Ep.310 w/ Karen Swanson "Swinging into History" Part II

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[Music] people Sports

Nation what is up welcome to episode 310 of sports card Nation author Karen

Swanson is back to continue our conversation about the amazing Tony Stone the first

professional female ball player she played along the likes along with the likes of Hank Aaron Willie Mays and uh

was not a sideshow she could play and and hold her own and uh you know we're

going to learn more about her even today even like some of the postc career uh

stuff she was a baseball lifer and stayed in the game even when she wasn't

playing uh anymore so we're going to learn a little bit more about Tony Stone

and uh the process of writing the book iron sports cards is your number one source for all your PSA and other

grading submissions their Elite status improves turnaround times heck they even provide the card Savers their chat rooms

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covered and now the conclusion of our conversation with author Karen Swanson

her book swinging into history which is about the amazing Tony Stone the first

female professional baseball player did you know when you knew you were going to write this was going to be a book for

you did you know like for sure like this I got to do this in if for children to

learn about Tony Stone talk about sort of the process uh because yeah I really

wanted to play baseball but I did not know as a kid and the way I grew up

there was no it wouldn't have there was no chance for me to do that but I remember sitting there in softball going

I I can throw harder than most of these other kids and why can't I do that um so

for me the fact that she was undeterred by that um was very inspiring um and so

I and I remember when my son first started playing little league there was one girl in our town one who was playing

and I happened to be later friendly with her mom and I was just like so inspired

by what it took for them to do that at that age I just thought that was amazing

um and then it also kind of came back to you know while Tony Stone didn't get the

recognition that she deserved while she was alive um the fact that she was so

determined and just did not let anything stop her is such a great thing for real

any any person but for kids in particular um and the quote that really

got me was that when in August of 1991 um the Cooper Town baseball you

know Hall of Fame invited 75 uh players they call they called it

it was a reunion of the major league players uh of the Negro Leagues and there were 74 men and Tony Stone and

they they brought them to Cooperstown they had this whole um a big event um

and what Tony said there is that I it breaks my heart um is I feel highly

honored and thanks to all of you guys for seeing I was here and that is a

thing for girls that I think is really important um to be to feel confident

enough to go for your dreams and to then be recognized and and I think all kids

have to deal with that um so I wanted it as a kids book um for that and a and

also because there was so much sexual discrimination um that she faced that I just think you know there's a a lot of

that that still goes on and I think kids need a chance to see that and say I'm

just not going to let the bullying bother me I'm G to find a way around it um you know so a coach that wouldn't

teach her literally a church coach would not teach her because she was a girl so

why should he teach her even though she's one of the best Predators on the team so she got a rulebook and she learned how to like she learned all of

the rules to figure out how she could strategize and play better um that's

pretty inspiring so that's why I wanted it to be for kids yeah that's that's great she and like you said she put in

the work right she she learned the nuances to gave uh she picked uh you know some Legends

brains to you know how do I do this better how do I do that better you know what do you recommend and it it is true

you know I I coach youth uh I coach High School varsity baseball I coach Youth Baseball you know and even uh you know

coaching my son we had a a female on our little league team that I coach and she

was every bit as good as most of the boys on the team so good fact that she

wound up playing Division One softball as as you mentioned what Happ you know we we we just the way the lay the land

or the way it it's sort of presented to but there's no doubt in my mind if she

wanted to Karen she could have played uh baseball she didn't have to play uh

softball she was at athletic um U but that just her path to you know a free

college education wound up being y playing Division One softball so you know don't cry for me but I I think had

she wanted to play baseball um I I coached her there's no doubt in my mind

that she could have she could have tooken that path but it really wasn't

even even all the you know even in modern times even you know this is in 2010s if you will um that opportunity

still really wasn't there um like it really needs to be or should be I like

to and and you touched on this too I like that you did this as a children's book because I think you know even as

adults like I we can read something and we'll remember right but kids at that age it's they're impressionable and

