April 27 2012
It happens every spring. New York Yankees pitching great Ron Guidry arrives at the Tampa airport to pick up Hall of Fame catcher and national treasure Yogi Berra. Guidry drives him to the ballpark. They watch the young players. They talk shop. They eat dinner together and tease each other mercilessly. They trade stories about the greats they have met along the way. And the next day they do the same thing all over again.
As every former ballplayer can appreciate, in that routine, every spring, there emerges a certain magic.
"Driving Mr. Yogi" is the story of how a unique friendship between a pitcher and catcher is renewed every year. By turns tender and laugh-out-loud funny, and teeming with unforgettable baseball yarns that span more than fifty years, this is a universal story about the importance of wisdom being passed from one generation to the next, as well as a reminder that time is what we make of it and compassion never gets old.
Harvey Araton joined the "New York Times" as a sports reporter in 1991 and became a national columnist in 1993. He is the author of many books, including "When the Garden Was Eden: Clyde, the Captain, Dollar Bill, and the Glory Days of the New York Knicks." Harvey's work has also appeared in the "New York Times Magazine," the "New York Times Book Review," "ESPN," the "Daily News," and the "New York Post."
Enjoy this sweet ride in the Clubhouse with Harvey Araton...
April 21 2012
From the beginning, 1968 was a season rocked by national tragedy and sweeping change. Opening Day was postponed and played in the shadow of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral. That summer, as the pennant races were heating up, the assassination of Robert Kennedy was later followed by rioting at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But even as tensions boiled over and violence spilled into the streets, something remarkable was happening in major league ballparks across the country.
In vivid detail, "Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball, And America, Forever" tells the story of this unforgettable season -- the last before rule changes and expansion would alter baseball forever -- when the country was captivated by the national pasttime at the moment it needed the game most.
Tim Wendel is the author of nine books, including "High Heat," "Far From Home," "Red Rain," and "Castro's Curveball." A founding editor of "USA Today Baseball Weekly," he has written for "Esquire," "GQ," and "Washingtonian" magazines. He teaches writing at Johns Hopkins University and has appeared on CNN, ESPN, SiriusXM, and NPR , and recently served as an exhibit advisor to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Join Tim -- our first returning author to the Clubhouse Event Series -- in this fascinating evening...
December 28 2011
Part Two with acclaimed columnist/author George Vecsey.
Enjoy this Q&A from a special evening in the Clubhouse...
In light of the St. Louis Cardinals astounding 2011 World Series victory -- and with the holidays upon us -- we couldn't think of a better time to welcome acclaimed columnist/author George Vecsey to the Clubhouse for a baseball discussion/book signing regarding Stan Musial and all things Cardinals.
Whether you're a Cardinal fan, or just someone nostalgic for the very best of what our national pastime has to offer, please join "metroBASEBALL" Magazine in welcoming one of journalism's perennial MVP's for an evening celebrating one of baseball's finest players ever.
George Vecsey, a sports columnist for The New York Times, has written about such events as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics, but considers baseball -- the sport he's covered since 1960 -- his favorite game. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including "Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game" and "Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter" (with Loretta Lynn), which was made into an Aceademy Award-winning film. He has also served as a national and religion reporter for The New York Times, interviewing the Dalai Lama, Tony Blair, Billy Graham, and a host of other noteworthy figures.
Enjoy Part One of the podcast with Mr. Vecsey...
December 13 2011
Filed under:
Campy — berginobaseballclubhouse @ 12:16 pm
Neil Lanctot's biography of Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella -- filled with surprises -- is the first life of the Dodger great in decades and the most authoritative ever published.
Based on interviews with dozens of people who knew Campanella and diligent research into contemporary sources, Campy offers a three-dimensional portrait of this gifted athlete and remarkable man whose second life after baseball would prove as illustrious and courageous as his first.
Neil Lanctot is a historian who has written extensively about baseball. His book Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution was widely praised and won the SABR Seymour Medal for the best book of baseball history or biography.
Celebrate Campy with a wonderful podcast featuring expert author Neil Lanctot.
