Backwards K Pod

Backwards K Pod

An educational and biographical look, at the moments and personalities, that have been woven into the fabric of baseball. Backwards K Where We Collect Ballplayers And Their Stories

Episodes

May 13, 2026 72 mins
Mike Mussina was a cerebral assassin and one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball history, excelling against some of the game's biggest sluggers during the "Steroid Era". Despite finishing his Hall Of Fame career with 270 wins, and an American League record of 17 consecutive seasons with more than 10 wins, his career has been earmarked by near-misses and lost opportunity, both personally and for his teams. Always the best ma...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Wade Boggs was a meticulous and regimented artist,whose platform was the National Pastime. His tool of choice was a bat, and his canvas was Major League ballfields. A 12 time All Star third-baseman, Boggs ended his 18 year career with 3,010 hits, a lifetime batting average of .328 and a .414 on-base percentage. Of the 2,432 games he played in, he reached base in a staggering 85% of them. This week we dig into the legacy laid down b...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 26, 2026 66 mins
In the face of economic ruin and mass migration, baseball is woven and stitched into the fabric of Venezuelan culture. It's more than just the national sport, it's a national identity. A bridge to the past, and a hope for a brighter future. As the game has become a global commodity, Venezuelans continue to be some of the game's most passionate of ambassadors, spreading their joys, values and rhythm to places never known before. The...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
In the early years of baseball, Major League Teams had a " Bring Your Own Bat" policy. During this time, you may see some batters walking up to the plate with piano legs, axe handles, wagon tongues, tree limbs or even a rolling pin. Through trial and error, baseball bats have evolved from the primitive clubs used in the 1840's to the standardized and optimized high performance tools that the greatest hitters on the planet use today...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
April 7, 2026 62 mins
In the last 50 years, only four catchers, under the age of 21, had been handed a Major League starting catcher's job; Bob Didier, Johnny Bench, Butch Wynegar and Ivan Rodriguez. That is until Opening Day 2005, when a certain St. Paul, Minnesota prodigy took the reigns for his hometown Minnesota Twins. Joe Mauer would establish his legendary status while playing catcher and first-base for the franchise. His strong mid-west roots and...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 30, 2026 83 mins
Legendary funnyman and former big league catcher Bob Uecker once said, "The Best way to catch a knuckle-ball, is to wait for it to stop rolling, and then pick it up." He also noted that catching Phil Niekro's knuckle-ball was a great experience. " It gave me a chance to meet all the important people sitting in the stands behind home-plate. Phil Niekro, or "Knucksie" as he was affectionately called, was an unapologetic one-pitch pi...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 22, 2026 66 mins
While Rickey Henderson is universally and rightfully regarded as the greatest lead-off hitter in baseball history, this week I will do a deep dig into the baseball foundation laid down by arguably the second greatest lead-off stick of all time; " The Rock" Tim Raines. The Rock was a beautiful combination of speed, power, and high on-base percentage. The rarest of blends and qualities, achieved by only a few players before him or si...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 13, 2026 60 mins
Bill Mazeroski was the embodiment of stellar defense, winning 8 Gold Glove Awards, playing his entire 17 year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, while setting the record for the most double-plays turned and assists in baseball history. But he is most remembered for arguably the greatest home run ever hit in the game. Almost every kid who has ever swung a bat at a competitive pitch has fantasized about coming up in the bottom of th...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
March 1, 2026 97 mins
Off the field? Rogers Hornsby was undiplomatic, uncompromising, and outspoken. On the field? He is arguably the greatest all-around right-handed hitters to ever play the game. Hornsby, whose modern-era record of a.424 batting average in 1924, and his .358 lifetime mark after a 23 year career, firmly establishes him as a standard for right-handed hitters of any era. He won 7 National League Batting Titles, including a mind-numbing 5...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
February 10, 2026 50 mins
