Two Strike Noise - A Baseball History Podcast

Jeff and Mark wrap up the 2026 World Series and congratulate the Milwaukee Brewers on their first championship. Mark tells the story of Johnny Cooney. Before he signed a pro contract, Cooney threw a perfect game in a Connecticut industrial league hours after his train hit a car and killed four people. A Red Sox deal fell apart because his manager wouldn’t accept a check. He won 14 games for the Boston Braves, then had 13 pieces of bone removed from his left elbow, which left his pitching arm shorter than his other arm. Casey Stengel rebuilt him as an outfielder, and Cooney returned to the majors at 34. He hit .318 and .319 at ages 39 and 40, hit his only two career home runs on back-to-back days at the Polo Grounds, and umpired part of a game when the regular crew was fogged in on Cape Cod. The guys also explain Branch Rickey’s “coconut snatcher” term and compare Cooney’s pitcher-to-outfielder path with Rick Ankiel’s.

Also in this episode: the Rays radio call of the Game 4 extra-innings finish, the check swing strike that ended Game 3, and Kenny Albert filling in for Joe Davis in the middle of colonoscopy prep. MLB is testing restricted outfield positioning in the Arizona Fall League, and Jeff looks at batting averages and stolen bases before and after the shift ban and the bigger bases. Moving the mound back comes up as an alternative. With a lockout looming, Sonny Gray and Nick Martinez become free agents, and the guys consider whether the Mexican League could land MLB players during a work stoppage. Jeff gives the answer to the trivia question on teams that have played in the World Series as both an AL and NL club. Wax Pack Heroes plays its own fall league with 1999 Upper Deck cans and tests three listener-inspired rules.

Topics: Johnny Cooney, Boston Braves history, Casey Stengel, pitcher turned outfielder, Johnny Cooney perfect game, Willimantic American Thread industrial league, Ed Barrow Red Sox, Paul Krichell, hesitation pitch, Van Lingle Mungo, Leo Durocher trade, Boston Bees, Polo Grounds home runs, player umpire 1941, Branch Rickey coconut snatcher, Tommy Lasorda The Artful Dodger, Rick Ankiel, 2026 World Series, Milwaukee Brewers champions, Tampa Bay Rays, Chandler Simpson, Kenny Albert colonoscopy, Joe Davis, Arizona Fall League rule test, outfield shift restrictions, infield shift ban, MLB batting average, bigger bases stolen bases, pickoff limits, ABS check swing, moving the pitching mound back, MLB lockout 2026, Sonny Gray, Nick Martinez, Mexican League, Houston Astros AL and NL World Series, 1999 Upper Deck baseball cards, Wax Pack Heroes, Two Strike Noise

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00:00 Welcome

01:55 World Series Recap

02:38 Game 4 and Broadcast Rant

05:22 Fall League Rule Experiments

06:46 Do Rule Changes Work?

10:42 Move the Mound Debate

12:07 World Series Trivia Setup

12:44 Colonoscopy Booth Story

14:54 Lockout and Playing Abroad

17:56 Johnny Cooney Origins

19:12 Perfect Game After Tragedy

21:53 Braves Breakout and Injury

26:40 Reinvented as Outfielder

28:38 Dodgers Years and Big Trade

31:48 Late Career Peaks and Umpiring

34:47 Final Seasons and Legacy

38:15 Coconut Snatcher Explained

39:52 Ankiel Wild Pitch Meltdown

40:44 Cooney World Series Trivia

42:16 Wax Pack Heroes

01:13:01 Wrap Up Rules And Contact

Jeff and Mark put on their best costumes for the 2SN Halloween episode. With the Rays and Brewers in the World Series, they start with the haunted hotels of both cities. In Milwaukee that’s the Pfister Hotel, where visiting players from Adrián Beltré and Bryce Harper to Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández have reported strange sounds, moving furniture and misty spirits. In St. Petersburg it’s Tropicana Field, built on a former cemetery site, and the Vinoy Park Hotel. They also cover Michael Young’s toothpaste cross in a haunted minor league motel room and a rundown of baseball curses: the Colonel, Billy Penn, the Black Sox, Cleveland, and the Angels. Then come Ellis Burks’ glass-elevator ghost story at the Westin St. Francis, the paranormal investigators the Cubs hired at Wrigley in 1998 after Harry Caray’s death, and the teenager from Babe Ruth’s old farmhouse who lost his front teeth to a Manny Ramirez foul ball.

Also in this episode: a tribute to Todd Benzinger, including the “Benzinger game” and his surprising career WAR. Billy Bates beats a cheetah at Riverfront Stadium. Jeff talks about his appearance on The Mixtape ’90s Sports Edition covering the 1990 season (https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Qb5TuEmKUIMRVLy2OyYFt). The Orioles cut the Oriole Bird and Mr. Splash, and Stephen Vogt passes on the Mariners. The guys trace the origins of “on the screws,” “worm burner” and “the catbird seat,” and look at the Brewers’ custom hand-painted protective cups. They trade lists of Halloween baseball names, from Bob Grim to Vlad the Impaler. Wax Pack Heroes plays an exhibition game with 1990 Senior Professional Baseball Association cards and a new lowest-season-WAR rule.

