Fungos & Fastballs: Baseball History & Trivia

Jerry Dynes

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Baseball
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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!

1d ago

E37: Hall of Fame Closer Billy Wagner & Famed Dodgers Fan Hilda Chester

Send us Fan Mail A frying pan in the bleachers, a cowbell that becomes baseball folklore, and a closer who lives and dies by three outs. We tell the story of Hilda Chester, the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers fan known as Howling Hilda and the Queen of the Bleachers, whose voice and presence at Ebbets Field became so big that players, managers, and even the Hall of Fame couldn’t ignore her. If you love baseball history, vintage Dodgers stories, and the weird little details that make the sport feel alive, this one hits deep. Then we shift from the stands to the mound for Hall of Fame relief pitcher Billy Wagner, a fireballing lefty closer whose career helps explain how modern bullpen dominance took over Major League Baseball. We talk through Wagner’s hard upbringing, the childhood arm injury that pushed him to throw left-handed, and the chip-on-the-shoulder drive that turned an undersized pitcher into a strikeout machine. We also dig into the closer mindset: anxiety, negativity, pressure without a pitch clock, and how even the greats quietly wrestle with the same doubts. We spotlight signature moments like Wagner closing out a combined no-hitter against the Yankees, the history behind relievers being called “firemen,” and why reliever awards evolved from brand-sponsored trophies to MLB’s named honors. And yes, we bring the trivia: who was the first relief pitcher inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Subscribe for more baseball trivia and storytelling, share this with a friend who lives for the ninth inning, and leave a review. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com
6d ago

E36: Hall of Fame Catcher Roy Campanella, 2026 MLB Update & Women’s Pro Baseball Is Back!

Send us Fan Mail (this is an edited version) The trade deadline is coming, the standings are shifting fast, and baseball history is giving us a brand-new reason to pay attention. We start with a rapid-fire MLB update around the horn with our returning baseball guru Edwin Noland, tracking the teams surging at the right time and the ones starting to wobble. From the AL East chaos to a tight AL West race, we talk streaks, contenders, and the kinds of moves that can flip a season in a week. Then we turn to a milestone that deserves more spotlight: professional women’s baseball is back. We connect the dots from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to the new Women’s Pro Baseball League debut, including how the season works, what’s different on the field, and what it means in a country where women’s baseball programs are still rare. If you’ve been searching for WPBL info, women’s baseball history, or how to follow women’s pro baseball, we lay out the essentials and the bigger stakes. The second half goes deep on Roy Campanella, a Brooklyn Dodgers legend and one of the greatest catchers ever. We cover his rise through the Negro Leagues and international leagues, the slow grind of MLB integration, and how he packed three MVP awards into just 10 major-league seasons. We also talk about the catcher’s mental and physical workload, why Campanella’s defense and leadership stand out, and how his tragic 1958 accident reshaped the rest of his life without erasing his impact. Stick around for our catcher-themed trivia payoff on the record for most no-hitters caught, then tell us where you land on the debate. Subscribe, share the episode with a baseball friend, and leave a review so more fans can find the show. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com
Jul 23

E35: 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees & Jerry’s Five Baseball Pet Peeves

Send us Fan Mail Cooperstown is about to get loud, crowded, and emotional and we couldn’t wait until Monday to talk about it. With Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Sunday here, we take a bonus lap through baseball history, starting with a trivia question every fan should have in their back pocket: who made up the original Hall of Fame class in 1936? Then we dig into the 2026 inductees and why each one sparks real Hall of Fame debate. Jeff Kent finally gets his call through the Eras Committee after falling short on the BBWAA writers ballot, and we unpack how you can be the all-time home run king at second base and still wait years for Cooperstown. Andruw Jones earns his spot as one of the greatest defensive center fielders ever, which lets us talk about how defense, WAR, Gold Gloves, and late-career drop-offs shape a player’s legacy. Carlos Beltran rounds out the class as a true five-tool star, but his résumé also forces the uncomfortable conversation about the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal and how voters weigh greatness against controversy. To keep it fun, we also count down Jerry’s five baseball pet peeves, from calling RBIs “ribbons,” to metal bats, to shaky umpire cams, to the ghost runner in extra innings, to the rising trend of mic’d up players during live action. If you’ve ever yelled at your TV during a broadcast, you’ll have opinions here. Listen now, then subscribe, share the show with a baseball friend, and leave a review. What’s your biggest baseball pet peeve? Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com
Jul 20

