No. 16. In fact, Billows was so well thought of, and so respected, that the USGA Museum in Far Hills, NJ created an exhibition honoring Billows. But never winning the U.S. Amateur was the biggest disappointment in Ray’s career. Tom Buggy, who played golf with Ray in the early 1970s, wrote a book about Ray, “Ray Billows, The Cinderella Kid,” and joins Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a wonderful conversation about a golfer who dominated the amateur ranks everywhere he went, but could never win the game’s biggest event. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Ken Williams was one of baseball’s most feared sluggers of the 1920s. A star for the St. Louis Browns, Williams was a career .319 hitter who hit 196 home runs for his career while toiling in relative obscurity for a team that usually finished near the bottom of the standings. Williams, who never revealed his real age, was reportedly five-years older than what he claimed; and his career was shortened by the fact that he didn’t make for good until he was 30-years old. But, once he did make it, he made a big statement. In fact, after slugging 24 home runs and knocking in 117 to go along with a .347 average in 1921 – his first full season with the Browns, Williams backed that up with his best season. In 1922, Williams stopped Babe Ruth’s run on leading the American League in home runs, which he had done for four consecutive years. Williams led the A.L. with 39 round-trippers, lead the league with 155 RBI and hit .332. While Williams never topped Ruth again in the home run race, he still terrorized pitchers, and he was one of the streakiest hitters the game has ever known. Dave Heller, who wrote the book, “Ken Williams, A Slugger in Ruth’s Shadow,” joins the podcast for a wonderful conversation about one of the game’s most overlooked and forgotten stars. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

When you are competing for notoriety against the likes of Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg, you have to be really good … great … to grab headlines. You need to hit a ton of homeruns. You need to rack up the RBI’s and you better have a terrific batting average to go along with all of that. Well, that’s exactly what Hal Trosky of the Cleveland Indians did. In fact, in his first four full years for the Indians, he averaged 33+ homeruns a season, over 136 RBI a year and his batting average over his first four years was .310. The guy could flat-out rake! In 1936, his best year, he hit .343 with 42 homeruns, 162 RBI and 405 total bases! His OPS was 1.026. In his first two full seasons, he played every inning of every game. Yet, he was a virtual unknown. Playing for a team that never contended, Trosky was relegated to playing in obscurity. At a time when baseball staged two all-star games a year, Trosky was never invited – a terrible injustice. How could a guy who hit the way he did, a guy who other teams had to plan for, a guy averaged 27 homeruns and 122 RBI a year for his career to go along with a yearly average of .302 be so overlooked? Hal Trosky is the true definition of what this podcast is all about – a forgotten hero. Perhaps, even more amazing is this, very few fans of the Cleveland Indians know his name. Well, on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, we recall the career of Hal Trosky and remind fans of the Indians just how great he was; and here to help us do that is William H. (Bill) Johnson who wrote the terrific book, “Hal Trosky: A Baseball Biography.” Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

So many baseball players have had their careers cut short by injury. Some of those careers might be considered marginal, and others might be considered a tragedy based on the fact that the career was on an upward trajectory and headed for greatness. Ray Collins, who pitched for the Boston Red Sox from 1909 and into the 1915 season had one of those careers. His last full season, 1914, at the age of 27, Collins went 20-13 – this followed a campaign in which he went 19-8. But, 1915, Collins developed shoulder issues, went 4-7 and never pitched in the Majors again. And that’s a shame because Collins was a stalwart on the Boston pitching staff. He was a key ingredient in Boston’s 1912 World Series win over the New York Giants, and was able to hold his own against opposing pitchers the likes of Cy Young and opposing hitters the likes of Ty Cobb. Collins, who hails from Vermont, is also regarded as one of the best ever to suit-up for the University of Vermont. In fact, Collins was enshrined into the University’s Hall of Fame. While pitching for Vermont, Collins also pitched in Class D minor league baseball, something you could do back in the early 1900s, and he was a dominant force. Several major league teams took notice of Collins and wanted to sign him. But, it basically came down to two: the  New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Collins decided on the latter, mostly because they played closest to his home state of Vermont. Tom Simon, somewhat of an expert when it comes to baseball players who grew up in Vermont, and a member of SABR, joins the podcast for a wonderful discussion on a career that was cut short by injury, the career of Ray Collins. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter © 2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Three golf champions. Three remarkable championships. Three very unique stories about three guys who had never won before: Mungo Park, 1874 Open Championship; David Brown, 1886 Open Championship; Jack Fleck, 1955 U.S. Open. Each have very unique stories and joining Sports’ Forgotten Heroes to help tell their stories is Connor Lewis from the TalkinGolf History podcast. Connor is one of the foremost golf historians around, created the Society of Golf Historians and is absolutely enthralled with the game and its history. His knowledge is second-to-none and the stories he recalls and relates are absolutely terrific. Mungo Park won the 1874 Open Championship after spending 20-years at sea. David Brown won the 1886 Championship after he had given up the game to become a roofer. More remarkable is the fact that he was actually working on a roof when he was convinced to come down, tee it up, and then went on to capture the Claret Jug. Jack Fleck, who was in Normandy on D-Day, ultimately became a professional golfer, qualified for the 1955 U.S. Open, found himself 9-strokes back after the first round, climbed into contention, tied Ben Hogan on the 72nd hole and beat Hogan in an 18-hole playoff to win! In the episode of SFH, we take a look back at all three championships and talk about the careers of all three golfers. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Hank O’Day is one of the most unique and important figures in the history of Major League Baseball. He broke into the game as a pitcher in the American Association for Toledo in 1884. He finished his career seven years later with the New York Giants. During his career, on occasion, O’Day stepped out onto the field as an umpire and when his playing days concluded, he turned to umpiring permanently. Well, sort of. In 1912, O’Day stepped back into the dugout as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds and went 75-78. He was let go after that one season. In 1914, the Chicago Cubs hired O’Day to be their manager and he went 78-76 and was again let go after just one season. So, O’Day put his mask back on and went back out on the field as a manager and ultimately spent the better part of three decades calling games. Major League Baseball officials consulted O’Day throughout his career and after his days on the field were over to discuss the rules of the game, what new rules should be instituted, which rules should be tweaked and which rules should be abolished. Sometimes they agreed with Hank and on other occasions they didn’t, which of course, disturbed O’Day greatly. O’Day was also on the field to make one of the most famous calls in baseball history, the call that led to the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs tying 1-1 in the heat of the 1908 pennant race … the famous “Merkle Boner” game. O’Day dedicated his life to the game he loved so much probably to the detriment of enjoying a normal personal life. He was basically a hermit. Dennis Bingham, who umpires games in the Chicago-area, and is a member of SABR, is one of the most foremost authorities on the career of Hank O’Day and he joins Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for an in-depth conversation on one of the most interesting and unique figures in baseball history. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Roy Sievers was one of the most clutch hitters in baseball history. In fact, Sievers, who won the 1949 American League Rookie of the Year with the St. Louis Browns, hit nearly a quarter of his 318 career homeruns in the eighth inning or later. But, becoming a clutch hitter almost didn’t happen. After winning the ROY in 1949, Sievers fell into a slump and that was followed by a devastating right-shoulder injury that almost cost him his career. In fact, during the four-year stretch of 1950 through 1953, Sievers played in just 247 games and hit just 19 homeruns. But, Browns owner Bill Veeck worked hard with Sievers to help him overcome the injury, and Sievers did just that. After Veeck sold the Browns, the team moved to Baltimore and Sievers was traded to the Washington Senators. Great news for Washington, not so good for the new Baltimore Orioles. Sievers, not only recovered, he became one of the most feared sluggers in baseball. Over the course of the next 10-years, Sievers connected for 275 homeruns including an American League leading and career best 42 in 1957 to go along with 114 RBI. Sievers was named to five all-star teams and three times finished in the top-5 for MVP voting. Greg Wolf, the co-Director of the BioProject for SABR, and a frequent guest on Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, returns to the podcast for a wonderful discussion on Sievers, the Browns, Bill Veeck and more. Wolf, by the way, just finished working on a new book, “Wrigley Field, The Friendly Confines at Clark and Addison” and you can pick up a copy by visiting SABR.org or Amazon.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

