The Baseball Book Club
The Baseball Book Club is a baseball history podcast that brings the game’s rich past to life through classic and contemporary baseball books. Hosts John Cheslock and Leroy Estep study forgotten players, iconic moments, legendary seasons, and the stories that shaped America’s pastime.
Through lively discussions and thoughtful analysis, the show explores not only baseball history, but the game’s lasting impact on culture, memory, and community. Whether you’re a lifelong fan, a baseball history nerd, or someone who simply loves a great story, The Baseball Book Club invites you to rediscover the game—one book, one era, and one conversation at a time.
Episodes
57 episodes
Bill Buckner: The Error That Shook The '86 World Series
In this episode, John will sit down with Pittsburgh native and sports journalist Joe Landolina, a walking encyclopedia of Pittsburgh Pirates history. And we'll shine a light on the overlooked career of Jim Derrington—a name lost to time, but no...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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52:11
Seaver and Young: Pitching Legends Across Generations
Season 3 of The Baseball Book Club begins with a look at two of the greatest pitchers the game has ever known. John and Leroy continue their countdown of Joe Posnanski’s The Baseball 100, turning their attention to Tom Seaver ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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54:57
Lightning and Line Drives
Before the new season gets rolling, we’re tipping our cap to two icons from opposite ends of baseball history. This Best Of episode revisits our conversations on the lightning-fast legend Cool Papa Bell and the smooth, stead...
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53:04
Greatest Moment In Baseball History?
In Part 5 of The Best of The Baseball Book Club, we revisit five moments of unlikely home runs and then talk about two monumental moments in World Series history, including a Bill Mazeroski home run for the ages.
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45:46
The Bronx Is Burning
The Best of The Baseball Book Club continues. Compiling segments from various shows, this episode features baseball terminology, five funny moments from Joe Posnanski's book Why We Love Baseball, plus Leroy's Hot Corner on the book "Ladies And ...
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45:29
The Curse Of The Billy Goat
In the third installment of The Best of The Baseball Book Club, we talk about the long endured curse over the Chicago Cubs and the moment that ended it for them on a rainy night in Cleveland. Plus some classic baseball terminology a...
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42:43
Eras Collide and The Big Hurt Rises
In this Best of The Baseball Book Club episode, we bring together some of our favorite conversations in baseball history and culture.We talk about how the Deadball Era became the Liveball Era with rule changes, equipment, and strategy tr...
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57:36
Baseball Immortals: Bo Jackson's Arm and Sandy Koufax's Perfect Night in 1965
In this special Best Of episode, we revisit two unforgettable moments that helped shape baseball’s mythology.First, we look back at the legend of Bo Jackson—a once-in-a-generation athlete whose power, speed, and sheer presence s...
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53:28
The Christmas Hot Stove
In this episode of The Baseball Book Club, John Cheslock and Leroy Estep look into the latest Hot Stove activity as teams shuffle rosters and prepare for a new baseball season. The conversation blends current baseball news with the his...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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45:04
Baseball In The 90s
The crew is back together for a special, offseason episode. Leroy chimes in with a Hot Corner and John will speak with a guest as they discuss what may be the greatest decade of baseball.
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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33:12
The Greatness Of Mathewson, Maddux & Martinez
Few pitchers in baseball history combined intelligence, precision and dominance like Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez. In the season finale, John and Leroy examine what set these three legends apart — from Mathewson...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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50:40
Clemente The Great
The Great One, Roberto Clemente, is number 40 on the Posnanski 100 and we'll talk about the life and career of one of Pittsburgh's greatest. We will also do some baseball terminology - three terms from Paul Dickson's The Baseball Di...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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53:37
Iron Man Cal Ripken
What does it take to show up every single day? In this episode, we'll look into the story of Cal Ripken Jr.—the Iron Man of baseball—who redefined durability and dedication by playing in 2,632 consecutive games. From his rookie days in...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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58:49
Triple Play: Beltre, Boggs And Mathews
Still hovering around the Top 50, John and Leroy round out this group of third basemen with a 3-pack including Texas Rangers great Adrian Beltre, Boston Red Sox phenom Wade Boggs and Braves legend Eddie Mathews.
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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1:06:16
Feelin' Kinda Chipper: Braves Great Chipper Jones
John and Leroy discuss the chapter Five Pitching Oddities from Why We Love Baseball, looking at various momentous occasions from some of baseball's greats. Plus, they'll talk about Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, ranked 54th in The ...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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49:45
Four Aces: The Epic Arms Of Feller, Ryan, Spahn & Gibson
John and Leroy talk about the legendary careers of Bob Feller, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn and Bob Gibson, four aces that shape baseball history. Plus, hear about wild trade between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles that is so rare, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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1:09:20
Minor Leagues And Major Legends
Guest Zac Schmitz will join John and Leroy to talk about legend Ken Griffey Jr. who is #48 on the Posnanski 100. Plus Leroy will give us a Hot Corner segment about the feisty Salt Lake Trappers from 1987, a team that holds a professional baseba...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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46:26
Mr. Tiger, Al Kaline
In this episode of The Baseball Book Club, John and Leroy explore the Hall of Fame career of Detroit Tigers legend Al Kaline—his legacy, impact, and what made him one of baseball’s purest hitters. Plus, Leroy sits down with autho...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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1:06:19
Say It Ain't So, Shoeless Joe
Shoeless Joe Jackson has been reinstated but for over 100 years his legacy has been tarnished by one scandal. We'll talk about his humble beginnings in South Carolina to how he got the wacky nickname and the 1919 World Series that changed every...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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59:11
World Series Magic: Willie Mays and Bill Mazeroski
John and Leroy jump back into Joe Posnanski's The Baseball 100 after a few weeks away from doing the countdown. This week they look at The Yankee Clipper, Joe Dimaggio, #56 on the list. Plus they'll talk about a couple of classic World Series m...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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54:50
Perfect: Sandy Koufax And Vin Scully
Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game and Vin Scully gave us the perfect broadcast for it. We revisit that special night at Chavez Ravine in September of 1965. Former Major League Baseball player Greg Pryor visits the show to talk about his book ...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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1:00:47
Deadball: When Babe Ruth Saved The Game
In this episode of The Baseball Book Club, we dive into three key terms from Paul Dickson’s The Baseball Dictionary, including a breakdown of the Deadball Era vs. the Liveball Era. We’re also joined by Jeff Orens, author...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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1:03:17
He Woulda Hit .400 If Not For Everything
Ring Lardner's Alibi Ike is up for discussion and John will talk with author Charles Holdefer about his short story collection Ivan the Terrible Goes on a Family Picnic. We dig into the joys of historical fiction, how small-town baseba...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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47:50
Not Enough Mustard: Reggie Jackson and Pete Rose
Closing in on the halfway mark of Posnanski's Top 100 list, John and Leroy talk about the entertaining, (in more ways than one), careers of superstars Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson. From Rose’s relentless hustle to Jackson’s October heroic...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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1:10:02