E34: Kitchen Sink II: Back-to-Back No Hitters, Ultimate Grand Slams, the Eddie Waitkus Shooting & More

Send us Fan Mail A movie cast quietly buying a minor league baseball team sounds like a punchline, until you hear the name Richmond Flying Mummies and realize baseball is still the best sport for pure, delightful weirdness. We start there, digging into why the team name exists, how fans show up for the spectacle, and what this kind of ownership says about the community heartbeat of minor league baseball. Then we shift from quirky baseball culture to a pitching feat that feels impossible in any era: back-to-back no-hitters. We break down what counts as a no-hitter versus a perfect game, why control is not always the deciding factor, and how Johnny Vander Meer ends up owning a record that may never be touched. Along the way, we add bonus baseball history and trivia, including a look at the Boston Bees and the kind of odd team naming debates that would never fly today. From there, we open the baseball dictionary for a modern term with a very exact meaning: the ultimate grand slam. We explain the rule clearly, why it is so rare, and why it hits fans like a lightning bolt when it happens. We also detour into a nostalgia story that turns into an accidental collectible, before closing with a true-crime-tinged chapter on Eddie Waitkus and one of the earliest notorious cases of celebrity stalking in American sports. If you like baseball history, smart trivia, and stories you cannot wait to repeat, hit play, subscribe, and share the show with a friend, then tell us which moment surprised you most. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com
Jul 13

E33: Ranking The Best Catchers In MLB History

Send us Fan Mail Rankings bring out the real baseball opinions, especially when the position is catcher, where greatness is part statistics and part survival. We put on the backwards cap, crack open Baseball Reference, and take on an impossible question: who are the best catchers of all time in Major League Baseball history? Jordan Dove joins me for our first ever rankings show as we each build a top 10 list, compare notes, and defend the choices. We dig into what matters at catcher beyond the box score: pitcher handling, leadership, durability, and the kind of defense that makes runners think twice. We also talk openly about the limits of modern metrics like WAR and JAWS, how they can favor offense, and why intangibles still belong in the conversation. Along the way we hit the hard historical question of Josh Gibson and why incomplete Negro Leagues records make all-time lists both necessary and imperfect. From Yadier Molina and Buster Posey to classics like Mickey Cochrane, Gabby Hartnett, Thurman Munson, Mike Piazza, Carlton Fisk, Roy Campanella, and Gary Carter, the arguments get sharper as we climb toward the top. Then we step into the heavyweight debate: Yogi Berra vs Johnny Bench vs Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez, with rings, MVPs, Gold Gloves, and all-around impact all on the table. We also pay off the trivia question: the only catcher to catch two perfect games. Listen, then tell us what we missed, share the episode with a baseball friend, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. If you’re enjoying the show, leave a rating and review and help more fans find Fungos and Fastballs. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com
Jul 6

E32: The Hall Ball: One Man’s Journey to Photograph a Baseball with Every Hall of Famer

