Episodes

  • Rick Reiff is our guest this week to discuss his essay in the Fall 2024 Baseball Research Journal, "Gavy Cravath's Hall-Worthy 200 Home Runs." Cravath, a late arrival, played 11 seasons in the Major Leagues and led the National League in home runs in six of those seasons, from 1913 to 1919. Cravath also led the Senior Circuit in RBI twice, in on base percentage twice and slugging percentage three times. Despite being the preeminent home run hitter in the Deadball Era, Cravath remains on the outside looking in for Hall of Fame induction. Reiff makes the case to remedy this.

    In part 2, Craig and Rex talk about the Rays playing their 2025 regular season at the Yankees' spring training home, the latest billion-dollar boondoggle to return the Houston Astrodome, an aging eyesore, to usefulness and how to turn a juice box to an ice box.

    Errata: Craig, its the Donner Party, not the Bonner Party.

    You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky (@craigest.bsky.social)
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeriti:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.


  • This episode was recorded on November 5.

    Craig and Rex analyze some of baseball's rarest achievements, ranging from Johnny Vander Meer's back to back no-hitters, Fernando Tatis belting two grand slams in the same inning off the same pitcher. Of course we mention Guy Hecker's 7 runs scored in a 9 innings game, a singular feat that has stood for 138 years.

    Also this episode, Gerrit Cole's $144 million dance with free agency after the World Series came to an end plus the Hall of Fame's Classic Era Committee's nominees.

    You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky (@craigest.bsky.social)
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeriti:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.

  • Missing episodes?

    Click here to refresh the feed.

  • Dr. Travis Stern's new book, "Ballplayers on Stage: Baseball, Melodrama, and Theatrical Celebrity in the Deadball Era" (Univ. of Tennessee Press, 2024) explores the relationship between professional baseball and professional theater in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Stern joins us in this episode to talk about his book and the how baseball and the theater contributed to the rise of the American culture, culminating with Babe Ruth's emergence as a national hero in the early 1920s.

    Stern is an Associate Professor of Theater Arts at Bradley University.

    Travis Stern on Bluesky (@travisstern.bsky.social)
    Travis Stern at Bradley University

    In Part Two, Craig went to a Duster show and talks about Duster, the show and the unusual opening act, Dirty Art Club.

    Errata: At one point Stern mentions seeing the "Yankees and Mets." We believe he meant to say "Yankees and Dodgers" as the Mets were not a team in the Deadball Era.

    Episodes mentioned or discussed:
    205 - Baseball at War: Working and Playing Ball in the Bethlehem Steel League w/ William Ecenbarger (https://tinyurl.com/hooks2051114)
    82 - Rube Waddell Would Make A Hell of a Movie w/ Prof. Alan H. Levy (https://tinyurl.com/Hooks821114)

    You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky (@craigest.bsky.social)
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeriti:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.


  • Craig and Rex contemplate the end of the 2024 baseball season as the Dodgers took the first three World Series games from the Yankees. They then turn their attention to the 1949 film "It Happens Every Spring," starring Ray Milland, Jean Peters and Paul Douglas. It's a screwball comedy with a baseball-related plot. Thumb's up all around. Finally, a few words about a North Carolina man that combined artificial intelligence with internet bots to try to take on the online music business. The man is innocent until proven guilty, of course.

    Justice Dep't press release in the AI, music bot case.

    You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeriti:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.

  • Five players in MLB history have driven in 2,000 run in their career. Barry Bonds concluded his amazing 22-year career 4 RBI short of 2,000. This week we examine Bonds' career and try to find out how he came up short.

    Also this week, Craig and Rex with their favorite new albums released the third quarter of 2024.

    Errata: The reports are Bonds' head circumference grew by 1 to 1.5 inches, not that his hat size grew by 1.5 sizes. The book, "Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero," by Jeff Pearlman, released in 2006, not 2007. The book is available through our affiliate link below or wherever you buy books.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.


  • This week Craig and Rex review Craig's sketchy pre-season predictions and ruminate about the on-gong MLB playoffs.

    Errata: Met closer Edwin Diaz has one year left on his contract, not three.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.

  • After beating the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium 3-2 to wrap up a 6-4 road trip, the Phillies cam home leading the National League by 6.5 games with 12 games to play. What followed remains the most dramatic late-season collapse in Major League history. The Phillies lost 10 straight games, including all seven on the following home stand, and finished one game behind St. Louis.

