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Hang Up and Listen is brought to you by Audible. Get a 30-day free trial by signing up at audiblepodcast.com/hangup. Our pick of the week is The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance by David Epstein.

Hang Up and Listen is pleased to present a new weekly segment featuring Alex Belth, the proprietor of Deadspin’s sports journalism archive The Stacks. This week’s featured story is “The Loser,” Gay Talese’s 1964 Esquire piece on boxer Floyd Patterson. You can follow Alex on Twitter and email him.

In this week’s episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss Alex Rodriguez’s suspension and are joined by Sports Illustrated’s David Epstein to explore how “anti-aging” clinics market to athletes. They also examine Clint Dempsey’s decision to leave the Premier League for the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer. Finally, they’re rejoined by Epstein, author of The Sports Gene, to talk about the role of genes in athletic performance.

Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:

• Alex Rodriguez has been suspended through the end of the 2014 season. While A-Rod is planning to appeal, 12 players have accepted 50-game suspensions.
• Rodriguez commented on his upcoming suspension in a press conference last week.
• Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria said the suspensions were a “sad day” for baseball.    
• ESPN.com’s T.J. Quinn interviewed Porter Fischer, who blew the whistle on Biogenesis.
• Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk takes on the talking point that Nelson Cruz is “selfish” for not appealing his suspension.
• In 2009, Sports Illustrated’s David Epstein and Selena Roberts reported that Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003.
• Clint Dempsey is the newest member of the Seattle Sounders.
• Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated explains how Dempsey’s deal with Seattle went down.
• The U.S. Soccer Twitter account asks, “What do you think of the move?”
• In an interview with the Wall Street Journal this January, U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann says he told Dempsey, “Show me you play for a Champions League team.”
• David Epstein’s book The Sports Gene.
• In an excerpt of the book on Slate, Epstein explains why hard work isn’t always enough.
• In a 2010 Sports Illustrated article, Epstein asked, “How much of performance is genetic?”
• Max Fisher of the Atlantic on why the Kalenjin tribesmen of Kenya are such great runners. 

Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Mostros:

Mike’s Mostro: Because of his effort to ensure Nap Lajoie would win the 1910 batting title over Ty Cobb, Jack O’Connor was banned for life from baseball.  

Stefan’s Mostro: Every country seems to have its own Messi. It’s time for the United States to declare one or two.

Josh’s Mostro: In 1957, Sports Illustrated assessed the value of Little League baseball and the Little League World Series.

Podcast production and edit by Mike Vuolo. Our intern is Michael Gerber.

You can email us at hangup@slate.com.