Willie Steele
@wsteele9.bsky.social
Author of "Going the Distance: The Life and Works of W.P. Kinsella" and aspiring knuckleballer; all views mine
Reposted by Willie Steele
Today In 1979: Willie Stargell windmills his bat before blasting a three-run HR in the top of the 11th to give the Pittsburgh #Pirates a 5-2 lead over the Cincinnati #Reds in Game 1 of the NLCS! #Pops #MLB #Postseason
October 2, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Today In 1979: Willie Stargell windmills his bat before blasting a three-run HR in the top of the 11th to give the Pittsburgh #Pirates a 5-2 lead over the Cincinnati #Reds in Game 1 of the NLCS! #Pops #MLB #Postseason
"Shoeless Joe" author W.P. Kinsella died ten years ago today. I was honored to have him ask me to write his biography before he passed away.
One of my favorite lines of his is, "Hardly anybody recognizes the most significant moments of their life at the time they happen."
Seems about right.
One of my favorite lines of his is, "Hardly anybody recognizes the most significant moments of their life at the time they happen."
Seems about right.
September 17, 2026 at 2:35 AM
"Shoeless Joe" author W.P. Kinsella died ten years ago today. I was honored to have him ask me to write his biography before he passed away.
One of my favorite lines of his is, "Hardly anybody recognizes the most significant moments of their life at the time they happen."
Seems about right.
One of my favorite lines of his is, "Hardly anybody recognizes the most significant moments of their life at the time they happen."
Seems about right.
Join us this Thursday and Friday for the annual 9-Online Virtual Baseball Conference. All sessions will be recorded and emailed to registrants once the conference wraps up. The schedule is on our website and you can register there, too.
9-ONLINE: A Virtual Baseball Conference -
This interdisciplinary conference features presentations on a wide range of baseball topics...all brought to you online.
nine-baseball.com
August 31, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Join us this Thursday and Friday for the annual 9-Online Virtual Baseball Conference. All sessions will be recorded and emailed to registrants once the conference wraps up. The schedule is on our website and you can register there, too.
Reposted by Willie Steele
Five years ago, I took my daughter to her first ever MLB game, the Field of Dreams game. We sat ten rows back with W.P. Kinsella's daughter. I had to tell my kid, not all games are like that.
August 13, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Five years ago, I took my daughter to her first ever MLB game, the Field of Dreams game. We sat ten rows back with W.P. Kinsella's daughter. I had to tell my kid, not all games are like that.
If you are a fan of Univ. of Tenn football, you need to grab a copy of Tim Johnson's new biography of Gen. Robert Neyland published by @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social. It's already on it's third printing and is worth picking up for any UT fan! @tennesseerivals.bsky.social @neylandpress.bsky.social
Home | Timothy D. Johnson
Welcome to the official website of Timothy D. Johnson, historian and author. Explore his works, publications, and more.
www.timdjohnson.com
August 11, 2026 at 2:56 AM
If you are a fan of Univ. of Tenn football, you need to grab a copy of Tim Johnson's new biography of Gen. Robert Neyland published by @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social. It's already on it's third printing and is worth picking up for any UT fan! @tennesseerivals.bsky.social @neylandpress.bsky.social
Reposted by Willie Steele
July 8, 2026 at 6:22 PM
If you haven't listened to My Baseball History, you need to start. It's a great long form podcast that digs deeply into all things baseball related.
Surprise! Episode 0510 is live!
In it, I answer a question I have been asked more than 1,000 times in my life:
Does Shoeless Joe Jackson belong in the Hall of Fame, and do you think he’ll ever get in?
Share this post to enter the giveaway contest!
www.shoelesspodcast.com/season-five/10
In it, I answer a question I have been asked more than 1,000 times in my life:
Does Shoeless Joe Jackson belong in the Hall of Fame, and do you think he’ll ever get in?
Share this post to enter the giveaway contest!
www.shoelesspodcast.com/season-five/10
July 8, 2026 at 4:15 PM
If you haven't listened to My Baseball History, you need to start. It's a great long form podcast that digs deeply into all things baseball related.
Reposted by Willie Steele
Last year I presented, this year I'm on the committee.
Have something you want to share at the Women in Baseball virtual conference? submit your proposal now ❤️
Have something you want to share at the Women in Baseball virtual conference? submit your proposal now ❤️
June 25, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Last year I presented, this year I'm on the committee.
