This Week In Baseball History

It's always fun to talk about big goofy lefties or hardthrowing surly lefties, except when we lose two of the best within a month of one another. Jerry Koosman and Sam McDowell were two of the best of their generation, but took vastly different paths to arrive at big league stardom. Mike and Bill look back at their lives and careers, finding two hurlers who weren't perfect people, by any means, but who were incredible near-Hall of Fame level performers.

Plus, happy birthday to Jeff Blauser and Adam Dunn!

Logo by Casey Barker

Everything ends, but some things end better than others. The way the Oakland A's dynasty of the 1970s ended was one of those others. At the request of a patron, Mike and Bill look back at how everything finally fell apart for good 50 years ago this week, and fight over who was responsible for that.

Plus, happy birthday to Joe Adcock and Mark Portugal!

Logo by Casey Barker

Perhaps the most infamous blunder in baseball history was the product of many different mistakes by many different people that ultimately led to Mookie Wilson's weak ground ball slipping under the glove and through the legs of Bill Buckner. On the 40th anniversary of the Red Sox's heartbreaking loss in Game 6 and the Mets' triumphant win in Game 6, Mike and Bill look back on the 1986 World Series, how the teams got to this fateful point, and what happened next.

Plus, happy birthday to Bip Roberts and Vic Aldridge!

Logo by Casey Barker

It's hard to believe that it's been 50 years since the Cincinnati Reds swept the Yankees to loudly and clearly declare themselves a dynasty. Perhaps the strongest lineup in baseball history, the Big Red Machine steamrolled through the postseason without a loss that year to claim its second straight title. Mike and Bill look back on how the Machine was built and then how it ground up the rest of baseball over the course of two summers, and two Octobers.

Plus, happy birthday to George Hendrick and Burt Shotten!

And farewell to Walpole Joe Morgan and...

The World Series was seemingly made to create heroes, and Enos Slaughter became one 80 years ago this week when he made his mad dash from first base, scoring the winning run of Game 7 of the 1946 World Series for the Cardinals on a weak double (or perhaps a single) . Slaughter's baserunning immediately became a legend, and he seemingly immediately began undermining his own legacy. On the anniversary of his daring dash, Mike and Bill look back at a Hall of Fame ballplayer, who was perhaps not a Hall of Fame person.

Plus, happy birthday to Buttercup Dickerson!

It takes a career to make it into the Hall of Fame. But sometimes it just takes one swing or one pitch or one game to become a legend. That happened to the otherwise unremarkable Don Larsen 70 years ago this week, when Don pitched a perfect game against the Dodgers in the World Series. Mike and Bill look back at one of the more imperfect men to achieve baseball perfection, and the self-imposed struggles that may have prevented him from becoming something more.

Plus, happy birthday to Sam West and Charlie Liebrandt!

And farewell to...

If you think it's tough spending the Holidays with your siblings, you should try being in the same lineup. That's what happened 28 years ago this week to two sets of brothers: David and Aaron Boone, and Barry and Stephen Larkin. They were all in the same lineup. In the same infield, in fact. It was the kind of forced family therapy that only the Cincinnati Reds could pull together. It's also a great excuse for Mike and Bill to roll out their latest installment in their big league brothers series. So strap in, and let's learn about the Larkins...

At times, it seemed like Cy Young might just pitch forever. But everything, eventually, meets its end. And Cy won his last big league game 115 years ago this week. In honor of one of the game's true giants, Mike and Bill look back at his long and incredible career that spanned MLB's early and modern history, to discover a pretty decent man who happened to be an amazing hurler, and also that that final win may not have actually been his 511th.

Plus, happy birthday to Zeke Bonura and Jeff Cirillo!

And farewell to Ossie...

They don't really make players like George Sisler these days. A slick fielding, average dependent first baseman who demonstrated incredible bat control but almost no power, leading to two .400 seasons. But, before that, the St. Louis Browns tried to use him as a pitcher as well, culminating in a fantastic performance 110 years ago this week, when he beat Walter Johnson, 1-0. Mike and Bill look back at Sisler's bifurcated career and the random illness that radically altered it.

Plus, happy birthday to Eddie Rommel and Thornton Lee!

And farewell to Héctor Valle and Duane W...

Like the rest of the United States, the baseball world stopped 25 years ago this week when the country suffered the most devastating terrorist attack in its history. There aren't words to adequately describe the sum of the national trauma that still resonates today, but maybe there are words to describe baseball's response. Mike and Bill look back on the 2001 season as a whole, and the first World Series to bleed into November that followed as the sport and its players struggled to adapt to the new reality and traditional villains were embraced by (most) of the nation as heroes.<...

