This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the Cleveland Indians are now the Guardians…of second place in the AL Central. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic maps out some possible trades; we’ll predict which ones are the most likely. A shooting takes place outside of Nationals Park forcing fans and players to take cover. Taijuan Walker makes one of the worst on-field blunders in over thirty years. Broadcaster, Thom Brennaman, attempts to resurrect his career starting at the Prep level. Monessan, Pennsylvania honors the great Josh Gibson and we learn more lurid details from the Zobrist divorce.  We’ll get local with the Cubs and Sox and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 52:50 mark on Whit Stillman's,  Metropolitan Next Week: La Vie En Rose

Peanuts & Popcorn

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 07-25-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the All-Star Break has come and gone, we’ll break down the highlights. Ichiro Suzuki is remembered by the men who played with him. Commissioner, Rob Manfred, says the league will do away with some of the COVID rule changes in 2022 and he keeping mum on the possible new voting laws in Texas. Trevor Bauer and Starlin Castro are placed on administrative leave, Tom and I will talk about why. Ronald Acuña Jr. blows out his knee forcing the Braves to trade for Joc Pederson and the Baltimore Orioles will be the first team to have an all-woman broadcast team. We’ll get local with the Cubs and Sox and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 52:20 mark on the first summer blockbuster of all time, Jaws.  Next Week: Metropolitan

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 07-18-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the Commissioner thinks the foreign substances ban is succeeding, while MLB games look more like a TSA checkpoint. Kyle Schwarber is doing well after leaving the Cubs. Is he a player that may be traded before the deadline? The Negro League Baseball Museum is 101 years old and is celebrating with a fact, per day. The Orioles debut an old rookie and an Atlanta musician has a crush on Ronald Acuña Jr. The entire Cubs pitching staff combines to no hit the Dodgers and the Sox are reeling. Our our Popcorn discussion begins at the 46:28 mark as we discuss the Francis Ford Coppola classic, Godfather II  Next: Jaws

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 06-26-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the foreign substances purge begins. At what point will MLB appear they know what they are doing? Garret Cole wants the baseball to “Talk to us”, while Joe Posnanski takes the long-term view. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. can do something that no one else has ever done and Shohei Othani will anchor the only home run derby that we may actually watch. We’ll talk about the Cubs and Sox. Our Popcorn discussion begins at the 55:40 mark as we discuss the John Ford/John Wayne classic, The Searchers. Next Week: Godfather II

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 06-20-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, USA Today's Bob Nightengale identifies the players most likely to be traded and the teams most likely to trade for them at the deadline. Foreign substances. Who are using them and what are they using? Jacob deGrom has three different ERA titles to shoot for. Derek Jeter will have to wait to be inducted into the HOF, and we’ll ask the tough questions: Do bigger bases beget better baseball? The Cubs and Sox are on top of their respective divisions and no once can quite understand why. Our Popcorn discussion begins at the 52:14 mark, as we break down the Spike Lee joint, Get on the Bus  Next Week: The Searchers 

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 06-13-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, is your favorite player on the IL? You can take comfort in the fact that injuries are up around the league. Bob Brenly will be joining Thom Brennerman on the broadcaster bench while the SF Giants recognize Gay Pride. The Astros are good again and it’s creating a problem and Montana Fouts does something that hasn’t been done since 1912. The All-Star ballot has been released, so where does Kris Bryant play? The Cleveland Baseball team is close to picking a name and we will look back on the career of Mike Marshall. We’ll talk about the Cubs and Sox and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 51:10 mark, as we discuss the Sidney Lumet classic, 12 Angry Men.  Next Week: Get on the Bus

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 06-06-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, veteran umpire, Joe West sets the record for most games arbitrated on the South Side of Chicago. Javy Baéz runs wild on the bases in Pittsburgh while Germain Marquez needs only 62 pitches to complete a game. A Cuban Olympian defects to the USA while the Mickey Calloway era ends in Anaheim before it gets started. The Cubs and Sox are hot and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 54:50 mark as we review the classic, Roadhouse.  Next Week: 12 Angry Men 

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 05-31-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, two more no-hitters, but MLB still won’t stop pitchers from applying foreign substances to the ball. Felipe Vazquez is found guilty of sexual assault and we'll examine the most disappointing teams in baseball this season. We’ll go rapid fire on the Kevin Pillar beaning, CC Sabbathia playing softball and Fernando Tatis doing yoga.  The Cubs and Sox have a successful midweek series, but Tony La Russa seems to think it is all about him. And finally our Popcorn discussion begins at the 48:33 mark as we review the Orson Welles classic, "Touch of Evil".  Next Week: "Roadhouse".

