His career spans seven decades, making him one of the world's most recognizable voices in nature conservation and environmental education.

In his latest commentary, Pete Peterson celebrates Attenborough’s recent milestone, monumental birthday by remembering his visit to the SIU-Carbondale campus 40 years ago.

The National Football League Draft took place in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago.

In his latest commentary, Pete Peterson tells us why this wasn’t his most memorable draft, despite it being in his hometown.

So far in this young Major League Baseball season, the St. Louis Cardinals are performing much better than the prognosticators envisioned.

Many, predicted St. Louis to finish in last place in the National League Central, but through the first six weeks of the season, the Cardinals are above .500 in a tightly packed division.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson isn’t quite sure what to do with the Cardinals being picked to finish in the basement, lower than his Pittsburgh Pirates.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Baseball is using an automated system that allows players and managers to challenge the home plate umpire’s call of balls and strikes.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson asks if taking a human element partly out of the game is making the sport dumber?

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson and his wife Anita have been attending Saluki baseball games for over 50 years.

They were starting to wonder if they would ever make it back to Itchy Jones Stadium, until a recent visit from their daughter Anne.

In his latest commentary, Pete tells us what it was like to take Anita out to the ballgame.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about a gift he received from a fan involving a special newspaper edition on the death of the legendary Babe Ruth.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In his latest commentary, Pete remembers the hero of the 1960 World Series and the relationships Maz formed during his time in Pittsburgh.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the last two World Series championships.

They continue to add more high-priced talent and outspend every other franchise in the sport.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson takes a look at some of the most hated teams in sports from his perspective.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

For more than 20 years, WSIU Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson has been offering us season’s greetings just before Christmas.

This year, Pete tells us how baseball delivered an early Christmas present in the way teams played the game during the playoffs and World Series.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The Thanksgiving holiday may always be marred for Americans of a certain age because of the late November assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

In this special commentary, WSIU contributor Pete Peterson recounts what it was like for him to live through what he calls the saddest Thanksgiving.

As the 2025 World Series ends this weekend, we look back at one of the craziest fall classics in history.
In the latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers the 100^th anniversary of the 1925 World Series, where the 7^th and final game was played in a downpour, forcing officials to set the infield on fire with gasoline to dry it.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The St. Louis Cardinals suffered through a rare losing season in 2025.

But, in his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has a great book for St. Louis baseball fans with the baseball blues.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The late Robert Redford had a long and distinguished movie career featuring films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men and The Sting.

But, in his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at another of Redford’s celebrated role as baseball player Roy Hobbs in The Natural.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Increased streaming of NFL games is here, with major platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Peacock now showing exclusive games, making it easier for fans to access content on their terms but also more expensive and fragmented for some to watch every game.

This caused WSIU contributor Pete Peterson to miss a playoff game last season involving his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.

In his latest commentary, Pete tells us about another time — more than 50 years ago — when he almost missed another Steeler playoff game due to a totally different NFL broadcasting policy.

The Savannah Bananas have taken over Major League Baseball stadiums this summer with a unique style of playing the game.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how this entertainment-focused brand of the game is nothing new.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Major League Baseball players are some of the most gifted athletes in the world.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson pays homage to this summer’s NubAbility Camp in Du Quoin by looking at some of baseball’s limb-different players over the years.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard Pete Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A book entitled This Old Man is an account of what it’s like to be old.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says it’s a book he can relate to as an 86-year-old man.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Baseball fans love the game’s history.

Many books have been written on the subject.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about a new edition of one of the game’s best history books.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A famous line from the hit film, A League of Their Own, claims there is no crying baseball.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us how he begs to differ, in part, thanks to a Father’s Day gift he received.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Earl Weaver is a Hall of Fame manager who gained his fame as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson takes a look at a new book out about Weaver that highlights his roots to St. Louis and the Cardinals.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A new cable television series explores people's happy places.

In this latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains why a now demolished ballpark is special enough to fit that bill for him.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The hot topic at the beginning of the Major League Baseball season was the emergence of torpedo bats.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at these bats with a non-traditional design and how the bat has evolved over the years.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Former Saluki baseball standout Derek Shelton lasted over five seasons as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates before the franchise fired him last week.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how Shelton faced an uphill battle in getting the Pirates back on track.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The recent death of Pope Francis got Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson thinking about his visit to the U.S. nearly ten years ago.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete wonders if the pope was a baseball fan?

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball is a WSIU Radio original series of baseball essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson. It started in the spring of 2004.

This edition of Reading Baseball is another milestone in the series for Pete.

Pete Peterson is the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A new book out this spring highlights the breaking of the color line by the Chicago White Sox and Cubs in the 1950’s.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson reviews the book that looks at the integration of baseball in Chicago.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A new book is out focusing on the 40^th anniversary of the 1985 World Series. A series won by Kansas City in controversial fashion over their cross-state rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson reviews the book and how the series’ infamous blown call shaped the legacy of an otherwise well-respected umpire.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Tributes continue for former Saluki coaching great Itchy Jones, who died on February 17.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson once again remembers the time Jones became a cover boy when SIU Press reprinted a critically-acclaimed baseball book.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In his latest Reading Baseball and annual Black History Month commentary, Pete Peterson tells us about a legendary negro league manager who Pete believes was wrongly left out of the Baseball Hall of Fame again.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Baseball has found some innovative ways recently to try and make the game more appealing to fans.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson takes a look at the most recent proposal and why this gimmick was put on the shelf.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Listeners of the Reading Baseball commentary know Pete Peterson and his wife Anita are die-hard Pittsburgh Pirate fans.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete explains how his wife Anita’s disgust with her hometown Pirates led her to become a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, just for a fleeting moment.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Since his recent death, the debate has been reignited as to whether Pete Rose should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at the controversial career of the game’s all-time hits leader.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

November 5 is Election Day.

