Hurricane Beryl dealt a blow to our hometown but 36 hours after it passed Hooks & Runs is on schedule against all odds. This week, Craig and Rex riffing on the upcoming Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland and Joe Mauer (with an obligatory dig along the way on Journey and Bon Jovi from Craig), speculating about Ichiro's chances for unanimous induction, Billy Wagner's chance for induction at all in 2025, updating plans for the podcast's College Football Preview episode and looking over our best of second quarter album selections.

Errata: Craig guessed right - the HOF induction is July 21. Adrián Beltré also played for the Dodgers and Red Sox. Mark Grace slashed .303/.383/.442 for his career; Will Clark slashed .303/.384/.497. On the road, Todd Helton slashed .287/.386/.469. The Marlins won their second World Series title in 2003, not 2001. Jim Leyland's record in Detroit was 700-597 in eight seasons. Saul Zaentz owned Fantasy Records and produced "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Rex meant to say "Nurse Ratchet." We bleeped the player Craig called "the baseball equivalent of Journey" because Craig thinks he's actually a better player than that. Craig meant to say "ERA plus" not "OPS."

Best of Second Quarter
Craig's Picks
Honorable Mention - Outlander, "Acts of Harm"
Selection - DIIV, "Frog in Boiling Water"
Rex's pick
Kerry King - "From Hell I Rise"

Episodes Mentioned:
189 - Baseball, Chemical Warfare and The Great War w/ Jim Leeke
167 - College Football Preview: It's All an Arms Race w/ Gabey Lucas
115 - On College Football's Changing Landscape w/ Grant McGalliard (Purple Theory)

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-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Hosts Emeritus:
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Eric on Facebook
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum,

In part one, Craig and Rex recall some memorable Fourth of July baseball fireworks featuring the ubiquitous Guy Hecker, the irrepressible Boom Boom Beck and the simply legendary Rick Camp. In part two, they discuss the three Expansion Era (1961-2024) pitchers who made an All-Star team then went on to lose 20 games in the season. Also, Bobby Bonilla Day and what may have brought an end to teenagers playing in the Major Leagues.

The three pitchers, by the way, are Turk Farrell, 1962 Colt-.45s; Mel Stottlemyre, 1966 New York Yankees; and Steve Rogers, 1974 Montreal Expos. This is notable only because in the Rick Camp Game, the New York Met pitching coach who made a 3:20 a.m. visit to the mound prior to Rick Camp coming to the plate was none other than Mel Stottlemyre.

Here is the Rick Camp Game video on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcZIs1tIGlg

Errata: Boom Boom Beck was 12-20 in 1933, not 1934. Nate Andrews was 14-20 with a 2.57 ERA in 1943, not 1942. The Yankees first African American player was Elston Howard in 1955 -- only the Phillies (1957), Tigers (1958) and Red Sox (1959) among pre-expansion teams took longer to sign African American players. The Texas Rangers drafted David Clyde in 1973, not 1974 or 75.

Episodes Mentioned:
195 - Looking Back at Houston's 1963 All-Rookie Lineup
183 - Len Koenecke's Sad and Tragic Trip Home w/ Bill Lamb (32:10, Delahanty)
149 - You Gotta Be Smart to Play This Game w/ Bill Bonham
127 - The Old Ballparks Project, Part I (42:00, neighborhood bars)
75 - If It's Something That Happens, It's Going to Be a Sad Day In Baltimore (27:00, Guy Hecker's record day)

-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Hosts Emeritus:
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Eric on Facebook
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum,

Timothy Zarley has written a wonderful new book, "1901: The War of the Baseball Magnates." (Yelraz Publishing 2024) about the chaotic birth of what we now call baseball's modern era. We talked about some of the franchise movements, contract battles (and lawsuits) with players and the backroom dealings that brought competition to the National League, opened new markets for American's pasttime, and triggered a series of events that led to the first AL/NL World Series in 1903.

The episode opens with a tribute to the great Willie Mays and Craig accepts blame for the Aggies' disappointing loss in the College World Series final round. Zarley's interview begins around the 10 minute mark.

Timothy Zarley website: https://www.timothyzarley.com

Errata: When Mays caught Vic Wertz long fly in the 1954 World Series, Larry Doby was on second base, not third. Doby likely could have scored had he tagged -- but he didn't. Doby only got as far as third base.

-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024, all rights reserved.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author William "Bill" Ecenbarger is our guess this week to discuss his latest book, "Work, Fight, or Play Ball: How Bethlehem Steel Helped Baseball's Stars Avoid World War I" (Temple University Press 2024). The book chronicles how Bethlehem Steel's "safe shelter" industrial league in 1917 and 1918 helped Major League players like "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Dutch Leonard and a young Babe Ruth avoid the draft and military service during World War I.