In 1969, Major League Baseball expanded to four cities: San Diego, Montreal, Kansas City and Seattle. Montreal moved to Washington and became the Nationals and Seattle moved as well. Yes, there was a team in Seattle before the Mariners – the Seattle Pilots. The Pilots played in Seattle for just one season – 1969 – and at the end of spring training, 1970, they were officially sold and relocated to Milwaukee. But that one year in Seattle was a most interesting time. The Pilots were/are a study in what not to do when trying to establish a new team in a new city. Ownership of the team was not committed, the Stadium was ancient and not meant to host Major League Baseball, many of Seattle’s politicians and residents did not want a team and, getting back to the stadium, finding a location was utter chaos. The team itself was a typical expansion team going 64-98 in its first season. But they had a few players who people thought they could build around: Tommy Harper, Tommy Davis, Lou Pinella and Mike Hegan. But, before the season started, Pinella was traded to Kansas City where he went on to win Rookie of the Year. That trade of Pinella for John Geinar and Steve Whitaker proved to be one of the most lopsided trades in franchise history, and it was orchestrated by Seattle’s GM Marvin Milkes, who also thought the team was much better that it was and talked about the Pilots finishing as high as third. That was a problem too as he did everything he could to help the team play better ball. Well, that backfired as the Pilots had a revolving door of players and according to Bill Mullins, author of the book, “Becoming Big League, Seattle, the Pilots, and Stadium Politics,” and who is our guest on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Seattleites regarded the Pilots as nothing more than a glorified minor league team because of the constant player movement, just like a minor league team. Join Bill Mullins now on Sports’ Forgotten Heroes as we take a look back at the fascinating story of the Seattle Pilots. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Dolf Luque won 194 games over the course of his 20-year Major League career. In 1923, he put together one of the greatest seasons ever for the Cincinnati Reds going 27-8. Luque, however, never again won 20-games in a season, but remained extraordinarily consistent. In fact, in 1925 he went 16-18 and finished in the top-15 (13th) in MVP voting and in 1933, at the age of 42, he went 8-2 for the New York Giants and finished 25th in MVP voting. In that year’s World Series, pitching in relief, Luque became the first pitcher from a Latin American country to win a World Series game. But like so many, the career of Luque is long forgotten, despite the fact that he is the 5th winningest pitcher in the rich history of the Cincinnati Reds. Even more surprising is the fact that he isn’t even mentioned is one of the most treasured pictorial histories of the Reds. How is this possible? Baseball historian Peter Gordon, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) who has also written and researched about a variety of topics on the game, returns to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a conversation about Luque. One of the first from Cuba to play Major League Baseball, Luque also salvaged several careers including that of Sal “The Barber” Maglie. Luque, working as a coach in the rival Mexican League when Maglie was trying to work his way back to the Majors, taught Maglie how to pitch inside and that turned Maglie’s career around. Luque, who was inducted into Mexico’s Baseball Hall of Fame, is also a member of the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame for his career as a player and the fact that he’s the second winningest manager in Cuban baseball history … and he’s also a member of the Reds Hall of Fame. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Jimmy Demaret won 31 times on the PGA TOUR … was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame … and was the first golfer to win the Masters three times. Yet, when the discussion of the game’s greats rolls around, Demaret’s accomplishments are severely overlooked. He is rarely, if ever, mentioned in the same breath as Hogan, Nelson and Snead. Never is he spoken about when the names Nicklaus, Palmer, Player and Watson are discussed. And when today’s commentators are discussing the names of Woods or Mickelson … or even Faldo or Norman … they hardly ever mention Jimmy Demaret for a comparison. And that’s a shame, because Jimmy Demaret’s 31 wins – as of this publishing – rank 16th all-time. His swing was regarded as one of the game’s best ever, silky-smooth. His wardrobe was incredible, perhaps only matched by the flair Greg Norman had. His friendship with Ben Hogan was unlike that of any other Hogan enjoyed and his place in the history of golf is certainly cemented as one of its all-time greats. Yet, for whatever reason, he is overlooked. John Companiotte wrote a terrific book about Demaret, “Jimmy Demaret, The Swing’s the Thing,” and joins Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a wonderful look back at a career long forgotten. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The NHL expanded to two cities for the 1974-75 season: Kansas City and Washington. Washington, of course, has turned into one of the National Hockey League’s marquee teams having won the 2017-18 Stanley Cup Championship. Kansas City, however, is one of the least-known teams in the history of sports. The Scouts, a team that lasted just two years, were moved to Colorado and played six years as the Rockies before moving again to New Jersey where, as the Devils, they have won three Stanley Cup Championships. But long before they were the Devils, the Scouts played in Kansas City – and they played to an empty house almost every night they took the ice at the Kemper Arena. The Scouts, as managing general partner Ed Thompson noted, were virtually doomed from the beginning. The NHL expansion draft was not set up like it is today, where a new team like the Vegas Golden Knights could be competitive right from the start, the Scouts had to play their first eight games on the road because their building wasn’t ready, ownership did not have deep pockets and tragedy struck very early. There was some good, like two victories against the Boston Bruins, a win over the Montreal Canadiens, but the good was too few and too far between as Kansas City won just 15 games in its first year and 12 in its final year. The Scouts endured winless streaks of 16 games and 27 games … and there were too few stars, but the ones they did have were pretty good: Simon Nolet, Guy Charron (via trade), Wilf Paiemont, Dennis Herron (via trade), Gary Croteau … but there just wasn’t enough depth to help them sustain any sort of consistent attack. Troy Treasure who recently released the book, “Icing on the Plains – The Rough Ride of Kansas City’s NHL Scouts,” joins the podcast to discuss the Scouts and brings along some terrific and unreal stories about their two-year existence. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes    

Ron McDole had the great fortune of playing for two of football’s greatest defensive minds: Lou Saban and George Allen. McDole, who graduated from Nebraska before the Cornhuskers became such an elite program, played 18 years of professional football. He started off with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1961 and then moved on to the Houston Oilers in 1962. However, he suffered from migraine seizures while playing with Houston. The Oilers, fearing the worst, put McDole on the shelf and later cut him. After a failed tryout with the Minnesota Vikings, McDole wound up with Lou Saban and the Buffalo Bills in 1963 and became All-AFL. After eight seasons with the Bills, however, and after a falling out with their coach at the time, John Rauch, McDole was traded to the Washington Redskins and wound up playing for George Allen and the Skins for another eight seasons. McDole still holds the record for most interceptions by a defensive end, with 12, recovered 14 fumbles, scored two touchdowns and recorded three safeties. McDole is very proud of his career and is considered, by many, to have been a Hall of Fame-caliber player. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, the man known as the “Dancing Bear” and who just recently released his book, “The Dancing Bear, My 18 Years in the Trenches of the AFL and NFL,” Ron McDole is here to talk about his terrific career. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

The Kentucky Colonels were one of the original franchises of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and one of just three teams to play all nine years of the ABA’s existence. However, when the ABA folded, the Colonels were not one of the teams to merge with the NBA. Owner John Y. Brown did not want to pay the NBA’s entry fee and instead took a payment from the NBA to disband the team; and only the New York (now Brooklyn) Nets, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs survived and still exist today. What a shame, because the Colonels were one the ABA’s best. They won the ABA Championship in 1975, set the ABA record for most wins in a season (1971-72) with 68, and featured such Hall of Fame talent as Dan Issel, Artis Gillmore and Louie Dampier … and they were the first team that Hubie Brown ever coached. The Colonels, however, also had a revolving door of coaches and owners throughout their short existence, and that did affect their performance on the court, a performance of which should have led to several more championships. Nonetheless, the fans loved the team. And even though, according to Gary P. West author of the book, “Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association, The Real Story of a Team Left Behind,” that the ABA was created to eventually merge with the NBA, the league still had great success … and a large part of their success was due in part to the terrific teams that played in Kentucky and Gary is our guest for this look back at the Kentucky Colonels on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

