Some stories are just to strange to be fiction, and that was the case 100 years ago LAST week when Sister Aimee McPherson held an impromptu rivival at the ballpark in Douglas, Arizona, days after her miraculous reappearance following six weeks of...something. Was she kidnapped? Did she run away? Was she just really, really lost? With Bill out recovering from surgery, our buddy Jacob Pomrenke joins us this week to talk about his recent article about McPherson's disappearance and reemergence, and how Hal Chase and the Black Sox of all people wound up wrapped up in the scandal. Plus, happy birthday to Chris Speier! And farewell to Buzz Capra and Mike Johnson.

In truth, the boys could have picked an actual topic this week, but the randomizer was just sitting there in the office, looking so tempting. So Mike and Bill pushed it and came up with this September 16, 1914 contest between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Giants. In their research, they uncovered a bunch of cool facts about Cuban baseball and the origin of the phrase "good field, no hit," some incredible pigeon facts, a bunch of uber-Reds, a cartoonist, a ballplayer/lawyer, and a couple unknown baseball lifers. Plus, happy birthday to Doug Jones and Ed Lopat! And farewell to Dick Hughes and Rick Kreuger.

Few men can boast the breadth of career that Joe Cronin can (or could; he's dead now). He went from being a Hall of Fame caliber shortstop to a manager to a GM to a league president in an almost 50 year career in Major League Baseball somehow without making any enemies. Rarer still, as Mike and Bill found out, he left each job on his own terms perhaps becoming the only person in baseball history who has never had to be told when it was his time to go. This week, on the 83rd anniversary of Cronin calling on himself to pinch hit in both ends of a double header, and homering both times, Mike and BIll look back at what turns out to be a really good career for someone who everybody seemed to think was a really good guy. Plus, happy birthday to Charlie Buffinton and Ron LeFlore! And farewell to Randy Cardinal and Bob Skinner.

On the 30th anniversary of Major League Baseball suspending Marge Schott for two years over her comically stupid and wrongheaded comments about a certain German chancellor, Mike and Bill debut a new series of episodes, tracing the ownership history of every original MLB franchise from their origins. While Schott and her tenure would prove to be the most embarassing in the history of the team, there are plenty of other interesting characters and stories about the Reds' evolution over their 144 year history. Plus, happy birthday to Don Money and Del Ennis! And farewell to Ellie Rodríguez and Corky Withrow.

For as beloved as he is today in Minnesota, Bert Blyelven couldn't get out of there fast enough 50 years ago this week, when the Twins dealt him to Texas rather than lose him as a free agent. It would become something of a pattern for Bert, an iconoclast who just happened to be one of the best pitchers of his era. Mike and Bill look back at the Dutch master who, in addition to being an unrecognized genius on the hill, unexpectedly became a franchise icon and ahead of the curve at the bargaining table.  Plus, happy birthday to Patron requests Lip Pike and Randy Hundley! And farewell to Billy Bryan and John Edelman

There is no denying the impact of Bobby Cox on the history of baseball, and that his passing marks the loss of an incalculable acumen that shaped the game in the 1990s and 2000s. But baseball has tried to deny another aspect of Cox: his impact off the field. Mike and Bill try to sort through both to find the whole of the man, for better and for worse, not just the Hall of Fame manager, leader and teacher.  Plus, happy birthday to Babe Adams and Carlos May! And farewell to Rob Duliba and Chuck Nieson.

Nothing is more exciting in baseball than a prospect who is called up and immediately makes an impact. You can dream forever on guys like that. We've already seen so many incredible careers start in 2026 from Kevin McGonigle to Konnor Griffin to guys who don't have Ks and Gs figuring prominently in their names. Anyway, in honor of those debuts, this week Mike and Bill look back at some of the greatest debuts in baseball history, including multi-homer games, a bevy of runs driven in, and a couple dominant pitching performances.  Plus, happy birthday to George "Piano Legs" Gore and Dan Bankhead! And farewell to Doug Camilli and Tom Nieto.

Apologies! We had to scrap a new episode this week due to some unexpected personal conflicts. Luckily, we have a banger (no pun intended waiting in reserve. There have been few pitching prospects as exciting as Herb Score, and few downfalls that have been disappointing. This week, 69 years ago, Score was struck by a line drive off the bat of Gil McDougald, knocking him out of the rest of the season and, supposedly, ruining his career. But the truth is more complicated, as Mike and Bill find as they examine the rest of his comeback. Plus, happy birthday to Prince Fielder and Rip Sewell!  

Do to some technical issues in the original file, this is a re-posting of Episode 405 Any debate about the best pitchers of all time includes Satchel Paige on everyone's shortlist. Virtually everyone who saw Paige pitch or hit against him thought he was at least in the discussion. But the nature of his career, taking place in the Negro Leagues, the Caribbean, and across America on barnstorming tours, renders much of it opaque and relegates so much of his story to the annals of legend, rather than fact. Former SABR President, Bob Davids Award and Henry Chadwick Award winner Mark Armour is trying to change that. His incredible work provides an interactive visual representation of Satchel's career for the first time, matching every confirmed game he pitched to points on a map. It's maybe the best way to cut through the myth and get to the essence of who Satch was, a man who almost did pitch forever, and almost every day. On the 100th anniversary of Satchel's pro debut, Mike and Bill talk with him about this remarkable project, which can be accessed here.  Plus, happy birthday to Noodles Hahn and Amos Otis! And farewell to Ken Clay and Larry Stahl.

The baseball world has been rocked over the past few weeks by the loss, in quick succession of Phil Garner, Davey Lopes and Garrett Anderson. All three were excellent players, multiple-time All Stars and World Champs, who helped define their teams and their eras. In tribute, Mike and Bill look back at their careers both on the field and in the dugout.  Plus, happy birthday to Spike Owen and Whitey Kurowski!