there's so many lessons here of dedication of persevering of going after

what you want to do your dreams chasing your dreams yes there's go you know it's

not going to be smooth sailing there's going to be Rough Waters sometimes or many times and you can get through it uh

you know I think there's a lot of lessons that can be learned from Tony Stone in the book and who better you

know to to to learn the lessons at a younger age I think we're better prepared in life you know if I knew the

stuff that I know now as a younger kid I'd probably be even better off right so

I think yeah sure getting that message out to impression I think it's important

it's it wasn't lost on me that you know this is a story that needs to be told and I'm sure there are other stories

that that need to be told but but but even this one it's not just the sports story this this goes be this transcends

uh past baseball uh that if you want something go for it don't let people tell you no uh don't you know you have

to hear no a lot a lot a lot of times and even still then there's ways to to

to get through it there's always a way somehow uh some way and um I'm glad that

you know yeah go ahead yeah on that note I I just want to mention that there is a girl Olivia cardo who's playing right

now at Brown so you know things are changing but you're right where the money is is you know you can yeah so

that's a whole different uh thing but I also wanted to mention that um Tony stone is inspiring some younger women

right now one of the things that I loved was that Monae Davis who again you know pitched in the 2014 Little League World

Series Mona Davis took um there's a there's video it was a little hard to find but there's video of Tony Stone

talking uh about playing and on a on a ball field and um she she uh did a voice

over of Tony's story um and it's on my website which is carenel swanson.com if

you go um on there you'll find the mon it's only on Twitter and I don't I don't know how to tell you how to find it on

Twitter you can go to Mona Davis's feed and figure it out um but you can also just find it on on

my website but it's so inspiring to me that Tony's story inspired somebody like

Monae to then go ahead and say you know like do this do this voiceover video uh

with live shots of Tony um you know playing it it's just it is just really cool and it's nice the fact that Monae

sort of respected that past right you hear yeah contemporaries always say if it wasn't for so and so or so and so

right I wouldn't be here today and they honor sort of that path I'm a history guy so um that means a lot to me you

know I always I don't care what you do whether it be baseball profession you

know author scientists right we where we are today because of the accomplishments

of people in that space before us that advance advance that that that aspect

forward and it's nice when people acknowledge that and in this case uh Monae you know doing that and and here

she is young at that time herself you know she could have easily said like I don't know who Tony stone is and however

she found out that does it's really indifferent it's the fact that uh she

knew and and paid her respects in her way uh to someone who who sort of laid

the bridge and Foundation down uh for her to to play and uh you know it's

always nice to see that whenever it does happen in whatever Sports not Sports

whatever uh those moments uh arise you know one of the things you know it's

bittersweet when I know I talked a little bit about this um before we started recording too um she's had some

postc career accolades and honors um but many of them came after she was no

longer with us and I you know on one hand it's nice that she's being recognized I also felt sad too that she

wasn't here to enjoy those honors and and Accolade just talk a little bit

about you know some of those and your your feelings as well with with that

yeah I mean that that that is sad um though I I'm so I mean I guess it

happens not infrequently right so um you know you think of artists and so on

where that happens where they become famous after their death but um you know

at least there were a couple of things you know that happened before she died and I'm just kind of looking at my

timeline um you know she was uh inducted into um the uh women's Sports Hall of

Fame in 1993 so three years before she died so there was at least that she was invited to throw out the first pitch at

a game I can't remember exactly when but meanwhile on the Jumbotron they they spelled her name t n y which just is

amazing to me um you know the August 1991 uh you know from what I could read

from that and hear um that meant so much to her that she was seen and recognized

with the 74 other major league players so there there were at least some um not

not as much as there should have been but um there were at least some some and then you know the city of St Paul did

change you know the name of Dunning field where she played pickup ball to Tony Stonefield but that was after you

know after she died so and she was inducted into the miniapolis Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 so again she died in