The return of the Cold War between the United States and Cuba has only exacerbated the tide of baseball defectors from the communist nation. In October of 2012, for the first time in over 60 years, two million baseball crazy Cubans could listen to a World Series game on the radio, just as Tony and his father were able to listen to the 1955 World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees, at the old sugar mill in Camaguay, Cuba. In 196...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Since the time of it's opening over 100 years ago, Old Yankees Stadium housed the most prolific team in all of American team sport, and some of the games brightest stars. The Yankees did not have an auspicious beginning to their franchise. They were originally nicknamed the Highlanders, and from 1903-1915, they never won a World Series and they had losing seasons in 8 of 13 years. All that changes when the rebranded Yankees buy Bab...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
January 26, 2026 64 mins
Michael Joseph Piazza is the classic American underdog who carved out his niche and legacy, seemingly out of nowhere through hard-work, grit and determination. Taken in the 62nd round with the 1,390th overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the 1988 June MLB Amateur Draft; he wou;d go onto establish himself as arguably the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history and a Hall Of Fame career. From the sandlots of Norristown, P...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
January 19, 2026 69 mins
Harmon Killebrew was one of, if not the most feared power bat of the 1960's. By the time he had hung up his spikes for good after the 1976 season, his 573 home-runs were the most ever amassed by a right-handed American League hitter in baseball history. Still here 50 years later, only Alex Rodriguez has hit more dingers as a right-handed hitter in the American League. Even though he was nicknamed Killer by teammates and foes alike,...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
January 7, 2026 72 mins
Rare is the professional athlete who plays his entire Hall Of Fame career in his hometown. For 19 years, Barry Larkin did just that, playing for the Cincinnati Reds. His career path took him from a leadoff hitter setting the table, to an RBI man in the heart of the order, with stops up and down the lineup. Along the way Barry Larkin was selected to 12 All Star games, won 9 Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Gloves, a National League...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
December 16, 2025 56 mins
He was a fantastic hitter. Over a 162 game average in his 12 year career, he averaged a 4.2 WAR, 40 Home Runs, and 130 RBI. He scored 974 Runs for an average of 103 over 162 Games. The only thing more potent than his bat, was his pissed-off, surly disposition, which included throwing baseballs purposefully at hecklers in the stands, running down trick-or-treaters in his SUV who vandalized his home, as well as his strong dislike for...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
November 25, 2025 56 mins
More than 70 years after his death, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson is finally eligible for induction into the National Baseball Hall Of Fame. The legendary ballplayer was banned from the Major Leagues, 13 years into his career, for his role in the nefarious 1919 World Series scandal. On May 13th, 2025, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced he would be officially removing Jackson from the sports ineligible list. With the stunning, historic...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
November 11, 2025 81 mins
During his prime years, the baseball universe was Manny's world, and other players were just mere mortals lucky to inhabit the same space. His dominant play and quirky personality would lead opponents and proponents alike to shrug and say, " That's just Manny being Manny." He was a hard-hitting baseball savant, with a bat in his hands and runners in scoring position. And in conjunction with his long flowing dreadlocks, his baggy un...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
October 31, 2025 66 mins
This week we do a deep archaeological dig into the baseball path laid down by the legendary Don Drysdale. At 6'5" tall and 190 pounds, he was an intimidating pitcher, who used brushback pitches to keep opposing batters off-balanced. Together with southpaw Sandy Koufax, the tandem would become one of the fiercest lefty/righty duos in the history of baseball. By the time Drysdale's career is in the books, he's a three-time World Cham...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
October 27, 2025 121 mins
When most people think of Miami's impact on the History of baseball, they may believe that the current Marlins team is the beginning of their baseball identity and story. But in reality, the city of Miami and the South Florida region possesses a rich history of organized baseball that crosses generations, leagues and color lines. This week I dig into the fascinating history between the city and the National Pastime. I unpack the st...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
September 30, 2025 83 mins
Frank Thomas looked more like an NFL Tight=End, looking to create space in the end zone to receive a touchdown, than he did a baseball player. But in many ways, the 6'5" 275 pound icon was ostensibly a contact hitter trapped inside of a slugger's body, with a judicious knowledge of the strike zone and quick hand-eye coordination. He was a dog on the hunt, looking to inflict pain on opposing teams, thus earning the well deserved mon...
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices