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A rally monkey that only appears under strict rules, a capuchin celebrity from Friends, and fans waving stuffed primates like it’s a sacred rite. That’s where we start, because baseball’s superstitions aren’t just funny, they reveal how the sport builds meaning out of moments. Then we jump to a place where the weirdness isn’t a gimmick at all: the Polo Grounds, one of the most important and most bizarre stadiums in MLB history.

We walk through the full Polo Grounds timeline, from its origins as a polo venue to its forced moves across Manhattan and its long run as the New York Giants’ home before the franchise heads to San Francisco. Along the way we keep the baseball history and trivia coming: how the Metropolitans connect to the later Mets, why the deadball era changes how you should imagine the game, and how one ballpark ends up hosting an absurd mix of baseball, football, and major New York rivalries under the same roof.

The heart of the story is the field itself. The Polo Grounds is famous for extreme stadium dimensions, short foul lines, a cavernous center field, playable bullpens, and corners that turn routine hits into chaos. We also hit the unforgettable and sometimes unsettling milestones tied to this park, from Willie Mays’ The Catch and the Shot Heard Round the World to tragedies that pushed safety and rule changes. If you love classic ballparks, New York Giants history, and the strange details that make baseball feel alive, this one’s for you.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, share the show with a baseball friend, and leave a quick review if you’re enjoying the ride. What’s your favorite weird ballpark fact or superstition?

Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

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Jerry’s new Mariner Moose plush turns into a full blown tour through the strangest and most lovable corner of baseball culture: MLB mascots. We dig into why mascots work, why a few teams still refuse to have one, and what separates “cute” from cringy (“why does that thing have a human body”). Along the way, we hit the origins of the word mascot, the design choices that push characters into uncanny territory, and the fan psychology that makes a costumed creature feel like part of the team’s identity.

The history gets especially fun when we trace the rise of the San Diego Chicken and how one promotional stunt helped reshape ballpark entertainment and baseball marketing. We also talk official versus unofficial mascots, from early animals used as crowd pleasers to Mr. Met’s claim as the first official MLB costumed mascot. And of course we can’t skip the Philly Phanatic: the lore, the antics, the business side of licensing, and the way mascots can trigger very real reactions from very serious baseball people.

Then we interrupt our mascot nerding with a “breaking news” style segment featuring our friend Edwin Nolan. We talk automated ball strike challenges (ABS), what we like about it, what could get weird late in games, and how players, catchers, and umpires are adjusting in real time. We also go around the league with early season surprises, young star contracts, City Connect uniforms, odd baseball headlines, and the kind of fights that remind you the game can still get old school.

If you like baseball history, MLB trivia, and smart takes that still laugh at the absurd parts of the sport, hit subscribe, share the episode with a baseball friend, and leave us a quick review so more fans can find the show.

Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail

Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com