The Infinite Inning

Sports on Earth’s Cliff Corcoran returns to break down the winter meetings in our longest episode yet. Bring supplies, be ready for Marlins-bashing. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ted Williams for Joe DiMaggio*Give Us 18-Player Trades and Bullet Bob Turley*Cliff Corcoran: Let’s Sign All the Relievers, Jiggety-Jig! (Phillies-heavy)*The Marcell Ozuna trade*Burying the Miami Marlins*A Mets digression*The Yankees in the Stanton era*The Chase Headley dump*The Jordan Montgomery precedent*Stephen Piscotty to the A’s*The Shohei Otani signing*The Chuck Berry Digressions*Goodbyes.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?

Mike Bates and Bill Parker, hosts of the This Week in Baseball History podcast, join Steve for a discussion of Cooperstown discontents, plus terminally ill submariners and a Dee Gordon trade reaction.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Russ Christopher, Throwing Underhand in the Infinite Inning*A fight in the bullpen as Seattle acquires Dee Gordon*Mike Bates and Bill Parker: The This Week in Baseball History podcast*Reciting stats on the air*Roy Moore vs. Heinie Zimmerman*The This Week in Baseball remembered*The Monday Night Football theme and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”*I hate the Hall of Fame (Scott Rolen, Jack Morris, Jim Rice)*Edgar Martinez*The Hall of Fame, Statcast, and glove-first players (Derek Jeter’s prostate)*The Lou Whitaker-free ballot*Jimmy Wynn vs. Steve Garvey*Reggie Smith and Jimmy Wynn in context*The inevitable steroids debate (with a cast of a thousand players)*The first-time players on the ballot: Sentimental picks and long-lived players*Goodbyes.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?

Steve is joined by Stacey May Fowles, novelist, essayist, and author of Baseball Life Advice: Loving the Game that Saved Me for a discussion of finding the calm center that lurks behind the turbulent veneer of Toronto Blue Jays fandom. Plus: Dark mutterings on Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers and a warm memory of Yankees great Bobby Murcer.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tinker to Evers to I Don’t Love You Anymore*Saved at the Ballpark by Bobby Murcer*Stacey May Fowles: A Canadian Thanksgiving*All the battles we lost to Canadians*The relevance and irrelevance of the Toronto Blue Jays*Loving the Game that Saved Me*Pitchers and catchers and scaffolding*Coping with the 2017 Blue Jays*The Highest Form of Being a Baseball Fan*Farewell to Jose Bautista*The Bat-Flip Moment*Baseball assimilation stories*Dioner Navarro, gateway drug*A romantic gesture at old Yankee Stadium*Carlos Correa’s proposal*Goodbyes.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?

In a short Thanksgiving episode—short by Infinite Inning standards, anyway—we visit the soft places of the Infinite Inning, including hypothetical whiskey-pushing gangsters who had it in for the Cardinals, when the pressures of World War II caused New York Giants fans to threaten to riot during a performance of the National Anthem, and the frightening place that is the family dinner table at holiday-time.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Giancarlo Stanton and You Prowl the Unquiet Lands*Steve’s annual Thanksgiving avoidance recital*Here’s Why Flint Rhem Didn’t Go to Work Today*Harry Nilsson: “(Thursday) Here’s Why I Did Not Go to Work Today”*The Giants lose by a national anthem and a blackout*Errol Flynn: “That’s What You Jolly Well Get”*Goodbyes.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?

David Roth (Deadspin) returns to take on the World Series, Yuli Gurriel, and Papa John’s.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lou Whitaker, Walter Briggs, and the Hall of Fame*No one who cares about you would use your kindness against you*David Roth: Falsettos*Farewell to wannabe sportscaster Chris Christie*Roth’s national pizza rankings*Why do we accept bad chains?*Oatmeal for dinner*Cats who eat Dunkin’ Donuts*The Yuli Gurriel World Series incident*Celebrating Yasiel Puig*The Mets hire a new manager*Goodbyes.

WARNING: As is typical for David Roth episodes, there is light intermittent swearing.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?

