The Infinite Inning #042: What The Wins And Losses Should Look Like

Rob Neyer, the Sage of Portland, joins Steve to preview his new book on the state of baseball, review some classic old ones, and dig into the art of writing for an audience of baseball fans and his controversial stance on the owners versus the players.  TABLE OF CONTENTSMcGraw, Chase, Porter*July 4, 1950 at the Polo Grounds*Rob Neyer: The Father of Us All*Alternative realities: Rob Neyer, pro roofer*The sabermetricians won*Has the low-hanging fruit been picked?*Writing vs. auditioning for a front-office job*Wishing for transparency in prospect reportage*Accountability: Fernando Tatis and Jay Bruce*Previewing Power Ball*Monographs on tuna and shattered authorial dreams*The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers*Infield shifts of the 1950s*The Sabermetricians vs. the Politicians*The Owners vs. the Players*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?