    In this episode, Craig and Rex review the Phillies 1964 season, trying to answer the question: Who is to blame for the Great Philadelphia Phillies Collapse of 1964?

    Errata: After Philadelphia's 6-4 loss to Milwaukee on September 26, the Phillies had lost six in a row and eight of their last nine. After beating St. Louis 1-0 on October 2, the Mets' record was 52 wins, 108 losses.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.

  • Author Scott H. Longert joins the show this week to talk about his latest book, "Love and Loss: The Short Life of Ray Chapman" (Ohio Univ. Press 2024). Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman was hit by a pitched ball in the temple during a ballgame against the Yankees at the Polo Grounds on August 16, 1920. He succumbed to his injuries the next morning. He is the only player in Major League history to die from injuries sustained during an MLB ballgame. Longert's book examines Chapman's idyllic life and his sudden, tragic death, combining detailed research with compassion for the ballplayer and his family, friends and teammates.

    Scott Longert's website - https://scottlongert.com/
    Scott Longert on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/scott.longert
    Ohio Univ. Press - https://www.ohioswallow.com/9780821425664/love-and-loss/

    Errata - Shohei Ohtani hit 54 home runs and stole 59 bases this season.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.

  • In the great John Ford western, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," a reporter says, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Few 19th Century players muddled the waters between fact and legend as did the great Louisville slugger, Pete Browning. Author Tim Newby's new book "The Original Louisville Slugger: The Life and Times of Forgotten Baseball Legend Pete Browning" ( University Press of Kentucky, 2024) dives into Pete's wild story head first, separating legend from fact and delivering an engaging and rewarding book. Newby is our guest this week to talk about myths, legends, Pete Browning and baseball in the wild and untamed 19th Century.

    Tim Newby's The Original Louisville Slugger is available through the publisher, through the Hooks & Runs affiliate site (see the link below) or wherever you buy your books.

    Tim Newby on Twitter/X (@Tim_Newby9)
    Tim Newby on Instagram (@tim_newby9)

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig at Bluesky
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.



  • Our guest this week is Arthur D. Hittner, author of "Honus Wagner, The Life of Baseball's Flying Dutchman," Revised Edition (McFarland, 2024). Originally published in 1996, Hittner's book won the prestigious Seymour Medal for best baseball historical or biographical book in 1997.

    Wagner led the National League in batting 8 times and hit .324 in his storied career. Over 100 years after his last Major League game, The Flying Dutchman is still considered by many to be the greatest shortstop who ever played. Hittner's revised edition brings Wagner to life for a new generation of fans.

    Arthur D. Hittner's Website: www.hittnerbooks.com/

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Email: [email protected]
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter
    Craig on Bluesky
    Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Eric on Facebook
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024.



  • Justin Verlander is struggling in his latest return from the injury list. Roger Maris would have celebrated his 90th birthday in the 10th -- he died in 1985. We noticed a lot of pretty famous people were born or grew up Maris's home town of Hibbing, Minnesota (pop. 16,000), including a couple of Hall of Famers (Maris is not one).

    Finally, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and the Chicago White Sox are chasing milestones, for better or worse, and Matt Chapman bet big on himself -- and it paid off!

    Errata: Matt Chapman and Alex Bregman are not so far apart in age after all.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Email us: [email protected]
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.



  • Timothy Malcolm wrote the newly revised and updated, "Moon Baseball Road Trips: The Complete Guide to All the Ballparks, with Beer, Bites, and Sights Nearby" (Moon Travel, 2024) being released September 10. He joins us this week to talk about baseball road trips, favorite ballparks and how baseball contributed to revivals in many large American cities.

    In part 2, Rex and Craig talk about why pitchers are pitching fewer and fewer complete games and how the long ball threat from the line-up's top to bottom has impacted how teams manage pitching staffs.

    Timothy Malcolm on Bluesky
    The book at Moon Travel

    Errata: The 1930 Philadelphia Phillies lost 102 games, not however many Craig said (unless he said 102). The designated first sullied America's Pastime in 1973, not 1971.

    Episodes Mentioned:
    143 - The Rays Are Getting Their New Stadium w/ Dr. Elizabeth Strom (OK, not specifically mentioned, but relevant) (https://www.buzzsprout.com/875794/12443077).
    133 - We Weren't Rained Out, We Were Rained In w/ Roger Metzger (https://www.buzzsprout.com/875794/11991967)
    127 - The Old Ballparks Project, Part I (our discussion of the Baker Bowl and Shibe Park (Connie Mack Stadium) in Philadelphia (https://www.buzzsprout.com/875794/11755593)

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Email us: [email protected]
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.





