With Bill sidelined this week, Mike talks to comedian, improvisor and actor Greg Proops about growing up as a Giants fan in San Francisco in the 1960s and 70s. Mays! Marichal! McCovey! And Alous galore! And, of course, the mystery that was Candlestick Park.

Plus, happy birthday to Billy Hunter!

We've talked about Babe Ruth before, but not about the end. This episode covers the Babe from 1933--right after his last championship and maybe most famous moment--through the end of his career and way-too-short life. Also, happy birthday to Carlos Zambrano and Bill Doran!

By any objective measure, Mickey Cochrane is one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, despite his career ending prematurely 81 years ago this week, when his skull was fractured by an errant Bump Hadley fastball. In this classic episode from 2018, Mike and Bill look at Cochrane's life and career, and the tragic incident that cut short both his playing and managerial career, and threatened his life. Also, happy birthday to Augie Galan and Kent Hrbek!

Since almost the beginning of baseball, they have been there, perched atop the domes of American athletes. The hat. The cap. The lid. But it wasn't always thus, and it wasn't always the caps we see on the field today. Special guest Michael Clair (@michaelsclair), of MLB.com, joins Mike and Bill to talk about his recent article, The Long Strange History of the Baseball Cap, and about how ballplayers' oldest accessory (other than the bat itself) was introduced and changed over time.

Plus, happy birthday to Jim Sundberg and Barry Zito!

Vida Blue was, for a moment, the best pitcher in the world, and then carved out an excellent career beyond that. With his recent passing, Mike and Bill explore the surprisingly contentious career of one of 1970s greatest pitchers, and how his battles with Charlie Finley directed much of his career.

Plus, happy birthday to Steve Braun and Claude Raymond!

With the podcast coming up on Episode 300 and Mike in an existential pit of terribleness this week, we're re-running our joyous and celebratory 200th episode, in which we tell the story of the great Harmon Killebrew, and are joined by actual baseball legends Carlos Baerga, Jerry Reuss, Willie Wilson, Gary Matthews Sr, and Fred Lynn.

Losing streaks are no fun. So are slow starts. And when you combine them, and the go on for nearly a month? Well, that's about the worst thing ever, as the Baltimore Orioles discovered 35 years ago this week, when they completed their record-settingly pathetic 21 game losing streak to open the 1988 season. Just how can a team go so wrong? Mike and Bill volunteer to sift through the ashes and find out.

Plus, happy birthday to Dolph Camilli and Sal Maglie!

When picking what milestone to celebrate this week, Mike and Bill were torn between Mike Schmidt's 4 homer game 47 years ago and Mike Schmidt's 500th homer 36 years ago this week. So they just decided to do both, and look back at the life and career of the man who is indisputedly the greatest third baseman in baseball history.

Plus, happy birthday to Heavy Johnson and Aaron Pointer!

Yogi Berra had many fine qualities, but acting was not really one of them, as fans of General Hospital found out 60 years ago this week, when the Yankee great cameoed as Dr. Lawrence Berra, brain surgeon. Still, it made Mike and Bill wonder about the unexpected pop culture drop ins by ballplayers. Among their other favorites, Joe DiMaggio, Reggie Jackson, Johnny Bench, Wally Moon, and Ken Griffey Jr.

Plus, happy birthday to Doc White and Johnny Antonelli!

This year is the 100th anniversary of the opening of Yankee Stadium, which Babe Ruth did not build, but absolutely helped fund with his mammoth home runs. While it's been gone since 2008, CBS Sports's Dayn Perry (@daynperry) took the opportunity to remember, with impressive detail in his article "Old Yankee Stadium's Rise and Fall," the history that was made there, both on and off the diamond, and took a grateful Mike and Bill along for the ride.

Plus, happy birthday to Guy Hecker and Bobby Avila!