One of our stories of the week is that #redsox Willson Contreras did something last week that only 35 players have done in MLB history. He got tossed from back to back games vs. #Nationals.  Another is about the baseball flying further in June than it has since good 'ol 2019. 

All-Star game rosters are in. Big yawn? Dodgers and Rays are hot, Yankees and Mets are not. 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

College baseball may become even more important if MLB owners get their way.  Changing draft rules is a big part of the first offer from the owners. The players (MLBPA) laughed it off as they should have. We talk about what it means and what it will lead to. 

Bunting is back in 2026. Well at least since the universal DH era began. 

Will Tarik Skubal be a Detroit #Tigers pitcher after the trade deadline?

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Tim Brown is the author of three baseball books and his latest book "Nolan" The Singular Life of an American Original" goes deeper with the HOF legend than any other. Tim spent time in Alvin, TX, which is Nolan Ryan's home town. There are so many great stories!  Thanks for listening and watching! 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Shohei Ohtani is on his way to his 5th MVP (in six seasons). He has the lowest ERA and highest OPS+ in the NL - not even HOFer Babe Ruth did that in the same season! 

We talk about the rash of injuries to stars including Jose Ramirez, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Spencer Strider. Jacob Misiorowski pitched a game for the ages and Mark tells you why when it comes to pitcher game score. 

Ground balls are more deadly to hitters today as hitting the ball in the air means everything!  Gordon tells you what that's all about. 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

It's hard to believe that both Mike Trout and Aaron Judge are 34. How can that be? It seems like Trout has been around much longer - and that's actually the case. We talk about this in our stories of the week along with the latest injury reports, player news, and everything that happened in MLB last week. All in less than 30 minutes! 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We look at run differentials that reveal the good teams (Braves, Dodgers, Yankees, Brewers), and all the other teams.  The AL is weaker this season and that's no surprise. Should #brewers trade for Tarik Skubal? Mark and Gordon don't see eye-to-eye on this one.  

Will #dodgers Shohei win the NL Cy Young award?  Cristopher Sanchez of the #phillies as a 44.2 inning scoreless streak.  And then there's #padres Mason Miller. 

Catch up on all the hot news from last week in under 30 minutes! 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Our top stories of the week are revealed as are the prospects for players and  @MLB teams after 1/3 of 2026 season has been played. Shohei of course leads the pack given that he pitches (amazingly) AND hits amazingly.  #tigers are sinking as are #mets #redsox & #astros.  What's up with #cubs?  
Can the #athletics remain in first place?  We talk about where things are right now!

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Brewers Jacob Misiorowski is tied for the MLB lead w 80 strikeouts. #dodgers Blake Snell is injured. Again. #Rays continue to excel. #guardians still the only AL Central team over .500 as well as the #athletics. Baseball is soaring high and we are appealing to baseball club owners and players to reach a deal in the new CBA before the 2027 season

We discuss the league leading hitters and pitchers with about 1/3 of the 2026 season to be played by Memorial Day! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Rob Fitts loves Japanese baseball and has been writing about it for years. His 10 books on baseball in Japan cover many aspects of the sport in the Land of the Rising Sun. Dr. Fitts joined Gordon and Mark to talk about his 2025 book "In the Japanese Ballpark" which is a series of vignettes covering aspects of what goes on during a NPB game. From players, to managers, to umpires, owners, fans, even beer girls, Fitts has a great feel for how to tell the story and explain Japanese baseball to fans outside of Japan. 

It's a great and engaging read and you can pick up your copy wherever you buy your books!

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We had intended to drop this episode on Monday the 11th after taking a week off due to some travel. But we recorded Wednesday night the 6th and so here's the latest episode as we want things to be timely!  The teams as of the weekend will have played about a quarter of the season. Does that mean Aaron Judge will hit 60 homers as he has 15 already? Not necessarily but you wouldn't be surprised would you? 

Framber Valdez did another crazy Framber thing. The bad teams aren't as bad as usual and the good teams not quite as good as they can be after 40 games. 

Our next episode features  author Rob Fitts who wrote a great book about Japanese baseball. Look for it Monday the 18th. 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Redsox fired Alex Cora in what has to be the story of the week. #Mets Carlos Mendoza may be next.  #Padres Mason Miller continues his unreal season and they also signed Lucas Giolito. #Braves rookie gives up homer on first #MLB pitch then pitches 7 innings for the win. We talk about those stories along with our feature topic - the 7 catchers who finished their careers batting .300. 5 are Hall-of-Famers, one will be, the other will never be.  How many can you name? 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

A day later than usual because we were traveling and distraught from watching the #Mets lose their 11th straight.  News of the week includes the sudden passing of #Angels great Garret Anderson - so sad. #Dodgers Edwin Diaz to undergo surgery and will miss at least half the season.  

Yordan Alvarez leads #MLB with 10 HRs and #Yankees Aaron Judge is right behind with 9.  Who are the players with the highest bat speed in baseball?  Which is more important to OPS - on-base average or slugging? We answer all in this fast-paced quick hitting episode! 

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Pitcher injuries are mounting especially if you wear an Astros uniform.  We didn't mention the passing of Davey Lopes which was our mistake. Lopes stole 552 bases and was a member of the Dodgers infield for 10 years. 

No teams have made much noise aside from the #dodgers. #pirates rookie Konnor Griffin got paid inking a 9-year $130M contract. #yankees are succeeding despite getting less than expected from reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge as well as being swept by the #Rats. 

Do you know who invented the split-fingered fastball? It's made a resurgence and we talk about the history of the pitch, why it fell out of favor, and why it's back better than ever! 

Shout out to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

When #MLB started measuring players in order to more fairly deploy the ABS Challenge system, MLB players who had not been measured for years came up tinier!  Why are they shrinking? 

The season is already 5% gone and by the end of the week will be 10% in the rear view mirror!  Can 162 games go by quickly?  We discuss Jo Adell's amazing virtuoso defensive performance on April 4th.  Any surprises in where teams are in the standings? We talk about that too! 

The topic of the week is WRC+ - Weighted Runs Created Plus. It's cooler than it looks we promise! 

Shout out to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We forgot to include our playoff picks last week when we picked the order of finish for each #MLB division. So we do that as well as pick the major award winners - Cy Young, MVP, Rookie-of-the-Year and Manager of the Year. We also cover the first three games of the 2026 season - rookies have been front and center! 

Shout out to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends to check us out!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We kick off our 7th season of baseball podcasts with this season seven premiere!  342 episodes in the can is something we never expected to do. As we do at the beginning of every MLB season we review all 30 teams and their chances in the 2026 season which starts this week. A special thanks to our producer - Gordon's mom and Mark's wife Michele who has had to listen to and review all of them! 

We will do our award picks next week. Thanks for six great seasons and we are so excited about season 7!

Shout out to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We recorded this episode just before Team Venezuela was about to play Team Italy. Team Italy is really a bunch of Americans masquerading as Italians with a real Italian or two on the roster. While the Italians beat the USA 8-6 in pool play, the USA will relish the chance to avenge that defeat. Or they will have to play a better team in Venezuela. But either way the USA is primed to take home the 2026 WBC championship! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 reach the next WBC which is scheduled for 2029. 

How about future Hall-of-Famers playing in the WBC and those that will be playing in #MLB in 2026 are plentiful and we discuss the tiers of those that are guaranteed all the way down to those that need to do more.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 showdown is in the cards like it was to end the 2023 WBC when Shohei Ohtani struck out then-teammate Mike Trout. That can't happen this year but we peek at a what could be a few delicious and delightful potential encounters between MLB teammates who are current rivals. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 subscribers to his newsletter and hoping for more. Check it out - https://nowtakingthefield.beehiiv.com

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Training. With the WBC starting in early March managing player health is trickier this year.  #Brewers Caleb Durbin who finished 3rd in the NL Rookie of the Year race in 2025 was shipped to the #Red Sox and we wondered what Milwaukee was thinking! 

We also talk about the impact ballparks play on a hitter's home run rate. Brandon Lowe may have a problem now that he's a Pittsburgh #Pirates player. PNC Park is notoriously bad for home run hitters as are several of the NL Central parks. This is in contrast to the parks in the AL East where Lowe played for the #Rays last season. 

Check out the podcast and next week we will have Tom Stone of Now Taking the Field and his Baseball Buffet newsletter. 

Here's the link to the Baseball Savant Page that lists home runs for each MLB park. 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/statcast-park-factors?type=year&year=2025&batSide=&stat=index_wOBA&condition=All&rolling=3&parks=mlb

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 endure the awful cold back home! 

Talking about cold, former Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase's problems just got worse.  

Paul Goldschmidt signed with the #Yankees for another season. Is he a HOFer? We talk about that a little as well as Tarik Skubal winning his arbitration case after the #Tigers signed Framber Valdez to a 3 year deal. 

Check out the other things we cover in this week's special episode!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 have to pay hin $19M? 

What about the AL East? It looks tough. Four of the five teams could claim the divisional title. We let you in on who we think will be the non-contender in the AL East.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 since the stars get paid first and foremost. 

Kyle Tucker on the #Dodgers is just one of the players. He has Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman for cover not to mention virtually every player on the team.  New York ain't L.A. 

Check out this episode which was free-flowing and, we hope you'll agree, fun!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 talking about players that reached base 300 times or more in a single season. There are only 157 of them!  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 the USA team having a deep and talented group of players who've already accepted. Hall-of-Fame voting has been being tabulated and we will have Daniel Brown from The Athletic join us in January after the HOF votes have been tabulated and announced on January 20th. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 this extremely well-researched biography.  The conversation flows easily so give us a listen! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa, (and belated Happy Hanukkah) to all our listeners! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 the Jays added another former Met Tyler Rogers. 

Mark went to his first QBC - Queens Baseball Convention which is a fan event for crazy Met fans. We talked about what it was like, the vibe and feeling in the room after an awful week for the Mets. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 going on right now in Orlando but there were no Sunday night bombshell trades going into the meetings that started Monday the 8th. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 deals have been  harder to get for pitchers.  Now Framber Valdez is smiling. 

Nine managers were selected to replace ones not coming back. Warren Schaeffer the latest as he signed on with the #Rockies. Good luck.  We talked about the others who'd already taken the job. 

And then there's the #Mets. We go unit by unit although we did not talk about catcher Francisco Alvarez.  Is there a way for the team to compete for a pennant in 2026?  They have work to do. Will Francisco Lindor be named team captain? Juan Soto does not seem to want the job. Fortunately there is still time pre-season to continue to change the team after trading Brandon Nimmo for Gold Glove 2B Marcus Semien.  Then there's time until the trading deadline too!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 strong opinions and the same is true for Reliever of the Year.  Check out our picks and see if you agree or disagree!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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? 

www.almostcooperstown.com

#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!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Rivas and Jorge Polanco to rescue their season although Cal Raleigh did all he could. 

Jays kind of bludgeoned #Yankees who had pitching and fielding issues despite getting a terrific performance from odds-on favorite for ALMVP Aaron Judge.  

#Dodgers vanquished #Phillies. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner just didn't do enough. Neither team hit all that well and it was defense and coming through in the clutch that led L.A. to the 4-game victory.  Mookie's wheel play in game 2 was amazing and just perfect. Orion Kerkering's brain fart to lose game 5 and the series was unfortunate. We feel bad for him.  

Now Dodgers get the #Brewers who subdued the #Cubs also in 5 games. Brew Crew did the little things a little better and home field meant everything as the home team won every game. 

Will L.A. overcome Brewer mojo? Listen/watch us take that on!  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Ramirez and Steven Kwan? 

#Yankees beating #RedSox is always news & new star Cam Schlittler announced himself in a huge way! #BlueJays will be a much tougher test and in games one and two the Jays won big! 

Some managers were fired, some were retained and we talked about all of them! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#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 #Guardians - #Tigers after the Motor City Kitties gave up the AL Central crown that seemed theirs for the taking a couple of weeks ago. 

#Astros will sit out this year's #MLB playoffs as will #Rangers.  

We had 4 players (Raleigh, Judge, Ohtani, and Schwarber) hit 50+ homers w Eugenio Suarez falling just short with 49. It would have been the 1st time there were 5 players who hit 50 HRs. Paul Skenes of the #Pirates finished w a 1.97 ERA which we will talk about for years after he wins the 2025 NL Cy Young award. 

There will be robo umps in #baseball next season. A challenge system will be in use with 2 challenges per team per game.  It's been a long time coming and will make a difference in a positive way we think. 

