Episode 21 - Nothing but curveballs

Former basketball coach and long-time broadcast analyst Joe Cravens returns to discuss his book choice - The Last Innocents by Michael Leahy. We each share some of our favorite moments and stories from the book that explores how the 1960s Dodgers navigated tumultuous changes in the world - and the sport of baseball. From scenes where pitcher Sandy Koufax and infielder Maury Wills read each other’s hate mail to a conversation between pitcher James “Mudcat” Grant and then-presidential candidate John F. Kennedy that ended up changing the lives of many people in his rural hometown, the book gives readers countless new insights and life lessons as it chronicles the Dodgers’ ascendance in baseball. Coach Cravens also shares some of his other favorite books - Our Team by Luke Epplin about the men that came together to lead the 1948 Cleveland Indians to a World Series championship, and Casey Stengel: Baseball’s Greatest Character by Marty Appel. This episode is also our final episode before taking a production break. We plan to be back with more coaches and books in a couple of months. We have loved getting to know these coaches and reading the books that made them the leaders that we love. We appreciate all of the support we’ve enjoyed and we will keep you posted on our return. Until then, happy reading!