  • Bobby Mathews pitched in three major leagues from 1871 to 1887 and ended his career with 297 career wins. Why did he stop playing when he was so close to 300? This episode looks into Mathews' career as well as wins as a statistical category and 300 wins as a significant career milestone to kick off this series about players who came very close, but did not quite reach landmark career totals.

    Errata: Justin Verlander made one start for Houston before going on the injured list in 2020.

    Episodes Referenced:
    213 - Talking 1890 Players League Blues w/ Robert Ross

    Major Sources:
    Brian McKenna, "Bobby Mathews," Society for American Baseball Research website, www.sabr.org.
    Frank Vaccaro, "Origins of the Modern Pitching Win," 2013 Baseball Research Journal.
    The source for all player statistics is baseball-reference.com.
    Too many contemporary newspapers accounts to list here.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Email us: [email protected]
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat Lic.)
    Music: Title: "Inscencer (1 hour)"; Artist: P C III; Link: Free Music Archive; License: CC By 4.0 (https://tinyurl.com/ccby4hooks)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.

  • On August 6, 2024, the dreadful Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland A's 5-1 at the Coliseum. This win snapped a 21-game losing streak, the longest losing streak in the Majors in 36 years. The Philadelphia Phillies own the modern record losing streak, 23 games, set in 1961. This episode, Craig and Rex will look back on that record losing streak.

    Episodes Referenced:
    212 - Ken Johnson Has a Secret

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Email us: [email protected]
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.



    Errata: Babe Ruth made one pinch hitting appearance in the 1915 World Series.

  • Professor Robert Ross, author of The Great Baseball Revolt: The Rise and Fall of the 1890 Players League (2016) joins us this week to discuss the first attempt at unionization by Major League players -- the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players which had formed in the mid 1880s. The Brotherhood joined forces with supportive magnates to form the Players League in 1890. Unfortunately, the league lasted just one season before folding. The Players League though included many top players from that time including future Hall of Famers Hugh Duffy, John Montgomery Ward and pitcher "Old Hoss" Radbourn.

    In part two, Craig and Rex talk about mispronouncing names, whether betting is allowed on a baseball podcast, and more speculation on baseball in the 2028 Olympics.

    Robert Ross's Point Park Univ. page, on Twitter/X
    Buy The Great Baseball Revolt from the publisher, from our bookshop.org affiliate link below, or wherever you buy books.

    Errata: If the season ended on the day Craig and Rex recorded this episode, the AL wild card teams would be New York, Kansas City and Minnesota, not Boston. South African native Gift Ngoepe, an infielder, played for Pittsburgh in 2017 and Toronto in 2018, totaling 54 at bats and hitting .222 over the two seasons.

    Episodes Mentioned:
    211 - The Money Went Dry, The Liquor Went Wet: The Life & Times of Bob Caruthers w/ Dave Heller
    205 - Baseball at War: Working and Playing Ball in the Bethlehem Steel League w/ William Ecenbarger (segment on the real life "Natural")
    104 - When Sport Defeated Law: The Curt Flood Case w/ Prof. Jeremi Duru

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Email us: [email protected]
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.

  • This week Craig and Rex take a deep dive into Houston's Jose Abreu and Rafael Montero contract fiascos and come away glad we're not the Angels. In Part 2, Ken Johnson did something on an April week night in 1964 that had never been done before in a Major League game - and hasn't been done since.

    Errata: Mike Trout, if healthy, could have played a possible 648 games since 2020.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.

  • Journalist, author Dave Heller joins us this week to discuss his new book, "Parisian Bob Caruthers: Baseball's First Two-Way Star" (McFarland 2024). Caruthers played in the American Association and National League from 1884 to 1893 where he led the AA in wins twice and played with distinction in the outfield when he was not pitching. In this interview, Heller takes us back to a time and place when baseball, baseball players and America itself were wild and untamed.

    In part 2, Craig and Rex briefly discuss a controversial Astro trade and speculate on baseball in the Olympic Games come 2028.

    Dave Heller on Twitter
    Dave's book at McFarlandBooks.com

    Source:
    Scott Louder, "Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge endorse MLB players in the 2028 Olympics, an idea that might be gaining steam," Philadelphia Inquirer at msn.com.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.

