The Hall of Very Good Podcast

International baseball guru Michael Clair joins the boys to talk about his journey going from blogger to MLB's senior manager, story telling and special projects, how his excitement over the World Baseball Classic led to hooking up with the Czech national team and writing his book, We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball, searching for baseball diamonds overseas and his favorite non-traditional ballpark food.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Six years and three championship rings after her first visit, Janet Marie Smith, Senior Vice President of Planning and Development for the Los Angeles Dodgers, returns to talk to the boys about the importance of preserving the cultural significance and legacy of the team, Dodger Stadium's new display celebrating the lives of Glenn Burke and Billy Bean and, of course, her favorite ballpark food.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Self-proclaimed "visual guy" Todd Radom returns to talk to the boys about his new book, The Ballpark and Beyond: A Celebration of Baseball's Rich History, who probably should've recorded the audio version, whether or not any of the current City Connect uniforms belong in the Jersey Hall of Fame, the sordid origin story of Barrel Man, Lou's obsession with "Sad Grebeck", first jobs and, for good measure, wage war against the city of Anaheim.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

New York Times bestselling author Tim Brown joins the boys to talk about growing up a fan of Nolan Ryan, visiting a senior center in Alvin, Texas, to learn more about the Hall of Famer for his new book, Nolan: The Singular Life of an American Original, whether or not he was able to get the Ryan family involved, shares the incredibly true story of Sid Holland and reveals the missing chapter!

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

53-year-old knuckleballer Vincent Towns joins the boys to talk about the 33-year layoff between playing minor league baseball for the San Francisco Giants and getting drafted by the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars, when he first learned how to throw a knuckleball, the biggest difference between 90s clubhouses and now and how long he plans to keep pitching.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Peabody Award-winning writer/director Jake Szymanski joins the boys to talk about "Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat" and the day-to-day joys (and difficulties) of the behind-the-scenes of the show, his love of sports documentaries (real and fake), his favorite "off Broadway" sports, growing up a Milwaukee Brewers fan, his appreciation of County Stadium and getting back into baseball card collecting as an adult.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

To celebrate 500 episodes, rap legend and Public Enemy frontman Chuck D joins the boys to talk about falling in love with baseball (and old school ballparks) while growing up in the shadow of Shea Stadium, his dad's tryout with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the importance of the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, his influence on pop culture and hip hop fashion, touring and hitting baseball games with bandmate, legendary guitarist Tom Morello and, of course, the power of Strat-o-Matic.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Screenwriter Herschel Weingrod joins the boys to talk about growing up cheering for the then-Milwaukee Braves, how being a baseball fan helped shape 1985's "Brewster's Millions" from a Bill Murray vehicle to starring Richard Pryor, hanging out on the set during the baseball scenes, whether or not we could see another version of the fil, being brought in to write "Space Jam" and handpicking the basketball players that would end up being The Monstars.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

CJ Papara, owner of Milwaukee's 4th Base, joins the boys to talk about moving his bar from the tiny Pigsville neighborhood to within walking distance of the Brewers ballpark, the role the team played in the relocation, the bar's iconic appearance in the movie "Major League", re-booting the 1989 classic, how the prosthetic leg of legendary skipper Harvey Kuenn ended up behind the bar and, naturally, drinking from the thing.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Adam Henig, author of Baseball's Outcast, joins the boys to talk about deciding to write the story of prison inmate-turned-Major League All-Star Ron LeFlore after first discovering him in his grade school library nearly four decades prior, the difference between telling the story of a living subject versus a dead one, actually meeting Ron LeFlore, shares the legacy of Frank Wills and introduces the world to Napolun Birdsong.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Brandon Alinger, the Indiana Jones of movie props, joins the boys to talk about the importance Planet Hollywood had on the movie memorabilia industry, his role at Propstore, what they won't sell (and why), the coolest stuff currently on the auction block, why some movies just don't have that signature piece to be purchased and how he got his hands on one of the most iconic items in baseball movie history.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

81-year-old baseball player Robb "Old Man" Herrelson joins the boys to talk about his desire to become the oldest member of the Savannah Bananas, the unique method he plans to use to get around the bases, his quest to rid the world of plastics and, hold on…did he really say he has a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle?

