167: Chuck Klein - MLB

167: Chuck Klein - MLB

When Chuck Klein broke into Major League Baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1928, few knew about the power he possessed. In just 64 games, he connected for 11 home runs and hit .360. A great debut. What followed was six of the most prolific seasons in not just Phillies history, but MLB history, too! From 1929 through 1933, he averaged 36 home runs a season, averaged .359 a season, and averaged 138 RBI a season. He won an MVP, won a triple crown, four times he led the National League in total bases, twice in hits, twice in doubles, and he even led the National League in stolen bases one season. As if all that isn't enough, he set the record for most assists as an outfielder with 44 in 1930. Back to total bases, his 445 in 1930 rank fourth all-time, and his 420 in 1932 ranks ninth all-time. Lou Gehrig is the only other player to appear in the top 10 twice. Yet, for all Klein accomplished, his career is largely overlooked. When he played, the Phillies' home field was the Baker Bowl, and it was only 280 feet down the right field line. But the right field wall was 60-feet-tall. Many experts hold the 280-feet against Klein despite the height of the wall. Yet, those same experts don't hold the dimensions of 314 feet down the right field line against left-handed hitters in the Yankees lineup, or the 258 feet down the right field line against Mel Ott of the New York Giants, or the 310 feet in left field with the 37-foot wall in Fenway Park against right-handed batters. Klein's numbers were phenomenal. Klein retired, for good, after the 1944 season with 300 homeruns and a career batting average of .320. Yet, it took until 1980, 36 years after he retired, before he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, by the Veterans Committee. On this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, the host of Midnight Library of Baseball podcast, Ben Orlando, joins for a terrific discussion about a forgotten baseball great - Chuck Klein.

Are Women As Strong As Men? (Part 2)

Yesterday's Sports is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/]. YESTERDAY'S SPORTS HOME PAGE [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/yesterdays-sports-podcast/] EPISODE SUMMARY The first USA Women's National Championships were held on May 23, 1981, in Waterloo, Iowa. There were only 29 competitors, and only one woman, Judy Glenney, was able to snatch more than her bodyweight. Lifting in the 67.5-kilo weight class, Glenney easily won the best lifter award with a 75-kilo snatch and a 97.5-kilo clean & jerk. Seventeen of the 29 competitors were unable to clean & jerk their bodyweight, but it was a start....... You can read the full blog post here [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/weightlifting/brief-history-of-womens-weightlifting]. YESTERDAY'S SPORTS BACKGROUND Host Mark Morthier grew up in New Jersey just across the river from New York City during the 1970s, a great time for sports in the area. He relives great moments from this time and beyond, focusing on football, baseball, basketball, and boxing. You may even see a little Olympic Weightlifting in the mix, as Mark competed for eight years. See Mark's book below. No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training: A Guide For People With Limited Time [https://amzn.to/3kf5MuO] Running Wild: (Growing Up In The 1970s) [https://amzn.to/3snjccy]

Are Women As Strong As Men? (Part 2)