Halloween baseball, Pfister Hotel ghost, haunted hotels MLB, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, World Series, Tropicana Field cemetery, Vinoy Park Hotel, Michael Young ghost story, Curse of the Colonel, Hanshin Tigers, Curse of Billy Penn, Curse of the Bambino, Black Sox curse, Angels curse, Ellis Burks, Westin St. Francis, Harry Caray ghost, Wrigley Field paranormal, Babe Ruth farmhouse, Todd Benzinger, Billy Bates cheetah race, 1990 Cincinnati Reds, The Mixtape ’90s Sports Edition, Oriole Bird, Stephen Vogt, catbird seat, Red Barber, on the screws, worm burner, custom protective cups, Halloween baseball names, Senior Professional Baseball Association, Wax Pack Heroes

00:10 Open

01:11 Halloween Costumes Bit

02:32 RIP Todd Benzinger

05:29 Billy Bates Races Cheetah

10:12 Rewatching 1990 Series

11:41 Orioles Staff Cuts

14:23 Mariners Manager Rumors

15:58 Baseball Phrases Origins

19:31 World Series Cups Talk

22:28 Halloween Baseball Names

30:56 Haunted Milwaukee Hotel

33:13 Pfister Hotel Ghost Tales

36:04 Tampa Hauntings And Cemeteries

38:02 Michael Young Toothpaste Cross

39:37 Baseball Curses Rundown

42:06 Angels Curse And Burial Ground

43:37 Haunted Glass Elevators Prank

46:42 Wrigley Paranormal Investigation

49:12 Babe Ruth Farmhouse Oddities

50:18 Mitch Costume And Segment Switch

51:26 Wax Packs Heroes Exhibition Rules

01:03:51 Final Wrap

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It's not every day a real-life Major League Baseball owner agrees to talk to two jabronis from a baseball history podcast, but here we are. Jeff and Mark sit down with Baltimore Orioles chairman and principal owner David Rubenstein to talk about his new book, Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports. They ask what song he wanted to replace "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" with during the seventh-inning stretch, and why he walked away from buying the Orioles before coming back. He talks about the Adley Rutschman trade and how much of it crosses an owner's desk, Pete Alonso changing his own diapers at spring training, and whether spending money really buys wins. The guys also ask whether sports franchise values are in a bubble and what he collects outside of baseball, and he explains why the Tupac bobblehead outsold his own. Then Jeff closes with a personal question as a lifelong A's fan: John Fisher, the vote to move the team to Las Vegas, and whether owners would ever vote against one of their own.

Also in this episode: How a Double-A walk-off home run by Michael Cuddyer kept a teammate off American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001. Neil Patrick Harris plays the devil in a new Broadway Damn Yankees that moves the story to 2000 and makes the Orioles the team chasing the Yankees, with a Steinbrenner granddaughter producing. A planned community in Herriman, Utah, where every street is named after a Red Sox figure, and Jeff's grudge against the Salt Lake Bees' new ballpark. Mel Allen returns with a 1979 This Week in Baseball quiz on the last pitcher to win an MVP, and Wax Pack Heroes wraps up its season with 1991 Leaf cards sent in by listener Dave P.

Topics: David Rubenstein, Baltimore Orioles owner, Inside the Owner's Box, Carlyle Group, MLB owner interview, Adley Rutschman trade, Pete Alonso, Thank God I'm a Country Boy, Camden Yards, seventh-inning stretch, MLB CBA, MLB lockout, sports franchise valuations, John Fisher, Oakland A's relocation, Las Vegas A's, Joe Lacob, Michele Kang, Vida Blue, Charlie Finley, Michael Cuddyer, Brad Thomas, New Britain Rock Cats, September 11 baseball, Damn Yankees Broadway, Neil Patrick Harris, Julianne Hough, Haley Swindal, Steinbrenner, Herriman Utah, Red Sox street names, Salt Lake Bees, This Week in Baseball, Mel Allen, MVP pitchers, 1991 Leaf baseball cards, Wax Pack Heroes

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Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game athttp://commons4kids.org/.

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Tony Mullane hurt his right arm in a distance-throwing contest, taught himself to throw left-handed, and on July 18, 1882, became the first pitcher in Major League history to throw with both arms in the same game. Two months later he threw the first no-hitter in American Association history, a game that also featured Pete Browning getting called out as an illegal baserunner after forgetting he had a pinch runner. Jeff follows "The Apollo of the Box" from running away from home in Erie, Pennsylvania, to the Louisville Eclipse, the St. Louis Browns, Toledo, and Cincinnati: 284 wins, the all-time wild pitch record, contract jumping, a full-season suspension, and a game-fixing accusation. Then there's the other side of Tony Mullane: his treatment of Moses Fleetwood Walker, the first openly Black major leaguer, threatening his own team president, an arrest over a whiskey bill, a divorce granted on grounds of extreme cruelty, and a lawsuit claiming he hit a man with a baseball bat. It all ends with a stint as a Chicago police sergeant and a Hall of Fame case that Cooperstown has never answered.

