S01 Episode 1: The Protestor's Game

We conclude Our Game by taking a look at baseball in the early 21st century. How are Latinos navigating unwritten rules and writing the new ones before our very eyes? We come to a fitting end on the final episode of Our Game. Information and sound clips for this episode come from baseball-fever.com, MLB advanced Media, MLB’s Hispanic Heritage Month Roundtable Discussion, and ESPN. I can’t believe this is the end of our journey. I would like to thank Dr. Roberto Gonzalez Echavaria, Carol Sheldon, Marie Fidler, Julie Alexandria, Ozzie Guillen Jr, Vincent Samperio, Victor Rojas, Maria Torres and Fabian Ardaya. They are all wonderful people and their insights and knowledge of this amazing game made this show what it was. I couldn’t have done any of this without them. I’d like to thank Alex Schmitten. He made our theme song and our original music. He’s extremely talented and helped give Our Game the correct vibe that I wanted from the very beginning. I’d also like to thank my girlfriend Megan. She was there for me so many times to encourage me and listen to me ramble on about the AAGPBL, or cry about Roberto Clemente, or think out loud throughout all my research. I would have lost my mind without her. Thank you Megan. And of course, I’d like to thank you, the fans. This journey has been so eye opening for me. It’s helped me understand the game I love a little bit more. It’s helped me understand race and identity. It’s helped me understand the United States and baseball in this country. I hope that you’ve learned something. I hope you’ll take this knowledge with you. And I hope that this show has offered you a new perspective on the game you love too. Keep up with everything we’re doing on Twitter and Instagram @ourgamepodcast. Those accounts will continue to stay active and of course have all the images, videos and reading materials for all eight episodes. You can follow me too @SteveGranado. So that’ll do it. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. This show means everything to me, and I hope it meant something to you too.

The baseball press has been historically dominated by white men. Let's explore Latinx journalists and how the entire press has covered Latino players in baseball. Thank you to Julie Alexandria, Ozzie Guillen Jr, Maria Torres, and Fabian Ardaya for speaking with me. Make sure to check out Julie and Ozzie at La Vida Baseball, Fabian’s work in the Athletic and Maria’s work in the LA Times. Information and sound clips for this episode come from the books Playing America’s Game by Adrian Burgos Jr, The Empire Strikes Out: How Baseball Sold U.S. Foreign Policy and Promoted the American Way Abroad by Robert Elias, the Ringer and the Athletic. Our theme song and original music are produced by Alex Schmitten. You can support our work by going to anchor.fm/ourgamepodcast and clicking support. Tell your friends and family about the show, and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app, and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ourgamepodcast. We post pictures, videos and other materials that pertain to every single episode. You’ll also get sneak peeks of the following week’s episode. You can follow me on Twitter too, that’s @SteveGranado.

The history behind Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles is dark. A bitter taste was left before a left handed pitcher came to save the day in 1981. His name was Fernando Valenzuela. Thanks to Victor Rojas and Vincent Samperio for speaking with me. Support Victor Rojas’ business Big Fly Gear. Check out Vincent’s podcast Locked On Dodgers. He’s really good at what he does. Information and sound clips for this episode come from the book They Bled Blue: Fernandomania, strike-season mayhem, and the weirdest championship baseball had ever seen by Jason Turbow, the Los Angeles Times, KCET, ABC, timeline.com, OurCampaigns.com, MLB Advanced Media, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sports Illustrated, Jordan Mechner’s award winning documentary Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story, the exhibition "Dodgers: Brotherhood of the Game” at the Japanese American National Museum, and Baseball Reference. Our theme song and original music are produced by Alex Schmitten. You can support our work by going to anchor.fm/ourgamepodcast and clicking support. Tell your friends and family about the show, and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app, and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ourgamepodcast. We post pictures, videos and other materials that pertain to every single episode. You’ll also get sneak peeks of the following week’s episode. You can follow me on Twitter too, that’s @SteveGranado.

We've reached the halfway point of our series. Before we move on to the new age of baseball, let's look back at three things we haven't told you yet, but you definitely need to know. Information and sound clips for this episode come from the book Playing America’s Game by Adrian Burgos Jr, Sabr’s discussion of the Negro Leagues, MLB dot com, the podcast Storied by Routine Baseball, Baseball hall dot org, the Undefeated, R.E., La Vida Baseball, The Louisville Slugger Museum and Baseball Reference. Our theme song and original music are produced by Alex Schmitten. You can support our work by going to anchor.fm/ourgamepodcast and clicking support, whatever you can donate, every little bit helps. Tell your friends and family about the show, and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app, and rate us on Apple Podcasts. Thank you to everyone who has shown their support, you have not gone unnoticed. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ourgamepodcast. We post pictures, videos and other materials that pertain to every single episode. You’ll also get sneak peeks of the following week’s episode. You can follow me on Twitter too, that’s @SteveGranado.