We make our picks in both leagues so enjoy the episode! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 is within three. There have been four players with 50 home runs (1998 and 2001) but never five!  Trea Turner is hitting .305 and if he doesn't play again this regular season will be the NL batting champ. Might be the only .300 hitter in the NL! Aaron Judge leads AL by a good margin

#Tigers are choking and the #Guardians are charging. #Mariners & #Astros are finished their three game series on Sunday night w Seattle holding a two -game advantage in the #ALWest.  #Bluejays clinched a playoff spot and seem to be in the driver's seat to win the #ALEast. #Redsox are fading a little and may be on the outside looking in but there's still a week of games to play! 

#Brewers also clinched and the #Cubs seem in good shape. #Mets #Reds are tied for the last NL wild card spot w #Padres in pretty good shape for the second WC. 

#Dodgers still maintaining their #NLWest lead and look primed for the #MLB playoffs. Watch out for them! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 she tells the truth and makes it fun to read. Her knowledge is vast and on target. It's one of the longer podcasts we've done but well worth the investment of time. We hope to have her on a again in the future! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 #pirates win last week. Skenes has the Cy Young locked up so why is everyone so upset? Pirates have had a weird season - 17 shutouts, swept Mets #Dodgers, #Giants, #Tigers, #Phillies and #dbacks. They were 46-82 against everyone else. They were 47-72 if you take out the shutouts. Ugh! 

#yankees are hanging in as are the #bluejays who have a sold lead in the AL East. #Brewers are still reigning as are the Phillies & Tigers. 
Who has the most saves in #MLB this season. Are saves still important? Our under-the-radar stat of the week is about saves. Our stat of the week is about  #perfectgame showcases and #driveline training.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 pretty set. AL still has a WC race. AL East has tightened - will the #Bluejays give up the lead? They got swept in NY this weekend. Cal Raleigh has tied the all-time record for home runs in a season while catching with 42. Whose record did he tie? 

Our stat-of-the week - if you are a baseball fan how much baseball do you watch? Do you watch the entire game often? Sometimes? Never?  162 games is an awesome commitment compared to watching a team play 17 #NFL games.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

Transcript:

Just terrible because at least like when the right white socks were that awful a couple years ago There's an entertaining aspect to it. Mm-hmm. All right. I think we just did our sound check The Yankees actually are now two games back so remember we're starting mom's leaving we give it a pause we go You're not leaving right from the start. Are you? I Think it's easier if you leave from the start

when you're out of here? No, she doesn't want to. Oh, I'm just saying, do we want to stop and start in the middle of this randomly? Because that's what's going to have to happen then. We're going to have to stop in the middle of the podcast. Mom leave. Why isn't she just going to leave and she's going to try to edit that out? Oh, you want to edit that part out? Right. That's why I just leave right now. That's why I'm saying it's much easier for you to start it. Leave. Have us do the whole podcast.

then I just get up and pause it. And you just hit the stop And I hit the stop button when I'm done and then you can come back and finish all the editing later. Okay. think that's the easiest way to do it. Okay, yeah. And I'm actually already recording so I will, I guess, step out. Right. And, And you just have to then edit that. And it looks good. We're all nice and Right. I think this is way easier than trying to stop midstream to have mom leave at that point. I don't know about you. No, you're right, Okay. Bye-bye. I'm sorry about the timing.

Almost Cooperstown (01:34.722)
The Giants are catching up to the Reds and they're right behind the Mets. The Yankees swept the Jays. They're two games behind. This week in baseball, we're going to talk about the stat of the week, which is going to be about watching baseball and the under-the-radar story of the week. That's going to be why are fans behaving so badly? It's this week in baseball. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as you well know now, almost had a no-hitter.

Right down to his final out against the Orioles and you know, we thought he was going to be able to do it. And then boy, did that turn around. Right. Not just one swing of the bat, but what happened afterwards? He didn't just lose the no hitter. He lost the game. And that's the strange thing. So Jackson holiday hits the home run to break up the no hitter. And I think I'm not sure how many, but there's a lot of pitchers that have lost a no hitter with two outs in the ninth inning or perfect games with two outs in the

www.almostcooperstown.com

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, Tong & Sproat are making noise.  Will that get them into the race for the NL East title? Maybe not.  

Our stat of the week is defensive range factor. Getting to baseballs is important but making the play once the fielder gets there is not always calculated!  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

This conversation delves into the current state of Major League Baseball as the season approaches its conclusion. The hosts discuss playoff dynamics in both the National and American Leagues, the future of the Athletics as they prepare to move to Las Vegas, and the emergence of rookie players. They also explore the significance of relief pitching in the context of Hall of Fame discussions and provide insights into the statistical measure of range factor, emphasizing its importance in evaluating defensive players.

takeaways

• The playoff picture is becoming clearer as the season ends.
• Teams need to perform exceptionally well in September to secure playoff spots.
• The Athletics' move to Vegas could revitalize the franchise.
• Emerging rookies are making significant impacts in their teams.
• Relief pitching is crucial for playoff success and Hall of Fame considerations.
• Range factor is a valuable statistic for assessing defensive players.
• The Yankees' ability to hit home runs is a key part of their strategy.
• The importance of situational pitching is often overlooked in traditional metrics.
• Fans need to consider the context of a player's performance when evaluating their career.
• The postseason often highlights the importance of defensive plays.

titles

• Baseball's Final Stretch: Playoff Push Insights
• Navigating the National League's Playoff Landscape

Sound Bites

• "The American League is a little more interesting."
• "Paul Skenes has now had 50 major league starts."
• "You have to be able to physically make the play."

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Season Overview

02:41
National League Playoff Picture

05:40
American League Dynamics

08:36
The Future of the Athletics in Vegas

11:54
Rookie Performances and Pitching Prospects

14:36
Relief Pitching and Hall of Fame Considerations

17:34
Stat of the Week: Range Factor Explained

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 after one week in #MLB. Huh? What happened to Adley Rutschman? 

Our stat of the week is good ole fashioned batting average.  #NationalLeague has had batting champions for 150 years, the #AmericanLeague for 125 years. Do we really want to pull away from that long and amazing history? Batting average may not be the be-all and end-all offensive stat but we think it's still important. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

Summary

The conversation delves into various aspects of baseball, including the impact of injuries on team performance, potential realignment and expansion in the league, changes in broadcasting and fan experience, the contrasting situations of the Yankees and Mets, the evaluation of young talent, and the evolving significance of batting average in modern baseball.


Takeaways

Injuries can significantly alter the competitive landscape of the season.
Realignment and expansion are on the horizon for Major League Baseball.
Broadcasting changes are complicating the fan experience.
The Yankees and Mets are facing different challenges this season.
Evaluating young talent is crucial for team success.
Batting average is becoming less significant in evaluating player performance.
Teams are looking for ways to maximize their playoff chances.
The importance of pitching depth is highlighted in team strategies.
Fan engagement is affected by the complexity of game broadcasts.
Historical context of batting titles remains relevant in discussions. 


Titles

Injury Impact and Season Outlook
Realignment and Expansion in Baseball


Sound bites

"We don't want to share insights too early."
"It's going to be hard enough now."
"You could sit the guy right now."


Chapters

00:00 Injury Impacts and Season Outlook
01:39 Realignment and Expansion in Major League Baseball
04:59 Broadcasting Changes and Fan Experience
08:48 Yankees and Mets: A Tale of Two Teams
11:53 Pitching Challenges Across the League
14:39 Evaluating Young Talent and Future Prospects
18:50 The Evolution of Batting Average in Baseball

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 the 1st time it happened as in 2001 #Red Sox Scott Hatterberg had both a grand slam and hit in a triple play in one game. 

#Orioles Brandon Young had a perfect game broken up by an infield hit in the 8th inning last week. He threw the ball wildly and could have been charged with an error but wasn't. 

#Brewers had won 14 in a row before Sunday with some coming in unusual ways. Down 8-1 to the #Reds on Friday they came back to win. And on Saturday they tied the game in the 9th and won it in the 10th. The magic finally ran out on Monday and manager Pat Murphy may just keep on eating those pocket pancakes. 

Pickoffs were not really a part of #baseball until the 1890's when the rubber was moved to its current location of 60 feet 6 inches. But modified rules like coming to a full stop for one second before throwing a pitch did not come into play until 1950. We talk about who has the most pickoffs, most balks, and why baseball should keep the balk rule even if umpires don't always understand it! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 of baseball!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Sunday 4-2 and home runs were celebrated with a 'Home Run' car going around the oval. That was cool. 

Trading deadline had so many teams picking up relief pitchers that can help them for the stretch drive and for the playoffs. #Padres, #Phillies, #Mets, #Yankees, all made significant improvements to their bullpens. Eugenio Suarez also was moved back to #Mariners and with Cal 'Big Dumper' Raleigh the M's have power they have not had in a long time to go with their excellent pitching. 

Is Jimmy Rollins a HOFer? He's now in the Phillies HOF as he was inducted this past weekend. 

Waste pitches used to refer to pitches thrown in a 0-2 count. Now there are means to evaluate how untempting some of those non-competitive pitchers are. Emmauel Clase of the #Guardians along with his teammate Luis Ortiz have cleaned out their lockers as the advanced metrics may have uncovered a gambling scheme.  We talk about strike zone shadow zones and how pitchers can overdo trying to get the batter to go fishing. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 there's still time. This week in baseball's biggest story on the field was Nick Kurtz's amazing game for the A's vs. the Astros in Houston. 6 for 6 with 4 HR's and a record-tying 19 total bases! Shawn Green has company!  
We talk about Win Probability Added - WPA, which catalogs which players are the ones that contribute to a team's winning chances the most. Barry Bonds, HOFers Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams are the top three with Willie Mays and Henry Aaron right behind on the all-time list and on the pitching side Lefty Grove, Walter Johnson, and Roger Clemens lead the pitchers in WPA and nobody should b surprised.  The stats list a ton of HOFers and a few that should be HOFers!

It is the Braves that have three pitchers w initials DD not the Rangers. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your frien

www.almostcooperstown.com

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' may hit more than 60 home runs and the all-time best by a catcher is 48 by #Royals Salvador Perez.  

Now that the post ASG games have begun we are staring down the trading deadline which is in 10 days. Which teams will be buyers and which teams will be sellers?  We look at all the divisions and forecast which teams should go for it and which should get what they can and reload for next year. 

Correction: John Mozeliak is the POBO for the Cardinals. Bill DeWitt is the owner. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 doubleheader and then pitch the other game! Babe Ruth is the first name you think of when you think two-way players but how about John Montgomery Ward? Or Negro League star player and manager Bullet Rogan? Was he really better than Satchel Paige? Chris believes Shohei is amazing just like we all do and gives reasons why Shohei might be the best of them all although he'd rather not categorize things that way.  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 toughen them up. So apparently did #Yankees Jorge Posada according to former teammate Nick Swisher. 

Spin rates are a pitcher glamour stat. But is it really an indicator of success? How about FIP - fielding independent pitching? We explain both advanced stats and try to make some sense out of them. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 pack in #nleast. And then there are the #giants 

How about Defensive stats? We've come a long way from fielding percentage. The amount of defensive metrics is ever-increasing. We pull apart what it all means and it's not as complicated is it might seem.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Ohtani is back on the hill but will he take his turn every 6th day? Cal Raleigh has 30 home runs and is poised to have the greatest hitting season in catcher history.  Yes there is a long way to go. 

James Wood is a superstar in the making. 

We wish Ron Washington well as he recovers from a medical issue. 

www.almostcooperstown.com

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" which is where he hailed from but it' not about his childhood. Jr. grew up in Tallahassee and always wanted to be a baseball player for Florida State and he did that and so much more - while his Dad covered the team for the local paper. 

They go by 'Nogo' and the 'Big Nogowski' thing is fun and done for a charity which John Jr. relates. Father's Day and baseball - they go together so well! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 player since 2015. Is he a HOFer. We think so. 

#Dbacks are a disappointment as are the #RedSox and #Orioles.   How about #Royals? Shouldn't they be better? #Tigers have been great and #Guardians will hang around w #Twins. 

Mets season so far has featured pitchers over-performing expectations and hitters like Soto and Nimmo underperforming. Can it last? We have our doubts. The bullpen has also been excellent led by Edwin Diaz who looks like prime "Sugar" and arms that find ways to get outs. Manager Carlos Mendoza has already become one of the best in the game.  Can Pete Alonso keep it up? Francisco Lindor continues to play at a Hall of Fame level every day. What will the team do with Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuna and Ronny Mauricio? They all cannot get playing time. And Jeff McNeil is starting to produce wherever he plays. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#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 completely agree. #Rockies have not won a series this 2025 #MLB season. They are the fastest team to 5-0 losses in the modern era. 

So few MLBers get to 3,000 hits for a career. Is a career with 2,500 hits the new 3,000 hit career? Few players even achieve 200 hits in a season. In order to make it to 3,000 hits you'd need to AVERAGE 200 hits for 15 seasons!  Some of the less-than-3,000 hits for a career players like Johnny Damon with 2,769 career hits didn't get much HOF consideration. Will that change with time?

