On this episode of Two Strike Noise, Jeff and Mark cover recent baseball chatter (Jazz Chisholm borrowing gear, a new baseball rom-com, and the 1986 Wally Joyner knife incident) before welcoming Baseball-Reference’s Adam Darowski for a deep dive on Julio Franco, from his Dominican upbringing and Phillies signing through stints with Cleveland, Texas, the White Sox, and extensive play in Japan, Mexico, Korea, and back in MLB with Atlanta and the Mets, highlighting his longevity, unique batting stance, training regimen, and age-related MLB records. They discuss Franco’s production peaks (including a 1991 AL batting title), his global hit totals and Darowski’s conservative “gap-filling” 4,000-hit-club research projecting Franco past 3,000 MLB hits, plus context from Negro Leagues/Latin American history and Hall of Fame considerations. The episode also closes with a 1987 Topps Wax Pack Heroes card pull and Adam’s Immaculate Grid favorites.

Awesome shot of Julio and other DR players looking fly AF - https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portrait-of-mlb-shortstops-rafael-santana-julio-franco-news-photo/957081864?adppopup=true

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On May 17, 1998, David Wells showed up to Yankee Stadium having slept maybe two and a half hours, running on coffee, a single pancake, and whatever was left of Saturday night. He then threw the 15th perfect game in Major League Baseball history in front of 49,820 people who were mostly there for a Beanie Baby. That's the story this week.

We go deep on the whole thing — the legendary SNL after-party that didn't happen, the cast members who swear they were there and provably weren't, the Mandela Effect that turned one hungover pitcher into baseball mythology, and what Wells actually did in the nine years after the game nobody thought he had left in him.

Also in this episode: Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice stop by Letterman to deliver a top 10 list, Steve Garvey turns up as an extra in The Godfather Part II, Wade Boggs earns his nickname on the set of Cheers, and we finally finish that pack of 2003 Topps with Alfonso Soriano, Shawn Green, Al Leiter, and Sean Casey.

Topics include: David Wells perfect game, 1998 New York Yankees, SNL Mandela Effect, Jimmy Fallon David Wells party, Beanie Baby day Yankee Stadium, Chuck Knoblauch throwing yips, Tim McClelland umpire, Don Larsen perfect game, Dock Ellis no-hitter, Dallas Braden perfect game, David Cone knuckleball, Rickey Henderson Hall of Fame, Wade Boggs Cheers, Steve Garvey Godfather, 2003 Topps baseball cards, baseball history podcast, Two Strike Noise

00:00 Open

01:06 Rickey & Rice on Letterman

05:26 Garvey in Godfather

07:18 Boggs on Cheers

10:10 Towel Toss Ejection

12:40 Wells Perfect Game Intro

15:48 Gout and Yankees Context

19:10 The Mystery Party Night

23:28 Hangover to Perfection

30:37 Perfect Game Tension

33:00 Knoblauch Saves It

34:23 Twins Stall Tactics

35:26 Ninth Inning Drama

37:31 Perfect Game Celebration

38:51 Aftermath And Trivia

45:06 SNL Mandela Effect

47:33 Wax Pack Heroes Returns

01:00:50 Final Cards Winner

01:04:11 Wrap Up And Plugs

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise #popculture

The mailbag delivers. Listener emails this week include a baseball honeymoon, a Jeopardy-funded wedding (not a typo), and a fan who shipped over APBA game materials and a stack of 1972 Topps cards. That last one matters by the end of the episode.

In BP, Jeff and Mark work through the week's oddities: batters watching their own strikeout replays in real time, the phrase "circuit clout" making a comeback, Elmo showing up in the Phillies booth alongside John Kruk, Jazz Chisholm wearing Giancarlo Stanton's pants to break a slump, and a genuinely strange roster trivia note involving the Marlins, Cardinals, and Twins.

The main segment is 1988. Specifically, what happens when a pitcher gets so locked in that the league starts to feel likeit's 1968 all over again. Orel Hershiser threw 59 consecutive scoreless innings that year — breaking Don Drysdale's record — and won the Cy Young while doing it. Jeff puts it in context against Bob Gibson's 1968, the last time people seriously asked whether pitchers had broken the sport.