Have something you want to share at the Women in Baseball virtual conference? submit your proposal now ❤️
Have something you want to share at the Women in Baseball virtual conference? submit your proposal now ❤️
I'll say it again, but professors and teachers should be able to have NIL deals, too. I have ideas.
June 2, 2026 at 3:16 PM
I'll say it again, but professors and teachers should be able to have NIL deals, too. I have ideas.
W.P. Kinsella was born on this date in 1935, the same day Babe Ruth hit his last three home runs. Both of them made their mark on baseball in their own unique way, and one of them helped me carve out my own small corner. I'm grateful. Bill would've been 91 today.
May 25, 2026 at 9:26 PM
W.P. Kinsella was born on this date in 1935, the same day Babe Ruth hit his last three home runs. Both of them made their mark on baseball in their own unique way, and one of them helped me carve out my own small corner. I'm grateful. Bill would've been 91 today.
Reposted by Willie Steele
To celebrate an improbable seventh game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics, I'm doing a contest across my social media platforms. Follow and retweet to have a chance to get a copy of “Moses and the Doctor” along with the Dr J and Moses cards we made for the publication.
May 1, 2026 at 3:03 PM
To celebrate an improbable seventh game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics, I'm doing a contest across my social media platforms. Follow and retweet to have a chance to get a copy of “Moses and the Doctor” along with the Dr J and Moses cards we made for the publication.
37 years ago today, this movie hit theaters. It's one of the few days of the year when it's appropriate to read W.P. Kinsella's personal copy of the shooting script from the summer of 1988. Had that movie never been made, I'm not sure what my professional life would look like.
April 22, 2026 at 2:34 AM
37 years ago today, this movie hit theaters. It's one of the few days of the year when it's appropriate to read W.P. Kinsella's personal copy of the shooting script from the summer of 1988. Had that movie never been made, I'm not sure what my professional life would look like.
A few days late, but a big thank you to @michaelclair.bsky.social from @mlb.com for joining my Sports Literature class this week on Zoom. The students loved hearing him talk about Czech baseball. As it turns out, Lipscomb had a former player signed by a Czech team just before his talk!
April 10, 2026 at 6:37 PM
A few days late, but a big thank you to @michaelclair.bsky.social from @mlb.com for joining my Sports Literature class this week on Zoom. The students loved hearing him talk about Czech baseball. As it turns out, Lipscomb had a former player signed by a Czech team just before his talk!
I arrived in my office this morning to find "We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball" by @michaelclair.bsky.social on my desk. It feels like Christmas if Santa only brought you one great baseball book! You should order your copy now! Also, this will help pass the time in the next faculty meeting!
March 24, 2026 at 8:19 PM
I arrived in my office this morning to find "We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball" by @michaelclair.bsky.social on my desk. It feels like Christmas if Santa only brought you one great baseball book! You should order your copy now! Also, this will help pass the time in the next faculty meeting!
Reposted by Willie Steele
What's better than Spring Training? Spring Training and the latest issue of NINE. Coming soon!
February 26, 2026 at 9:29 PM
What's better than Spring Training? Spring Training and the latest issue of NINE. Coming soon!
If you're sick of being snowed in, looking for an excuse to not shovel the driveway, or just want to get away from your family for the evening, join us tomorrow night as we talk about all things Kinsella! @uvic.ca @iowawriterswksp.bsky.social @cdnbaseballhof.bsky.social @nine-on-nine.bsky.social
Just a reminder to join us tomorrow night, January 29th, at 7:00 pm CST, as W.P. Kinsella biographer Willie Steele discusses his works in a special SABR Day Zoom presentation. Register below in comments.
January 28, 2026 at 10:53 PM
If you're sick of being snowed in, looking for an excuse to not shovel the driveway, or just want to get away from your family for the evening, join us tomorrow night as we talk about all things Kinsella! @uvic.ca @iowawriterswksp.bsky.social @cdnbaseballhof.bsky.social @nine-on-nine.bsky.social
If you've not already preordered this book, what are you waiting for? This is going to be a blast to start reading. Great topic and an even better writer!
Want to celebrate the WBC with Baseball Czech bookmarks? Pre-order my book, WE SACRIFICE EVERYTHING TO BASEBALL, and send address and proof of purchase to WeSacrificeEverythingATGmailDOTcom and these are yours!
Order from your fave indie or Amazon if outside the US: www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Ev...
Order from your fave indie or Amazon if outside the US: www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Ev...
