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June 6, 2024

MLB should go back to a 154-game schedule - Ep. 522

MLB should go back to a 154-game schedule - Ep. 522

The inclusion of Negro League statistics in MLB is overdue but also presents fans with some new all-time numbers to review. That's a little weird but people will get used to it. Eventually. Additional playoff games would more than make up for the incremental loss of gate and TV revenue.…

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June 3, 2024

Josh Gibson moves ahead of Cobb, Mariners with a 'big' lead, Can Braves survive injuries? - Ep. 521

Josh Gibson moves ahead of Cobb, Mariners with a 'big' lead, Can Braves survive injuries? - Ep. 521

Angel Hernandez umpired 33 years of MLB. He stepped down this week and received no demand that he continue. His time was over. Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. went down with an awful ACL injury (again), and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. The last time Acuna…

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May 30, 2024

Banning the infield shift really didn't work. Now what? - Ep. 520

Banning the infield shift really didn't work. Now what? - Ep. 520

How has banning the shift worked out for Major League Baseball? Not so great. Batting averages are still among the lowest in MLB history. It's true that a smash through the hole in the right side is more often a hit and no longer fielded easily by an infielder in…

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May 27, 2024

Guardians are good, Astros are rising - This Week in Baseball - 5.27.24 - Ep. 519

Guardians are good, Astros are rising - This Week in Baseball - 5.27.24 - Ep. 519

The #mets finally won a game. The end of May is not normally a time that teams can be considered done for the season except for a few teams. The #rockies and #whitesox fill that bill. But even the #angels and #athletics are within striking distance of first place? This…

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May 23, 2024

Baseball swords and blasts are cool new stats - Ep. 518

Baseball swords and blasts are cool new stats - Ep. 518

Blasts and swords will become terms baseball nerds will use to describe batter's strengths and weaknesses. Squared-up contact too. We took a look at the new nomenclature put out by Statcast/Baseball Savant and it interesting and amusing. What's the difference between a barrel' and a blast? We talk about that…

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May 20, 2024

Chris Sale is sailing, What's wrong with D'backs? This week in baseball - 5.20.24 - Ep. 517

Chris Sale is sailing, What's wrong with D'backs? This week in baseball - 5.20.24 - Ep. 517

The #astros are finally rising from the ashes in the AL West. The #mariners are hanging on to the division lead with the #rangers in hot pursuit. How about the #yankees pitching and the resurgence of Aaron Judge? What's wrong with the #diamondbacks and #reds? How are the #royals staying…

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May 16, 2024

Wins by a starting pitcher are still worth a lot - Ep. 516

Wins by a starting pitcher are still worth a lot - Ep. 516

Back in the day starters pitched the whole game and a relief pitcher was only used out of absolute necessity. That hasn't been true for more than 50 years. 200 career wins for a pitcher is the new 300 and that number is falling. We discuss pitchers not getting credit…

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May 13, 2024

Skenes debut, Skubal's dominance - Biggest MLB stories! TWIB 5.13.24 - Ep 515

Skenes debut, Skubal's dominance - Biggest MLB stories! TWIB 5.13.24 - Ep 515

Pirates Paul Skenes finally made his #MLB debut vs. the Cubs and topped 100 MPH 17 times striking out 7 and got the win in a bizarre finish. Tigers Tarik Skubal is having a Cy Young-type season. How about Aaron Judge and Juan Soto for the Yankees? A 1-2 punch…

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May 9, 2024

A's leaving for Sacramento before Vegas - 'Lose Yourself' Author Vince Wetzel

A's leaving for Sacramento before Vegas - 'Lose Yourself' Author Vince Wetzel

Vince Wetzel's 'Lose Yourself' has multiple story lines and is a worthwhile read. Think about a modern day player looking to join the 'greatest hitter who ever lived' Ted Williams as the newest member of the .400 BA club. It's been a rough go for A's fans as they watch…

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May 6, 2024

Twins squeeze the sausage to win & all stories in This Week in Baseball - 5.6.24 - Ep. 513

Twins squeeze the sausage to win & all stories in This Week in Baseball - 5.6.24 - Ep. 513

Summer sausage & #twins won 12 in a row with a little help from a bizarre packaged summer sausage that the Twins kept in their dugout. Whatever the impact the Twins are squarely back in the hunt in the AL Central which is still led by the Guardians. The #dodgers…

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May 2, 2024

Grich, Whitaker, & Kent got shafted for the HOF. Why the prejudice vs. second basemen? - Ep.. 512

Grich, Whitaker, & Kent got shafted for the HOF. Why the prejudice vs. second basemen? - Ep.. 512

First, Chase Utley did not play his entire career with the Phillies as he played four seasons for the Dodgers. Maybe we blocked that out because of Utley's slide on Mets Ruben Tejada? 2nd baseman Ryne Sandberg is deservedly in the Hall of Fame. So is Roberto Alomar. On the…

