Talking About Birds: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

Ben and guest Daniel Shoptaw (@C70) break down the latest St. Louis Cardinals news as Willson Contreras and Masyn Winn hit the IL, Nolan Arenado returns, and Thomas Saggese heats up. Plus, what’s next for Ivan Herrera and Jordan Walker and a preview of upcoming series vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs. We wrap with league news — the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies clinch, and Cal Raleigh makes history — plus our World Series picks.

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We discuss Masyn Winn’s upcoming offseason knee surgery, Willson Contreras’ return, and Brendan Donovan’s rehab assignment, along with notable roster moves including Garrett Hampson’s DFA and Nick Raquet’s remarkable journey back to the majors. On the field, Nathan Church has been the Cardinals’ hottest player in September, while Jordan Walker continues to struggle through a difficult season. With 12 of the next 15 games against NL Central opponents, the upcoming stretch against the Brewers and Reds looms large for the Wild Card race (lol yeah right). Plus, we cover league news including injuries to Trea Turner and Alec Bohm, A...

We discuss Brant Brown’s comments on Jordan Walker’s preparation and what it says about the Cardinals’ hitting approach as a whole. Injury updates include Riley O’Brien, Alec Burleson, and Yohel Pozo, while César Prieto and Jimmy Crooks join the big league roster and Victor Scott II returns from the IL. On the field, Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pagés are carrying the offense, but Masyn Winn’s health and struggles at the plate raise concerns. Down on the farm, Joshua Baez, JJ Wetherholt, and Won-Bin Cho are all putting up impressive numbers as the system keeps produc...

We discuss the latest Cardinals news, including Willson Contreras’ six-game suspension, updates on Donovan, Scott, Arenado, and Winn’s recovery timelines, and what it all means for the rest of the season. On the field, Nolan Gorman is having one of the best months of his career, Nathan Church is making his case, and the “Pallante Problem” has become impossible to ignore. We highlight McGreevy and Leahy as the team’s most reliable arms since the break, and preview upcoming series against the Reds and A’s. Plus, league news covers Zack Wheeler’s major health setback, the Orioles’ Basallo extensio...

We discuss the latest Cardinals roster shuffles with Donovan and Scott hitting the IL, Arenado’s progress toward a return, and Mozeliak’s public backing of Oli Marmol. We look at standout performances from Svanson, McGreevy, and Pagés, while breaking down the team’s troubling offensive trends in August. Plus, we preview the Rays and Pirates series and dive into league news, from MLB’s shifting media deals to Victor Robles’ suspension and realignment chatter.

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The Cardinals are clinging to life in the Wild Card race, and we’ve got updates on Yadier Molina’s involvement, Lars Nootbaar’s bruised knee, and Nolan Arenado’s shoulder recovery plan. St. Louis also picked up RHP Jorge Alcala off waivers, and somehow… they’re still in this? We break down Quinn Matthews’ hot streak, Jordan Walker’s encouraging offensive signs, and Kyle Leahy’s potential leap forward. Then, we preview the upcoming Yankees and Marlins series, plus check in on league news as the Brewers keep rolling and the Twins’ sale falls through. 

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In this episode, we discuss the Cardinals placing Nolan Arenado on the IL and the return of a red-hot Nolan Gorman. We break down the trade deadline moves, including deals involving Steven Matz and Phil Maton, and wonder why the team held onto their lefty bats. With several new arms in the bullpen, we talk about what to expect from the reshuffled pitching staff. We preview the upcoming homestand against the Cubs and Rockies, and ask the important questions—like whether it’s time for JJ Wetherholt and time up for Garret Hampson. Plus, we cover a wild week of l...

The Cardinals made deadline noise, sending Ryan Helsley to the Mets and Erick Fedde to Atlanta, while Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero continue to draw heavy interest. Sonny Gray is staying put, but Tekoah Roby is out with Tommy John surgery. The team has just four wins since the break and now sits 10 games back in the Central—so what should the rest of the season look like? We preview the upcoming road trip to San Diego and Los Angeles and ask if Ivan Herrera in the outfield makes any sense. Plus, a flurry of league trades, Bryce Harper go...

