On this episode of The SIS Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by SNY baseball insider Chelsea Janes (former national baseball writer for The Washington Post) to preview the season. 

Also, in celebration of Women's History Month, he talks to Joely Leguizamon who will be one of the pioneers playing in the Women's Professional Baseball League this summer.

Mark and Chelsea swapped predictions, sharing surprise teams and players, tight division races, and defensive assessments, as well as the thing in baseball that will make them throw up their hands saying "I just don't know" and what the coolest thing of the 2026 baseball season will be.

Joely joined Mark to talk about our favorite topic, defense, including her earliest defense memories, how she learned to play, and why self-reliance is an important part of being an athlete.. 

Over the years we've talked to major leaguers, minor leaguers, college baseball and softball players, high school players, and Korean and Japanese league players and we're glad to add a WPBL player to our list.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

On this episode we deviate a little bit from our usual format. This is our 6th straight year doing an episode with Black History Month connections. We feel it's important to be socially conscious and inclusive, especially with everything happening in the world.

This year we did that by speaking with two people whose job is sharing the legacy of baseball legends. 

Samantha Gibson, director of education at The Jackie Robinson Museum talked to Mark Simon about the museum's mission and the many elements to Jackie Robinson the person, not just the baseball player (plus, some book recommendations for people of all ages). 

Then, Sean Gibson, executive director of The Josh Gibson Foundation explained how video games have helped tell the story of Sean's great-grandfather, Josh, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also shared what the Foundation is doing to further youth participation in sports in Pittsburgh.

The episode also featured our alumni corner spot, this one with Chris Goudoras, director of baseball analytics at Ole Miss University. He explained what he does in his job and gave tips for aspiring baseball job seekers.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

On this episode, Mark Simon talks with Rockies minor league prospect Kyle Karros of the Albuquerque Isotopes about the intricacies of third base defense and SIS prospects expert Brandon Tew about the top pitchers selected in the MLB Draft.

Kyle talked about his 6-foot-5 frame comes into play as a third baseman, why he loves watching Nolan Arenado play third base, and what suggestions he has for any aspiring third basemen (learn to make all the throws!)

Watch a highlight of Kyle here:

https://www.milb.com/video/kyle-karros-makes-a-tough-catch?t=milb-default-vtp

Brandon analyzed five pitchers and broke down which had the best chance of MLB success: Kade Anderson, Liam Doyle, Jamie Arnold, Kyson Witherspoon, and Gage Wood.

You can find Brandon's articles here

https://www.sportsinfosolutions.com/category/2025-mlb-draft/

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

On this episode, Mark Simon was joined by Chicago White Sox radio broadcaster Len Kasper and ESPN content producer Paul Hembekides.

Len talked about his transition from Cubs TV to White Sox radio, what interested him most from an analytic perspective so far this season, both in the sport as a whole and for the White Sox. He also discussed Tony La Russa’s impact, Chicago’s potentially unique relief situation, what to make of Tim Anderson and José Abreu’s defensive numbers. Len closed by giving tips to get kids interested in analytic thinking and did an impersonation of Howard Cosell commenting on the analytic revolution.

Hembo and Mark went back and forth trying to find meaning in some of the early-season stats and why right-handed pitching has been so dominant in 2021. Among the players to come up: Freddie Freeman, Frankie Montas, Evan Longoria, and Mark Melancon. They closed the show with a couple of trivia stumpers of an analytic nature.

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review the podcast If you can. Stay safe and stay well. 

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by MLB Network analyst Cliff Floyd, ESPN Baseball Tonight host Karl Ravech, and New York Times national baseball writer James Wagner to answer some questions from Mark's baseball predictions game.

Cliff Floyd breaks down 5 hitters - Fernando Tatis Jr., Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Pete Alonso, Lorenzo Cain, and Shohei Ohtani and assesses the most important thing to watch and what the future holds for each guy (1:09).

Karl Ravech breaks down the 2 toughest divisions, shares what 2021 holds for superstars Juan Soto and Trevor Bauer, and gives a sleeper pick for the Cy Young who has not previously even gotten a Cy Young vote (13:23).

James Wagner picks the 2 teams poised to overachieve the most, gives win total estimates for the 2 most polarizing teams, compares the Yankees postseason chances to those of the Brooklyn Nets and lets us know if baseball games will get any shorter in 2021 (spoiler: probably not) (20:53).