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

International Women's Baseball Center project coordinator Ryan Woodward joins the boys to talk about how his lifelong fascination of World War II turned into a love of women's baseball, getting involved with the IWBC, the excitement around the upcoming Women's Baseball World Cup, creating the Women's Baseball Heritage Trail, how he ended up in "the Reno of Illinois" and, naturally, what it takes to become a Kentucky Colonel.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Award-winning baseball photographer Brad Mangin joins the boys to talk about getting his start working for his hometown newspaper, being part of the early history of Upper Deck baseball cards, shares his memories of both Candlestick Park and the Oakland Coliseum, living in the Bay Area during the 1989 earthquake, photographing Barry Bonds' historic career in San Francisco and his favorite cities to visit for work.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon joins the boys to talk about going from being a two-sport athlete in college to a SuperBowl winner with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, whether or not he could've made it to the Majors as an outfielder, landing on the legendary Frank Jobe's operating table, visiting the White House (twice!) and how he ended up in Iraq for the execution of Saddam Hussein.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Fourth-generation baseball executive (and owner of the Joliet Slammers) William Night Train Veeck joins the boys to talk about getting into the family business, the location of his grandfather's prosthetic leg, building a baseball field and planning a game at the historic Old Joliet Prison, his desire to bring back the home run machine, the one stunt he'd love to pull off and, of course, that time he didn't allow any fans into the ballpark.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Baseball Card Theater creator T. Sean Shannon returns to talk to the boys about his favorite sports logos, the importance of "ballers", his time in the SNL writers' room, sketches that never made it, the brilliance of Lorne Michaels (and JB Smoove!), those legendary after parties and whether or not we'll ever see that "Bear City" movie.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Baseball Hall of Fame guru Jay Jaffe joins the boys for the eighth time to break down his 2026 ballot, look ahead to future elections, how he correctly predicted the upcoming induction of Jeff Kent, what the future holds for all-time hit leader Pete Rose, his love of "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" and whether or not they actually drink Guinness in Ireland.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

To celebrate being the most listened to episode of 2025, former Boston Red Sox Director of Grounds and PTSD survivor David Mellor returns to talk to the boys about dogs (his and theirs!), what he's been up to since he retired following the 2024 baseball season, where he keeps his four World Series rings, whether or not he was worried about the field at Fenway Park following a big concert and, of course, "blow flowers".

Episode originally aired May 20, 2024.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Father and son memorabilia dealers Robbie Davis Sr. and Robbie Davis Jr. join the boys to talk about how they went from selling cars to collecting cards, why producers chose their store, Robbie's First Base, as the location for the show "Ball Boys", joining Ken Goldin on his Netflix series "King of Collectibles" and share what their ultimate grail items would be.

Episode originally aired May 15, 2023.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

To help the boys celebrate the tenth anniversary of the podcast, the show's first ever guest, former Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson, returns to talk about how he's been spending his "retirement", his involvement with the documentary "See Her Be Her", the superstar that is Kelsie Whitmore, baseball in Uganda and the upcoming Women's Professional Baseball League.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Television personality and food brand historian Jason Liebig joins the boys to talk about how he turned vintage food into a career, his amazing collection of candy packaging (and its connection to baseball legend Rickey Henderson), the most famous piece he owns, the item of his that is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, his lifelong fascination with Big League Chew and, of course, his choice for the ultimate ballpark snack.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

1995 American League Most Valuable Player Mo Vaughn joins the boys to talk about his new show (appropriately called The Mo Vaughn Podcast) and the guests he'd love to talk to, shares what he thinks of suspected steroid users in the Hall of Fame, compares former commissioner Bug Selig to the current top guy, reveals how he ended up wearing Jackie Robinson's number and what brought him back to baseball after leaving the game in 2003.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Legendary rock drummer and author Liberty DeVitto joins the boys to talk about giving up playing Little League baseball for Jerry's Lunch Bombers to drum alongside Billy Joel for 30-plus years, growing up going to Yankee Stadium with his dad, returning there as an adult to perform, sharing the stage with Bernie Williams and Paul O'Neill, his favorite (and least favorite) songs to play live and whether or not he farted while wearing Don Mattingly's pants.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Iconic pop culture artist John Costacos returns to talk to the boys about modern athletes he'd love to put on a poster, working with Roger Clemens and the late-Mike Greenwell, the impossibility of disliking ANYONE named Mookie, shares his personal poster Mount Rushmore, revels in the lasting legacy of Brian Bosworth and hints at the possible return of the (Mad) Mac.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Filmmaker Ty Morse, producer of "No Packers, No Life", joins the boys to talk about his fear of flying, traveling to Japan, hanging out (and partying) with the Japanese Packers Cheering Team, bringing them back to Green Bay, celebrates the joy of tailgating and introduces the world to Elvis Presley's favorite rollercoaster.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Former minor league baseball player-turned-WCW wrestler Dale "The Demon" Torborg joins the boys to talk about growing up the son of longtime MLB player, coach and manager Jeff Torborg, following his dad into the family business, how a chance encounter with Hulk Hogan led to a wrestling career, being handpicked (kind of) by Gene Simmons of KISS and the importance of treating people the right way.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

