Jim Bouton was a true baseball revolutionary, challenging a conservative baseball establishment that was desperately trying to keep a changing world at bay. Mitchell Nathanson joins us to discuss the extraordinary life and legacy of the man who wrote "Ball Four" and did so much more.
The anchoring effect. Outcome bias. The sunk-cost fallacy. Keith Law, senior writer for The Athletic, joins us to discuss how psychological and economic principals can help us understand baseball — and vice versa.
After the Nationals started the 2019 season 19-30, nobody gave them much of a shot to even make the playoffs. But led by a veteran pitching staff and some exciting young stars, Washington rebounded to win the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Washington Post reporter Jesse Dougherty, who was there to see it all, joins us to discuss the Nats' improbable run.
From Cape Cod to Alaska and many places in between, Will Geoghegan spent a summer visiting the nation's wood bat collegiate leagues. The author joins us to discuss his journey and explain why so many fans fall in love with baseball at this level.
From the MLB Draft to international academies, the role of scouting in baseball has evolved considerably since the days of "Moneyball." Kiley McDaniel and Eric Logenhagen take us on a deep dive into the modern world of talent evaluation and player development.
From the streets of St. Louis to the beaches of Normandy to a spot behind home plate at Yankee Stadium, Yogi Berra became a baseball immortal and an American icon. Author Jon Pessah joins us to discuss his new, definitive biography of the legendary Bronx Bomber catcher.
Brad Balukjian opened a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards and then embarked on a road trip across the United States to search for the players on the cards. Join us as the author describes his quest to find stars like Carlton Fisk and Dwight Gooden as well as lesser lights like Rance Mullinicks and Jaime Cocanower.
In 1980, baseball's most controversial and colorful manager took over the lowly Oakland A's. The result was a tumultuous three-season reign that may well have saved baseball in Oakland. Author Dale Tafoya joins us to discuss the era of Billy Martin, Rickey Henderson and Charlie Finely.