Roberto Clemente is the most confusing person we've ever encountered. Let's examine him from a new perspective, in today's episode of Our Game. Thank you to Julie Alexandria, Ozzie Guillen Jr, Maria Torres, Fabian Ardaya and Victor Rojas for speaking with me. You’ll be hearing from them in the coming episodes. Make sure to check out La Vida Baseball, Maria’s work in the LA Times and Fabian’s work in the Athletic. They’re all extremely talented people. Support Victor Rojas’ business Big Fly Gear. Information and sound clips for this episode come from the book Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero by David Maraniss, Old Sports Cards dot com, Beyond Baseball, the life of Roberto Clemente, Bleacher Report, Roberto Clemente: A Touch of Royalty, MLB Advanced Media, The LA Times, Uproxx, Heavy dot com, Sports Illustrated, WPXI, and Baseball Reference. Our theme song and original music are produced by Alex Schmitten. You can support our work by going to anchor.fm/ourgamepodcast and clicking support, every little bit helps. Tell your friends and family about the show, and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app, and rate us on Apple Podcasts. Thank you to everyone who already has. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ourgamepodcast. We post pictures, videos and other materials that pertain to every single episode. You’ll also get sneak peeks of the following week’s episode. You can follow me on Twitter too, that’s @SteveGranado.

The world is at war, but baseball still needs to be played. Join Steve Granado this week as we look at the history of the handful of Latina baseball players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. I have to express my sincerest gratitude to Carol Sheldon and Merrie Fidler. Without their help, this episode would have never been possible. I can’t even begin to say how much help they gave me, they are awesome. Make sure to buy Merrie’s book: The Origins and History of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Information and sound clips for this episode come from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League website, Ancestry dot com, the book Isabel “Lefty” Alvarez: The Improbable Life of a Cuban American Baseball Star, R-I-P baseball, U-S Sport history dot com, The Pride of Havana, a history of Cuban Baseball, The Kenosha Evening News, The South Bend Tribune, the Rockford Register, Smithsonian Magazine, the Visionary Project, Kansas University’s centennial discussion of the Negro Leagues, the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, The Grand Valley State University Veteran’s History Project, Cuban Ball dot com, Baseball Almanac, and Baseball Reference. All of our original music including our theme song is produced by Alex Schmitten. You can support us by going to anchor.fm/ourgamepodcast and clicking support. And by telling your friends and family, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting app, sharing the show online and rating us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ourgamepodcast. You’ll find pictures, videos and other materials that pertain to every episode we post. You’ll also get sneak peeks of the following week’s episode. You can follow me on Twitter too, that’s @SteveGranado.

Baseball is popular, and everyone wants to play it. But some think not everyone should get the chance. Join Steve Granado as he explores the first century of American baseball from 1857 to 1947, examining the color line and its effect on Latino ballplayers. Thanks again to Dr. Roberto Gonzalez Echavaria for speaking with me. To learn more, get his book The Pride of Havana: The History of Cuban Baseball. Other information and sound clips comes from the book Playing America’s Game by Adrian Burgos Jr, Baseballhall.org, the Society for American Baseball Research, Baseball Reference, Hathitrust, Kansas University’s centennial discussion of the Negro Leagues, the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, the San Francisco Bay SABR Chapter’s conversation with Bob Kendrick and the National World War Two Museum. All of our original music including our theme song is produced by Alex Schmitten. You can support us by going to anchor.fm/ourgamepodcast and clicking support. And by telling your friends and family, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting app, sharing the show online and rating us on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ourgamepodcast. I really encourage you to go to Twitter this time because there is a lot more really cool history that we could just not get into this week. I’ve linked some reading for you. You’ll also find pictures, videos and other materials that pertain to every episode we post. You’ll also get sneak peeks of the following week’s episode. You can follow me on Twitter too, that’s @SteveGranado.

Baseball doesn't take long from its invention in America to get to Latin American countries. Join Steve Granado on the first episode of Our Game, where he explores how baseball got to Cuba and beyond while examining what it all means historically in baseball's popularity. Many thanks to Dr. Roberto Gonzalez Echavaria. Make sure to buy his book: The Pride of Havana: The History of Cuban Baseball. Other research information comes from the book Playing America’s Game by Adrian Burgos Jr, Primitive Baseball by Harvey Frommer, BaseballHall.org, Baseball Reference, the Society for American Baseball Research, Kansas University’s centennial discussion of the Negro Leagues, and the Washington Post. All original music including our theme song is produced by Alex Schmitten. You can support us by going to anchor.fm/ourgamepodcast and clicking support.  Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @ourgamepodcast. There you’ll find pictures, videos and other materials that pertain to every episode we post.  You can follow Steve on Twitter: @SteveGranado

Introducing Our Game: The podcast that sought out to find the Latino Jackie Robinson and found that the answer is way more complicated. Join host Steve Granado on an eight-part series examining the history of Latinx baseball and the culture surrounding it. Follow Our Game on Twitter and Instagram (@OurGamePodcast) Follow Steve Granado on Twitter (@SteveGranado)