Almost Cooperstown

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Late game pitching in the WBC is the issue and most teams don't have enough. The best teams can be held down for awhile but eventually the cream rises to the top.  USA, Dominican Republic, and Japan all have the firepower to exhaust the bullpens of good teams much less WBC also-rans. 

Highlights of the first weekend of games were many and the enthusiasm and atmosphere at the WBC has been amazing.  We talked about relegation which happens to the fifth place team in each pool. Those teams will have to play-in to...

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There will not be any Automatic Balls and Strikes called in the World Baseball Classic that begins this week at four sites around the globe. 16 teams are vying for the title currently held by two-time defending champ Japan.  

ABS is alive and well (so far) in #MLB spring training so far. Umpires get things wrong but the calls are so close you can understand why and how.  Will this lead to full robot umps eventually? We wondered about that and gave some thoughts.  

We also discuss if another epic WBC sho...

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Newspapers have long since stopped publishing MLB box scores and stories about each game in MLB on the prior day.  Tom Stone took on a crazy project in 2025 - he put out a daily newsletter recapping not only the results of all of the prior day's games, but also included standings, transactions, and even ballplayer birthdays. He did it for all 162 games of the regular season and then continued on through the playoffs and World Series. And he does it all himself. 

We had a great time talking with Tom who has 10,000 su...

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First it was #Mets Francisco Lindor who came up with the 'hamate' bone problem on his left (glove) hand. It bothers players when swinging the bat as the bone rests on the knob of the bat.  Lindor had surgery last week as did Jackson Holliday of the #Orioles and Corbin Carroll of the #D'backs.  The latter two will miss the start of the 2026 #MLB season but Lindor may make it for Opening Day since the injury is not to his throwing hand unlike the others.  

Injuries a sadly a part of Spring Tra...

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The Super Bowl is over so we can now focus our attention on where it belongs - Baseball!  Pitchers and catchers are officially reporting this week even though many have been in camp early and are already throwing, and catching. 

We recorded a west coast version of our podcast this week in sunny and warm Palm Springs!  Right now there's baseball being played in the California Winter League where  teams play a one month schedule for post-college and unsigned players to audition for a professional contract. But mainly we are avoiding having to e...

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When we talked with Dan Brown about his HOF choices in episode 645 we noted that just before our prior podcast the Mets signed Bo Bichette. Right after the podcast with Dan, the #Mets traded for #Brewers #1 starter Freddy Peralta. What will happen this week after our podcast? Will Framber Valdez sign with the #Orioles as Gordon says in this podcast? Where else might he go? What about Tarik Skubal's arbitration case?  If the #Tigers lose and have to pay him $32M, are they more likely to trade him than if they win and only h...

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For the third straight year The Athletic's writer Daniel Brown who is also a BBWAA voter, discussed his and his fellow writer's votes for the Hall-of-Fame.  Center fielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones both were elected with a few players making big strides in the their voting totals.  We talked about trends in voting, who's on the ballot next year and why the process might be changing. 

Dan is a terrific writer and you should look for his pieces in The Athletic.

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Mai...

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Happy MLK Day. A little late but hopefully worth the wait. When we recorded this episode the news that #Mets signed Bo Bichette for 3 years $120M had just dropped and Gordon wasn't aware until Mark told him!  Kyle Tucker's behemoth contract led to a discussion of a baseball salary caps which have always been a red line for the MLB Player's Association. Will a salary cap make MLB more competitive? That's not guaranteed. But a salary floor would bring up the salaries of the lowest paid MLB players - which is most of them s...

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While Bregman, Bellinger, Tucker, and Valdez wait for some team to pull the trigger and sign them, two more Japanese League players - Imai and Okamoto signed with the Astros and Blue Jays respectively.  Baseball WAR scores are not adjusted for when players played. But that does not acknowledge what really happened. Before baseball was integrated, and before international players became integral, the player pool was smaller and thus a replacement player was not as able. 

We talk about some of the weird records set in the 2025 season. And close the podcast ta...

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Free agent hitters Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman, & Kyle Tucker have still not yet found a team for the 2026 season as the dog days of winter continue. Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen are also still out there as starting pitchers along with Chris Bassitt. But relief pitchers are off the board with Pete Fairbanks the last one to sign - he with the Marlins for 2 years. White Sox Sign Murakami and Pirates sign Ryan O'Hearn after trading for Brandon Lowe.  Mets move Jeff McNeil to the A's. 

WBC rosters are shaping up with th...

