Jesse Spector returns to talk manager firings, the proper way to build a lineup, and dissect Joe Maddon’s past and future, plus tales of ancient Cardinals grudges and a Detroit Tigers great sets his priorities.

WARNING: Jesse’s dog Youppi arrives about 43 minutes into our discussion. However, Youppi does not swear, so it’s all good.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dizzy Dean Holds a Lead*Hank Greenberg Plays, Daniel Hudson Does Not, and It’s None of Your Damned Business*Jesse Spector: When Your Child is Not Juan Soto*A Charlie Brown Way to Lose a Hit*Optimized Little League Lineups and Received Baseball Wisdom (Kids ‘n’ Kittle)*Wade Boggs Batting Leadoff*Pinch-Hitting in the First*Legitimizing the Taxi Squad*Eight Managerial Openings (with Babe and Lou Digression)*Using Managers as Human Shields*A Baleful Glance Back at Cleveland, and the Cubs*Boston’s Buyer’s Remorse*The Albert Pujols Problem*Joe Girardi in Repose*The Product Becomes Inconsequential*Pre- and Post-Apocalypse Visions of the Red Sox*The Relentless Death Machine and Other Playoff Apparitions*Asdrubal Brings Ice Cream?*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?