One of the greatest and one of the ornriest players in baseball history, Rogers Hornsby presents a conundrum. Too good not to want on your team, but so disruptive that he was traded in three straight offseasons and wore out his welcome quickly, even for teams that desperately needed him. What was his deal? Mike and Bill look back at his controversial life and career to try to figure that out.

With their scheduled guest ailing, Mike and Bill take a thorough look at all the candidates on this year's Hall of Fame ballot and decide they're probably going to need more votes.

Plus, happy birthday to Cy Williams and Leo Cardenas!

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. And when life mangles your hand, learn a curveball. That was the path to greatness for legendary Cubs right hander Mordecai Brown, whose handicap wound up baffling National Leauge hitters for the better part of a decade. 120 years ago this week, Brown was acquired by Cubbies, who rode him to two championships before age and injury wore him down. Mike and Bill look back at one of the great superstars of the early 20th century and the accidents that made him possible.

Plus, happy birthday to Stormin' Gorman Thomas and Jimmy Johnston.

Sweet Lou was never an apt nickname for Lou Piniella, whose fiery temper and aggressive play earned him respect and fear around the game after he joined the Yankees 50 years ago this week, and became an essential cog in their dynasty in the late '70s and early '80s. But Lou's career would stretch far beyond his time in pinstripes and lead him tantalizingly close to the Hall of Fame as one of the most highly regarded managers of the 1990s and 2000s. Mike and Bill look back at Lou's 50 years in pro ball after he fell just one vote short of the Hall of Fame this week.

Plus, happy birthday to Bob Shawkey and Joe Collins!

Because his peak was so short, Al Lopez is often overlooked when we think about the great sluggers of the 1950s. But no one could ignore his incredible season in 1953 when, 70 years ago this week, he became just the second player to be unanimously voted AL MVP. Mike and Bill look back at Rosen's short on-field career, surprising impact on the game in the '70s and '80s, and the antisemitism he beat back to make all of it happen.

Plus, happy birthday to Fred Tenney and Bob Tewksbury!

Mike and Bill briefly have some podcast related announcments and Thanksgiving well-wishes up top and then say farewell to the great Willie Hernandez.

With a dearth of interesting topics this week, Mike and Bill fire up the random number generator and provide the annotated story of the Montreal Expos visit to Cincinnati on May 1, 1976 against the Big Red Machine. Would the machine break down? Or would the Expos get steamrolled? And, most importantly, can anyone think of a first baseman whose name is also a body part?

Plus, happy birthday to Greg Gagne and Kent Bottenfield.

He was one of the best players of the 1980s and, 40 years ago this week, became one of only 13 players in baseball history to win back-to-back MVP Awards. But Dale Murphy is still on the outside looking in at the Baseball Hall of Fame. What happened to knock him off the road to immortality? Mike and Bill look back at his career to find out. 

Plus, happy birthday to Greasy Neale and Bill Bruton!

Mike got an unexpected opportunity to attend a World Series game this week, so we're going back to this time of year in 2020 for this week's episode. When relations between the United States and Japan broke down in the prelude to WWII, no one was more despondent than Lefty O'Doul, who had fallen in love with and become an unlikely icon in the island nation. As the two nations tried to repair their relationship, Lefty was called on 71 years ago this week to begin a goodwill tour with his San Francisco Seals. Mike and Bill recount the life of O'Doul and then special guest Yuriko Gamo Romer, of Diamond Diplomacy (http://www.diamonddiplomacy.com/), discusses how the tour did, indeed, begin to heal old wounds. Plus, happy birthday to Smoky Joe Wood and Roy Smalley III!

The most important hit in Blue Jays history came 30 years ago this week when Joe Carter launched a walk-off three run home run down the left field line off of embattled Phillies reliever Mitch Williams in Game 6 of the World Series. It remains one of just two home runs that have ever ended a Fall Classic, and an indelible moment that came to define '90s baseball almost as much as Kirk Gibson's defined the '80s. Mike and Bill go through the long roads two very likable clubs (at the time, at least) took to get to this historic moment.