NO NONSENSE, OLD SCHOOL WEIGHTLIFTING HISTORY is presented by the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/]. EPISODE SUMMARY The first USA Women's National Championships were held on May 23, 1981, in Waterloo, Iowa. There were only 29 competitors, and only one woman, Judy Glenney, was able to snatch more than her bodyweight. Lifting in the 67.5-kilo weight class, Glenney easily won the best lifter award with a 75-kilo snatch and a 97.5-kilo clean & jerk. Seventeen of the 29 competitors were unable to clean & jerk their bodyweight, but it was a start....... You can read the full blog post here [https://sportshistorynetwork.com/weightlifting/brief-history-of-womens-weightlifting]. SHOW BACKGROUND My name is Mark Morthier, and I host yesterday’s Sports on the Sports History Network. As many of you know from reading my articles and listening to my podcasts, I am not only an avid weightlifter but a fan of the sport as well. I’m excited to share my newest adventure, a show dedicated to promoting weightlifting, while also looking back at some weightlifting history. I’ll share some of my own stories and interview weightlifters from both past and present. I competed in Olympic Weightlifting from 1981 to 1989 and powerlifting from 2011 to 2019. Although I wasn’t what one might call “a naturally gifted lifter,” I managed to clean & jerk 140 kilos/308 lbs at 179 lbs body weight. In my later years, I achieved a 600-pound deadlift and a 431-pound front squat in my mid-fifties. Although I was more successful in powerlifting, setting New Jersey and New York State records in Masters Competitions, I’ll always consider myself an Olympic Weightlifter. I’ve also written a book on weight training titled No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training, which is available on Amazon. No Nonsense, Old School Weightlifting book [https://amzn.to/41nKkuS] (Amazon affiliate link) I hope that you will enjoy the show, and please leave a comment or offer a suggestion. And if you’re an Olympic lifter, past or present, let me know if you’d like to set up an interview, and I’ll do my best to have you on the show. Stay strong and God bless! CHECK OUT YESTERDAY'S SPORTS (MY ORIGINAL SHOW) Host Mark Morthier grew up in New Jersey just across the river from New York City during the 1970s, a great time for sports in the area. He relives great moments from this time and beyond, focusing on football, baseball, basketball, and boxing. You may even see a little Olympic Weightlifting in the mix, as Mark competed for eight years. See Mark's book below. No Nonsense, Old School Weight Training: A Guide For People With Limited Time [https://amzn.to/3kf5MuO]

Nap Lajoie's Socks nearly killed him, the Longest Pro Football Game in History, and Bobby Jones won another US Open - This DiSH for June 30

In 1905, Nap Lajoie developed a blood infection that was attributed to his dyed socks running into a cut in his leg. In 1978, the Chicago White Sox named Larry Doby as their manager, becoming the second black major league manager. In 1984, the LA Express and Michigan Panthers played the longest game in Pro Football. In 1929, Bobby Jones won his third US Open in a 36-hole playoff.

From Ashes to Triumph: The Resilience of the 1936 Gophers Football Team

1936 Minnesota Football Team Hotel Fire: Timothy Brown detailed an incident from 1936 where the University of Minnesota football team, coached by Bernie Beerman, experienced a hotel fire while traveling for a game against Washington. While the team was staying at the 175-room Florence Hotel in Missoula, Montana, a fire broke out at 4:00 in the morning. Because the building lacked an alarm system, a newspaper reporter discovered the smoke, prompting a manual evacuation. Although two players were initially missing, they were safely located after using a fire escape. While the team lost many personal belongings, such as watches, jewelry, and national championship charms, their game equipment remained safely on the Pullman train cars. The team traveled to Seattle and won their game 14-7, and the Minnesota company Joins later replaced the lost championship charms. The conversation is based on Tim's recent article titled: When The Gophers Played With Fire (1936)- https://www.footballarchaeology.com/p/todays-tidbit-when-the-gophers-played ⏰ Timecodes ⏰ 00:06 The Gophers and Their Fiery Challenge 02:35 The Lawrence Hotel Fire Incident 04:25 The Aftermath of the Fire 06:16 The Aftermath of the Fire 07:16 Exploring the Depths of Football History Grab a copy of our latest book, "Red Grange & Chicago Bears 1925-1926 Barnstorming Tour: 100th Anniversary Scrapbook" written by NFL Film's Chris Willis, and compiled by Darin Hayes https://amzn.to/4r8rVyp Don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel for additional content and the regular Football History Minute Shorts. Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't, because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website [https://pigskindispatch.com/]. Do you want more football history? Test your Gridiron Knowledge, we feed you Daily with our new FREE activity, The Pigskin Trivia Drive [https://pigskindispatch.com/OfficialGame/]. Grab a copy of our latest book, "Marooned," [https://amzn.to/4otmwjH]on the 1925 Pottsville Maroons NFL franchise saga. *OR* Grab a copy of our book on Western Pennsylvania football history, "World's Greatest Gridiron Team" [https://amzn.to/4hMWVQm] on the 1903 Franklin All-Stars Drop us a line at PigskinDispatch@gmail .com and check out and subscribe to the Pigskin Dispatch YouTube channel. [https://www.youtube.com/@pigskindispatch] Contact us directly at PigskinDispatch@Gmail.com Miss our football by the day of the year podcasts, well, don't because they can still be found at the Pigskin Dispatch website [https://pigskindispatch.com/].