In the summer of 1976, Mark Fidrych skyrocketed to national acclaim through the force of his pitching and his personality. Author Doug Wilson joins us to discuss the remarkable life and legacy of the man they called "The Bird."

Russell Carleton, a trained psychologist and veteran sabermetrician, talks to us about the next evolution in baseball thinking -- which includes marrying analytics with the long-derided "human element."

Author Larry Tye joins us to discuss his Casey Award-winning biography of the legendary Satchel Paige. In addition to being one of the great pitchers in baseball history, Paige is an important figure in American history, Tye says.

Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance were immortalized by a poem written more than 100 years ago. Author David Rapp joins us to discuss the immortal Cubs trio and the first baseball dynasty of the 20th century.

Former major league pitcher Bob Tewksbury is now the mental skills coach for the San Francisco Giants. The former All-Star joins us to discuss parts of the game that remain hidden to the average fan. 

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.