One of the NBA’s original teams was the Rochester Royals. In fact, the Royals won an NBA Championship in 1951. But, Rochester was not an ideal location as the NBA was trying to grow and establish itself in larger cities. So, after the 1956-57 season, the Royals packed up and left for Cincinnati. Cincinnati welcomes the Royals with open arms – at least at first. Tragedy struck the team early on as young and upcoming star Maurice Stokes suffered a devastating head injury and that certainly affected the Royals performance on the floor. And while the tragedy of Stokes is a huge part of the Royals legacy in Cincinnati, they did enjoy some success on the court, particularly in the mid-1960s when they were led by one of the NBA’s all-time greats: Oscar Robertson. However, not even the “BIG O” could get the Royals over the hump and into the NBA Finals. The Royals made the Conference Finals in back-to-back season, 1963 and 1964, but like every other team in the NBA, they couldn’t get past the Boston Celtics. The Royals last appearance in the playoffs was 1967, and by the time 1972 rolled around, it was basically a forgone conclusion that NBA basketball, at least in the form of the Royals, would not make it in Cincinnati and the team relocated to Kansas City (splitting time, at first, in Omaha) and is now known as the Sacramento Kings. Of course, there’s a lot more to the Royals history in Cincinnati and joining Sports’ Forgotten Heroes to talk more about the short history of the Cincinnati Royals is Gerry Schultz the author of, “Cincinnati’s Basketball Royalty: A Brief History: A LOOK BACK at 15 years of Cincinnati Royals NBA Basketball”. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

2019 an honor long overdue was finally righted, the retirement of the No. 4 by the Detroit Red Wings, the sweater worn by Red Kelly, one the greatest to ever lace-up a pair of skates. Kelly, who joins me on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, along with Waxy Gregoire, co-author of “The Red Kelly Story,” played over 12 years for the Red Wings and helped lead them out of doldrums into becoming one of the best teams in the NHL. The Red Wings were perennial losers until Red joined the team. While there, Detroit won four Stanley Cups. But a bitter battle between Jack Adams and Red resulted in Red being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. What kind of effect did he have on both teams? After his trade to Toronto, it took the Red Wings another 42 years to win the Cup. Red’s last year with Toronto was 1967, which also marks the last time Toronto won the Cup. In all, Red Kelly played on eight teams that won the Stanley Cup Championship, the most by any player to have never played for the Montreal Canadiens. More amazingly was the fact that, while with Toronto, Red also served his country as a member of the House of Commons. Later, after he retired, Red coached the expansion Los Angeles Kings and followed that by coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins before ending his career as coach of the Maple Leafs. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, we’re going to take a look back at the marvelous and Hall of Fame career of Patrick “Red” Kelly. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The NBA has played witness to several teams packing up an moving to new cities. The Lakers went from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, the Warriors moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco to Oakland where they play right now (they’re moving back to San Francisco), The Jazz moved from New Orleans to Utah … there have been many, but the one team few know the history of is the Atlanta Hawks. In fact, the Hawks moved to Atlanta from St. Louis, and when they played as the St. Louis Hawks, they were one of the NBA’s best. Actually, not only were they one of the best, they won the NBA Championship in 1958 and appeared in the NBA Finals four times in five years (1957, 58, 60 and 61); and had the ball bounced their way, the Hawks might have won another championship – or two? But winning and playing in St. Louis is only a part of the amazing story of this franchise. Had it not been for the Hawks, the great Boston Celtics teams of the 1950s and 1960s might have never happened. Bill Russell might have never stepped foot on the parquet floor of the old Boston Garden and the Celtics might have ceased to exist! Greg Maracek, founder of the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame and author of the book, “Full Court: The Untold Stories of the St. Louis Hawks,” joins the podcast for a terrific conversation about the former champions. Greg, who also was the paly-by-play voice for several St. Louis-area teams including the St. Louis Blues of the NHL and the St. Louis University Billikens basketball team is this week’s special guest as we take a look back at one of the NBA’s most powerful teams of the late 1950s and early 1960s, while also exploring the reasons why the Hawks left St. Louis for Atlanta. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes Twitter ©2019 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

