BASEBALL STORIES: ZANE GREY: SUNDAY BALL (BEST OF)

BASEBALL STORIES: ZANE GREY: SUNDAY BALL (BEST OF)

Author: Jon Hagadorn July 3, 2026 Duration: 33:46

"Sunday Ball" by author Zane Grey gives us a rare look at the early days of baseball in middle America, what it meant to small towns, what people thought of it, and in this case, what moral dilemmas were caused when certain teams and towns started playing baseball on Sundays. Zane Grey's story is a window into time, and a true one, because we know that he played minor league ball for years, earning a scholarship to The University of Pennsylvania, where he played ball and studied to become a dentist, following in the footsteps of his father. But his real passion wasn't dentistry-it was writing, and he found every opportunity he could during his professional career as a dentist to write. His first success came at age 37, with the book "The Shortstop", from which we have taken Chapter 13, "Sunday Ball", at the recommendation of one of our listeners, Dr. Gerald G Gelle, DDS, who is a dentist who also enjoys baseball as well as 1001 Classic Short Stories Podcast and Zane Grey. Zane Grey, by the way, went on to write 88 great stories, mostly westerns, of which 111 movies were made, and he also became an avid outdoorsman and fisherman. Born in Zanesville, Ohio, he knew and played small town baseball, and used Findlay Ohio as the locale for this story. #ZaneGrey #Baseball

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Step into a world where every episode is a journey into a different time and place, guided by the voices of literary masters. 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales, curated and narrated by Jon Hagadorn, is a quiet sanctuary for those who appreciate the crafted prose of a bygone era. This podcast focuses exclusively on the golden age of short fiction, pulling masterful works from the period between 1850 and 1930. Each selection is chosen for its enduring power to connect, offering narratives that resonate with emotional depth and timeless human experience. You’ll hear the suspenseful twists of Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, the poignant social observations of Edith Wharton, the rugged adventures of Jack London, and the finely drawn characters of O. Henry. The collection also includes the gothic intensity of Edgar Allan Poe, the economic storytelling of Ernest Hemingway, and the heartfelt tales of Henry Lawson, among many others. Hagadorn’s narration is clear and considered, designed to let the authors' original language shine. It’s an archive built for repeated listening, whether you’re discovering these stories for the first time or revisiting old favorites. For anyone seeking a break from the modern noise with a truly classic tale, this consistently updated podcast provides a deep and rewarding library of fiction’s finest moments.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales
Podcast Episodes
WASHINGTON IRVING STORIES: THE LEGEND OF THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:08
This story takes us back to the time of Philip IV of Spain, when the court moved for a period of time to Granada. It is the story of the love between a young princess and the young man who was the Queen's page- and neith…
A MIXED PROPOSAL by W.W. JACOBS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:48
⭐ SHOW NOTES — "A Mixed Proposal" by W.W. Jacobs W.W. Jacobs was a master of the light comic tangle, and "A Mixed Proposal" is one of those stories where he lets human pride, romance, and misunderstanding collide in the…
VICTORIAN HUMOR: A CALL by GRACE MACGOWEN COOKE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:49
🎙️ Summary for "A Call" — 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales- by Grace MacGowen Cooke Grace MacGowen Cooke was one of those early‑20th‑century writers who understood people from the inside out. Her stories often revolve…
MORAL COURAGE: HENRY VAN DYKE::  A BRAVE HEART [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:38
🎙️ SHOW NOTES — "A Brave Heart" by Henry van Dyke at 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales Henry van Dyke sets A Brave Heart against the rugged, wintry backdrop of rural Canada, a landscape he often used to explore themes o…
O. HENRY STORY: HUMOR: JIMMY HAYES AND MURIEL by O.HENRY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:58
🎙️ SHOW NOTES O. Henry — "Jimmy Hayes and Muriel" 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales In this lighthearted Texas tale, O. Henry introduces us to Jimmy Hayes, a Texas Ranger whose grit and courage are matched only by his u…
THE COMPLETE LIFE OF JOHN HOPKINS by O.HENRY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:24
🎙️ SHOW NOTES O. Henry — "The Complete Life of John Hopkins" 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales In this light, witty New York sketch, O. Henry introduces us to John Hopkins, an ordinary working man whose imagination is f…
THE RIDING OF FELIPE by FRANK NORRIS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:18
🎙️ SHOW NOTES Frank Norris — "The Riding of Felipe" 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales Set in the days of early California, when ranchos stretched across the valleys and horsemanship was a measure of pride and manhood, F…