Do you want to get an edge in fantasy baseball this season. Then check out The Bill James Handbook: Projections Update. This excel spreadsheet offers player projections for 2021. The projections are based on our exclusive formula and our playing time assessments. Purchase them here: http://baseballinfosolution.com/bijahaprup208.html

Thanks for listening. Please rate and review the podcast if you have a chance. Stay safe and stay well.

Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) heard from Rays infielder Joey Wendle (@JoeyWendle) right after we posted our last episode, so we figured we’d bring you a bonus interview with him before we ramp up to our Opening Day Preview here at the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast.

Joey talks about his 2020 postseason experience and the large number of hard-hit balls he had to field as well as the preparation that goes into playing defense, including pre-game work and how he’s positioned. He also shares tips for aspiring third basemen on making the long throw across the diamond to first base and gives his early impressions of Wander Franco.

Thanks for listening as always. Don’t forget to rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well. 

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined first by Eno Sarris (@enosarris) of The Athletic to talk about the trends to watch in MLB this season.

Eno discusses what people should know about seam shifted wake and the pitchers for which it might be the most pertinent (0:48). He also talks about the rule changes at the minor league level and which are most important to note (7:49). Other items discussed include the deadening of the baseball (10:35), the concern over Fernando Tatis' 14-year contract (11:33), and who's winning the World Series if the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers or Padres don't (14:06).

Eno is followed by Dr. Phil Klotzbach (@philklotzbach), a baseball fan and meteorologist at Colorado State University. He explains the research he does on hurricanes and draws parallels between hurricane predicting and baseball predicting (16:20).

Then, Alex Vigderman (@vigmanoncampus) joins Mark to talk about their takeaways from last weekend's SABR Analytics Conference (31:40).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) welcomes spring training with 3 guests!

 First, Mark is joined by Oakland Athletics second baseman and outfielder, Tony Kemp (@TonyKemp).

Tony talks about how his hitting approach generated higher walk rates (1:09), how a player knows and understands what he can do (2:23), the challenges of hitting at Wrigley Field, Minute Maid Park, and Oakland Coliseum (7:00), and his favorite defensive plays, both from college and pro. (8:39)

He also discusses what happened last year when he put out a call on social media to talk to people during the protests related to George Floyd’s death (12:14), and the work Tony is doing for his movement, The +1 Effect. (14:31)

Also joining the podcast is Baltimore Orioles radio broadcaster Melanie Newman (@MelanieLynneN), who is entering her second season calling games for the team. Melanie talks about her rapport with broadcast partner Geoff Arnold (20:20), her climb up the baseball broadcast ladder (24:15), the ascension of women and the importance of representation in baseball play-by-play broadcasting and other important MLB roles (31:25), how she simplifies numbers for listeners (38:17), which Orioles pitcher is better than you might think (hint: knuckleballer!) (42:03) and much more!

 Lastly, SABR (@SABR) CEO Scott Bush (@scott_bush) stops by to give us a preview of the SABR Analytics Conference. (45:33)

 Thank you as always for listening, Please rate and review the podcast if you can. You can contact us at mark@sportsinfosolutions.com or @sportsinfo_SIS.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Yankees minor league hitting coach Rachel Balkovec (@_rachelbalkovec), who is currently in Australia working as a coach with the Sydney Blue Sox.

Rachel talks about how she came to be coaching in Australia (1:46). She then addresses the progress that women have made in baseball and other sports and the challenges women face in light of the Mets firing of their GM (5:24).

Rachel also talks about the way she connects with players (11:21), the hardest thing to coach athletes on (13:36), and what she studied when she worked with Driveline (14:51). She also speaks about her favorite mentoring story (20:43) and provides perspective on how she viewed 2020 (25:12).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review the podcast if you can. You can also find Rachel at RachelBalkovec.com or on Instagram at @Rachel.Balkovec

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Minnesota Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton (@OfficialBuck103) to talk about everything from his defensive approach to how he changed his swing by watching video, to why he smiles so much and much more (0:45).

Mark also welcomes a group of guests to break down the Fielding Bible award winners from both the KBO and NPB. Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) of the Yonhap News and Ted Baarda of SIS join first to discuss the winners from the KBO (24:19), and John Gibson (@JBWPodcast) of JapaneseBaseball.com and the Japan Baseball Weekly Podcast finishes the show with a look at the winners from the NPB (48:24).

