Best Brian Hobbs Podcasts (2025)

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Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers (with Mark Blyth) 39:02

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1h ago39:02

39:02

Political economist Mark Blyth joins Nick and Goldy to unpack the myths and realities of rising prices, from pandemic supply shocks and corporate profiteering to central-bank missteps and decades of bad economic theory. Drawing from his new book Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers, Blyth explains why some narratives fall flat, why others reveal…

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Back to Basics Series: Homo Economicus Must Die (with Samuel Bowles) 32:34

7d ago32:34

32:34

What if the relentless drive to maximize personal gain isn't human nature, but just a flawed model we built? In this Back-to-Basics episode, behavioral economist Samuel Bowles helps us lay homo economicus—the myth of the perfectly rational, self-interested actor—six feet under. He shows how this caricature not only misrepresents human behavior, but…

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Back to Basics Series: Is the American Dream a Lie? (with Christian Cooper and Khiara Bridges) 42:47

15d ago42:47

42:47

The promise of the American Dream—work hard, play by the rules, and you’ll get ahead—is unraveling before our eyes. In this Back-to-Basics episode, Christian H. Cooper and law professor Khiara Bridges join Nick and Goldy to posit whether economic mobility has ever truly existed, or if the system was rigged from the start. As wages stagnate, homeown…

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Back to Basics Series: How Monopolies Feed Plutocracy (with Matt Stoller) 31:58

21d ago31:58

31:58

When a few giants dominate the economy, democracy is the first to go. In this back-to-basics episode, author and anti-monopoly expert Matt Stoller unpacks how concentrated corporate power doesn’t just warp markets—it tilts the political playing field toward plutocracy. Drawing from his book Goliath, Stoller shows how corporate giants from banks to …

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Back to Basics Series: Does the Market Really Pay You What You’re Worth? (with Marshall Steinbaum and Saru Jayaraman) 50:51

29d ago50:51

50:51

We’ve all heard the story: In a fair market, workers are paid exactly what they’re worth. Economists even have a name for it—marginal productivity theory. It’s neat, simple…and completely wrong. In this Back-to-Basics episode, economist Marshall Steinbaum and labor leader Saru Jayaraman dismantle the myth that the market fairly rewards labor. Stein…

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Back to Basics Series: The Velocity of Money (with Ann Pettifor) 42:30

1M ago42:30

42:30

If you’ve ever wondered why the economy feels stuck, even when it seems like there's a lot more money in the system, this episode will blow your mind. Political economist Ann Pettifor joins Nick and Goldy to explain why money isn't flowing like it used to, and why that matters. Over the last century, the velocity of money (how quickly a dollar circ…

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Back to Basics Series: Is Economics Moral? (with Heather McGhee) 35:57

1M ago35:57

35:57

For decades, orthodox economics has treated morality as irrelevant—as if economic decisions happen in a vacuum, separate from our values and social bonds. But that approach has failed spectacularly, giving cover to policies that divide and exploit us. In this episode, Heather McGhee joins Nick and Paul to argue that morality must be central to how …

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Back to Basics Series: Where does economic growth really come from? (with W. Brian Arthur and Cesar Hidalgo) 46:51

2M ago46:51

46:51

Is economic growth just about money, trade, and GDP? Or is something deeper at play? In this episode, economist W. Brian Arthur and physicist Cesar Hidalgo join Nick and Goldy to reveal the real drivers of rising prosperity: human knowledge, know‑how, and innovation. They challenge the old assumptions of growth and argue that innovation isn't a byp…

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Back to Basics Series: Is Econ 101 a Lie? (with Eric Beinhocker and James Kwak) 39:29

2M ago39:29

39:29

Trickle-downers love to pretend that "Econ 101" is a convincing argument against policies like the minimum wage that invest in working Americans. But the truth is that mainstream economists are terrible at predicting how the economy will behave in the future…Is Econ 101 broken? In this key foundational episode for the podcast, we dismantle the myth…

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Back to Basics Series: What the hell are they talking about? Econ terms explained! (with Nick and Goldy) 14:48