Also in this episode: Bernie Williams joins Jose Iglesias in the Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway. Jeff quizzes Mark on the Hall of Famers who debuted after 1950 but don't have their numbers retired by any team. The guys run through the best teammate name combos in baseball history, from Black & Decker to Abbott & Costello to the Days of Wine and Rojas. An awkward Mets fan encounter at the grocery store, a check-in on Broccoli Man, and Mel Allen returns with a This Week in Baseball quiz about the last second baseman to hit 20 home runs before 1989. Plus, Wax Pack Heroes goes virtual with 1987 Topps.

Topics: Tony Mullane, switch pitcher, ambidextrous pitcher, first American Association no-hitter, Louisville Eclipse, Pete Browning, Guy Hecker, Moses Fleetwood Walker, baseball color line, Toledo Blue Stockings, Chris Von der Ahe, St. Louis Browns, Union Association, reserve clause, Cincinnati Reds history, 19th century baseball, American Association history, Apollo of the Box, Baseball Hall of Fame debate, most wild pitches, Bernie Williams Broadway, Buena Vista Social Club, Jose Iglesias, retired numbers, Hall of Famers without retired numbers, teammate name combos, This Week in Baseball, Mel Allen, Bobby Grich, 1987 Topps baseball cards, Wax Pack Heroes

The Broadcast Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/episode/1dmBOq4b8Ek2Z9sFZvm4dw?si=5JAkBiyRQv2q9M8IegOuDw

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Red Ruffing started work 600 feet underground in an Illinois coal mine at 13, lost four toes in a coupling accident at 15, and turned to pitching because he could no longer run. He went 39-96 for a Red Sox team that finished last in each of his five full seasons there, then was traded to the Yankees in 1930 for Cedric Durst and cash and became the ace Joe McCarthy trusted to start Game 1 of six World Series. Mark tells the story of Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing: the 25-loss season in which he hit .314, four straight 20-win seasons from 1936 to 1939, six World Series championships, a hitting career that included 36 home runs and a .269 average, a no-hitter thrown while serving in the Army Air Corps, a comeback at age 40, a brief stint as pitching coach of the 1962 Mets, and a 1967 Hall of Fame election that required a runoff.

Also in this episode: Jeff remembers Isao Harimoto, Japan's all-time hits leader with 3,085, who passed away at 86. The Cubs sign 24-year-old Kippei Mikawa, who pitched in just three games in four years at Rikkyo University and now throws 97 mph after a data-driven comeback. The Angels try to avoid the first 100-loss season in franchise history. A wave of new baseball media arrives: the Cubs' TikTok rom-com series "Nine Innings to Love," Mark Wahlberg as Pete Rose, and Robert De Niro in talks to play Tommy Lasorda in "Tommy and Me." Plus the TWIB trivia quiz, a listener's podcast recommendation, and Wax Pack Heroes with 1972 Topps cards.

Red Ruffing, Red Ruffing Hall of Fame, Red Ruffing Yankees, Red Ruffing Red Sox, Red Ruffing coal miner, Charles Herbert Ruffing, Red Ruffing 1967 Hall of Fame runoff, Joe McCarthy Yankees, Yankees dynasty 1930s, Isao Harimoto, Kippei Mikawa, Chicago Cubs, Angels 100 losses, Nine Innings to Love, Mark Wahlberg Pete Rose biopic, Robert De Niro Tommy Lasorda, Wax Pack Heroes, 1972 Topps, baseball history podcast, baseball podcast

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Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

It's another Tales From the Dugout episode, and this one's got range: an 1886 outfielder attacked by a dog mid-play who later invented the rain tarp, Ernest Hemingway getting thoroughly beaten up by a Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher during a drunken boxing match at his own house, a "record" of eight stolen bases in a single inning that almost certainly wasn't real, and a top closer who retired from baseball to become an real-life Indiana Jones. Jeff and Mark also dig into two different ballplayers born at sea, Hoyt Wilhelm's remarkable career path, and a wild home run record set in an independent Canadian league played in a public park with no admission gate.

Also in this episode: the guys react to Ted Lasso's new season writing the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum into the show, another round of the This Week in Baseball quiz segment, and a Wax Pack Heroes battle using user submitted 1987 Sportflics cards.

00:00 Podcast Cold Open

01:06 Tales From The Dugout Setup

01:47 Ted Lasso Museum Debate

04:06 SABR Plug And Sea Births

07:34 Hoyt Wilhelm Longevity

09:56 Puig In Canadian League

12:23 TWIB Quiz

14:30 Dugout Tales Begin

14:51 Dog Attack And Rain Tarps

18:30 Hemingway Fights A Dodger

26:11 Eight Steals In One Inning

30:09 Brad Lidge The Archaeologist

34:55 Copyright Strike Chaos

35:50 Wax Pack Heroes - SportFlix Pack

01:02:33 TWIB Quiz answer

01:03:13 Wrap Up And Farewell

Topics: baseball history, Tales from the Dugout, players born at sea, Hoyt Wilhelm, Ernest Hemingway baseball, 1886 baseball, stolen base records, Washington Senators history, Brad Lidge archeology, Etruscan civilization, Yasiel Puig Canadian baseball, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Ted Lasso, This Week in Baseball, 1987 Sportflics cards, baseball card collecting, Wax Pack Heroes, MLB history, baseball trivia