You can read more about the Fielding Bible award winners at Stat of the Week. Don't forget to rate and review, and stay safe.

Important Links

Byron Buxton defensive highlights (10 minutes worth!)

Game-winning infield hit vs Tigers

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, we begin by discussing the historic hiring of Kim Ng as the Marlins GM with Josh Rawitch (@joshrawitch), the Diamondbacks senior VP of content and communications. Josh and Kim worked together when both were with the Dodgers, and Kim gave Josh a shout-out at her press conference. Josh shares stories about working with her and describes the traits that he thinks will make her a great general manager, including her knowledge base and demeanor (1:47). We’ll be talking more about Kim and women in baseball in greater depth later this offseason.

We are also joined by Jomboy Media baseball analyst, Trevor Plouffe (@trevorplouffe), who played third base for nine MLB seasons (2010 to 2018) (9:59). Trevor helps us preview the free agent market. He gives insights on what it’s like to hit against Trevor Bauer and offers a thought on why Bauer’s success could have staying power (14:31). He also evaluates George Springer, J.T. Realmuto, DJ LeMahieu, and Marcell Ozuna (17:59), along with the crowded market for No. 3 starting pitchers and closers (32:51). Along the way, he discusses things to keep in mind, like which hitters bring value for their long at-bats and which teammates work with players to make them better.

Lastly, we ask Trevor about what it’s like to be a first-round pick and about the challenges that come with being in that spot (36:09).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well. 

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by the godfather of baseball sabermetrics, Bill James (@billjamesonline) to discuss The 2021 Bill James Handbook.

Bill talks about the articles he wrote and the studies he did, including: Game Score for Batters, a companion stat to Bill’s popular Game Score for pitchers that is available on ESPN.com and Baseball-Reference (4:39); A look at Hall-of-Famers by team – which teams are most overrepresented in the Hall of Fame and which are most underrepresented (7:40); the Hall of Fame Monitor, which evaluates the likelihood of a player getting in the Hall of Fame (11:31), and Career Targets (also known as The Favorite Toy) which establishes the percentage chance a player has of reaching a milestone (13:44).

Bill also talks about an article he wrote for Bill James Online on the quality of MVP classes (15:53), shares a stat that he wished caught on more (19:36), and speaks about the all-around excellence of Mookie Betts (24:53).

Mark closes the show with an announcement of the winners of the 2020 Fielding Bible Awards (26:57).

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) talks to Doug Glanville (@dougglanville) of ESPN and his baseball-writing colleague at The Athletic, Eno Sarris (@enosarris).

Doug breaks down what goes into making the catches that were made during the postseason, whether it was the home run robberies by Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger, or the tumbling catch by Manuel Margot (3:39). He explains how Mookie Betts is getting better (6:51) and discusses differences in outfield play from when he played to now (13:19). And for fun, we close the segment by talking analytics with Doug – the analytics of great French toast (16:51).

Eno gives us the state of the Rays and Dodgers heading into the World Series (22:23), talks strikeout percentages and high fastballs (24:24), and picks which player most impressed him (29:27). He also predicts who will win the World Series and how long it will take – both in games and in hours (31:05).

For more on defensive play in this year’s World Series, check out our preview article at the SIS Blog.

Thank you for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

You can find a transcript of the episode here

On this episode, our Mark Simon talks to Astros rookie right fielder Cam Smith, who ranks among the leaders in Defensive Runs Saved despite never having played the position before this season.

Cam talked about his welcome to the big leagues' moments and explained how teammate Jake Meyers and the Astros outfield coaches have helped in his acclimation to a new position.

Then, we switched topics. Mark went to the SABR convention and shared some of the things he learned, and brought on Sports-Reference's executive director of design Adam Darowski to share his research about players with 4,000 hits in pro baseball.

Lastly, Mark and his colleague Ben Schneider talked about what SIS measures regarding home plate umpire performance and looked at some tendencies among MLB umpires the last couple of seasons.

Three good interviews/discussions in roughly 20 minutes!

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian (@Kurkjian_ESPN) to talk about what he’s seen this postseason in pitching (1:13), hitting (5:46), baserunning (11:31), and fielding (16:56) – both for good and for bad. Tim also picks the player who he’s watched this postseason for whom he now has a greater appreciation (22:09).