The episode closes with Wax Pack Heroes, using the 1972 Topps cards the listener sent in.

00:00 Cold Open and Welcome 00:18 On Location and Mariners Talk 01:31 Mailbag Honeymoon Baseball Stories 04:15 APBA Surprise and Wax Packs 07:19 BP Big Screens and Circuit Clouts 09:11 Elmo in the Broadcast Booth 10:52 Jazz Chisholm Wears Stantons Pants 13:22 Weird MLB Three Team Trivia 15:01 NCIS New Orleans Baseball Cameos 16:54 Year of the Pitcher Part Deux 44:35 Wax PackHeroes 01:07:10 Thanks Plugs Signoff

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark return and open with BP topics including Bobby Witt Jr.’s inside-the-park homer and a minor-league inside-the-park home run created when a fielder slid on a ball and unknowingly plugged it under the turf. They discuss Cal Raleigh ending an 0-for-38 slump by showering in full uniform, then going on the IL, and debate complaints about constant in-stadium audio at Yankee Stadium, including claims Aaron Judge wants Madison Square Garden-style energy and even signals the production booth. In Tales from the Dugout, Mark explains “Eddie Sissons Syndrome” for exaggerated baseball biographies, while Jeff shares an 1883 carrier-pigeon score delivery system and the story of Clarence “Climax” Blethyn’s dentures biting him during a slide. The show ends with Wax Pack Heroes from 2003 Topps, and there's a manager card!.

00:00 BP Weird Baseball Moments

15:04 Grounds Crew to Dugout Tales

16:36 Eddie Sissons Syndrome

20:43 Pigeon Scoreboard in 1883

23:30 Dentures Bite Back Story

30:34 Wax Pack Heroes

46:58 Streams and Signoff

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark kick off their opening day episode of Two Strike Noise by mocking the Giants’ version of the viral 9-9-9 challenge (mini hot dogs and one beer split into flight glasses) and complaining about MLB games being scattered across too many streaming platforms. They share quirky baseball items and stories, including a Royals rookie oversleeping, an MLB/Mountain Dew promo tied to 420-foot homers, Rays jerseys containing pieces of Tropicana Field’s hurricane-damaged roof, and a collector seeking ticket stubs from all 2,499 Carlton Fisk catching games. They then run through notable opening day history: Ruth homering at the first Yankee Stadium game (1923), Walter Johnson’s 15-inning shutout (1926), Bob Feller’s opening day no-hitter (1940), painted-stand suit stains in Boston (1946), Jackie Robinson’s debut (1947), the Seattle Pilots’ makeshift stadium (1969), Hank Aaron tying Ruth (1974), and umpire John McSherry’s fatal on-field heart attack and Marge Schott’s reaction (1996). And an episode wouldn't be complete without ripping some old baseball cards and playing Wax Pack Heroes.

00:00 Show Intro and Banter

01:15 Opening Day Vibes

01:37 Giants Botch 999

05:35 Baseball Streaming Chaos

09:00 MLB Seinfeld Style Oversleep

10:08 Mountain Dew 420 Promo

11:20 Rays Roof Jersey Patch

12:28 Carlton Fisk Ticket Hunt

13:50 First Pitch Record Story

17:26 Rolling Out Opening Day History

17:38 Yankee Stadium Ruth Homer

18:40 Walter Johnson 15 Innings

20:05 Feller Opening Day No No

22:44 Braves Green Paint Disaster

24:24 Jackie Robinson Debut

25:10 Seattle Pilots First Game

25:43 Stadium Chaos Opener

26:33 Hank Aaron Ties Ruth

28:13 Umpire Tragedy 1996

33:45 Wax Pack Heroes

47:40 Outro And Plugs

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark open discussing Hideki Matsui’s scheduled lecture at the Japan Society of Fertilization and Implantation and how he became an ‘expert’ on the subject. They review minor-league rule experiments, including moving second base again, check-swing challenges, limiting batter timeouts, counting PitchCom issues as mound visits, reducing disengagements, and allowing starters to re-enter, plus a DH-related idea. They cover an NPB postseason rule expanding “ghost wins” in the Climax Series and MLB’s spring training re-measurements to calibrate automated strike zones, noting several players’ height changes. In “Tales from the Dugout,” they recount 1900 Giants players rescuing people from a fire before a game that ended in a stalled tie, a 1944 Reds-Braves game finished in 1:15 on 58 pitches, and odd baseball card stories involving Mike Proly’s empty-bench card and forged Little Sun autographs. The episode ends with a 2003 Topps Wax Pack Heroes matchup.