While Jackie Robinson is known to so many for being the first man to cross the color barrier in Major League Baseball, few, very few, know who the first African-American was to be drafted by an NFL Team. George Taliaferro, a record-breaking running back who played ball at Indiana University, was drafted in the 13th round of the 1949 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, thus becoming the first African-American drafted to play in the NFL. But, he never suited up for the Bears. Instead, Taliaferro opted to play with the Los Angeles Dons of the AAFC. Dawn Knight, a school teacher in Indiana, was a student of George’s at Indiana University long after he retired from the game. Knight formed a life-long friendship with Taliaferro and early-on learned of his phenomenal exploits on the field for the Hoosiers. Having always wanted to write a book, Knight couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tell George’s life story … and what a story it is. So, she wrote a biography about George called, “Taliaferro: Breaking Barriers From the NFL Draft to the Ivory Tower,” and Dawn is featured on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, for a terrific look back on a man and a career that so few know, but should. From his time on the field at Indiana, to his being drafted into the Army under very unique circumstances, to his NFL career and his life after football, we talk about it all; including the fact that he started and played significant time at seven different positions in the NFL. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, was not only a man who devoted his life to serving his country; but before he dedicated his life to such service, he studied at Yale University and while there, played firstbase for the Eli’s. While he wasn’t necessarily the greatest of hitters, in fact, he was what you would call a “light-hitting first baseman”, he did put the ball in play. His main contribution, however, was with his glove. In fact, his career fielding percentage is nearly 20-points higher than the first basemen he played against. Bush’s career at Yale spanned three seasons, 1946, 47 and 48, and the Yale teams of 47 and 48 played in the first two editions of the College World Series. Joining Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for this look at the college baseball career of Bush 41 is Herman Krabbenhoft, the author of a terrific and extremely in-depth biography of the President. Krabbenhoft, who self-published a quarterly baseball research journal for 10 years, has written many articles for SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) of which he joined in 1981. In fact, Krabbenhoft’s research is so detailed, Baseball Weekly had to correct its own research to match that of Krabbenhoft’s after Baseball Weekly discovered that Krabbenhoft’s research was much more thorough and accurate. Listen to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes to hear just how in-depth Krabbenhoft’s research is, and for a terrific retrospective on the baseball career of President George H.W. Bush. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Every April the National Hockey League enters its second season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It is one of the most exciting times in sports. But unlike Major League Baseball, the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, hockey’s playoff season is actually named after a person, Frederick Arthur Stanley. But why? Who was the man who later became known as “Lord Stanley”? Why is the trophy awarded to the champion team in the NHL named the “Stanley Cup”?  Author Kevin Shea, who, to date, has written 17 books about hockey including, “Lord Stanley, The Man Behind the Cup,” (he co-authored this book with John Jason Wilson) returns to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for an in-depth conversation about Lord Stanley and Stanley’s introduction to the game; and how he was convinced to donate a sterling silver cup to the amateur hockey champions of Canada. Hint: Stanley’s daughter, the Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, played a big role. Lord Stanley, who had never played hockey and saw only a few games, was in Canada working as its Governor General at the request of Queen Victoria. Stanley’s children took a liking to the sport and from there the Stanley Cup came about. Not only will we talk about the origin of the Stanley Cup, but we’ll dive in deep to so much more including who Frederick Arthur Stanley was and the history of hockey’s championship trophy. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Gus Dorais is one of college football’s all-time greatest players and coaches. He was the first player in the history of Notre Dame to be named an All-American and was actually given the opportunity to coach the Fighting Irish. However, his best friend and college roommate needed the job and Dorais had another offer. So, Dorais took the other job – head coach at Dubuque – and his best friend, Knute Rockne, took the job at Notre Dame and the rest, as they say, is history. Rockne went on to become one of the game’s greatest coaches having built Notre Dame into one of the game’s most legendary programs. Meanwhile, Dorais, working at schools of less notoriety worked a lot of magic as well. However, Dubuque, Gonzaga, and the University of Detroit were just not on the same level as Notre Dame. One can only wonder what would have happened had Dorais decided to stay in South Bend. What would have happened to Rockne? Would Notre Dame have become the power it did? One thing’s for sure, Dorais was a terrific quarterback, kicker, runner and played a stellar defense. Dorais also played professionally in the Ohio League for the Massillon Tigers. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes author Joe Niese and Gus’s grandson, Bob Dorais, who worked together to write the book, “Gus Dorais, Grid Iron Innovator, All-American and Hall of Fame Coach,” are here to talk about Gus, his friendship with Rockne, and his career on the field and on the sidelines. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Archie Moore is the only boxer in history to face Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson AND Muhammed Ali. An absolutely terrific boxer, Moore captured the light heavyweight championship by unanimous decision at the age of 39 over Joey Maxim. Moore held the title for 10-years before he was stripped of the belt for failure to fight as a light heavyweight towards the of his 10-year reign because he wanted to win the heavyweight championship. Unfortunately, that dream never became a reality. But, what Moore did over the course of his career is absolutely incredible. His career lasted 28 years! He won 199 times and that included a record 149 knockouts. Later in life, Archie found himself on the big screen as Jim in Huckleberry Finn and the on TV in such iconic shows as Adam-12, Emergency and the Batman TV series. He certainly led a full life, but because he never won the heavyweight belt, his notoriety does not match that of the champions we know best: Joe Louis, Marciano, Patterson, Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield. But his ability in the ring was every bit as good, and the fact that he was a light heavyweight champion for as long as he was should never be overlooked. George Thomas Clark, author of “Death in the Ring” and who previously appeared on SFH (episode 6: Teofilo Stevenson) joins us once again, this time for a look back at the career of the Mongoose; Archie Moore. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Joe “The Jet” Perry was once the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, and until 2011 was the all-time leading rusher in the history of the San Francisco 49’ers. But never winning a championship and playing the shadow of the great Jim Brown has certainly affected the legacy of Joe Perry. Perry said no to a larger offer to play for the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL in 1948 and instead signed for nearly less than half what the Rams were officering to play in the All America Football Conference (AAFC) and the Niners. In his second year with the team, he led the AAFC in rushing. The AAFC folded after the 1949 season and San Francisco joined the NFL. The crossover to the NFL didn’t slow Perry down and he became the first running back in NFL history to gain 1,000-yards or more in back-to-back seasons when he rushed for 1,018 yards in 1953 and 1,049 yards in 1954. Perry had to share the backfield with other such stars as Hugh McElhenny and John Henry Johnson – and that certainly played an effect on Perry’s career totals. Still, when all was said and done, Perry rushed for 9,732 yards (AAFC and NFL combined) to go along with 71 touchdowns on the ground and he also caught 12 touchdown passes. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1969 and his No. 34 was retired by San Francisco. Yet, when the conversation turns to the greatest running backs of all time, Joe Perry’s name is rarely mentioned and that’s a shame, because he was as touch, fast, and gifted as any running back who has ever played. Lee Elder, a terrific football historian and member of the Professional Football Researcher’s Association, returns to Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for an in-depth conversation about the great – and forgotten – Joe Perry. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

A star at Cal-Berkley, Joe Kapp led the Bears to a Rose Bowl victory and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 18th round of the 1959 NFL Draft. However, Washington and Kapp squabbled over terms, and Kapp decided to take his game north to the Canadian Football League and the Calgary Stampeders. After spending two years with Calgary, Kapp was traded to the British Columbia Lions (in 1961) and led them to a Grey Cup Championship in 1964. But winning in Canada wasn’t enough for Kapp. A native of New Mexico, he wanted to play in the U.S. and after the 1966 season made his intentions known. Somehow, some way, Jim Finks, the General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings engineered an incredible trade, and tricky transaction that involved trading players, waiving players and four teams: the Vikings, the expansion New Orleans Saints, the CFL’s BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts. But the move paid off for the Vikings and in just three years, Kapp led Minnesota to an NFL Championship. But … his career in Minnesota was short-lived. He only played for the Vikings for three years, and just one year for the Patriots before his career was over. But what a career it was.  Edward Gruver who has written several articles for the Professional Football Researcher’s Association, and who has a new book coming out about the great rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders called, “Hell With the Lid Off: Inside the Steelers-Raiders Rivalry That Changed Pro Football,” joins the podcast for a look back at the fabulous career of Joe Kapp. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Duke Slater is not a common name amongst football fans, but it should be. While he played in the NFL prior to what we know it as now, Slater was still one of the greatest to ever play the game, particularly as a lineman. In fact, when the great Red Grange was asked to name the greatest players of all time (up until that point), Grange did not name himself as one of the greats. In fact, he named 13 players, 12 of whom wound up in the Hall of Fame. The only one who didn’t was Duke Slater. Somewhat a victim of circumstance, all of the voters said Slater should be in, but they always voted for other players and ultimately Slater fell by the wayside. Perhaps, one day he will be enshrined. And why not, it would take some teams as many as 3 or 4 players to block Slater. He started 96 of a possible 99 games. He played every second of 90 of those games. Every second! That’s offense, defense and special teams. In a college game against Notre Dame, a photo of Slater, who played for Iowa, was taken that showed him holding off four would-be tacklers with arm, and waving his running back through the hole with the other. Slater was the last African-American to play in the NFL before it’s “unofficial” ban of African-American’s went into effect. Actually, it was already in effect as Slater was winding down his career with the Chicago (now Arizona) Cardinals. But no one wanted to ban him, because he was so good. After his playing days were over, Slater coached several teams that were filled with minority players, but ultimately put his college education to work as a Judge in Chicago. On this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Neal Rozendaal who authored the book – Duke Slater: Pioneering Black NFL Player and Judge – joins us for a terrific look back at a legendary career that was not nearly as highly rewarded as it should have been. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

On July 12, 1910, New York Evening Mail reporter Franklin Pierce Adams filed his article after a game between the Chicago Cubs and New York Giants. Little did he or anyone know it would become one of the most famous pieces of work to ever be written about baseball, a little poem in which he proclaimed, “These are the saddest possible words, Tinker to Evers to Chance”. Those three, Tinker, Evers and Chance just might be the most famous double-play combination in MLB history and on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes we take a look back at who these the Hall of Fame baseball players were. Sure, many know the names Tinker and Evers and Chance, but very few know their first names or anything else about them with the exception that Adams wrote about them. Who were they? Just how good were they? How good was the team they played for, the Chicago Cubs? Hint, they put together the greatest stretch of baseball ever recorded. Author David Rapp who wrote the book, “Tinker to Evers to Chance,” and author Dennis Snelling who wrote the book, “Johnny Evers, A Baseball Life,” are here to talk about the trio on this special edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Bob Allison was one of the best players for the Minnesota Twins during the 1960s. The Twins moved to Minnesota from Washington, D.C. for the 1961 season. However, before getting to Minnesota, Allison won the Rookie of the Year for Washington (known as the Senators) in 1959 by clubbing 30 Home Runs and knocking in 85 and batting .261. After the team moved to Minnesota is when Allison did most of his damage and, in fact, during the stretch of 1961 through 1964, Allison averaged 29 Home Runs a year. But, playing in the shadow of the great Harmon Killebrew and alongside such stars as Tony Oliva, Jim Kaat and Rod Carew certainly affected Bob Allison's popularity - especially outside of Minnesota. But inside the game, everyone knew who Bob Allison was, and he was not an easy out for opposing pitchers. He also possessed speed and that helped him track down fly balls others couldn't get to. In fact, Minnesota Twins fans voted Bob Allison the team's greatest left fielder during its first 25 years of existence. Joining SFH once again to talk about one of baseball's forgotten heroes is Gregory H. Wolf, the director of the BioProject for SABR. Gregory has written over 150 biographies forthe project and also authored the books, "A Pennant for the Twin Cities" and "Winning on the North Side, the 1929 Chicago Cubs".  Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes    

