logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
39m 13s

The Nice Guy, the Bully and the Kiss

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

Leo Durocher would stop at nothing to win. The baseball player-turned-manager was a skilled tactician and famously tough. But he also cheated, intimidated umpires and was violent; he was even known to beat up fans. Durocher was famous for coining the phrase "nice guys finish last" - but is that really true?

Tim Harford and David Bodanis examine lessons from the life of a ruthless, pugnacious baseball star. This is the first episode of a four-part series about how to succeed without being a jerk. It's based on David's book The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean.

For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Yesterday
Presenting Heavyweight: Etta
<p>I'm excited to share an episode from another podcast, <a href="https://lnk.to/CT_HWDrop_112525">Heavyweight</a>, a new addition to the Pushkin slate of shows. Heavyweight, hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, creates space for difficult conversations and resolving long-standing regre ... Show More
37m 32s
Nov 21
Kyoto: The Battle that Defined Climate Politics - with Joe Robertson
<p>Misinformation, double-dealing, character assassination - lobbyist Don Pearlman will stop at nothing to prevent the world from agreeing to cut carbon emissions. This arch disrupter, who works for fossil fuel companies and oil-producing nations, is determined that the climate t ... Show More
39m 19s
Nov 18
Presenting: Twenty Thousand Hertz
<p>When Satanic Panic ripped through America, rock music was in the crosshairs. Could songs contain secret backwards messages urging children to take drugs and worship the devil?</p> <p>This special episode is from Twenty Thousand Hertz, a podcast all about the rich world of soun ... Show More
29m 13s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 13
Carl Sitter: When Faith Led the Fight
The Chosin Reservoir was one of the most brutal battles of the Korean War, with overwhelming enemy forces and deadly weather. Into that fight came Captain Carl Sitter, a pudgy guy who wasn’t even supposed to be there. His inspiring leadership in the face of terrible odds came dow ... Show More
33m 47s
Jul 2024
Lance Armstrong: Tour De Fraud | 116
<p>Lance Armstrong’s determination to win helps him survive cancer and become cycling’s biggest star in the early 2000s. But his ruthless desire to be the best leads him to create a secret cheating scheme. It fuels him to a historic Tour de France winning streak—but requires an e ... Show More
44m 34s
Nov 2024
Nigel Benn | "I have never said one derogatory thing about your son!"💥
This episode contains issues that some people might find distressing. If you need support or advice on any of the matters raised within the programme, please visit: https://www.samaritans.org/Our guest on the latest episode of Up Front is the Dark Destroyer - Nigel Benn. A fan fa ... Show More
1h 21m
Feb 2025
OFH Throwback- Episode #24- Did Ty Cobb Kill a Guy?
In this throwback episode Sebastian take you back to Season One and Episode #24. Ty Cobb has been remembered as one of baseball’s greatest villains. Despite being universally recognized as one of the game’s most talented players, Ty Cobb is mostly remembered as a violent racist w ... Show More
57m 23s
May 2024
Our Day in Court: The Brownlee Trial
At school Nicky, along with many other pupils of Edinburgh Academy, was the victim of vicious abuse from teacher John Brownlee. Nicky didn’t think Brownlee’s crimes would ever be answered, but in March 2024, they went to court. John Brownlee is 89 and was declared unfit to stand ... Show More
38m 36s
Jul 2025
CLASSIC: The Ridiculous Story of the World’s First (Documented) Serial Killer
Locusta of Gaul, also known as Locusta The Poisoner, was one of the most infamous criminals of ancient times. Alternately sponsored and betrayed by the noble class, she committed crimes with impunity for years — even, at one point, opening an academy to teach her poisoning skills ... Show More
35m 31s
Jun 2023
Gut instinct
The Skeptic Editor Michael Marshall talks to Matthew Sweet about how we judge actions and truth. They're joined by New Generation Thinkers Elsa Richardson, who is a historian of the emotions at the University of Strathclyde working on a popular history of the gut-brain connection ... Show More
45m 58s
Apr 2025
Season 4, Episode 8: Prof. Lauren Benton, They Called it Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence
Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and American historian Lauren Benton for a discussion on the hidden histories of empires and the lasting impact of imperial violence. In her book, They Called It Peace: Worlds of Imperial Violence Benton uncovers how European powers buil ... Show More
46m 17s
Jul 2024
A Black Man (Jesse Owens) and a Nazi: A Friendship Forged in Competition & Courage
On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of United States Olympic legend Jesse Owens' and Nazi long jumper Luz Long’s friendship demonstrates how sports can unite people even in the toughest circumstances. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center’s editorial off ... Show More
9m 59s
Dec 2024
Who was the "Elephant Man"? Joseph Merrick's True Story
<p>The life of Joseph Merrick, the man they dared to call "The Elephant Man", will fill you with pain and anger. He was treated so cruelly by society that he found becoming a freak show exhibit preferably to the life available to him elsewhere. Yet alongside darkness there is lig ... Show More
47m 14s