December 6 2011
An evening of baseball memories with Matthew Stevenson.
Matthew is a contributing editor of Harper's Magazine and has written for a number of national publications. He is the author of "An April Across America," "Letters of Transit: Essays on Travel, History, Politics, and Family Life Abroad" and "Expatriate American." He is a graduate of Bucknell and Columbia universities. Matthew grew up on Long Island and has worked both in magazines, as an editor, and as a chief executive in international banking. Although residing in Switzerland, he remains a lover of the American pastime. Enjoy Matthew's lifetime of baseball memories...
November 18 2011
Filed under:
Scouts Honor — berginobaseballclubhouse @ 2:33 pm
Part Two from our wonderful evening in the Clubhouse with three Major League Baseball Scouts...
Filed under:
Scouts Honor — berginobaseballclubhouse @ 1:40 pm
When was the last time you met a Major League Baseball Scout? And we're not talking about going to see "Moneyball."
On November 15th, three noted Major League Baseball Scouts joined moderator Lee Lowenfish in a fascinating Clubhouse conversation.
Billy Blitzer, pro scout for the Chicago Cubs. Among his signings: Jamie Moyer, winner of 267 major league games, and Brooklyn's Shawon Dunston.
Joe DeLucca, retired scout. Among his signings: Manny Ramirez for the Cleveland Indians and Pete Harnisch for the Baltimore Orioles.
Joe Rigoli, pro scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. Among his signings: "Super" Joe McEwing and World Series champion pitcher Jason Motte.
Lee Lowenfish, moderator. Lee teaches sport history in Columbia University's graduate Sports Management program. He is the author of "Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman," "The Imperfect Diamond: A History of Baseball's Labor Wars," and he collaborated on Tom Seaver's "The Art of Pitching."
Here's Part One... Enjoy!
November 12 2011
Filed under:
Wiffle Ball — berginobaseballclubhouse @ 12:35 pm
Speak Easy Series: Chad Harbach & Friends on "The Art of Fielding" -- Q&A
Chad Harbach, author of "The Art of Fielding," in conversation with Cara Cannella, his literary agent Chris Parris-Lamb, and Sports Illustrated baseball editor Stephen Cannella
November 3, 2011 in the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse
Speak Easy Series: Chad Harbach & Friends on "The Art of Fielding"
Chad Harbach, author of "The Art of Fielding," in conversation with Cara Cannella, his literary agent Chris Parris-Lamb, and Sports Illustrated baseball editor Stephen Cannella
November 3, 2011 in the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse
October 19 2011
In this remarkable sports book, Knocking on Heaven’s Door, Marty Dobrow explores the “anguish of almost” as he examines the lives of six minor league baseball players who are so close to something they want so much, something they have always wanted, but something they still might not get. What links them together, aside from their common goal of wanting to play on a major league team, is they are all represented by the same team of agents whose own aspirations parallel those of the players they represent.
In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the book, “A beautifully written, meticulously orchestrated account of the families, common agents, notable triumphs, and devastating failures of half a dozen talented young men who want to play in the Major Leagues.”
Marty Dobrow is an associate professor at Springfield College. He has written for the Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, espn.com and the International Herald Tribune. Five of Marty's pieces have earned recognition in the "Best American Sports Writing" series.
October 14 2011
70 years ago. The summer of 1941. Young American men were being drafted for war. The nation was apprehensive. Yet for two months, America was captivated by Joe DiMaggio’s astonishing hitting streak -- the most resonant baseball achievement of all time.
In 56, Kostya Kennedy tells the remarkable story of how the streak found its way into countless lives, from the Italian kitchens of Newark to the playgrounds of Queens to the San Francisco streets; from the Oval Office of FDR to the Upper West Side apartment where Joe’s first wife, Dorothy, the movie starlet, was expecting a child. DiMaggio emerges in a new light, a 26-year-old on the cusp of becoming an icon. He comes alive -- a driven ballplayer, a mercurial star and a conflicted husband -- as the tension and the scrutiny upon him build with each passing day. DiMaggio’s feat lives as the greatest sports record.