If the current political atmosphere has you wanting a distraction, commentator Pete Peterson may have just the thing.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete tries to answer the question: Can baseball save us from politics?

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The Chicago White Sox suffered through one of the worst seasons in baseball history.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tries to put a smile on the faces of White Sox fans with a unique trip down memory lane.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In Pete’s latest edition of Reading Baseball, he tells us his latest glove has an interesting story on a couple of fronts.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

For many years, there wasn’t much debate about who was the greatest living baseball player. Willie Mays seemed like a pretty easy choice. But, since his passing, the question of who is NOW the greatest living ballplayer has led to a renewed discussion.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson gives us his answer.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

We’re proud to announce Reading Baseball is currently ranked as the 7th best NPR Sports Podcast worth listening to in 2024.

Last month, Pete Peterson told us why a mustache he had grown over the summer would be his first and last attempt at facial hair.

Now, in his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete explains the Curse of the Mustache.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Baseball doubleheaders were a part of the Major League Baseball landscape for decades, but now they’re almost non-existent, barring rainouts.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson asks the question, what is a doubleheader?

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes has taken Major League Baseball by storm this season, posting a 6-1 record and a remarkable 1.99 earned run average.

Skenes has made a big impression on Pirate fans, including our very own Pete Peterson.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete describes how Skenes inspired him to grow a mustache for the first time in his life.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

If you’ve been listening to Pete Peterson’s Reading Baseball commentaries for all or part of the past 20 years, you likely know Pete and his wife Anita, are originally from Pittsburgh.

The two recently made a trip back to their hometown. As Pete explains, this one was extra special.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Milwaukee will be the center of the political world next week when it hosts the Republican National Convention.

The city also boasts the Brewers, who lead the National League Central division standings.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us the history of baseball in the Wisconsin city.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The man known as the Say Hey Kid and known for “The Catch” in the 1954 World Series passed away on June 18.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson takes a look at the career of Willie Mays and two books inspired by his illustrious career.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Longtime Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson has been an avid runner for many years.

Pete still runs fairly frequently even at the age of 85.

In his latest commentary, Pete tells us about the adventures on his most recent running event, a 5K fundraiser for SIH.

There is an outbreak of injuries to pitchers already in this young Major League Baseball season.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson examines the national pastime’s farewell to arms.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

St. Louis Cardinal fans are still mourning the recent death of former manager Whitey Herzog.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers the Hall of Famer through a review of Herzog’s book published in 1999.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

American Jewish leaders are concerned about a major increase in antisemitic incidents.

While Jackie Robinson understandably received a lot of attention for the racial taunts and threats he received for breaking baseball’s color barrier, Hank Greenberg received his own version of anti-Semitic taunts as the game’s first great Jewish star.

In the latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson examines Greenberg’s Hall of Fame career.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

With the total solar eclipse coming up on Monday, April 8, we thought we would revisit Pete Peterson’s Reading Baseball segment from just before the 2017 eclipse where Pete looks at a novel that includes a story of an eclipse and America's favorite pastime.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Paul Giamatti is an Oscar-nominated actor, best known for leading roles in the films American Splendor , Sideways and Barney's Version.

But, in this edition of Reading Baseball, much to his surprise, Pete Peterson recently learned Giamatti’s father is the former commissioner of baseball who banished Pete Rose from the game.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The newest inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame include longtime manager Jim Leyland, who may be most famous for a confrontation in spring training with home run king Barry Bonds.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson examines the often-rocky relationship between Leyland and Bonds.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

WSIU contributor Pete Peterson brings us his annual piece in honor of Black History Month. This year, Pete has the story of the American League’s Jackie Robinson.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

WSIU commentator Pete Peterson has told us stories about his days of playing in adult softball leagues in southern Illinois.

But, Pete also used to take part in lunch hour pick-up basketball games when he taught at SIU-Carbondale.

In his latest commentary, Pete tells us how a recent article reminded him of those days of going at it on the hardwood at the SIU Arena, now the Banterra Center.

For years, Pete Peterson has regaled us with stories about past Christmas presents and even offered us suggestions on baseball-related Christmas gifts.

But, this year, Pete has an extra special Christmas season commentary, one that changed his life forever.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A new book could be a real treat for baseball fans.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us the book doesn’t focus on players, or even games, but special moments in the history of the National Pastime.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Two-sport athletes are not uncommon, think about Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, even back to Jim Thorpe.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers another two-sport athlete who passed away this year after playing professional basketball and excelling as a Major League Baseball player.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

For the first time in 16 years, the St. Louis Cardinals finished the Major League Baseball season with a losing record.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson offers a letter to Cardinal fans on how to deal with their team’s struggles.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of the St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A rare season in which the St. Louis Cardinals finished in last place in their division has Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson remembering his childhood when the Pittsburgh Pirates often battled another rival for the basement.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals are battling it out for the basement of the National League Central Division standings with just over a week remaining in the regular season.

As Pete Peterson explains in his latest commentary, this is a familiar position for his Pirates, but unfamiliar territory for the Cardinals, who haven’t had a losing season since 2007.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

25 years ago, Mark McGwire was arguably the most recognizable and celebrated player in baseball after breaking Roger Maris’ single-season home run record.

In the latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us a story about how the steroid scandal interrupted the St. Louis Cardinals from celebrating McGwire’s records in a very public way.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Pete Peterson and several members of his family gathered recently in Pittsburgh.

