Infinite Inning 363: The Shortstop Sets Us Free

About this episode

The episode explores the legacy of John Henry Lloyd and the significance of the past in understanding the present through baseball.

A player who is remembered as “Jumbo” even though that was neither his name or his shape is described in both complimentary and critical terms, oysters are considered, and one of the greatest shortstops of all time, John Henry Lloyd, Pop, teaches an important lesson about why the past matters, and why his past was especially important. The Infinite Inning is a journey to the past to understand the present using baseball as our time machine. America's brighter mirror, baseball reflects, anticipates, and even mocks the stories we tell ourselves about our world today. Baseball Prospectus's Steven Goldman shares his obsessions: history from inside and outside of the game, politics, stats, and Casey Stengel quotations. Along the way, we'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?

People in this episode

Host: Steven Goldman

Topics covered

• baseball history
• shortstops
• John Henry Lloyd
• sports commentary
• cultural reflection

Keywords

• baseball
• John Henry Lloyd
• history
• sports
• cultural reflection

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Infinite Inning

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