Alongside the story of the dramatic quest, Kennedy examines the nature of hitting streaks and with an incisive, modern-day perspective gets inside the number itself, as its sheer improbability heightens the magic of 56 games in a row.
Kostya Kennedy, a senior editor at Sports Illustrated, writes on a wide range of subjects. Before joining SI, he was a staff writer at Newsday and contributed to The New York Times and The New Yorker. Kennedy earned an M.S. from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, from which he received a Pulitzer Fellowship. He has taught in the graduate journalism programs at Columbia and at N.Y.U.
June 18 2011
"New York Mets: 50 Amazing Seasons" with Matthew Silverman
New York Mets fan/author/expert Matthew Silverman selects the Top 50 Mets of all-time. "New York Mets: 50 Amazing Seasons - The Complete Illustrated History" brings to life a half-century of Mets baseball. This beautiful book tells the complete story of the franchise, including season-by-season recaps, profiles of the great players and characters, and behind-the-scenes stories through the decades.
This book -- and evening -- is guaranteed to give you the time of your life.
June 11 2011
A grandson honors his grandfather...
Bruce Murray, Sr. was one of the premier sports photographers of the 1920's. His grandson, Shawn, now runs the family photo archive, featuring many of the game's greatest legends. Join Shawn in this special, memory-filled event.
A number of limited-edition baseball photographs printed directly from the original glass plate negatives are available for purchase at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse. Or, contact Shawn directly at www.brucemurray.com and mention that the Clubhouse Podcast sent you.
May 28 2011
The story of the first "professional" baseball player... "Lipman Pike" with Richard Michelson.
A unique book, illustrated by award-winning Zachary Pullen.
A story of immigrant life in 19th-century Brooklyn, baseball's early years, prejudice, assimilation, family, America.
It's a beautiful game. And this is a beautiful story.
May 4 2011
"Baseball Haiku: The Best Haiku Ever Written About The Game"
Join award-winning Haiku poet Cor van den Heuvel for an interesting and enlightening evening in the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse
April 30 2011
Filed under:
High Heat — berginobaseballclubhouse @ 11:54 am
"High Heat" was named one of the Top 10 sports titles by Publisher's Weekly.
From legends such as Walter Johnson, Satchel Paige, Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan - to present-day standard-bearers like Tim Lincecum and David Price - Tim Wendel reveals the fascinating history of the fastball from its early development to its present form. "High Heat" explores the pitch's remarkable impact on the game as well as the feats and trials of the pitchers who have attempted to master it. The book contains more than just stats. "High Heat" is a fast-paced journey through the past and present of our national pastime, and a vivid reminder of why we love the game.
Tim Wendel is the author of eight books. A founding editor of USA Today Baseball Weekly, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, GQ and Esquire.
Tim teaches fiction and nonfiction writing at Johns Hopkins University, where he received the 2009 Award for Teaching Excellence. He is a Walter E. Dakin Fellow and Tennessee Williams Scholar to the Sewanee Writing Conference, and a Pen/Faulkner visiting writer to the Washington, DC Public Schools.
Here's Tim Wendel -- a literary flamethrower -- Live in the Clubhouse...
March 23 2011
Zack Hample has snagged 4,662 baseballs in 48 different major league stadiums. "The Baseball" is Zack's third book.
This is a guy who knows his way around a stadium... the best places to stand, the odds of foul balls landing in each section, the ideal seats. You get the idea.
In this enlightening, entertaining, and often wildly funny book, Zack Hample shares ballpark legends and lore, details the evolution of the ball, and offers up his secret methods for snagging your own from major league games.
Zack also snags baseballs to raise money for the charity "Pitch In For Baseball."
Listen to a fascinating evening... Live in the Clubhouse.
December 10 2010
"The Imperfect Diamond" with Lee Lowenfish. A fascinating evening with the author / historian / journalist / broadcaster / jazz commentator.
December 3 2010
"Circling the Bases" with preeminent sports economist Andrew Zimbalist
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