The Pirates proved themselves the best team in baseball in 1971, winning the NL East, the pennant, and the World Series against the Orioles. But they are celebrated these days for another accomplishment, fielding the first all-black and brown lineup in baseball history 55 years ago this week against the Phillies. It was an accidental accomplishment, the result not of social engineering, but of good scouting and good organizational philosophy, and was one of the reasons this team was so great. Mike and Bill look back on this charismatic club, their championship season, and the game that should not overshadow just...

Editor's Note: Bill's audio goes crazy about two-thirds of the way into this episode. We have cleaned it up as much as we're able and apologize in advance.

When Tom Yawkey signed his name to the MacPhail Report, delivered 80 years ago this week to new Commissioner Happy Chandler and which argued against integration, he cemented his reputation as one of baseball's hardline racists and helped direct the Red Sox down the path toward a decade and a half of mediocrity and an eternity of shame as the final team to roster a black ballplayer. On this disappointing...

Mike is still on vacation this week, so Bill talks to two of our friends who also presented really interesting information at the most recent SABR convention: Adam Daroski, on his quest to identify members of the elusive 400-win club, and Dan Cichalski, on Bruce Springsteen and whether or not you can call a fastball a "speedball" and still know ball (you can). 

With Mike away, cruising around the Pacific Northwest, the podcast is on the briefest of hiatuses. But all of baseball was on hiatus until this week, 45 years ago, when the owners and the players finally agreed to resume the 1981 season after missing almost 40 percent of the regular season. Mike and Bill look at the reasons behind the strike, who was at fault, how it got resolved, what effect it had on a deeply weird season, and the uncanny parallels to 2020, when they originally recorded this episode. Plus, happy birthday to Tommie Agee and Bill Monbouquette!

Today, you can follow baseball on the radio, tv, laptops and phones. But that wasn't the case until 105 years ago this week, when the Pirates and Phillies game was sent out over the airwaves to the greater Pittsburgh area. It was the start of a surprisingly slow process that brought us to where we are today due to the owners' intransigence. In honor of this anniversary, Mike and Bill look back at the various ways that baseball broadcasting has changed over the years, from the telegraph to streaming.

Plus, happy birthday to Dolf Luque and Red Ames!<...

With Mike and Bill at the 2026 SABR convention this week, they're reaching into the past to pull out one of their favorite SABR memories, when they got to speak to the great Mike Veeck, with their good friend, Mike Duncan. This was a special epsiode. Mike Veeck is, of course, the son of Bill Veeck, owner of the St. Paul Saints and Charleston River Dogs, business doer, book writer, fun haver, and family man. And there is a fantastic documentary about him and his family on Netflix, The Saint of Second Chances. But, before you watch that, listen to h...

Though not talked about much today, there was a time when Joe Medwick seemed like he might become an inner circle Hall of Famer. And never more than 90 years ago this week, when he collected 10 straight hits over the course of three games. Mike and Bill look back at the man they called Ducky (very much against his wishes), and are surprised by his rapid decline after turning himself into one of the most dominant players in the game's history.

Plus, happy birthday to Bob Meusel and Denis Menke!

And farewell to Eddie Haas and...

Beat writers and ballplayers have all the best stories, but it's the writers who tell them best. Mike and Bill are reminded of that this week when they talk with legendary Rangers beat writer T.R. Sullivan about his fantastic new memoir, The Texas Rangers and Me: A Baseball Writer's Thirty-Two Years in Arlington about his time covering the ballclub from 1989 through the 2020. T.R.'s candid and funny and his memory for details is incredible almost four decades after getting his start. You're gonna love this.

Plus, happy birthday to Johnny Wyrostek!

And farewell t...

With Bill still on the mend this week, we're happy to revisit the crazily still relevent story of how and why Arky Vaughn walked away from baseball for three years. Vaughan was one of the most underappreciated superstars in history until his reputation was restored by Bill James. His disappearance has always been linked with an attempted players' strike with the Dodgers in 1943 that occurred 83 years ago this week. But that's not the whole story, as Mike and Bill discovered in talking to Steven Goldman, of Baseball Prospectus and The Infinite Inning. Plus, happy birthday to Tim Teufel and...

Some stories are just to strange to be fiction, and that was the case 100 years ago LAST week when Sister Aimee McPherson held an impromptu rivival at the ballpark in Douglas, Arizona, days after her miraculous reappearance following six weeks of...something. Was she kidnapped? Did she run away? Was she just really, really lost? With Bill out recovering from surgery, our buddy Jacob Pomrenke joins us this week to talk about his recent article about McPherson's disappearance and reemergence, and how Hal Chase and the Black Sox of all people wound up wrapped up in the scandal.

