Midnight Library of Baseball Podcast By Ben Orlando | Baseball Historian and Storyteller cover art

Midnight Library of Baseball

Midnight Library of Baseball

By: Ben Orlando | Baseball Historian and Storyteller
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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 2023 All rights reserved.
Baseball & Softball World
Episodes
  • E3: The Lightning-Fast Game Called Baseball
    Sep 24 2026

    If you lived in New York in the 1850s, you would have heard of a game catching on that was extremely fast-paced. Blink and you'll miss it. What was this lightning-quick game? Baseball. Hard to believe, but this was the reality at the time. And then, in 1859, in stepped a pitcher who did something that stunned the baseball world. And the game would never be the same.

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    29 mins
  • E2: The Day The Pitcher Defied The Game
    Sep 17 2026

    In this episode, I begin to explore the strange and still familiar game of baseball during Jim Creighton's day, and how the restrictions paved the way for his rebellion. Also, beyond the historical story is often the incredible work of the investigative historian, and here we begin to see the amazing work of Tom Gilbert and fellow historians in untangling the mess of the past to bring us some wonderful gems.

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    36 mins
  • E1: The Conspiracy
    Sep 10 2026

    There are stories that come along once in a while that send sparks flying inside your brain. That's what happened to me when Tom Gilbert first told me about Jim Creighton, this young ballplayer alluded to in The Simpsons' episode, Homer at the Bat. Once seen, you can't unsee the hidden truths and amazing twists and turns of this story, beginning with the fact that when Jim Creighton died in 1862, he was already a superstar, his impact on baseball was monumental, and yet his death was distorted and changed, until eventually he and his story was erased from history. This is the beginning of an amazing tale.

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    25 mins
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