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April 29, 2024

Royals rally, Elly de La Cruz raking, This Week in Baseball - 4.29.24 - Ep. 511

Royals rally, Elly de La Cruz raking, This Week in Baseball - 4.29.24 - Ep. 511

The Phillies are just going about their business quietly while everyone pays attention to the Braves an Dodgers. Can the Brewers and Guardians keep it going? The Royals are hanging tough and the Mariners are in 1st place. Max Fried honors Greg Maddux by throwing a 'Maddux' Listen to the…

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April 25, 2024

58 out of 273 are One-Team Only Hall of Famers - Ep. 510

58 out of 273 are One-Team Only Hall of Famers - Ep. 510

After the inductions this July, 58 of the 273 (21%) players elected to the Hall of Fame will have played only for one franchise. As Gordon pointed out, before baseball had free agency players did not move around nearly as much not because they didn't want to but because they…

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April 22, 2024

This Week in Baseball - 32YO Cam Booser's MLB debut, Astros last, Brewers sailing - 4.22.24- Ep. 509

This Week in Baseball - 32YO Cam Booser's MLB debut, Astros last, Brewers sailing - 4.22.24- Ep. 509

Red Sox Cam Booser made his MLB debut at 32. 34YO Oriole Alberto Suarez pitched in the bigs for the first time in 7 years. We lost Whitey Herzog, Ken Holzman, and 97YO 'Boys of Summer' star Carl Erskine. We talk about each team in each division from the Yankees…

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April 18, 2024

A mutiny from within the MLBPA may sack Tony Clark - Ep. 508

A mutiny from within the MLBPA may sack Tony Clark - Ep. 508

A conversation around MLB player union issues can easily make your eyes roll. So we sprinkled in a little Scott Boras since he's one guy everyone loves to hate. Except for his clients of course. When MLB brought in the MiLB players into the union 2 years ago it went…

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April 15, 2024

This Week in Baseball - 4.15.24 - Ep. 507

This Week in Baseball - 4.15.24 - Ep. 507

Are the Pirates and Royals for real? Both teams have gotten off to great starts but we've seen it before. We're at nearly 10% of the 2024 season has been played and there are a bunch of things that are happening as predicted. But not everything! How about Mookie Betts?…

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April 11, 2024

MLB Pitchers chasing Velo is a big problem - Ep. 506

MLB Pitchers chasing Velo is a big problem - Ep. 506

Remember 'chicks dig the long ball'? That was in the 1990s when Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine did a TV spot about the baseball's obsession with home runs. Today's pitchers love to light up the radar with triple digits or at least get as close to that as they can.…

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April 8, 2024

This Week in Baseball 4.8.24 - Ep. 505

This Week in Baseball 4.8.24 - Ep. 505

Guardians Shane Bieber, Braves Spencer Strider, Marlins Eury Perez all came up with elbow injuries last week and now face 18 months after they get Tommy John Surgery. The NL Central has gotten off to a better start as a division led by the Pirates and Brewers. But the NL…

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April 4, 2024

Baseball Pranksters have disappeared - Ep. 504

Baseball Pranksters have disappeared - Ep. 504

A hot foot during game play? In MLB it was fairly commonplace for a long time but no longer. Rookie still get hazed but we don't often hear about it. Being thought of as a character is not as cute as it once was either. Because players make too much…

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April 1, 2024

4.1.24 - This Week in Baseball - Ep. 503

4.1.24 - This Week in Baseball - Ep. 503

What's the biggest story coming out of the first week of MLB? Injuries to Justin Steele and Royce Lewis? Opening Day records being set by the Diamondbacks and Tyler O'Neill who hit a home run in his 5th straight opening day! Mookie Betts doing Mookie Betts things hitting 4 home…

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March 28, 2024

A 2024 MLB Opening Day conversation w author Michael Orton - Ep. 502

A 2024 MLB Opening Day conversation w author Michael Orton - Ep. 502

Last season we had Michael Orton join the podcast to talk about his book 'Opening Day 50 for 50'. We enjoyed that so much that we asked Michael to rejoin us to talk about what's gone on in Baltimore with the Orioles and his favorite team the Nationals. But we…

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March 25, 2024

2024 Season Predictions - Ep. 501

2024 Season Predictions - Ep. 501

The first episode in our 5th season of Almost Cooperstown! We pick all 30 teams in order of finish in their individual divisions. Yes we picked the Dodgers and no we didn't pick the Rockies or A's to win much at all. Who will win AL MVP. NL MVP? 2024…

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March 21, 2024

Short MLB careers can still be sweet. We talk with former MLB pitcher Pat Ahearne - Ep. 484

Short MLB careers can still be sweet. We talk with former MLB pitcher Pat Ahearne - Ep. 484

MLB careers can be short and fleeting. Players that love the game like Pat Ahearne did and does will keep on trying even when the going gets tough. We talk with Pat about his experiences gained through playing baseball all over the world and he has some great stories about…

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March 18, 2024

2024 NL West Primer - Ep. 483

2024 NL West Primer - Ep. 483

The Los Angeles Dodgers are already winning in 2024. Can any NL West team beat Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamaomto, and the rest of the boys in blue? The Arizona Diamondbacks are back and still hungry for more. The San Diego Padres still have a great lineup…

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