To no one’s surprise, part of the trip included a visit to PNC Park for a Pirates game.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete tells us about the highly charged atmosphere at the game between the hometown Pirates and the cross-state rival Philadelphia Phillies.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The teacher shortage is impacting school districts across the country with many instructors suffering from burnout, helping them to leave their jobs at record rates. On top of that, the pipeline of new teachers is growing smaller.

Commentator Pete Peterson and his wife, Anita, are both retired teachers.

In this special commentary, Pete examines some of the challenges teachers have faced for decades and some new obstacles they encounter in our highly divided society.

WSIU Radio commentator Pete Peterson is known for being a retired English professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and of course his long-running Reading Baseball essays and commentaries.

But, in his younger years, Pete had a job pumping gas, cleaning windshields and checking oil at a full-service gas station…stations that rarely exist throughout the country these days.

Scientists believe climate change is leading to hotter temperatures, more severe storms, increased drought and other risks to life on Earth.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how climate change could be impacting something we may not have considered...more home runs in Major League Baseball.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Baseball players are among the most superstitious of any athletes.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how fans of the National Pastime can be just as superstitious, including someone he knows very well.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Major League Baseball’s attempt to shorten the length of games this season seems to be working with the addition of a pitch clock.

But, in his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how quicker games have created a new problem for MLB teams.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

SIU-Carbondale alum Bob Odenkirk starred in the eight-episode series Lucky Hank, which recently concluded on AMC.

The TV series was based on the book Straight Man, written by former SIU-C English professor Richard Russo.

WSIU’s Reading Baseball contributor Pete Peterson has this special commentary about Russo’s time in Carbondale and his disappointment that the TV series took little from the novel.

Fairy tales can be described as stories involving fantastic forces, most originating in folklore, mythology, and legend..

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about the National Pastime’s own version of a fairy tale.

It happened recently when the Pittsburgh Pirates called up a player for his Major League debut after he spent more than a decade playing in the minor leagues.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson recently celebrated his 84^th birthday.

In his latest commentary, Pete tells us about a special gift from his oldest daughter, Anne, which involved a Pittsburgh Pirates game in St. Louis…and lo and behold…a Pirates win.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

One of the new rule changes in Major League Baseball this season is the introduction of a pitch clock.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how he believes this attempt to speed up games goes against the essence of the National Pastime.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The new Major League Baseball season kicked off Thursday.

In the latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson reminisces about his own Opening Day memories.

Pete also explains some Opening Day traditions that involve the Cincinnati Reds hosting the first game and presidents throwing out the first pitch.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

We’re into the time of year known as March Madness as college basketball teams compete for the NCAA national championship.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has the story of how he had his own version of March Madness nearly 70 years ago. It didn’t involve basketball, but his dream of playing professional baseball.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

A large school district in the Jacksonville, Florida area recently voted to ban a children’s book about Hall of Fame baseball player and humanitarian Roberto Clemente.

But just days ago, the book was reviewed after it was removed from classrooms for its references to racism and discrimination and has now been approved for use.

In this latest Reading Baseball commentary, Pete Peterson takes a look at the book, which briefly was deemed inappropriate for young readers.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Many football fans probably hadn’t heard of Damar Hamlin before the Buffalo Bills defensive back suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during a game in Cincinnati last month.

Just ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl, his story remains one of the most compelling of the football season.

In this special commentary, Pete Peterson talks about Hamlin’s love of the rough neighborhood of Pittsburgh where the 24-year-old grew up.

With short days and usually very cold nights, the time after the holidays in January can be depressing, especially for baseball fans waiting for the start of Spring Training.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how living on the snowy, cold east coast as a young man was demoralizing.

But, that changed one year when the bleakness of January became more tolerable with the introduction of a televised Home Run Derby.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

WSIU contributor Pete Peterson is back with his annual holiday commentary.

This year, Pete commemorates the 50^th anniversary of one of the most memorable plays in football history and one of baseball’s greatest tragedies, both of which happened in back to back weekends during the holiday season of 1972.

Jim Thorpe is widely considered as the greatest athlete to ever live.

He is well known for his exploits in the 1912 Olympics and even for his time playing professional football.

But, in this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has the story of Thorpe’s lesser known professional baseball career.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader, newly released in paperback.

Pete wants to remind listeners a recent health episode has affected his speech, and appreciates your patience as he continues his recovery.
——————————————————————————————————————

In the 1913 World Series, played between the Philadelphia As and the New York Giants, each team had a Native American who had excelled in sports at Carlisle Indian Industrial School and gone on to glory on the athletic field against some of the most powerful college teams in the country.

Founded in 1879, Carlisle’s mission was to assimilate Native American children into white society, or as stated in its motto, “Kill the Indian, save the man.” While its motto was a departure from General Sheridan’s view that “the only good Indian is a dead Indian,” in reality, it was nothing more than a shift in government attitude and policy from destroying Native Americans to eradicating Native American culture.

In 1902, Albert “Chief” Bender, while attending Carlisle, signed a professional baseball contract with Connie Mack’s Philadelphia As. Bender went on to become one of baseball’s greatest pitchers, leading the As to championship seasons in 1910 and 1911. He had his best season in 1913, winning 21 games and led the As to their third championship in four years by winning two games in the 1913 World Series. In 1953, he became the first Native American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

While the As had “Chief” Bender going into the 1913 World Series, the Giants had their own famous athlete from Carlisle in Jim Thorpe. Just a year earlier, at the 1912 Olympics, Thorpe had won gold medals in the challenging five-event pentathlon and the grueling ten-event decathlon and been roundly declared the greatest athlete in the world. He added to his stature later that fall by becoming an All-American in college football after leading Carlisle to a stunning upset of an Army team that included Dwight Eisenhower.