Not only is Lefty O’Doul one of baseball’s forgotten heroes, he is actually one of America’s forgotten heroes as well. In fact, General Douglas MacArthur said what O’Doul did after World War II to help ease tensions between the U.S. and Japan was one of the greatest acts of diplomacy in the history of the U.S. O’Doul is one of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball as his .349 career batting average can attest to as it’s the 4th highest ever, his 1929 season is one of the greatest ever – a .398 average and an NL record 254 hits. But O’Doul wanted to make it as a pitcher and he wasted away on the bench of the New York Yankees and later the Boston Red Sox while trying to figure out how to get Major League hitters out. In the minors with the San Francisco Seals of the PCL, he met with great success as a pitcher. But it just didn’t translate to the majors. Finally, O’Doul took the advice of the Salt Lake City Bees, a team he played for in the mid 1920s and focused solely on hitting. When he finally got called up to the New York Giants for the 1928 season he broke through hitting .319 and followed that with his incredible 1929 season. But O’Doul only played six full seasons because when he finally made it he was already 33. Nonetheless, his contributions to the game, particularly in Japan earned his enshrinement into Japan’s Baseball Hall of Fame. Author Dennis Snelling who wrote the book, “Lefty O’Doul: Baseball’s Forgotten Ambassador” joins the podcast for a terrific look back on one of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes    

Sal “The Barber” Maglie enjoyed a terrific career going 119-62 over 10 years. But from 1950 through 1954 he was as dominant as anyone in the game. Given the nickname “The Barber” because of how he approached hitters and his game-day stubble, Maglie blossomed at the age of 33 after having spent time in the Mexican League and learning under the tutelage of former Major League pitcher Dolf Luque. Maglie, who was a star for the New York Giants, is the last player to play for the Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees. He also played in three of the most famous games in baseball history: the 1951 playoff in which Bobby Thomson hit the famous “shot heard ‘round the world”; the 1954 World Series game in which Willie Mays made his famous catch; and he was the opposing pitcher to Don Larsen in Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Peter Gordon, a longtime member of SABR, joins the podcast to talk about the terrific career of Sal “The Barber” Maglie. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes    

Warren Dandy, Little Warren Cakes, and Peach Pudding à la Warren. This week on the Hungry Cliff podcast, it's time for another episode of the Hungry Cliff Summer of Friends! We're joined by fellow podcaster Warren Rogan to celebrate the first year of his show Sports' Forgotten Heroes. We also talk about desserts, breakfast cereal, bagels, and one or two things that aren't food. Who has a long history with Cabbage Patch Kids? Does Quisp or Quake taste better? How much ice cream is too much? Find out the answers to these questions and more on this exciting episode of the Hungry Cliff podcast!   Links (see our affiliate links disclosure here): Sports' Forgotten Heroes American Girl Cabbage Patch Kids HQ Trivia Quisp vs. Quake Deep fried peanuts Juicy Drops Einstein Bros. Bagels Lobster and Waffles So Delicious Dairy Free Cashewmilk Frozen Dessert   Don’t forget you can support Hungry Cliff by going to our Shop at the top of our page or by using our Amazon and iTunes Search Boxes on our site. Also, Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes so you don’t miss a thing! And if you want to help us out some more, please review us on iTunes ’cause every little bit counts.   Special Guest Host: Warren Rogan   Hosts: Tony Silanskas, Matthew Biggers   Guest Hosts: David Houston, Jessica Houston, Pedro Mendoza   Intro and outro music: Pedro Mendoza   Email us: tony, matthew, andrew, jessica, david, or pedro (at) hungrycliff (dot) com   © 2018 Hungry Cliff  

Kiki Cuyler was elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1968, but so few can recall his career – and what a career it was! Cuyler, whose birth name is Hazen Shirley Cuyler, made it to the big leagues for good in 1924 and hit .354 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1925, Cuyler upped his average to .357 and set two records that still stand today for Pittburgh, most runs scored in a season with 144, and 369 total bases. But, after just four years a World Series Championship in 1925 and a second trip to the World Series in 1927 (although he didn’t play), Cuyler had worn out his welcome with the Pirates for a myriad of reasons. So, the Pirates shipped him to the Chicago Cubs whom Cuyler helped lead to World Series appearances in 1929 and 1931. Although the Cubs came up empty-handed, it wasn’t for a lack of Cuyler’s contribution to the team. In fact, in 1929, Cuyler hit .360 for the Cubs and for his career with Chicago, hit .325. Yet, again, despite leading the Cubs to two World Series appearances and leading the Pirates to a World Series win, so few know the name Kiki Cuyler. Joining the podcast for a look back at the career of Kiki Cuyler, and to help bring his name to the fore is Gregory Wolf, co-director of the biography project for SABR. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Lyman Bostock was a Major League Baseball player on the rise. During the first 3 ½ years of his career with the Minnesota Twins and California Angels, Lyman hit .311 with a high of .336 in 1977. He had just signed a free agent contract with the Angels, a team that was on the rise and hoping to win a championship with Bostock at the center of things. But it wasn’t to be. In a horrible case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Bostock was tragically gunned down after a night out with family and friends in his hometown of Gary, Indiana while the Angels were in Chicago for a series against the White Sox. As one could imagine, the baseball world was left in shock. The real tragedy, however, just might have been the fact that Bostock was not only lost to baseball, his family and the Angels, but the charities he supported would no longer benefit from his life. Author K. Adam Powell who penned the book, ““Lyman Bostock, The Inspiring Life and Tragic Death of A Ballplayer,” joins the podcast for a terrific look back at the life and career of Lyman Bostock. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Ralph Guldahl joined the PGA TOUR in 1931, walked away from the game in 1934, rejoined the TOUR in 1935, and retired from the game for good in 1940. But in between, he was absolutely phenomenal. During his time on TOUR he won 16 tournaments including three Majors – the 1937 and 1938 U.S. Open and the 1939 Masters. He also won the Western Open in 1936, 1937 and 1938 when the Western was thought of as a Major too. In all, Ralph won 16 times on the TOUR and was named to three Ryder Cup teams. The great Sam Snead once said of Ralph, “If Guldahl gave someone a blood transfusion, the patient would freeze to death,” … that’s how cool and even-keeled Ralph was on the golf course. Tony Parker, golf historian from the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum joins the podcast to talk about the forgotten career of Ralph Guldahl. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