2M ago14:48

14:48

Ever find yourself halfway through a Pitchfork Economics episode thinking, “Wait… what’s a monopsony?” You’re not alone. In this listener-favorite episode, Nick and Goldy break down some of the most important—and most misunderstood—economic terms we use on the show. From ‘neoclassical’ and ‘neoliberal’ to ‘monopoly’, ‘monopsony,’ ‘stock buybacks,’ …

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Back to Basics Series: Why do we call it Pitchfork Economics? (with Ganesh Sitaraman & Walter Scheidel) 33:16

2M ago33:16

33:16

In 2014, Nick Hanauer sounded the alarm: if economic inequality kept growing, the pitchforks would come—for him, and for the rest of America’s wealthy elite. Then 2016 happened. Donald Trump was elected president on a wave of economic populism that correctly identified massive inequality as a problem, but which offered all the wrong solutions. The …

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The Truth About Immigration and the American Worker (with Rogé Karma) 39:13

3M ago39:13

39:13

Conventional wisdom says immigration drives down wages and takes jobs from American workers. But what if that story is fueled by bad economics? Journalist Rogé Karma joins Nick and Goldy to challenge the Econ 101 logic that supercharges anti-immigrant rhetoric—and to explain what the data actually shows. Drawing on research from the U.S., Denmark, …

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America Adrift: Inequality, Power, and the Fight to Fix It (with Scott Galloway) 45:14

3M ago45:14

45:14

With inequality rising, housing out of reach, and young Americans falling further behind, some argue the American Dream is dead. But NYU professor Scott Galloway has a different take: America hasn’t fallen—it’s adrift. Originally recorded in late 2022, this episode features a candid conversation about what’s really hollowed out the middle class: ge…

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From Reagan to Reality: The Case Against Tax Cuts for the Rich (with Bruce Bartlett) 36:11

3M ago36:11

36:11

As Republicans work at break-neck speed to push another round of massive tax cuts for the wealthy, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit our 2019 conversation with Bruce Bartlett, a Reagan policy adviser and key architect of the 1981 tax cuts. Bartlett explains how the trickle-down logic he once championed turned out to be economic snake oi…

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Why Gutting SNAP Makes the Economy Worse for Everyone (with Lily Roberts) 44:19

3M ago44:19

44:19

The GOP’s new tax bill isn’t just a massive giveaway to the rich—it’s an all-out assault on SNAP, one of the most effective anti-poverty programs in the U.S. That’s because SNAP is more than just a program designed to end hunger. It’s also a powerful economic engine, stabilizing local economies as well as supporting retailers and farmers. Lily Robe…

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Good Company: Ending the Era of Shareholder Supremacy (with Lenore Palladino) 37:21

4M ago37:21

37:21

What makes a company good—and who gets to decide? Economist Lenore Palladino joins Nick and Goldy to dismantle the myth of shareholder primacy and explain how our current system of corporate governance has warped innovation, deepened inequality, and undermined democracy. Drawing from her new book Good Company: Economic Policy after Shareholder Prim…

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The Empire Strikes Back—With More Billionaire Tax Breaks (with Samantha Jacoby) 35:40

4M ago35:40

35:40

With Trump’s second major tax bill clearing committee and heading to the House floor—packed, as promised, with massive giveaways to the ultra-wealthy—we’re revisiting our timely conversation with Samantha Jacoby of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Originally recorded before Trump’s reelection, this episode breaks down the real impact of …

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Greedflation 2.0: How Tariffs Could Become an Excuse for Corporate Price Gouging (with Hal Singer) 44:43

4M ago44:43

44:43

During COVID, corporations blamed supply chain shocks for rising prices while quietly raising prices higher than costs, thereby boosting their profits to record levels. We know they did this because they bragged about doing it on corporate earnings calls. Economist Hal Singer warns that Trump’s proposed tariffs could spark a repeat, giving corporat…

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Why Democracy Needs a New Operating System (with K. Sabeel Rahman) 44:39

4M ago44:39

44:39

Decades of trickle-down thinking hollowed out our government—and now the anti-democracy crowd is finishing the job. This week, legal scholar and former Biden advisor K. Sabeel Rahman joins Nick and Goldy to talk about what happens when the rule of law becomes optional, what the Biden administration got right (and what it didn’t,) and why simply res…

