Skip's Corner: Nashville Baseball Podcast

10 Episodes
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By: Skip Nipper

Baseball history in Nashville and interviews with local baseball figures as told by Skip Nipper - researcher, author, writer, and historian...

Destination Cooperstown: Another Trip of a Lifetime
#3
Last Monday at 2:00 PM

It was going to be the trip of a lifetime, and boy, was I excited about it. For most of my life, I had dreamed of visiting Cooperstown, and finally, it was going to happen.

In this episode, I tell about a special visit that rivals two spring training trips, MLB World Series and All-Star games, and the birth of all four of my children.

Well, maybe not the last part. But it I will cherish my first visit to the special place known as the National Baseball Hall of Fame!

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Remembering Our 2016 Spring Training Trip with Dave Ammenheuser
#2
03/18/2024

Tennessean sports editor Dave Ammenheuser coordinated a spring training trip in 2016, and I tagged along with high school teammate Bart Leathers and everyone’s “Mr. Nashville Baseball”, Farrell Owens (both deceased). 

Dave has moved on to various assignments, but eight years later, here we are to talk about that great six-games-in-five days “immaculate visitation!”

It was a remarkable time with friends, and I hope you enjoy listening to us talk about our trip!

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Betty-Jane Taylor: A Woman for All Seasons
#1
03/11/2024

Betty-Jane Taylor and I have known each other through her husband Larry, who not only played for the Nashville Vols, but was basketball and baseball coach at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.

Larry passed away not quite two years ago, on April 21, 2022, at the age of 91. He was a good baseball friend and loyal member of the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association.

International Women’s Day was celebrated only a few days ago, but the month to recognize women is March and I was fortunate to be able to speak with Betty-Jane and hear her pe...


Old Timers President Tony Rankin Talks Baseball
#52
03/04/2024

Tony Rankin loves the game of baseball as much as anybody, both as an autograph collector and with a passion for its purpose.

A clinical therapist, speaker, and author, in this Skip’s Corner episode Tony explains how we like to remember things that take us back to a fun place in life that we don’t necessarily  have today when he says:

“Baseball is the commonality a lot of people have that brings about hope, peace, and contentment.”

Recently installed as president of the Old Timers Baseball Association of Nashville, he intends to press...


Hall of Famer Ray Dandridge in Nashville
#49
02/26/2024

As we bring Black History Month to an end, I want you to know about a special player with a special talent. Ray Dandridge never had the chance to play in the majors, but the record shows he was clearly one of the greatest third basemen of all time.

And, he had a brief connection to Nashville baseball.

Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987, Dandridge had glory on the field from his early days to the day he died, and Nashville had a small part in his legacy.

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Negro Leaguers in the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame
#48
02/19/2024

If you have never been to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, it is worth a few hours of your time. It honors athletes, teams, coaches, sportswriters, and sports executives for their contributions to sports in our state.

In celebraton of Black History Month, it is important to highlight inductees who played Negro Leagues baseball, and to call attention to those who have been omitted. Maybe they do not all qualify for induction, but in my book, they certainly are worthy of consideration.

In this episode, I tell about the inductees from the Negro Leagues!<...


Butch McCord: True Baseball
#47
02/12/2024

Clinton “Butch” McCord was destined to be one of baseball’s greatest players. The color of one’s skin was a factor in many baseball careers throughout the United States, and Butch ran into many roadblocks along the way, too. But never did he let them get him down.

I have spoken about Butch many times, but never have I made him the subject of an entire podcast episode. Today, I am going to right that wrong, and I am glad to be including it during February, Black History Month.

When he passed away in 2011 , he left...


Coaches: Teach Your Players Well About the Negro Leagues
#46
02/05/2024

Michael Thurmon was one of the organizers of the Tennessee Vintage Base Ball Association. His love for history led him to study early base ball, as it was played in the middle of the 19th Century.

Today, he has taken his love for The Game to coach a team of youngsters who he teaches baseball skills, but he goes a step further, too: He teaches him about the history of the National Pastime, including the Negro Leagues.

If coaches would do what Michael has done, baseball would be understood in a more pleasant way. Learning...


Joey Hale from Goodlettsville Little League: Like Father, Like Son
#45
01/29/2024

You are really going to enjoy this Nashville Baseball History podcast episode. Joey Hale, who coached the Southeast regional team from Goodlettsville to the 2012 Little League United States Championship, is my guest.

He describes the journey to Williamsport and tells about each player. His passion for baseball and teaching youngsters the game is evident, too. It does not end with the 2012 team, either, as he returned to the LLWS with another team in 2016.

The second trip will be a podcast episode for the future, but listen todoay to hear Joey talk about the 2012 experience! (Image...


George Leonard’s Sulphur Dell
#44
01/22/2024

Nashville’s reading public who relied on the written word from the newspapers, the morning Nashville Tennessean and evening Nashville Banner (the Banner is long gone and the Tennessean is no longer the up-to-date version, through no fault of its own) knew they could trust the writers to deliver the best coverage, the best detailed account of a game or situation, and do it in a sensible way to earn the trust of those readers.

One who stands out to me as I research Nashville baseball history is George Leonard. His coverage of the Vols in their ho...