1996 so um there was some but she did actually get a chance to go in and she

loved kids and she would go in and um she would she coached um uh she coached

teams into her 60s like local Oakland team baseball boys teams and there are

you know Sports stories about her you know going in and sitting with kids and talking about um baseball and fighting

for what you want so um there's some of that too yeah it's great again it would have been nice maybe some of that

happening maybe sooner but better you know as the saying goes right better better late than never and it's still

keeping her name out there and in some respect and and maybe you know someone who doesn't know sees the Field named

after or visiting that Hall of Fame and sees her in there and then that starts

the process of who is this person why are they here or why is this named after

her and it gets that ball rolling again and then you know more people can learn

about you know her accomplishments or perseverance dedication and like you said she coached if you didn't think she

loved baseball she coached even after she was done uh playing and so yeah uh

you know she never really gave it up um and and until she passed away so um she

loved the sport she loved the game and I think her actions

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to the [Music] show you know now writing a children's

book for for you has that opened up your mindset as far as like I want to do this

more I want you know is this something you know I'm G to put you on the spot

here so to speak is this something that you know that uh I know you you know you

you've wrote a book before this but you know never of this ill does this open up

a new Avenue for you to to do because you did listen you don't need me to tell

you this but I already have on and off the air so a wonderful terrific book

does you know do now you say hey I can do this uh not that you doubted yourself

before but you know as they say the proofs in the pudding right it's it's an accomplished work does this open that

Avenue for you like hey I I want to do more this or maybe recognize some people

who you know aren't being recognized enough if yeah it's an interesting question um so and and a lot of it has

to do with the business of book publishing right I spent um my career in in actual business marketing like I

worked at Proctor and Gamble I I did not I did not always intend to be a writer and um it the smart thing for me to do

because this book has gotten very good reviews um and you know was just reviewed in the New York Times book

review and um you know I'm having people like you talking to me the smart thing

for me to do business wise is to write another picturebook biography because that's where my you know Mojo is going

right now um so the thing that's funny about that is that how I got my agent

was with a um young adult fiction book um which is usually more of what I like

to write so the Dilemma for me is this very this is terrible to say but um I am

not I was not great with history and I'm always afraid I'm going to get the the dates wrong or you know everything has

to be accurate in a book that's okay because I have time to make sure it's okay but um I uh I prefer a little bit

of fiction because I don't have to be as uh worried about that so um on the flip

side though you make a really good point it is um it it it is important to look

at you know our accomplish of people who maybe haven't been uh acknowledged well

enough um so you know I I was looking at a story about the Dust bow girls who played basketball um and you know it's

it's a little hard to find uh uh stories that are uh um people don't know so much

about but there's enough um actual primary research and data to be able because you it has to have content and

so I am debating like what what kind of story could I do next and I do really

love sports and I there were times in this book where like I there's a something here I went she went yard and

my editor is like what I'm like baseball people will know like that's that's a

that's a thing and literally they were fighting me on this and I'm like okay it's we just have to agree to disagree

on this um so I I might want to do a little bit more Sports because there as

as girls you know uh and women um you know I I do know I played a lot of

sports I know how to talk about sports so that might be a fun thing for me to do as well but I'm working on it so yeah

and there's no Tim table right you set your kind of own timetable if if and when you decide to to go down that path

again yeah um again you did such a terrific job uh you know with this book

and and for those listening uh out there I I'll hold it up again too it's called Uh uh swinging into history cover my

ugly mug up here uh it's about Tony Stone and if you don't you know I knew

very little little bit about her more or less I heard about her kind of knew about her on the surface and you know

even being a children's book Karen like I said already it really filled in a lot

of blanks I learned more and then it made me even want to learn more more and

more about her and even you know I'd love to see whe whether it be a feature

film or even a documentary right or even

y even you know again you mentioned you know the artist and the illustrations which are great maybe even um kind of a

a c you know an animated documentary if you will um as well or something along

those lines there's a lot of different ways and things that can be done to maybe uh get Tony's story out or even

even more but she was a Google doodle yeah oh really which was very cool so

there is an illustrator besides the wonderful illustrator who did this book but there was one who did a Google

doodle of of Tony which was amazing um but yeah it's I I'm with you that um

there there are certainly a lot of possibilities so yep and I think a lot of kids are going to read this book uh

yet I'm sure some have already but even more and they're going to learn some stuff not just about Tony but maybe

about uh even themselves things what they they didn't think were possible and

it will open up some of their doors and their way of thinking to persevere and

if you really want something uh don't take no for an answer and go get it

including you know it's a great not not that I'm I'm advocating don't listen to your parents kids right um your parents

have usually your best interest uh at heart but in this case like her own parents didn't want her to play um more

I think they were worried about her and some of the stuff she'd she'd run into uh but she didn't even let that stop her

right so I'm not even I don't want to come across this don't listen to your parents kids but if you really want to

do something that you enjoy you're passionate uh you're good at uh you know

you know follow your dreams I guess is the best way yes and to be clear she did listen to her parents they wanted her to

do figure skating so she did she did all the things that they wanted her to do she worked in their Barber Shop she did

all of the things she was supposed to do and then as soon as she was done she went out to the baseball field and

that's where they couldn't stop her so y yep so there's and again I'm sure she was tired many of those days and uh yet

uh she she put on the cleats the glove and uh you know followed her passion and followed her dreams and and you know did

make a name for herself but but you know uh some of it POS humorously but but

even before that and uh we're talking about her today and I I think that that

tells you a lot uh right there well I appreciate you uh Karen making some time

uh for us and and telling that story uh and getting that story uh out there

where I think it needs to be I always give the guest sort of the final word plug anything you want website what

you're doing what's coming social media anything there's no time limit take your

time get that information uh out there for folks great well the the best way to

find out a little bit more information Andor links to buying the book is to go to my website which is very easy it's

Karen L like Lyn Karen L swanson.com and if you want to see the amazing uh Monae

Davis uh that's on my uh tab called news and reviews um it's from February 6

2024 um it was originally at at MLB develops um there is an Educators guide

um so if you want to teach uh anybody that wants to teach or learn more about um this there's a whole discussion guide

that's on my website um and uh I'm also on you know on Facebook and insta um uh

like on Insta and Twitter now X I'm I'm Karen L Swanson um so you can find uh

find me there as well um but the the easiest thing is Karen El swanson.com so

and I'll put that just for people listening if you didn't catch that I'll put that in the show notes as well so

you can go to the show notes click the link and and Away you go so thank you well thanks again Karen thank you for

telling the story and uh an important one obviously and it's it's not a sports

story right this is a a life story and uh while it's Center while it's centered

around baseball uh there's a lot of lessons that can be taken from Tony's

dedication and perseverance and going out out there and and you know following

a passion of things she wanted to do and uh she even did it again like we said

post post playing career as a coach and um you know duly honored in in some

respects with the field she played on being now named for you know Cooper toown having her uh be there with with

some of the other negro Leaguers as well and uh but more people need to know I think it's important and again I think

it transcends beyond the sport of baseball this is about life and and you know following your dreams and and going

after what you want uh to accomplish so I think that's you don't have to be a baseball fan that's a you have to be a a

fan of life and and people and uh I think it's a a tremendous book and uh

thank you thank you thank you very much I appreciate it all right thanks to Karen Swanson for making a little time

check our book Out Swinging it to history and uh you'll learn a lot about about Tony Stone and I I bet many of you

have never heard the story of Tony but it's an important one about history

perseverance dedication and uh you know great woman

that uh we could learn a lot from so uh check the book out you know learn more

about Tony Stone if you if you don't already know and uh I was glad uh I did

so we're going to have our hobby is the people announcer of the week and some

closing thoughts and we'll wrap up this week's episode time for our hobby is the people

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Ep.310 w/ Karen Swanson "Swinging into History" Part II

Karen Swanson

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