Bergino Baseball Clubhouse

56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports

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.

"New York Mets: 50 Amazing Seasons"

"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.

The Baseball Photographs of Bruce Murray Sr.

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.

"Lipman Pike: America's First Home Run King" with Richard Michelson

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.

"Baseball Haiku" with Cor van den Heuvel at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse

"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

"High Heat" with Tim Wendel at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse

"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...

"The Baseball" with Zack Hample at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse

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.

"The Imperfect Diamond" with Lee Lowenfish

"The Imperfect Diamond" with Lee Lowenfish. A fascinating evening with the author / historian / journalist / broadcaster / jazz commentator.