Ring the Bell: A Journey Through Philadelphia Baseball History

08/07/2025

NEW DROP!

About a month ago, I was a guest on the Bucket List Podcast.

Please head over there and give it a listen! Let's make my appearance their most popular drop of August!

https://baseballbucketlist.com/.../episode-187-bruce-sarte/

08/03/2025

🚨 NEW BLOG POST: Meet Gage Wood – the Phillies’ 2025 First-Round Pick! 🚨

The Phillies went all-in on power arms this year, and Gage Wood is leading the charge. With a blazing fastball, elite strikeout numbers, and a no-hitter in the College World Series, he’s already turning heads. 👀🔥

But how does Wood fit into the Phillies’ long-term pitching plans? When might he debut in red pinstripes? And what will it take for him to crack the big-league rotation?

📖 Check out my latest deep dive and find out:
👉 https://www.bruceasarte.com/post/did-the-phillies-ring-the-bell-with-gage-wood

The Philadelphia Phillies went for power and fire by selecting Gage Wood with their first-round pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft. Measuring an even 6’ and tipping the scales at 205 lb, the power-throwing right-hander is ready to make an impact. He was ranked as the #50 prospect in this c...

07/14/2025

🚨 NEW EPISODE DROP 🚨
🎙️ Ring the Bell: A Journey Through Philadelphia Baseball History
⚾ "Bobbed Hair & Big Swings: The Philadelphia Bobbies and Women’s Baseball in the 1920s"

Before there was Title IX or the AAGPBL, there were barnstorming pioneers—and Philadelphia had some of the boldest. Meet the Philadelphia Bobbies, a team of fiercely talented young women led by the trailblazing Mary O’Gara and starring Edith Houghton, the 10-year-old shortstop who could field circles around grown men.

In this episode, we dive deep into:
💇‍♀️ How bobbed hair became a symbol of rebellion and style on the diamond
🌍 The Bobbies’ jaw-dropping 1925 tour of Japan—yes, across the Pacific!
🥎 How Philly’s women’s teams defied expectations, played with heart, and helped pave the way for generations to come

From games against the Morton Bloomer Girls to grueling travel across America and beyond, this is the incredible true story of ambition, athleticism, and audacity.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your baseball history fix.
📸 Don’t miss the stunning new episode artwork!

Bobbed Hair & Big Swings: The Philadelphia Bobbies and Women’s Baseball in the 1920sBefore there was Title IX or the AAGPBL, there were barnstorming pioneers—and Philadelphia had some of the boldest. Meet the Philadelphia Bobbies, a team of fiercely talented young women led by the trailblazing M...

06/29/2025

* NEW EPISODE ALERT *

Episode 4: The Kings of Darby: The Hilldale Club and the 1925 Colored World Series 👑⚾

Step back into the roaring 1920s and discover how the mighty Hilldale Club of Darby, PA, became the kings of Black baseball. From their rise under Ed Bolden’s fierce leadership to their legendary showdown with the Kansas City Monarchs in the 1925 Colored World Series—this episode unpacks the grit, glory, and game-changing legacy of one of the Negro Leagues' most dominant dynasties.

💥 Meet legends like Biz Mackey, Judy Johnson & Louis Santop

📍 Explore the roots of Hilldale Park

📰 Hear how Philly’s Black press covered every historic pitch

Listen on Spotify, Apple, iHeartMedia now!

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/bruce360/episodes/The-Kings-of-Darby-The-Hilldale-Club-and-the-1925-World-Series-e34sc4u

Episode 4: The Kings of Darby: The Hilldale Club and the 1925 Colored World Series 👑⚾Step back into the roaring 1920s and discover how the mighty Hilldale Club of Darby, PA, became the kings of Black baseball. From their rise under Ed Bolden’s fierce leadership to their legendary showdown wit...

06/29/2025

In 1931, 17-year-old Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell Gilbert stood on the pitcher’s mound for the Chattanooga Lookouts and made history. In a jaw-dropping exhibition game, she threw three pitches that stunned the world and two of the greatest hitters in baseball, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, walked back to the dugout shaking their heads.

And a legend was born in this teenage girl.

Jackie wasn’t just lucky. She was trained by Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance, who was her neighbor as a child. Dazzy taught her his signature drop pitch. She signed one of the first pro baseball contracts ever given to a woman and proved she belonged on the field. But days after her unforgettable debut, the baseball commissioner voided her contract, calling the sport “too strenuous” for women.

Still, Jackie didn’t back down. She kept playing, barnstorming across the country, dazzling crowds who came to see the girl who struck out two icons. By the time she retired in 1937, she'd already changed the game.

Jackie Mitchell’s story isn’t just about baseball—it’s about the courage to throw hard when the world tells you to sit down.