January 28, 2026 at 1:50 AM
If you've not already preordered this book, what are you waiting for? This is going to be a blast to start reading. Great topic and an even better writer!
Strange ask, I know. I'm working on my next book and am trying to track down any copies of the old Pittsburgh Pirates newspaper, The Pirate Report, from September 2001-Spring 2002. If you know of where I might get copies, please message me. Thanks! @1992pirates.bsky.social @pirates.com
January 25, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Strange ask, I know. I'm working on my next book and am trying to track down any copies of the old Pittsburgh Pirates newspaper, The Pirate Report, from September 2001-Spring 2002. If you know of where I might get copies, please message me. Thanks! @1992pirates.bsky.social @pirates.com
I'm pumped about reading this one! I've already preordered mine and hope you get yours as well. A great story told by an equally great writer. Get yours in time for Opening Day!
I am so insanely excited to share that WE SACRIFICE EVERYTHING TO BASEBALL, about the remarkable run Czechia made in the WBC, is out on April 1. And if you order from @univnebpress.bsky.social with code 6HLW25 you can get 50% off through 12/31!
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/978...
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/978...
January 14, 2026 at 2:25 AM
I'm pumped about reading this one! I've already preordered mine and hope you get yours as well. A great story told by an equally great writer. Get yours in time for Opening Day!
This is beautiful.
Did not expect one of the best paragraphs I’d read about baseball would come from an Irish newspaper
www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...
www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...
November 2, 2025 at 7:05 PM
This is beautiful.
W.P. Kinsella died nine years ago today. I went to see Field of Dreams by myself in 1989 and could have never imagined that it would lead to him asking me to write his biography.
"Hardly anyone recognizes the most significant moments of their lives at the time they happen."
--"Shoeless Joe"
"Hardly anyone recognizes the most significant moments of their lives at the time they happen."
--"Shoeless Joe"
September 16, 2025 at 6:25 PM
W.P. Kinsella died nine years ago today. I went to see Field of Dreams by myself in 1989 and could have never imagined that it would lead to him asking me to write his biography.
"Hardly anyone recognizes the most significant moments of their lives at the time they happen."
--"Shoeless Joe"
"Hardly anyone recognizes the most significant moments of their lives at the time they happen."
--"Shoeless Joe"
Burt Lancaster made Moonlight Graham come alive on the screen in "Field of Dreams," but @graigkreindler.bsky.social makes him come alive on canvas. This is one of my favorite paintings he's done. Amazing work!
On this day in 1905, Moonlight Graham had a few innings in the sun at Washington Park in Brooklyn. Exiled to the dustbin of history (in regards to baseball), his story came back to life with the release of WP Kinsella’s book, SHOELESS JOE. Here’s my painting of him from that same year.
June 30, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Burt Lancaster made Moonlight Graham come alive on the screen in "Field of Dreams," but @graigkreindler.bsky.social makes him come alive on canvas. This is one of my favorite paintings he's done. Amazing work!
This is a great deal on an excellent book! If you're looking for a book to take with you on vacation this summer, this is the one!
75% OFF The Called Shot: Babe Ruth, the Chicago Cubs, and the Unforgettable Major League Baseball Season of 1932 url:https://www.audiobooks.com/promotions/promotedBook/426025/called-shot-babe-ruth-the-chicago-cubs-and-the-unforgettable-major-league-baseball-season-of-1932?refId=198846
June 19, 2025 at 7:21 PM
This is a great deal on an excellent book! If you're looking for a book to take with you on vacation this summer, this is the one!
Reposted by Willie Steele
May 12, 1982 – W.P. Kinsella releases 'Shoeless Joe', expanded from Kinsella’s short story "Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa." The book served as the basis for the 1989 film, 'Field of Dreams' | Our Iowa Heritage [website] ouriowaheritage.com/2025/05/12/m...
May 12, 1982.
W.P. Kinsella – Write It and They Will Come. May 12, 1982 – W.P. Kinsella releases “Shoeless Joe” – expanded from Kinsella’s short story “Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to …
ouriowaheritage.com
May 14, 2025 at 6:52 PM
May 12, 1982 – W.P. Kinsella releases 'Shoeless Joe', expanded from Kinsella’s short story "Shoeless Joe Jackson Comes to Iowa." The book served as the basis for the 1989 film, 'Field of Dreams' | Our Iowa Heritage [website] ouriowaheritage.com/2025/05/12/m...