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Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

In 190, the Philadelphia Athletics were bursting out of tiny Columbia Park — so owner Ben Shibe built the first concrete-and-steel ballpark in Major League history. But on Shibe Park's opening day in 1909, catcher Doc Powers collapsed with mysterious abdominal pain and was dead two weeks later. Jeff and Mark dig into the real medical story behind his death, bust the myths that have followed him for over a century, and trace Shibe Park's full run — from Ruth's Yankees debut and Ted Williams' .400 season, through Jackie Robinson's record-breaking Philadelphia crowd, all the way to a scoreboard literally catching fire mid-game.

Also in this episode: the guys break down the history of the "Maddux" (a complete-game shutout thrown on fewer than 100 pitches), a listener-submitted WAR showdown between the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros' all-time position players, a new recurring segment pulling quiz questions straight from old episodes of This Week in Baseball, the tragic on-field death of Detroit Lions player Chuck Hughes, and another round of Wax Pack Heroes with a fresh batch of 1972 cards.

00:00 Show Intro and Banter

02:01 100 Loss Teams Trivia

04:35 What Is a Maddux

05:21 Famous Maddux Games

09:32 Listener WAR Showdown

14:38 This Week in Baseball Quiz

16:08 Chuck Hughes Tragedy

18:58 Shibe Park Origins

22:45 Building Shibe Park

29:43 Meet Doc Powers

31:25 Eddie Plank and Patience

32:52 Doc Powers Falls Ill

33:30 Misdiagnosis Turns Deadly

34:36 Surgery and Final Words

35:49 Myths About His Injury

38:19 Funeral and Benefit Day

40:39 Shibe Park Spite Fence

43:25 Famous Games at Shibe

46:51 Final Game and Demolition

47:46 Wax Pack Heroes Returns

01:02:01 TWIB Quiz answer and Signoff

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Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

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Topics: Shibe Park history, Doc Powers, Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack, Eddie Plank, dead ball era baseball, Jackie Robinson, Ben Chapman, Ted Williams .400 season, Babe Ruth Yankees debut, Greg Maddux Maddux game, Oakland Athletics, Houston Astros, WAR comparison, Chuck Hughes, Detroit Lions, This Week in Baseball, 1972 Topps cards, baseball card collecting, Wax Pack Heroes, MLB history, baseball trivia

This week on Two Strike Noise, Jeff and Mark open the show with a tribute to Butch Huskey, the former Met and Mariner who passed away recently. From there, the guys warm up with some batting practice covering Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley's appearance at Game 2 of the 1986 World Series, complete with a camcorder that almost certainly lacked the express written consent of Major League Baseball. They also dig into the surprising smoking culture of Korean baseball, including the union-mandated mid-game smoke break and the hard-boiled eggs that apparently go with it. Jeff highlights Britt Apgar, a 22-year-old pitcher and outfielder for the LA Queens of the newly launched Women's Professional Baseball League, who has overcome a limb difference and an extraordinary set of obstacles to make her mark on the game. The guys also touch on Colby Rasmus's niece Kinley tearing it up at the Little League World Series.

The main topic this week is Jim Creighton, baseball's first superstar, who played when Lincoln was president, helped invent the art of actually trying to get hitters out, and died at 21 in one of the game's oldest and most debated mysteries. Then it's on to Wax Pack Heroes, where Jeff and Mark crack open Upper Deck Choice cans from the home run era — Mike Piazza, A-Rod, J.D. Drew, Jay Bell, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McLemore all make appearances, and Jeff extends his lead on the all-time scoreboard.

00:00 Podcast Intro and Tribute

01:35 Mariners Misery Check In

03:19 Billy Joel Mets Easter Egg

07:17 KBO Smoke Break Mystery

10:19 Women in Baseball Spotlight

16:06 Main Topic: Jim Creighton

56:09 Competitive Gamer Story

57:37 Wrap Up And Plugs

Two Strike Noise, baseball history podcast, Jim Creighton, baseball's first superstar, Brooklyn Excelsiors, 1860s baseball, Billy Joel 1986 World Series, Christie Brinkley Shea Stadium, Korean baseball smoking break, Britt Apgar WPBL Women's Professional Baseball League, Colby Rasmus Little League World Series, Butch Huskey, Wax Pack Heroes, Upper Deck Choice cans, Mike Piazza, Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, J.D. Drew, Jay Bell, Mark McLemore, baseball cards

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Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

The 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords won the Negro National League championship with four future Hall of Famers on the roster — and their most famous player never put on the uniform all season. Jeff traces how numbers-racket money built a dynasty, why Satchel Paige spent the year pitching in Bismarck, North Dakota instead of Pittsburgh, and how a seven-game series against a first-year New York Cubans franchise came down to a 0-for-10 pinch-hitter in the bottom of the ninth.