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Democracy in Chains (with Nancy MacLean) 38:16

4M ago38:16

38:16

This week, we’re revisiting a critical conversation we had back in 2020 with author and historian Nancy MacLean, in which she exposes how today’s threats to democracy were decades in the making. Based on her groundbreaking book Democracy in Chains, MacLean traces how Nobel Prize-winning economist James Buchanan worked with billionaire donors to rig…

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The Abundance Doctrine (with Mike Konczal) 40:43

5M ago40:43

40:43

What does “abundance” actually mean—and who is it really for? In this episode, Goldy and Paul welcome back economic policy expert Mike Konczal to unpack the big new idea dominating political discourse: abundance. They dive into the buzz around Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s book “Abundance,” and Konczal’s sharp critique of its deregulatory leaning…

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Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and How to Bring It Back (with Marc Dunkelman) 54:17

5M ago54:17

54:17

Why does it feel like we can’t build anything anymore? In this episode, Nick and Goldy talk with author Mark Dunkelman about his new book Why Nothing Works, which examines how well-intentioned progressive reforms created a “vetocracy” that makes major public projects nearly impossible. From Seattle’s decades-long waterfront rebuild to the dysfuncti…

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Live From DC: Turning Middle-Out Economics into Good Politics 54:44

5M ago54:44

54:44

Timid tweaks won’t fix a broken economy. From Nick Hanauer’s blunt critique of Democratic incrementalism to a candid conversation with Representatives Ro Khanna, Delia Ramirez, and Jim Himes on how Democrats can reclaim working-class trust by embracing economic populism and fighting for real change, this episode brings you inside the 2025 Middle Ou…

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America Needs an Economic Bill of Rights (with Mark Paul) 39:34

5M ago39:34

39:34

Trickle-downers want you to believe that in America, freedom is a narrow idea—freedom from taxes, from regulation, from government itself. But what good is that kind of freedom if you can’t afford rent, see a doctor, or feed your family? So, this week we’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations—our interview with economist Mark Paul about hi…

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The Middle-Out Moment Is Still Here 47:06

6M ago47:06

47:06

Twelve months ago, Democracy Journal announced we were entering the "Middle-Out Moment." A year later—after a brutal election and rising uncertainty—the question isn’t whether neoliberalism is over, but what comes next. In a new symposium titled “It’s Still the Post-Neoliberal Moment,” Democracy brings together leading voices to answer that questio…

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Why Working-Class Voters Are Turning Away from the Democratic Party (with Lainey Newman) 39:31

6M ago39:31

39:31

For decades, unions were more than just labor organizations—they were community anchors that shaped working-class identity and political loyalty. But what happens when an entire generation loses its economic and social foundation? The Rust Belt’s working-class voters were once a Democratic stronghold, but that’s no longer the case. Lainey Newman, c…

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Wall Street’s War on Workers (with Les Leopold) 36:59

6M ago36:59

36:59

Mass layoffs have become a routine corporate strategy—not because companies are struggling, but because Wall Street demands it. In Wall Street’s War on Workers, labor educator and author Les Leopold exposes how stock buybacks, deregulation, and financialized capitalism have made job cuts a tool for enriching CEOs and hedge funds at the expense of w…

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Breaking Up Big Econ (with David Deming) 39:07

6M ago39:07

39:07

A small group of elite universities holds an outsized influence over the field of economics, shaping research, policy, and the broader economic narrative. But is that concentration of power stifling innovation and reinforcing the status quo? This week, Harvard economist David Deming joins Nick and Goldy to discuss his recent Atlantic article, in wh…

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Poverty for Profit: How Corporations Get Rich off America’s Poor (with Anne Kim) 38:16

7M ago38:16

38:16

The U.S. spends billions on programs designed to fight poverty, but it appears that much of that money is actually making corporations richer instead of helping people. This week, Nick and Goldy sit down with Anne Kim, author of Poverty for Profit: How Corporations Get Rich off America's Poor, to talk about the vast industry that siphons public dol…

