When is a no-hitter not a no-hitter? When Fay Vincent decided, 36 years ago this week, that it shouldn't be. Specifically, he decreed that any no-hitters shorter than nine full innings or that was broken up after the ninth no longer counted, consigning 50 no-hitters to the dustbin of history. That's where Mike and Bill found them in this re-run from 2020, polished them up, and presented them for your enjoyment. Plus, happy birthday to Tug McGraw and Ed Konetchy!

While they were away, baseball lost one of its most important and irreplaceable figures, Billy Bean, the second former MLB player to come out as gay. Mike and Bill look back at the Bean's short career, his struggle to accept his sexuality and keep it private, his decision to come out and what has (and hasn't) happened since.

Plus, happy birthday to Oddibe McDowell and Tony González!

And farewell to Danny Fife, Jimmy Hurst, Mike Brumley, and Hank Allen.

There are a number of unanswerable questions in baseball history, but none truly tantalizes like the question of which pitcher was the fastest of all time. So this week, on the 78th anniversary of Bob Feller setting a new record for recorded pitch speed AND the 50th anniversary of Nolan Ryan doing the same, Mike and Bill break a record of their own, turning in their longest episode yet, looking back at the various attempts to figure out exactly who was the fastest before we had radar guns to spoil all the fun. And they even rope in Sports Reference guru Adam Darowski (@baseballtwit) to help them.

Plus, happy birthday to Wild Bill Hallahan and Max Lanier!

Major League Baseball, like America, is at its best when it's diverse and reflective of the countries that play the game. So this week, 59 years after the anniversary of Masahiro Murakami Day at Candlestick Park, Mike and Bill, along with special guest and Murakami biographer Rob Fitts (robfitts.com), remember the first player of Japanese descent to play in the Big Leagues. Mashi's career took him from Japan to Phoenix to Fresno and San Francisco before finally returning to Japan in 1966. Along the way they discuss how the 20 year old came to be a Giant, why he was exactly what the club and San Francisco needed in 1964 and 1965, why he went back to his homeland, and why it took 30 years for another Japanese player to play in the Majors.

Why is Mel Ott such an enigma? For all of his accomplishments, we really know very little about the stocky little right fielder who made hittiing at the Polo Grounds an art. So, on the 79th anniversary of his 500th homer, Mike and Bill go looking for the best hitter no one talks about today.

Plus, happy birthday to Freddie Fitzsimmons and Larry Doyle!

And farewell to Hank Foiles and John Upham.

In honor of Joe Mauer going into the Hall of Fame, Mike and Bill look back at another Minnesotan who was inducted 20 years ago this week, the great Paul Molitor. The fellas look back at his career's rough start, the injury problems and personal demons that almost sunk him, and the late career, DH-fueled revival that ultimatel paved his path to the Hall. 

Plus, happy birthday to patron request Dave Stieb and Moe Drabowsky!

With Mike out on vacation and the annual SABR convention just on the horizon, it's a great time to revisit one of our earliest episodes with our favorite person from SABR, Jacob Pomrenke (@buckweaver), on the 103rd anniversary of the start of the Black Sox trial. 

After a couple of bummer weeks, Mike and Bill decided to dust off a favorite old gimmick and pick a random game to write about from this week in baseball history. The random number generator hit on the Royals vs. the Blue Jays from July 12th, 1987. Learn about weirdos like Garth Iorg, Jeff Musselman, Lloyd Moseby, Bud Black and more. 

Plus, happy birthday to Willie Wilson! It is also Chuck Knoblauch's birthday.

And farewell to Bill Murphy and Cuno Barragan.

With sadness, Mike and Bill reflect on the career and impact of the second Giant legend to leave us in the last two weeks. Orlando Cepeda was a tremendous slugger and a Puerto Rican pioneer in Major League Baseball, who built on his legendary father's career, destroyed his reputation after his career ended, then rebuilt it.

Plus, happy birthday to Greg Vaughn and Ed Rile!

And farewell to Buzz Stephen, Joe Shipley, Sean Burroughs, and Tom Tischinski.

How do you calculate everything we lost with the passing of Willie Mays? How do you calculate all that he gave us in 93 years of life? It is impossible.

After covering his early years in New York in Episode 203 and his middle years in San Francisco in Episode 148, Mike and Bill return to finish out the story of Willie Mays's life and career. His return to New York with the Mets, the ridiculous ruling that forced him out of baseball, his triumphant return, and the legacy he leaves behind.

Plus, happy birthday to Dave Goltz and Ken Williams!

And farewell to Jerry Grote, Gordy Lund, Dave McCarty and Larry Brown.