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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The Big Boring Off-Season, World Baseball Classic Rosters, HOF voting so far - Ep. 642 - 12.29.25
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
Ep. 641 - Author Stephen Dittmore "Jim Gilliam The Forgotten Dodger" 12.22.25
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
Division Series postmortem & League Championship series 2025 preview Ep. 632 - 10.13.25
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
Baseball should go back to a 154-game season - Ep. 522
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!
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
Acuna Jr, injury, Angel Hernandez retires, Negro League stats included - This Week in Baseball - 6.3.24 - Ep. 521
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
MLB's banning the infield shift has not worked so what can be done? - Ep. 520
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
Guardians & Mets going in different directions - This week in baseball 5.27.24 - Ep. 519
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
Having fun w Statcast's new batting stats - Ep. 518
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
Shota showing the way, Ranger Suarez 8-0, Hot Judge This week in Baseball - 5.20.24 - Ep. 517
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
Why do we care about the winning pitcher? - Ep. 516
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
Judge & Soto keep the Yankees close, Phillies soaring, Reds & Cardinals falling - TWIB 5.13.24 - Ep 515
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
On being an A's fan - Author of 'Lose Yourself' Vince Wetzel - Ep. 514
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.
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
Wild Card Series wrap, Division series look. Several managers fired. In 33 minutes! Ep. 631 - 10.6.25
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
Bad treatment for should-be HOF 2nd Basemen - Ep. 512
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
Fried throws a Maddux, Shohei is Mr. Double TWIB - 4.29.24 - Ep. 511
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.
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.
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.
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
TWIB 4.22.24 - Will the Astros wake up? White Sox woes, Injuries abound - Ep. 509
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.
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
Will Tony Clark be booted out as MLBPA President? - Ep. 508
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.
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
TWIB 4.15.24 - Hot starts for Pittsburgh & KC - can it last? - Ep. 507
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.
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
Pitchers chasing velocity is the big problem - Ep. 506
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.
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
TWIB 4.8.24 - A no hitter & pitcher injuries galore - Ep. 505
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!
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!
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
All at once the 2025 MLB Regular season is over. Ep. 630 - 9.29.25
#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!
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.
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!
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?
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!
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A taste of MLB - Former MLB pitcher Pat Ahearne shares his story - Ep. 484
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.
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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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MLB Rookies of the Year - Some are hot then not - Ep. 477
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!
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The last week of the 2025 MLB Season - so much is undecided! Ep. 629
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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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:
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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Best-selling author Jane Leavy talks about new book "Make Me Commissioner! I Know What's Wrong With Baseball & How To Fix It" - Ep. 628
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!
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!
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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!