Unfortunately, just a few months later, The Worchester Telegram reported that Jim Thorpe had violated Olympic rules and was not an amateur athlete because in 1910 and 1911 he had played two summers of professional baseball in the low minor leagues.

Thorpe pleaded, in his own words, that he “was simply an Indian school boy and didn’t know about such things. I did not know I was doing wrong.” He also pointed out that it was common for college athletes to earn a few dollars in the summer by playing semi-pro or minor league baseball, but, unlike Thorpe, they used an assumed name to protect their amateur standing.

In January 1913, after the International Olympic Committee rejected his appeal and demanded the return of his gold medals, Jim Thorpe, with the NFL’s founding a decade away and no opportunity to make money playing professional football, signed a contract to play baseball for John McGraw and the New York Giants. While the Giants went on to win the National League pennant, McGraw, who had a reputation for making life miserable for players he disliked, seldom used the 26-year-old Thorpe, who played in only 19 games that season and sat on the bench for the entire 1913 World Series.

Jim Thorpe stayed with the Giants for several more years, but spent most of his time on the bench. Thorpe finally did get a chance to play regularly when McGraw traded him to the Boston Braves during the 1919 season. He hit .327 for the Braves, but he was released at season’s end. He never played in the major leagues again, though he played minor league and semi-pro baseball until he was in his forties because it was a way to make money.

In his newly released, Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe, David Maraniss, author of critically acclaimed biographies of Vince Lombardi and Roberto Clemente, covers Jim Thorpe’s baseball career in great detail and the impact of the mistreatment of Native Americans on Thorpe’s life and reputation, despite his incredible accomplishments as an athlete.

In 1982, the Olympic International Committee, 70 years after it demanded the return of Thorpe’s gold medals, finally gave his medals, or at least facsimiles of his medals, to his family, and, only recently, over 100 years since Jim Thorpe won his gold medals, restored Thorpe’s records to the 1912 Olympics.

The St. Louis Cardinals had another great regular season that resulted in the franchise’s 4^th consecutive playoff appearance.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has the story of the Cardinals’ 2022 campaign and how it didn’t end in a storybook fashion.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Pete wants listeners to know a recent health episode has affected his speech, but he’s in good spirits and appreciates your patience as he continues his recovery.

Here is the text of Pete's commentary:

If we see baseball’s drama and history as a storybook, then in 2022, St. Louis Cardinal fans were treated to three classic stories. All that they needed was for the three stories to merge into a perfect ending, the “and they lived happily after” fairy tale ending.

First of all and most important to Cardinal fans and to fans around the country was the story of the Prodigal Son. Albert Pujols, after leaving the Cardinals a decade earlier, returned to the Cardinals for his last season. As if he’d discovered some magical elixir, he began, ay mid-season, to hit home runs at a record pace. He was honored around the league, but for Cardinal fans it was a homecoming.

Closely following the Prodigal Son was the story of the Comeback Kid. After suffering what appeared to be a season and career ending injury, Yadier Molina returned at mid-season and led the Cardinals with his clutch hitting and defensives prowess. Though years of wear and tear as a catcher had taken their toll, he came back and played with the energy and enthusiasm of a kid.

Last of all, was the story of the Aging Hero. While most thought that Adam Wainwright’s career was over, that he was too old, had lost too much, to get batters out, he took to the mound and out pitched his opponents. He didn’t try to overpower hitters with his fast ball;. he used cunning and the curve ball, a pitch many thought was obsolete, to get batters out.

At the last home game at Busch Stadium, when the three heroes walked off the mound together, there was that sense of anticipation and expectation, the feeling that the three great stories would merge into one happy ending -- the Cardinals winning the World Series. Cardinal fans didn’t know how it was going to happen -- maybe Pujols would end the World Series with a dramatic home run, maybe Molina would save the World Series with a brilliant defensive play, or maybe Wainwright would end the World Series with a strike out on a curve ball . Cardinal fans didn’t know how, but the storybook season had to end with the Cardinals winning the World Series.

But it didn’t happen ---- there was no happy ending. Though they got hits in their last times at bat, Pujols and Molina hit no home runs, drove in no runs, while Wainwright didn’t even have a chance to throw a curve. The Cardinal didn’t hit, didn’t field, didn’t pitch in the clutch, and they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Phillies.

Cardinal fans learned all over again that, while baseball can be a field of dreams, it can also break you heart. Like the Mighty Casey, our hero sometimes strikes out and sometimes our best pitcher gives up the game winning hit. We root for our team all season, but when it comes to the moment of triumph, our heroes sometimes let us down. Former Yale scholar and baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti once wrote that baseball “is designed to break you heart.... You count on it, rely on it ... and when you need it the most, it stops.”

We are approaching the 50th anniversary of one of baseball saddest stories --- the death of the hero at the height of his glory. At the end of the 1972 season. in his last at bat, Roberto Clemente lined a double off the left-center field wall. It was his 3,000th hit, a feat rarely accomplished by a major league batter.

Led by Clemente, the Pirates had won the World Series in 1971 and were expected to repeat, but they suffered a heart-breaking. loss to the Reds in the playoffs. The Pirates, however, still had the great Clemente and there was always next year. But all that changed forever, when Clemente, on a plane filled with relief supplies for victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua, died on New Years Eve when the plane crashed into the sea.

It breaks you heart.

WSIU Radio commentator Pete Peterson hasn’t participated in the Pittsburgh Marathon for three years, but that hasn’t stopped organizers from reaching out to him seeking his return to the event held each May.

In this commentary, Pete tells us how the persistent reminders tug at the heart strings for a Pittsburgh native who loves to run.

Before we hear this piece, Pete wants listeners to know a recent health episode has affected his speech, but he’s in good spirits and appreciates your patience as he continues his recovery.

