Hooks & Runs

A podcast about baseball, music and culture.
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Hooks & Runs is a podcast about baseball, music and culture. Our podcast includes interviews with news makers in the sports and music world plus commentary from the co-hosts on interesting current and historical events. Hooks & Runs releases a new episodes every Thursday (more or less).

  1. 22 hr ago

    298 - Texans in the Hall: Louis Santop and Biz Mackey w/ Thomas Kern

    This week we resume our series Texans in the Hall by looking at the lives and careers of two great Texan ballplayers - Louis Santop and Biz Mackey. Santop and Mackey were both born in the Texas in the late 19th Century and represent two of the four former Negro League catchers inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Our guest is Thomas Kern, a contributor to ¡Arriba!: The Heroic Life of Roberto Clemente (SABR 2022), and co-editor to The Negro Leagues’ 1931 Homestead Grays: The Color of Greatness (SABR 2026).  He is also a frequent contributor to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) biography project. Kern's expertise in Negro League history brings a unique perspective and depth to the discussion. Episodes Discussed: 280 - Texans in the Hall: Joe Williams, Andy Cooper and Hilton Smith w/ Thomas Kern; 107 - Bert Shepard, Lou Brissie & Baseball During World War II; 106 - Baseball Rebels w/ Professor Peter Dreier. Texans in the Hall Series: 285 - Texans in the Hall: Tris Speaker 280 - Texans in the Hall: Joe Williams, Andy Cooper and Hilton Smith w/ Thomas Kern 264 - Texans in the Hall: Joe Morgan 262 - Rube and Bill Foster: Texans in the Hall 259 - Texans in the Hall: Eddie Mathews 254 - Frank Robinson is Underrated (Texans in the Hall) 248 - Ernie Banks: Absurdly Simple & Impossibly Complex (Texans in the Hall) w/ Doug Wilson 247 - "A Stranger Among His Own Kind:" Rogers Hornsby (Texans in the Hall) 240 - Texans in the Hall: Greg Maddux, plus, Arenado, Rose, Golden State Entertainment and Tales of the Tape 235 - Texans in the Hall: Ross Youngs w/ David King 229 - Texans in the Hall: Willie Wells, "El Diablo," Was Ahead of His Time w/ Dr. Bob Luke Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

  2. 3 Aug

    297 - Baseball on the South Side After the Black Sox, 1920-26 w/ Bruce S. Allardice

    Bruce S. Allardice joins us this week to discuss the Chicago White Sox in the years immediately after the Black Sox scandal that tainted the 1919 World Series. Allardice is the author of After the Black Sox: The Chicago White Sox in Transition, 1920-1926 (McFarland Press 2026). The discussion covers the World Series scandal, the players involved, the "Clean Sox" - players like Dickie Kerr and Eddie Collins that were not involved in the fix, and the White Sox in the years that follow the team being decimated by the lifetime suspensions. Bruce S. Allardice's web page: http://civilwarbruce.com/ After the Black Sox at McFarland Press: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/after-the-black-sox/ Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

  3. 20 Jul

    296 - The 9-Online Virtual Baseball Conference w/ Willie Steele plus We Don't Like AI Music

    Professor Willie Steele (Lipscomb) joins us this week to discuss the forthcoming 9-Online Virtual Baseball Conference. Steele is a conference co-director and past editor of NINE: A Journal of Baseball History & Culture. Steele is also an expert on the works of W. P. Kinsella ("Shoeless Joe") so naturally, the conversation veered that direction. Also this episode, some thoughts on AI music and the return of vinyl. Willie Steele at Lipscomb: https://lipscomb.edu/directory/steele-willie Willie Steele on Bluesky: https://tinyurl.com/wsteele071926 The 9-Online Conference: https://nine-baseball.com/9-online/ NINE Journal: https://tinyurl.com/nine071926 Chapter Two sources: Rowan Davies, "Deezer says nearly half of all new music uploaded to its site is AI generated - and it's calling on Spotify and other streaming giants to do more about it," (techradar.com/April 20, 2026); Colin Toh, "The CD Comeback Story Crashes While Vinyl Hits $1B Because of One Brutal Reality Check," (headphonesty.com/March 19, 2026). Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