For the seventh time, New York Times bestselling author Jeff Pearlman joins the boys to talk about his new biography, Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, shares where he was when he learned Tupac had died, the lengths he went to talk to everyone whoever crossed the legendary rapper's path (including, for some reason, Tony Danza), provides his ultimate Tupac playlist and drops some hints as to what his next project might be...maybe.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Just in time for the 40th anniversary of the 1985 World Series, Marshall Garvey, author of Interstate '85: The Royals, The Cardinals, and the Show-Me World Series, joins the boys to talk about how videogames help with his writing process, interviewing umpiring great Don Denkinger, whether or not Dan Quisenberry should be in the Hall of Fame, if Bo Jackson ruined the Kansas City Royals and, yes, that time an All-Star outfielder threatened to kill his general manager.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

All-star pitcher and 2004 World Champion Bronson Arroyo joins the boys to talk about growing up surrounded by music, the first time he picked up a guitar and started playing, chooses his "desert island" album (turns out, it's a no-brainer), goes behind-the-scenes of "The Masked Singer", reveals his decades-long rivalry with Alex Rodriguez and, yeah…those cornrows.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

New York Times bestselling author Jane Leavy returns to talk to the boys about her new book, Make Me Commissioner: I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It, the changes she'd make if she had baseball's top job, what the Savannah Bananas are doing right, reveals her "worst interview ever", the importance of trusting your gut and answers the seven hundred million dollar question…should Shohei Ohtani ever pitch again?

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Tag team wrestling icons Matt and Jeff, The Hardy Boyz, join the boys to talk about growing up dreaming of playing professional baseball, the unfortunate injury that ended Jeff's big league aspirations, the preparation that goes into throwing up a ceremonial first pitch and getting back in the ring to take on their longtime rivals Bully Ray and D-Von, The Dudley Boyz, at the upcoming Bound for Glory pay-per-view.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Hugh Baver and Lev Kotler-Berkowitz from Cards4DR join the boys to talk about reviving the quest to bring baseball cards (and sports equipment) to kids in the Dominican Republic, their efforts actually help educate as well as inspire, how you can get involved and Hugh's unlikely friendship with Toronto Blue Jays legend Tony Fernandez and delivering the eulogy at his funeral in 2020.

Click HERE to learn how you can help!

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Actor, comedian and musician, Skip Griparis returns to talk to the boys about his recent induction into the Illinois Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, hanging out with Little Richard, being invited to take part in Bob Uecker's Celebration of Life, meeting Bob Costas, hitting the convention circuit and, for some reason, celebrity hygiene.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Tom Garvey, author of The Secret Apartment, joins the boys to talk about why he went from working at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium to living there for more than two years, how Vietnam helped prepare him for stadium life, whether or not a movie is in the works and, naturally, the reason Pope John Paul II factors into everything.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Baseball historian Bob Wechsler joins the boys to talk about using his 40-plus year journalism career to work telling the story of Jewish baseball players past and present, what it takes to be recognized by The Jewish Baseball Museum (sorry, Rod Carew), the museum's unique collection of one of a kind items and whether or not it will ever find a physical home.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Public Enemy's Shawn K. Carter (aka "The Interrogator") joins the boys to talk about growing up in Pittsburgh, hanging out at Three Rivers Stadium, working for the Pirates, his relationship with Dave Parker and Dock Ellis, "The Cobra" finally getting into The Hall of Fame and his frustration that the Bucs haven't retired number 39 yet.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Fresh off Hall of Fame Induction Weekend 2025, Cooperstown correspondent Jeff "Dirty Dozen" Katz joins the boys to talk about what makes a good speech great, sharing pleasantries with Paul Molitor, his annual porch party, the excitement surrounding Ichiro in Cooperstown, whether or not we could be seeing Pete Rose in the plaque gallery and, of course, who he thinks gets in a year from now.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

Blind Melon guitarist and co-founder Christopher Thorn joins the boys to talk about traveling ballpark to ballpark with his pal, Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli, the thrill of watching Dodgers Stadium fireworks from his backyard, battling nerves before performing on "Saturday Night Live", who talked the band out of canceling their 1994 "Late Show" appearance and why, sometimes, it might be best NOT to meet your heroes.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.

On the eve of the induction ceremony, Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch joins the boys to talk about hanging out in Atlanta for the All-Star Game, that historic swing off, what he brought back to Cooperstown, the excitement surrounding the Class of 2025, the Hall's newest exhibit and spending time with Dave Parker.

This week's podcast was brought to you by  Teambrown Apparel, Old Fort Baseball Co and Patrick's Custom Painting.