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Midnight Library of Baseball — Baseball
Midnight Library of Baseball

Midnight Library of Baseball is a documentary-style baseball history podcast for listeners who want something deeper, quieter, and more reflective than the typical sports show.

Hosted by Ben Orlando, the series blends immersive storytelling with deep research to explore the game’s most iconic figures, like Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Honus Wagner, alongside forgotten players and unlikely stories that shaped baseball in surprising ways. Told without loud music or jarring production, each episode unfolds with a calm, narrative style that lets the history breathe.

Season 1 explores foundational questions about the game, from how players were paid across eras to the evolution of equipment, and even the stories of famous figures who nearly chose baseball, including Kurt Russell, Billy Crystal, and John Dillinger.

Season 2 is a deep, narrative journey into the making of Field of Dreams, from its origins as a short story to the creation of one of the most beloved films in baseball history.

Season 3 features long-form series on the Black Sox Scandal and the enduring fascination with baseball’s consecutive games played streak, examining legends like Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr.

Season 4 explores the intertwined evolution of baseball, radio, and television, and how each helped shape the way fans experience the game.

If you love baseball history, storytelling, and the quiet details that bring the past to life, this is a show designed to be listened to, not just heard.

Copyright: © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 6: The Five-Year Itch Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

W.P. Kinsella never saw the father-son relationship as the central emotional story in his book, Shoeless Joe. This is just one of many revelations in Episode 6, where I follow the path of writer/director Phil Alden Robinson, who roamed the streets of Hollywood for years with the vision of what Shoeless Joe would become on the big screen. But it was this very struggle and years of failure that led to what many called a magical script.

Ep. 5: Catcher in the Corn Oct 03, 2024

Show notes

When J.D. Salinger learned that he was a character in W.P. Kinsella’s novel, Shoeless Joe, he threatened a lawsuit, which led to Salinger being rewritten as Terence Mann for the film. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to coincidences and controversies between J.D. Salinger, W.P. Kinsella, and their iconic novels. In this episode, I explore the question, would Field of Dreams exist without J.D. Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye?

Ep. 4: Eddie Scissons Syndrome Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

1 out of every 5 men claiming to have played professional baseball was lying, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 1990s. But there was no name for this phenomenon, until author W.P. Kinsella created a fictional character named Eddie Scissons. Stranger still, two men in real life decided to study cases of Eddie Scissons syndrome, and what they found blew their minds.

Ep. 3: Lost and Found in Translation Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

There are many great moments from Field of Dreams taken directly from the novel, Shoeless Joe, but there are also key differences in both. Some of the additions and changes in Field of Dreams led to a better story, but some of the deleted characters and stories from the novel are wonderful gems worth discussing, including a very meaningful part cut from Terence Mann’s final speech.

Ep. 2: Field of Contradictions Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

Unlike many predestined stories of artists, author W.P. Kinsella was born and raised to NOT write the novel, Shoeless Joe. In this episode, I explore the many fascinating contradictions that made Kinsella such an interesting character, and that led to stories no one else in the world could write.

Ep. 1: The Bluff Sep 05, 2024

Show notes

In this first episode, I explore the crazy story of editor Lawrence Kessenich, who was instrumental in helping W.P. Kinsella turn a 16-page short story into a full novel. Along the way, there were many improbable occurrences and treacherous hazards that nearly derailed the project. But born from this struggle was a bond that would last generations.

Season 2 Trailer Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

The making of Field of Dreams, across countries and continents, is a story of vision, of redemption, and of slowing down and appreciating the people and things in your life that matter. This season, I will talk to actors, directors, and other fascinating men and women in the film industry. I will also talk with you, the fans, about your stories of baseball and Field of Dreams. I will trace the film back decades to improbable imaginings and encounters, to daunting casting and production disasters, to unlikely and uplifting box office performances, and finally, to what Field of Dreams and a little field in Iowa mean to people today. I can't wait to start the journey on September 5!

Ep. 25: The Tools of Ignorance, Part 4 - The Invisible Man May 28, 2024

Show notes

For the final episode of season 1, I dive into the major league catcher and the tools that make him what he is today. Because of his equipment, the catcher is literally masked, but there are so many other areas where he is overlooked and underestimated. In this episode, I explore these areas, and why they have come to be.

Ep. 24: The Tools of Ignorance, Part 3 - Action and Glory May 20, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, I dive into the origins of the baseball bat, the number one piece of marketing equipment in the history of the game. I also discuss the colorful stories of the inspirational, stubborn, superstitious men who wielded this instrument of hope and despair.

Ep. 23: The Tools of Ignorance, Part 2 - Glove Affairs May 14, 2024

Show notes

What began as an object of great shame eventually turned into the most intimate relationship between a ballplayer and an object. Come along on this fascinating journey of the baseball glove, from infamy to celebration, honor, and love.

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