Also in this episode: a new baseball movie filming with Emma Stone and Chris Pine gets spotted live at a Mets game, Sesame Street's Elmo and Cookie Monster continue their surprise ballpark tour, a George Costanza calzone bobblehead gets announced in the Bronx, and Wax Pack Heroes returns with a batch of 2010s-era cards.

Topics: Pittsburgh Crawfords, Negro National League, 1935 Negro National League Championship Series, New York Cubans, Satchel Paige, Gus Greenlee, Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson, Sam Bankhead, Martin Dihigo, Leroy Matlock, Pat Patterson, Negro Leagues baseball history, Bismarck baseball, House of David baseball, Yankee Stadium 1935, baseball history podcast, vintage baseball cards

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

Before he was a two-time World Series champion and four-time All-Star, Pepper Martin was jumping freight trains to spring training to save a dime. After he retired, he was choking out an umpire in Havana. In between: smoke bombs disguised as a fire emergency, a painting crew that wasn't hired to paint, a hospital room cowboy band concert nobody asked for, a stint running an Oklahoma City hockey team, and a batting line across two World Series that's still a Major League record today. Jeff traces the full career of Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin — the Wild Horse of the Osage — from a cotton farm in Temple, Oklahoma to a fistfight in Cuba, with stops at Comiskey Park, the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (twice), and Branch Rickey's office.

Also in this episode: Jeff and Mark remember Blue Jays closer Duane Ward, who passed away at 62 during a reunion for Toronto's back-to-back championship teams. A position player picks up a two-RBI single off a catcher making his first career pitching appearance. Mets utility man Jose Iglesias/Canelita heads to Broadway for the Buena Vista Social Club musical. And Wax Pack Heroes returns with a batch of 1972 Topps cards sent in by a listener.

Topics: Pepper Martin, Wild Horse of the Osage, St. Louis Cardinals, Gas House Gang, 1931 World Series, 1934 World Series, Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack, Branch Rickey, Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Frankie Frisch, Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, Mississippi Mudcats, Oklahoma City Warriors, Miami Sun Sox, Florida International League, Havana baseball history, Vallie Eaves, Duane Ward, Jose Iglesias, Buena Vista Social Club, 1972 Topps, Wax Pack Heroes

00:00 Cold Open Banter

01:31 Remembering Duane Ward

03:14 Pitcher Gets a Hit

05:41 Jose Iglesias Hits Broadway

08:32 Time Machine to Havana

11:17 Pepper Martin Revealed

12:28 From Oklahoma to the Cards

15:39 1931 Breakout World Series

16:46 Vaudeville and Sophomore Slump

21:07 Pranks and Gas House Gang

25:56 Barnstorming and Hospital Hijinks

27:50 Branch Rickey Lays Down Law

30:30 Final All Star and Mud Cats Band

32:23 Minor League Manager and 1944 Return

33:27 Pepper Martin Later Years

34:55 Freight Train To Spring

36:04 Clubhouse Legend Wrap

36:42 Wax Pack Heroes Begins

56:02 Scoreboard And Fan Poll

57:32 Outro And Socials

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, joins Two Strike Noise to talk about the museum's $50+ million capital campaign to build a new 30,000-square-foot facility and Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center in Kansas City. From there the conversation covers the story of Branch Rickey's real first choice to break the color line, why Kansas City Monarchs owner J.L. Wilkinson never saw a dime for Jackie Robinson's contract, the deliberate showmanship of players like Willie Wells and Goose Tatum, the case for Negro Leagues legends most fans have never heard of, and the connection between Banana Ball's Indianapolis Clowns revival and the original barnstorming era.

Also in this episode: Mark and Jeff open with a Family Ties rerun packed with unexpected Yogi Berra trivia, the surprise return of the Baseball Beyond Batting Average podcast, MLB reportedly floating a rain delay to protect World Series primetime ratings, and a ranking of MLB broadcast booths by their color commentators' combined career WAR. Then it's another round of Wax Pack Heroes with a run of vintage 1987 Topps cards.

Topics: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Bob Kendrick, Buck O'Neil, Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, Monte Irvin, Effa Manley, J.L. Wilkinson, Kansas City Monarchs, Bill Veeck, Clark Griffith, Willie Wells, Goose Tatum, Martin Dihigo, Mule Suttles, Bullet Rogan, Biz Mackey, Roy Campanella, Josh Gibson, Shohei Ohtani, Negro Leagues Japan tour, Philadelphia Royal Giants, Banana Ball, Indianapolis Clowns, shadow ball, NLBM capital campaign, Wax Pack Heroes, 1987 Topps

00:00 Welcome to Two Strike Noise

02:10 BP Pop Culture Baseball

04:45 Podcast Shoutout Return

06:02 World Series Rain Delay

08:35 Booth WAR Rankings

12:12 Movie Takes and Tease

13:02 Introducing Bob Kendrick

13:56 Museum Expansion Vision

16:53 Who Broke the Barrier

22:36 Showmanship and Shadow Ball

25:59 Unsung Greats Dihigo

29:29 Modern Players Fit Today

31:55 Negro Leagues in Japan

37:06 Josh Gibson Legends

41:25 Banana Ball and Atmosphere

46:34 How to Support the Museum

48:34 Museum Support Links

48:45 Fundraiser Plans

49:31 Wax Pack Heroes

01:15:38 Wrap Up and Ways to Follow

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Support the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum:

Bob Kendrick and the NLBM are raising funds for a new 30,000-square-foot museum and the Buck O'Neil Education and Research Center in Kansas City. Learn more and donate at www.nlbm.com.