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 05-23-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, infection rates fall and teams are allowing more fans in the door. We’ll examine some of the larger, existential issues related to the game we love. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark is weird and wild, and we love it. What is the right way to show a Hall of Fame ballplayer the door? The Oakland Athletics have been allowed to consider relocation and Rob Manfred is just sooo hard to like. We’ll have the week that was for the Cubs and Sox and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 50:18 mark as we review Mel Brooks, "The Producers".  Next Week: "Touch of Evil".

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 05-16-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the immortal Willie Mays turns 90. The Year of the Pitcher continues as John Means and Wade Miley toss no-hitters in the same week while Yankee fans express their anger to the Houston Trashtos. The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers are struggling mightily while King Albert is designated for assignment.  We’ll talk about a wild week for the Cubs and the Sox and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 50:08 mark as we review Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show. Next Week: The Producers.

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 05-09-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, how did the San Francisco Giants manage to get into first place? We’ll look back on the career of Brian Jordan and the Colorado Rockies make a change in the front office. Roberto Alomar is placed on the ineligible list for sexual misconduct and Shohei Othani reminds us all of Babe Ruth. We’ll talk Cubs and White Sox and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 50:15 mark as we discuss Eugene Brady's, The Nephew.  Next Week: The Last Picture Show

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 05-02-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the Oakland A’s are hot. So are pitchers, Corbin Burns and Jacob deGrom. The Duneiden Blue Jays are 9-11, are they baseball’s next great team? The Dodgers and the Padres show just how interesting the NL West can be. A National’s fan gets a shot at redemption and we look back on a big day in the Tatis family. We will break down and eventful week in Chicago baseball and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 51:25 mark and we discuss our picks for the Oscars. Next Week: The Nephew. 

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 04-25-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, MLB is using the Southern League for some experimental rule changes, and Leo suggests a reform that may merit testing. An Atlanta-area public school honors the late Hank Aaron and a former Negro-League stadium will undergo a restoration. We look back on the phenomenon that was “Fernandomania”.  We talk about how Bernie Madoff with a lot of Mets Money that they may need for upcoming sexual harassment lawsuits.  We'll have the latest on a rather dull week in Chicago baseball apart from one amazing Sox story.  Our Popcorn discussion begins at the 49:31 mark we review the last in our series of 2021 Oscar nominees, The Trial of the Chicago 7.  Next Week: Our picks for the Oscars 

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 04-18-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we predict the 2021 post-season award winners. The San Diego Padres get some bad news and some good news. We talk about unknown players setting the world on fire and Nolan Arenado has his first big Busch Stadium moment. Shohei Otani has a historic day against the White Sox and Ichiro Suzuki crashes the Dodgers ring ceremony.  David Wells gives us some insight into his character.  We’ll break down the week that was for the Cubs and the Sox, and our Popcorn discussion begins at the 52:38 mark with the Best Picture nominee, Promising Young Woman.  Next Week: The Trial of the Chicago 7. 

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 04-11-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, MLB takes a stand on an important political issue. We react to a very strange Opening Day along with the rest of the action from around the league. The Mets make Frankie Lindor a very rich man. Eno Harris from the Athletic makes some bold predictions for the season that sound a lot like some of ours, only better researched. We’ll talk about how the Cubs and the Sox did in their opening series, we discuss the maturation of the Marquee Network. Our Popcorn discussion begins at the 51:30 mark with the Best Picture nominee, Nomadland.  Next Week: Promising Young Woman

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) 04-04-21 With Leo Fontana/Tom Hockney

Peanuts & Popcorn (P&P) is a spontaneous podcast between two old friends on Chicago Cubs Baseball and Motion Pictures.