A couple of interesting pieces recently on NPR.
Brad Ausmus was an extremely articulate guest on yesterday’s Fresh Air with guest host Dave Davies.
In the half-hour interview, the former catcher (18 seasons) and current special assistant for the San Diego Padres discussed many of the finer points of the position, such as the interacting with umpires, calling a game, and not settling for just blocking balls in the dirt. As long as anyone might be a fan of the game, there’s always something new to learn.
If there’s former player who should write a book, it’s Ausmus. Consider this required listening.
* * *
Moe Berg, by Graig Kreindler
A few days earlier, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me featured Captain Andy Hillstrand of reality TV show The Deadliest Catch on the “Not My Job” segment. His challenge: three questions about former Major League catcher Moe Berg. Because they both “catch” stuff. Get it? See, they … oh, never mind. Anyway it was quite amusing; Hillstrand was a great guest.
Berg was once a contestant on the radio quiz show Information Please and acquitted himself most admirably. From the MLB History 101 website:
On February 21, 1939, Berg made his first of three appearances on the radio quiz show, Information, Please!
After missing the first question, Berg put on a dazzling performance. Of his appearance, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis told him, “Berg, in just thirty minutes you did more for baseball than I’ve done the entire time I’ve been commissioner”.
On his third appearance, Clifton Fadiman, the moderator, started asking Berg too many personal questions. Berg did not answer any more questions and never appeared on the show again.
Wouldn’t It be cool to do some time-travel stuff and bring him back to appear on Wait Wait?
is available on Amazon.com,
Comments on this entry are closed.