This Week in Blernsball – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Holy big extensions Batman! Wander Franco and Jose Berríos signed monster extensions in the two weeks since we've met last.

Award season is here, which is way better than the holiday season. Predictably, Shohei took home AL MVP and Robbie Ray took home the AL Cy Young, setting him up for a big payday.

The CBA is expiring in a week. What does this mean for free agency, arbitration, and the start of the new season?

It's bracket time. This week we have Air Bud, Patrick Swayze, Jackie Moon, and more! Who is moving on and who is going home?

This week's Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer) (Jacob), The PTA Disbands (Ben)

And we want more pictures of Spider-Man!

Award season has begun, with St. Louis taking home a record 5 Gold Gloves. Also, congratulations to Vladdy Guerrero Jr. on his winning the Hank Aaron Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance in the Field of Excellence. 

The battle for the Greatest Fictional Athlete continues, with matchups between Paul Crewe and Johnny Utah, Vince LaSalle and Ivan Drago, Crash Davis and Pete LaFleur, and Kate Veatch and Brendan Conlon.

This week's Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: Hurricane Neddy (Jacob), Homer the Heretic (Ben)

Good job Cleveland, not only are you not Detroit, you have a baseball team name that isn't a racist slur (starting in 2022)!

The Rays are loading up for another run, getting Nelson Cruz from Minnesota. Is Champa Bay ready to add another boat parade to the mix?

Where does the NL West end up? With their top three teams all duking it out for supremacy in the division, it's shaping up to be one heck of a pennant race.

International Baseball Edition! Your favourite ex-MLB stars and stars of tomorrow take on the Olympics! Plus, softball is a cool sport, especially when Canada wins medals!

Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: Marge vs. the Monorail (Jacob), Simpson Tide (Ben)

It's the Gronk Episode! If you know, then you know!

The Toronto Blue Jays are back in Toronto, after nearly two full years on the road! It'll be exciting, a little bit unsafe, and a lot of bit fun. Shut up and take our money!

Are the Red Sox legit? Sure seems like it!

Does MLB have a domestic abuse problem? With yet another MLB star placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, it sure is starting to look like a pattern rather than isolated incidents.

Fun times in Tokyo today! It's time for some international baseball/softball! Baseball is back in the Olympics, complete with a weird tournament format! Go Team Israel!

This week's Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: Itchy and Scratchy: The Movie (Jacob), Bart on the Road (Ben)

It's the All-Star Week, which is a strange thing to call a three-day weekend. 

We revel in Vlad Jr's monster performance at the Midsummer Classic, becoming the youngest MVP in All-Star Game history. Pete Alonso didn't have a bad showing either, mashing his way to his second consecutive Home Run Derby Crown.

What's in store for the second half? Will the Red Sox keep up their torrid pace and win the AL East? Will the Giants finish off a dream season and capture the NL West crown? Will the Blue Jays solidify their pitching staff and make a run for the playoffs?

With restrictions easing in Canada, it looks like the Blue Jays may be coming back to Toronto for home games soon. What does that mean in terms of fan attendance, and player safety?

Also, there were some timeline rifts this week, so stay tuned for Gator Ben!

Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: Lisa's Substitute (Jacob), Like Father, Like Clown (Ben)

Ich bin ein Berliner! And with that, there's some German for you in this Yiddish heavy episode of This Week in Blernsball.

Who made the All Star Game? Lots of Blue Jays and Red Sox, that's who! Revel in our teams being good!

Sho time keeps rolling. He's a no-doubt MVP candidate as he walloped 31 home runs in half a season.

Why are everybody's City Connect jerseys better than the Red Sox? Because Boston can't have all the nice things Ben! But seriously, The Giants have some really nice new jerseys, unlike the terrible All Star Game ones.

And it's TRADE SEASON. Who's on the move?

Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: Homer the Great (Jacob), Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk (Ben)

You may also call this episode Spaceballs: The Podcast! Or We'll Podcast until we get vashnigyered!

In baseball news Hector Santiago was suspended for a sticky substance on his glove, giving him the dubious honour of being the first pitcher to be suspended under the new foreign substances rule. No sympathy here folks. 

Sho' time hits the Bronx this week, with Ohtani smacking a few dingers at Yankee Stadium and grabbing the MLB lead, for now. But watch out for Kyle Schwarber, having the best May since Sammy Sosa (haven't heard that name in a while) with a ridiculous 16 dingers in 18 games played.

In the don't be an asshole category, Trevor Bauer is under investigation for domestic assault. We all knew he was a terrible person, but this just goes to confirm it.

In bizarre feuds, Lucas Giolito and Josh Donaldson are going at each other... ok then?

And then there's a whole bunch of Mel Brooks.

This week's Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: Lemon of Troy (Jacob), Maximum Homerdrive (Ben)

MLB has a new initiative to attract fans, and it's pants-free baseball! Checking in on the sticky stuff situation got a whole lot more interesting as Max Scherzer and Sergio Romo dropped their pants to prove they aren't hiding anything to doctor the baseball.

Wander Franco is legit and the Rays have yet another great prospect to boost their playoff chances. But the real question remains, is he just Julio Franco in a fake moustache trying to get some more at-bats into his already lengthy career?

The Red Sox Cinderella season continues, with a little help from the schedule makers. Let's see how it goes when they play Toronto, New York and Tampa for 21 consecutive games!

And if you're a pitcher who values his ERA, don't pitch to Vlad Jr. he's hitting .448 with men in scoring position!

This week's Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: The President wore Pearls (Jacob), A Fish Called Selma (Ben)

This episode has two titles. Can you find them both?

Continuing from last week's sticky situation, MLB has issued some punishments for the use of foreign substances on baseballs. Have they swung back too far in cracking down on this situation? Our analysis says maybe!

Can Boston keep up their hot start? After an uneven series against Toronto, who knows?

Vlad Jr is en fuego! Since it's now mid-June it's not just posturing to say he's on track for a Triple Crown season! Plus, let's see if he can hit 100 dingers at the Home Run Derby.

Arizona released some sweet-looking City Connect Jerseys, meaning the only lousy ones are Boston's...

This Week's Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: Bart Gets Famous (Ben), Itchy and Scratchy Land (Jacob)

We took a week off, so there's lots to discuss this week!

Marcel Ozuna...disappointing. All we have to say is that there's no place in baseball for this kind of behaviour.

On to the sticky stuff! And by sticky stuff we mean, the literal sticky stuff pitchers are putting on the ball. Does it matter what pitchers are putting on their hands to control the ball?

Time for more City Connect Jerseys! The Chicago teams unveiled their jerseys over the past couple of weeks and they show off the two different approaches to Chicago. Even though there have been some really non-traditional takes on jerseys from this initiative, the more recent roll-outs have been nice looking.

The Giants were the first-ever big-four team to include LGBTQ+ inclusive symbols on their on-field jerseys last week. Good job!

The standings are taking shape! Show of hands who had San Francisco in the race for the NL West? No lying!

Will the Jays play in Toronto this year? Signs say who knows?

This week's Simpsonrama Episodes of the Week: The War of the Simpsons (Ben), Lisa on Ice (Jacob)