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Happy Memorial Day! This is episode 301 as we forgot to mention our 300th last week!  #tigers Tarik Skubal pitched a Maddux on Sunday, throwing a complete game, striking out 13, only yielding 2 hits, and he threw 94 total pitches. His Game Score was an amazing 96. Anything over 80 is special and a 100 is nearly unattainable. It's a great way to evaluate starting pitchers and you will be hearing more about it even though Bill James came up with it years ago. 

#Braves Ronald Acuna came back with a bomb on Friday hitting a home run on the first pitch he saw! Then he hit another on Saturday. We talk about being 1/3 of the way through the 2025 #MLB season and how stats might project out if the current rates are maintained. Will #Mariners Cal Raleigh hit 51 home runs? Probably not but it's fun to think about what could happen.  

All the divisions are covered and we're still doubting #Cardinals and #Phillies. Or at least Mark is.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Three managers have been fired already before Memorial Day!  #Pirates Derek Shelton, #Rockies Bud Black, & #Orioles Brandon Hyde all were dismissed and it kind of makes sense. You can't fire 26 players!  

#Twins won 13 straight before finally losing on Sunday. They move to 2nd place in the #ALCentral. #Tigers are the best team in #MLB right now and look strong enough to hold that position. How about #Mariners hitting? After years of putrid offense, the M's are leading the #ALWest over tired #Astros & underperforming #Rangers. Only #Yankees are over .500 in the #ALEast. 

#Dodgers still leading the #NLWest but the #Padres, #Giants, & #Dbacks are all good teams and will vie for a playoff spot all season. #Cubs may be the only #NLCentral team to make the postseason. #Mets lead #NLEast, #Phillies lose Jose Alvarado to PED suspension, and Aaron Nola is on the IL. #Braves are righting the ship & will be heard from. 

We also talked about inside the park home runs which are an increasing rarity. Ballparks are smaller, players are better athletes and understand how to play the outfield in the various parks. There have only been 10 inside the park homers in the World Series. When was the most recent?  We tell all! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Yankees Aaron Judge is now on pace for 56 home runs which would surprise exactly nobody!  Judge also has a #MLB leading 39 RBIs which over 162 games would be 156 RBIs. That hasn't been done since A-Rod did it for those same Yankees in 2007. But the real question is can Judge maintain his +.400 batting average? Doubtful but fun to watch! 

#Pirates CF O'neil Cruz leads MLB on pace for 60+ SBs. Can he keep that up? He has a new manager now that Derek Shelton has been let go. Bud Black of the #Rockies was also dismissed this weekend. Probably doing him and the franchise a favor as the team has been historically awful and had a historically awful week! 

Max Fried has a MLB league leading ERA at 1.04. He's in place to start the ASG if this keeps up. But how about #Royals Kris Dubic? He's had an excellent start to the season and is largely forgotten behind Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo. #Tigers Skubal has rounded into form but the loss of Casey Mize will hurt the Motor City kitties. 

#Dodgers Shohei Ohtani has been routinely amazing such that it's no longer notable! Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

It was more fun talking about This Week in Baseball goings-on since #MLB team captains are kinda unimportant. A vestige of 19th century baseball, there are only three team captains in the Majors today. # Yankees Aaron Judge #Royals Salvador Perez, & #Rangers Marcus Semien.  Why aren't there more? We dive into that thought in this week's episode. 

Four of the five teams in the #ALWest are .500 or better. Who'da thunk it? Jacob DeGrom is looking like prime DeGrom for Texas. Pitching injuries continue to be the story of the 2025 season.  Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow of the #Dodgers are both on the IL. The boys from L.A. keep on winning.  

How about the Tampa Bay #Rays?  They have had a bunch of home games scheduled in the early part of the season because there is not roof over Steinbrenner Field in Tampa - the temporary home of the Rays. If you didn't know, it rains a bunch in the afternoons and evenings in Tampa in the summer. So MLB is trying to avoid rainouts and scheduled the Rays for a lot of road trips after May. ]

#RedSox puzzle us. Injuries yes, to Tristan Casas, hurt,  but the Sox just find ways to lose instead of ways to win. #Yankees are in 1st place by default. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Pirates rookie 27 YO Matt Gorski hit a home run in his first #MLB at-bat this week!  But maybe #Dbacks Eugenio Suarez outdid him by clubbing 4 home runs in a game versus the #Braves, that Arizona ended up losing!   Are the #Giants & #Tigers built for the long haul?  Is #Yankees Paul Goldschmidt really back in HOF form?  We cover the big and little stories of the past week. Like the phantom triple play turned by the Nationals in their crazy win Friday vs. #Mets. 

AND, then there's checked swings. In the Arizona Fall League last year Mets Drew Gilbert was the first player to call for a check swing review using the technology that was tested. The criteria is that the swing cannot go past 45 degrees beyond the edge of home plate. It worked just fine and we hope that along with ABS, ACS (automatic check swing?) will become part of daily life in the majors. Getting the call right is what all fans want most! 

Here's the clip on the first check swing review in the Arizona Fall League in 2024 - https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-testing-check-swing-challenge-in-arizona-fall-league

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

About 1/8th of the season is past so you can pretty much take #MLB player stats and multiply by eight. Tyler Soderstrom of the #athletics s is not going to hit 72 home runs. But #yankees  Aaron
Judge could definitely finish with 56 or more homers. Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt was taken out by a line drive foul ball last week in the #Mets #Twins series at Citi Field. Hoping that he's going to be ok but it was a scary thing. 

Is the National League really that much better than the American League this season?  It may seem so at first but it's too early to be certain. Might be that the top #NL teams #Padres #Dodgers #Cubs #Giants #Phillies and Mets are stronger than those in the #AL where the #Rangers & Yankees stand out. 

Is Manny Machado a sure-fire HOFer? He plays 3B which is generally underrepresented in the HOF. He's closer than you think and is in his 14th season of a stellar career. We talk about the slam dunk HOFers playing (Verlander, Scherzer, Kershaw), and others who are probably already there as well as those knocking on the door.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Angels in first place is something we did not expect. Mike Trout leading the #AL in homers is not as shock but that he has 6 HRs and 10 hits is at least surprising!  The #Tigers are in 1st place as are #Yankees, #Padres, #Cubs w #Mets & #Phillies tied for 1st place in the #NLEast as of Sunday morning. 

Justin Steele may have an injury to his elbow that could change the Cubs fortunes. #Giants Wilmer Flores also has 6 HRs. #Mets Pete Alonso is off to a raging start which is good since many of the other hitters on the team are still not in full gear. 

Since we are avid Mets fans we put them first in our round up of all 30 teams best five starting pitchers in franchise history. We will do this periodically through the 2025 season. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Baseball movies are rarer than they used to be. Has there been a great one that you love in the past 10 years?  Gordon and Mark participated in a roundtable with 4 other baseball writers/podcasters/personalities - Vince Wetzel (author of "Lose Yourself" and a past Almost Cooperstown guest, Scott Bolohan (host of the Twin Bill podcast and content), Kelly Franco (Three Inning Fan the podcast), and former ESPN and The Athletic writer, current Substack author and author of "The Best Team Money Can Buy" Molly Knight.  

We each picked two movies to feature as one's we'd recommend watching again or for the first time if you haven't seen it!  Spoiler alert - nobody picked "The Natural" or "Field of Dreams" or "Eight Men Out".  To find out which ones we did pick listen or watch the podcast! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The #Dodgers finally lost & #Braves finally won. Yet it's the #Giants who are in 1st place in the NL West. #Padres also lost but still are off to a great start. #Cubs are looking good as are #Phillies who beat L.A. 2 out of 3 this weekend. #Mets bullpen is over-performing but they will take it for now. #D'backs have good news and bad news. 

#Yankees are still clubbing home runs and the #ALEast is already a dogfight. At one point this week all the #ALCentral teams were 2-4 but it was the #Tigers who ended up in 1st place after this weekend. #Rangers are in 1st in the #ALWest over the surprising #Angels? #Astros are scuffling and the #Athletics are flawed but interesting. 

#MLB commissioner Rob Manfred had some interesting thing to say about the future of baseball including Robo-Umps as well as competitive balance. We also talked about our podcast that will drop on Thursday with 4 other great #baseball personalities/writers/podcasters where we shared our thoughts on 2 baseball movies we felt fans should take another look at!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

It's not really been a week in baseball but the Dodgers & Cubs have played 5 games now (Dodgers have won them all and are on a path to be undefeated) so that's close to a week. There are no narratives written in March for MLB teams. That goes for April too although teams will be almost 30 games into the season when April ends. 

#Yankees Aaron Judge was on a pace for nearly 500 RBIs this season when he had 11 RBIs in his first 11 ABs.  That goes with his 4 home runs in three games putting him second to Adrian Gonzalez for most homers in a season's first 3 games. Judge hit 3 HRs Saturday to become the 4th Yankee to do that including Babe Ruth and A-Rod. Lou Gehrig surpassed that with (4) 3-HR games! The Yankees spanked the #Brewers and gave Nestor Cortes a bad reception at Yankee Stadium in his first game pitching for the Brewers. It was a game in which the Bronx Bombers hit 9 home runs. 

Shohei is hitting homers. Mookie Betts is back in the lineup and the 2024 World Series combatants are a combined 8-0 in 2025. 

We pick who we think will win MLB awards this season. Rookie-of-the-Year, Cy Young, MVP, and Manager of the Year for both leagues. It's not as easy as it sounds after Ohtani! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

As we launch our 6th season of Almost Cooperstown podcasts we start by saying thank you to our listeners and viewers. 280 episodes in the can and still going strong!  Thank you for liking to hear and watch us talk about our favorite thing - baseball! 

We go division by division picking all 30 teams in order of finish. It's a long episode for that reason but we just couldn't stop ourselves!  Take it in bites if you can't listen all at once. 

Will the #Dodgers go 162-0?  Can any team beat them in the NL West? Which teams will surprise? Which teams will disappoint? What will happen in Sacramento this season? Or Tampa? Both are hosting #MLB teams who've not played regular season games at their ballparks. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Author of 19 books, Keith O'Brien grew up in Cincinnati and had a front row seat to much of Pete Rose's career. Keith's 2024 book "Charlie Hustle" won awards from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and The New Yorker. We both enjoyed the book immensely and recommend it highly. 

Pete Rose was addicted to gambling, something he finally admitted, but only when he was trying to get baseball to reinstate him to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. Pete always played to win and also always managed his teams to win. But his lifelong association with gamblers and gambling proved to   be his ultimate undoing. He does have the most hits in MLB history AND a 44-game hitting streak that remains a National League record. 

Keith has so many great stories from having interviewed Pete for 27 hours and talking with so many people who knew and interacted with Pete Rose on a daily basis. Keith asked us if what we thought about Pete Rose being in the HOF! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Even before Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis banned eight #Whitesox players for their attempted fix of the 1919 World Series, players had been banned, blacklisted and banished from baseball mostly for trying to fix games but not always. Once Commissioner Landis was given the job and power to kick players and people out of baseball he used it liberally as did his successors. 

Even Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle were banned from #MLB in 1983 for being greeters at different casinos in Atlantic City. Finally Peter Ueberroth un-banned them which might have been his finest moment as commish. 

Sometimes it's gambling, other times drugs, and still other instances are even more serious and criminal. We talk about the difference between black-listing and blackballing and how #baseball hopes one of the other major sports has a gambling scandal before MLB does. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Yankees Giancarlo Stanton is injured. Again. This time it is tennis elbow in both elbows!  #Mets FA acquisition Nick Madrigal is doing his Jed Lowrie imitation as he's out for the season before it ever started!  Injuries are part of the game but you hope to get through Spring Training! 

Max Scherzer is not thrilled with ABS testing so far. But Max is never happy about, everything? Terry Francona of the #Reds told his players to ignore ABS since they are not going to use it this season anyway. 

Authir Keith O'Brien will join the podcast in 2 weeks to talk about his book "Charlie Hustle".  Pete Rose was in the news again as he's set to receive a pardon for his criminal activities (tax related) from President Trump. #MLB commissioner Rob Manfred then piped in that they will take another look at Pete's explusion. 

The youngest player to play MLB was LHP Joe Nuxhall in 1944. He was still 15 years old and only in high school!  He pitched one game, got shelled, and didn't come back to the show for 7 years!  Joe pitched 16 seasons and won 135 games a pitcher and became a long time broadcaster for Cincinnati with HOF broadcaster Marty Brennaman. 