Commons4Kids:

We pull a lot of commons in Wax Pack Heroes. Donate your unwanted cards to help spark a kid's interest in the game: https://commons4kids.org/C4K

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A catcher catches a baseball dropped from a blimp and ruins his face in the process, and Jeff and Mark draft baseball players named after months, days, and holidays. Also: the answer to last week's puzzle — how many hits can a team get in one inning without scoring a run?

Also in this episode: A Rickey Henderson story from spring training with the Padres. The universal DH debate. The last time a pitcher stole a base in the American League. Zack Hample straps on a chest protector and tries to break an 80-year-old record. Johnny Bench holds baseballs and Blue-Emu has opinions about it. And Wax Pack Heroes returns with 1972 Topps.

Topics: Guinness World Records baseball, Joe 'Mule' Sprinz blimp catch, Zack Hample baseball record, Johnny Bench baseballs one hand, Gabby Street Washington Monument, Wilbert Robinson grapefruit drop, pitcher stolen bases history, Gene Nelson stolen base, Rickey Henderson spring training, Universal DH history, calendar player name draft, Daniel Vogelbach nickname, hits without runs baseball rules, Warren Cromartie Japan, 1972 Topps baseball cards, Wax Pack Heroes, Two Strike Noise

00:00 Open Banter
01:52 BP Rickey Storytime
03:29 Danny Burgers Nickname
04:42 Hits Without Runs Puzzle
05:10 Calendar Name Draft
14:20 Universal DH Talk
15:08 Pitchers Stealing Bases
18:21 Six Hits No Runs Answer
21:11 Guinness Record Attempts
22:36 Baseballs Dropped From Sky
27:28 Zack Hample Tries It
30:07 Weird Guinness Baseball Feats
33:25 Blue Emu And Bench Hands
36:29 Guinness Baseball Grip Rules
39:32 Wax Pack Heroes Returns
1:06:35 Wrap Up And Where To Find Us

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Rabbit Maranville spent 23 seasons in the National League, holds the all-time putouts record at shortstop, and has been in the Baseball Hall of Fame since 1954. He also faked his own death, got dangled out of a 14th floor hotel window by Jim Thorpe, and dove headfirst through a moving subway car. Jeff makes the case that Rabbit belongs in one Hall of Fame — just not the one in Cooperstown.

Also in this episode: A minor league bat boy gets tossed for slamming baseballs into an umpire's mask. Jeff introduces a baseball puzzle and spring training stolen bases. And in this weeks version of Wax Pack Heroes, 2010 Topps.

Ump ejects ball boy for aggressive ball delivery - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rVdC3cDn43w

Topics: Rabbit Maranville, 1914 Miracle Braves, Tinker to Evers to Chance, Johnny Evers, Boston Braves history, Baseball Hall of Fame debate, dead ball era baseball, baseball folklore, baseball antics, Jim Thorpe baseball, Ozzie Smith comparison, Brayden Ward stolen bases, Rickey Henderson spring training record, bat boy ejection, 2010 Topps baseball cards, Wax Pack Heroes.

Ump ejects ball boy for aggressive ball delivery - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rVdC3cDn43w

0:00 Podcast Cold Open

1:32 Bat Boy Gets Tossed

4:45 Brayden Ward Speedster

8:47 Inning Hits Quiz

10:48 The Trial of Rabbit Maranville

12:29 Subway Jewel Heist

15:40 Early Career and Errors

19:27 1914 Braves and Double Plays

23:56 Sobriety and Late Peak

26:22 Chaos Categories Begin

27:06 Holy Rollers and Japan

29:18 Hotel Pranks Gone Wild

31:09 Umpire Antics

32:52 Public Disturbances and Reflection

36:46 Rabbit’s Redemption Arc

37:47 Hall of Fame Case File

39:04 Defense Only Comparisons

41:14 Posthumous Induction Debate

42:18 Vaudeville Rabbit Stories

43:18 Wax Pack Heroes Begins

1:07:43 Wrap Up and Farewell

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

Jeff and Mark open with light banter before diving into baseball odds and ends, including Aroldis Chapman’s “yes hitter” outing, the show’s odd placement on Red Sox and funny history podcast lists, and White Sox reliever Mike Vassal’s Harry Potter wand-and-hat home run celebration. They share Mets-themed items, from a velvet/velour Mets sweatsuit to the Brooklyn Cyclones’ King of Queens bobblehead night, plus Keith Hernandez’s first-class flight story where a Mets fan doesn’t recognize him until landing. The main history segment spotlights Hall of Fame Yankees pitcher and Reds broadcaster Waite Hoyt, covering his 1920s success, vivid storytelling, off-season funeral home work, and the infamous tale of detouring to Yankee Stadium while transporting a corpse, along with additional Hoyt anecdotes and vaudeville connections. The episode ends with Wax Pack Heroes using listener-sent 1972 cards.

00:00 Cold Open and Catch Up

02:32 Yes Hitter Explained

04:35 White Sox Wizard Gear

07:33 Mets Velvet Tracksuit

08:37 King of Queens Night

10:56 Keith Hernandez Flight Snub

14:13 Waite Hoyt’s Baseball Life

38:09 Wax Pack Heroes Returns

53:21 Sudden Death Rookie Stars

58:26 Wrap Up And Where To Find Us

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Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com

Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

On this episode of Two Strike Noise, Jeff and Mark cover recent baseball chatter (Jazz Chisholm borrowing gear, a new baseball rom-com, and the 1986 Wally Joyner knife incident) before welcoming Baseball-Reference’s Adam Darowski for a deep dive on Julio Franco, from his Dominican upbringing and Phillies signing through stints with Cleveland, Texas, the White Sox, and extensive play in Japan, Mexico, Korea, and back in MLB with Atlanta and the Mets, highlighting his longevity, unique batting stance, training regimen, and age-related MLB records. They discuss Franco’s production peaks (including a 1991 AL batting title), his global hit totals and Darowski’s conservative “gap-filling” 4,000-hit-club research projecting Franco past 3,000 MLB hits, plus context from Negro Leagues/Latin American history and Hall of Fame considerations. The episode also closes with a 1987 Topps Wax Pack Heroes card pull and Adam’s Immaculate Grid favorites.

Awesome shot of Julio and other DR players looking fly AF - https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portrait-of-mlb-shortstops-rafael-santana-julio-franco-news-photo/957081864?adppopup=true

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #JulioFranco #DominicanRepublic #ImmaculateGrid #popculture

On May 17, 1998, David Wells showed up to Yankee Stadium having slept maybe two and a half hours, running on coffee, a single pancake, and whatever was left of Saturday night. He then threw the 15th perfect game in Major League Baseball history in front of 49,820 people who were mostly there for a Beanie Baby. That's the story this week.

We go deep on the whole thing — the legendary SNL after-party that didn't happen, the cast members who swear they were there and provably weren't, the Mandela Effect that turned one hungover pitcher into baseball mythology, and what Wells actually did in the nine years after the game nobody thought he had left in him.

Also in this episode: Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice stop by Letterman to deliver a top 10 list, Steve Garvey turns up as an extra in The Godfather Part II, Wade Boggs earns his nickname on the set of Cheers, and we finally finish that pack of 2003 Topps with Alfonso Soriano, Shawn Green, Al Leiter, and Sean Casey.

Topics include: David Wells perfect game, 1998 New York Yankees, SNL Mandela Effect, Jimmy Fallon David Wells party, Beanie Baby day Yankee Stadium, Chuck Knoblauch throwing yips, Tim McClelland umpire, Don Larsen perfect game, Dock Ellis no-hitter, Dallas Braden perfect game, David Cone knuckleball, Rickey Henderson Hall of Fame, Wade Boggs Cheers, Steve Garvey Godfather, 2003 Topps baseball cards, baseball history podcast, Two Strike Noise

00:00 Open

01:06 Rickey & Rice on Letterman

05:26 Garvey in Godfather

07:18 Boggs on Cheers

10:10 Towel Toss Ejection

12:40 Wells Perfect Game Intro

15:48 Gout and Yankees Context

19:10 The Mystery Party Night

23:28 Hangover to Perfection

30:37 Perfect Game Tension

33:00 Knoblauch Saves It

34:23 Twins Stall Tactics

35:26 Ninth Inning Drama

37:31 Perfect Game Celebration

38:51 Aftermath And Trivia

45:06 SNL Mandela Effect

47:33 Wax Pack Heroes Returns

01:00:50 Final Cards Winner

01:04:11 Wrap Up And Plugs

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Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com

Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

The mailbag delivers. Listener emails this week include a baseball honeymoon, a Jeopardy-funded wedding (not a typo), and a fan who shipped over APBA game materials and a stack of 1972 Topps cards. That last one matters by the end of the episode.

In BP, Jeff and Mark work through the week's oddities: batters watching their own strikeout replays in real time, the phrase "circuit clout" making a comeback, Elmo showing up in the Phillies booth alongside John Kruk, Jazz Chisholm wearing Giancarlo Stanton's pants to break a slump, and a genuinely strange roster trivia note involving the Marlins, Cardinals, and Twins.

The main segment is 1988. Specifically, what happens when a pitcher gets so locked in that the league starts to feel likeit's 1968 all over again. Orel Hershiser threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings that year — breaking Don Drysdale's record — and won the Cy Young while doing it. Jeff puts it in context against Bob Gibson's 1968, the last time people seriously asked whether pitchers had broken the sport.

The episode closes with Wax Pack Heroes, using the 1972 Topps cards the listener sent in.

