Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 26 › Conversation 026-012

Haldeman & Ziegler on Richard Nixon and Baseball

Tuesday, June 27, 1972 · 12:03 PM–1:36 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation026-012 on Tape 26 (tape position 00:12:06–00:14:27)StartTuesday, June 27, 1972 at 12:03 PMEndTuesday, June 27, 1972 at 1:36 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 026-012 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate to gather specific biographical and statistical data for President Nixon regarding his list of all-time baseball greats. The conversation focuses on verifying the careers and performance records of pre-war relief pitchers, specifically Hugh Casey, Mace Brown, and Doc Crandall. Haldeman also tasks Ziegler with identifying the first name of a prominent Pittsburgh relief pitcher named Face to finalize the President's personal list.

Audio

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Position in tape: 00:12:06 – 00:14:27

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. Ziegler, sir.
Ron?
Yes, sir.
President said to ask you who the relief pitcher was for the American League pre-war.
Just a moment.
The memo just came in.
Let me get it in.
Where's that memo?
Well, give me a copy of it quickly.
You want me to bring it over?
No, just tell me who it was.
Well, I've got three suggestions.
Excuse me a minute.
Either Hugh Casey or Mace Brown or Doc Crandall.
Or Doc Crandall.
Right.
Now, I have their games won and lost and so forth.
You may want to look over.
He has the records if you want them.
You want him to bring them in?
Who's Doc Crandall?
Doc Crandall is a right-hander of the New York Giants.
Giants right-hander?
Crandall was basically a starter.
He was a starter?
Particularly in his best seasons.
In his best seasons, okay.
What about Casey?
Hugh Casey, which one comes out best in the records?
Well, Mace Brown, 176 and lost 57.
Brown, 176, lost 57?
Right.
What was Casey?
Doc Crandall, won 106 and lost 61.
Crandall was 106, 61.
What was Casey?
Casey, 175 and lost 42.
175, 42.
So he's got the best win-loss record.
Yeah.
What was the name of the Pittsburgh relief pitcher?
Face.
What's his first name?
Mace Brown?
Mace Brown.
No.
The Pittsburgh relief pitcher whose last name is Face.
I haven't the slightest idea, Bob.
I don't know a goddamn thing about baseball.
You don't have one?
No.
Okay.
Mace Brown, however, did pitch for... No, we don't want that one.
...Pittsburgh Pirates.
Check that out.
It's a guy named Face.
Pitched about 1950 for Pittsburgh.
Roy, but he won it pre-war.
That's where I'm asking a different question now.
Okay.
What is the first name of the Pittsburgh relief pitcher whose last name is Face?
All right, fine, good.
What is his first name?
Right on.
Get that right for you.
Roger.

NARA Description

On June 27, 1972, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 1:36 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 026-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 26-12

Date: June 27, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:03 and 1:36 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 743-6C]

     The President’s baseball greats list
          -Pre-war relief pitcher
               -Hugh Casey
               -Mace Brown
               -“Doc” Crandall
               -Records
               -Crandall
                     -New York Giants
               -Casey
               -Brown's record
               -Crandall's record

                 -Casey's record
           -Pittsburgh relief pitcher
                 -Elroy Face

Also recorded on June 27, 1972

  • 103-009 11:28 AM · 5 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:28 am on June 27, 1972 and 10:05 am on June 30, 1972.
  • 103-012 11:28 AM · 1 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:28 am on June 27, 1972 and 10:05 am on June 30, 1972.
  • 743-004 11:28 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:30 am.
  • 743-005 11:30 AM — President Richard M. Nixon, Elliot L. Richardson, John S. Millis, Theodore Cooper, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., James H. Cavanaugh, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:30 am to 11:57 am.
  • 743-006 11:57 AM — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler, Manolo Sanchez, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:57 am and 1:50 pm.
  • 026-011 12:03 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 1:36 pm.
  • 026-013 12:03 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 1:36 pm.
  • 026-014 1:36 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 1:36 pm to 1:37 pm.

All 26 conversations from June 27, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 026-012, June 27, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/026-012 (accessed September 30, 2026).