In truth, the boys could have picked an actual topic this week, but the randomizer was just sitting there in the office, looking so tempting. So Mike and Bill pushed it and came up with this September 16, 1914 contest between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Giants. In their research, they uncovered a bunch of cool facts about Cuban baseball and the origin of the phrase "good field, no hit," some incredible pigeon facts, a bunch of uber-Reds, a cartoonist, a ballplayer/lawyer, and a couple unknown baseball lifers.

Plus, happy birthday to Doug Jones and Ed...

Few men can boast the breadth of career that Joe Cronin can (or could; he's dead now). He went from being a Hall of Fame caliber shortstop to a manager to a GM to a league president in an almost 50 year career in Major League Baseball somehow without making any enemies. Rarer still, as Mike and Bill found out, he left each job on his own terms perhaps becoming the only person in baseball history who has never had to be told when it was his time to go. This week, on the 83rd anniversary of Cronin calling on...

On the 30th anniversary of Major League Baseball suspending Marge Schott for two years over her comically stupid and wrongheaded comments about a certain German chancellor, Mike and Bill debut a new series of episodes, tracing the ownership history of every original MLB franchise from their origins. While Schott and her tenure would prove to be the most embarassing in the history of the team, there are plenty of other interesting characters and stories about the Reds' evolution over their 144 year history.

Plus, happy birthday to Don Money and Del Ennis!

And farewell to Ellie...

For as beloved as he is today in Minnesota, Bert Blyelven couldn't get out of there fast enough 50 years ago this week, when the Twins dealt him to Texas rather than lose him as a free agent. It would become something of a pattern for Bert, an iconoclast who just happened to be one of the best pitchers of his era. Mike and Bill look back at the Dutch master who, in addition to being an unrecognized genius on the hill, unexpectedly became a franchise icon and ahead of the curve at the bargaining table. 

Plus, happy b...

There is no denying the impact of Bobby Cox on the history of baseball, and that his passing marks the loss of an incalculable acumen that shaped the game in the 1990s and 2000s. But baseball has tried to deny another aspect of Cox: his impact off the field. Mike and Bill try to sort through both to find the whole of the man, for better and for worse, not just the Hall of Fame manager, leader and teacher. 

Plus, happy birthday to Babe Adams and Carlos May!

And farewell to Rob Duliba and Chuck N...

Nothing is more exciting in baseball than a prospect who is called up and immediately makes an impact. You can dream forever on guys like that. We've already seen so many incredible careers start in 2026 from Kevin McGonigle to Konnor Griffin to guys who don't have Ks and Gs figuring prominently in their names. Anyway, in honor of those debuts, this week Mike and Bill look back at some of the greatest debuts in baseball history, including multi-homer games, a bevy of runs driven in, and a couple dominant pitching performances. 

Plus, happy birthday to George "Piano L...

Apologies! We had to scrap a new episode this week due to some unexpected personal conflicts. Luckily, we have a banger (no pun intended waiting in reserve.

There have been few pitching prospects as exciting as Herb Score, and few downfalls that have been disappointing. This week, 69 years ago, Score was struck by a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald, knocking him out of the rest of the season and, supposedly, ruining his career. But the truth is more complicated, as Mike and Bill find as they examine the rest of his comeback. Plus, happy...

Do to some technical issues in the original file, this is a re-posting of Episode 405

Any debate about the best pitchers of all time includes Satchel Paige on everyone's shortlist. Virtually everyone who saw Paige pitch or hit against him thought he was at least in the discussion. But the nature of his career, taking place in the Negro Leagues, the Caribbean, and across America on barnstorming tours, renders much of it opaque and relegates so much of his story to the annals of legend, rather than fact. Former SABR President, Bob Davids Award and Henry Chadwick...

The baseball world has been rocked over the past few weeks by the loss, in quick succession of Phil Garner, Davey Lopes and Garrett Anderson. All three were excellent players, multiple-time All Stars and World Champs, who helped define their teams and their eras. In tribute, Mike and Bill look back at their careers both on the field and in the dugout. 

Plus, happy birthday to Spike Owen and Whitey Kurowski!

It is exceptionally hard to play baseball in the Major Leagues. Now imagine if you had to do it with one hand or arm. Or with one leg. Or while battling a dibilitating disorder. Mike and Bill were thinking about that alot this week when they realized it was the 81st anniversary of Pete Gray's debut for the Browns. So they look back at the short career of the outfielder with one arm, and the careers of three other players who overcame incredible challenges to play in the big leagues.

Plus, happy birthday to Jeromy Burnitz and...

