286 - The Magical 1926 St. Louis Cardinals w/ Kevin J. Abing

286 - The Magical 1926 St. Louis Cardinals w/ Kevin J. Abing

Author: A podcast about baseball, music and culture. May 12, 2026 Duration: 52:48
Author and historian Kevin J. Abing is our guest this week to talk about the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals, on the 100th Anniversary of the team's first World Series championships. Abing is author of "Baseball Magic and Mayhem in St. Louis: The 1926 Cardinals, World Series Champions" (McFarland Press, 2026). Abing's meticulously researched book tells the story of the Cardinal's rise from National League doormat to dominance and the team's magical 1926 season. Previous episodes discussed are ...

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
266 - Benny Kauff: "An Apparent Injustice Has Been Done" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:39
Ohio native Benny Kauff made his Major League debut in 1912. He jumped to the Federal League in 1914 where he emerged to stand among that circuit's best hitters. After the Federal League folded, Kauff signed with John Mc…
265 - "They All Though I Was Crazy Anyway" w/ Scipio Spinks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:37
Scipio Spinks rose from junior college ball in Chicago to the Major Leagues with Houston and St. Louis. He pitched 5 seasons before injuries derailed his promising career. Spinks talks about his pitching in the late 60s…
264 - Texans in the Hall: Joe Morgan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:12
Joe Morgan, a native of Bonham, Texas, a small town near the Oklahoma border, is generally regarded as baseball's greatest second basemen in the post-World War II era. Originally Colt-.45 then Astro, Houston traded him t…
262 - Rube and Bill Foster: Texans in the Hall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:39
Andrew "Rube" and William "Bill" Foster were half-brothers born in Calvert, Texas, 25 years apart. Rube (b. 1879) left home in the late 90s to pitch for barnstorming teams deep into the late teens. He established his nam…
261 - The Bill Bevens Story: As Close as you Can Get [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:48
Bill Bevens came within one out of throwing the first World Series no-hitter in Game 4. Also, a look at the pennant and wild card races plus some 1988 Topps baseball cards. Errata: The Giants were 14-14 in August, 9-15 i…
260 - Bo Belinsky: Everything Has a Price w/ David Krell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:10
David Krell is a returning guest and the author of "Bo Belinsky: The Rise, Fall and Rebound of a Playboy Pitcher," (McFarland & Co., 2025) the first full-length biography of Bo Belinsky. David Krell's official website (h…
259 - Texans in the Hall: Eddie Mathews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:43
Eddie Mathews played 17 seasons in the big leagues and is the only player to play for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. He hit 512 home runs in his career and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978. This week…
258 - "I Was a Kid Too Back Then" w/ Rick Wise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:57
Rick Wise pitched 18 seasons in the big league, beginning with is rookie year for the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies. He won 188 games in that span and achieved some notable milestones, including becoming the only pitcher in…
257 - MLB's Microbet Investigation Snares an All-Star. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:51
Colorado of all teams highlights the week with a wild come-from-behind win at home against Pittsburgh. Hooks & Runs' favorite teams made big splashes at the trade deadline. MLB's microbets investigation snares Cleveland…