In part two, Craig and Rex discuss the possible real-life "Natural."

William Ecenbarger's website

Sources, Part Two:
Rob Edelman, "Eddie Waitkus and “The Natural”: What is Assumption? What is Fact?" (sabr.com accessed June 17, 2024)
Jack Bales, "The Show Girl and the Shortstop: The Strange Saga of Violet Popovich and Her Shooting of Cub Billy Jurges" (sabr.com accessed June 17, 2024)

Errata: Homestead Gray Luke Easter hit the first home run into the center field bleachers at the Polo Grounds in 1948. Easter went on to play for Cleveland in the American League. Leon Cadore (Brooklyn) and Joe Oeschger (Boston) battled 26 innings to a 1-1 tie on May 1, 1920. Game time: 3 hours, 50 minutes. 3Com held the naming rights for the old Giant ballpark at Candlestick from 1995 to 2002 (the Giants left for what is now Oracle Park after the 1999 season).

Episodes Mentioned:
189 - Baseball, Chemical Warfare and The Great War w/ Jim Leeke
186 - "I've Got Babe Ruth" The Old Ballparks Project, Part 3
184 - Class Warfare in Detroit!: The Old Ballparks Project, Part 2
148 - Baseball Is the Story of America w/ Derick McDuff
127 - The Old Ballparks Project, Part I

-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024, all rights reserved.

Darryl Rhoades has been entertaining audiences with his music and comedy for over half-a-century. As founder and leader of Hahavishnu Orchestra and later as a solo artist, Rhoades recorded several albums and toured across the United States. Rhoades once even opened for The Sex Pistols! He has been featured in Rolling Stone, Village Voice and High Times. Kurt Loder (Rolling Stone, MTV) described Rhoades as, ”one of the most savagely gifted writer/performers in the country today.”

Rhoades' new biography, "The Road to Almost: The Lean Years, 1950-2024," is a funny and fascinating read - a witty tour de force recounting Rhoades' time with characters like Frank Zappa, Leon Redbone, the Sex Pistols, Jan Hooks and Negro League Hall of Famer Buck Leonard. If laughter is the best medicine, Rex and Craig were fit as fiddles after this interview.

Darryl Rhoades official site: https://music-comedy.com/
See below for our bookshop.org affiliate link or by the book from Rhoades' website or any major bookseller.

Errata: Felix Mantilla reached on an error, Eddie Matthews sacrificed Mantilla to second, Henry Aaron drew an intentional walk and Joe Adcock his a three-run home run off Harvey Haddix in the bottom of the 13th, or so it seemed. Lew Burdette was the winning pitcher for Milwaukee - a 13-inning, 12-hit shutout. Enos Slaughter's score from first on a single (officially, and probably incorectly, a double) during the 1946 World Series was called the "Mad Dash."

Episodes Referenced:
198 - Johnny Mize: Born to Hit w/ Jerry Grillo

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024, all rights reserved.

Kimberly Ridley has written "Matagorda Magic: The Hidden Life of a Texas Bay" (Texas A&M University Press 2024) about our very own Matagorda Bay estuary right here in our home county on the Texas Gulf Coast. Kimberly joins the podcast this week to talk about the book and her experiences visiting our county and the Matagorda Bay estuary.

"Matagorda Magic" includes wonderful illustrations by Rebekah Raye.

In part 2, Rex and Craig talk about baseball's latest gambling scandal plus reaction to Major League Baseball incorporating Negro League statistics into the MLB database.

Kimberly Ridley's website: https://www.kimberlyridley.org/

Episodes mentioned:
190 - The Jason Lane Phenomenon: Every Pitcher Tells a Story
46 - A Journey Through the Negro Leagues w/ Larry Lester

-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024, all rights reserved.

This week Rex and Craig take on Ángel Hernández's retirement, interference & the infield fly rule, Jose Abreu's return, Austin Maddux's arrest and arraignment, Ranger Suarez's hot start, The Chicago White Sox' not-so-hot start, the half-marathon Mom & the pros and cons of embellishing the truth, and the Memorial Day standings and a new album from Riot V.

Episodes Mentioned:
197 - Bill Veeck, The Second Act w/ Dan Helpingstine
190 - The Jason Lane Phenomenon: Every Pitcher Tells a Story
46 - A Journey Through the Negro Leagues w/ Larry Lester

-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024, all rights reserved.

This week, Craig and Rex talk about closers who had one great year then -- nothing after that, along with anticipating Francis Ford Coppola's new film.

-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns

Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024, all rights reserved.