This week, Nate and Ben talk Canada and the Savannah Bananas, then it’s all Cardinals: Gorman hits the IL, trade chatter heats up, and the rotation continues to fall apart while the bullpen thrives. They break down Pallante’s Jekyll-and-Hyde sinker, discuss Fedde's DFA as the news breaks, and preview the upcoming Padres and Marlins series. Plus, league news, Rich Hill makes history, and a Wrigley fan goes all in for a souvenir.

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It’s All-Star week! Nate is joined by Daniel Shoptaw (@C70) to talk Brendan Donovan’s big night, Liam Doyle’s surprise selection at No. 5, and what the next two weeks need to look like for the Cardinals to be legit buyers. Plus: the bullpen is locked in, the Birds head west, Cal Raleigh swings for the crown, and the Rays have a new owner incoming.

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Brendan Donovan is officially an All-Star! We talk about what that means for the Cardinals and dive into Mozeliak’s comments on ownership’s willingness to invest. Arenado’s battling shoulder pain, Fedde’s mechanics are a mess, and we wonder if it’s time to trade Helsley. We preview the Braves series before the All-Star break and look ahead to the D-Backs. Plus, big moves around the league, a sad farewell to Bobby Jenks, and much more!

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Jordan Walker hits the IL with appendicitis, but the Cardinals cling to a wild card spot as July kicks off. We talk José Fermín’s hot start, Masyn Winn’s star turn, and Sonny Gray’s dominant outing. With a soft schedule ahead, what should the Cards do at the deadline? Plus, a Diamondbacks fan gets banned and the Women’s Pro Baseball League announces its first-ever tryouts.

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Iván Herrera hits the IL with a hammy strain, and Thomas Saggese gets the call-up. The Cards also snag Garrett Hampson off waivers while DFA’ing Jose Barrero. On the field, Burly is crushing June with a 161 wRC+ and just 8 Ks in 88 PAs—but Gormy’s even hotter, slashing .289/.385/.607 with 5 bombs. Libby and Fedde are locked in, Maton’s untouchable, and Andre Granillo grabs his first MLB win and save. We preview the road trip to Cleveland and Pittsburgh, shout out Cal Raleigh’s historic homer binge, and check in on the latest from around the league. 

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Ben almost blew up, Jordan Walker’s back, the rotation’s a mess, and we’re wondering if Quinn Mathews will be our new favorite Cardinal by July. Lars Nootbaar can’t hit a fastball, Pallante’s ERA is climbing, and McGreevy might be on the way. We preview a big week with the Reds and Cubs coming to town. Plus: Devers gets shipped to the Giants, Civale and Vaughn swap teams, and—wait—Shohei Ohtani pitched?!

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Nate and Ben open with some Blogger Day talk and then dive into Cardinals news. Brendan Donovan is out with a toe injury, Jordan Walker is progressing well, and Matthew Liberatore is showing signs of fatigue. Zach Plesac signs a minor league deal after pitching well in independent ball. Nolan Gorman is heating up, and McGreevy had a solid six-inning outing. Victor Scott breaks a hitless streak but is still struggling at the plate. They close with series previews and league updates, including Corbin Burnes' Tommy John surgery and several prospect promotions.

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In this episode of Talking About Birds, the hosts recap a tough week for the Cardinals, who placed Jordan Walker on the IL and called up Ryan Vilade, while also signing Tyler Matzek to a minor league deal. The pitching staff continues to struggle—Pallante’s arsenal lacks effectiveness, Leahy isn’t generating strikeouts, and Mikolas’s fastball ranks among the worst in MLB. Offensively, Nolan Arenado is slumping, raising questions about rest versus defensive value, while Masyn Winn and Alec Burleson help keep the team afloat. The episode also previews upcoming series against the Dodgers and Blue Jays, and cove...

In this episode of 'Talking About Birds,' Nate and Ben dive into the latest happenings around the St. Louis Cardinals, including a recap of recent games and series. They provide insights into key players like Miles Mikolas and Jordan Walker, discuss the Cardinals' dynamic with other teams in the league, and share thoughts on potential trades. Are the Cardinals good this year? It sure seems like it! 

