282 - On Baseball's First Superstar w/ Thomas W. Gilbert

282 - On Baseball's First Superstar w/ Thomas W. Gilbert

Author: A podcast about baseball, music and culture. March 26, 2026 Duration: 42:33
Our guest this episode is Thomas W. Gilbert. His new book, "Death in the Strike Zone: The Mystery of America's First Baseball Hero" (David R. Godine, 2026), is the story of James Creighton, a young pitcher who pitched for amateur clubs in Brooklyn and is credited for inventing modern pitching. Gilbert's book is not only about Creighton's exploits on the field, but about the life and times of baseball in its earliest years - before the Civil War, before industrialization and before the g...

You might find yourself wondering how a perfect double play and a classic guitar riff are connected, or what a stadium anthem says about the year it topped the charts. That’s the kind of territory explored on Hooks & Runs. This isn't just a series of interviews, though you’ll hear conversations with fascinating figures from the sports and music industries. It’s also a place for thoughtful commentary, where the co-hosts draw lines between the crack of a bat and a cultural moment, between a legendary concert and a legendary season. They dig into both current headlines and forgotten history, finding the stories where pop culture and the national pastime intersect. Each episode feels like a relaxed, insightful conversation that could start with a baseball statistic and end with a music theory debate. New installments of this podcast arrive roughly every Thursday, offering a consistent dose of their unique blend. If you’ve ever felt that the narratives of baseball and the rhythms of music speak a similar language, this podcast provides the commentary to translate.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Hooks & Runs
Podcast Episodes
226 - Baseball's Most Unusual Feats [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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224 - The Professor's Mysterious Concoction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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223 - Close But No Cigar II: Barry Bonds, 1,996 RBI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:30
Five players in MLB history have driven in 2,000 run in their career. Barry Bonds concluded his amazing 22-year career 4 RBI short of 2,000. This week we examine Bonds' career and try to find out how he came up short. Al…
221 - The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:43
After beating the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium 3-2 to wrap up a 6-4 road trip, the Phillies cam home leading the National League by 6.5 games with 12 games to play. What followed remains the most dramatic late-s…
218 - The Flying Dutchman, Honus Wagner w/ Arthur D. Hittner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:33
Our guest this week is Arthur D. Hittner, author of "Honus Wagner, The Life of Baseball's Flying Dutchman," Revised Edition (McFarland, 2024). Originally published in 1996, Hittner's book won the prestigious Seymour Meda…
217 - We are Getting Worried About Justin Verlander [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:15
Justin Verlander is struggling in his latest return from the injury list. Roger Maris would have celebrated his 90th birthday in the 10th -- he died in 1985. We noticed a lot of pretty famous people were born or grew up…