People ask me, ‘Would I change anything?’ I wouldn’t change a thing. There were rocks in the road, there were boulders in the road, but making it to Cooperstown was one of the greatest achievements of my life.
— Ozzie Smith • Hall of Fame Class of 2002
THE ROAD TO COOPERSTOWN PODCAST
In collaboration with SiriusXM
Hear the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's official podcast every Saturday on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio channel, with episodes available on all major podcast platforms the following Tuesday. Season 1 will run from June through October.
Each episode features a conversation between SiriusXM host Jon Paul Morosi and a Hall of Famer diving into the challenges and obstacles the all-time greats of the game overcame to become enshrined in the most exclusive club in sports. Every Hall of Famer has a story of brilliance and resilience to tell on their journey along The Road to Cooperstown.
New Episode: Ken Griffey Jr.
In the season finale of The Road to Cooperstown, Ken Griffey Jr. sits down with Jon Paul Morosi for a conversation about how his father’s footsteps helped lead him to Cooperstown.
OZZIE SMITH
JOHN SMOLTZ
MORE EPISODES FROM SEASON ONE
ALAN TRAMMELL
Alan Trammell discusses how he excelled and endured for two decades in Detroit, the impact Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson had on his career and more.
FERGIE JENKINS
Fergie Jenkins discusses the sacrifices of his father that made his own Hall of Fame journey possible, how he was discovered playing baseball in the hockey hotbed of Canada and more.
Jim Thome
Jim Thome relied on a strong support system to overcome personal loss and hit more than 600 home runs.
TREVOR HOFFMAN
Trevor Hoffman discusses his transformation from shortstop to pitcher, how a day at the beach robbed him of his velocity and his perseverance in reaching 600 saves.
TODD HELTON
The Class of 2024 inductee discusses his father's influence and explores the physical and mental hurdles he overcame on his path to Cooperstown.
JIM LEYLAND
Fresh off the Induction Ceremony, Jim Leyland looks back at the pivotal managerial decisions that led him to the Hall of Fame.
ADRIAN BELTRÉ
Toughness and teaching moments defined his career at the hot corner. The Hall of Famer discusses battling through various injuries, his Dominican roots and how he unified clubhouses.
JOE MAUER
Proudest of the phrase "lifelong Twin" on his Hall of Fame plaque, the St. Paul native grew up rooting for the team that would take him first overall in the 2001 MLB Draft.
JACK MORRIS
Jack Morris overcame doubt to become one of the best big game pitchers ever, authoring a complete game shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
MARIANO RIVERA
From fashioning gloves out of cardboard as a child in Panama to closing out games in the World Series, Mariano Rivera shaped himself into one of the most dominant pitchers of his generation.
SEASON ONE (CONTINUED)
Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench discusses the obstacles and challenges he overcame on his road to Cooperstown. From surviving a bus accident that killed two of his high school teammates to dozens of broken of bones to lung surgery, it's a story a stat line could never tell.
GEORGE BRETT
George Brett discusses having surgery in the middle of his first World Series to his infamous connection to pine tar and making history by winning batting titles in three different decades.
Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio discusses his decision to play baseball over football to becoming an accomplished catcher, infielder and outfielder. Plus, you will not believe how close this Astros legend came to joining another team in the prime of his career!
JOE TORRE (PART 1)
Joe Torre discusses getting hired by George Steinbrenner after being fired from his three previous managerial jobs, the lessons he learned playing with Hank Aaron and the mistake he made when he caught for Bob Gibson in the 1965 All-Star Game that left him feeling "naked" standing on the pitching mound. Part one of a two part episode.
JOE TORRE (PART 2)
Joe Torre discusses his first impressions of Derek Jeter, his most painful defeats--the 2001 World Series and 2004 American League Championship Series--and the one game from his Yankees tenure that he would like a second chance to manage.
Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer, and Jim Leyland, Class of 2024
A day after being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer and Jim Leyland sit down with Jon Paul Morosi to discuss their roads to Cooperstown.
TOM GLAVINE
Tom Glavine discusses the challenges he faced and overcame on his road to Cooperstown. From losing 17 games in his first full season to facing three straight future Hall of Famers as the starting pitcher in his first All-Star Game to his legendary performance in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series.
CAL RIPKEN JR.
Cal Ripken Jr. discusses how The Streak almost came to a premature end due to an on-field brawl, his ability to overcome pressure and expectations to perform in the game’s biggest moments and how the Yankees once tried to recruit him to The Bronx.
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