Explore every episode of the podcast Almost Cooperstown
Dive into the complete episode list for Almost Cooperstown. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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2,500 career hits - the new 3,000? This week in baseball - 6.2.25 - Ep. 612
#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
MLB Pitcher game scores are hot! TWIB - 5.26.25 - Ep. 611
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
This week in baseball & we pick postseason award winners - 3.31.25 - Ep. 602
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
Stealing signs & the unwritten Rules of Baseball - Ep. 476
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.
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!
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.
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
Summary of Off-Season Free Agent Signings - Ep. 474
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.
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
Team Deep Dive #29 - St. Louis Cardinals - Ep. 473
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.
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!
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!
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!
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
New baseball book 'The Fireballer' with Author Mark Stevens - Ep. 470
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.
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!
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.
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 Athletic's Dan Brown discusses his Hall of Fame Ballot - Ep. 468
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.
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
Team Deep Dive #26 - San Francisco Giants - Ep. 467
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!
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
SEASON SIX PREMIERE! 2025 Season Preview & Predictions - Ep. 601
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!
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!
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
Team Deep Dive #25 - Los Angeles Dodgers - Ep. 465
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!
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
Decade by decade best baseball rivalries - Ep. 464
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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
Happy New Year looking back & forward in MLB - Ep. 461
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
The continuing evolution of baseball scouting - Ep. 460
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!
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!
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.
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Which cap to wear going into the Baseball Hall of Fame - Ep. 458
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!
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!
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!
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
Keith O'Brien author of Charlie Hustle on Pete Rose & his chances for Cooperstown - Ep. 580
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!
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!
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!
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!
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
It's getting crowded in the dugout - Bench Coaches abounding - Ep. 454
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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
Team Deep Dive #17 - Montreal Expos - Washington Nationals - Ep. 449
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
What chance to win it all do 1st year Managers have? Ep. 448
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!
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Team Deep Dive #16 - Minnesota Twins & TWIB 11.12.23 - Ep. 447
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!
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!
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MLB retiring players & managers we will miss - Ep. 446
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
Team Deep Dive #15 - Philadelphia Phillies - Ep. 445
While they are not an original National League team the Philadelphia Phillies have been in the league since 1883 only 7 years after the birth of the NL. They've won 2 WS in 141 years but 2 WS in the past 43 years so it doesn't seem as bad as it was before 1980. We deep dive into the history of the team, its best players at every position, best managers and also some of the more frustrating moments for the franchise. Like this past season when they really had a great chance to win it all!
Correction: The Phillies beat the Royals in 1980 to win their 1st WS.
Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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!
The Texas Rangers born as the 2nd Washington Senators have finally won a World Series! A dispatching of the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks in 5 games was for any fans anti-climactic after two very exciting LCS clashes. Unsung heroes abounded for Texas but not for Arizona even though the D'Backs outhit the Rangers. We talk about the games, the managers and the brilliance of Corey Seager.
Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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!
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TWIB - 10.19.23 news in MLB & the World Series so far - Ep. 443
Dusty Baker retired. He's now a pretty sure bet to be elected to the HOF as a manager or a Rule B candidate. It also happened last week that Craig Breslow became President of Baseball Operations of the Red Sox. We talked about that as well as Bob Melvin going from the Padres to the Giants - after they signed Farhan Zaidi to a long term deal as GM.
Oh and also we talked about the 1st two games of the 2023 World Series! Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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!
Before the season did you pick the Rangers to play the D'Backs in the World Series this year? We didn't. But then NOBODY else did either! Both teams vanquished their LCS foes in 7 games and finally we had some exciting playoff baseball! We recap the LCS and all the weird stuff that happened and preview what should be an awesome World Series!
Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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!
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TWIB - 10.22.23 - LCS, Kim Ng out, Contemporary Era Committee Ballots released Ep. 441
Game 6 of the ALCS will be played after this episode was recorded and Game 6 of the NLCS will happen tonight - Monday night. Finally the LCS had some real live excitement and drama! We talk about that and we talk about the Marlins power play that caused excellent GM Kim Ng to get off the boat.
The Contemporary Era Committee has met and nominated 8 candidates to be voted upon in December. We don't yet know the names of the 16 voters. The candidates need 75% of the votes - 12 out of 16 to be elected. Lou Pinella is a leading candidate as are Davey Johnson and Jim Leyland. And then there are 2 umpires nominated (cue head scratch).
Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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!
