In 1930 the NFL moved one of the original franchises from Dayton, Ohio to the borough of Brooklyn, New York and re-branded the "Triangles" to a very familiar name - Dodgers. Yes, that's right. From 1930 through the 1944 NFL season, the NFL placed a team in Brooklyn, Ebbets Field. Looking to capitalize on the same name as their baseball cousins, the Brooklyn FOOTBALL Dodgers had high hopes. In Dayton, the fact is, the community was too small to support an NFL team. The Triangles, as they were known in Dayton, played in a small stadium (5,000 seats) and couldn't sellout. Less than capacity crowds, financial struggles and the inability to attract the game's top talent, the NFL was left with no choice but to move the team in order to keep it alive. So, with baseball the No. 1 sport at that time and the NFL still trying to establish itself as a viable league, it was moving its franchises from small cities to larger metropolitan areas and tried to capitalize on names that would be instantly recognizable. But, it didn't always work out, and the football-Dodgers are an example of that. During the team's 15-year stay in Brooklyn, only five times did it finish at .500 or above. The Dodgers never won their division and never appeared in a post-season game. They also struggled at the gate. So, after the 1944 season (in which they had renamed themselves the Brooklyn Tigers), they packed up and moved to Boston and merged with the Yanks. Amazingly, the Dodgers actually still exist today. Yes, this franchise is still in the NFL and on this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes we explore it all with guest Roger Godin who several years ago wrote a fascinating book that looks back at the history of this long-forgotten team, "The Brooklyn Football Dodgers, The Other "Bums."

Before there was an NBA, before there was a BAA, professional basketball looked a lot different than it does today. Back in the early 1900s, professional basketball was largely made up of regional leagues spread out across the country. A particular hotbed for these regional leagues was the Northeast. One of the leagues, the NEBL (New England Basketball League), was also one of the more progressive leagues. In fact, it was the first to allow "colored" players and leading the way was Harry "Bucky" Lew. Now known as the first African-American professional basketball player, Lew was also one of the game's stars. On this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, author Chris Boucher joins as we discuss the career of Bucky Lew, how these leagues were set up and what the game of basketball looked like back then. Chris, who wrote the book, "The Original Bucky Lew", and I discuss how different the ball was and how difficult it was to dribble the ball. How basketball courts were boxed in by chicken wire, so there was no out-of-bounds, there were no backboards, and fouling a player and the free-throws were no where near the same as they are in the game we watch today. But, the main focus is Lew. The racism he faced, how he played the game, how he continued to break down barriers such as becoming the first African-American to officiate a game, the first to coach a team and the first to own a team. Bucky Lew was certainly a pioneer and we dive into it all on this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes.

Back in the early 1900s, the National League was the only game in town. It was Major League Baseball, thus the name the "Senior Circuit". In 1901, Ban Johnson, and others, joined the game with the American League and it was granted Major League status in 1903. Both leagues operated as separate entities, but met every year in the World Series. In 1913, the Federal League was a minor league, but it wanted to join the party and in 1914 and 1915 it called itself a Major League as well. The Federal League, however, did not gain widespread acceptance. Despite going to head-to-head in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Brooklyn and St. Louis with established NL and AL teams, it couldn't gain a foothold. It also played in Buffalo, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Baltimore, it struggled in those cities as well. Poor attendance and high salaries for the players it poached from its NL and AL rivals, the Federal League didn't make it. In fact, very - very - few have challenged MLB. On this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, baseball historian and author Dan Levitt joins the podcast to discuss the Federal League. Its teams, players, the court cases and so much more. Dan is an expert on the Federal League having written the book, "The Outlaw League And The Battle That Forged Modern Baseball."