Send us Fan Mail One random found ball near Cooperstown turns into an eight-year mission that sends a baseball fan deep into cemeteries, card shows, and the awkward seconds of face time you get with living legends. We sit down with baseball historian and SABR contributor Ralph Carhart to unpack the Hall Ball Project: photographing a single baseball with every National Baseball Hall of Fame member, whether they are memorialized by a headstone or standing right in front of you holding a pen and wondering what your deal is. We talk about the origin story behind the idea, including Ralph’s love of genealogy and historic cemeteries, and how that quiet world collides with the loud machinery of modern baseball memorabilia culture. Ralph explains the practical problems nobody thinks about at the start: restricted access, different cemetery “personalities,” players who are hard to reach, and the strange moment when Cooperstown will not help you connect with Hall of Famers even when your end goal is a museum-worthy donation. The most surprising choice is also the most revealing: Ralph does not want autographs. He wants photos only, so every member of the Hall is united by the same object instead of separated by ink. That decision leads to hilarious and human reactions from icons like Yogi Berra, Ernie Banks, Lou Brock, Reggie Jackson, and Johnny Bench, plus a deeper question about respect, legacy, and the point where a tribute can start to feel ghoulish. We also share what happened when the Hall of Fame declined the Hall Ball, and why the Baseball Reliquary ultimately became its home. If you care about baseball history, Cooperstown, the Hall of Fame, and the meaning behind collecting, hit play, then subscribe, share the episode with a baseball friend, and leave a review so more fans can find the story. Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com
Jun 29

E31: Manager Earl Weaver + Book Review, 2026 MLB Update & The Midnight Sun Game

Send us Fan Mail A baseball game that starts at 10 p.m. with no stadium lights sounds impossible, yet Fairbanks pulls it off every year. We kick things off with the Midnight Sun Game, a summer solstice tradition that has been running since 1906, and the Alaska Goldpanners, a legendary college summer team with an alumni list that includes Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and more. If you love baseball travel, weird history, and the parts of the sport that still feel handmade, this story is a perfect entry point. Then we bring in our friend Edwin Nolan for a tight, energetic spin around MLB. We hit each division with the headlines that matter right now: surges, slumps, injuries that change the math, and the questions that are already shaping the trade deadline. It’s a quick way to recalibrate your baseball brain without drowning in hot takes. The main event is our deep dive into Hall of Fame Orioles manager Earl Weaver, guided by John W. Miller’s Casey Award winning book The Last Manager. We talk about Weaver’s winning track record, his famous philosophy (pitching, defense, and the three-run homer), and the surprising ways he looked like a modern analytics manager decades early, from matchup index cards to radar-gun obsession. And yes, we get into the legendary blowups: 96 career ejections, umpire theatrics, and the kind of dugout character baseball rarely produces anymore, plus the trivia answer that tops even Weaver. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, share this with a baseball friend, and leave us a review so more fans can find Fungos and Fastballs. What’s your favorite piece of baseball history that sounds made up but is 100% true? Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com
Jun 22

E30: MLB’s Greatest Hitting Streaks & The (First) World Series That Wasn’t

Send us Fan Mail A World Series disappears from baseball history, and it has nothing to do with war. We start with the odd, dramatic story of 1904, when the New York Giants refuse to face the Boston Americans, turning the sport’s biggest prize into a feud about leagues, rivals, and pride. It’s a reminder that MLB history isn’t just stats; it’s people making stubborn decisions that end up shaping the rules for everyone else. From there, we get obsessive about one of the most fun corners of baseball trivia: the hitting streak. We break down what officially counts, why a day off doesn’t kill a streak, and why 30 games is the unofficial line where the record books start paying attention. Then we walk through the names that held the crown before 1941, including the strange one-season rules that created “records” that don’t really belong in modern lists. The heart of the show is the gold standard for baseball records: Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. We track how it starts, when the country catches on, how pitchers try to work around him, and why the streak becomes a daily headline. Then we relive the closest true chase in the modern era, Pete Rose’s 44-game run, complete with bunts, bad blood, and the kind of competitiveness that doesn’t quit even after the streak ends. We close by asking the big question: with today’s strikeouts, elite bullpens, scouting reports, and nonstop media pressure, will anyone ever touch 56? If you love baseball history, MLB records, and the stories behind the numbers, subscribe, share this with a friend who argues about stats, and leave us a review. What do you think is the most unbreakable record in baseball? Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

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

2026
Episodes

38
Rating

Clean
Copyright

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