Bernard Malamud’s iconic novel The Natural has many inspirations, but its most iconic may be the shooting of Roy Hobbs. The inspiration for it occurred 70 years ago this week, when Eddie Waitkus was gunned down in his hotel by an obsessive fan. We go through the life of Waitkus, the tragic shooting that changed…

There may have never been an athlete as singular as Bo Jackson, a two sport star whose potential and flashes of brilliance tantalized the world until it all came crashing down. On the 33rd anniversary of him signing with the Kansas City Royals, Mike and Bill look back on Bo’s careers, his downfall, his comeback,…

Few second basemen could match Cubs great Ryne Sandberg, and, of those, few could match Sandberg’s epic performance 35 years ago this week, when he singlehandedly brought his team back from the brink of defeat against Bruce Sutter and the Cardinals on national TV. With Bill off this week, Mike digs through Sandberg’s life and…

Walter Johnson was probably the greatest pitcher of the first half of the 20th century until suddenly feeling his age in 1920. Weirdly, that was also when he threw one of the greatest games of his career, his only no-hitter, 99 years ago this week. Mike and Bill talk with Steven Goldman (@gostevengoldman) about The…

We have spent a lot of time over 107 previous episodes making fun of former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, but this episode we really take the time to catalogue what made him such an exceptionally frustrating boss of baseball on the 48th anniversary of Kuhn reversing course and deciding that Negro Leaguers would be full members…

Very few players in the 20th century transformed the way baseball was perceived as much as Jim Bouton, the hotshot Yankees starter who, after arm injuries and a trade to the Seattle Pilots, wrote perhaps the greatest baseball book of all time. Bouton passed away last week, so Mike and Bill talk about his life,…

Lefty Grove is one of the ten best pitchers of all time. But because of a late start to his major league career, 78 years ago this week, the A’s and Red Sox legend won the last game of his career, his 300th. Mike and Bill look back at his legendary career and why it…

Pete Rose has become one of the most polarizing and controversial figures in baseball history. But before that, he was the brash and charismatic star of one of the greatest teams in baseball history. And 41 years ago this week, Rose’s 44 game hitting streak was snapped by the Atlanta Braves. At the request of…

Two of the best pitchers of the Dead Ball Era faced off 109 years ago this week, putting up matching goose eggs for 16 innings before the game between the Athletics and White Sox was called on a account of darkness. It serves as a perfect jumping off point to discuss the fantastic new graphic…

Dave Dravecky’s comeback was described as something out of a storybook. It was a miracle. It was short-lived as, 30 years ago this week, his attempt to return from cancer surgery on his pitching arm ended on the mound in the most gruesome way imaginable. Mike and Bill look back on the career of Dravecky,…