Here is the written copy of Pete's commentary.

When I was growing up in Pittsburgh, there were four movie houses on my working-class South Side, so I saw plenty of movies. I loved then all -- the war movies, the romantic adventures, the musical comedies, the biblical epics, the baseball biographies, the hour-long oaters starring Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, but my favorites, by far, were the science-fiction thrillers, with those invading aliens from outer space and those giant insects and sea monsters spawned by the radiation from atomic bomb tests.

There were so many “creature features” to choose from, but my favorite, and by far the scariest, was called The Thing From Another World. Released in the early 1950s, at the height of the Red Scare, The Thing takes place at the North Pole, where members of a military outpost discover a saucer-shaped aircraft and a nearby body buried in the ice.
They accidentally destroy the aircraft while trying to melt the ice, but they managed to cut the body out of the ice and take it back to their base.

The Thing takes an ominous turn when the guard assigned to protect the block of ice containing the body, covers the block with a blanket, so he won’t have to look at whatever is inside it. Unfortunately, the blanket is electric and when the guard wakes up, he discovers that the ice has melted and the body is gone.

For a good part of the movie, we know something is out there, something that’s killing dogs and humans and draining their blood -- but, in scene after scene, it’s gone before we have a chance to see it -- until finally, when we least expect it, someone casually opens a door and the Thing jumps out.

Those in the audience, including this working-class teenager, reacted in horror, while some got up and ran out of the theater. Looking back at the movie, however, the Thing really wasn’t all that scary. Imagine the Jolly Green Giant reduced in size to a blood-sucking vegetable vampire in human form, played by James Arness, later of Gun Smoke fame, and you’ll see what was waiting behind that door.

It wasn’t so much the creature that terrified us as it was the anticipation, the sense of dread, use to great effect by Steven Spielberg in Jaws, that made the moment when we finally see the Thing so horrifying. In Jaws, we were warned to stay out of the water;
in The Thing, we were warned to look to the sky.

I’ve been living with my own sense of dread lately, but it has nothing to do with vampires from outer space or great white sharks. In 2019, when I turned 80, I ran in my tenth and what I decided was my last Pittsburgh Marathon. That hasn’t stopped organizers, over the past three years, from sending me weekly and sometimes daily notices of the next marathon. Every time I log onto my computer, I hear John Williams’ pulsating music from Jaws as I stare at another email from the Pittsburgh Marathon organizers.

During the pandemic, the organizers had to resort to a virtual marathon, but this past May the marathon returned to the streets of Pittsburgh. While it was easy, for two years, to resist running a virtual marathon or half marathon in my living room, the Pittsburgh Marathon was out there again, waiting for me.

I have to admit that, last fall, with the 2022 Pittsburgh Marathon lurking just a car ride away on the interstate, I did increase my jogging and even ran in a local 5K, but I performed so poorly that a Carbondale policeman stopped in his patrol car and asked if I
needed a lift to the finish line. Though the patrol car actually stopped twice, I did make it to the finish line, but the lesson I learned was to keep my distance from the looming Pittsburgh Marathon.

While the next Pittsburgh Marathon isn’t until May, 2023 I’m already receiving emails
from its organizers and I know that they will increase and intensify over the next several months. I also know that as the marathon draws closer and closer, I’ll be tempted to run again, though, when I told my wife Anita, she just shrugged and said to let her know if I decide to run, so she can notify the Pittsburgh police.

On September 10 at Saluki Stadium, the football Salukis lost a heartbreaker to Southeast Missouri State University.

It featured a controversial ending that sent some Saluki coaches, players and fans into a fury.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how baseball umpires are often the easiest to abuse.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

For many decades, baseball was considered America’s game. But now many believe the title of America’s game belongs to football, citing the popularity of the NFL and major college football.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at the debate and tries to explain why the game’s rich history still leads him to call baseball America’s game.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In the next edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has a unique story about when Ron Shelton met Ron Shelton after they joined the same minor league team.

As Pete explains, one of them is the father of former Saluki star and current Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

St. Louis is considered a terrific baseball town.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us that wasn’t the case at the turn of the 20^th century, but the tide turned 100 years ago.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Sports fans have become accustomed to franchises raising money by selling the naming rights to their stadiums.

In this special commentary, Pete Peterson says the latest name change of a stadium has fans of one NFL team up in arms.

Hall of Fame Pitcher Bob Gibson is a legendary figure in the St. Louis Cardinals organization and across baseball.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at a renowned essay written by Roger Angell, who recently passed away. The piece offered a unique perspective on Gibson’s intimidating personality.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader, now available in paperback.

On this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson revisits his days as a sore loser, but this time his confessions come with a brighter outlook.

With his grandson visiting from California after the end of his Little League season, Pete remembers how he hated to lose as a youngster, but it’s his love for the game that still burns inside him today as a man in his 80’s.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader, newly released in paperback.

Former St. Louis Cardinal Rookie of the Year Bill Virdon passed away last year.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson will describe how he learned to love the bespectacled centerfielder after was traded to his hometown team in the 1950's.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson and his wife Anita recently returned to their hometown of Pittsburgh.

Pete was there to make a presentation at the Heinz History Center Sports Museum. But, it was mostly a trip down memory lane for the couple as they enjoyed some of their favorite foods and even stopped by the church where they were married in the 1960’s.

Itchy Jones is the winningest baseball coach in the history of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and led the Salukis to three appearances in the College World Series.

He had such a legendary coaching career at SIU-C, the baseball stadium on campus bears his name and the program recently retired his uniform number 1.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers the time Jones became a cover boy when the SIU Press reprinted a critically-acclaimed baseball book.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader, now available in paperback.

