The proverbial "they" say that any hero who lives long enough sees himself become a villain.  While that may or may not be true, no baseball player fully inhabited both roles as thoroughly as Pete Rose, whose death this week at the age of 83 marks the end of a turbulent life. Rose found himself at the top of the sporting world over and over, but his personal demons and abhorent conduct off the field left hiim permanently banned from the game and reviled by many. In recognition of his accoomplishments and his place in baseball history, Mike and Bill look back at Charlie Hustle's life and career, warts and all.

Plus, happy birthday to Harry Steinfeldt and Earl Wilson!

And farewell to Jim Brady and Mike Cubbage.

Despite his career ending in ignomy 104 years ago this week, Joe Jackson remains a larger than life figure iin baseball and in American culture. But so much of how we picture Jackson is wrong, says former executive director of the Shoeless Joe Museum Dan Wallach (@shoelesspodcast). We talk with Dan about the man behind the myth and why it persists.

Plus, happy birthday to Bernard Gilkey and Urban Shocker!

And farewell to Jim Umbarger and Doug Creek.

The best hiitter of the 1980s is, beyond a doubt, either Tony Gwynn or Wade Boggs, two remarkably diifferent people and players who, nonetheless, both slashed singles and doubles all over every park they played in. Boggs, though, added tremendous patience to his game, making it remarkable that he was able collect his 200th hit for the sixth year in a row 36 years ago this week when he was also walking 100 times a year. On the anniversary of this impressive accomplishment, and in the wake of the news that Boggs is battling prostate cancer, Mike and Bill look back at the singular career of one of baseball's best third basemen.

Plus, happy birthday to Mickey Tettleton and George Uhle!

And farewell to Mike Ferraro, Gary Dotter, Reyes Moronta, and Denny Lemaster.

There are no reporters more integral to the actual history of how baseball is covered today than Melissa Ludtke (@MelissaLudtke on social media). Ludtke's brave fight against Bowie Kuhn and major league baseball opened clubhoouses to all reporters, regardless of gender, and made it possible for women to cover the game every day. Her new book, Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle To Get Inside, chronicles how this crucial fight was won and its repercussions across sports, popular culture, and Ludtke's personal life. It's a great conversation with a true pioneer, whose heroism and sacrifice made today's media landscape possible.

Plus, happy birthday to Ken Forsch and Roger Maris!

And farewell to Nelson Chittum, Mel Held, Bob Chlupsa, and Jerry Walker.

When is a no-hitter not a no-hitter? When Fay Vincent decided, 36 years ago this week, that it shouldn't be. Specifically, he decreed that any no-hitters shorter than nine full innings or that was broken up after the ninth no longer counted, consigning 50 no-hitters to the dustbin of history. That's where Mike and Bill found them in this re-run from 2020, polished them up, and presented them for your enjoyment. Plus, happy birthday to Tug McGraw and Ed Konetchy!

While they were away, baseball lost one of its most important and irreplaceable figures, Billy Bean, the second former MLB player to come out as gay. Mike and Bill look back at the Bean's short career, his struggle to accept his sexuality and keep it private, his decision to come out and what has (and hasn't) happened since.

Plus, happy birthday to Oddibe McDowell and Tony González!

And farewell to Danny Fife, Jimmy Hurst, Mike Brumley, and Hank Allen.

There are a number of unanswerable questions in baseball history, but none truly tantalizes like the question of which pitcher was the fastest of all time. So this week, on the 78th anniversary of Bob Feller setting a new record for recorded pitch speed AND the 50th anniversary of Nolan Ryan doing the same, Mike and Bill break a record of their own, turning in their longest episode yet, looking back at the various attempts to figure out exactly who was the fastest before we had radar guns to spoil all the fun. And they even rope in Sports Reference guru Adam Darowski (@baseballtwit) to help them.

Plus, happy birthday to Wild Bill Hallahan and Max Lanier!

Major League Baseball, like America, is at its best when it's diverse and reflective of the countries that play the game. So this week, 59 years after the anniversary of Masahiro Murakami Day at Candlestick Park, Mike and Bill, along with special guest and Murakami biographer Rob Fitts (robfitts.com), remember the first player of Japanese descent to play in the Big Leagues. Mashi's career took him from Japan to Phoenix to Fresno and San Francisco before finally returning to Japan in 1966. Along the way they discuss how the 20 year old came to be a Giant, why he was exactly what the club and San Francisco needed in 1964 and 1965, why he went back to his homeland, and why it took 30 years for another Japanese player to play in the Majors.

Why is Mel Ott such an enigma? For all of his accomplishments, we really know very little about the stocky little right fielder who made hittiing at the Polo Grounds an art. So, on the 79th anniversary of his 500th homer, Mike and Bill go looking for the best hitter no one talks about today.

Plus, happy birthday to Freddie Fitzsimmons and Larry Doyle!

And farewell to Hank Foiles and John Upham.

In honor of Joe Mauer going into the Hall of Fame, Mike and Bill look back at another Minnesotan who was inducted 20 years ago this week, the great Paul Molitor. The fellas look back at his career's rough start, the injury problems and personal demons that almost sunk him, and the late career, DH-fueled revival that ultimatel paved his path to the Hall. 

Plus, happy birthday to patron request Dave Stieb and Moe Drabowsky!

With Mike out on vacation and the annual SABR convention just on the horizon, it's a great time to revisit one of our earliest episodes with our favorite person from SABR, Jacob Pomrenke (@buckweaver), on the 103rd anniversary of the start of the Black Sox trial.