It's Opening Day! So grab a pencil and a scorecard and listen as author Paul Dickson discusses his classic book and tells us how scoring the game has influenced and enhanced the history of baseball. 

Play ball! 

In 1956, the Yankees' Mickey Mantle became a baseball superstar -- and an American icon. Authors Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith join us to discuss that incredible season and why it resonated so much with public. 

Whitey Herzog took the reins of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980. Within two years, he had transformed an underperforming, overpaid squad into World Series champions. Author Doug Feldmann tells us how the White Rat did it. 

Author Josh Pahigian takes us on a tour of America’s greatest baseball museums, shrines, sports bars, pop culture landmarks and ballpark sites. It's the ultimate bucket list for the national pastime. 

Using his own version of Wins Above Average, David Kaiser has developed a list of the best Major League Baseball players and teams from 1901 to 2017. He joins us to discuss his findings, some of which will surprise most baseball fans. 

Long before the Tigers existed, Detroit had a championship baseball team. Brian Martin takes use through the wild rise and fall of the Wolverines in professional baseball's rough and tumble first decade. 

Author Jason Turbow returns to the show to discuss the ins and outs of baseball's unwritten rules. You'll be flipping your bat in delight as we play the podcast game the right way.

Take a look at the legendary Ryan/Ventura fight on YouTube. Here's Yasiel Puig flipping a bat  and making Madison Bumgarner mad. Remember when Jonathan Papelbon choked Bryce Harper?  

Turbow previously appeared on Episode 24 to discuss "Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic."

Today's featured song: "Code of Silence," by Bruce Springsteen.