Author Paul Dickson joins Steve to discuss his new book, Leo Durocher: Baseball’s Prodigal Son. Plus, the Dodgers bullpen at Jutland and a note on eternal World Series goat Roger Peckinpaugh.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jutland*Roger Peckinpaugh’s first World Series*Paul Dickson: How do you write 60 books?*The demise of the slicks*Durocher wasn’t a nice guy, but was he a good guy?*Slapping Babe Ruth*The 1947 suspension*Leo and money*Leo and race*Leo vs. Ernie Banks*Leo vs. Ron Santo*Leo lies about his childhood and Nice Guys Finish Last*Durocher as Branch Rickey’s Prodigal Son*The Dodgers 1943 clubhouse rebellion*Bookies in the dugout*What made Durocher a great manager?*Haunted by Casey and Bill Veeck*The Bonus Army*“Wikipedia conspires against the truth”*Goodbyes.

WARNING: One cussword is said this week. It’s a historical quotation and therefore unavoidable. Please warn the children that adults sometimes say things like this and they’re just sounds.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?

Ben Lindbergh (Effectively Wild podcast, The Ringer) returns to not breakdown the postseason, not talk about starting a family, and not talk about all the managers. Actually, we do cover that last one, and some of the others as well. Plus: Fred Merkle vs. the Stoics.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Me and My Friend Fred*Bucky Harris, Gene Mauch, Joe Girardi, and Stuckness*The Wedding Bell Blues*Starting a Family Blues*Not Necessarily a World Series Conversations*Cubs-Indians still lingers*When writers root, fans say “We,” and Will Leitch yelled at Steve*Dusty Baker moves on*Managers who grew on the job/Joe McCarthy vs. Ted Williams*Ron Gardenhire’s compromised second chance and Mickey Callaway’s comprised first*Ron Gardenhire Origin Stories*Brad Ausmus, Joe Girardi, and fireable offenses*Lindbergh on Bullpenning*Goodbyes.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?

Craig Calcaterra (Hardball Talk) returns to talk postseason baseball and the way flawed memory can distort our memories. Plus: The Marriage of Casey Stengel and manager inaction in the World Series.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This is How Casey Ran*Owens, Henrich, and Another Casey*Craig Calcaterra: Expansion Dreaming*Derek Jeter’s Marlins Plan of Destruction*MLBPA Accommodationist?*The MLBAM success story*The CC Sabathia Reunion Tour*Mortality? Nah*It was better in our steroidal day*A moment with the Warren Report and The Collusion Period*The past is never dead; it's not even past*Cheap home runs*Batman and the different versions of baseball*1950s baseball was the worse*Bo Jackson: Gen-X Hero*Closers/tie game/road*Goodbyes.

Jesse Spector (FanRag and so much more) returns to recap the postseason, argue about home runs, and be barked at by his dog.

WARNING: There’s one mild cussword and Jesse’s dog Youppi makes a sudden, shocking appearance that nearly caused the host to soil his undergarments.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Phlegmatic Lou*Larry McLean Learns Something Too Late*Jesse Spector: Sixteen hours of baseball*Joe Girardi’s Boner*The Redemption Cliché*Girardi vs. his clubhouse*Joe Girardi/Jorge Posada/Austin Romine/Gary Sanchez*Joe Torre’s elocution and Barry Bonds’ ear*Barry Bonds’ head vs. JFK’s head*Girardi’s Boner II*Coffee Joe*Managing the playoffs vs. managing in the regular season*The 1947 World Series, Yogi Berra/Gary Sanchez*Dave Henderson memories*Power in the postseason*O Home Run Be Joyful*Back to the 1980s*VP gestures*Goodbyes.

Cliff Corcoran (Sports on Earth) returns to simultaneously preview and review the early postseason.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ducky and the Produce Truck*A Manager Wrecks and Arm, 1920 Edition*Cliff Corcoran: From Bud Selig with Love: The mystery of the Brewers’ logo*The Wild-Card play-in games Part 1*Does the postseason truly validate the best team?*Teams are mutable*Finishing the season against your playoff opponent (Red Sox-Astros)*A pause to talk about the tragedy in Las Vegas*Twins vs. Yankees*Closers: Shut up*Bullpenning*Rockies-Diamondbacks*Joe Girardi stats*J.D. Martinez, greatest deadline acquisition ever?*Something purely redundant*The Wild-Card play-in games Part 2*Goodbyes.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?