Guest - Joseph Natalicchio, the author of "Baseball's Most Outrageous Promotions: From Wedlock and Headlock Day to Disco Demolition Night" (McFarland 2025) podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Way above average; knowing obscure Black Sox helped. ⚾️ Immaculate Grid 972 9/9: 🗄️ (from the archives) Rarity: 2 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: www.sports-reference.com/immaculate-g...

I haven’t seen such bad clutch pitching and hitting by a home team in a Game 7 since the 2019 Houston Astros. May the Dodgers henceforth meet the same fate as the 2020+ Nationals.

Let’s see what the Dodgers can do with the bases loaded and 1 out.

264 - Texans in the Hall: Joe Morgan. Morgan won 2 MVP Awards from the heart of the Big Red Machine lineup. His name also causes Astro fans of a certain age to cringe. The point of baseball is to acquire players like Joe Morgan - not to trade them away. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

The #Astros have set some perverse record for most time lost to injuries, but most teams have had tons of injuries, especially to their pitching staffs. So where exactly will MLB find the extra 70-75 MLB-quality pitchers it will need to field two expansion teams? Do pitchers grow on trees?

We do not need is a 24-28 team FBS playoff. Instead, let's expand the regular season from 12 to 13 games and play them over 15 weeks. Let's require every team to play at least one non-conf. game on the road (not on neutral) as a qualifier for any playoffs or bowls. www.cbssports.com/college-foot...

No offense to Jason Alexander, but if you’re running Jason Alexander, barely a AAAA pitcher, out there in a late September game that matters, you’re kidding yourself. Undrafted FA, 32 years old, 142 MLB IP coming in, began the season in Las Vegas.

Banner - From left to right, Lou Gehrig, Tris Speaker, Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth; photo taken in April 1928 by International Newsreel. Speaker and Cobb were at the center of a major gambling scandal following the 1926 season that saw both players forced to resign as manager of their respective teams.

New Episode! 263 - The Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker Gambling Scandal of 1926 w/ Dan Taylor podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2...

262 - Rube and Bill Foster: Texans in the Hall www.buzzsprout.com/875794/episo...

Banner: Rube Foster, Chicago American Giants with an unidentified white player from a Joliet, IL, team. Foster, 37, managed the American Giants and occasionally pitched. He was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

Since June 30, the Astros are 25-28. The Astros have scored 47 runs in 16 games, August 15-31 (2.93 r/g) - 26 came in the first 3 games in the Oriole series at Camden.

‪ The Rick Wise Interview - Wise once pitched an official CG no-hitter and hit two HRs in the same game. He is the only player in big league history to accomplish this incredible feat. Do you think there is even a slim chance a big league player someday, somehow, repeats Wise's accomplishment. ‪

Episode 258 - “‘I Was a Kid Too Back Then’ w/ Rick Wise Rick Wise won 188 games in an 18-yr big league career. He joined us this week to talk no-hitters, World Series, old ballparks and more. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Has anyone ever been DFA or its equivalent the day after hitting a grand slam?

They are not all immaculate. ⚾️ Immaculate Grid 859 8/9: Rarity: 123 🟩⬜️🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: immaculategrid.com/play

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 853 9/9: 🗄️ (from the archives) Rarity: 11 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: immaculategrid.com/play/grid-853

TV Dolls album release show at White Oak Music Hall.

Episode 255 is released.

Bucket list movie.

I’m going to see TV Dolls on Saturday at Houston’s White Oak Music Hall for their debut album release concert. I haven’t seen a new act in a while so I’m looking forward to the show, if not the drive home. #tvdolls #newmusic #livemusic #concert

On July 21, 1928, 20-year old Jimmy Foxx hit a home run completely out of Philadelphia’s Shibe Park. Here’s the description of the blast, written by James C Isaminger in the next day’s Phil. Inquirer.

After the 1911 season, Tiger great Ty Cobb signed w/ a stock company to star in "The College Widow," a play by George Ade. Cobb toured with the troupe for 10 weeks drawing some positive reviews. One critic wrote Cobb was "a better ballplayer than any actor, and a better actor than any ballplayer."

17 came on one pick 😂😂 ⚾️ Immaculate Grid 839 9/9: 🗄️ (from the archives) Rarity: 24 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: immaculategrid.com/play/grid-839

On this day (July 20) in 2013 the Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park (now Daiken Park) 4-2. The Mariners had just 1 hit in the game - a 2-run double by Michael Saunders in the 7th inning. Seattle scored two in the sixth on 2 walks, 2 passed balls and a sac fly.

July 19, 1960: Juan Marichal made his big league debut for SF with a complete game 1-hitter against Philadelphia. Marichal came to SF after the Giants demoted Willie McCovey to AAA. Can you think of another future Hall of Famer that was demoted & another future Hall of Famer activated in his place?

