Infinite Inning 372: The Yankees' Owner’s Mistress and the Bomb

About this episode

The episode explores the intersection of baseball, history, and politics through the lens of the Yankees and the atomic bomb.

A major metropolitan newspaper contends a pitcher “blows,” while he insists he is in “the best shape of his life.” Which would prove to be closer to the truth? Then we revisit the birth of the atomic bomb, the Yankees’ decision to start a farm system in spite of their wealth, and the mysterious woman whose very existence might have hinted at undisclosed cash-flow problems on the part of a very wealthy man. 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

• Yankees
• atomic bomb
• baseball history
• cash-flow problems
• sports journalism

Keywords

• Yankees
• atomic bomb
• baseball history
• Steven Goldman
• Casey Stengel

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yankees, Baseball Prospectus

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