Hooks & Runs · A podcast about baseball, music and culture.

253 - Microbets, 1980's Baseball Cards, and Fare Thee Well to Ozzy

·53 min·5 clips

Luis Ortiz threw two wildly out-of-zone pitches that coincided with massive spikes in microbet gambling.

This episode of Hooks & Runs features hosts Craig and Rex discussing current baseball events and opening a pack of 1986 baseball cards. They begin by sharing their appreciation for the British Open golf tournament's challenging coastal courses. The central topic is the investigation into Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz for potential gambling on "microbets" related to specific pitches. Ortiz was placed on paid leave after two wildly errant first pitches coincided with noticeable betting spikes in states like Ohio and New Jersey. The hosts detail the specific pitches under scrutiny: a June 15th slider against the Mariners and a June 27th pitch against the Cardinals that was Ortiz's furthest-thrown slider of the year. They explain that microbets allow wagers on outcomes like whether a first pitch will be a ball or a strike. Craig and Rex speculate on the difficulty of intentionally throwing an unhittable ball and the potential for this scandal to become rampant. They reference an article by Catherine Xu on Defector.com that analyzed Ortiz's pitching data. Another segment covers the Washington Nationals firing their general manager and manager on the eve of the amateur draft and trade deadline. The hosts find the timing bizarre, noting the team has been one of the league's worst since winning the 2019 World Series. They humorously attribute the Nationals' prolonged slump to a "pact with the devil" made to beat the Astros. Craig and Rex also briefly critique the Colorado Rockies' mismanagement, citing the Nolan Arenado trade and subsequent signing of an often-injured Kris Bryant. The episode concludes with the hosts opening a pack of 1986 Topps baseball cards, pulling players like Phil Bradley, Lenny Dykstra, and Fernando Valenzuela. They share anecdotes, noting Dykstra's later legal troubles and Valenzuela's legendary 1981 season. The pack also includes cards of Dwight Evans and a manager card of Pete Rose, which prompts joking banter. The tone is conversational, humorous, and digressive, blending serious analysis with lighthearted nostalgia. This episode will appeal to fans interested in baseball's gambling controversies and 1980s baseball nostalgia, but might not suit listeners seeking a tightly focused, single-topic discussion.

As heard by us

A baseball conversation that keeps finding the useful detail inside the digression.

The episode moves briskly from the All-Star Game countdown to golf weather, then settles into a careful look at the Nationals firing Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want baseball history, British Open weather, and draft-room logic in the same breath.

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