One of the most flamboyant soccer players to ever play here in the U.S. was Giorgio Chinaglia. He was a star on a team filled with some of the world’s best, the New York Cosmos. He played with Pele, Beckenbauer, Alberto and so many others. And while he might not have been as skilled as them, the one thing he did better than anyone was score goals. In fact, he was, for lack of a better term, a goal-scoring machine. In 213 games in the NASL, America’s premier soccer league before the MLS, Chinaglia scored 193 goals. He led the Cosmos to four championships in five appearances. He once scored seven (7) goals in one game. And, while New Yorker’s loved him, many opponents – and their fans – despised him. He was a star in a city filled with stars at a time when the likes of Reggie Jackson ruled the roost. Before he came to New York, his career in Italy and elsewhere was anything but rosy. Kartik Krishnaiyer from World Soccer Talk returns to SFH to take a look back at one of the most polarizing players in the history of U.S. soccer – Giorgio Chinaglia. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Dolph Schayes played in the NBA for 15 years, and when he retired he was the league’s all-time leading scorer and all-time leading rebounder. Yet, many basketball fans don’t recall Schayes at all, or mistake him for his son, Danny, who spent 20-years in the NBA. Why do so many not recall Dolph? Perhaps it’s because he spent 14 of his 15 years playing for a team that no longer exists, the Syracuse Nationals. And, Syracuse was good. In fact, the Nats made the playoffs every year Dolph was there and won the NBA Championship in 1954-55. But, putting fannies in the seats was always an issue for this team and after the 1962-63 season they moved t Philadelphia and became the 76’ers. That first year in Philly was not easy and Dolph actually served as the team’s player/coach. After an unsuccessful first season, Dolph retired as a player to solely concentrate on coaching, and while he won 129 games and lost just 111, after three years he was let go. Dolph resurfaced years later as the coach of the Buffalo Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers), but only made it through one full year. Joining SFH to talk about Dolph Schayes is Dolph Grundman, author of the book, “Dolph Schayes and The Rise of Professional Basketball.” Schayes’s contributions to the game are many, and Grundman discusses, in detail, just how good Schayes was and what he meant to the game. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

The story of Gottfried von Cramm is truly remarkable. While most have probably never heard of him, von Cramm was once the No. 1 ranked tennis player in the world. A German, von Cramm played during the time Adolf Hitler was rising to power; and while most Germans knew what Hitler was about and was about to do, the rest of the world had no idea. On this episode of SFH we take a look back at the career and life of Gottfried von Cramm and concentrate on one match in particular, a 1938 Davis Cup Final match between he and Don Budge that was played on center-court at Wimbledon just two weeks after the Wimbledon Championships. The pressure on von Cramm was enormous. Not only was he German, but he was Jewish and homosexual. If he won, all would be ok. A loss, however, and he would have to face the gestapo and possibly Hitler himself – and who knows what would happen after that encounter. Marshall Jon Fisher returns to SFH for this podcast. Author of the book, “A Terrible Splendor,” Fisher talks about the match, those in attendance, and how von Cramm’s life changed afterwards. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Urban Shocker was regarded by many as the best pitcher of his time. In fact, Babe Ruth said he was the best pitcher he faced. Other pitchers said that Urban was the best. Writers of the day, such as Damon Runyon, and others called Urban the best too. He started his career with the New York Yankees was traded to the St. Louis Browns and then several years later, the Yankees reacquired him. He was the one player of whom the Yankees said they made a mistake in trading. Over the course of his career he won 187 games. Yet, so few have ever heard of Urban Shocker. He played from 1916 through 1928 – and it was towards the end of the 1928 season in which Shocker succumbed to mitral valve failure, a condition he was able to hide from his teammates and his wife. He struggled with this condition for the last half of his career, and despite it, he was still baffling hitters with a variety of pitches. Steve Steinberg, author of “Urban Shocker, Silent Hero of Baseball’s Golden Age,” joins SFH to talk about Urban, how revolutionary parts of his game were, how dominant he was, and just who was Urban Shocker. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Roberto DeVicenzo won 231 golf tournaments around the world, and that includes the 1967 British Open. But it was his signing of an incorrect scorecard after the 4th round of the 1968 Masters for which he is most remembered. That “little” gaffe cost DeVicenzo an opportunity to win a second straight major, and one of golf’s most cherished tournaments. Instead of squaring off against Bob Goalby in an 18-hole playoff for the Green Jacket, DeVicenzo could only say, “What a stupid I am.” Golf historian and former host of Golf Talk Live, Peter Kessler, is our special guest as we recall the events of that day, what happened, how it affected DeVicenzo, Goalby and the man who wrote down the wrong score, Tommie Aaron … and we also examine the forgotten career of Roberto DeVicenzo. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Gene Conley did something no other athlete before him or who played after him ever accomplished – win a championship in two of the major four sports we follow (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL). Not Deion Sanders, not Bo Jackson, no one. Conley won the World Series with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and came off the bench to help the Boston Celtics win NBA championships in 1959, 1960 and 1961. On this edition of the Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, John Husman, team historian of the Toledo Mud Hens (a team that Conley played for prior to being called up to the Braves), a member of SABR and a long-time friend of Conley’s joins the podcast to talk about his old friend and his great career. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Vic Hadfield was the first man to score 50 goals in a season for the New York Rangers. Named captain of a team that included the likes of Jean Ratelle, Brad park and Rod Gilbert, some say Hadfield just might have also been the heart and soul of the team. When Hadfield was placed on the No. 1 line to protect Ratelle and Gilbert the Rangers took off, and that line was quickly nicknamed the “GAG Line” as in a goal-a-game … and sometimes the “TAG Line” because it would go on streaks of two-goals-a-game. The author of the book, “We Did Everything But Win,” George Grimm joins host Warren Rogan for a look back at the career of Vic Hadfield. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Dave DeBusschere was, simply stated, remarkable. A world class two-sport star who was raised just outside of Detroit, DeBusschere was a stud pitcher and an even better basketball player. Taken by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA’s territorial draft, he was also selected by the Chicago White Sox … and he played professionally for both teams. On the hardwood, DeBusschere quickly established himself as one of the NBA’s premier forwards. For the White Sox, however, he bounced back-and-forth between the minors and the majors. The Pistons, though, knew he was something special and to convince him to forego his career as a Major League pitcher, Detroit named DeBusschere player/coach when he was just 24-years old! Bill Pruden, who has written several biographies for SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) including a bio on DeBusschere is this week’s guest as we look back on a simply remarkable career. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

One of just four former Green Bay Packers to be immortalized with a statue, Johnny “Blood” McNally is also a member of the inaugural class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Along with such legends as Bronko Nagurski, Ernie Nevers, Jim Thorpe, Sammy Baugh, George Halas, Tim Mara and Don Hutson, Johnny was inducted into the Hall in 1963. One of the toughest players to tackle, Johnny still holds the record for most touchdowns caught in one season by a halfback. Ralph Hickok, who wrote the book, “Vagabond Halfback, The Saga of Johnny Blood McNally,” after spending three years on the road with Johnny to write this biography, shares great stories with us about Johnny, including how he got the name “Blood”.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

1938 marks the 80th anniversary of the improbable … the year in which Don Budge, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, became the first (and just one of two) players to win the Grand Slam of tennis (Australian, French, Wimbledon, U.S.). Budge actually won six straight Grand Slam events to go along with a number of doubles, mixed-doubles, and Davis Cup Championships as well. Budge, who took up the game after a challenge from his brother, possessed a heavy ball, one of the greatest backhands of all time and used one of the heaviest racquets of his time to become the No. 1 player in the world. But, with the drop in popularity of the game, Budge’s career and incredible accomplishments continue t fade away. Marshall Jon Fisher, author of “A Terrible Splendor” a terrific book about one of the greatest tennis matches ever played, is the guest on this edition of SFH to talk about the terrific career of this forgotten hero. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Frank Ryan, the last man to lead the Cleveland Browns to an NFL Championship, joins the podcast to talk about his career and the magical year of 1964 when the Browns beat the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts 27-0 to win the title. Ryan was the Browns starter for most of the mid-1960s and Bleacher Report named Ryan as the most underrated player in the history of the NFL. As terrific as he was on the field, his life off is also quite remarkable, especially when you consider what he did for the U.S. House of Representatives. Also joining the podcast to talk about Ryan and the 1964 season is Roger Gordon who has written several books on the Browns.  Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2018 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Every December college football heroes gather in New York City and are on hand for the announcement of the winner of one of the most, if not the most, iconic trophies in all of sport – The Heisman Trophy. Who was the man for whom the trophy is named, and what made him so special? John M. Heisman, the great-nephew of the man for whom the trophy is named – John W. Heisman, joins the podcast. John M. Heisman, along with Mark Schlabach, co-wrote a book, “Heisman, The Man Behind The Trophy”, and he shares many stories about John W. with me on this edition of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, including his on-the-field innovations, and some incredible stories from off-the-field too! Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Ernie DiGregorio was the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 1973-74 season. The No. 3 pick out of Providence after leading the Friars to 27-4 mark during his All-America senior season, Ernie was as exciting as they come. Standing just 6-feet tall and weighing all of 180-pounds, he was a magician on the court. If you were open, Ernie would find a way to get the ball to you. In fact, he set the rookie record for most assists in a game (25) and led the NBA during his rookie campaign in assists with an average of 8.2 per game to go along with 15.2 points-per-game. And, in his rookie year he led the Buffalo Braves to their first-ever playoff appearance. But, a knee injury cut Ernie’s career short. Tim Wendel, author of “Buffalo, Home of The Braves”, makes his second visit to the podcast as we take a look back at the career of Ernie DiGregorio. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