We also talked about NY Giants Freddie Lindstrom who became a HOFer - somehow, and still is the youngest player to ever play in the World Series. Even younger than #Braves Andruw Jones! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Alex Bregman homered in his first Spring Training game for #redsox. He also went 3-3. #Mets Juan Soto went oppo toco deep in his first AB with his new team. #yankees Aaron Boone got a contract extension and Giancarlo Stanton has tennis elbow. In both elbows?  Frankie Montas now of the Mets is injured. Justin Turner goes to #Cubs. Does that give them an edge?  ABS made its debut in Spring Training and teams are testing it out. 

Yankees also rescinded the facial hair policy. It lasted 49 years. #reds had a longer time not allowing whiskers - from 1902-1999!  Marge Schott put a stop to it of all people! 

We also dream that a salary cap attempt by owners backfires into a salary floor with NO salary cap!  It could happen but probably won't.  

Deadball era pitchers like Christy Mathewson, Lefty Grove, Rube Waddell, Cy Young made it tough on hitters and were a bigger part of hitters failures than pithcers were given credit for.  Hitters used heavy bats and their approach to hitting was limited once foul balls were counted as strikes - which they were not until 1901 in the NL and 1903 in the AL. We're so glad the deadball era is past but starting pitchers today are a dying breed.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

There was enough news for us to talk about what went on this week. Alex Bregman #redsox was the biggest player news. #Angels Rendon is out of action for the season. Again. Before it even started! Who will be the dark horse teams in #MLB 2025? How about caps for the HOF inductees? Is C.C. really a #Yankees player?  

Then there's the Deadball era which occurred from 1901-1919. It was not completely consistent and happened for a variety of reasons. Ty Cobb led #americanleague with 9 home runs in 1909! Offense did improve with the change in #baseballs in 1910 but pitchers found new ways to cut, slather and doctor baseballs.

Note: Gavy Cravath actually did lead the lead in home runs 6 times during the Deadball era. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Well here we are with spring training at hand as pitchers & catchers are reporting for #Cubs today. Other teams will follow shortly. Football season is over and baseball is on the way!  How did the NL teams offseason go? #Dodgers, #Giants and #Mets were noisy.  #Reds have Terry Francona at the helm. #Padres are puzzling. #Dbacks are dynamic w Corbin Burnes at the top of the rotation. #Cubs get Ryan Pressley to close. #Brewers were baffling. #Phillies added Jesus Luzardo, #Braves will get Strider and Acuna back early in the season. #Nationals wish they played in a different division. #Pirates were pretty quiet. #Cardinals got older. #Rockies return to play again. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#MLB Pitchers and catchers report in about 10 days. So officially baseball winter is over as the sound of balls hitting gloves is imminent!  Watching video of #Rangers Jacob DeGrom is compelling and full of promise!  The fate of the team is likely tied to how DeGrom pitches in 2025 and how much! 

We talk about the American League teams and what they did of interest since the 2024 season regular season ended in early October.  Four months is a long time!  Which AL teams got better? Did any?  #Yankees lost Juan Soto and Clay Holmes as well as Anthony Rizzo. They brought in Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger.  Seems like it could be a good exchange if the three play to their best selves. 

But who's gonna play third base for the Yanks especially when Max Fried pitches? We cover every team on the Junior Circuit - even the team that formerly played in Oakland and was called the Athletics. We have no idea what they will be when they play in Sacramento this and the following two years at least. 

"This is the year" is one of our favorite expressions that is too often hope triumphing over experience. 

Correction - Matt Manning did not pitch for #Tigers in playoffs. It was Matt Boyd who is now with the #Cubs. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Dan was not the voter who didn't vote for Ichiro. But we all wish we knew who it was! For the 3rd straight year Dan joined the podcast to discuss the final HOF voting.  He voted for Bobby Abreu, Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, Chase Utley, and Billy Wagner. 9 in total and we discussed why he didn't vote for one more - could have been King Felix, Andy Pettitte, or Dustin Pedrioia or even David Wright! 

We also discussed allowing voters to vote for more candidates than the current limit of 10. Gordon suggested that if a player got one vote in his first year on the ballot he could stay on for year 2 and then be subject to some sort of minimum percentage - 5% or even less. 

As #Mets fans we are thrilled that Billy Wagner finally made it. New Yorkers will be traveling to Cooperstown this coming July to celebrate CC and Billy. 

Dan is working on a couple of new articles including an upcoming one on Babe Dahlgren's foray into video analysis more than 70 years ago!

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#pirates and #whitesox Smoky Burgess had a pretty good career with a career OPS+ of 116. But he's third all-time in pinch hits and was a beloved player at the end of his career. We talk about the changes in pinch hitting and why all-time pinch hitting records are likely safe!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

As Director of Product Adam has been part of Sports-Reference for a long time. Keeping Baseball -Reference.com fresh, being part of the addition of Football, Basketball, (both college and pro), and hockey has proven to be groundbreaking. Adam has also worked on bringing in Negro League player data into BR. 

We talk Hall of Fame (Adam is a Dustin Pedroia advocate), and what's next for Adam!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We don't know about you, but we forget things that happened during a baseball season even when it was LAST season!  Sure the #dodgers beat #yankees in the #worldseries but besides Shohei and Aaron Judge, and Skubal, Sale and Skenes, there still were a lot of interesting and even amazing things that happened. 

We discuss the four no-hitters, the pitching triple crowns, and sad things like the #whitesox season. 
Remember how many #MLB managers got fired during the season. We do!  This was a way more fun exercise for us than we first thought and we hope you agree!  And since it's our first podcast drop for 2025 - Happy New Year!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Founded in 1901, the AL contains teams like #Yankees and #RedSox who have an epic list in their top 5 for players hitting home runs while a member of the franchise. 

Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, David "Big Papi' Ortiz, Jim Rice, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra are all in their teams top 5. All are HOFer.. Aaron Judge is outside the Yankee top five but he's closing fast.  

Then there's the #orioles. Another original #AmericanLeague team, they started as the Milwaukee Brewers for one year before moving to St. Louis and becoming the Browns. HOFers Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr. and Frank Robinson are in the top 5. But Besides being mostly terrible, the Browns had few home run threats. The #bluejays and #Rays are more recent additions but only Fred McGriff is in the top five of either team and is a HOFer. Carlos Delgado rules the roost for Toronto. Edwin Encarnacion has 424 career homers not 434 

#guardians #tigers #whitesox #twins #royals have familiar names in their top two but once you go deeper it gets more difficult. 

#athletics #angels #rangers #astros #mariners have a few HOFers on their list.

Link to an article by Mark - https://almostcooperstown.substack.com/p/career-home-run-leaders-for-each-be7?r=6m2o9

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Who are the home run leaders while wearing a team's uniform?  Sounded like a interesting episode topic but then Rickey Henderson so sadly and suddenly passed away at age 65. Rickey's 66th birthday would have been on Christmas this Wednesday. With 1,406 stolen bases Rickey doesn't only have the most stolen bases in one season, or in a career, he also scored the most runs in baseball history with 2,295! He also had 81 career leadoff home runs, the most in history. Rickey is and was the best leadoff hitter in #MLB history. He will be sorely missed. 

#Padres Manny Machado became the franchise home run leader. But he hasn't been there that long. It was surprising! With 167 he passed Dave Winfield, Nate Colbert, Phil Nevin, and the former leader Adrian Gonzalez. 

Gordon and Mark go team by team in the #nationalleague to reveal the top 5 in home runs for each team while wearing their uniform. 

Here's a link to an associated article by Mark: https://almostcooperstown.substack.com/p/career-home-run-leaders-for-each?r=6m2o9

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Steve Phillips has been a radio personality for 20 years starting not long after his time his time as GM for our #mets. Steve brought in Mike Piazza who had the biggest non-playoff home run in Mets history - until this year maybe? Today Steve hosts 'The Leadoff Spot' on Sirius/XM radio weekdays from 7-10AM. Steve also broadcasts some Toronto Blue Jays games and is a regular contributor the #mlbnetwork. 

We didn't want to ask him about Bobby Bonilla but did finally at the end, and we did not have time to get into the failed deal for A-Rod or the Kenny Rogers meltdown in 1999 so we will have Steve back hopefully very soon! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

How about the #Giants finally getting their man in Willy Adames. But it was a big price to pay. Clay Holmes to the #mets as a starter? Luis Severino to Sacramento is a big deal for the franchise formerly known as the #athletics who seem like they will eventually move to Vegas. 

Frankie Montas to the Mets was the reason Severino headed west. But still no word on Juan Soto but we think it will happen this week. 

Classic Era baseball committee came up with Dick Allen and Dave Parker but we thought Luis Tiant might make it and that all 8 candidates were worthy - well at least 7 of them. 

How about the Golden at-bat? Is this #MLB fan trolling? Commissioner Rob Manfred knew he'd be raked over the coals. But did it anyway. Why? It's a terrible idea and in no way makes #baseball better. 

HOFer Mickey Mantle is the greatest switch hitter of all time. End of story. HOFer Eddie Murray was the other switch hitter that has 500 career (504) home runs. Switch hitting is happening less frequently as the benefits are more questionable than ever. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends. 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Having worked with HOFer Roland Hemond with the Chicago #whitesox, Dan Evans took on the job of rebuilding the #dodgers in 2001. He was there for four seasons and had a winning season each year before being fired with almost 200 others. The Dodgers went 71-91 the next season and Dan tells us it did not bother him a bit! 

Dodgers GM from 2001-2004 having a winning record each year, Dan Evans is a baseball lifer with a lot of life left ahead!  We could have talked with Dan for hours and hours! Not being the GM that traded Beltre was very interesting to hear since Dan knew he was watching one of the greats, but others in the Dodger organization did not see it or agree. Dan also was the GM who brought back HOFers Duke Snider, Sandy Koufax, and #dodgers star Maury Wills into the Dodger family. Dan also talked about conversations he had with the teammates of Jackie Robinson and how special it was to know Jackie's widow Rachel. 

A historian of the game, Dan sees the future at the same time making him one of the most interesting interviews we've ever done on the podcast. We will have him back hopefully very soon as we've much left to discuss! 

Dan's course for those thinking about being involved for baseball can be found here: https://www.sportsmanagementworldwide.com/users/dan-evans

And our apologies for the audio difficulties in the podcast. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Why aren't more teams on #MLB free agent Juan Soto? They make plenty of money but are afraid. Afraid even though they are increasing franchise value and have more revenue streams than ever before. 

Teams should be spending more on Free Agents. We tell you which ones. Which teams should be spending more period? After Juan Soto signs who will be next?  Pete Alonso? Anthony Santander? Blake Snell and Tommy Edman have already signed w L.A. Dodgers. But are the #Dodgers done? Where are the #Tigers #Royals & #Guardians?  #Phillies #Braves have $ but are holding back! 

We cover which teams have the highest franchise value and which ones have the highest & lowest payroll obligations over the next few years. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

79/113/122 those are the numbers representing the amount of days until pitchers & catchers report, #Dodgers #Cubs opening games in Tokyo March 18, and the REAL opening day on March 27. 

MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year were all awarded. There were exactly ZERO surprises. Guess that's but it's also kind of boring. News Flash - #Mets Francisco Lindor did not win anything but a silver slugger. Sure he gets paid but what does Lindor have to do to get recognized as one of #Baseball's best? 

Who will get in on the recently released 2025 HOF ballot? #Mariners Ichiro Suzuki is on the ballot & may be a first ballot HOFer. Should he be unanimous? We give reasons why yes, and why no.  Felix Hernandez & C.C. Sabathia are also on the ballot for the 1st time. Will they get in first time around? How about #Astros #Mets #Phillies Billy Wagner? This is his last time around. Will he get in? 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Baseball fans may have heard the story that Stan Musial began his career in baseball as a pitcher/outfielder. A shoulder injury forced him to become a hitter and outfielder full-time for which #MLB is forever grateful. Stan-the-Man had 3,630 hits - the same 1,815 hits at home as he had on the road! He missed only one season due to WWII in 1945 only to return the next year, win the #NLMVP and lead the #Cardinals to their 6th World Series victory in 21 years. 

Musial played 22 seasons in the Majors and was an All-Star 24 times. That's not a misprint and Gordon and I tell you why. Was he better than the 'Spendid Splinter' Ted Williams? Maybe not as a hitter but he did have more hits in his career. Williams out-homered Stan despite carding 3 fewer seasons. 

But we highlight the most unusual facet of Musial's career which was his shuttling between the outfield and first base (where he played more than 30% of his games during his illustrious career). Both Musial and Williams started their careers long before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in #baseball. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Japanese sensation 23-year-old Roki Sasaki wants to play #MLB. He finally got Chibu to allow him to have that opportunity. Yoshinobu Yamamoto showed the #Dodgers that top-tier NPB pitchers can dominate in the Majors. Gerrit Cole thought about leaving the #Yankees and then thought the better of it. 