Major League Baseball recently celebrated the 75^th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the game’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at the ramifications of Robinson’s historic achievement on several of his teammates.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader, now available in paperback.

The St. Louis Cardinals opened the season on April 7 with a 9-0 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, lifelong Pirates fan Pete Peterson says he was thankful he could forget about his team’s unimpressive debut by watching a classic baseball film.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader, newly released in paperback.

One of the rule changes fans will recognize for this upcoming Major League Baseball season is the use of a designated hitter in the National League.

In the latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson takes a look at the end of a longtime baseball controversy.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The SIU Saluki baseball program has an impressive history that includes five College World Series appearances and over 20 players who have made it to the Major Leagues.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us how two former Salukis are teaming up to try to turn around one of MLB’s worst franchises.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this special commentary, Pete Peterson provides us a history lesson on the eastern European immigrant enclaves he grew up around in the Pittsburgh area at the onset of World War II and how a Ukrainian Catholic Church still raises money for a special orphanage in western Ukraine.

There’s little argument Barry Bonds is one of the greatest talents to ever play Major League Baseball.

But, because he was accused of using performance-enhancing drugs, the career home run leader was recently excluded from the Hall of Fame for a 10^th consecutive time.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at Bonds’ career and how an unlikely supporter is pushing for his induction.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

February is Black History Month.

In his annual Reading Baseball commentary commemorating the month-long observance, Pete Peterson has the story of the winningest manager in baseball history, a Negro League legend who is not yet in the Hall of Fame.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Many of us likely have a favorite Christmas gift we remember from our childhood.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers a baseball board game that he calls a Christmas miracle.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

It’s that time of year when Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson suggests a Christmas gift for the baseball lover on your holiday list.

This year, Pete explains why a recently released book could keep you engaged in the game right up until the start of the 2022 season.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The St. Louis Cardinals recently parted ways with Manager Mike Shildt, despite the former scout and minor league manager leading the big-league team to three straight postseason appearances.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how this isn’t an unusual occurrence in the history of the Cardinals’ organization.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The end of the 2021 World Series this week got Pete Peterson thinking about the 1971 Fall Classic.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete looks back on the 50^th anniversary of one of the finest individual performances in World Series history and the man who overcame so much to produce it.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Next to baseball, another passion of WSIU Radio contributor Pete Peterson is running.

If you’ve followed Pete’s commentaries over the years, you probably remember he ran the Pittsburgh Marathon at the age of 70 and the half marathon on multiple occasions.

In this commentary, Pete tells us about his latest running experience as a participant in the recent For Kids’ Sake Super Hero 5k and how a Carbondale Police officer played a role in the event.

Major League Baseball’s regular season is over.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says the 2021 campaign left him longing for baseball’s glory days when hitters didn’t always swing for the fences, pitches weren’t measured by their spin rate and analytics didn’t dominate strategy.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

It’s Déjà vu for commentator Pete Peterson as he looks at the standings in the National League Central Division and sees the Cubs and the Pirates bringing up the rear.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete looks back on how this was the norm during his childhood in the mid-20^th century.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Ernie Banks had a Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Cubs.

But, in his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has a story about how Banks almost became a member of the St. Louis Browns.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Major League Baseball hosted a special game this month in Iowa. The first MLB game ever in the Hawkeye State.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks back on his own Field of Dreams as a youngster and remembers them as far less dreamy than the ones in the Iowa corn field.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball commentator Pete Peterson got to experience the passing of his baseball playing glory days recently when his youngest grandchildren from California visited southern Illinois.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete explains how their visit made him re-consider the meaning behind the saying “age is just a number.”

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Tonight (July 30), the St. Louis Cardinals in-stadium promotion for their game with Minnesota is Adult Mystery Alumni Nickname Jersey, where the first 30,000 fans 16 and older receive a jersey featuring the nickname of a former player.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks back the often colorful history of baseball nicknames, especially for the Cardinals’ famous Gas House Gang.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The U.S. Postal Service recently released its Yogi Berra commemorative stamp.

Berra is only the 30th baseball player to have his picture on a stamp and the first since Lou Gehrig in 1989 to receive an issuance all his own.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how a recent trip to the post office to buy stamps reminded him of his disdain for Berra, who has won more World Series championships than any other player in baseball history.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

This has been a hard year for everyone – including baseball.

Seven Hall of Famers passed away in 2020 and three more -- Hank Aaron, Don Sutton and Tommy Lasorda -- have died this year.

In the latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson celebrates a Hall of Famer who is still with us at the ripe old age of 90.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

If you’ve listened over the past 17 years to Reading Baseball, you know Pete Peterson has a competitive spirit when it comes to athletic endeavors. It even manifested itself during his career as an English professor at SIU-Carbondale.

But, in this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete reveals his dark side as a sore loser, which he hopes doesn’t filter down to his grandson, who is starting to play Little League baseball.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

But, as Pete Peterson explains in his latest edition of Reading Baseball, if you’ve ever been fortunate enough to get your hands on a ball hit into the stands and to take that ball home as a souvenir, you can thank Mr. Berman.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says the 3-part series failed to highlight Hemingway’s love for America’s pastime, which the author highlighted in a Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has the story of the first Japanese-American to play professional football, who also became known as Japanese baseball’s Jackie Robinson.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson put his memory to the test trying to remember details from the first Major League Baseball game he attended in person more than 70 years ago.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says he feels for the 50-year-old Carbondale native, who suffered through a rough pandemic-shortened 2020 season in his first year at the helm of the Bucs.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Turnpike Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

When the pandemic forced baseball to delay the start of its 2020 season until July, fans weren’t allowed in the ballparks.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says that broke a streak for him dating back to the 1940’s.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Turnpike Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks back at how World War II changed baseball’s spring training schedule and brought teams to our own backyard.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Late last year, Major League Baseball decided to alter its record books by adding Negro League statistics to baseball's official record.