It is rare for a Hall of Fame player to be traded in the middle of his peak away from a contending team, but that's just what happened to Tris Speaker 110 years ago this week, when the Red Sox dealt him to Cleveland. Mike and Bill take the opportunity to look back at one of the inner circle Hall of Famers they haven't covered yet, and find a great player and leader whose personal beliefs and associations have almost come to overshadow his accomplishments on the field. 

Plus, happy birthday to Ron Hansen and Happy Felsch!

Baseball is vastly richer because of the characters who have become part of the game's legend. And no one was more of a character than Mets pitcher Hayden "Sidd" Finch, who was unveiled by Sports Illustrated 41 years ago the day this re-run (first aired on April 1, 2020) drops. Mike and Bill go through the mysterious and surprising career of a true phenom, including his downfall and mysterious disappearance, and the lives he touched. Plus, happy birthday to Tommy Herr and David Dahl.

If you love baseball like Bill and Mike love baseball, you love watching other people love baseball too. And no one has made anyone love baseball more than the Czech Republic national team did in 2023 when they appeared in the World Baseball Classic. That's the subject of special guest Michael Clair's new book, We Sacrifice Everything To Baseball, an incredible story about a nation of baseball underdogs who, when they weren't working as engineers, neurologists and firefighters, advance to baseball's biggest international stage and prove they belong there. It's a fantastic story, a terrific book, and a fun discussion...

Perhaps the greatest father/son pitching duo in baseball history, Luis E. and Luis C. Tiant pitched at least a total of 29 years at the big league level, and an unknown number of other seasons in the Caribbean and for high quality barnstormers. While they could not be more different on the mound, they were both exceptional, as the St. Louis Cardinals found out 87 years ago last week (we're a week late with this episode), when Luis Sr. beat them in Cuba in an exhibition contest. Mike and Bill look back at the long and exceptional career of two...

Happy episode 400, everybody! Can you believe it? We certainly can't. It's time to celebrate, and there's no better way to do that than with some music. So, on the 63rd anniversary of the release of Meet the Mets, Mike and Bill look back at that classic, and other famous baseball fight songs, like Tessie, Ok Blue Jays, and Go Cubs Go. Here's to the next 400!

Plus, happy birthday to Harry Lord and Denny Lyons!

And farewell to Ron Teasley, Dave Schmidt, Rob Maurer and Rick Renick.

With so many meaningless exhibitions going on before the WBC gets going in earnest and the regular season follows, Mike and Bill were interested in talking about a game that actually counted for something. So they fired up the ol' randomizer and it landed on...well, it's hard to say the game on June 12th, 1933 between the Browns and the White Sox counted for much. But there were sure a lot of fun avenues to explore as the fellas stealthily approach their 400th episode.

Plus, happy birthday to Paul Hines and Johnny Ray!

And farewell...

Last week, we lost the great Pirates second baseman, Bill Mazeroski. He was perhaps the best defensive player to ever man the keystone, a magician on the double play, and the author of the greatest moment in Bucs history. He was beloved by his teammates and by the city of Pittsburgh. And, in honor of his passing, Mike and Bill look back at an incredible career that, eventually, led to one of the greatest Hall of Fame induction speeches of all time.

Plus, happy birthday to Steve Barber and Ron Hunt!

And farewell to Stu...

You might have assumed that Sparky Anderson was born at 60 years old and stayed that way for the rest of his life. But Mike and Bill were surprised to find that was not the case as they celebrated his decision, 31 years ago this week, not to manage the replacement players Tigers owners had hired during the 1994/1995 work stoppage. Sparky had a remarkable run over 26 years and, as the first person to win a World Series for a team in each league, became lauded as a genius and, eventually, a Hall of Famer.

Plus, happy birthday to Dom...

Mickey Lolich was great Tiger, whose World Series heroics were only the start of his legendary run in Detroit that unexpectedly made him one of the best pitchers in baseball. Through it, the everyman's athlete became beloved in The Motor City for the rest of his life, which ended last week. In tribute, Mike and Bill look back at Lolich's unlikely life and career path that seemed to bring him as much joy as it brought the city of Detroit, and that almost took him to the Hall of Fame.

Plus, happy birthday to Joe Black and...

William Hulbert had an idea. I mean, probably more than one, but one that really took off. And he made that idea a reality 150 years ago this week when he and seven other owners got together and founded the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs to replace the National Association of Baseball Players. It wasn't felt at first, but Hulbert's innovation was seismic, transforming baseball from a pasttime into big business. On this auspicious anniversary, Mike and Bill look back at Hulbert's life and his brainchild, and how he nursed the league through its infancy.

Plus, happy...