Midnight Library of Baseball

1 out of every 5 men claiming to have played professional baseball was lying, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 1990s. But there was no name for this phenomenon, until author W.P. Kinsella created a fictional character named Eddie Scissons. Stranger still, two men in real life decided to study cases of Eddie Scissons syndrome, and what they found blew their minds.

There are many great moments from Field of Dreams taken directly from the novel, Shoeless Joe, but there are also key differences in both. Some of the additions and changes in Field of Dreams led to a better story, but some of the deleted characters and stories from the novel are wonderful gems worth discussing, including a very meaningful part cut from Terence Mann’s final speech.

Unlike many predestined stories of artists, author W.P. Kinsella was born and raised to NOT write the novel, Shoeless Joe.  In this episode, I explore the many fascinating contradictions that made Kinsella such an interesting character, and that led to stories no one else in the world could write. 

In this first episode, I explore the crazy story of editor Lawrence Kessenich, who was instrumental in helping W.P. Kinsella turn a 16-page short story into a full novel. Along the way, there were many improbable occurrences and treacherous hazards that nearly derailed the project. But born from this struggle was a bond that would last generations.

The making of Field of Dreams, across countries and continents, is a story of vision, of redemption, and of slowing down and appreciating the people and things in your life that matter. This season, I will talk to actors, directors, and other fascinating men and women in the film industry. I will also talk with you, the fans, about your stories of baseball and Field of Dreams. I will trace the film back decades to improbable imaginings and encounters, to daunting casting and production disasters, to unlikely and uplifting box office performances, and finally, to what Field of Dreams and a little field in Iowa mean to people today. I can't wait to start the journey on September 5!

For the final episode of season 1, I dive into the major league catcher and the tools that make him what he is today. Because of his equipment, the catcher is literally masked, but there are so many other areas where he is overlooked and underestimated. In this episode, I explore these areas, and why they have come to be.

In this episode, I dive into the origins of the baseball bat, the number one piece of marketing equipment in the history of the game. I also discuss the colorful stories of the inspirational, stubborn, superstitious men who wielded this instrument of hope and despair.

What began as an object of great shame eventually turned into the most intimate relationship between a ballplayer and an object. Come along on this fascinating journey of the baseball glove, from infamy to celebration, honor, and love. 

In this episode, I explore the history of the baseball, and some surprising facts about what was initially used inside a baseball. I also discuss changes to the ball that greatly affected the game, and how a few additional simple changes could help evolve the game for the better.

The three major home run races in baseball history were between six very different men. In this episode, I explore these mythic figures, and discuss how they were a product of their times and also instrumental in shaping what came next.