In his annual Black History Month essay for Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson highlights some of the top players from the Negro Leagues, some of whom made it to the big leagues and others who didn't get the chance.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Turnpike Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how America’s pastime was not spared the suffering.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of The Turnpike Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Turnpike Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson gives us a history lesson on the impact of Native Americans – who played in the major leagues dating back to the 19^th century.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says it was a tough season for baseball purists like himself.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson pays homage to Gibson, who was known for his intimidating pitching style and his strained relationship with sports reporters.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

People from the world of politics, professional athletics and entertainment tipped their caps this past summer to honor the players, many of whom were denied the hope of playing in the Major Leagues.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tips his cap to a mostly overlooked Negro League player who broke his own barriers in the game.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and co-author, with his son Stephen, of the forthcoming book The Turnpike Rivalry: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains why he believes this remarkable woman should’ve been included on a list of the 100 most accomplished and influential women of the past century to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the passage of the 19^th amendment.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers the day of the attack and the aftermath as he and his wife made their way to New York state.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson suggests renaming the award after a man who dealt with segregation in his journalism career and went on to help African-American players overcome racial hatred and injustice.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The Trump administration is now labeling teachers as essential workers. Some see it as a move to encourage school districts to open for in-person instruction for the fall semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

WSIU Radio contributor Pete Peterson is a retired college professor, and his wife, Anita, is a retired elementary school teacher. Pete says – pandemic or not – teachers are always essential.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson revisits the story of Ray Chapman on the 100th anniversary of what some refer to as baseball's greatest tragedy.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this commentary, WSIU Radio contributor Pete Peterson looks back at the origin of the Redskins' name and how history shows changing nicknames is pretty common in professional sports.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about a special piece of baseball memorabilia he would like to get appraised on the show.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this commentary, WSIU Radio contributor Pete Peterson looks at how over 100 years ago, the Spanish Flu forced baseball and college football to adjust their seasons to deal with the devastating impact of that pandemic.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how crime-fighting heroes in the early days of radio and television -- and some in the sports world -- made wearing a mask popular.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of Growing Up With Clemente and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.      

Since the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the 2020 baseball season, you may have forgotten about the dark cloud hanging over the game with the cheating scandal involving the Houston Astros’ 2017 championship season.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how cheating and stealing are part of the game, except when they cross the line.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard “Pete” Peterson, the author of Growing Up With Clemente and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, retired SIU professor and Pittsburgh native Pete Peterson takes a look at how Shelton went from Carbondale to a major league managerial position.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Pete Peterson has been entertaining and informing us with his Reading Baseball essays and commentaries for nearly 16 years.

This latest edition is a milestone for the series.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how a controversial play in the 2019 Fall Classic got him thinking about another controversy nearly a century ago.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has a fun look at some of the scariest player and team nicknames in baseball history.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson takes a look at how fans often have their hearts broken when their favorite players end up on a different team.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson highlights some of the 14 Latino players in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co–author with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star–Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Polish-Americans have played an important role in the history of Major League Baseball. Pete Peterson takes a closer look in this edition of Reading Baseball.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about a new program where baseball helps those dealing with this type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

Pittsburgh native and retired SIU professor Pete Peterson has more in this edition of Reading Baseball.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

Former Major League pitcher Jim Bouton passed away recently. In addition to his baseball career, Bouton was a best–selling author, actor, activist, sportscaster and the creator of a bubble gum brand known as Big League Chew.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about the day he and Bouton were featured at an event in southern Illinois.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co–author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star–Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Countless baseball fans may attend Major League games and never come close to taking home a baseball.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about a recent Cubs-Pirates game his family attended in which his young granddaughter went home with an embarrassment of riches.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Here is a link to the NPR Illinois story and interview with Jacob Pomrenke on You Know the Story of the 1919 Black Sox? Think Again.
 

What's in a name? Pete Peterson has his answer in this latest edition of Reading Baseball.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

WSIU Radio contributor Pete Peterson is about to run a half-marathon once again in Pittsburgh.

In this special commentary, Pete reflects on his first marathon in 2010 and the journey that's led him to run in his 10th and final one.

Pete will run in the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5 along with his granddaughter, Adrianne and his daughter, Anne.

WSIU Radio contributor Pete Peterson had a successful career as a professor at SIU-Carbondale, But, while growing up, he dreamed of playing professional baseball.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete tells us about getting paid -- in more ways than one -- to play softball during his college years.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

But, in this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson takes some time to remember ballparks that are no longer in use.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader. 

Over 100 years after he broke into Major League Baseball, Babe Ruth is still one of the most revered names in the history of the game.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson reviews two new books about the legendary figure.
            

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

January 1969 turned out to be a momentous time for the SIU-Carbondale Department of English and for a future professor from western Pennsylvania.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about the golden anniversary of his first trip to southern Illinois.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

Christmas is coming, so that means it's time for Pete Peterson's annual holiday edition of Reading Baseball.

The self-proclaimed, fashion challenged retired SIU-Carbondale professor tells us about a certain piece of neckwear he's sure to get under his tree again this year.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The 2018 World Series is underway featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox.

The City of Boston has enjoyed plenty of success with all four of its major professional sports teams having won championships in the past ten years. Pittsburgh enjoyed similar success four decades ago. In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pittsburgh native Pete Peterson explains why a World Series win is more fulfilling for him than a Super Bowl title.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

The St. Louis Cardinals failed to make the playoffs this season, but maybe the franchise's biggest loss was when Red Schoendienst passed away in June after 67 years with the organization.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tell us about the unlikely way in which Schoendienst became the team's manager in the mid-1960's.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Baseball's familiarity makes it a great subject for American literature.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about two decorated, baseball-loving writers who passed away earlier this year.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about how ballplayers at all levels are used to playing on uniquely shaped diamonds.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader. 

