Infinite Inning 369: An Odd Cardinals Walk-Off or a Typical Cubs Loss?

Infinite Inning 369: An Odd Cardinals Walk-Off or a Typical Cubs Loss?First we ask an evergreen question prompted by Konnor Griffin’s promotion: Were Casey Stengel’s expectations of Mickey Mantle unfair? Then we visit 1949 for one of the more unusual walk-off hits in Cardinals history and the popular player whose momentary lack of awareness allowed it to happen—and find ourselves questioning the way we live. 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?