Then, Mark talks with his SIS colleagues, Brian Reiff (@BrianSReiff) and Alex Vigderman (@VigManOnCampus), about their favorite sections in the new 2021 Bill James Handbook, which is available November 1 at ActaSports.com (24:32).

Thanks for listening. Please rate and review us if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon is joined by Ethan Bryan (@Ethan_Bryan), the author of A Year of Playing Catch – What A Simple Daily Experiment Taught Me About Life. Ethan, a lifelong Royals fan from Springfield, Missouri, talks about where the idea of playing catch every day originated and what the experience was like (1:08) and shares the stories of the prominent people with whom he played catch, including a longtime major leaguer who was in his 80s at the time (11:22). They also discuss notable games of catch in MLB history (23:05) and what a game of catch does for the body and the mind (26:04).

Ethan’s book is published by Zondervan Books and is available at EthanBryan.com and wherever books are sold.

Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

On a special playoff-preview edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, we dig deep on the top-seeded Rays and Dodgers as we welcome former MLB pitcher Brian Anderson and current Dodgers/FOX broadcaster Joe Davis (@Joe_Davis) to the podcast.

Brian, in his 10th season as a TV broadcaster with the Rays, gives us an in-depth look at the team’s pitching staff, with what makes the group so good collectively and what makes Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Charlie Morton a dangerous playoff pitching rotation (2:36). He also explains the unusual success of pitchers like Nick Anderson (9:29) and how the catchers, defense and coaching staff have been integral to the team’s success (11:13). He also tells us how the Rays can win in the postseason without having big stars on the roster (15:59).

Joe tells us the story of the Dodgers season, using statistics to back up his key points. He picks a surprise player’s rise as the player whose stats were his favorite in 2020 (24:26). He also explains the success of Mookie Betts and Corey Seager and the decline of Cody Bellinger (25:16). Joe also gives us insight on the Dodgers pitching staff, including a couple of lesser-known names that could play key roles (30:33). Lastly, Joe explains his storytelling with statistics broadcast approach (36:38) and gives a tip to those who went to small colleges who aspire to get into broadcasting, as he did (40:21).

Thanks for listening. We’ll be back in our regular slot next week. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by baseball writer Joe Sheehan (@joe_sheehan) and Mets broadcaster Wayne Randazzo (@WayneRandazzo).

Joe explains what we’ll be talking about if the Rays and Athletics win the World Series (1:00), then talks about what impresses him about the Cubs, White Sox, and Padres (5:27). We also flip the script and chat about what would cause the Yankees or Dodgers to get knocked out early (10:37) and look at the chances for the Braves and Twins (12:26). Joe and Mark then give their thoughts on rule changes (16:43) and Joe shares some highlights from his baseball newsletter, as he and Mark each discuss their favorite defensive play (19:27) and marvel at how the heck the Giants are still in the race in the final week (23:52).

Wayne, one of MLB's more stat-savvy radio broadcasters, gives his thoughts on the NL Cy Young through the lens of Jacob deGrom’s candidacy (29:51), and explains potential causes for Pete Alonso’s sophomore slump (35:23). They also discuss the NL East in-depth and what impresses Wayne in watching the Rays, Yankees, and Blue Jays (37:18). Lastly, they close with Wayne explaining how he uses stats in broadcasts and how he overcomes the hurdle of trying to convey new-school information to old-school baseball fans (41:04).

Please rate and review us if you can. Thank you for tuning in. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by New York Times senior baseball writer Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) to discuss the biggest surprises of the 2020 season. Among the topics they cover: Jose Abreu’s defense (0:59), the unlikely rise of the Giants offense (4:36), Shane Bieber’s electric stuff (16:24), the defense of Clint Frazier and Mike Trout (26:08), and much more. Thanks for listening. Stay safe and stay well!

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues with baseball researcher Gary Ashwill and Negro League Museum co-founder Larry Lester (@LarryLester42).

Gary talks to us about the Seamheads Baseball Database project, which aims to document Negro League statistics (among many things) (2:00), explains the work that has gone into the project (3:16), shares the highlights of what he found (6:02), and comes up with a Negro Leagues All-Defense team (9:45).