  4. 13 Jul

    295 - Baseball Back in the Day w/ John Ferling

    Professor John Ferling (University of West Georgia) joins the podcast this week to talk about his new book, Baseball As It Was: Building Champions Before Free Agency Changed Everything (Tatra Press, May 2026). The book examines the period 1946-1957, the years after World War II, with particular focus on the Cleveland Indians and the Boston, and later the Milwaukee Braves. John Ferling, Ph.D. - http://johnferling.com/ Baseball As It Was at Tatra Press - https://tinyurl.com/asitwas071226 Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

  5. 6 Jul

    294 - Castle Rat, Truth About Ruth, Portland vs SLC, and Remembering LaSalle's Vacay to our County

    This week on Hooks & Runs, the theatrical doom metal quartet Castle Rat gets a major article in Spin, Craig wanders into more Astro sign stealing controversy on social media, the truth about (Babe) Ruth (in 1922), Portland vs Salt Lake City as an expansion candidate, and remembering René-Robert La Salle's vacation to our home county. Source: Steve Appleford, "Castle Rat Brings to Life a Mythic World of Ancient Heroes and Villains," Spin Magazine (June 29, 2026) (https://tinyurl.com/hooks07052026). Errata - On further review it seem Craig pronounced "La Salle" correctly the first time. Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

  6. 29 Jun

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

    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.  Randall Sullivan at Grove Atlantic. Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

  7. 22 Jun

    292 - College Sports is Looking a Lot Like 19th Century Baseball w/ John A. Fortunato

    Between players jumping contracts and entangling themselves in gambling scandals; the lack of a clear, consistent enforcement authority and conference (league) realignments, one could easily confuse current state of the NCAA with the chaotic state of 19th Century baseball. This week, John A. Fortunato joins us to make sense of college sports today. Fortunato is a professor of communications and media management at Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business. His research interests include sports, broadcasting & communication and public relations. He comments on a wide range of topics, including name, image & likeness; the Brendan Sorsby and Darian Mensah controversies, the increasingly toothless NCAA enforcement arm, and whether or not Congress has the power to bring order to the anarchy.  Professor Fortunato at Fordham John Fortunato, An Ethical Application to Student-Athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), Journal of Intercollegiate Sport. Errata: The University of Houston played Idaho, not an Ivy League school, in March Madness's first round in 2026 - you'd think a "basketball junkie" would remember that. Wagner beat Maryland-Eastern Shore 78-64 on December 17, 2025, with 350 patrons in attendance. Rose Hill Gym was built in 1925 - it is the oldest Division I gymnasium still in regular use, now that Northeastern University's Matthews Arena is being demolished.  Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

  8. 15 Jun

    291 - Charlie Ferguson: "A Great Forgotten Star of the 19th Century" w/ Paul Hofmann

    Chapter 1 - Paul Hofmann, Ph.D., Associate Provost for International Affairs at the University of Louisville and Society for American Baseball Research member, joins us this week to discuss Charlie Ferguson, a forgotten 19th Century baseball star. Ferguson played four seasons in his early 20s with the Philadelphia Quakers (now, Phillies) in the National League and by 1887, Ferguson's final season, he emerged as a rising two-way star, excelling both at the plate (.337 average) and on the mound (99 wins over 4 seasons).  Ferguson died from typhoid fever in April 1888 after a month-long battle with the illness. He had turned 25 years old just two weeks prior. Ferguson was regarded at the time and for many years after as one of the greatest players in baseball history. Chapter 2 - Another gambling scandal, only not in professional baseball. "Charlie Ferguson," by Paul Hofmann, at https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Charlie-Ferguson/ (accessed June 9, 2026). Consider supporting Hooks & Runs by purchasing books, including those featured in this episode (if available), through our store at Bookshop.org. Here's the link. https://bookshop.org/shop/hooksandruns. Hooks & Runs - https://hooksandruns.buzzsprout.com Email: hooksandruns@protonmail.com 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 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hofffest Eric on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ichaboderic/ Music: "Warrior of Light" by ikolics (via Premium Beat)    www.premiumbeat.com/artist/ikoliks This podcast and this episode are copyright Craig Estlinbaum, 2026.

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About

Hooks & Runs is a podcast about baseball, music and culture. Our podcast includes interviews with news makers in the sports and music world plus commentary from the co-hosts on interesting current and historical events. Hooks & Runs releases a new episodes every Thursday (more or less).

Information

  • Creator
    A podcast about baseball, music and culture.
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    250
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Craig Estlinbaum
  • Show Website
    Hooks & Runs

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