There was a time when scoring 60 goals in a season in the NHL was rare. Dennis Maruk was one of the first to do it when scored 60 for the Washington Capitals in the 1981-82 season. And that came after scoring 50 the previous year! Yet, Dennis played in relative obscurity as he was a center for the California Golden Seals, the Cleveland Barons and the Minnesota North Stars – all teams that no longer exist! But his trade to a then awful Washington Capitals team was a blessing and helped turn Dennis Maruk from a good player into one the league’s most feared snipers. His just released book, “Dennis Maruk, The Unforgettable Story of Hockey’s Forgotten 60-Goal Man,” is a terrific book, very fun to read. And on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes, Dennis Maruk joins the podcast to take a look back on his career and talk about his book. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Bob Waterfield holds a very unique distinction. He is the only quarterback in the history of the NFL to lead the Rams franchise to two NFL Championships. First, Waterfield did it as the quarterback of the Cleveland Rams in 1945, and then he followed that by leading the Los Angeles Rams to the NFL Championship in 1951. Waterfield elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965 also was a star on defense and was one of the best kickers and punters in the NFL as well. Jim Sulecki, author of, The Cleveland Rams, The NFL Champs Who Left Too Soon, joins the podcast to talk about the career of Bob Waterfield.   Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

The Los Angeles Clippers are celebrating their 40th Anniversary on the west coast. But, long before they were the Clippers, they were the Buffalo Braves. And what a legacy they left! In just eight years in Buffalo, three players won Rookie of the Year honors (Bob McAdoo, Ernie DiGregorio, Adrian Dantley), Randy Smith became a fan favorite, coaches like Dr. Jack Ramsay and Cotton Fitzsimmons led the team, and the Braves were a thrilling run-and-gun team to watch. They were showtime before the Lakers were. But, the Braves played at a time when Buffalo adored three college basketball teams and the NHL’s Sabres grabbed the headlines and prime dates at the Aud too. This left the Braves with very few marquee dates to play their home games, and Buffalo sports’ fans just didn’t fill the seats when the Braves played. With an owner who wanted a team in his home state of California a most interesting swap of franchises took place, and the city of Buffalo came out on the short end. Tim Wendel, author of “Buffalo, Home of the Braves”, joins the podcast for a terrific conversation about a team and its long-lasting legacy. Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Justin Fashanu was a star on the rise. Young. Strong. Fast. His goal against Liverpool for little regarded Norwich City was so unexpected, and so spectacular it was named goal of the year. It also catapulted young Justin into another stratosphere and into the world of big-time soccer. His transfer fee of $1-million-pounds was the largest sum ever. However, playing for his new club, Nottingham Forest, at such a young age and with so much expected of him was an incredible pressure cooker. Justin’s off-the-field lifestyle didn’t help, and his clashes with his club manager didn’t help. Kartik Krishnaiyer from World Soccer Talk joins the podcast as we take a look back at the career of a man who played the role of hero for Norwich City, but never reached the heights so many thought to which he would ascend.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

2017 is the 80th anniversary of the Rams joining the NFL. Most know the Rams are calling Los Angeles home for the second time in their history. However, what few know is that the Rams debuted in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in the AFL. Yes, Cleveland was the original home for the Rams, but the team always struggled to attract fans; and after winning the NFL Championship in 1945 and with a new league – the AAFC, and a new team, the Cleveland Browns – about to debut, Rams owner Dan Reeves moved the team to Los Angeles just 27 days after winning the championship. Join Warren Rogan and the author of “The Cleveland Rams, The NFL Champs Who Left Too Soon”, James C. Sulecki for a fascinating look back at the history of the Cleveland Rams. Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

In 1986, Amos Otis was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame. A three-time Gold Glove winner and five-time all-star, Amos Otis played for the Royals from 1970 through the 1983 season and is still top-3 in several all-time offensive categories for the Royals including: hits (3rd, 1977), HR (3rd, 193), runs (2nd, 1074), triples (3rd, 65) and RBI (3rd, 992). Acquired from the Mets for Joe Foy, Otis helped the Royals become one of the most consistent winners in the mid and late 1970s and led the Royals to their first World Series appearance in 1980. Bill Lamberty of the Society for American Baseball Research joins the podcast to talk more about this forgotten hero.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

He was one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, and had it not been for Benny Friedman there might not be an NFL! That’s how key he was to the development of the game. Friedman turned the pro game from a running game to a passing game. In fact, he was throwing for more touchdown passes in a season than the rest of the league combined! Friedman set the record with 20 TD passes in 1929, a mark that wouldn’t be equaled until 1977. As a college QB he led Michigan to back-to-back Big Ten championships and was ultimately elected to the Pro Football hall of Fame in 2005. Join Warren Rogan and Lee Elder of the Professional Football Researcher’s Association for the story of Benny Friedman, one of football’s forgotten heroes. Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

