293 - Chicago, 1933: A Look at MLB's First All-Star Game w/ Randall Sullivan

293 - Chicago, 1933: A Look at MLB's First All-Star Game w/ Randall Sullivan

Author: A podcast about baseball, music and culture. June 29, 2026 Duration: 48:16
Randall Sullivan, former contributing editor to Rolling Stone and author of The Price of Experience, and Untouchable, joins Hooks & Runs this week to discuss his latest book, The First All-Star Game: Babe Ruth, FDR and America at the Crossroads (Grove Atlantic, June 2026). The First All-Star Game chronicles a defining moment for both baseball and the nation, weaving together the sport's early lively ball history with the Jazz Age and subsequent Great Depression that gave rise to it. ...

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: 50

Hooks & Runs
Podcast Episodes
282 - On Baseball's First Superstar w/ Thomas W. Gilbert [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 fo…
281 - "A Most Dramatic Diamond Struggle" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:17
On July 10, 1932, after playing 3 double headers in 3 days, Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's faced the Cleveland Indians at Cleveland's League Park. Craziness ensued. The game and players set records that have never been,…
273 - Podcast News, Baseball Moves, Guns & Roses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:30
Big news about the podcast, a look at some early baseball moves and Guns & Roses is going on tour. Errata: The Houston Astros missed the playoffs twice since 2015 - in 2016 and in 2025 - not once. Nacagdoches is a town i…