This year marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous Black Sox scandal, in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned from baseball for throwing the World Series. Author Jacob Pomrenke joins us to discuss his book, plus the classic "Eight Men Out" and several other books on the Black Sox and their legacy.
Books mentioned:
"Eight Men Out," by Eliot Asinof
"Burying the Black Sox," by Gene Carney
"Black Sox in the Courtroom," by William Lamb
"Shoeless Joe," by W.P. Kinsella
"Shoeless," by David Fleitz
"Say it Ain't So," by Donald Gropman
"The Ginger Kid," by Irving Stein
Featured song: "New Era Rag," James Scott.
From Ty Cobb to Derek Jeter, baseball has always been inseparable from advertising. Author Roberta J. Newman joins us to discuss her look at the long, intertwined history of two American institutions.
Featured song: "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet," 1970s commercial.
In 1968, major pitchers dominated as never before as hitters looked helpless at the plate. Author Sridhar Pappu joins to discuss Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, Don Drysdale, Luis Tiant and the rest of the hurlers who defined the year of the pitcher.
Featured song: "White Light/White Heat," the Velvet Underground.
More than six decades after they left Flatbush, the Brooklyn Dodgers continue to resonate in the American imagination, particularly in pop culture. Author David Krell joins us to discuss the legacy of Rickey, Robinson, Reese and the rest of the Boys of Summer.
Featured song: "(I Used To Be A) Brooklyn Dodger," Dion.
For five decades, Joe Cronin had a front-row seat for some of the biggest events in baseball history. Author Mark Armour joins us to discuss the remarkable baseball life of the Hall of Fame shortstop who became American League president.
Featured song: "Hey Joe (
Author Doug Wilson returns to the podcast to talk about his new biography of the legendary Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. The Hall of Fame sluggers was a more complicated personality than his sunny reputation would suggest, Wilson says.
Featured song: "Boom Boom," John Lee Hooker.
Author Jonathan Eig joins us to discuss his Casey Award-winning biography of legendary Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig. Eig conducted dozens of new interviews and relied on hundreds of pages of previously letters to tell the story off baseball's Iron Horse.
Featured song: "Lucky Man," the Verve.
In October 1981, Rick Monday of the Dodgers hit a home run that broke the hearts of Expos fans — and changed the course of the Montreal franchise forever. Danny Gallagher joins us to talk about that infamous homer and its long-lasting repercussions.
Featured song: "I Don't Like Mondays," the Boomtown Rats.
On the 100th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's birth, Joe Cox joins us to discuss the enormous impact Robinson had on the lives of people who knew him. From Pee Wee Reese to Red Barber to Dixie Walker, Robinson helped change lives.
Featured song: "Better Git It in Your Soul," by Charles Mingus.
Using WAR and other measures, Tom Stone spent years compiling a list of each major league franchise's all-time dream team. He joins to discussing the resulting book, which is sure to start many arguments among baseball fans.
Featured song: "Field of Diamonds," Johnny Cash.
Author Noel Hynd joins us to discuss his classic history of John McGraw, Mel Ott, Wille Mays and the rest of the legendary New York Giants.
Featured song: "Giant Steps," John Coltrane.
George Gmelch joins us to recount his days as a minor league baseball player in the late 1960s. Now an anthropology professor, Gmelch got to know small-town life against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, civil rights protests and the emergence of the counterculture.
Featured song: "Summertime Blues," Blue Cheer.
Bill Gruber spent a summer following an American Legion baseball team in a small Idaho town. He joins us to discuss the many-sided narrative book that resulted, which part sports journalism, part history and part memoir.
Featured song: "Small Town," John Mellemcamp
Author Stacy DeKeyser joins us to discuss her middle school novel about a boy who loves baseball and must get past his hard-working immigrant parents—and the rhino in the outfield—to become a batboy.
Featured song: "At the Zoo," Simon and Garfunkel.
Who is Pete Rose? Author Michael Sokolove explored that question in his classic 1990 biography of Charlie Hustile. The author joins us to take a look behind the myths and lies at the heart of the Rose story.
Featured song: "Blood and Roses," the Smithereens.
Peter Devereaux takes us on a tour of rare and colorful early baseball cards from the Library of Congress’s Benjamin K. Edwards Collection. The books features 300 images tobacco cards issued between 1887 to 1914.
Featured song: "I've Just Seen a Face," by the Dillards.
For baseball fans, 1980 was the year of George Brett and Mike Schmidt, Super Joe Charboneau and fireballing J.R. Richard. Author J. Daniel joins us to discuss the Phillies, the Royals and the season that almost ended in a strike.
Feautred song: "Whip It," by Devo.
Philosophy professor Mark Kingwell joins us to discuss his book, which attempts to explain why baseball matters through a series of essays. Kingwell argues there is no better tutor of human failure’s enduring significance than baseball.
Featured song: "My Philosophy," by Boogie Down Productions.
Author Mike Sowell joins us to discuss his Casey Award-winning account of Ray Chapman's on-field death in 1920. Sowell's classic book takes an in-depth look at Chapman, Carl Mays, the 1920 pennant race and more.
Featured song: "It's a Shame About Ray," by the Lemonheads.
Eddie Dominguez spent six years with MLB's Department of Investigations, looking into PEDs, gambling human trafficking and other crimes. He joins us to discuss the dark side of the national pastime.
Jane Leavy, the award-winning biographer of Sandy Koufax and Mickey Mantle, now takes on the biggest ballplayer of 'em all: Babe Ruth. Join us as Leavy discusses how she uncovered previously unknown information about the immortal Bambino.
When the Dodgers and Giants headed to California following the 1957 season, Major League Baseball increased its national profile and broadened its fan base, author Lincoln Mitchell tells us. The effects of the moves are stilling being felt six decades later.
Filip Bondy joins us talk about George Brett's infamous 1983 "pine tar home run" agains Goose Gossage and the Yankees, and incident that set off an absurd and enduring baseball controversyl
The Bad News Bears is considered a classic baseball movie. Its 1977 sequel is not. But author Josh Wilker thinks the mostly forgotten tale of Kelly Leak, the Astrodome and a van full of misfits is a quintessential American movie of the 1970s.
Rob Neyer returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, which looks at modern baseball through the lens of the single Astros-A's game played in September 2017. It's a work in the tradition of "A Day in the Bleachers" and "Nine Innings."