  • Craig reports on his short getaway to Cleveland, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Progressive Field. The hosts speculate on stadium drama in Oakland, Tampa and Anaheim. The Mariners blew a 10-game lead in the American League West over a 24-game period, but will anyone remember in October if Seattle hangs on to win the division anyway? Craig and Rex glance at famous late-season collapses in baseball history. We want All-Stars in their team uniforms and the national anthem performance at Monday's home run derby is a microcosm on what's wrong with the modern music business in 2024.

    Links:
    Jason Burke, "Interesting Wrinkle to Oakland A's Relocation Saga" Oakland A's on SI, July 19, 2024.
    Neal deMause, "Rays owner Stu Sternberg set to win approval of $1B+ stadium subsidy after giving free tickets to city councilmember" Field of Schemes, July 18, 2024.
    Noah Biesiada, "Angels Get Millions for Cancellation of Stadium Sale After FBI Investigation," voiceofoc.com, July 15, 2024.

    Episodes Referenced:
    205 - Baseball at War: Working and Playing Ball in the Bethlehem Steel League w/ William Ecenbarger
    189 - Baseball, Chemical Warfare and The Great War w/ Jim Leeke
    172 - They Were Two People Desperate to Stay in the Game w/ Bob LeMoine
    163 - A Journey Through Mallparks w/ Prof. Michael T. Friedman
    143 - The Rays Are Getting Their New Stadium w/ Dr. Elizabeth Strom
    88 - Please Do Not Burn Down the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
    45A - Shavermetrics w/ Scott Russell and Bill "Spaceman" Lee (Radio Edit)

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.


  • Rex attended his first in-person Major League game this week - his Rangers beat Craig's Astros and Rex did an okay job suppressing the urge to be a sore winner. Also this week, a look at standings going into the All-Star Break, Wander Franco may be in big trouble, Randy Hennis had a short, brilliant career for Houston and Rex has a few things to say about Globe Life's robot bartenders.

    For the record, in Texas' 4-2 win over Houston Sunday, Josh Sborz got out of the bases loaded, none out jam in 7 pitches in the Astros fifth. Jacob Latz needed 7 pitches to get out of a one-out, two men on jam in the 7th innings and in the frame, Kirby Yates got three outs with two men on 4 pitches.

    Errata: Whit Merrifield was not a Rookie of the Year, but he has been a 3-time All-Star. Five players have been suspended for prohibited gambling this season - one for life. The Astros were 65-97 in 1991.

    Sources - Information about the seedy Wander Franco case in Dominican Republic is here. The story on robot bartenders at Globe Life is here.

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.



  • Hurricane Beryl dealt a blow to our hometown but 36 hours after it passed Hooks & Runs is on schedule against all odds. This week, Craig and Rex riffing on the upcoming Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland and Joe Mauer (with an obligatory dig along the way on Journey and Bon Jovi from Craig), speculating about Ichiro's chances for unanimous induction, Billy Wagner's chance for induction at all in 2025, updating plans for the podcast's College Football Preview episode and looking over our best of second quarter album selections.

    Errata: Craig guessed right - the HOF induction is July 21. Adrián Beltré also played for the Dodgers and Red Sox. Mark Grace slashed .303/.383/.442 for his career; Will Clark slashed .303/.384/.497. On the road, Todd Helton slashed .287/.386/.469. The Marlins won their second World Series title in 2003, not 2001. Jim Leyland's record in Detroit was 700-597 in eight seasons. Saul Zaentz owned Fantasy Records and produced "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Rex meant to say "Nurse Ratchet." We bleeped the player Craig called "the baseball equivalent of Journey" because Craig thinks he's actually a better player than that. Craig meant to say "ERA plus" not "OPS."

    Best of Second Quarter
    Craig's Picks
    Honorable Mention - Outlander, "Acts of Harm"
    Selection - DIIV, "Frog in Boiling Water"
    Rex's pick
    Kerry King - "From Hell I Rise"

    Episodes Mentioned:
    189 - Baseball, Chemical Warfare and The Great War w/ Jim Leeke
    167 - College Football Preview: It's All an Arms Race w/ Gabey Lucas
    115 - On College Football's Changing Landscape w/ Grant McGalliard (Purple Theory)

    -->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
    -->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

    Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
    Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
    Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
    Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
    Hosts Emeritus:
    Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
    Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
    Eric on Facebook
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
    Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
    This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum,