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Fourth of July Memories, Fireworks, and Dog Stories from the Bench

Mike Hammer and Carlos Figueroa reunite on the “park bench” to talk about Fourth of July plans, memories of the 1976 bicentennial mural at Elliott Elementary, and how fireworks have grown louder, longer-lasting, and more expensive for communities while also stressing anxious dogs like Sasha. They reminisce about St. Louis Park fireworks at Aquila, chasing the parachute army man, and past July 3rd parties with big fireworks runs to Wisconsin. The conversation shifts to “dog days” heat, a Cheech Marin joke, and lifelong experiences with dogs and cats, including childhood pets, dog parks, and the emotional difficulty of losing a dog, euthanasia, and grief. Carlos shares stories of rescue dogs, traveling with labs, and they close by recalling Windsor’s burial and teasing a future “pets part two.”

00:00 Park Bench Intro
00:53 America 250 Memories
02:56 Fireworks Then and Now
06:08 Dog Days and Jokes
08:07 Growing Up With Dogs
11:15 First Loss and Grief
12:40 Why Dog Death Hits Hard
14:57 Saying Goodbye Humanely
16:57 Grief And New Pets
17:25 No Transition Time
17:57 Dogs That Find You
19:25 Dog Parks And Rules
21:32 Runaway Dog Memories
22:46 Road Trips With Labs
24:12 Joy And Heartbreak
25:41 Cats And Bird Chaos
28:06 Windsor Farewell
28:58 Signing Off And Fireworks

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Mike and Carlos Figueroa talk on Father’s Day from their “park bench” perspective, reflecting on Carlos’s late father and how youth baseball has changed from inexpensive local leagues to costly, professionalized travel ball. They reminisce about St. Louis Park Little League memories, including injuries from hit batters, a city championship run, pitching limits, and the importance of catchers and infield communication. Their conversation explores baseball’s sounds and language (including the origin of “can of corn”), dugout and field chatter, taunting rules, and how pitchers and catchers call games, contrasting past intuition with modern analytics. They discuss parent behavior as a major problem in youth sports, and relate perseverance to being “on the one-yard line.” They plan to record at the old ballpark, revisit St. Louis Park in 2026, and launch a baseball-focused spinoff podcast, “Square Box Baseball,” based on a Latin American saying about baseball’s unpredictability.

00:00 Park Bench Intro
00:36 Fathers Day Talk
01:42 Remembering Dads
01:55 Kids Sports Then Now
02:49 Little Gophers Memories
03:42 Baseball Sounds Origins
04:56 Chants Taunts Rules
05:58 Voices From The Stands
06:48 Scary Hit By Pitch
08:19 City Champs Glory Days
10:33 Pitch Counts Big Games
14:21 Cinderella Man Lesson
16:52 New Baseball Spinoff
17:56 Square Box Baseball
19:21 Can Of Corn Explained
20:49 Dugout Chatter Deep Dive
21:39 Dugout Chatter Jokes
22:50 Calling Pitches Debate
23:56 Catcher Trust And Gameplan
24:49 Reading Hitters Then Now
27:00 Hitting And Guessing
30:02 Look Alive Field Talk
32:48 Taunting And First Base Stories
34:29 Parents Ruin Youth Ball
39:01 Town Ball Home Run Tale
41:04 Wrap Up And Podcast Plans

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Park Bench Perspectives - Episode 16: Beek's Pizza, Babe Ruth Baseball, and The White Shadow

Episode Summary: In this episode of Park Bench Perspectives, hosts Carlos Figueroa and Mike Hammer welcome a very special guest to the bench: their lifelong friend from St. Louis Park, Joe Riley. Take a trip down memory lane as the trio swaps hilarious and heartwarming stories about growing up in the 1970s and 80s, the drama of youth sports, and the enduring camaraderie of childhood friendships.

Key Topics Discussed:

The St. Louis Park Bubble: Joe shares his memories of shifting between grade schools (Park Knoll to Aquilla) and his eventual, reluctant transfer to Benilde High School, which ultimately opened his eyes to a wider world beyond their hometown.

Growing Pains & Pizza: The guys laugh about their early days as "giant" kids bonding over all-you-can-eat 99-cent deals at Beek's Pizza, and the hilarious revelation that both Carlos and Hammer dated the same girl several years apart.

Babe Ruth Baseball Drama: A deep dive into the highs and lows of their youth baseball all-star team. They recall the coaching tension between Brian Hartman and Hammer's dad, the agony of a championship loss to Edina where Joe made the final out at third base, and the lasting connections born in the dugout.

Life Lessons on the Diamond: Hammer shares the funny, unconventional advice his dad gave him to calm his nerves during high-pressure games: "Remember Lee Trevino".

Pop Culture Nostalgia: The guys discuss which TV shows and movies best capture their youth, drawing comparisons to Dazed and Confused, That '70s Show, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Stranger Things. They also shout out Steve Rushin's nostalgic book about 1970s Bloomington, Stingray Afternoons.

Be sure to stick around to the end to hear a teaser for Joe and Carlos's other podcast, Forgotten Television, where Hammer might just make a future guest appearance as his childhood moniker, "The White Shadow"!

00:00 Podcast Introduction
01:02 Meeting Joe Reilly
01:51 Growing Up in St Louis Park
02:40 School Transitions and Friendships
04:14 The Pizza Eating Contest
05:27 First Party Memories
06:31 The Shelly R Story
07:48 Coach Mikey Gavron
08:39 Going to Benilde
09:28 Eighth Grade Geography Class
10:46 The Benilde Decision
11:58 Babe Ruth Baseball Finals
13:09 Home Run Memories
15:10 Brian Hartman's Hockey Story
15:42 Coaching Dynamics and Dad Managers
16:38 Mike's Coaching Experience
17:38 NBA Playoffs Discussion
17:57 Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Talk
19:25 NBA Salaries and Contracts
19:56 Babe Ruth Baseball Memories
20:37 Sports Building Character
21:20 Dad's Coaching Philosophy
21:49 Lee Trevino Pep Talk
22:33 Lasting Friendships from Sports
24:19 Random Airport Encounter
26:08 Benilde School Experience
27:39 Embarrassing Basketball Game
28:29 Steve Rushin's Books
29:29 Movies That Captured Youth
31:38 Wrapping Up the Bench

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