All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories

ABC:LHS 090-3    Frank Bettger... (by guest host Rich Wilhelm)
...was a mediocre infielder for the Cardinals who blew out his shoulder and took to selling insurance, at which he was initially less than mediocre. He rebuilt his personality and his life to become one of the best motivational speakers of his day, often compared to Dale Carnegie. 

ABC:LHS #090-2    Frank Fleer...
...did not invent the gum that today carries his name, but his name has become synonymous with the pink chewy glob coveted by children of all ages worldwide.
 

ABC:LHS #090-1     Francis Richter ...
...was a sportswriter who championed the new game through his newspaper work and the ubiquitous weekly Sporting Life, which was an essential read in the early 20th century. Richter is in the Baseball Hall of Fame ... sort of. 

ABC:LHS #090    We start with three ballpark Franks...
...Francis Richter, whose writing helped to make the game respectable; he is in the Baseball Hall of Hame.
...Frank Fleer, the man who ALMOST invented the pink gum that's accompanied baseball cards for nearly a century.
...Frank Bettger, who went from failure to success after he blew out his throwing arm in Chicago (prepared and presented by fellow guide Rich Wilhelm).
...Joseph Howard Berry, Jr., who is in two Halls of Fame but is nearly forgotten today because of an unfortunate nickname; yes, it's that bad.
...Thomas Mitchell, partial owner of the Phillies during some lean times, including the staggeringly bad 1930 season; on the bright side, he co-founded Jupiter Island, Florida.
I will release an optional segment on September 5th about the rich history of baseball nicknames, and the problems with who does the naming. 
 

BBB 059, part 3    Jáni Szántó...
...was a masterful violinist and instructor who escaped the Nazis with the help of Pope Pius XII and settled in Philadelphia as instructor. One of his old instruments was the "Lord Borwick" Stradivarius, built in 1702.

BBB:LHWS 059-2    Wilhelm von Wymetal ...
... was an Austrian emigree with a dueling scar who took his expertise with opera to Hollywood, where he directed stars like Nelson Eddy & Jeannette McDonald, and to Pittsburgh, where he shepherded the Civic Light Opera through its early days of success.