Fungos & Fastballs: Baseball History & Trivia

Jerry Dynes

5.0 (8)
BASEBALL

Join us on this podcast exploring baseball's history and lore, plus enjoy some fastball trivia all in under 30 minutes. Topics will be all over the place - players, traditions, baseball lingo, stadiums, baseball movies/books. Like you, we just want to talk baseball!

19H AGO

E22: The Baseball Reliquary: A Fan’s Hall of Fame

Send us Fan Mail Cooperstown tells one kind of baseball story. The Baseball Reliquary tells the one that lives in fan memory, strange artifacts, and the people who shaped the game’s lore even if they never fit a Hall of Fame template. We sit down with Joe Price, Professor Emeritus and co-director of the Institute for Baseball Studies at Whittier College, to explore how an “alternate hall of fame” can honor impact, meaning, and cultural weight alongside on-field greatness. Joe explains what a reliquary is and why the word belongs in baseball, then takes us inside the collection now housed at Whittier: a grassroots museum and archive built from donations, obsession, and love. We get into unforgettable pieces of baseball memorabilia, from perfect game baseballs signed across eras to a one-of-a-kind Tommy John surgery textbook signed by Tommy John on the very page that diagrams the procedure. Along the way, we talk about Joe’s National Anthem Tour and what it reveals about baseball as tradition, ritual, and community. Then we break down the Shrine of the Eternals, the Reliquary’s fan voted hall that celebrates cultural significance, barrier breakers, and enduring stories, not just career totals. If you’ve ever argued about who really matters to baseball history, this will sharpen your list and probably scramble it too. Subscribe, share this with a baseball friend, and leave us a review with your pick for who belongs in the Shrine next. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

36 min
5D AGO

E21: Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr & 1960 TV's Home Run Derby

Send us Fan Mail A home run derby sounds like a modern invention until you stumble on a 1960 TV series where Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and other legends went head-to-head for cash at Los Angeles Wrigley Field. We start there because it’s baseball history hiding in plain sight, and it helps explain how the sport’s love affair with the long ball kept evolving long before today’s MLB Home Run Derby. Then we follow the full sweep of Ken Griffey Jr’s career, from Denora, Pennsylvania to becoming the face of the Seattle Mariners and one of the defining athletes of the 1990s. We break down WAR (wins above replacement) in everyday terms, talk through the peak years of elite power and ten Gold Gloves, and replay the moments that still feel unreal: the father-son season with Ken Griffey Sr, the warehouse shot at Camden Yards, and the 1995 ALDS when Edgar Martinez’s “Double” and Griffey’s dash home helped change the future of baseball in Seattle. We don’t skip the complicated parts either. The trade to the Cincinnati Reds, the long stretch of injuries, the brief White Sox stop, the return to Seattle, and the strange “napgate” story all raise a bigger question we keep coming back to: when an athlete becomes a true celebrity, do fans actually get closer to the person or farther away? If you love baseball trivia, Seattle Mariners history, and Hall of Fame legacies, this one is built for you. Subscribe, share this with a Griffey fan, and leave a review with your favorite Griffey moment. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

31 min
APR 30

E20: Bill Mazeroski’s Stellar Defense and Series Winning Homer, Golden Sombrero Explained, & 2026 Season Update

Send us Fan Mail The MLB season moves fast, and so do we: quick division check-ins, the kind you can actually remember, followed by the sort of baseball trivia that instantly upgrades how you talk about the game. We hit the recent headlines and early surprises across both leagues, including why some starts feel real and others look like smoke, and we keep ourselves honest with a speedy pace. If you like MLB standings talk with a little skepticism and a little humor, you’re in the right place. Next, we open the baseball lexicon and define a phrase every fan should know: the golden sombrero. Four strikeouts in one game sounds brutal, but baseball slang has a way of turning misery into poetry. We trace where the term comes from, how “hat trick” traveled across sports, and why these odd little words stick around for generations. It’s a short segment, but it’s loaded with baseball history and trivia that makes the next broadcast you watch more fun. Then we go deep on Bill Mazeroski, one of the greatest defensive second basemen of all time and a Pittsburgh Pirates icon. We talk Gold Gloves, double-play mastery, and the fast, almost invisible mechanics that made him “The Glove.” And yes, we relive the moment that made him immortal: the 1960 World Series Game 7 walk-off home run against the New York Yankees, still the only Game 7 walk-off homer in World Series history. We also dig into the surprising MVP choice, the Bing Crosby tape story, and why Maz’s Hall of Fame case took decades despite a career built on run-saving defense. If you love baseball history podcasts, MLB trivia, and stories that prove defense can change everything, subscribe on your favorite platform, share this with a fellow fan, and leave a review so more listeners can find Fungos and Fastballs. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

27 min
APR 27

E19: 1991 Twins vs Braves World Series. Greatest Ever?

Send us Fan Mail A runner gets lifted off first base. A ball disappears into the Metrodome plexiglass. A Game 7 stays scoreless so long you can feel every breath in the stadium. The 1991 World Series isn’t just a classic, it’s a blueprint for why people fall in love with October baseball in the first place. We’re talking Minnesota Twins vs Atlanta Braves, seven games, constant tension, and the kind of moments that still look unreal on replay. Guest Jordan Dove & I start with the context that makes the story pop: both teams were in last place the year before, then stormed back to win their divisions. That “worst to first” twist isn’t hype, it’s the foundation for everything that follows, from Minnesota’s key additions like Chuck Knoblauch and Jack Morris to Atlanta’s rise under Bobby Cox and a pitching core led by Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery. Along the way we hit the famous Kent Hrbek and Ron Gant play, the walk-off swings in Atlanta, and the little details that show how thin the margin is in playoff baseball. Then we get to the heart of the legend: Kirby Puckett’s Game 6 masterpiece and Jack Morris’s all-time Game 7 performance. If you search baseball history for “Kirby Puckett walk off” or “Jack Morris 10 innings,” this is the series you land on, and we break down why it still holds up for fans who love pitching duels, defense, and pressure-packed at-bats. If you’ve got a favorite 1991 World Series moment, share it with us, and if you want more baseball history and trivia, subscribe, leave a review, and send this to a friend who still argues about the greatest World Series of all time. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

