Episode 4: Tigers Burning Bright

In 1936, Mickey Cochrane was on top of the world. He was the catcher, manager, and vice president of the world champion Detroit Tigers. He had a roster packed with stars that looked poised to win back-to-back titles. But in the middle of the season, Cochrane simply walked away from baseball. Was it a nervous breakdown, or possibly a darker secret? With special guest Tom Stanton (author of the new book Terror in the City of Champions), Episode 4 of Fadeaway examines the 1930s Tigers amid the backdrop of the Black Legion, a secret society that was torturing and murdering Detroiters at the same time the Tigers were winning pennants. Other characters involved in this story of a troubled city include Hank Greenberg, Henry Ford, Joe Louis, Schoolboy Rowe, and Humphrey Bogart.

EPISODE 4 BOX SCORE

BOOKS

Bevis, Charlie. Mickey Cochrane: The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher. McFarland Books, 1998.

Greenberg, Hank. The Story of My Life. Ivan R. Dee, 2009.

Santas, Constantine. The Essential Humphrey Bogart. Rowman & Littlefield, 2016.

Stanton, Tom. Terror in the City of Champions: Murder, Baseball, and the Secret Society That Shocked Depression-Era Detroit. Lyons Press, 2016.

ARTICLES

Bevis, Charlie. “Mickey Cochrane.” Published online by the SABR Baseball Biography Project.

Dow, Bill. “Life’s Greatest Regret of Detroit Tigers’ Legend Mickey Cochrane.” Published online by Detroit Athletic Co., September 23, 2011.

Lay, Shawn. “Ku Klux Klan in the Twentieth Century.” Published online by New Georgia Encyclopedia, October 15, 2015.

Rothman, Lily. “The Long History Behind Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ Foreign Policy.” Published online by Time Magazine, March 28, 2016.

“Scribbled by Scribes.” The Sporting News, June 18, 1936.

Vitty, Cort. “Bump Hadley.” Published online by the SABR Baseball Biography Project.

SONGS

Fadeaway’s opening theme is “Under Suspicion” by Lee Rosevere. Licensed through Creative Commons, courtesy of the Free Music Archive.

“Just Watching” by Podington Bear. Licensed through Creative Commons, courtesy of the Free Music Archive.

“Streets at Night” by Dave Depper. Licensed through Creative Commons, courtesy of the Free Music Archive.

“Hungaria” by Latché Swing. Licensed through Creative Commons, courtesy of the Free Music Archive.

“Guatemala-Panama March” by Heftone Banjo Orchestra. Licensed through