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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Jake Daubert was a star for the Brooklyn Robins and Brooklyn Dodgers during the early 1900s and finished his career with the Cincinnati Reds. He played during baseball's deadball era and was about as good as anyone. His play at first base was second-to-none and, at the plate, you would be hard-pressed to find many who could handle the bat as well as he did. In fact, when Daubert's career came to a tragic end in 1924, not only did he have a career batting average of .303, he was also 7th all-time in hits with 2,326. Now, back in those days, numbers like 3,000 hits weren't discussed. And, this was long before there was a Hall of Fame. However, had Daubert started his career earlier (he didn't break in until he was 26), perhaps he could have amassed 3,000 hits and his name would be much more familiar to baseball fans. As it is, though, he hit .300 or better 10 our of 12 years (including 6 in a row from 1911 through 1916) including 1913 when he hit .350 to lead the Majors and win the Chalmers Award. The Chalmers Award is what was given to the league's MVP at that time. Daubert holds the record for most sacrifices in one year, which was very important to Jake as he was a total team player. Daubert also fught hard for player's right and after the 1918 season in which baseball ad to shut down early because of the flu epidemic and World War I, Daubert fought for his pay. He ultimately won the battle, but was shipped by Charles Ebbets from Brooklyn to Cincinnati for his efforts. With the Reds, Daubert hardly missed a beat, helping Cincy to a World Series Championship over the White in the famous 1919 Series, and he continued to hit. In fact, in 1922, Jake hit .336 and played in all but 14-innings the whole year. Two years later, however, tragedy struck and Jake's career and, more importantly, his life ended tragically. On this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes I discuss it all with author/sports writer Harry Deitz who recently published a book about the life of Jake Daubert, "Gentleman Jake."

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.

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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.

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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.

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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". 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The 1955 U.S. Open Golf Championship was supposed to be the crowning achievement to one of the greatest careers in the history of sports. Golf enthusiasts and sports fans all thought the U.S. Open, staged at San Francisco's Olympic Club, was a virtual lock for Ben Hogan to win. In fact, Hogan almost proved everyone to be right. The Hawk calculated what he needed to shoot to win on this "terror" of a course. And, he wasn't that far off. Hogan found himself 5-strokes back after the first round having shot a 2-over 72. He then started working his way up the leaderboard by shooting a 3-over 73 in round 2, a 2-over 72 in round 3 and an even-par 70 in the final round, five strokes better then all but one other golfer. No one ever considered journeyman Jack Fleck to contend. But, he too worked a little magic that weekend. After a first round 76, Fleck fired a 1-under 69 in the second round, followed that with a 5-over 75 in the third round and then he masterfully conquered the course by shooting a 3-under 67 in the final round and found himself in a tie with Hogan. The two would face each other in an 18-hole playoff the next day. Fleck was a huge fan of Hogan. In fact, he was the first to carry Ben Hogan golf clubs in his bag. He was would follow Hogan around the course to see how Ben played. He even wore the same type of hat, sweater and slacks as Ben. Fleck had never won an official TOUR event. And now he was going to face his idol over the course of 18 holes for a date with infamy. Incredibly, he did it. He outlasted Hogan in the playoff to win the 1955 U.S. Open and enter his name into golf lore. On this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, Neil Sagebiel who wrote the book "The Longest Shot," joins the podcast to talk about the career of Jack Fleck and that one magical weekend in June of 1955 when Davey took down Goliath.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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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. 

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The name "Shoeless Joe Jackson" is one of the most famous in baseball history. A key figure to the dominant Chicago White Sox of the late 19-teens, Joe led the team to the World Series Championship in 1917 when he hit .304 in the 6-game series. However, we all know the story of what happened next. In 1919, the White Sox threw the Series against the Cincinnati Reds and a year later, despite batting .375 in the series Jackson, along with seven of his teammates, was banned for life. So, every year, when voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame rolls around, the name Joe Jackson is brought up and debated as to whether or not his ban should be lifted and entrance into the Hall of Fame granted. But, that's not what this episode is about. Rather, this episode is a discussion about the great career Shoeless Joe put together. A career that included a season in which he hit over .400, a career in which he hit .356 over 13 years. A career in which he connected for 168 triples (at the time, a triple was also a sign of power), stole 202 bases and finished with an OPS of .940. Yes, Joe Jackson was one of the greatest to ever play the game. What he did over the course of his career, I think, gets overlooked and is not spoken about enough. Sure, the debates rage on as to whether or not his lifetime ban should be lifted so he can gain entrance into the Hall of Fame. But, what gets lost in the debate is the conversation that focuses on the incredible numbers he put up. And, BTW, in his final year, at the age of 32, he hit .382, with an OPS of 1.033, led all of baseball with 20 triples and had 121 RBI. Another phenomenal year, in fact, it was one of the best seasons he ever had. On this episode of SFH, we are going to explore his career. Not debate whether or not he should be in the Hall of Fame, we're just going to discuss the great numbers he put up with David Fleitz, the author of "Shoeless - The Life and Times of Joe Jackson".

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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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