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Nate and Ben discuss the St. Louis Cardinals' recent performances, including their winning streak and  upcoming series against the Diamondbacks (butts'n'cracks) and Orioles. They dive into Nolan Arenado's candid comments on his struggles and the rise of new stars like Victor Scott and Ivan Herrera. The hosts also explore recent roster updates, league news, notable player performances, and much more!

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Join Nate Heininger and Ben Simorka on 'Talking About Birds,' the only podcast that cheers on the Cardinals' winning streak like they do. In this episode, they discuss the Cardinals' impressive week of wins, the significance of Wilson Contreras and Nolan Arenado's performance, and the state of the Cardinals' defense. They delve into major MLB news, including Pete Rose's Hall of Fame eligibility posthumously, the Yankees' player injuries, and team management changes. Tune in for in-depth analysis, listener engagement, and much more! 

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In this episode of 'Talking About Birds,' hosts Nate Heininger and Ben Simorka cover a range of topics centered around the Cardinals' recent performances and developments. They discuss standout defensive plays, potential trade scenarios, and the performances of key players like Willson Contreras, Matthew Liberatore, and Michael McGreevy. Injuries, including Mike Trout's, and the impact on team dynamics are also covered. The episode includes light-hearted segments such as a pun game involving current Cardinals players, interactions with listeners, and upcoming game previews against the Nationals and Phillies.

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In this episode, Nate Heininger and Ben Simorka discuss their recent fishing trip at the Lake of the Ozarks, where they performed as expected. They transition into talking about the St. Louis Cardinals, including their continued struggles, key player performances, and potential trades involving Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton. They also touch on MLB league news, such as potential moves for the Tampa Bay Rays and the performance of other teams. 

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Nate & Ben discuss 5k rainouts, fishing tournaments, Coachella, good food, the Cardinal bullpen, Masyn Winn returning, the Siani decision, building a lineup with the current roster, what to do with Burleson, Miles Mikolas, the Liberatore breakout continuing, Matz being good, bear hugs as medical procedures, JJ Wetherholt and Chase Davis, the terrible no good very bad weekend in New York, concerns about Pallante, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss the Cardinal 5k, Slinger Dogs, French Toast Dips, food truck ideas, the expansion to the 6 man rotation, what a .500 team looks like, the offense is GOOD, the defense is GOOD, the pitching is WE DONT KNOW YET, weed easter, Masyn Winn on the IL, the hopeful return of Gormania, Cooper Hjerpe, Matt Svanson, a ridiculous week of Cardinal starters, Liberatore's breakout, Willson's breakout, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss morning brown, french toast, Rockies opening day, Ivan Herrera's injury :(, Pages being good and the long term options at catcher, every catcher can rake, Saggese, the offense being good, the pitching maybe being bad, what to do with Miles Mikolas, the ascension of Matthew Liberatore, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss the Savannah Bananas, torpedo bats, bowling pin bats, favorite nautical bombs, the Cardinals fun start to the season, the offense being good (maybe, hopefully), Nootbaar's ascension, VS2, Jordan Walker being fun, bat speed, not worrying about Winn and Contreras, the good and the bad of the pitching, not overreacting to small samples, overreacting to small samples, eating grip tape, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss OPENING DAY!!!!! And, the conclusion of Spring Training, the surprising end to the Centerfield battle, the return of VS2, what to do with Siani, the losers of the decisions, the rotation, a Nolan Arenado bounceback season?, JJ Wetherholt, the Jupiter complex, the upcoming series against the Twins, the series against the Angels, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben disuss surviving a half marathon, delicious treats vs hot eats, foot injuries, the final spring training battles, what to do with Walker and Gorman, the clunky roster construction, starting a 6 man rotation, being hyped for some pitchers, being HYPED for Herrera, the Cubs, BASEBALL IS BACK, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben are joined by Nick Pollack (PitcherList.com) to discuss the Cardinals offseason (lol), what to expect from the Cardinals rotation, finding some hope in the young guys, figuring out what to do with Steven Matz, bad fantasy baseball strategy, who the next man up in the rotation is, can Liberatore find it?, Ben's upcoming half-marathon, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss the Oscars, Wicked, GotHam city, Marvel Rivals, two part movies, Jordan Walker's injury (with a mid-episode update!), Zack Thompson's injury and the life of a pitcher, players being mic'd up during games, pitching prospects starting to po, and much more! 

Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737)

Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nate & Ben discuss going to a Blues game, the start of the MLS season, the problem with ties, the new ABS testing and the impact on the game, more Arenado news (kinda), trading Eric Fedde, Hit Cookies, Real Cookies, the VS2 power surge, JJ's strong start and keeping calm about JJs strong start, Quinn's excellent start, getting excited about Roby again, Jordan Walker, and the start of our NL Central breakdown with the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

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Nate & Ben discuss going to NBA games, music in sports, humans getting taller, Spring Training starting!, embracing Arenado and moving on, still roasting Mozeliak, how the Cardinals manage their roster with Arenado still here, what to do with Alec Burleson, who gets the at bats, Willson Contreras the Hunk, dreaming on Contreras at 650 PAs, the Rockies compared to the Cardinals, baseball back on TV!, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss the boring, bad Super Bowl (except Kendrick), skiing, Casa Bonita, singing seals, the Michael Helman trade, the Nick Anderson signing, the worst off-season ever, arbitration outcomes, being frustrated with Mozeliak (still), Arenado (again, again, again), Willson moving to first, and PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORTING!!! 

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Nate & Ben are joined by Dan Szymborski (Fangrahs, ESPN, ZIPs) to discuss the 2025 ZIPs projections, what to expect from Jordan Walker, where the Cardinals sit in the NL Central, being stuck in the middle, how the rotation could evolve, what to make of the Arenado situation, skiing, spelling words, and much more! 

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Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nate & Ben discuss the Savannah Bananas, ZIPs projections, Birdscord Movie Night, getting excited about Spring Training, the BATTLE for Centerfield, where does Gorman play?, what about Luken Baker?, who will be the 5th (or 6th?) starter?, how the catcher position breaks down, players we are excited to see get a chance at Spring Training, and much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss the Savannah Bananas, filling up Busch Stadium, using press passes, Nate's experience at the Winter Warm-up, statements from player interviews, being shushed, Mozeliaks position, feeling some hype for 2025, being realistic, the Dodgers and the state of the game, the Hall of Fame, and much more! 

Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737)

Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nate & Ben discuss Winter Warm-Up, interviewing players, not making a fool of themselves, making a fool, Bryce Harper, banana bread, wanting more from players personality, arbitration, Helsley, the remaining arbitration cases, extending Donovan, highlights from 2024, staying positive as a Cardinal fan, being hyped for 2025, and much more! 

Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737)

Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nate & Ben discuss the Harlem Globetrotters, the Bananas, twerking on the field, Boston's off-season and how it could align with the Cardinals, good reporting and bad reporting, the Cardinals and why acquiring a FA reliever makes and/or doesn't make sense, the case for David Robertson, Pujols v. Molina, pitching labs, the HoF Ballot, and much much more! 

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Nate & Ben discuss New Year's Eve, Pizza, bad orders, new years rizzolutions, what we want to see from the Cardinals in 2025, and much much more! 

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Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nate & Ben talk about technical difficulties, recording in person, slapping five, Christmas presents, Detroit style pizza, Fernando Tatis, Christmas presents, Nolan Arenado (again), understanding his decision making, trading Ryan Helsely, trading Matz and Fedde, and much more! Have a question or comment for the show? 

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Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nate & Ben discuss Christmas, going to the twin cities, twins, Target Field, bad stadium names, MORE ARENADO, breaking Arenado news mid-pod, trading Fedde, the death of the rebuild, Nolan Gorman the future third baseman, the Cubs, trading Helsley in the wake of the Devin Williams trade, and much more! 

Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737)

Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.