Frank Robinson hit 586 home runs and had over 2900 hits in his 21-year playing career. He only got 89% of the vote when he came up for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Seems low. I'm do not like the name below the number but Cincinnati had some strange uniform ideas in the 50s, 60s.

Frank Robinson is underrated. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 833 9/9: Rarity: 6 IMMACULATE! 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩 Play at: immaculategrid.com/play

Today's box score of the day - 7/6/1918. Only 771 fans attended - no telling how many stayed to the end. Red pitcher Pete Schneider walked the first six hitters he faced in the top of the 9th and it was ballgame on. In 1923, Schneider hit 5 home runs with 14 RBI in a single minor league game

Before free agency, baseball players worked regular jobs in the off-season to make ends meet. What's the most unusual off-season job a baseball player had that you read or heard about? I'll go first. In at least one off-season, Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell wrestled alligators in the circus.

Who are the members of the 500 home run club that never led the league in home runs during their career? #baseball #baseballstats #mlb #500HR #HookAndRuns

On July 1, 1859, two Massachusetts colleges, Amherst and Wililams, squared off for the first college baseball game. Amherst won the game 73-33 according to the Springfield Daily Republican, though the score varied from one newspaper to another. Here is what passed for a box score in 1859:

On this day, June 30th, in 1894, Hall of Fame outfielder Fred Clarke made his Major League debut for the Louisville Colonels. Clarke went 5 for 5 with a triple and four singles in a 13-6 loss to Philadelphia. No player before and none since have gotten as many as 5 hits in their MLB debut,

We are just past the halfway point in the 2025 Major League season and the Houston Astros have already used 26 pitcher with 11 different pitchers making at least 1 start. Last year the Astros used 32 pitchers all year with 12 making one start or more. #baseball #astros #mlb #pitchers

Sea Wolves is such a cool nickname in its own right, but Moon Mammoths? Come on, make it happen! #baseball #milb #minorleagues #erieseawolves #moonmammoths #johnoliver www.mlb.com/milb/news/jo...

On this day in 1911, the Polo Grounds re-opened as NYC’s first concrete & steel ball field just over 2 months after the prior stadium was destroyed by fire. Mathewson blanked the woeful Boston Rustlers 3-0. The new stadium served as the Giants home through 1957, then the Mets in 1962-63.

Jonathan Gould joined us in Episode 251 to talk about his book “Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene that Transformed Rock.” Photo source: Wikimedia Commons.

Knock on wood - the Houston Astros are 28-13 since games beginning May 13. That’s a 111-win pace over 162 games. #Astros #Baseball

Episode 251 - Talking Talking Heads w/ Jonathan Gould, author of "Burning Down the House: Talking Heads and the New York Scene that Transformed Rock." podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2...

Both baseball fans and music fans alike can appreciate Cousin Wolf's album "Nine Innings" - nine songs about life, loss, and big league baseball players. The players featured in the songs include Carl Mays, Kevin Elster and Lou Gehrig, to name three. Recommended.

Warren "Rip" Collins holds the mark for the most career wins by a Major League pitcher that played for #AggieBaseball. He won 108 games in an 11 year big league career, from 1920 to 1931. Collins was Babe Ruth's teammate in New York and Ty Cobb's in Detroit. Collins played four sports at Texas A&M.

This comes as no surprise to Astro fans - Lance McCullers, Jr., is back on IL. The good news? The injury has nothing to do with his arm. He sprained his right foot in a weight room accident. www.mlb.com/news/lance-m...

On this day, June 16, 1970, long-time Houston Astro shortstop Roger Metzger made his Major League debut playing shortstop and batting 8th for the Chicago Cubs. Metzger grounded out twice against Gaylord Perry and was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 8th inning. He returned to the minors soon after.

In his last 7 starts, Houston's Framber Valdez has pitched 49 innings, allowed 33 hits, 13 walks, 11 runs and has fanned 59. His ERA over this stretch is 2.02 and his WHIP is .939. #baseball #astros #HooksandRunspod

I just watched Craig Kimbrel strike out the side for Round Rock against El Paso on MiLB.tv. This was Kimbrel's 2nd appearance for the Express since signing with Texas on June 12. He has 5 strikeouts and a walk in 2 innings pitched.

Episode 249 - He Went Two for Five the Next Game w/ Beverly Winter-Donaho. Some players are undeterred even by a lightning strike. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2...

On 4/28/50, during a game in Abilene TX, a bolt of lightning struck Pampa Oiler catcher Jim Martin, knocking him unconscious for 5 minutes. Fortunately, he survived and went to play in his team's next game. In Ep. 249, Beverly Winter-Donaho, joins us to discuss her father & his playing days.

Astro mgr Joe Espada moved Jeremy Peña to the leadoff spot on April 27. Since then, Peña has slashed .371/411/.551 (.962 OPS) with 6 home runs, 26 RBI and 28 runs scored in 44 games. Peña has stolen 9 bases in 10 attempts during this time as well. Houston has gone from 13-13 to 40-30 since.