SSTN Interviews Author Doug Kurkul

by Paul Semendinger

July 3, 2025

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Today I share my interview with Doug Kurkul, author of It’s a Beautiful Day for Baseball: The National Pastime in the 1960s

Hello Doug. Please tell our readers a little about yourself and your books.

Paul, congratulations on the success of “Start Spreading the News” and thanks for the invitation.

I serve as CEO of the American Foundry Society, the primary trade association and professional society for the $50 billion metalcasting industry. Since giving up trying to become a good golfer, I have had free time on weekends. That led to my first baseball book in 2014, titled “Portrait of a Franchise,” which was about the Cleveland Indians. The second book, “It’s a Beautiful Day for Baseball: The National Pastime in the 1960s” was published in 2024. That book has been in Amazon’s Top 25 for Baseball History List consistently over the past 14 months.

What led you to write “It’s a Beautiful Day for Baseball?”

The 1960s was an incredible era for the sport with compelling story lines and memorable stars. It was baseball’s last decade as the undisputed national pastime. Everyone in America knew the top players – Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Tom Seaver – just by seeing their picture. With so many of the players from that period now in their senior years, it was the ideal time to interview them. What stands out is how much they loved the game, how little money they made as players, and just how fundamentally sound the quality of play was. Pitching inside, sliding hard into second base, executing hit-and-runs, hitting the cut-off man and crashing into walls to make catches were an integral part of the game in the 1960s. The ballplayers from that era, to this day, are proud of the fundamentally correct way they played.

Are there any new projects you are working on?  

I have several book projects in mind. Some are related to sports and others are on other topics. I will be retiring from my CEO position in May 2026 and will have more time to write.

Why are people so drawn to baseball and its stories, legends, and people?

There is a universal quality to baseball in the way it attracts participants and fans, connects generations, and reflects the history of our country itself.

What is the greatest baseball movie of all time?  (Yes, you can list a few!)

There have been so many wonderful baseball movies, such as “Pride of the Yankees,” “61,” and “42.” My personal favorite is “Field of Dreams.” The actor who played Kevin Costner’s father, Dwier Brown, is my fraternity brother from Ashland University, and I have known him for more than 40 years. So, I’m biased. But I know that movie touched the hearts of many thousands of viewers.

I also love "Field of Dreams." I have told the story of how my dad (and mom) and I went to the field in Iowa, before it became so popular, just to have a catch.

Also, please tell Dwier that I love his book "If You Build It." That book is so wonderful and touching. (Feel free to share my contact information with him in case he'd like to do an interview.)

What is your favorite baseball book?

There is an amusing story related to that question, Paul. I was a 10-year old boy when “Ball Four” by Jim Bouton was published and I loved the book. The elementary school in Rocky River, Ohio, back then had a “birthday book” program where parents and students could donate a book to the library on the student’s birthday. My mother picked up a second copy of Ball Four without looking at the content and we donated it to the school. Soon after, we got a phone call saying the school could not accept the book because they did not want 6- and 7-year-old kids reading the references to sex, drinking, and drugs! That was the first baseball book to make an impression on me. Since then, I have read dozens of baseball books, many of them excellent. If I could only recommend one, it would be “Southern League” by Larry Colton.   

I love that story. Like you, I read Ball Four as a kid, and probably shouldn't have. That will always be my favorite as well. I have not read "Southern League," but I'll add it to my list!

There's a lot of talk about baseball needing to be "fixed."  Is baseball broken?  If you were the Commissioner of Baseball what change(s) (if any) would you make to the current game?

The most pressing issue for a number of years was the need to speed up the game. It is a shame that baseball needed a pitch clock – an idea that was first explored in the 1960s -- to speed up the pace. But the impact of that change seems to have been positive. The other issue, in my mind, is the plethora of strikeouts. The true excitement in baseball occurs mostly when balls are put into play, not when balls and strikes are being called. The sport needs to find a way to restore some balance and generate more action on the field.

I love to talk about the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Which former Yankee most deserves to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Rocky Colavito played – and even pitched! – for the Yankees toward the end of his career. He has a stronger case for election to the Hall of Fame than many people realize. Of all of the players before baseball expanded in 1969 who are not in the Hall of Fame, Rocky has the most homeruns with 374. It is said that his throwing arm was one of the strongest of all time. He once went an entire season without making an error. Rocky had more 100-RBI seasons than Mickey Mantle! And his per-162 game averages of 33 home runs and 102 RBI are pretty impressive.

That's a great, and very original answer! I've always loved reading about Rocky Colavito.

Do you remember the first game you attended in person?

Yes, it was Friday night, July 26, 1968. The Yankees, behind Mel Stottlemyre, shut out the Indians and Sam McDowell, 5-0 in Cleveland. Indians outfielder Lou Johnson and umpire Lou Salerno got into a dispute over a called strike, throwing and kicking a batting helmet at one another. That was the Year of the Pitcher and if you went to a game, there was a significant likelihood you would see a shutout.

What is your most enduring baseball memory?

In 1971, I attended a Pirates-Giants game at Three Rivers Stadium. Roberto Clemente belted a single to center field. The ball went right past Willie Mays for a three-base error and Clemente came around to score, with the home crowd roaring. That was the only time I got to see Mays play in person.

Amazing! Not very many people ever saw Willie Mays make an error.

Please share anything else you'd like with our audience.

I always encourage parents to expose their children to baseball as both a participant and a fan. It is a way to help young people understand teamwork. The batting averages and ERA calculations allow kids to see a practical application of statistics. For those who become fans, it can become a lifetime interest and a way to connect the generations within families and the residents within regions. 

Thank you again for the opportunity to talk baseball. 

Thank you Doug. Please keep in touch!