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Dr. Stephen W. Dittmore has written a book that needed to be written about Jim "Junior" Gilliam. Gilliam followed HOFer Jackie Robinson through Montreal to Brooklyn and was signed by Branch Rickey. Not quite a HOFer himself, Gilliam was a member of four Dodger World Series winning teams - one in Brooklyn and three in Los Angeles. He played in three different stadiums for the Dodgers.  

Jim did not like being called "Junior" but the nickname stuck around for most of his career.  Dr. Dittmore tells us why as he interviewed many in...

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Closer Robert Suarez goes to Braves who only need to figure out shortstop to be a juggernaut once again.  The Tigers signed future HOFer Kenley Jansen & re-signed Kyle Finnegan. Sure doesn't look like a team about to trade 2 time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. 

Pete Alonso leaves the Mets and goes to the Orioles!  Wow. Kyle Schwarber goes back where he belongs with the Phillies after toying with the Pirates and Reds. Edwin Diaz also left the Mets to be a Dodger. Oh and the Rangers signed Danny Jansen for 2 years and...

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2nd baseman & one-time NL MVP Jeff Kent got into the Hall-of-Fame which few expected including us. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens did not get 25% of the votes to return to the Contemporary Era ballot in 2028 and now will have to wait until 2031 for what could be their final chance.  Kent was great and has the most HRs for a 2B in MLB history. Every player who has the most homers at a position is in the HOF except for Albert Pujols at 1B and Barry Bonds in LF. 

The winter meetings are go...

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We began by talking about the best HOFers that did not make the HOF. Not hitting as many home runs hurt the chances of Derek Jeter, Wade Boggs, and Tony Gwynn all of whom did not win an MVP. Manny Ramirez did hit a lot of HRs never won an MVP, but he's also not a HOFer. Mike Piazza never won an MVP finishing second twice. 

Dylan Cease got the big bucks for seven years while Sonny Gray got $41M for one year. Pitchers get paid in different ways but long term d...

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The four that accepted the $22M Qualifying offer from their teams - Gleyber Torres, Shota Imanaga, Trent Grisham, and Brandon Woodruff all made sense for them and their teams. But for #Rangers one-time star Adolis Garcia, he was non-tendered a 2026 contract along with his teammate Jonah Heim. It's a 'what have you done for me lately' league. 

We also talk about who are the MVP candidates aside from Judge and Ohtani who have won seemingly year after year. 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on...

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Hot stove season in #MLB is fully in gear but the deals are yet to commence. That will happen and probably in December as the Winter meetings are often the kickoff for wheeling and dealing. We did one minute on every team in Major League Baseball and what they should be doing. What did we say about your favorite team? 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us...

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It's not as if either of us went way far off the limb in our picks. We talked about the Hank Aaron Award for best offensive player and if that impacts the AL MVP race. There's a difference of opinion. Cy Young in the AL was close and the same was true for the NL. #Brewers Pat Murphy won NL Manager of the Year last year.  Could he win it again? #Red Terry Francona is also a candidate. 

What do you think of the Comeback Player of the Year award?  Some more str...

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Since 1973 there gave been 17 seven-game World Series.  None of them had an 18-inning game, a player who got on base 9x in one game, a rookie striking out 12 hitters and a solo extra inning home run for the final runs. #Dodgers #BlueJays will be talked about for a long time. Gordon and Mark talk about each game of the series and answer the question is this the greatest World Series in history? 

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#Bluejays found their groove in Seattle winning the series 4-3 over the #Mariners in 7 interesting and often exciting games. #Dodgers dominated #Brewers who could only muster 4 runs in 4 games. A George Springer dinger made the difference in game 7.  Shohei Ohtani had the greatest single game a player has ever played.  

What were the biggest plays of the LCS?  We talk about which managers got things right and which one got things wrong.

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

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Did you stay up late to watch game one of the ALCS Sunday night the 12th? #Mariners and #BlueJays both entered the American League in 1977. Toronto has won 2 World Series but the Mariners have never won a pennant. Will they get past the Jays who have the home field advantage? We make our points and tell you why one of the teams may win easily!   

Mariners got by the #Tigers winning a 15 inning classic in game 5. George Kirby hopes he never has to face Kerry Carpenter again! But the M's had Leo Ri...

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It was quite a week in #mlb!  #Dodgers subdued #Reds but not before a little excitement in game 2. #Phillies will be a much tougher test and the series started in Philly. 

#Cubs were better than #Padres but is that enough as they head to Milwaukee to face #Brewers over the weekend. What do the Padres do now that the season is over? 

#Tigers vanquish #Guardians who caught and passed them for the AL Central title. Great 3-game series! What do Guards do now? How about some more help for Jose Ram...