35 min
APR 22

E18: The Legacy of Thurman Munson & Billy Joel Baseball Trivia

Send us Fan Mail You can learn a lot about a team by the player it chooses to follow when things get loud. For my birthday special, I bring on my son Griffin Dynes (calling in from Denver) to talk about the toughest kind of baseball greatness: the quiet, gruff, unglamorous leadership of Yankees catcher and captain Thurman Munson. We start with a quick New York detour through Billy Joel and a trivia question from “We Didn’t Start The Fire,” then we get to the heart of the story. Munson is the spine of the 1970s New York Yankees, a catcher who wins AL Rookie of the Year, takes home the 1976 AL MVP, earns Gold Gloves, and delivers huge postseason numbers on the way to the 1977 and 1978 World Series titles. We dig into what made him different from the flashier stars of the era, and why his style still feels like the definition of “captain.” Griffin and Jerry also get into the rivalries that shaped Munson’s reputation: the Johnny Bench comparisons, the brutal Carlton Fisk clashes from an era when collisions at home plate were part of the sport’s identity, and the famous Reggie Jackson “straw that stirs the drink” quote that sparked real clubhouse tension. Then we tackle the question Yankees fans keep asking: with his accolades and impact, why is Thurman Munson still not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and what do modern comps like Buster Posey mean for that debate? We close with the hardest part of his story, the 1979 tragedy, and the powerful ways the Yankees honored him, from retiring number 15 to preserving his locker. If you care about baseball history, Yankees legends, and what real leadership looks like behind the plate, this one is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a baseball fan, and leave us a review telling us where you land on Munson’s Hall of Fame case. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

33 min
APR 16

E17: The Polo Grounds Shaped History & Rally Monkey!!

Send us Fan Mail A rally monkey that only appears under strict rules, a capuchin celebrity from Friends, and fans waving stuffed primates like it’s a sacred rite. That’s where we start, because baseball’s superstitions aren’t just funny, they reveal how the sport builds meaning out of moments. Then we jump to a place where the weirdness isn’t a gimmick at all: the Polo Grounds, one of the most important and most bizarre stadiums in MLB history. We walk through the full Polo Grounds timeline, from its origins as a polo venue to its forced moves across Manhattan and its long run as the New York Giants’ home before the franchise heads to San Francisco. Along the way we keep the baseball history and trivia coming: how the Metropolitans connect to the later Mets, why the deadball era changes how you should imagine the game, and how one ballpark ends up hosting an absurd mix of baseball, football, and major New York rivalries under the same roof. The heart of the story is the field itself. The Polo Grounds is famous for extreme stadium dimensions, short foul lines, a cavernous center field, playable bullpens, and corners that turn routine hits into chaos. We also hit the unforgettable and sometimes unsettling milestones tied to this park, from Willie Mays’ The Catch and the Shot Heard Round the World to tragedies that pushed safety and rule changes. If you love classic ballparks, New York Giants history, and the strange details that make baseball feel alive, this one’s for you. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, share the show with a baseball friend, and leave a quick review if you’re enjoying the ride. What’s your favorite weird ballpark fact or superstition? Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

28 min
APR 13

E16: MLB Mascots & The 2026 Season So Far

Send us Fan Mail Jerry’s new Mariner Moose plush turns into a full blown tour through the strangest and most lovable corner of baseball culture: MLB mascots. We dig into why mascots work, why a few teams still refuse to have one, and what separates “cute” from cringy (“why does that thing have a human body”). Along the way, we hit the origins of the word mascot, the design choices that push characters into uncanny territory, and the fan psychology that makes a costumed creature feel like part of the team’s identity. The history gets especially fun when we trace the rise of the San Diego Chicken and how one promotional stunt helped reshape ballpark entertainment and baseball marketing. We also talk official versus unofficial mascots, from early animals used as crowd pleasers to Mr. Met’s claim as the first official MLB costumed mascot. And of course we can’t skip the Philly Phanatic: the lore, the antics, the business side of licensing, and the way mascots can trigger very real reactions from very serious baseball people. Then we interrupt our mascot nerding with a “breaking news” style segment featuring our friend Edwin Nolan. We talk automated ball strike challenges (ABS), what we like about it, what could get weird late in games, and how players, catchers, and umpires are adjusting in real time. We also go around the league with early season surprises, young star contracts, City Connect uniforms, odd baseball headlines, and the kind of fights that remind you the game can still get old school. If you like baseball history, MLB trivia, and smart takes that still laugh at the absurd parts of the sport, hit subscribe, share the episode with a baseball friend, and leave us a quick review so more fans can find the show. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

34 min
APR 8

E15: Mr. Padre Tony Gwynn & No Pepper Explained

Send us Fan Mail Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

25 min

5

out of 5

8 Ratings

Join us on this podcast exploring baseball's history and lore, plus enjoy some fastball trivia all in under 30 minutes. Topics will be all over the place - players, traditions, baseball lingo, stadiums, baseball movies/books. Like you, we just want to talk baseball!

Creator

Jerry Dynes
Years Active

2K
Episodes

23
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 Fungos & Fastballs: Baseball History & Trivia
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Fungos & Fastballs: Baseball History & Trivia