Infinite Inning 334: The Cleveland Indians (and Other Parties) Send Mixed Messages

There are very few general managers in the Hall of Fame, but that doesn’t mean your local team executive doesn’t know what he’s doing—it’s just that there are only so many obvious choices to make in any baseball season whether your name sounds something like “Ranch Bickey” or “Cryin’ Rashman.” Then, following a quick stop with Babe Ruth and a close-mouthed Lou Gehrig, we visit Cleveland Indians camp in 1938 for a manager who was too insensitive to handle a troubled catcher—and his drawer full of shirts. 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?