Infinite Inning 053: “Why Would They Wanna Blow Up Disco Music?” And Other Tales

Steve is joined by major league veteran Greg Pryor to discuss his forthcoming book, The Day the Yankees Made Me Shave: A Baseball Autobiography, and share tales of the game in the 1970s and 80s. Plus, SteveStories on the meaning of 3,000 hits and the way Ty Cobb’s racism is misused.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Paul Waner’s two 3000th hits*Abnormalizing Ty Cobb*Short pants and South Side Hitmen*The Syracuse Mustache Rebellion*“No one ever seemed satisfied with me”*A dark scouting report*The Harry Chappas: Sports Illustrated Cover-Guy Saga*The moral hazard of George Brett injuries*Bottom of the 16th courage*The untimely death of Dick Howser*On strikeouts and “launch-angle stuff”*Disco Demolition Night*Goodbyes.

The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, rotating cohosts Jesse Spector, Cliff Corcoran, and David Roth, and occasional guests discuss the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside the foul lines to the culture at large. Expect stats, anecdotes, digressions, explorations of writing and fandom, and more Casey Stengel quotations than you thought possible. Along the way, they’ll try to solve the puzzle that is the Infinite Inning: How do you find the joy in life when you can’t get anybody out?