Almost Cooperstown

By: Gordon Kolier & Mark Kolier
  • Summary

  • We're a father & son who love to talk and argue about baseball! Baseball is the professional sport that has the longest history so there is a lot to talk about. We launched Almost Cooperstown noting that baseball contains a long history of players that, for whatever reasons, have been shunned by the electors of the Hall of Fame. Consequently here are many 'Almost' players still waiting their turn for induction. With less than 1.5% of the now more than 23,000 players in the HOF, we feel there should be more players included. In these podcasts we also discuss current seasons & trends. Please send any messages to almostcooperstown@gmail.com.

    Baseball articles can be found here: https://almostcooperstown.substack.com/publish/posts

    © 2025 Almost Cooperstown
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Episodes
  • Baseball Banning, Blackballing & Blacklisting - Ep. 579
    Mar 10 2025

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    Even before Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis banned eight #Whitesox players for their attempted fix of the 1919 World Series, players had been banned, blacklisted and banished from baseball mostly for trying to fix games but not always. Once Commissioner Landis was given the job and power to kick players and people out of baseball he used it liberally as did his successors.

    Even Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle were banned from #MLB in 1983 for being greeters at different casinos in Atlantic City. Finally Peter Ueberroth un-banned them which might have been his finest moment as commish.

    Sometimes it's gambling, other times drugs, and still other instances are even more serious and criminal. We talk about the difference between black-listing and blackballing and how #baseball hopes one of the other major sports has a gambling scandal before MLB does.

    Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!

    Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com. You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel. And please tell your friends!


    www.almostcooperstown.com

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    22 mins
  • Spring Training injuries & the youngest player in MLB history - Ep. 578
    Mar 3 2025

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    #Yankees Giancarlo Stanton is injured. Again. This time it is tennis elbow in both elbows! #Mets FA acquisition Nick Madrigal is doing his Jed Lowrie imitation as he's out for the season before it ever started! Injuries are part of the game but you hope to get through Spring Training!

    Max Scherzer is not thrilled with ABS testing so far. But Max is never happy about, everything? Terry Francona of the #Reds told his players to ignore ABS since they are not going to use it this season anyway.

    Authir Keith O'Brien will join the podcast in 2 weeks to talk about his book "Charlie Hustle". Pete Rose was in the news again as he's set to receive a pardon for his criminal activities (tax related) from President Trump. #MLB commissioner Rob Manfred then piped in that they will take another look at Pete's explusion.

    The youngest player to play MLB was LHP Joe Nuxhall in 1944. He was still 15 years old and only in high school! He pitched one game, got shelled, and didn't come back to the show for 7 years! Joe pitched 16 seasons and won 135 games a pitcher and became a long time broadcaster for Cincinnati with HOF broadcaster Marty Brennaman.

    We also talked about NY Giants Freddie Lindstrom who became a HOFer - somehow, and still is the youngest player to ever play in the World Series. Even younger than #Braves Andruw Jones!

    Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!

    Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com. You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel. And please tell your friends!

    www.almostcooperstown.com

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    28 mins
  • TWIB - 2.24.25 & Pitching in the Deadball era - Ep. 577
    Feb 24 2025

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    Alex Bregman homered in his first Spring Training game for #redsox. He also went 3-3. #Mets Juan Soto went oppo toco deep in his first AB with his new team. #yankees Aaron Boone got a contract extension and Giancarlo Stanton has tennis elbow. In both elbows? Frankie Montas now of the Mets is injured. Justin Turner goes to #Cubs. Does that give them an edge? ABS made its debut in Spring Training and teams are testing it out.

    Yankees also rescinded the facial hair policy. It lasted 49 years. #reds had a longer time not allowing whiskers - from 1902-1999! Marge Schott put a stop to it of all people!

    We also dream that a salary cap attempt by owners backfires into a salary floor with NO salary cap! It could happen but probably won't.

    Deadball era pitchers like Christy Mathewson, Lefty Grove, Rube Waddell, Cy Young made it tough on hitters and were a bigger part of hitters failures than pithcers were given credit for. Hitters used heavy bats and their approach to hitting was limited once foul balls were counted as strikes - which they were not until 1901 in the NL and 1903 in the AL. We're so glad the deadball era is past but starting pitchers today are a dying breed.

    Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!

    Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com. You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel. And please tell your friends!

    www.almostcooperstown.com

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    33 mins

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