Learn more about women and how they revolutionized baseball in an upcoming episode of Ring The Bell: A Journey Through Philadelphia Baseball History

Click to listen: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MWwnqvF7cPqpj8OtMzA6q?si=6d4726dcdae1457b

06/24/2025

The latest episode of Ring The Bell: A Journey Through Philadelphia Baseball History is LIVE NOW on - The Philadelphia Pythians: Baseball, Brotherhood & Octavius Catto

But... where did the Pythians play their games? Hint: Fittingly.. It was very close to a modern-day civic landmark...

Answer in the comments.

Listen NOW: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/bruce360/episodes/The-Philadelphia-Pythians-Baseball--Brotherhood--Octavius-Catto-e34j5h5?fbclid=IwY2xjawLICPNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFpOHY0WnlZWUtKZDdvTXpRAR53QtIZIP5U1lvarv5DAImE489vr6EZPpCL_KE2_o6dY3SAVlkDcSTFQwq7Xg_aem_O6inWDUtwJ_ky6bWVuZf2A

🎙️ Ring the Bell: A Journey Through Philadelphia Baseball HistoryThis week, we step back into the Reconstruction Era and onto the field with the Philadelphia Pythians—one of the first all-Black baseball teams in America—and their fearless leader Octavius Catto.⚾ From forming a pioneering ...

06/22/2025

🔔 NEW EPISODE ALERT! 🔔
🎙️ Ring the Bell: A Journey Through Philadelphia Baseball History

This week, we step back into the Reconstruction Era and onto the field with the Philadelphia Pythians—one of the first all-Black baseball teams in America—and their fearless leader Octavius Catto.

⚾ From forming a pioneering team that challenged segregation…
📜 To organizing games against white clubs like the Olympics…
💔 To Catto’s tragic assassination on Election Day 1871…

This episode is a tribute to baseball, brotherhood, and bravery in 19th-century Philadelphia. You’ll never look at the game—or the city—the same way again.

🎧 Tune in wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, Apple, iHeartMedia or *new* Pandora!

💡 And don’t miss this week’s BELL RINGER TRIVIA:
What else was Jacob C. White famous for besides co-founding the Pythians??

Drop your guesses below ⬇️ and see if you can ring the bell! 🛎️



https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/bruce360/episodes/The-Philadelphia-Pythians-Baseball--Brotherhood--Octavius-Catto-e34j5h5

06/14/2025

EPISODE 2 IS LIVE NOW!

Step into the smoke and spirit of the 1880s—a rowdy, roaring era when baseball in Philly was just finding its voice… and its punch.

🍺 Meet the Philadelphia Quakers (you’ll know them later as the Phillies!)
🏟️ Tour from Jefferson Street Grounds to the rickety charm of the Baker Bowl
🍻 Discover why the American Association was nicknamed the "Beer and Whiskey League"
📰 Hear how raucous fans and scandalized newspapers fueled the game
⚔️ Dive into the rivalry between the buttoned-up National League and its brash challenger
⚾ Relive the short, wild ride of the first Philadelphia Athletics team
🎉 And don’t miss our fun closing segment: The Bell Ringer – your fastball of Philly baseball trivia!

📲 Stream now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your baseball fix.
📸 PLEASE!!

Don’t forget to share, tag a baseball buddy, and

https://open.spotify.com/episode/767BeDP5yp6TyY0PMJrw65?si=KkeibPf8SHeEBtYnsw4h3w

06/11/2025

Please visit the Spotify page, subscribe, and listen! It is currently available on Spotify and iHeartRadio -- and coming soon to Apple Podcasts!
Don't forget to subscribe... 🙂

And after you listen to the first show, answer the poll, and comment!!
https://open.spotify.com/show/2MWwnqvF7cPqpj8OtMzA6q?si=e9cc2d3aa0394289

06/10/2025

Thank you for joining our page -- and the time has come for the OFFICIAL LAUNCH of the Ring The Bell: A Journey Through Philadelphia Baseball History podcast's first episode!

Please visit the Spotify page, subscribe, and listen! It is currently available on Spotify and iHeartRadio -- and coming soon to Apple Podcasts!

Don't forget to subscribe... :) And after you listen to the first show, answer the poll, and comment!!

https://open.spotify.com/show/2MWwnqvF7cPqpj8OtMzA6q?si=3acf8c7356314e41

06/03/2025

Stay tuned for our first episode - coming SOON!

Philly’s baseball story didn’t start with the Phillies — it started long before box scores, big leagues, or even gloves.

We’re talking schoolyard town ball in the 1830s…
The rise of the Athletic Club in 1860 — Philly’s first powerhouse team…

The Philadelphia Pythians, who challenged baseball’s color line before it was even written…

And the Dolly Vardens, one of the earliest all-female teams — maybe satire, maybe not.

You’ll hear how baseball spread across Philly neighborhoods — from factories to firehouses — and how stadiums like Jefferson Street Grounds brought the game into the modern era.

And we close with our first Bell Ringer — that tells the story of a 10 year old who became a scout for the Phillies!

Because in Philly, baseball’s not just a sport — it’s history, identity, and community.

So if you love the game, the stories behind it, and the city that helped shape it — 🔔 Ring the Bell.