© 2025 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Toronto Address:
130 Queens Quay E.
Suite 903
Toronto, ON M5A 0P6

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040

Differing shades of blue wavering throughout the image

Give Now

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Skin in the Game

Rocky Colavito, Baseball and the Making of a Sports Icon with Mark Sommer

Published August 16, 2025 at 4:00 PM EDT

Ways To Subscribe

Mariann Do

This week on Skin in the Game, John and Tim are joined in the studio by Mark Sommer, author of Rocky Colavito: Cleveland’s Iconic Slugger.

Sommer shares what made Colavito one of baseball’s most enduring stars — and why his legacy still resonates with fans more than 60 years later. Drawing from personal interviews with Colavito before his death, as well as conversations with many of his former teammates, Sommer offers an intimate portrait of a player who defined an era. The conversation also explores how sports celebrity has evolved over time, from the golden age of baseball to the age of social media, and what today’s athletes might learn from one of the game’s original icons.

Skin in the Game | Season 1

Latest Episodes

The Rise of Women’s Hockey: Katy Knoll and the PWHL

This week on Skin in the Game, John and Tim sit down with Katy Knoll, forward for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women’s Hockey League. Knoll reflects on the opportunity the PWHL is creating for athletes like her, and what it means for this moment in women’s sports.
Lake Placid Mountain Biking and ORDA’s Sports Innovation

This week on Skin in the Game, John Cimperman welcomes Kris Cheney Seymour, senior manager of sport strategy and engagement, and Tait Wardlaw, vice president of sales, marketing and communications at the Olympic Regional Development Authority.
Looking Into Water with Bob Rich Jr.

This week on Skin in the Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with Bob Rich Jr, an author, businessman, team owner and lifelong angler. A decade after publishing his novel Looking Through Water, Rich shares the story of how it’s now been adapted into a feature film starring Michael Douglas.
Inside the Bills’ New Stadium with Populous’ Jonathan Mallie & Scott Radecic

This week on Skin in the Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with Populous leaders Jonathan Mallie (senior principal and managing director for the Americas) and Scott Radecic (senior principal, founder and former Bills linebacker) for a deep dive into the design of the Buffalo Bills’ next home.
Inside the ECHL with Commissioner Ryan Crelin

This week on Skin in the Game, John Cimperman and Tim O’Shei sit down with ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin to unpack the state of the league—the premier “AA” professional circuit and a key bridge between the AHL and NHL.
The Best of Baseball with Tim O’Shei

This week on Skin in the Game, Tim O’Shei cues up a baseball special that spans sandlots to the show. We’ve dug into the archives and curated a program that looks at America’s pastime from different perspectives.
How Sports Build Empathy On and Off the Field with Joon Lee

This week on Skin in the Game, John and Tim sit down with sports journalist Joon Lee—whose bylines span The New York Times and The Boston Globe, and who previously covered baseball and features at ESPN and Bleacher Report—to explore how sports can build empathy on and off the field.
Pedals, Policy and the Push to Ride More

This week on Skin in the Game, we shift gears to focus on cycling—its business, its culture and its growing place in our cities. Tim and John welcome Kevin Heffernan from Go Bike Buffalo, Chris Lonzi from Tom’s Pro Bike, and Buffalo Toronto Public Media producer Pat Kelly.
Roller Hockey, Hollywood, and the Hustle of Independent Filmmaking with Jake Cimperman

This week on Skin in the Game, Tim sits down with filmmaker Jake Cimperman—yes, the son of co-host John Cimperman—for a conversation that spans from the roller rinks of 1990s California to the unpredictable world of independent sports documentaries.
Lacrosse, Identity and the Making of “The American Game” with S.L. Price

This week on Skin in the Game, John and Tim sit down with journalist and author S.L. Price to discuss his new book, “The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse.”