00:00 Podcast Cold Open

00:51 Matsui Fertility Lecture

02:35 Minor League Rule Experiments

07:06 NPB Ghost Wins Debate

08:33 Measuring Strike Zones

13:45 1900 Fire Rescue Antics

18:19 1944 Speedrun Game

22:51 Mike Proly is Missing Card

26:48 Little Sun Set Tease

27:47 Roper Over Jeter Chase

29:46 Backdoored Autograph Scandal

31:10 Mystery Card Hunt Segment

32:44 Wax Pack Heroes Begins

52:01 Wrap Up and Listener Teams

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark open this week’s episode with some unique baseball history notes, including Andre Dawson’s Hall of Fame plaque, Ramon Laureano’s scratched spring start due to his new best boy, a forgotten Jay Johnstone’s prank, a “Very Reverend” arrested for stealing baseball card packs, and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp using “Honey Drippers” as an alternate identity. The main story spotlights Browns outfielder Ken Williams’ remarkable 1922 season during Babe Ruth’s early suspension, detailing his league-leading power, 30–30 milestone, record feats, lack of MVP votes, a corked-bat controversy, and head injuries that helped end his career. The episode closes with Wax Packs Heroes from a 2003 Topps pack featuring some Hall of Famers and some not even close Hall of Famers.

00:00 Podcast Intro and Banter

01:24 Hall of Fame Cap Debate

03:41 Weird Spring Training Injuries

05:14 Jay Johnstone Prank Story

06:26 Reverend Card Theft Bust

09:20 Honey Drippers Name Revival

10:57 Main Story Ken Williams Begins

34:29 Wax Pack Heroes Returns

47:36 Wrap Up Plugs Farewell

Connect With Us

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@twostrikenoise

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Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise

Jeff and Mark open with BP updates including Ben Davis cutting his kneecap to the bone with a chainsaw and Matt Waldron being hospitalized after hemorrhoid surgery, plus an immaculate-grid note that Josh Gibson pitched once and Cool Papa Bell pitched extensively with a winning record. They discuss Mets pitcher Ryan Lambert boosting velocity by eating up to 30 raw eggs a day and debate how baseball phrases dominate everyday language. The main topic covers the Indianapolis Clowns, a Negro American League team that blended high-level play with choreographed comedy (including the “magic circle,” a first baseman on stilts, and barnstorming life under segregation) while still winning, including the 1950 pennant, and featuring a brief 1952 stint by Henry Aaron before the Braves bought his contract for $10,000. They add that the Clowns signed women players like Toni Stone and inspired the film The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, then finish with a 2003 Topps Wax Pack Heroes round featuring players like Hideo Nomo, Alfonso Soriano, Orlando Hudson, Roberto Alomar, Larry Walker, and “Young Bong.”

00:00 Podcast Cold Open

00:54 Ben Davis Chainsaw Massacre

03:41 Dude Wipes and Waldron

05:33 Immaculate Grid Oddities

08:38 Raw Eggs for Velocity

11:28 Baseball Phrases Everywhere

15:16 Meet the Indianapolis Clowns

34:25 Wax Pack Heroes

50:13 Wrap Up And Plugs

Connect With Us

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@twostrikenoise

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/twostrikenoise

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Email: twostrikenoise@gmail.com

Support a Great Cause: Don't let your common cards collect dust! Donate them to help spark a child's interest in the game at http://commons4kids.org/.

#baseballhistory #mlb #baseball #Yankees #RedSox #Cal #BaseballCards #TwoStrikeNoise