We didn't discuss Shohei Ohtani's surgery but he'll be ready for Opening Day. We discussed the Gold Glove winners who were announced this week. The Classic Baseball committee put out their ballot this year to be voted on by 16 yet unnamed voters. Dick Allen and the late Luis Tiant are our favorites. But there are other worthy candidates including Negro League stars John Donaldson and Vic Willis. 

And Brooks Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves. Amazing! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

If you are using Baseball-reference.com or Football or Basketball reference you will be using aspects what Sean Lahman created 30 years ago. Sean is a member of SABR and has generously donated the database to SABR so it's in excellent hands! 

We asked Sean how to use the database, how much and how long it took to put it all together (Bill James was an inspiration) and ways the average fan can make use of the Lahman Database which can be found at baseball1.com.  

We think you'll agree that Sean is engaging and easy to talk with and we had a great time and learned more than a few things and you will too!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

No longer can #dodgers be talked about as not having won a WS in this century in a 162-game season. There are a few players like Max Muncy who remember taking Covid-19 test after winning the 2020 World Series. No parades. No cheering from the fans. The 2024 championship behind a great job of managing by future HOF manager Dave Roberts makes all the noise go away.

Was #yankees manager Aaron Boone outmanaged by Roberts? It sure felt that way. UCLA beat USC in this one. Except Gerrit Cole went to UCLA. Yankees did all the little things worse than the Dodgers and that is what it takes to win a World Series. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Just last season the #dbacks came from 2-0 down to beat the #Phillies in the NLCS.  So the #Yankees being down 2-0 is not insurmountable. But their fans are going nuts and negative since presumptive AL MVP Aaron Judge has struck out 6 times in 2 games. How will the Yankee fans greet Judge upon his return to the Bronx? 

#Dodgers Shohei Ohtani will play in game three and lead off. His subluxation of his left shoulder (partial dislocation) may impact how hard he swings - which in case you have not noticed is VERY hard!  The pitching has been better and Freddie Freeman has been spectacular hitting homers in game one and two the first one being a walk-off grand slam!  

The Yankees came from 2-0 down to beat the Dodgers in 1978. The Dodgers returned the favor on the Yankees three years later in 1981. It can be done!  Don't count out the Bronx Bombers just yet.  Gordon and Mark give their reasons why this series is not over. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Do today's Yankee and Dodger fans care about the 1981 World Series? That was the last one between the teams. The Yanks and Dodgers played 11 times from 1941 through 1981. They did not like each other. Really. That's not the case today as all belong to a very exclusive club of millionaires and billionaires. 

In the #ALCS #Guardians gave it their best shot vs. #Yankees but it was far from enough. Yet Cleveland had great moments from Lane Thomas, Johnkensey Noel, and David Fry but the relentlessness of GIancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto prevailed. 

In the #NLCS our beloved #Mets were slapped around so much by #Dodgers that their collective heads were spinning. Too many walks, too many exhausted Met relief pitchers was the reason the magic ran out. Too much Shohei, Mookie, and Tommy Edman. Tommy Edman? 

We review the seasons of the four semi-finalists and look forward to the World Series and make our picks. We were half right on the LCS. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

As #Mets fans of course we're excited that somehow our favorite team is still in it. Yet the prospect of a subway series vs. #Yankees is very enticing and exciting. #Dodgers will have a lot to say about it and Shohei will likely not have another subpar series. #Guardians surprised #Tigers Tarik Skubal with former #National Lane Thomas providing two huge blows. 

We wrap up the Division series including the #Padres meek ending by not scoring in the final 24 innings!  #Phillies bullpen let them down as Zach Wheeler did all that he could but it was not enough. 

Our picks are also in this episode for which teams will face off in the World Series. The next three weeks are going to be thrilling! #LGM  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

If you know our podcast you know we are huge Mets fans. This week was one of the better ones in the team's history. Playing the only games in #MLB on Monday and Thursday, the Mets were the Drama Queens from Queens!  

Now that #Brewers are vanquished #Phillies await and will be a much tougher task. We preview the best of 5 series between
#Yankees #Royals
#Guardians #Tigers
#Dodgers #Padres

We make our picks and talk about what happened to the #Orioles #Astros & #Braves. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The #Mets & #Braves split a doubleheader on Monday. Game 1 of the DH was one of the best baseball games a Met fan has ever seen. So we're naturally happy. But there were a ton of other things this week in baseball. We didn't discuss Luis Arraez 3rd straight batting crown, or Shohei Ohtani at all! Our segment on things you might not have heard included some rarely discussed oddities. 

The #2024MLBplayoffs start today with 4 Wild Card games. And the Wild Card Series will be over on Thursday with the Division Series beginning on Saturday.  It's October baseball and things move fast! 

Listen and watch us pick the winners. We do review our picks publicly so that we can be laughed at later! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The Rookie League championships took place at the end of July!  There's have also been championships settled in Low A and High A Ball. This week the AA and AAA finals are being played with the AAA overall championship a one game 'winner take all' playoff this Saturday Sept. 28th. 

Do minor league players get trophies for winning a minor league title? Do they care? The cities in which they play are connected even if players come and go during the season as the MLB parent takes precedence.

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

What was CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals thinking when he stayed out until 8AM before a day game!!  The White Sox tie the Mets record for futility with 120 losses. Tigers believe!  Twins like the Royals are sinking. Mariners are hanging on and the Braves go home to play the Mets for the playoff lives. 

Dodgers will need to hold off the Padres this week and the D'Backs won't go away. This last week of the 2024 regular season is going to be a great one! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Tigers Tarik Skubal and #Braves Chris Sale are both in line to win the AL and NL pitching triple crowns this season. Most wins, most strikeouts, and lowest E.R.A. is the criteria. It was last done in 2020 in the pandemic season by #Guardians Shane Bieber. It's happened 33 times in #MLB history which is more than double the amount of batting triple crowns (15). 

We discuss why fans are less enthusiastic about pitching triple crowns than batting ones - if fans are even aware the award exists in the first place.  Miguel Cabrera was the last batter to win a Triple Crown in 2012 which was the first time a player had done it since #RedSox Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967 - 45 years earlier! 

What if WHIP was the third metric instead of pitcher wins? Walks Hits per innings pitched is a better measure of a pitcher's effectiveness. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Tyler Glasnow is out for the year. Yamamoto might be able to throw 6 innings by playoff time. What will the #Dodgers do? #Rangers had the future and the past happen this week with Kumar Rocker, Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer start consecutive games. 

Why did Gerritt Cole intentionally walk Rafael Devers while working on a no-hitter? It totally backfired. Bobby Witt Jr. has 100 RBIs. #Royals will finish above .500. Gunnar Henderson has 37 home runs but Aaron Judge will still win AL MVP. #brewers Willy Adames might be the most unheralded quality shortstop in #MLB.

#Mets Francisco Lindor is injured & the team's playoff chances hinge upon his health. Luisangel Acuna's debut was a success for him but not for the team as they lost two games to the #Phillies in which they had the lead this past weekend. 

We introduce a new segment this week called 'Things you may not have heard". This will be a regular thing. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Albert Belle isn't in the HOF. Nor did he ever win an MVP although he deserved one in 1998. Instead Juan Gonzalez of the #Rangers (also not a HOFer). But Belle's not the biggest snub ever for MVP. There are lots of other more worthy, or unworthy, candidates! 

#Giants Barry Bonds ruined it for #Cardinals Albert Pujols in 2003. But Bonds did that to #Cubs Sammy Sosa who also is not in the HOF although for different reasons. 

How about #Tigers Norm Cash in 1961? Or Willie Mays in 1955? #redsox Ted Williams won the Triple Crown twice but was not awarded the ALMVP as both times he lost out to #yankees Joe DiMaggio. 

We cover those and others that are incredible to believe. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Parker Meadows had the backyard moment for the #Tigers in San Diego this week hitting a 2 out 2 strike grand slam in the 9th inning with his team down by 3 runs.  #Cubs Shota Imanaga was part of a combined no-hitter this week. Meh! We didn't talk about the #Brewers because they are still in cruise mode. #Dodgers & #Phillies have best records over Milwaukee. #Yankees need a closer they can count on. So do #Orioles. 

Everyone would like to have a Clase to close! Playoff participants in the AL are pretty much set - only the actual positioning is in doubt. We doubt the #Mariners and #RedSox can swipe a spot. In the National League #Mets #Braves #Padres & #Dbacks are 4 teams playing for 3 spots. Should be a great final 18-19 games! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Automated balls and strikes, will be instituted in MLB, eventually NCAthers wont be able to 'steal' strikes by trying to trick the umpires. Tennis hasn't missed anything moving to an automated line calling system and neither will MLB. 

Will catchers be able to focus more on baserunners? Maybe. Will they have to hit more than they do now? Yes.  The job of pitch framing takes a lot of attention and finesse. Teams won't likely carry a defense first backup catcher as much since being a good pitch-framer will not be of benefit!  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Can a team go 22-3 to make a playoff run? It can happen but it's not likely. That's where some of the teams that are on the bubble are right now. #Cubs, #Tigers, #RedSox are those kinds of teams with the #Mets not far behind. 

September baseball is fantastic and there are still many things left to be decided before we start hearing about 'Magic' numbers to clinch a division or playoff spot. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We didn't need to wait until the end of the #MLB season to review the #Mets performance.  Are we happy? Yes and No? Was it a good season? Yes and No. The team has undergone a lot of changes since Opening Day. 

Rosters are different, a rookie manager Carlos Mendoza has navigated as best he can without having his #1 starter Kodai Senga in the mix. We hope the team will rally and make the playoffs but that is far from a given. 

The Mets are also very good at celebrating much the fan's delight. Jose Iglesias smash hit OMG has been the team anthem.  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

40 Homers and 40 steals is cool - Ronald Acuna of the #braves showed that last year. Shohei Ohtani is vying to have a 50/50 season - 50 home runs and 50 steals! Plus Ohtani is throwing off the mound! Will he come back for the playoffs? OK not likely but wouldn't that be cool? 

Aaron Judge hit HR's 50 & 51 on Sunday to lead the #yankees to a rout of the #rockies. #dodgers Yamamoto hasn't pitched since June 15. Will he come back? #mets Francisco Alvarez and Jesse Winker have outsized walk-off celebrations vs. #orioles. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!
 

www.almostcooperstown.com

The pitcher who has hit the most batters in MLB history is one that you have almost certainly never heard about before - Gus Weyhing. Walter 'Big' Train Johnson is 2nd and Randy 'Big Unit' Johnson third all-time hitting batters and they pitched 75 years apart. If you think players are getting hit and injured more often there's reason for that. In baseball history 7 of the top 25 seasons in teams being hit by pitches have occurred since 2016. 20 out of the 25 most-hit batters on a team have happened since 1997. 

What makes it more dangerous is that pitchers throw harder than ever and the injuries suffered by some hit batsmen are often season-changing for the player and team. Which players get hit most often today? In MLB history? Which pitchers hit the most batters now?  

HOFer Hughie Jennings got plunked more than anyone else in MLB history. HOFer Craig Biggio is 2nd all time proving that playing many years is a requisite for being on that list!  Who has the record for being hit the most in one season?  If you can't hit then - get hit! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!
 

www.almostcooperstown.com

We did not even talk about #phillies Weston Wilson who became the first Phillie rookie to hit for the cycle!  Complete game shutouts are back in vogue.  Injuries still are in the picture for pitchers. 

Outfield defense is better than ever. We talk about why. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Mark has been a SABR member for 4 years but has never attended the annual convention. This year it was in Minneapolis in early August and the Twin Cities proved to be a great location for a content-rich three days of baseball talk and presentations. 

HOFers Rod Carew and Tony Oliva were on a hitter's panel together and HOFers Bert Blyleven and Jim Kaat on another along with former Twin's pitchers LaTroy Hawkins and Glen Perkins. Some of the sessions were ultra-nerdy but not too and the presenters were engaging and a good listen. Gordon asks Mark about his SABR 52 experience. 

Here's the link to the SABR presentations: https://sabr.org/convention/sabr52-presentations

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!
 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Episode #250! 

#Phillies, #Brewers, #Dodgers, #Orioles, #Yankees, #Guardians all are within a game of one another for the best record in #baseball!  Juan Soto hit 2HRs Sunday to lead the Bombers over the fading #Rangers who lost Max Scherzer for the year to a bad shoulder. BTW Jacob DeGrom still has not pitched in 2024. It's getting to why bother time. 

Giancarlo Stanton is 78 HRs from 500. Will that get him into the HOF? We talk about that as well as the amazing Aaron Judge and the somehow underrated #astros Yordan Alvarez. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The #Mariners won 116 games in 2001 but could not win a playoff series. The 1906 #Cubs also won 116 games and did win the World Series. It's happened other times as well. But most of the time if a team can win 108 games or more they do go on to win the World Series. 