Larry Lester also picks an All-Star team of Negro League defenders and tells stories about Hall-of-Famers like pitch-framer extraordinaire Biz Mackey and third baseman Ray Dandridge, and some of the greatest defensive plays in league history (19:46). He also provides a list of resources that people could utilize to learn more about the Negro Leagues (26:23).

Mark closes the show by talking briefly about baseball legend Roberto Clemente, who was honored by MLB on Wednesday (29:22).

Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well. 

Links

Negro League Baseball Museum

Larry Lester’s Website

Seamheads Baseball Website

SABR BioProject Negro League biographies

SABR Negro Leagues Committee

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Rockies shortstop Trevor Story (@Tstory2) to ‘talk shop’ about his defensive success. Trevor currently leads in our “Good Fielding Plays” stat for shortstops by a WIDE margin. Trevor talks about the origin of his developing into a good defensive player and how Troy Tulowitzki influenced him (1:24), why he’s an advocate for playing multiple sports growing up and the similarity between defense in baseball and basketball (3:06). He also walks us through some of his favorite defensive plays, including a recent tag of Cody Bellinger (4:26), and offers advice to aspiring shortstops (7:52).

Trevor also talks about how shifting impacts how he plays shortstop (8:52), why he likes his glove (10:02), and the challenge of playing defense in a high-altitude ballpark (12:06). Lastly, he shares what goes into playing next to all-world defender, Nolan Arenado (14:36). Thanks for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

LINKS

Trevor’s ‘Full Superman’ catch

Story’s tag play

NOTE: This episode was taped last week prior to the player protests and games being postponed.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Dodgers second baseman Kiké Hernández (@kikehndez), who is off to a great defensive start to 2020. 

Kiké explains about how his work was impacted by the pandemic (0:51) and then 'talks shop' on how he covers ground laterally, how playing deep impacts his play, taking pride in his sprinting, which coaches impacted him the most, and the importance of keeping a soft base (2:43). 

Kiké also shares which play he's most proud of (which can be viewed HERE) (10:18) and what it's like to play with Mookie Betts playing behind him (11:57). He lists the top defensive players he's gotten to watch (14:09), shares how many gloves he's had (15:21), answers whether we'd ever see him catch (15:53), and explains (or didn't) how he hits Madison Bumgarner so well (16:29). 

To close the show, Mark shares the history of great defensive players from Hernández’s native Puerto Rico (17:42).

Thanks for listening as always. Please rate and review if you can. Stay safe and stay well.

Two weeks ago, we did an episode on women working in baseball analytics - Emily Curtis and Kiri Oler. This week, we turn our attention to people of color working in this field. Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) talked to 3 of them - Javier Duren (@JD_Fresh20) of the Cardinals, Spencer Weisberg of the Mariners, and Karim Kassam (@professormullet) of the Twins.

Javier, in his third year with the Cardinals, explained how he went from graduating Yale to playing basketball professionally, to his current role as the Cardinals coordinator of technology and innovation. He shared stories from his basketball career, including what he takes from that to both watching baseball and to his current job. He explained what his role entails and what a typical day is like. He also gave advice to members of the African-American community who aspire to work in analytics and/or become athletes. (0:43)

Spencer, in his second year with the Mariners after graduating from Cal State-San Luis Obispo, explained his path to becoming a baseball analyst. He discussed his role with the team, his interactions with the front office and coaching staff, and the work he's specialized in. He also talked about what intrigued him about defensive metrics. Lastly he offered advice to others seeking to break into the baseball world as he did. (15:52)

Karim, the Twins director of baseball research, shared the story of his career path, which includes stops as a college professor, at a movie studio, and with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He talked about what's surprised him in his first year on the job, how other sports influenced him, what he finds most interesting to watch in baseball, which pro athlete he's most enjoyed working with, and what advice he has for others who want to work in his position. (34:04)

Thank you for listening to our podcast. If you liked the show, please rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by ESPN and Sirius XM’s Eduardo Perez (@PerezEd) to talk about the meaningful names and numbers from the season’s first few weeks. Eduardo gives his take on low batting averages and pitcher injuries and with the latter explains why a change of scenery was good for Dylan Bundy (0:49). He also talks about the game’s top Latino stars, like Fernando Tatis (4:30), and the rise of Colombia as an MLB talent producer (7:11). They then look at a couple of players putting up video-game numbers in Charlie Blackmon and Shane Bieber (8:05), mull the staying power of the Rockies and the struggles of the Mets (10:28), and pick out something to watch in the next couple of weeks (16:40). Eduardo also shares his thoughts on what impressed him most in broadcasting KBO games (17:53).

