Ace Parker was a terrific multi-sport star - especially football and baseball. Baseball, though, was his first love and he tried to make it as a Major League Baseball player with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1937 and 1938. However, as good as he was throughout his college career at Duke University and in the minor leagues, he just couldn't crack through only hitting .179 during his two seasons. However, football was another story. Parker was a stud, an eventual Hall of Famer. He played, quarterback, tailback, defensive back. He kicked. He punted. He returned kicks. He returned punts. He did it all. A true 60-minute man. In fact, he once led the NFL in passing and co-led in interceptions. Playing for the NFL's version of the Brooklyn Dodgers, however, was like playing in obscurity and the career of Ace Parker is not as well-known as some of his contemporaries. Ace played just five years in the NFL before serving in WWII and returning for one final season, his sixth, with the Dodgers (they had moved to Boston and were renamed the Boston Yanks), and then moved to the All America Football Conference (AAFC) and the football version of the New York Yankees. It was with the Yankees that Ace played in his only Championship Game, a loss to the powerful Cleveland Browns. On this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes, the President of the Professional Football Researcher's Association (PFRA), George Bozeka, joins as we take a look back at the career of two-sport star Ace Parker a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame ... and, if you're interested in knowing more about the PFRA, please check out www.profootballresearchers.com.

In 1920, the Negro National League started play and the historic Kansas City Monarchs took the field for the first time. Leading the way was a 5-foot-7 two-way ballplayer who was about to embark on a journey that didn't end until 1938 - Bullet Joe Rogan. What no one knew then was that Rogan was going to put up numbers that ultimately led him into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Rogan is considered by many to be one of the top 5 baseball players of all time. In fact, some say he is the greatest. On the mound, in the Negro National League he was 120-52 with an ERA of 2.65. But, when you combine the barnstorming tours and other leagues that Bullet played in, there is evidence that he won more than 350 games and struck out more than 2,000 batters. And, he did all of this without a windup. He just stood on the mound reared back and fired the ball. But, that's only half the story. Bullet was a star in the batter's box too. He hit cleanup for the Monarchs and for his NNL career, he hit .338 with an OPS of .934, connected for 50 home runs, drove in 419. He was an all-around superstar. But there is so much more to the Bullet Joe Rogan story and joining me on this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes is a very special guest - The President of Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Bob Kendrick. Bob shares some very fascinating stories with us, talks about how spectacular Bullet was and recalls so much more about the Negro Leagues and who Bullet compares to today ... and that might surprise you.

The name "Wahoo Sam Crawford" might not sound familiar to many Major League Baseball fans. But, it's probably quite familiar to fans of the Detroit Tigers. Wahoo Sam played for the Tigers back in the early 1900s. He was a phenomenally good hitter. In fact, if not for Ty Cobb, one could argue that Wahoo Sam might be the greatest to ever play for the Tigers. He had a career batting average of .309 to go along with a career OPS of .814. He averaged 191 hits a year as well. Not known for blazing speed, perhaps the most surprising of all when it comes to Wahoo Sam is this - he holds the record for most triples in a Major League career with 309 ... and ... he also holds the record for most inside-the-park home runs in a year with 12! But, the fact that he played during the same period as Ty Cobb stifled Crawford's popularity. Along with Cobb, however, Wahoo Sam helped the Tigers to three straight American League pennants: 1907, 1908, 1909. Unfortunately, Detroit never came out on top of any of those World Series. And the fact that this was the early 1900s also contributes to the fact that Wahoo Sam is not widely as known as he should be. However, the Veteran's Committee, at the constant urging of Cobb, elected Crawford to the Hall of Fame in 1957; and honor that was long overdue. Joining me on this episode of Sports' Forgotten Heroes to talk about Sam is author Kent Krause. Kent's book "Wahoo Sam Crawford, The King of Sluggers" is a must read for any fan of baseball, particularly fans of the Detroit Tigers. Kent shares so much with us, from Sam's upbringing, to his days working in a barber shop, through his career in the Majors, to his days playing in the Pacific Coast League.