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about how his wife, Anita, let loose at a recent trip to a Pittsburgh Pirates game.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co–author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star–Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how a Chicago man thought of the idea as a way to help revive a struggling sport.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Last month's royal wedding of Prince Harry and American Meghan Markle captured the attention of people across the world. In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us how the international event even had a connection related to arguably one of the greatest baseball teams in history.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson reviews the list and discusses why voters missed the boat by not including any books about America's national pastime.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson -- who recently spoke about the Irish heritage in Pittsburgh's baseball history -- tells us about one former Pirates manager who may be underappreciated.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

It's almost time for the 2018 Pittsburgh Marathon.

For the 9th consecutive year, WSIU Radio contributor Pete Peterson will be one of the thousands running through the streets of the Steel City. In this special commentary, Pete tells us why this year's marathon will be extra special.

The Pittsburgh Marathon is scheduled for May 6th.

We wish Pete, Anne and Adrianne all the best in this year's event.
 

In this bicentennial edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson recounts how Chicago's two Major League Baseball teams dominated the early part of the 20th century and how a Chicago man helped save the game in the 19th century.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us why he thinks a baseball film from nearly 70 years ago should've been included on Illinois' bicentennial list of all-time great movies.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader. 

The Southern Illinois University Press is struggling financially and a committee is currently studying the best way for the press to move forward, if at all.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about how a baseball series at the SIU Press many years ago helped bolster its reputation across the country.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the co-author, along with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis  Baseball  Reader.

The first half of Ken Burns' 10-part PBS series on the Vietnam War aired September 17-21 on WSIU-Television. The second half of the series will begin on September 24.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about how a trip to Vietnam during the war changed the life of a future Major League Hall of Famer.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the co-author, along with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson fondly remembers his days as a youth when going to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh was an all-day adventure.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the co-author, along with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

In this special commentary, Pete tells us why his family is starting to wonder if the 2017 Pittsburgh Marathon was his last.

Pete Peterson is a regular contributor to WSIU Radio with his essays and commentaries entitled "Reading Baseball."
 

You may have heard something about a Total Solar Eclipse in the area on August 21st.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says there is actually a novel that includes a story of an eclipse and America's pastime.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author, with his son, Stephen, of "The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates" and the editor of "The St. Louis Baseball Reader."
 

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete remembers legendary sportswriter Frank DeFord, who passed away recently after creating decades of material on NPR and other outlets.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of "The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates" and editor of "The St. Louis Baseball Reader."

You may have heard the story recently about a Major League Baseball umpire saving a woman who apparently was about to jump off a bridge in Pittsburgh.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about the city's history of bridge jumpers and how this lifesaving move has a deeper meaning.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the co-author, with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates, and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how the First World War affected America's pastime.
 

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

Sunday is Father's Day.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says baseball is a great way to connect fathers and sons, whether it's on the diamond or in literature.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the co-author, along with his son Stephen, of "The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates."
 

Baseball and opera may not seem like a match made in heaven, but there are instances where the two make a good combination.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about two baseball operas, including one he saw for himself.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, who along with his son, Stephen, co-authored the recently released book:  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates.
 

St. Louis baseball fans probably have a favorite pitcher over the long history of Major League Baseball in the city.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says you can't assume the greatest pitchers in St. Louis history played for the Cardinals.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, author of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

Major League Baseball is looking into taking steps to speed up the pace of the game.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says baseball doesn't have to look any further than softball to find ways to shorten the length of games.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

Reading Baseball's Pete Peterson celebrates Women's History Month by highlighting sportswriter Claire Smith.

Reading Baseball first aired on WSIU Radio in May 2004.

Pete Peterson looks back at what's happened in baseball and in his own life since then with his 250th edition of Reading Baseball.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

In this holiday edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson has some ideas on what gifts NOT to give.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about baseball's connection to the museum.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

The Chicago Cubs are favorites to win their first World Series championship since 1908.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us how the Fall Classic came about, just a few years before the Cubs last title.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

Injuries are an inherent risk of athletic competition.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers his scars of yesteryear.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.

Racism is a hot topic in the United States.

Jackie Robinson made history in 1947 when he broke baseball's color barrier. In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about a man, who was a good ballplayer in his day, but is remembered more for his hatred of Robinson.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.

In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson remembers the last time the Cubs were in the Fall Classic... over 70 years ago.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.

In this special commentary, Pittsburgh native Pete Peterson talks about his life as a hockey fan, long before the 2016 Stanley Cup champion Penguins ever existed.

Richard "Pete" Peterson is a retired English professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and is a regular contributor to WSIU Radio with his Reading Baseball essays and commentaries.

Pete will return with his next Reading Baseball segment on July 15.
 

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson looks at how Ali and baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente helped him overcome his own racial intolerance by being more than the sum of their athletic gifts.
 

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

Richard "Pete" Peterson is a retired English professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente. He also contributes to WSIU Radio through his Reading Baseball series.
 

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

Reading Baseball's Pete Peterson takes a look back at the origin, and life, of baseball trading cards.

Reading Baseball is a series of original essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story and Growing Up With Clemente.
 

But, as baseball fans know, some believe Chicago's lovable losers have a curse hanging over the franchise that has kept the team from making the World Series since 1945.  In his latest edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us how the Cubs can take a page out of the Pittsburgh Pirates book on how to break curses.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, the author of Pops: The Willie Stargell Story, Growing Up With Clemente, and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader