Hooks & Runs

Rex and Craig are on the case, from Luke Combs' "Fast Car" cover and performance at the Grammy Awards Show with songwriter Tracy Chapman; to our review of this year's Super Bowl halftime show starring Usher and friends; to our inquiring why some people get so triggered by Taylor Swift to Houston Astros pitchers and catchers reporting. Also, Craig has a couple of Tik Tok stories.
Errata: Not really an error, but the quote from the Whatever Podcast is, "It's very convenient that women waited until after one of the most deadly and brutal wars to secure their right to vote." The vampire's name in "Nosferatu" (1922) was Graf Orlok, played by Max Schreck. The film starring Willem Defoe was "Shadow of the Vampire," not "Kiss of the Vampire." Craig replaced "Possum Kingdom" with Delta Spirit's "How 'Bout It." It's not made clear, but Nicky Minaj settled with Tracy Chapman. The "Mark" in Devo is Mark Mothersbaugh.
Some Links
Chris Willman, "Nicki Minaj Agrees to Pay Tracy Chapman $450,000 in Settlement Over Unauthorized Sample," Variety.com, January 8, 2021.
Nick DeRiso, "Why Don't Rock Bands Play the Super Bowl Halftime Show Anymore?" at UltimateClassicRock.com, February 7, 2024.
Max Pilley, "Dua Lipa thinks people don’t want pop stars to be 'political' or 'smart'" NME.com January 21, 2024.
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-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2024 all rights reserved.

Journalist, author Dave Heller joins us this week to discuss his new book, "Parisian Bob Caruthers: Baseball's First Two-Way Star" (McFarland 2024). Caruthers played in the American Association and National League from 1884 to 1893 where he led the AA in wins twice and played with distinction in the outfield when he was not pitching. In this interview, Heller takes us back to a time and place when baseball, baseball players and America itself were wild and untamed.
In part 2, Craig and Rex briefly discuss a controversial Astro trade and speculate on baseball in the Olympic Games come 2028.
Dave Heller on Twitter
Dave's book at McFarlandBooks.com
Source:
Scott Louder, "Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge endorse MLB players in the 2028 Olympics, an idea that might be gaining steam," Philadelphia Inquirer at msn.com.
-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Hosts Emeritus:
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Eric on Facebook
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.

Professor Robert Ross, author of The Great Baseball Revolt: The Rise and Fall of the 1890 Players League (2016) joins us this week to discuss the first attempt at unionization by Major League players -- the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players which had formed in the mid 1880s. The Brotherhood joined forces with supportive magnates to form the Players League in 1890. Unfortunately, the league lasted just one season before folding. The Players League though included many top players from that time including future Hall of Famers Hugh Duffy, John Montgomery Ward and pitcher "Old Hoss" Radbourn.
In part two, Craig and Rex talk about mispronouncing names, whether betting is allowed on a baseball podcast, and more speculation on baseball in the 2028 Olympics.
Robert Ross's Point Park Univ. page, on Twitter/X
Buy The Great Baseball Revolt from the publisher, from our bookshop.org affiliate link below, or wherever you buy books.
Errata: If the season ended on the day Craig and Rex recorded this episode, the AL wild card teams would be New York, Kansas City and Minnesota, not Boston. South African native Gift Ngoepe, an infielder, played for Pittsburgh in 2017 and Toronto in 2018, totaling 54 at bats and hitting .222 over the two seasons.
Episodes Mentioned:
211 - The Money Went Dry, The Liquor Went Wet: The Life & Times of Bob Caruthers w/ Dave Heller
205 - Baseball at War: Working and Playing Ball in the Bethlehem Steel League w/ William Ecenbarger (segment on the real life "Natural")
104 - When Sport Defeated Law: The Curt Flood Case w/ Prof. Jeremi Duru

-->Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/tT8d3pVUsN
-->You can support Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including the books featured in this episode, through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thehooksandruns
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Hosts Emeritus:
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Eric on Facebook
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic
Email us: [email protected]
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum.

Alex Boyajian (Chaotically Intolerant, Gridiron Chaos) returns to discuss whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, our thoughs on Mike Leach, the post-Xander Bogaerts Red Sox, free agency's ebb and flow, an article from Rolling Stone magazine and the pros and cons of getting mixed up with the Kardashian family. Alex was our guest in Episode 122 and we were happy he agreed to return to talk baseball and more.
The Rolling Stone article is: Andy Greene, "The Fifty Worst Decisions in Music History," Rolling Stone, November 28, 2022.
Errata: Mike Leach was 9-3 against Texas A&M. Since 2019, Stephen Strasberg has 8 starts, a 1-4 record, a 6.68 ERA. He has been paid $105M (before the Covid-19 short season adjustment) and has $140M to go on his contract the next four seasons. Jose Abreu hit 30 home runs in 2021, not 33; and he hit 15 home runs in 2022, not 15. Great White and Whitesnake played Rice Stadium in Houston TX in July 1988. Elvis Presley died August 16, 1977. Reggie Bush is an on-air football analyst for Fox Sports - he dated Kim Kardashian at one time. The new Kardashian TV show is called "The Kardashians."
Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Hooks & Runs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs on Twitter - https://twitter.com/hooksandrunspc
Craig Estlinbaum on Twitter
Link: https://twitter.com/CraigEstlinbaum
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok (it's true!)
Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest
Rex von Pohl (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2022, all rights reserved

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://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns
Hooks & Runs - www.hooksandruns.com
Email: [email protected]
Hooks & Runs on Twitter
Craig on Bluesky (@craigest.bsky.social)
Rex (Krazy Karl's Music Emporium) on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/people/Krazy-Karlz-Music-Emporium/100063801500293/
Hosts Emeriti:
Andrew Eckhoff on Tik Tok
Eric on Facebook
Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)
This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2025.