Which of those teams do we think is the best of them best? 1998 Yankees? 1961 @Yankees? 1986 @Mets? 1975 @Reds? 1927 Yankees? 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

@yankees Aaron Judge was walked to lead off the bottom of the 2nd inning. Apparently the Blue Jays felt he was in scoring position (thanks  @threeinningfan !), Jackson Holliday returned to replace the injured Jordan Westburg for the Orioles and he returned with bang in the form of a grand slam!  #phillies are leaking oil but Zach Wheeler righted the ship on Sunday. 

Shohei Othani of the #dodgers joined the 30/30 club and has a shot to be the 1st member of the 50/50 club!  Blake Snell finally pitched a complete game and it was a no-hitter!

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We thought we could do all 30 teams in 30 minutes but it took longer despite how fast we talked.  Most teams were in the middle but there were winners and there were losers and we called them out. 

No top 100 prospects were traded. No big names were traded. The whole thing was a big dud!  But that did not stop us. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Players have been traded but we didn't really talk about that. Dylan Cease pitched a no-hitter for the #Padres & is on an amazing run. #Mets Kodai Senga pitched so well in his return from a shoulder injury. He then went down for the season with a calf inju/ry. So Mets. 

Some teams have been positioning themselves by removing salaries so they can perhaps acquire an expensive player. But will there be the BIG deal that so many baseball fans want to hear about? 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Manager Jim Leyland, along with all-time greats Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer all were officially inducted into Cooperstown this past Sunday. All 4 made heartfelt and good speeches. It's always great to see the amount of HOFers that show up on a hot July afternoon to sit outside in a jacket and tie to show their respect for the newest inductees. 

Helton and Mauer played their entire careers for one team only - the Rockies and Twins respectively. Beltre came up at 19 with the Dodgers but saw great years in Seattle and Texas with a quick one year stop in Boston.  Beltre resides in the same stratosphere with Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson as overall great 3rd basemen. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

At least we got to see Paul Skenes pitch to Aaron Judge. It lasted all of one pitch however. The All-Star Game lost its juice years ago. Mark suggested counting All-Star stats in career totals. For whatever that would be worth. To add to that there are no longer Thursday games post All-Star break so four full days without real baseball that counts is awful! 

What's remaining in the 2024 season is essentially a pandemic-legnth season around 60 games. Too many to determine a team's fate, too few not to pay attention. 

The MLB trading deadline is July 30th and the next 10 days may shake up the baseball world - at least a bit.  But the action may not occur until right at the deadline as too many teams have a chance. Particularly in the National League where only 2 teams (Marlins and Rockies) are truly out of the running. 

MLB also dropped the 2025 schedule which includes a season-starting series between the Dodgers and Cubs in Japan. Shohei Othani vs. Shota Imanaga is a pretty juicy prospect! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Best manager of the first 100 games? MVP candidates? Who might be traded? Will the Orioles hold on?: How about the @clevelandguardians?  Are the  @brewers for real? Who might win the triple crown? There are several good choices. Who are the best rookies and there are a bunch of them! 

We talk about the teams that might be sellers and buyers. And that what's left after the All-star break is not as much of a season than it used to be? 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

MLB's annual trade show and conference for players has started. It's only for the best players as the non-All-Stars are home with their families. For four days!  The break for players is welcomed. Fans may feel differently. 

There are 36 first-time All-Stars. That's amazing! The Phillies have 8 All-Stars. @Pirates Paul Skenes is starting the All-Star game for the National League and that's right. Elly de la Cruz will play in the All-Star game due to the injury to Mookie Betts. Rafael Devers is passing on the All-Star game but he did not pass up to hit a big home run on Sunday to help the Red Sox to a 5-4 win. 

We will do our midseason report on Thursday. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The most famous stolen base in MLB history occured in the playoffs but not the World Series. Gordon mentioned that before the modern era there was a period in which taking an extra base - like going first to third, was counted as a stolen base. 

MLB wants more action to show off player athleticism. They succeeded but stealing bases does not automatically lead to winning MLB games. It sure beats watching guys strikeout and more outs on the bases means fewer strikeouts. Yay! 

We also discuss the most famous steals in baseball history. One of them is much higher up than all the others. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

#Twins Jose Miranda has hits in 12 straight at-bats. Amazing!  Only three other hitters - Walt Dropo, Pinky Higgins, and Johnny Kling have done it before - but you knew that!  

#Cubs Justin Steele pitched a complete game on 95 pitches to get his first victory of 2024. It was a pseudo-Maddux.  But the Cubs still struggled this week. 

Worst run-differential in MLB belongs to the #WhiteSox with the #Rockies and #Marlins pretty far behind. NL Wild Cards did not sort themselves out this past week. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Mets closer Edwin Diaz got himself suspended for 10 games for having too much rosin and legal goop on his hand a week ago Sunday. The roster spot cannot be filled so the Mets will play short for 10 games. PED violations that result in a player suspension do not impact filling the roster spot the next day. Does that make ANY sense? 

Wild card race in the NL is nuts with 9 teams having 40-45 losses and all vying for the 2nd and 3rd Wild Card.  What's wrong with the Cubs?  Why are they currently in last place? Are the Rangers toast? Will Jacob DeGrom ever pitch for them? Seems like forever that he's been injured. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Willie Mays did not flaunt it as much as did Joe DiMaggio who reveled in being called Greatest Living Ballplayer (GLB) that he insisted on being introduced that way at public events. But after Joe D. passed away the debate was between Henry Aaron and Willie Mays with Mays' superior defense being a deciding factor.  Both Aaron and Mays were amazing and we discuss the whole idea of GLB being silly. 

Mays and Mickey Mantle were both barred from baseball by then commissioner Bowie Kuhn for their associations with Atlantic City casinos. Willie's expulsion came five days after he was elected to the Hall of Fame! So we talk about gambling and baseball and the hypocrisy that exists before turning to a more fun subject in discussing who might be the GLB now that Willie and Henry are gone. 

We also pick a starting 9 of the greatest living ballplayers and even that was a tough choice! 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Why did McDonald's allow Grimace to throw out the first pitch at a Mets game?  It looked bad until the Mets promptly won 7 games in a row!  The White Sox had a player get doubled off to end a game when he forgot how many outs there were. Kyle Finnegan pitch-clock violated the game-winning run - the first time that's happened since the new rules were implemented in 2023. 

Both #Cubs Shota Imanaga and #Yankees Luis Gil were shelled last week impacting their chances to start the #MLB All-Star game next month. #Rangers Max Scherzer returned in style as part of a shutout victory pitching 5 one-hit innings. #Orioles Kyle Bradish is out for the season with yet another UCL injury.  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Since we are father and son we're very interested in baseball fathers and sons.  Bobby and Barry Bonds are at the top of the all-time father and son combinations when it comes to bWAR. We talk about them and all the other top father-son combinations. 

We also cover the 19 father-son combinations represented in MLB today based on opening day rosters.  How may fathers were HOFers who had sons playing in MLB? Have sons ever made the HOF when dad didn't? 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

There were many big stories in baseball last week. We did not even talk about the College World Series which had 3 walkoff wins in the first two days!   More injuries for the Orioles pitching staff and the Astros have more to deal with too.  Aaron Judge continues to fly and #Rangers pitcher David Robertson had a week he'll never forget! 

Which teams might be sellers you don't expect? 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Last season the Los Angeles #Angels with Shohei Ohtani pounded the Colorado #Rockies 25-1.  It was 23-0 in the 4th inning so as we see it a true blowout in which the runs are scored early and often for a team winning by 10 or more runs. 

Are blowouts fun for fans? It depends.  Losing side managers hate them as the goal becomes save the pitcher arms.  But a blowout is still only one loss and baseball always has a game tomorrow. 

We discuss blowouts in other sports (is 1-0 really a blowout in soccer?), postseason blowouts and World Series blowouts. Most blowout are forgettable.  

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Yankees-Dodgers series, Phillies go across the pond vs. the Mets.  And betting on baseball is out of control.  What was your big moment last week? We cover a bunch of things in a quick hitting episode. 

All-Star game voting is in full force but there are also changes in All-Star weekend this year at Globe Life Field in Arlington. The futures games on Saturday will be followed by a new and bizarre event showcasing skills of players that may or may not ever play MLB. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The argument that team owners would be unwilling to give up the revenue from the 8 additional games between 154 and 162 is weaker than ever.  The additional playoff games would more than make up for the incremental loss of gate and TV revenue.   Players could have a bit more rest and maybe we would not need to start the MLB season in late March and carry it through early October.  Does the World Series need to end in early November?

The addition of Negro League stats to MLB is a welcome one but also presents some re-thinking of some of the most famous numbers in baseball history. Ty Cobb is no longer the player with the highest career batting average ceding that accolade to Josh Gibson. It will take some getting used to!

Japanese professional baseball is 144 games.

Link to article in SABR - The Negro Leagues were the major leagues:
The Negro Leagues Are Major Leagues

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

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 Jr. had a season-ending injury the Braves won the World Series. 

Josh Gibson is now the player with the highest all-time batting average in MLB. His .372 career BA beat Ty Cobb by 5 or 6 points depending on how you look at the stats.  The week in MLB was interesting and exciting with Aaron Judge completing an all-time May for Yankee hitters. The Yanks and Phillies are on a pace to win 110 games with the Orioles and Guardian not far behind. 

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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

www.almostcooperstown.com

The infield shift has been banned for about 1 1/2 seasons and the results are that left handed hitters have had some benefit mostly at the expense of right handed hitters. Baseball batting averages are still among the lowest in MLB history.  Watching teams struggle to get hits and score runs can be a chore.  Pitcher injuries continue to blossom.  Can anything be done about it? 

We discuss some weird but intriguing considerations to help create more offense in baseball. 

Luis Arraez played for the Marlins last season and part of this season - not the Twins.  Tyrod Taylor is a NY Jet quarterback, Tyrone Taylor is a Mets outfielder. 

Once again our 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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!  

www.almostcooperstown.com

Happy Memorial day to all of our listeners and their families. A memorial service could be held for a few #MLB teams including the #Mets and #Rockies.  But the #Guardians and #Phillies keep flying high.  The #Royals won 9 out of 10 but gained no ground in the AL Central. #Orioles have starting pitcher health issues. #Astros are playing better but are relying heavily on Justin Verlander. 

The #White Sox lost to the #Orioles this week on a bizarre game ending double play.  Baseball always has a way of pointing out a flaw in the way the rules are employed.  

We lament on the moribund Mets - kinda what we do. 

Once again our 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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends.
 

www.almostcooperstown.com

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. 

We talk about what is the actual description of the bat's 'sweet spot' and how that figures into some of the news stats. 

As would be expected the best hitters are near or at the top of many of the stats. But not all of them since hitters succeed and fail in a variety of ways. 

Once again our 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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends.

www.almostcooperstown.com

Like Lazerus, the #Astros are finally rising from the ashes, while the #Guardians continue to surprise, #Yankees and #Orioles are the class of the AL East.  The #Phillies are better than we thought w/the #Braves looking up at them for a change. #Cubs Shota Imanaga is the early Cy Young candidate along with Ranger Suarez and Chris Sale. 

Is it too early to talk about Wild Card races? We don't think so!   

Once again our 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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends.

www.almostcooperstown.com

HOFer Cy Young's record 511 wins are safe in the record books as ones that truly will never be broken. DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak has a better chance of being broken. 

20-game winners are also going by the wayside with only Spencer Strider last season, Kyle Wright the year before and Julio Urias in 2021. None of those pitchers are currently pitching, all for very different reasons. 

Assigning a 'win' to a pitcher is a bit strange in the first place since baseball is a team spot. We talk about what could be changed as well as why the 'W' is still interesting and important.  

Once again our 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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends.

www.almostcooperstown.com

Aaron Judge and Juan Soto for the Yankees are keeping them close to the first place Orioles. The AL playoffs are a long way away but teams can play their way out of the wild card if they're not careful. 

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 and looks almost unhittable. 

Divisions are settled in with just a few surprises. Injuries still are a bugaboo for many teams. Astros are still close enough to get back into it mainly because the other teams have not pulled away.

Once again our 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 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends.

www.almostcooperstown.com

We love baseball books and Vince Wetzel's 'Lose Yourself' is a fun read.  Fictional Oakland A's OF Brett Austen is trying to join the great Ted Williams as the newest member of the .400 batting average for a season club.  A's fans don't have much to cheer about despite this year's decent start for the undermanned team.  

