Tigers History Podcast – Episode #006 – Nate Robertson
Nate Robertson pitched for the Tigers from 2003-2009. He is co-owner of the Wichita Wingnuts. He talks about how the Tigers ascended from rock bottom in 2003 to make the World Series in 2006.
Author: Nathan Bierma
Episode #005 – Joe Cox, author of ‘Almost Perfect’
Joe Cox writes about 16 pitchers who lost a perfect game with one out to go in ‘Almost Perfect: The Heartbreaking Pursuit of Pitching’s Holy Grail.’ We talk with him about the three Tigers and one former Tiger who suffered this fate.
Episode #004 – Dan Dillman, Tigers’ batboy in the 1940s
Dan Dillman worked as a batboy at Briggs (Tiger) Stadium from 1948-1950, rubbing shoulders with baseball legends in the visitors’ clubhouse and dugout. He reminisces about his experiences in his book Hey Kid! A Tiger Batboy Remembers. I spoke with Dillman about his memories from his front row seat for baseball history.
Episode #003 – Ron Kaplan, Author of ‘Hank Greenberg in 1938’
Ron Kaplan, author of ‘Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War,’ talks about Hammerin’ Hank’s historic chase to break Babe Ruth’s record for home runs in a season.
Episode #002 – Jake Wood, Tigers second baseman in the 1960s
Jake Wood, Tigers second baseman in the 1960s, was the first African American to come out of the Tigers’ farm system and become a regular starter on the team.
Episode #001 – Tom Gage, author of ‘The Big 50’
Tom Gage, longtime Tigers beat writer for the Detroit News, talks about his new book, The Big 50: The Men and Moments That Made the Detroit Tigers. 1:08 – remembering Read More …
Future Bound: The greatly exaggerated demise of an American institution
As you walk down Seattle’s Fourth Avenue, the new Central Library jumps out at youliterally; its third-story jaw juts out over a ground-level plaza. Encamped amid nondescript beige and black Read More …
‘Summer’s Ebullient Finale’: A richly varied anthology offers a ‘spiritual biography’ of autumn
Sometimes it seems there is no limit to scientific reductionism—the shrink–wrapping of creation’s mysteries in scientific facts. Nothing is exempt, not even the bewildering brilliance of the autumn leaves. The changing Read More …
How the Monster Grew: A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian looks at the origins of modern media
The first American newspaper, Paul Starr tells us in The Creation of the Media, was published in Boston in 1690 under the title Publick Occurrences, Both Forreign and Domestick. In the four–page debut edition, publisher Benjamin Harris stated his intention to publish monthly, “or if any Glut of Occurrences happen, oftener.”
‘Wordcraft’ details birth of brand names and semantics of ‘berries’
There is a moment every marketer both dreams of and fears. It is the time when a brand name, by decree of the dictionary or whims of the zeitgeist, becomes a common noun or a verb. This can be a blessing—the ultimate validation of a name that is both catchy and meaningful. But it can also be a curse. The more widely a word is used, the harder it is to legally protect as a trademark. In a brand name’s infancy, however, the thought of gaining this kind of cultural currency is an inspiration to professional namers, says Alex Frankel in his new book “Wordcraft: The Art of Turning Little Words into Big Business” (Crown, $24.95).