Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: Dizzy Dean 48-08-14 (07) Country Baseball Diamond
Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Guests: Dizzy Dean, Frank Eschen

Overview

This episode transports listeners to the golden era of American radio with a heartwarming, humorous, and insightful half-hour alongside the great baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean. Through anecdotes, recollections, and gentle advice, Dean shares life lessons learned on and off the diamond, reflecting on the values instilled in small-town America, the importance of community baseball fields, and unforgettable moments and personalities from professional baseball.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lessons from the Country Baseball Diamond

[01:13 - 04:56]

• Dizzy Dean recounts a recent drive into the countryside, describing stumbling upon the Cedar Hill baseball field and witnessing local kids using farm tractors to maintain the diamond. Unlike city kids with ready-made park fields, these young country players demonstrate real pride and dedication by preparing their own grounds.
• Dean observes:

  "Them country kids can learn us a thing or two. In the big cities they got park baseball diamonds... But those country boys really love baseball." (C, 03:26)

• He highlights the generosity of landowners who gave up potential cropland for the sake of children’s play, emphasizing:

  "Somebody who owned that land thought enough of kids and the kids' right to play baseball to pass up that much of his corn crop." (C, 04:28)

• Dean encourages cities to build more diamonds for children, underlining his support for expanding access to youth baseball.

2. Anecdotes About Baseball Personalities

[05:11 - 07:58]

• On Babe Herman:
  • Dean offers an amusing story about Babe's pride in his children, including a charmingly off-beat math demonstration:

    "Babe, you always been bragging about how smart these kids are... Babe says, not bad. Ain't dizzy. He's only one off." (C, 05:41)

  • He reminisces about Babe’s absent-mindedness, recalling when Herman forgot to cash a long-lost paycheck.
• Facing Bill Terry:
  • Dean shares the challenges of pitching to legendary Giants manager Bill Terry and cracks a joke about fielding strategy with Pepper Martin:

    "Jerome, I don't believe you're playing Terry deep enough." (C, 07:50)

3. Mailbag: Listener Letters & Baseball Rowdiness

[09:40 - 13:46]

• A letter from Colonel Harry Taylor prompts stories about baseball's rough-and-tumble side. Dean admits losing a fistfight with Al Todd ("I kept picking myself up and he kept knocking me down." — C, 09:54).
• He clarifies rumors of a fight with the New York Giants, describing a notorious on-field scrum that left only innocent Don Guthridge with a black eye, as managers and umpires tried to piece together how it happened:

  "The only man hurt that day was the most peaceful guy on the field, little Don Guthridge. ... Maybe everybody on the Giant club had teed off on poor little Don." (C, 12:07)

• Dean is philosophical about baseball’s tempers:

  "Players will pop off and say things they really don't mean. ... Sometimes they'll even scrap among themselves." (C, 12:32)

• He tells a story of an in-clubhouse fight that manager Frankie Frisch let play out to its natural conclusion, ending it by making the players reconcile for the good of the team.

4. Big League Roundup: Spotlight on the St. Louis Browns

[14:00 - 14:58]

• Dean puts the spotlight on the St. Louis Browns, especially their recent addition of young players Dick Cocas and Hank Arp from Toledo.
• He notes the effect of giving youth a chance:

  "Kids all over the country ... will hear about this and they'll say, them Browns is a club that's giving young fellows a chance right now." (C, 14:44)

• This, he feels, is a powerful message for both clubs and aspiring players.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 03:26 | Dizzy | "Them country kids can learn us a thing or two..." | | 04:28 | Dizzy | "...somebody who owned that land thought enough of kids..."| | 05:41 | Dizzy | "Babe, you always been bragging about how smart these kids are..." | | 07:50 | Pepper | "Jerome, I don't believe you're playing Terry deep enough."| | 09:54 | Dizzy | "...I kept picking myself up and he kept knocking me down."| | 12:07 | Dizzy | "...the only man hurt that day was the most peaceful guy on the field, little Don Guthridge..." | | 12:32 | Dizzy | "Players will pop off ... Sometimes they'll even scrap among themselves." | | 14:44 | Dizzy | "Kids all over the country ... will hear about this and they'll say, them Browns is a club..." |

Structure of the Episode

[01:01 - 01:13] Opening and Introductions

Brief sponsor mention and introduction of Dizzy Dean and the co-host, Frank Eschen.

[01:13 - 04:56] Country Baseball Diamond Story

Dean’s reflective account of discovering the Cedar Hill diamond and the work ethic of country kids.

[05:11 - 07:58] Anecdotes: Babe Herman, Pepper Martin, Bill Terry

Vivid stories about baseball characters and their quirks, offering humor and perspective.

[09:40 - 13:46] Mailbag Q&A: Fisticuffs and Team Dynamics

Listener prompts bring out stories of fights and scrapes, culminating in a moral about teamwork and letting tempers cool.

[14:00 - 14:58] Big League Discussion

Dean’s take on youth opportunity in the major leagues, focusing on the St. Louis Browns as a case study.

Conclusion

The episode offers a nostalgic, humorous, and thoughtful glimpse into the world of mid-century American baseball, both professional and grassroots. Dean’s folksy wisdom, memorable characters, and advocacy for community sports foster a timeless message: baseball, at its heart, is about teamwork, opportunity, and joy—values as vital today as they were in the golden age of radio.