The 5 teams having the best regular season records in MLB this season - Braves, Dodgers, Orioles, Brewers, and Twins are all out of the playoffs and went 1-13 in the games that they played. Is the playoff system instituted in 2022 a failure? Some think so and we talk about that and how we feel about the current playoff structure and what might be done in the future before and after baseball expands to 32 teams.
Gordon throws out the idea of a double elimination tournament. Which sounds crazy. At first. Also this year's playoff games overall have been kind of boring and there's not much that can be done about that.
Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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!
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TWIB - 10.15.23 - Division Series Wrap & LCS previews - Ep 439
We thought the amazing double play turned in by Atlanta's Michael Harris to Austin Riley to Matt Olson would propel the Braves into the NLCS. Nick Castellanos had other ideas. That combined with great pitching from Wheeler, Nola and the Phillies bullpen put them back into the NLCS vs. the equally surprising D'Backs.
The Astros keep marching on and the Rangers can flat out bludgeon teams and pitch better than people think. We recap the Division Series and note that the big 4 NL MVP candidates bombed out in the playoffs - Betts, Freeman, Acuna, and Olson were a combined 6-43. We preview and pick our winners that we think will be in this year's World Series. All in just over 20 minutes!
Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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
Almost Cooperstown's 2023 MLB Award Predictions - Ep. 438
MLB won't do its 2023 MVP, Cy Young, ROY and other awards until after the World Series. So we decided that since the awards are for the regular season only we'd release our picks now. After all we should not be swayed by great playoff performances as we think voters are when they finally are asked to vote!
Listen or watch as we've added a YouTube Channel. 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
TWIB 10.8.23 - Wild Card results & Division Series so far - Ep. 437
The Wild Card Series were mostly a snore-fest unless your team was the winner. All the series were wrapped up in 2 games. Tampa Bay Rays didn't need to travel after they lost 2 straight at home in front of meager playoff crowds. The Jays could not pitch well enough to overcome a good hitting team in the Texas Rangers who've continued mashing winning the 1st two games of the Division Series in Baltimore.
The Phillies dispatched the Marlins like a big brother dismisses his younger sibling. And the Brewers once they learned Brandon Woodruff was injured and would not pitch against the D'Backs, folded like a cheap suitcase. The D'backs continued their surprising run routing Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers in Game 1. The Astros were just waiting for the playoffs where Jose Altuve hit the 1st pitch of the game for a home run. Yordan Alvarez hit not one but two home runs. Seems like old times. We recap the manager and GM changes two as the playoffs are in full swing!
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
Spring Training injuries & the youngest player in MLB history - Ep. 578
#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
Our new statistic refined & improved - Bases Created Per Plate Appearance - Ep. 436
It was great to receive so many responses to our podcast Episode 434 from last week on Total Bases Per Plate Appearance. We wanted to go further with it and apparently listeners want that too. So we've created another new stat - Bases created per plate appearance. This stat includes BB, IBB, HBP and net Stolen Bases for each player and each team. This season's Atlanta Braves reign supreme with this stat as well as the more productive hitting team in MLB history!
We're still tweaking and fine tuning as there's an issue with Grounding into Double Plays as a negative stat since that stat was not calculated until 1933 in the NL and 1939 in the AL so players like Babe Ruth and teams before that time benefit unfairly. We put a link to our Google sheet with tabs for BC/PA by team all-time, Players all-time and teams in the just completed 2023 season.
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 suddenly the 2023 season is all over. Pitch clocks, larger bases, limits to shifting the infield all proved to be welcome and significant changes in MLB. The 2023 Braves have reason to claim they are the greatest hitting team of all time. The Marlins & D'Backs are back in the playoffs and somehow the Astros managed to win the AL West after all.
The Wild Card Series being Tuesday and will end no later than Thursday with the NL and AL Division Series both starting on Saturday. This might he the most exciting week of the baseball year!
We recap the week that was, preview what's to come, and predict who we think will move on in the playoffs.
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
Introducing a New Baseball Stat - Total Bases Per Plate Appearance - Ep. 434
We love that Hank Aaron has the most Total Bases in baseball history. In fact the list of players for all-time Total Bases is filled with Hall of Famers and would-be HOFers.
Mark recently wrote an article on Total Bases per Plate Appearance - sort of a new way to look at a player's offensive contribution. It can be accessed here: https://open.substack.com/pub/almostcooperstown/p/if-war-is-hell-could-there-be-one?r=6m2o9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web.
We take it further by discussing team performance as it relates to TB/PA. The 2023 Braves right now are at the top of the all-time list and we talk about how great a hitting team they are as well as some of the other greatest hitting teams in MLB history. The 1927 Yankees are on the list.