Since the A's are slated to move to Las Vegas in 2028, (something we are not 100% sure will happen), and there is not-yet-sufficient MLB park in Vegas, the A's will play for three seasons in a not-yet-sufficient park in Sacramento.  We talked with Vince about what it's like being an A's fan and why he decided to write a book about the quest for .400 for an Oakland Athletics player. 

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  And please tell your friends. 

www.almostcooperstown.com

The 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 had an interesting week highlighted by a zero strikeout game by the offense on Tuesday vs. the Diamondbacks in an 8-4 win.  Mookie Betts leads the NL in batting average with Will Smith and Shohei Ohtani right behind. Freddie Freeman must be somewhere close.  Max Muncy hit 3 HRs in a game on Saturday in a win vs. the Braves for the first time in his career. 

The Pirates have sunk to the bottom of the NL Central while the Mariners on the strength of their pitching have risen to the top of the AL West. 

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  And please tell your friends. 

www.almostcooperstown.com

2nd baseman Ryne Sandberg is deservedly in the Hall of Fame. So is Roberto Alomar.  On the other hand, Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker, and Jeff Kent are not, and it's unlikely that Robinson Cano will ever make it for off-the-field reasons.  Chase Utley has a chance, and Jose Altuve is on track. 

We compared all of these players stats and careers and it's amazing how much alike their careers were or have been so far.  Only 20 2B have ever been elected to the HOF.  

Gordon makes a great point that the historical HOF era committees should vote more regularly than every few years. 

Chase Utley did not play his entire career with the Phillies as he played four different seasons for the Dodgers.  

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  And please tell your friends. 
 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Braves Max Fried had gotten off to a spotty start to his season but his 92 pitch shutout in an hour and 54 minutes vs. the Marlins announced he's just fine.  Shohei Othani has 17 doubles already which is on pace for an all-time record.

How about Elly De La Cruz?  1.7 bWAR in a month. If he keeps up what he's done in April he will have a bWAR more than 10 and 100+ stolen bases.

The Guardians and Brewers continue to surprise, the Braves and Dodgers not so much. The Astros are facing a critical upcoming week vs. Cleveland and 1st place Seattle.

Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/NE5G28PYIls

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  And please tell your friends. 

www.almostcooperstown.com

58 of the 273 (21%) players elected to the Hall of Fame 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 were not allowed to!

We talk about the only set of teammates that were elected to the HOF in the same year. There are 9 teams that lack a one team Hall of Famer. That number will drop to 8 once #Twins Joe Mauer is inducted this July.

There are plenty. of Hall of Famers who didn't quite make the one team idea. Players like Ron Santo who played his entire career with the Cubs until he went crosstown for his last season to play for the rival White Sox.

Pie Traynor has 2,416 career hits not more than 3,400. 

Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/snUQMLsQS1I

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  And please tell your friends. 

www.almostcooperstown.com

The Angels were 9-9 for a moment this week with Mike Trout leading the way.  Could they possibly make the playoffs? Then they proceeded to lose 3 straight.  Same old.  AL West is a dogfight even with the Astros still mired in last place.

The Twins have been having trouble scoring. They could use a good week coming up as the Guardians are sailing even without Shane Bieber and can that last?  Royals hanging tough but the Tigers are treading water.  Yankees without Gerritt Cole are neck and neck with the Orioles in a tight division that has all 5 teams over .500.  32-year old Cam Booser (pictured) made his MLB debut for the Red Sox and it's quite a story. 

The Mets have won a lot lately but have gained no ground on the Braves and Phillies who've been equally as good.  The Nationals are better than the Marlins which we did not expect. Brewers and Cubs at the top of the NL Central and this could get interesting. Pirates sliding back a bit and the Reds have steadied and are poised. The Cardinals are bumping along but are not far behind. 

Is there anything wrong with the Dodgers?  Watching the top three hitters Betts, Ohtani, and. Freeman is a treat. Even Will Smith is a force. But the rest of the lineup has been bad to awful. The Diamondbacks, Padres, and Giants are all close in talent as well as the standings. The Rockies are happy the Marlins play in the NL since some of the negative attention is deflected to Miami.
 
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FEO3JOeMyyM

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Having a discussion 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 kind of quietly but it's no small deal. 

Rumors of mutiny within the MLBPA have come around Harry Marino who's been termed an 'insurgent lawyer' looking to rankle players into thinking about what Tony Clark and his office has done for them. Or not done. Is it time for a change? 

We talk a little about the history of baseball player unionization which goes back as far as 1885 and Hall of Famer, John Montgomery Ward.  They even discussed salary caps in 1885. 

Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/yYFZ-qm4yvo

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

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!

Shohei Ohtani is great as is Juan Soto. The Dodgers are good. So are the Yankees and Braves.  But those teams have issues as all teams do.  Just think in 3 weeks we will be 25% through the season and perhaps by then the surprise teams will have shown they might hang around and not be the 2023 Pirates.

Injuries continue to play a big part and there's no sign that an increase in injured arms for pitchers are going away.  Games have been a little slower, hitting is down and strangely steals are too,  But it's SO early. 

George Springer will turn 35 this season.

Watch this episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/jkUTc8tqEsg

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

If the expression 'chicks dig the long ball' is still true as it 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.

Pitching labs are the newest tool to get the most out of a pitcher's repertoire.  But is all this efficiency helping pitchers stay healthy?  Why are more pitchers getting TJ surgery than they used to?  Dr. James Andrews noted that before he retired his patient population had flipped from professionals and college players to youth baseball players not even 16 years old sometimes!

What can be done? We talk about how things got to where they are and a few ideas on how MLB and baseball in general can pull away from the new generation of throw harder and harder pitchers. 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0Vl2KGZhB60

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

What was the signature moment of the past full week in MLB?  Ronel Blanco's no hitter? The earliest date for a no-hitter in history!  Or was it Bryce Harper's three home runs in a game last week?  It might have been a few moments when star pitchers Eury Perez (Thursday), Shane Bieber (Friday) and Spencer Strider (Saturday) all went down with UCL injuries and face Tommy John surgery. On our next podcast we will talk about the constant chase of velocity by pitchers. 

The Braves look good as do the Dodgers, Yankees and Orioles. The Guardians and Tigers have started well as have the Pirates and Brewers.  Texas has done a good job so far and they are still finishing a wrap-around 4 game series with the Astros. 

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

 

www.almostcooperstown.com

How do you feel about Major League Baseball players giving each other a hot foot during the game?   It was fairly commonplace for a long time but no longer.  Being thought of as a character is not as cute as it once was either.  Is it because MLB players make too much money?  Are there still any good pranks being played in MLB?  

We talk about a few of the better pranks and others that turned out to be a bit mean. 

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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

MLB 2024 Opening Day has come and gone but there was drama in New York at 2nd base with new Brewer Rhys Hoskins and Mets Jeff McNeil.

Each week of the season on Monday we will recap the week that was with games through Saturday and we will try to keep it to 30 minutes or less. 

Watch the episode on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/8taZmsDEp-I

Thanks for the intro and 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 have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We had such a good time last year in Episode 401 talking with Author Michael Ortman who wrote 'Opening day 50 for 50' where he recounted attending 50 straight opening days.  We talked about some of this year's opening day matchups, why some pitchers are declining to take the opening day start, which was unthinkable not that long ago!

We also get serious and talk again about Curt Flood, Dick Allen, and that they both should be in the Hall of Fame and maybe will get there this winter when the Classic Baseball Committee meets on players, execs, umpires and influencers in baseball before 1980 are re-looked at to see whose been overlooked.

Michael has his own personal story to tell about adopting 3 African-American children after he and his wife had three of their own.   

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7JEjE1cVsIQ

Thanks for the intro and outro music this season which is. courtesy of Mercury Maid!  Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Here we are,  the 1st episode in season 5 where we offer our predictions in order of finish of all the MLB teams. Who will be be the 2024 MVP in each league? Who will win the Cy Young in each league? Who will be Rookie-of-the-Year in 2024?  Are the Dodgers really the class of the National League? How about the Texas Rangers? Can they repeat?

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7JEjE1cVsIQ

Thanks for the intro and outro music this season which is. courtesy of Mercury Maid!  Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

When it comes to Pat Ahearne, it's a really interesting story. He was the NCAA CWS MVP in 1992 when his Pepperdine Waves went all the way. That effort surely helped Pat get his 1st MLB contract with the Detroit Tigers. He pitched 4 games for them in 1995 starting three of them, over a two week period in June. But he was not able to make it back to the big leagues.  Yet he kept on persevering playing another 15+ years in various locations professionally all over the globe.   

These days Pat does some remote analytics and coaching at www.thewayofbaseball.com and has launched a retail tea business called www.insidecornertea.com based on his experiences traveling and tasting tea in many different countries.

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TQd5YKxNiXg

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The last of our 6 division previews.  It might be saving the best for last although the AL East might tip the scales.  Dylan Cease to the Padres will make a difference and the Padre lineup is formidable, but who can top Betts, Ohtani, and Freeman as a top three in the lineup.  The D'Backs will not catch anyone by surprise this year and their additions of Eugenio Suarez and Eduardo Rodriguez are important. The Giants think they can compete and the Rockies know they can't. 

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gOE0TWWhRWU

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The NL Central is better than the AL Central. But that's about it. The Cubs with new manager Craig Counsell will be a top division contender with the Reds being heard from as well. The Brewers, Cardinals, and Pirates have some issues.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RBe0xEchXxs

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Our 4th division primer on the NL East. The Braves and Phillies are the class of the division with the Mets, Marlins and Nationals all hoping that they are the team that will surprise. We talk about all 5 teams 40-man rosters, and who the best players are in the division.

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/WcpmH0kB3jc

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We noted that Rangers are under-appreciated.  The Astros are still formidable and the Mariners not to be ignored.  The AL West will be fun to watch this season unless you're a fan of the Angels or A's. The 3rd of our 6 division breakdowns.

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/gkUf2J4Wjco

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Jose Ramirez is one of the best players fans under-appreciate.  The Guardians are not at the top of the list of AL Central favorites but should not be ignored either. We talk about the rosters of all 5 teams in what will be a dogfight of teams all lacking a key ingredient.

This is the second of what will be 6 consecutive podcasts doing division primers.

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/XxmiwUBJe84

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

While we didn't pick the teams which we will do in our season preview episode, we did dig deep into each team's 40 man roster. The AL East is the best division in baseball and yet we had trouble picking more than 3 top starting pitchers! 

This is the first of what will be 6 consecutive podcasts doing division primers.

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/mlgaQiltFAY

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

 

www.almostcooperstown.com

2024 MLB Spring Training has begun and would-be rookies impact teams ultimate performance (think Corbin Carroll and Evan Carter last year) more and more frequently .  But some Rookie's of the Year never reach the heights they touched in their first campaign.  That doesn't mean they don't have a career and flame out after a couple of years, although that can happen too.

We also cover this year's crop of rookies that might be in the running for 2024 Rookie of the Year.  Mark mentioned Royce Lewis as a ROY and it was not Royce buy Kyle Lewis in 2020 who won the AL award. He's done little since.

And since we recorded this episode on the weekend the Cubs did finally sign Cody Bellinger! 

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/UmntDoHqUos

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We hear about the unwritten rules of baseball all the time. Don't walk the leadoff hitter. Don't bunt in a no-hitter. Some of the unwritten rules are more strategic preferences than unwritten rules. We discuss that as well as how stealing signs has evolved over the years and if it can still be done today.

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/oI4MlUFDj2M

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

 

www.almostcooperstown.com

This is it! The last of our MLB teams deep dives. The Yankees are saved for last since they are first in World Series wins.  They have 3x or more as many World Series titles compared to any team but the St. Louis Cardinals who have 11 WS titles.

The greatest Yankees is a long list indeed as well as the list of retired numbers. The Bronx Bombers were the first team to retire a number. We talk about who that was and all the great HOF players and managers that populate the greatest franchise in baseball history.   

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/MVzo1AAtJA4

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

This is our 200th episode and we are so grateful that we have listeners that are interested in hearing us talk about baseball.  So THANK YOU to all who take a few minutes here and there to listen and engage with Almost Cooperstown!

Since we recorded this podcast Jorge Soler signed with the Giants.  Finally.  The Marlins are still the only team to not sign a free agent this off-season with the Dodgers and Mets signing 9 each.

We talk about all 30 teams, who they signed and what it might mean.  So we talked fast like always.

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/KMJ7UHWaUw8

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The 11-time World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals actually won an American Association championship in 1882. Besides winning in 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, and 1946 - 6 championships in 21 seasons, they also won in 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, and most recently in 2011.  There are amazing Hall-of-Fame players spread out throughout their history and we talk about all of them as well as some of the less heralded Cards.

Ozzie Smith had 28 career home runs. Enos Slaughter stole home on the 'made dash' made in the 1946 World Series vs. the Red Sox. 