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Why the Economy Feels Rigged—and How to Fix It (with Senator Chris Murphy) 36:32

7M ago36:32

36:32

This week, Senator Chris Murphy joins Nick and Goldy to discuss the political failure of neoliberalism and what comes next for the Democratic Party. For decades, both parties embraced free trade and deregulation, promising that economic growth would benefit everyone. But that promise went unfulfilled as wages stagnated, industries collapsed, and in…

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The Gilded Age of White Collar Crime (with Michael Hobbes) 34:46

7M ago34:46

34:46

Only a few weeks into his second term, Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies are doing their best to dismantle the federal government's regulatory agencies. So today, we're revisiting a compelling conversation we had in 2020 with journalist and podcast host Michael Hobbes about a piece he wrote in HuffPost titled "The Golden Age of White-Collar …

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How America Ceased to Be the Land of Opportunity (with Yoni Appelbaum) 44:05

7M ago44:05

44:05

This week, Nick and Goldy are joined by journalist and historian Yoni Appelbaum to discuss his forthcoming book, Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity. They explore how decades of failed economic policies and zoning regulations have restricted mobility, stifled economic growth, and worsened inequality…

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The Rise of the Billionaire Oligarchy (with Thom Hartmann) 39:06

7M ago39:06

39:06

With billionaires pouring unprecedented sums of money into politics, corporate interests shaping policy, and the revelation that Trump has appointed a record 13 billionaires to top administration roles in the wealthiest cabinet in American history, it's clear how much sway the ultra-wealthy hold over our democracy. So, we’re re-airing our 2021 conv…

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How Mexico’s Post-Neoliberal Policies Offer a Blueprint for U.S. Democrats (with Kurt Hackbarth) 37:54

8M ago37:54

37:54

This week, Paul and Goldy sit down with journalist Kurt Hackbarth to discuss the recent electoral success of Mexico's Morena party and their progressive economic agenda. The conversation explores how Morena’s focus on middle-out policies, such as significant minimum wage increases and sweeping social safety net programs and reforms, has lifted mill…

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The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order (with Gary Gerstle) 45:34

8M ago45:34

45:34

This week, Nick and Goldy sit down with historian Gary Gerstle, author of The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order, for an in-depth exploration of neoliberalism—its origins, dominance, and decline. Their conversation examines the shifting political landscape shaped by recent presidential administrations, including the Biden administration’s effort…

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Revisiting Trickle-Down's Stubborn Refusal to Die (with Mark Blyth) 38:41

8M ago38:41

38:41

With a second Trump administration on the horizon, we’re bracing for a return to the same failed trickle-down policies that have dominated our politics for 50 years—policies that enrich the wealthy few at the top while leaving everyone else behind. That’s why we’re resharing our 2022 conversation with Mark Blyth, a political economist who explains …

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How AI Could Help Rebuild The Middle Class (with David Autor) 39:30

8M ago39:30

39:30

This week, Nick and Goldy discuss the future of AI and its potential impact on labor markets and society with MIT professor and economist David Autor. While many pundits predict that AI will bring economic misery to working Americans, Autor optimistically argues that AI could empower the middle class by augmenting human expertise, unlocking new sol…

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Is America’s Healthcare System Having Its Own Pitchforks Moment? (with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed) 44:48

9M ago44:48

44:48

This week, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed joins Nick and Goldy to discuss how the recent assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson has thrown a harsh spotlight on the public's visceral anger toward our exploitative healthcare system. Dr. El-Sayed outlines the stark contrasts between the profit-driven U.S. healthcare system and those of other develo…

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The Middle-Out President (with President Joe Biden) 35:23

9M ago35:23

35:23

This week, Nick and Goldy interview a Pitchfork Economics first: a sitting President of the United States. President Joe Biden joins the podcast for a conversation about the transformative economic vision at the heart of his presidency. Biden shares how his groundbreaking middle-out economic policies—investing in workers, rebuilding infrastructure,…

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The Market Alone Can’t Fix the U.S. Housing Crisis (with Brian Callaci & Sandeep Vaheesan) 42:01

