Hooks & Runs

In April 1950, Jim Martin, a catcher for the West Texas New Mexico League’s Pampa Oilers, was violently struck by lightning during a game in Abilene, Texas. He not only survived the strike but he played the next game, going two for five. This week, Martin's daughter, Beverly Winter-Donaho, joins us to discuss Martin and his time in the minors during the 40s and 50s. In part two, Craig visits PNC Park and what's left of Fo...

In this episode, we talk with Doug Wilson, author of Let's Play Two: The Legend of Mr. Cub, the Life of Ernie Banks (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019), to explore the life and legacy of one of baseball’s most beloved figures. Doug shares insights into his research process, the hidden layers of Ernie Banks’ personality, and what makes this Hall of Famer’s story still resonate today.

From growing up in segregated Dallas, Texas, to ...

Craig and Rex are taking a break in May giving them a change to feature some favorite episodes from the archives and you an chance to catch up on other episodes you may have missed or wish to revisit. 

This episode from the vault features our interview with Tamara Saviano, author, journalist, publicist and Grammy-nominated record producer, and writer and co-director of the documentary "Without Getting Killed or Caught." Th...

Craig and Rex are taking a break in May giving them a change to feature some favorite episodes from the archives and you an chance to catch up on other episodes you may have missed or wish to revisit. 

This episode from early 2023 is our interview with Roger Metzger, the Houston Astros' Gold Glove winning shortstop in the 1970s.

Hooks & Runs will resume with new episodes on June 5. 

The show notes for Episode 133 are here:

Rogers Hornsby won seven batting titles, hit .358 in his 23-year Major League career and remains the all-time batting average leader both among right handed hitters and in the National League. He managed the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals to franchise's first World Series title only to be traded two months later in a salary dispute. Hornsby's career and personal life were marked by conflict, antagonism, lawsuits, acrimony and b...

Ed Wheatley, president of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society, joins us this week to discuss the Browns, an American League team from 1902 to 1953. Wheatley is the co-author of "St. Louis Browns: The Story of a Beloved Team" (Reedy Press 2017), which was  selected best book published on baseball in 2017 by Sports Collectors Digest and nominated for the Larry Ritter Award as the best book on baseball published in 2017 ...

David Krell is author of "1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era," (University of Nebraska Press, 2025). His book explores the wild 1978 major league season with features on the American League East race that went to a 163rd game, iconic players from the era like Pete Rose and Dave Kingman and cultural flashpoints from film, TV and music. In this interview, Krell gives us a glimpse into this tumultuous, pivotal year ...

This week, Craig and Rex take a deep dive into the 1979 Houston Astros, the only team since 1947 to hit fewer than 50 home runs while posting a winning record and also the last team to hit more triples than home runs in a single season. Also, The Sex Pistols are back on the road, without Johnny Rotten. Even punks get nostalgic.

Errata: The Cardinals in 2024 went 8 straight games without a home run, not 18. A&M defeated Yale by 6...

Maybe we spoke too soon. Dr. Elizabeth Strom, a professor of urban politics and policy at The University of South Florida and an editor at DRays Bay, a Tampa Bay Rays blog on SB Nation, returns to our podcast this week. Two years ago, Episode 143 to be exact, Dr. Strom appeared to discuss what then looked like a solid deal for a new ballpark in St. Petersburg. A lot has happened since - most of it not good for Rays fans, at least R...

This week, Disturbed declares war on the Bulls' championship banners during a show at United Center, plus Motley Crue at MinuteMaid (Daiken) and the greatest Journey concert ever. Craig makes his 2025 MLB predictions - try not to laugh. The podcast concludes with the boys reviewing "Tommy," the 1975 Ken Russell film based on The Who's 1969 album of the same name. The film stars Roger Daltry, Ann-Margret, Oliver ...

Since 1901, in the American and National Leagues, 11 pitchers have thrown 9+ inning, complete game 1-hitters and lost. These include a pitcher that pitched both games of a double-header on the day, a pitcher that took a perfect game into the 13th inning only to lose and a pitcher that gave up an extra-inning, walk-off home run to lose. This week, a tale of the hard luck pitchers who pitched their best game only to come up short.

Err...

This week Craig and Rex continue their series on native Texans in the Baseball of Fame with 355-game winner Greg Maddux. Also, the Nolan Arenado trade talks will not go away, Pete Rose's family petitions the Commission to lift the all-time hits leader's lifetime ban now that his life is over, the Golden State Warriors own a record label and what do you know - some baseball players lie about their height.

Notes on the show:...

Author Chris Haft's new book, Willie McCovey: A Giant Among Giants (University of Nebraska Press, 2025) adds to the baseball literature by examining the life and baseball times of perhaps the most forgotten member of the 500-home run club. Haft's look at this great Giant superstar is long overdue. He joins us this week to discuss the great and powerful Willie Mac.

In Chapter 2, Craig and Rex consider what impact Alex Bregm...

Author and journalist Michael Doyle's new book, Nightmare in the Pacific: The World War II Saga of Artie Shaw and His Navy Band (Univ. of North Texas Press, 2025) is an adventurous tale and a must read. Shaw, a leading big band leader into the early 1940s, joined the Navy a few months after Pearl Harbor. He formed a Navy big band of accomplished and to varying degrees roguish musicians and led them across the Pacific during th...

Bugs Raymond battled alcoholism while pitching for the Tigers, Cardinals and Giants as well as several minor league teams during the early Deadball Era -- this week we discuss Raymond's difficult and tragic life in baseball and afterwards. In Chapter 2, Craig and Rex have six players they believe ought to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame but are not. They'll tell you who those players are. They also have some thoughts on K...

Stephen W. Dittmore's book, "Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger," (August Publications, 2025) hit bookstores this week and it's a good one. Dittmore joins us this week to talk about the man who won the 1953 National League's Rookie of the Year Award and who played key roles on four World Series championship teams for the Dodgers.  Gilliam later coached the Dodgers on Managers Walter Alston's and Tommy L...

Journalist and author David King joins us in part 1 to talk about Ross Youngs, who was born in Shiner, Texas, in 1897, and later played 10 seasons for John McGraw's New York Giants. In that time he was a key player on four National League pennant and two World Series title teams. A career .322 hitter, Youngs fell ill during the 1926 season and later died at age 30 from kidney disease. The Veterans' Committee elected Young...

This week concludes our two-part series about the Miracle Braves of 1914 and concludes with Rex and Craig discussing Billy Wagner and the recent Hall of Fame balloting results.

Episodes mentioned:
157 - R.E.M.'s Murmur at 40 w/ Tony Fletcher.

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

This week Craig and Rex begin a two-part series on the Miracle Braves of 1914.

The early 20th Century was not kind to the Boston Braves (previously, the Beaneaters, the Doves and the Rustlers). Mired in the second division for years with frequent ownership changes, an outdated ballpark and few prospects, Boston entered the 1914 season with second year manager George Stallings, some promising new ballplayers and faint hopes...