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/yDiBxe-pD24

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

 

www.almostcooperstown.com

We don't often focus on the negative aspects of baseball in the Major Leagues. But there have been some bad people who've made it to the game's grandest stage.  Some of the things these heinous characters did during and after their playing career are almost unbelievable.  

We should have mentioned that Ben Chapman was portrayed as horribly racist in the movie about Jackie Robinson '42'.  

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers!

Watch on YouTube:  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The nine time champion A's won 5 World Series before 1931. They won three in the 1970s. And one more in 1989. That's it. Nine WS is 2nd all-time tied with The Red Sox and Cardinals who we will deep dive on next week.

The Athletics turned A's (thanks to Charlie O. Finley) have fallen on desperate times. But there are many great players and Hall-of-Famers and we talk about all of them!

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/JoYvOFjTFQY

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Author Mark Stevens joins the podcast to discuss his terrific #baseball novel - The Fireballer. Ever think what would happen if a pitcher could regularly throw 110 MPH? Batters wouldn't have a chance! What if one of those pitches got away from him? We had a great time talking with Mark and are keen to find a way to make the next great baseball movie from this award winning book from 2023.

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/OsBy5LROXhk

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Another original AL team, the 9-time World Champion Red Sox won the 1st World Series as the Boston Americans. They have been a streaky World Series team and we tell you why. Who's the best pitcher in Red Sox history? How about shortstop or manager? We discuss it all in this quick hitting podcast.

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/_b77kQylfWM

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

For the 2nd straight year we were lucky enough to have Daniel Brown join the podcast.  Dan is a Staff Editor and Writer for the Athletic and is also a card-carrying BBWAA member and votes each year for the Hall-of-Fame. We discuss who he voted for and who he did not and why. We also preview the 2024 Ballot likely candidates and their likelihood they may join this year's inductees - Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer.

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/smLAAeWf-6g

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

8 World Series Titles.  10 World Series losses. The Giants began playing in 1883 in the Polo Grounds and never played in another stadium in New York.  They went to the Bay Area in 1958 and appeared in the World Series in 1962 but not again until 1989, finally winning their 1st WS in 56 years in 2010?

Hall of Famers abound in Giants history particularly in the outfield.  But not as much outside of 1st base in the infield. We also discuss HOFers that were Giants but not for very long.

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers.  We appreciate you!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/D0qZzx1h6BQ

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We thought we were going to do an episode on the greatest players of each decade starting with Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio.  It was more difficult to do that but we did compare several sets of Hall-of-Famers like Ted and Joe (we added in Stan the Man just for fun) as well as others from later decades.  Let us know if you'd like to hear us do more of this.

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers.  We appreciate you!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/kEwMMmhfWmU

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The Dodgers have won 7 WS titles and appeared in the playoffs 37 times. Their list of players include some of the best who've ever played baseball.  We go position by position picking the greatest Dodger at each including relief pitchers. 

A few corrections: Gary Sheffield played 4 seasons for the Dodgers not 7.  The Dodgers also won the WS in 1965.  And while the Dodgers played in more WS while in Brooklyn they've won 6 of their 7 titles while in Los Angeles.   They played in the L.A. Coliseum from 1958-1961 winning the WS in 1959. 

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers.  We appreciate you!

Watch on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/XXC9z-n_6Wc

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Thinking about the great baseball rivalries over the years many come to mind. But most of them are within either the National League or American League. Sure the Brooklyn now Los Angeles Dodgers had nearly annual World Series tilts with the Yankees (losing them all until 1955), but generally the big rivalries are inter-league and not intra-league.

Divisional play began in 1969 and once there was more than one playoff team from each league it became even more difficult to have an annual World Series opponent. We talked decade by decade since the advent of divisional play about the most memorable rivalries and those that either fizzled out or never happened at all. 

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers.  We appreciate you!

Watch on YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/ChlDwtdU638

And please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The Pirates like the nearby Reds, have won five World Series and lost only two.  In their history they've had a bunch of Hall of Famers play all over the field but often those players did not get the satisfaction of winning it all!  We talk about the players, the managers - HOF Jim Leyland actually had a losing record while managing the Bucs.

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers.  We appreciate you!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oNdEHtKRRxU

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The first of our 5-time World Series winners the Cincinnati Reds began in 1882 in the American Association and won their first WS in 1919 vs. the Black Sox.  We think of the 'Big Red Machine' but there have been some other great Reds teams and players that we talk about. Should have mentioned Eppa Rixey holds most of the Reds pitching records.  Bid McPhee was an original Red and was a second baseman not a pitcher. 

Thanks to all of our listeners and followers.  We appreciate you! 

Watch on YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/6M2tQtsQnWY

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We've not been doing our 'This Week in Baseball' Episodes but thought that New Year's Day would be the perfect time to summarize where things are in baseball halfway through the off-season. There are still a bunch of free agents to be signed, players to be traded and rosters to be filled out.  We talk about which teams have done well and might be winning this off-season.

The Royals also signed Michael Wacha.  

The 2024 season opens March 20 in Korea! We want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!  Thanks for listening!

Watch on our YouTube Channel -

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We read some of the 1950's scouting reports on famous players and they are both hilarious and entertaining. Baseball scouting movies are plentiful with Moneyball being one of the most important baseball  stories regarding the scouting of players.  From being a '5-tool' player to the 20-80 evaluation system for players things have come a long way. 

Is scouting today easier or more difficult before technology and data came into playing such an important part? We discuss it all and had great fun reading the scouting reports of Sandy Koufax, Willie McCovey and Tom Seaver! 

This is our final podcast of 2023 so we want to wish everyone a healthy and Happy New Year since on Monday next year is here!

Watch on our YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/Nde_yfimi1s

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The 'D' on the Tigers cap is one of the most iconic logos in all of sports.  Ty Cobb holds most of the all-time hitting offensive categories.  Yet the Tigers have an amazing amount of Hall of Famers around the diamond. Harry Heillman, Al Kaline, Charlie Gehringer, Alan Trammel, and George Kell all were Tigers through and through.

They've won 4 World Series and lost 7. We talk about the other great Tigers and the greatest manager in Tiger history.  Lance Parrish had a career bWAR of 39.5.   

As always thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!  And to all we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Watch on YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/tCRtlvfLwGk

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!



Lance Parrish had a career bWAR of 39.5.  

www.almostcooperstown.com

A listener Chris S. suggested we talk about the HOFers who wore team caps on their plaque in Cooperstown, and those that did not. This year HOFer Andre Dawson again petitioned to have his HOF plaque changed to have him wear a Cubs cap instead an Expo cap which the Baseball Hall of Fame mandated. Sometimes a HOFer had an unusual reason for not going in wearing a logo on his cap at all. 

We discuss all the teams HOFers and only the Rays and the Marlins have zero players wearing that team's cap.  We also discuss players on this year's HOF ballot and if they were to be elected, what cap the player might wear.

As always thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!  And to all we wish you a Merry Christmas!

Watch on YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/0xamKq5jL_c

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

They are 4 time World Series Champions - the Braves. First in Boston, then to Milwaukee and since 1966 in Atlanta. The Braves have dominated the NL East for more than 30 years.  It wasn't always like that and when they were in Boston from 1912-1952 they won 1 WS and were only in 1 other. We talk about their triumphs as well as their years of lousy baseball.

Tommy Holmes fell short of 2,000 hits not 3,000.  And the Braves did win the NL East in 1982 but lost the NLCS.  

As always thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/BgWbU9x96m0

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

In addition to pitching in MLB having only one arm, Jim Abbott was one of the players to go straight to the Major Leagues without ever playing in the minors. There are many interesting players who skipped the minors entirely.

We also discuss a list of 10 year or more players who went straight to the bigs before the MLB draft was instituted in 1965.  It does not happen much anymore and we talk about the reasons for that. 

As always thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/n64ioCz7cK8

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Last week we did the 3x champion Cubs and this week the 3x champion White Sox.  The Pale Hose have the 2005 improbably championship to live off of since the other two were before 1918!  Lots of great ChiSox to talk about given the long 50 year drought between WS appearances - 1919 to 1959!

Mark was wrong - Luis Aparicio is a HOFer but did not ever win the MVP although he was Rookie of the Year.

Again thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/n64ioCz7cK8

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

 

www.almostcooperstown.com

Correction - The Dodgers will open the 2024 season in South Korea vs. the Padres.   

Have you noticed that MLB dugouts are getting crowded? With all the coaches old and new beyond the manager?  Bench coaches have not been a regular thing in baseball history but they are now and have been since the late 1980s.  We discuss coaches, The HOF Contemporary Committee and Ford Frick Award votes AND talk about baseball winter meetings. We do wish we were there!

Again thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/UE3ad5jSsTs

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

2016 slayed a lot of demons for the Cubs. Considering that their prior WS championships were back-to-back in 1907 and 1908.  They have a winning record all-time and 11 pennants since 1901.  Born as the Chicago White Stockings (but not the White Sox) the Cubs have fewer all-time great players than you might think for a 148 year old franchise!

Again thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -  https://youtu.be/pZzFe5B5rWA

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The 2020 Pandemic season changed (finally) baseball forever with the ending of rained out games.  No longer were legitimate accomplishments expunged when games were less than 4 1/2 innings.  Forfeited games are more rare today but surprisingly there have been a few since 1970.

Babe Ruth would have had 716 home runs. Al Kaline would have surpassed 400 homers. But rained out games took those few extra homers away.  Gordon wishes all stadiums had retractable roofs so there'd be even fewer suspended games!

Again thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -   https://youtu.be/yRImaCfihr0

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The Orioles were born the Milwaukee Brewers as an original AL franchise in 1901. They left for St. Louis after one year and became the St. Louis Browns for the next 52 years before finally decamping for Baltimore in 1954.  They never won a World Series in in St. Louis although they did reach the Fall Classic in 1944 losing the 'Streetcar' or 'Trolley' Series to their archrivals the Cardinals.

But once the Orioles got started they became a force and won three WS between 1966 and 1983.  We talk about the HOF players that populated the Oriole infield, the HOF pitchers and of course Frank Robinson in the outfield.  Who were the best players in franchise history?  And yes Roberto Alomar was not only a HOFer but like Eddie Murray he was also a switch hitter.  Correction: Milt Pappas never was a 20-game winner.  Earl Weaver won 1 WS as manager.  
 
Again thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -   https://youtu.be/uhcVOeLjKH0

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! The 2024 HOF ballot came out this week and there are some very compelling names that are appearing on ballots.  Adrian Beltre and Joe Mauer are strong 1st year candidates and holdovers like Todd Helton and Billy Wagner are hoping this is their year.

We also discuss how numbers like 400 career home runs don't mean certain enshrinement.  Which players won't get at least the 5% of the votes needed  to stay on the ballot? 

Again thanks to all of our listeners and followers. We appreciate that you listen and like our podcast!

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -  https://youtu.be/xLbJIPGfNRI  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Who is the greatest National of all-time?  Some might say Walter Johnson since when he was with the Senators they were also called the Nationals.  But Ryan Zimmerman has a claim as does Max Scherzer.  And then there's Gary Carter, and Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines, and Vlad Guerrero Sr..  They were all Expos but they are a big part of the franchise history.

We pick out best Nat/Expo at each position and there are some big time names.

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -  https://youtu.be/xLbJIPGfNRI  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

We've already had a bunch of manager hirings and firings.  With that are several 1st time MLB managers like Joe Espada of the Astros and Carlos Mendoza of the Mets.  Can it really be expected that a 1st year manager can lead a team all the way to a World Series championship? It's happened before. Just ask Bruce Bochy! We talk about that and other weird manager things as they relate to teams winning and losing.
 
Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -  https://youtu.be/xLbJIPGfNRI  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

The Twins were once the Washington Senators AND at the same the the Washington Nationals. The team actually won the 1924 World Series while being called the Nationals!  Even though they were actually the Senators. 

Because the Twins - who moved to Minneapolis in 1961, won 2 WS in 5 years in 1987 and 1991, we sometimes forget that it's been more than 30 years!   We talk about the history of the franchise which dates back before 1900, it's struggles and successes as well as the greatest Twins/Senators/Nationals players in the history.

Correction - Ted Williams managed the Senators in 1969 and 1970.

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -  https://youtu.be/xLbJIPGfNRI  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com

Fans and players have said good-bye to future HOFer Miguel Cabrera and a host of other very well-known players who ended their careers in this just completed 2023 season. We love talking about them! 

Correction: Ryan Goins was an infielder not a pitcher.

Listen or watch as  we've added a YouTube Channel -  https://youtu.be/xLbJIPGfNRI  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter/X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!

www.almostcooperstown.com