One of the most feared sluggers in history, Jim Thome is universally regarded as possibly the nicest. On the 20th anniversary of his trade from the Phillies back to the American League Central, Mike and Bill look back at career of the gentlest giant in baseball history and come away with exactly the same picture that hoped to.

Plus, happy birthday to Clint Thomas and Jimmy Sheckard.

And farewell to Darryl Patterson and Mike White.

After nearly hitting .400, you'd think that George Brett would be an easy choice for AL MVP in 1980. And, while he'd snag the award 45 years ago this week, it was over some pretty hilarious objections by Yankees writers. Mike and Bill look back at Brett's incredible career that defined more than a decade of Royals baseball and come away with an incredible appreciation not just for his abilities, but his flair for the dramatic.

Plus, happy birthday to Cristóbal Torriente and Everett Scott!

And farewell to Phil Meeler and Marc Hill.

It's impossible to talk about the American League's early years without talking about Clark Griffith, the former pitcher and manager who, this week 106 years ago, finally completed his quest to become a big league owner. Griffith's Senators would eventually become a laughingstock, and his legacy complicated by his complicity in perpetuating the color line, but his early years were filled with success. Mike and Bill look back on one of the longest baseball lives, a 75 year span in which Griffith was an integral part of the game, for better and for worse.

Plus, happy birthday to Pat Hentgen and Jack Crooks!

And farewell to Félix Torres and Bill Hepler.

Darryl Strawberry looked to be on a Hall of Fame path when he signed the second biggest contract in big league history with the Dodgers. But his homecoming to Los Angeles would prove to be bitter fruit, as injuries, legal, and personal problems short circuited his career. Strawberry's story is a complicated one, full of condemnable behavior and moments of what seemed like hard-earned redemption. But, ultimately, it's a cautionary tale of how not to treat a sensitive person and how that sensitive person should not treat others, and how that sensitive person eventually learned those lessons. Mike and Bill look back at one of the most talented and most controversial players of the 1980s and '90s and find a man not easily categorized.

Plus, happy birthday to Jesse Flores and Willie McGee!

And farewell to Bill Hepler and Jim Clancy.

Oh Lord, what a few weeks it's been on the podcast, with problems both technical and personal getting in the way and forcing a truncated episode this week.

But don't worry, because 50 years ago this week, the Reds and Red Sox squared off in one of the greatest World Series of all time. And Mike and Bill have a lot to say about it as they recount the titanic battle between two exceptional teams - the triumphs, the heroism and the heartbreaks of what surprisingly turned into a very evenly matched showdown.

We've talked about the 1985 World Series before on this podcast, but never with the guy who literally wrote the book on it. Marshall Garvey joins Mike and Bill for the 40th anniversary of when the teams clinched their respective pennants, setting up the second all-Missouri World Series matchup. Garvey's new book, Interstate '85: The Royals, The Cardinals, and the Show-Me Series relies heavily on player interviews with more than 25 of the players who took the field in that showdown, as well as Don Denkinger, whose infamous call in the 9th inning of Game 6 Garvey thinks is wildly blown out of proportion. It's a great talk and a great book, so check them both out!

Plus, happy birthday to José Valentín!

And farewell to Jeff Bittiger and Jim Bethke.

There are so many ways in which Edgar Martinez's career might not have happened. He could have missed the open tryout where he was discovered. He might have become disheartened by his extended minor league apprenticeship. The Mariners might have been dissuaded by the potentially debilitating vision problems he fought hard to overcome. But it did, fortunately for Seattle, because 30 years ago this week, the first truly great designated hitter in baseball history lined The Double down the left field line in the ALDS against the Yankees, sending Seattle to the ALCS for the first time. In celebration, Mike and Bill look back at Edgar's Hall of Fame career and find maybe the most unlikely franchise icon of all time.

Plus, happy birthday to Oil Can Boyd and Jim Bagby Sr!

And farewell to Lee Elia and Joe Coleman.

The decades of baseball in Brooklyn were mostly marked by one failure after another until the club got their act together in the 1940s. Still, the Dodgers seemed uniquely capable of breaking their fans' hearts until 70 years ago this week, when they finally beat the Yankees to claim their one and only World Series in their original home. That moment in the sun was all too brief, however, as they'd pack up and move to the West Coast just two years later. This week, Mike and Bill look back at that one perfect moment in Brooklyn, when all seemed right with the world and the Dodgers were finally world champs.

Plus, happy birthday to Eddie Murphy and Johnny Podres!

And farewell to Bill Denehy and Bobby Jenks.

Mike's doing better after his bout with pneumonia, but his voice is still on the fritz this week. So we have one more classic episode of TWIBHistory for you before we get back to business of recording new material. Apologies all around, but the good news is that we get the chance to rebroadcast one of the most compelling and tragic stories we've done.

Lyman Bostock was one of the most dynamic young stars in the American League, compared favorably with Rod Carew and predicted to win multiple batting titles. He was one of the early benefactors of free agency, was quickly becoming one of the most popular players in the game, and may have been on a Hall of Fame track. But 41 years ago this week, Bostock was the victim of a senseless shooting and died, leaving his fans wondering what might have been. Mike and Bill look back on his brilliant career that ended far too soon and the tragedy of both his death and travesty of justice that followed.

Plus, happy birthday to Jeffrey Leonard and Jon Garland.

So, it turns out Mike has pneumonia. He's getting better. But while we wait for him to complete his rehab assignment, please enjoy this re-release of Episode 168 on Kens Griffey Sr. and Jr.

Baseball is a game that is most often passed down from one generation to the next. But some of those handoffs are more effective than others, like with the the Griffeys, Kens Sr. and Jr., who hit back-to-back homers 35 years ago this week, the first and only time a father and son have done that in baseball history. Mike and Bill look back at the life and career of Ken Sr, the excitement of Griffey-mania in Seattle, and a unique accomplishment in the history of baseball.

Plus, happy birthday to Heinie Groh and Rick Wise!