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#Mets fans like we are might be relieved that the nightmare finish to the season is finally over. Sure making the playoffs would have been great, but #Reds deserved it more & getting spanked by #Dodgers would have been up next for the boys from Citi Field. 

#Phillies look good to Gordon, Mark is between Dodgers and #Padres.  Neither of think give the #Cubs a chance and both of us still doubt #Brewers which is totally unfair. In the AL #BlueJays & #Mariners finally didn't choke!  #Yankees #RedSox wild card series is delicious as is...

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Mike Trout hit his 400th home run. Remember when he was the best player in #MLB? We started the show talking about Ep. 628 where we talked with author Jane Leavy about her new book - Make Me Commissioner - I know what's wrong with baseball and how to fix it! Jane has some eye-opening comments and ideas so give it a listen or watch! 

There are now 3 players with 50 home runs this season - Cal Raleigh, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber. #Yankees Aaron Judge is on the doorstep of 50 and Eugenio Suarez i...

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We're so excited to have had the chance to talk with former Washington Post baseball writer and best-selling author Jane Leavy join the podcast.  Her new book "Make Me Commissioner - I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It" is fascinating and yet a love letter from Jane to the sport she loves the most. Great stories in the book including the Cape Cod League, Savannah Bananas, how a heavier and slightly larger baseball could save pitcher's arms. Lowering the mound also is an option.  

Jane gets access because sh...

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Mark went to the #mets game Friday night to see the return of Jacob DeGrom. It did not go well for the Metropolitans as rookie Jonah Tong didn't make it out of the 1st inning. The Mets are so awful lately that Mark proclaimed them dead as he did the #rangers a couple of weeks ago. That proclamation was before the Rangers went on a tear! So maybe that's the trick as the Mets came back to win 5-2 on Sunday immediately after that? 

Paul Skenes pulled after less than 70 pitches in a...

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Our under-the-radar story of the week is asking about why a fan would grab a baseball from a kid at the game? Grabbing a hat away from a kid? What is wrong with #baseball fans?  It wasn't enough to have #Yankees fans thrown out of the playoff games last year for interfering with a play. 

Fans are behaving badly all over the place!  #Astros Framber Valdez behaved oddly when he seemingly crossed up his own catcher and hit the guy in the chest with a pitch. Bizarre! 

NL playoff teams seem...

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Which teams will have a September to remember? Will it be #Reds? #Mariners? #Royals? The playoff push is on and we rate the teams' chances. We had a 3rd 4-home run game last week for 1st time in #MLB history!  #RedSox ink Aroldis Chapman to another 1 year deal. In our first under-the-radar story of the week we talk about Chapman's HOF credentials. 

#Pirates Paul Skenes has the NL Cy Young award locked up. The AL Cy Young is still up for grabs between Crochet and Skubal. 

#Mets young pitchers McClean, Ton...

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Sure we talked about #Yankees 9 home runs in one game last week - that's the 2nd time it's happened this season which is a first!  #Phillies Zach Wheeler has surgery and is out for the season - awful.  #Brewers #Cubs #Dodgers #Padres are all good teams and will be tough in the playoffs. 

#Tigers Tarik Skubal and #RedSox Garret Crochet are pitching horses which is more special than ever. #Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk steals his first base ever after 2,000+ games!  #Rangers continue to disappoint. #Orioles sign another catcher to an 8 year deal...

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Three-quarters of the season is in the books. It means you can add about 1/3 of a player's current stats to project what will be the season ending total. Pete Alonso broke Darryl Strawberry's #Mets HR record hitting his 253rd last week. That means the amazing #Mariners Cal Raleigh is just behind pace to hit 60 home runs. But he still is on track to have the greatest offensive season for a catcher in #MLB history. 

#Dodgers Shohei Ohtani hit both a home run and hit into a triple play last week. It wasn't t...

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In this week's episode of "Almost Cooperstown," we dive into a historic moment as Jen Powell becomes the first female umpire in MLB history to officiate a regular season game. We also explore Roman Anthony's impressive new contract and what it means for his future in baseball. Plus, we take a fun detour into the world of the Savannah Bananas and their unique take on the game. From the latest stats to the ongoing debate about the value of RBIs, we cover it all. Tune in for an engaging discussion on the evolving landscape...

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Ichiro Suzuki gave a great speech at the induction ceremony last weekend in Cooperstown. So did C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Willa Allen gave a nice tribute to the late great Dick (don't call me Richie) Allen and Dave Parker's brother painted a more accurate pitcher of the Cobra. 

The largest crowd ever to attend a regular season #MLB game at Bristol Speedway in Tennessee got rained out on Saturday night - 91,000+ fans attended breaking the record set in 1954 in Cleveland in a game vs. the #Yankees.  The #Braves won on Su...

