Explore every episode of the podcast Irish Baseball Podcast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MLB Network's Brian Kenny talks with Shaun Clancy about baseball, Ireland, and growing up Irish.

Ailísh Conneely joins Rick to discuss her work at the Aisling Irish Community Center and the importance of passing on the Irish language.

Dirk Baker joins us to discuss his research on Kid Gleason. Gleason spent a number of seasons in the major leagues, primarily as a pitcher, before becoming a coach and manager. He is best known for being the manager of the 1919 Chicago White Sox.

Ailísh Conneely is the Cultural Development Officer at the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers, NY. Ailísh has been teaching the Irish language to members of the Irish American Baseball Society in our virtual Irish language classes.

Ailísh was born in New York and grew up in Mooncoin, Co. Kilkenny. She is a musician and multi-instrumentalist, specialising mostly in piano accordion, piano, flute and tin whistle. She is also a fluent Irish speaker. When she was growing up, she competed in the Fleadh Cheoil at provincial and All-Ireland level, winning the Leinster Fleadh U18 and O18 Piano Accordion and receiving 2nd place in Leinster U18 Tin Whistle. She also has a Diploma from the London College of Music (Dip LCM) in traditional flute performance and a Grade 6 in classical piano with the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM). She studied Music and Irish in University College Cork (UCC) until 2018, and completed a Professional Masters in Education (PME) with Hibernia College Dublin in 2020, qualifying as a secondary school teacher. She then taught Irish in a school in Waterford for 2 years, while also being involved with two local Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann branches (CCÉ).

Rus Bradburd, author of the book “Patty on the Hardwood,” joins host Rick Becker to discuss his writing career. 

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

Former major leaguer Steve Lyons joins host Rick Becker.

Host Rick Becker is joined by Jamie Murphy of the Michael Collins House Museum in Clonakilty, County Cork, and the Michael Collins House Podcast.

Darren Murphy is the head coach at South Hills High School in West Covina, CA. Darren is a member of the Irish American Baseball Society and an Irish Baseball Ambassador.

This is the second part of Hall of Famer Jim Palmer's interview with the Founder of the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame, Shaun Clancy.