9M ago42:01

42:01

This week, Nick and Goldy explore why the market alone can’t solve the U.S. housing crisis with Sandeep Vaheesan and Brian Callaci from the Open Markets Institute. The guests discuss their recent article in the Harvard Business Review, which explains how profit-driven private markets fail to address housing affordability, particularly for lower-inc…

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Homelessness is a Housing Problem (with Gregg Colburn) 45:48

9M ago45:48

45:48

This week, Gregg Colburn, co-author of "Homelessness is a Housing Problem," joins Nick and Goldy to dissect the complex factors fueling America’s homelessness crisis. Colburn presents compelling evidence that challenges common misconceptions around homelessness, revealing that it stems primarily from the rising costs of housing rather than issues l…

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9. America's Funniest Home Videos 13:07

10M ago13:07

13:07

Did America’s Funniest Home Videos not only predict YouTube and social media, but did it invent reality television as well? How did Bob Saget feel about the show? And how did producers make sure that video of Dad getting hit in the nuts was real and not staged. We’ve got laughs from coast to coast because today, Rad History is taking a look at Amer…

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Scaling Affordability and Breaking the Stigma: Local Innovations in Public Housing (with Rachel Cohen) 46:23

10M ago46:23

46:23

This week, Nick and Goldy discuss the concept of social housing with Vox Policy Correspondent Rachel Cohen. They explore how local government investments in mixed-income housing can keep cities affordable for the middle class. Drawing from her reporting, Cohen spotlights the innovative social housing experiment in Montgomery County, Maryland, which…

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8. The Challenger Disaster 1:16:42

10M ago1:16:42

1:16:42

It is maybe the one moment of tragedy where most 80s kids remember where they were when it happened. Today, RAD! 80s90s History is looking at the Challenger disaster. Our guest is @fmanjoo See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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How Big Oil Rigged the System and Stuck You With the Bill (with Faiz Shakir) 36:43

10M ago36:43

36:43

This week, Nick And Goldy are joined by Faiz Shakir, Executive Director of A More Perfect Union, to discuss the shocking revelation of an international oil price-fixing conspiracy. Their conversation explores how the collusion between American oil companies and the foreign nations that make up OPEC significantly contributed to inflation, costing Am…

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7. The Rubik's Cube 18:27

10M ago18:27

18:27

How many possible permutations are there on a Rubik’s Cube? How did the Rubik’s Cube come out of the Soviet block before even Tetris did? And did the creator get rich off of his investment or not? It’s the 50th anniversary of its creation so today we’re looking at the history of the Rubik’s Cube. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and …

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The Guarantee (with Natalie Foster) 38:49

10M ago38:49

38:49

This week, Natalie Foster, co-founder of the Economic Security Project, joins Nick and Goldy to discuss her book The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy. Foster argues that as the world’s wealthiest nation, the U.S. can ensure a basic economic floor for all by guaranteeing essentials like housing, healthcare, higher education, fa…

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6. The Answering Machine - With Toni Trucks! 1:07:35

10M ago1:07:35

1:07:35

Did you know that we could have had the answering machine decades before we actually got to buy one? Why the 1980s and 90s was an unusual time for an innovation explosion in communications technology. The history of the whole AT&T/Ma Bell breakup by the government. And how much did YOU beg your parents to get your own phone line in your bedroom? Th…

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Revisiting How to Stand Up for Voting Rights (with Andrea Hailey) 34:36

10M ago34:36

34:36

Voting is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, yet access to the ballot is increasingly under threat in America. No matter who wins the Presidential race, it should be a priority to strengthen and expand accessible and secure voting. This election day, we’re revisiting a conversation we had in 2021 with Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org, where …

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5. Fernando Valenzuela 17:36

11M ago17:36

17:36

Why was Fernando Valenzuela’s screwball so difficult to hit? Why did he have that crazy pitching motion that batters initially laughed at? And was he the first great Mexican American baseball icon? We’ve got Fernandomania today, because Rad History is tackling the legend of the recently departed Fernando Valenzuela. See Privacy Policy at https://ar…