00:00 Cold Open and Welcome
00:18 On Location and Mariners Talk
01:31 Mailbag Honeymoon Baseball Stories
04:15 APBA Surprise and Wax Packs
07:19 BP Big Screens and Circuit Clouts
09:11 Elmo in the Broadcast Booth
10:52 Jazz Chisholm Wears Stantons Pants
13:22 Weird MLB Three Team Trivia
15:01 NCIS New Orleans Baseball Cameos
16:54 Year of the Pitcher Part Deux
44:35 Wax PackHeroes
01:07:10 Thanks Plugs Signoff

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YouTube: www.youtube.com/@twostrikenoise
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/twostrikenoise
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Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com

Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark return and open with BP topics including Bobby Witt Jr.’s inside-the-park homer and a minor-league inside-the-park home run created when a fielder slid on a ball and unknowingly plugged it under the turf. They discuss Cal Raleigh ending an 0-for-38 slump by showering in full uniform, then going on the IL, and debate complaints about constant in-stadium audio at Yankee Stadium, including claims Aaron Judge wants Madison Square Garden-style energy and even signals the production booth. In Tales from the Dugout, Mark explains “Eddie Sissons Syndrome” for exaggerated baseball biographies, while Jeff shares an 1883 carrier-pigeon score delivery system and the story of Clarence “Climax” Blethyn’s dentures biting him during a slide. The show ends with Wax Pack Heroes from 2003 Topps, and there's a manager card!.

00:00 BP Weird Baseball Moments

15:04 Grounds Crew to Dugout Tales

16:36 Eddie Sissons Syndrome

20:43 Pigeon Scoreboard in 1883

23:30 Dentures Bite Back Story

30:34 Wax Pack Heroes

46:58 Streams and Signoff

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark kick off their opening day episode of Two Strike Noise by mocking the Giants’ version of the viral 9-9-9 challenge (mini hot dogs and one beer split into flight glasses) and complaining about MLB games being scattered across too many streaming platforms. They share quirky baseball items and stories, including a Royals rookie oversleeping, an MLB/Mountain Dew promo tied to 420-foot homers, Rays jerseys containing pieces of Tropicana Field’s hurricane-damaged roof, and a collector seeking ticket stubs from all 2,499 Carlton Fisk catching games. They then run through notable opening day history: Ruth homering at the first Yankee Stadium game (1923), Walter Johnson’s 15-inning shutout (1926), Bob Feller’s opening day no-hitter (1940), painted-stand suit stains in Boston (1946), Jackie Robinson’s debut (1947), the Seattle Pilots’ makeshift stadium (1969), Hank Aaron tying Ruth (1974), and umpire John McSherry’s fatal on-field heart attack and Marge Schott’s reaction (1996). And an episode wouldn't be complete without ripping some old baseball cards and playing Wax Pack Heroes.

00:00 Show Intro and Banter

01:15 Opening Day Vibes

01:37 Giants Botch 999

05:35 Baseball Streaming Chaos

09:00 MLB Seinfeld Style Oversleep

10:08 Mountain Dew 420 Promo

11:20 Rays Roof Jersey Patch

12:28 Carlton Fisk Ticket Hunt

13:50 First Pitch Record Story

17:26 Rolling Out Opening Day History

17:38 Yankee Stadium Ruth Homer

18:40 Walter Johnson 15 Innings

20:05 Feller Opening Day No No

22:44 Braves Green Paint Disaster

24:24 Jackie Robinson Debut

25:10 Seattle Pilots First Game

25:43 Stadium Chaos Opener

26:33 Hank Aaron Ties Ruth

28:13 Umpire Tragedy 1996

33:45 Wax Pack Heroes

47:40 Outro And Plugs

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Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com

Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark open discussing Hideki Matsui’s scheduled lecture at the Japan Society of Fertilization and Implantation and how he became an ‘expert’ on the subject. They review minor-league rule experiments, including moving second base again, check-swing challenges, limiting batter timeouts, counting PitchCom issues as mound visits, reducing disengagements, and allowing starters to re-enter, plus a DH-related idea. They cover an NPB postseason rule expanding “ghost wins” in the Climax Series and MLB’s spring training re-measurements to calibrate automated strike zones, noting several players’ height changes. In “Tales from the Dugout,” they recount 1900 Giants players rescuing people from a fire before a game that ended in a stalled tie, a 1944 Reds-Braves game finished in 1:15 on 58 pitches, and odd baseball card stories involving Mike Proly’s empty-bench card and forged Little Sun autographs. The episode ends with a 2003 Topps Wax Pack Heroes matchup.

00:00 Podcast Cold Open

00:51 Matsui Fertility Lecture

02:35 Minor League Rule Experiments

07:06 NPB Ghost Wins Debate

08:33 Measuring Strike Zones

13:45 1900 Fire Rescue Antics

18:19 1944 Speedrun Game

22:51 Mike Proly is Missing Card

26:48 Little Sun Set Tease

27:47 Roper Over Jeter Chase

29:46 Backdoored Autograph Scandal

31:10 Mystery Card Hunt Segment

32:44 Wax Pack Heroes Begins

52:01 Wrap Up and Listener Teams

Connect With Us

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@twostrikenoise

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/twostrikenoise

BlueSky: @twostrikenoise.bsky.social

Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com

Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise