Dawn welcomes Joe Dungan a guy who likes HILF and Baseball so much he asked to be drafted as a guest. Together Dawn and Joe cover the origins of the game, as well as Dawn's top 3 HILFs from baseball's history: Shoeless Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson. Play ball!
00:06:30 - Dawn starts with the mythical origin of Baseball: Cooperstown and Abner Doubleday. A lovable story that, perhaps was an attempt to obscure the more elite, urban and gentrified beginning to America's Pastime. The real beginning of baseball came from the marbled halls of the Knickerbocker Club in New York City - a club so elite they wouldn't (for awhile) even admit a Rockefeller.
00:17:32 - It wasn't long after the beginning of organized baseball leagues and the rift between Owners and Players that cheating scandals began. The 1919 World Series wasn't the first, but it was the biggest to date - and it ended the career of the sad case of Shoeless Joe Jackson.
PART 2
00:34:28 - After the break, Joe and Dawn discuss their favorite baseball movies. League of Their Own, The Natural, Major League - it's a long list. Dawn confesses that her top five includes The Sandlot - which was where she first learned about the legendary status of The Bambino, Babe Ruth.
00:53:33 - Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball, has an incredible story. Not only are the events of his life incredible, but the impact he had on the game - and therefore American Culture - is immeasurable. Hear about his early days, his height of fame, and his graceful exit from the game.
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Among my best sources for this episode was the AMAZING Ken Burns Documentary on PBS. Support your local station and watch it. 19 hours of baseball history, baby... oh yeah.