During the three-year stretch of 1944, 45 and 46, Hal Newhouser of the Detroit Tigers put together three of the most dominant seasons any pitcher has ever enjoyed. Overall he went 80-27 with a 1.98 ERA. He completed 83 games and tossed 20 shutouts. He won the MVP Award in 1944 and 1945 (the only pitcher to ever win back-to-back MVP Awards) and finished second in 1946. Overall, he was 207-150. Overlooked for Hall of Fame honors, noted author David M. Jordan penned the book, “A Tiger in His Time: Hal Newhouser and the Burden of Wartime Baseball,” and after it was published, the very next year, Hal Newhouser was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Join Warren Rogan and David M. Jordan as they look back on the career of one of baseball’s best – Hal Newhouser. Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Nate Colbert played first base for the San Diego Padres during the early 1970s. Very few fans turned out to see him play. The Padres weren’t that good. In fact, they were one of the worst teams the game has ever seen. But, the few fans that did go out to see Nate Colbert play saw one of the game’s most feared sluggers. In fact, he is still the team’s all-time leader in home runs. But it was one day, August 1, 1972, that catapulted Colbert into the same conversation as one of baseball’s all-time greats – Stan Musial. Playing a in a doubleheader in Atlanta against the Braves, Colbert hit five home runs, knocked in 13 runs and had 22 total bases. A day for the ages, only Musial, who hit five home runs in a doubleheader back in 1952, had a day to rival that of Colbert. Joining host Warren Rogan on this episode of Sports’ Forgotten Heroes is San Diego baseball historian Bill Swank as they talk about that special day and the career of Nate Colbert.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Willie Anderson is the only golfer in history to win three straight U.S. Open golf championships. In fact, if not for a fourth place finish in 1902, he would have five in a row. Only Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Jones can match his four victories. Yet, when you mention the name Willie Anderson to most golf fans and most sport’s fans very few, if any, know who he is. How can this be? How can someone win four U.S. Opens and be forgotten? Join host Warren Rogan and special guest Tony Parker from the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum as they look back at the fascinating career of Willie Anderson.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Dean Chance pitched for the then Los Angeles Angels in the early 1960s. The Angels were a so-so team, but in 1964, Dean turned in one of the most dominant seasons in Angels history. He went 20-9 with a 1.65 ERA for a team that went just 82-80. But that was only half the story. Dean won the Cy Young Award that year to interrupt Sandy Koufax’s string of three Cy Young’s in four years. Denny McLain, the last man to win 30 games in a single year and a 2-time Cy Young Award winner joins the podcast to talk about Dean’s career on the diamond … while boxing Hall of Famers Bill Caplan and Don Chargin join the podcast to talk about Dean’s love for boxing and the fact that Dean created the International Boxing Association.   Links: http://www.sportsfh.com http://www.patreon.com/sportsfh http://www.sportsFhereos@twitter.com ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Tony Lema was one of the best golfers in professional golf. In 1964 he won the British Open, and was knocking at the door of the Big 3 of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. He was as tough as the came, as evidenced by his 8-1-2 record in Ryder Cup play. But he was also one of the most fun-loving guys on the PGA TOUR, and the media loved him too! They loved the fact that they were treated to a round of champagne after every one of his victories. Injuries affected his play in 1965 and early on in 1966. But as the 1966 season progressed, Lema got his game back on track and then tragedy struck. He was killed, along with his wife, on a chartered flight from Akron, OH to just outside Chicago. Bill Roland a close friend of the Lema family, and the author of “Champagne Tony Lema; Triumph to Tragedy” joins the podcast for a look back at the terrific life and career of Tony Lema.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Teofilo Stevenson was one of the most powerful heavyweights of all time. Although he never fought professionally, he is still regarded as one of the best ever. He is the only boxer to ever win three-straight Gold Medals in the Olympics. He did it in 1972, 1976 and 1980. Some think he would have won a fourth straight Gold in 1984, however, this Cuban superstar didn't fight in 1984 because Cuba boycotted the L.A. Games in support of Russia. Tom Clark, a noted author, joins Warren Rogan to take a look back at the career of Stevenson and what might have been had he turned professional.   Links: http://sportsfh.com http://patreon.com/sportsfh https://twitter.com/SportsFHeroes ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes    

In the early 1900s, Ed Delahanty was the biggest star in baseball. Regarded, by some, as baseball’s first 5-tool player, he hit over .400 three times, and was the game’s most powerful hitter. But he was struggling financially and, essentially, had to pay his team to continue playing. Big Ed was caught up in a battle between the well-established National League and the upstart American League. He was so distraught over his situation that he left his team in the middle of a road trip and was never to be seen again. John Saccoman, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) joins me on Sports’ Forgotten Heroes for a conversation about Ed Delahanty – his hall of fame career, and the tragedy that followed. Links: http://www.sportsfh.com http://www.patreon.com/sportsfh http://twitter@sportsfheroes.com ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes    

In overtime of game 5 of the 1951 Stanley Cup Finals, Bill Barilko scored to give the Toronto Maple Leafs their 4th Stanley Cup Championship in 5 years. Barilko was the toast of the town. Unfortunately, however, it would be the last goal Barilko would ever score. Shortly afterwards, Barilko went on a fishing trip with his good friend, and dentist, Dr. Henry Hudson. Neither of them would ever be seen alive again. The small plane Hudson flew disappeared. The Leafs fell on hard times, and it took them 11 years to win their next Stanley Cup - 1962. Incredibly, shortly after they hoisted the Cup, the plane was accidentally discovered with the skeletal remains of Barilko and Hudson still strapped into their seats. Hockey historian and author Kevin Shea closes out this two-part podcast of Bill Barilko.   Links: http://www.sportsfh.com http://www.patreon.com/sportsfh https://twitter.com/SportsFHeroes ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes  

Bill Barilko was a young hard-hitting defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was called up to the Leafs towards the end of the 1946-47 season and helped Toronto win the Stanley Cup. He helped the Maple Leafs win the Cup again in 1948 and 1949. Toronto became the first team to win the Cup three straight years. After failing to make it to the finals in 1950, the Leafs returned in 1951 and Barilko scored the Cup-clinching goal in overtime of Game 5. The Leafs had won 4 Stanley Cups in 5 years. But tragedy struck shortly thereafter and Barilko disappeared on a fishing trip never to be seen alive again! In the first of this two-part series join me along with hockey historian and author Kevin Shea for a look back at the incredible story of Bill Barilko.   Links: http://www.sportsfh.com http://www.patreon.com/sportsfh http://www.twitter@sportsfheroes ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

After leading LSU to a National Championship and winning the Heisman Trophy, Billy Cannon was selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams and then GM Pete Rozelle. But the upstart AFL also had its eyes set on Cannon; and Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams offered Cannon a contract he couldn't refuse. With two contracts in hand, and both leagues claiming rights to Cannon an arbitrator was called in. Ultimately, Cannon was awarded to the AFL. Charles deGravelles, author of "Billy Cannon A Long, Long Run" and Jim Weathersby from Thesportshistorian.com join host Warren Rogan and talk about Cannon's career in the AFL, his very short stint in the NFL, and his life after pro football.    Links: http://www.sportsfh.com http://www.patreon.com/sportsfh http://www.sportsFhereos@twitter.com ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Description of Sports' Forgotten Heroes. This summary outlines the fact that a new podcast of Sports' Forgotten Heroes will be released every other Tuesday. Additionally, it details some of the great heroes we will be discussing like Billy Cannon, Bill Barilko, Ed Delahanty, and Dean Chance.   Links: www.sportsfh.com www.patreon.com/sportsfh SportsFHeroes@twitter.com ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes    

Billy Cannon was a Heisman Trophy winning running back for LSU. He helped lead the Tigers to a National Championship in 1958 and followed that with a stellar career in the AFL and a brief appearance in the NFL. In this two-part series of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, author Charles de Gravelles and Sports Historian Jim Weathersby join Warren Rogan to take a look back at the career of Cannon, his fall from grace after his playing days were finished, and where he is today.   Links: Sports' Forgotten Heroes website Sports' Forgotten Heroes Patreon Page Sports' Forgotten Heroes twitter ©2017 Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Diving French Drop, Charlier Diamond Cutter, and the People's Elmsley Count. This week on the Hungry Cliff podcast, we welcome special guest Warren Rogan (Sports' Forgotten Heroes Podcast) to the show! Join us as we chat about sports, celebrity encounters, and whatever else we can think of. The Count of Magic even shows up! Who attended the first local XFL game? What is a metropolitan magician's wage? Why doesn't anybody perform the Chicken Wing anymore? Tune in to learn the increasingly less specific answers to these questions and more on this exciting episode of the Hungry Cliff podcast! Warren's podcast, Sports' Forgotten Heroes, debuts on April 4. You can support him at patreon.com/sportsfh and visit him online at sportsfh.com.   Links: sportsfh.com patreon.com/sportsfh Vince Gilligan Harry Houdini XFL Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids Jamaican Jerk Pringles Cheddar BBQ Pringles WWE David Copperfield: The Statue of Liberty Disappears   Don't forget you can support Hungry Cliff by going to our Shop at the top of our page or by using our Amazon and iTunes Search Boxes on our site. Also, Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to the podcast in iTunes so you don't miss a thing! And if you want to help us out some more, please review us on iTunes 'cause every little bit counts.   Hosts: Tony Silanskas, Matthew Biggers, Andrew Silanskas Special Guest Host: Warren Rogen Guest Hosts: David Houston, Jessica Houston, Pedro Mendoza   Intro and outro music: Pedro Mendoza   Email us: tony (at) hungrycliff (dot) com or matthew (at) hungrycliff (dot) com   © 2017 Hungry Cliff