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This coming Saturday evening in Bristol, TN the most fans ever to attend an MLB game are predicted to watch the Reds and Braves. HOF inductions took place Sunday in Cooperstown where it was as hot as it always is for those ceremonies. Dave Parker's son spoke eloquently about him and Dick Allen's widow Willa gave a moving tribute to an all-time great. Billy Wagner, C.C. Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki all very deserving, were celebrated.  
The MLB trade deadline is Friday this week and there have yet to be big-time deals but t...

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Did you love the home run derby that ended this year's actual All-Star game?  The players sure did. But not having real pitchers makes it an entertainment product and not a real baseball thing. It's fine for an exhibition game but real games should not be decided in the 10th inning with a homerun swing off.  

#Mariners Cal Raleigh leads #MLB in home runs and also was the first catcher to ever win the Monday Home Run Derby. Raleigh is a legit MVP candidate (along with #Yankees Aaron Judge. The 'Big Dumper' ma...

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Baseball's Two-Way Greats - Pitching/Batting Stars from Ruth and Rogan to Ohtani by Chris Jensen. 

Is Shohei Ohtani the greatest two-way player in #MLB history? Chris Jensen isn't afraid to take on big subjects and 19th century baseball had its fair share of two-way stars.  Chris breaks down the greatest two-way players into 19th century, pre-integration era (1947), Negro Leagues, Latin Leagues, and of course the post-integrated era. 

Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe was both a pitcher and catcher and would sometimes play behind the plate in one game of a dou...

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Sadly #whitesox closer Bobby Jenks passed away from stomach cancer at age 44. Our condolences to the Jenks family. On a happier note #Dodgers Clayton Kershaw struck out his 3,000th #MLB batter!  #RedSox Wilyer Abreu hit both a Grand Slam AND an inside-the-park home run in the same game last week! 

HOFer Robbie Alomar had an ignominus end with #BlueJays having his number un-retired and being erased from the Jays HOF. On the other hand, or hands, Moises Alou, a career .300 hitter used to pee on his hands during the winter and spring to...

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Dave 'The Cobra' Parker passed away at age 74 less than a month before his induction ceremony in Cooperstown. His arm in right field was legendary and he won the 1978 NL MVP.  We're sorry he won't get the opportunity to be there next month. 

Corbin Carrol of the #dbacks broke his wrist. Without Corbin Burnes the road got that much tougher. #Mets have been awful losing 13 of 16 and falling out of 1st place in the #nleast.  #Dodgers #Cubs #Astros are fine. #Yankees #Rays in #aleast. #Tigers are supreme in #alcentral. #phillies lead the pac...

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Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are 1-2 in xwOBA. Expected Weighted On-Base Average (xwOBA) tell the story of a player's season based on quality of and amount of contact, not outcomes. It takes out being unlucky. 

Why can't we get into the College World Series? 

Rafael Devers is a Giant in the first pre-trading deadline deal of the 2025 #MLB season. Devers said he'd play anywhere once he went to San Francisco. Maybe the Red Sox just didn't ask nicely? Not great for Alex Cora and Craig Breslow. 

Shohei Oht...

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As a father and son doing a podcast we're keenly aware of the bond that baseball can bring to a family.  We loved talking with a real live recent (and possibly future) MLB player and his father about their relationship and journeys in baseball.  What's it like playing #MLB today?  How hard is it to hit today's pitchers and get out Major League hitters?  

John Sr. is on a book tour with his latest release "Diamond Duels" which we recommend highly. He's also written "Last Time Out" and a non-baseball book "Nashua" whic...

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Cal Raleigh aka 'The Big Dumper' hit his 26th home run this week to lead #MLB. If #Mets Tylor Megill was traded to Seattle they'd become a battery meaning the "Big Drip" would pitch to the "Big Dumper". Can we see that happen please? 

#Braves have lost 8 of 10 and are making the task of reaching the postseason increasingly difficult. Phillies have lost 9 of 10 and now lost Bryce Harper to another injury. #Cubs are still looking good.  #Padres Manny Machado got his 2,500th hit this week and he's played more games than any pl...

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#Phillies pfell out of pfirst place in the #nleast given a very unusually poor start on Saturday vs. #Brewers.  Phillies #Cubs, #Dodgers, #Mets all started Sunday at 36-22. They are the class of the league while in the #americanleague #Yankees  & #Tigers seem better than all the other teams. 

#Braves despite the returns of Spencer Strider & Ronald Acuna can't get it together. There's still time but the injury to AJ Smith-Shawver hurts more than it should. His teammate Chris Sale had his 2,500th strikeout this week in his likely HOF career. We didn't com...