Mark closes the show by challenging Eduardo to tell baseball stories on 3 random subjects – the color blue (18:47), large quantities of food (21:00), and pets (with a nod to his father, Tony Perez) (23:01), and gives a brief tribute to a Dodgers infielder who’s off to a strong defensive start (25:17).

A tip of the cap to New York sportscaster Len Berman, as our show title is a tribute to his fun work. Thanks for tuning in. Please rate and review the podcast wherever you can. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode, Mark Simon is joined by Giants vice-president of player development Randy Winn, Mariners communications manager Alex Mayer, and his SIS colleague Greg Halperin.

Randy explained his new role under new Giants president Buster Posey, shared why teaching players how to hit the cutoff man is a priority to him, described how he and the organization use data, and told stories of new Hall-of-Famer Ichiro and how he played defense.

Alex talked about his enjoyment of finding statistical minutiae, and the recent success of Cal Raleigh and Rodríguez. 

Greg, a recent selection as Data Scout of the Month at SIS, used Ben Rice as an example of looking at a player's expected stats vs his actual stats and shared what it's like to regularly watch NPB and KBO games.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

When we planned out Season 2 of our podcast, our goal was to make the show more thoughtful and more diverse. We continue to work towards that with this episode, which spotlights two women working in baseball analytics who recently spoke at a Women in Baseball event – Emily Curtis (@emweecurt) with the Mariners and Kiri Oler (@glitter_corpse) with the Phillies.

Emily details her path to baseball from growing up in Norman, Oklahoma and becoming a Cardinals fan, then landing a job with the Mariners as a baseball analyst (1:04). She talks about learning the different groups in baseball operations and how she communicates with each of them (5:30), then describes working on pitcher injury analysis (6:30), how the Mariners analytics team works hand-in-hand with a very busy and analytically-inclined GM and explains how data travels through the organization (8:15), and the challenge of developing models (12:30). Then she shares her thoughts on making the field of baseball analytics more inclusive (16:54). And we got in one question on the amazing start of Kyle Lewis! (22:13)

Kiri similarly explains her path from majoring in Math AND English to teaching to working in baseball, first with the Twins and now with the Phillies as a quantitative analyst (25:10). She explains her role working with the coaching staff (27:10), the different projects she’s taken on (29:40), the difference in working with people who like charts vs those who like visuals (32:25), and the usefulness of the “poop” emoji (33:22). Kiri also provides tips to women interested in working in baseball analytics, emphasizing that you never know what happens when you apply (36:43). We end by talking about her interest in the role Roman Quinn will play with the extra innings rule this season (39:29).

Mark finishes the show by sharing one way for women interested in learning about baseball analytics could find a mentor and discusses inroads made by women in baseball broadcasting (41:00).

For more information about Measurables Office Hours, check out www.measurablespod.com/officehours. The second session of the #HANIC Women in Baseball panel will be this Sunday night at 7 ET. You can learn more at #HANIC or sign up for the Zoom session at https://www.hanic-analytics.com/

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by two beat writers to discuss the 2020 season outlooks for their respective teams.

Mark first talks to Derrick Goold (@dgoold), Cardinals beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the host of “The Best Podcast in Baseball.” Derrick explains how odd it has been to cover the team (1:04), then talks about what to make of a Cardinals team that isn’t necessarily abiding by the traditional Cardinals Way (3:56). He shares a stat that he is interested in following all season (7:12), explains why they are so good defensively (10:28), gives a “State of the Yadi” on the Cardinals catcher (15:02), and provides scenarios by which the Cardinals win the division and miss the playoffs - while also posing a question about why the Cubs “tickle the sims.” (17:38)

Mark is then joined by Pedro Moura (@pedromoura) of The Athletic who explains the unusual nature of covering the Dodgers in Los Angeles this season (24:11). He then offers his take on the weirdness of the first 4-game series with the Giants (26:04) and explains why performance in high-leverage situations will be his stat to watch (28:08). He shares what impresses him most about Mookie Betts (29:47), why Justin Turner is still so good at his age (31:14), and what Max Muncy does better than anyone on the team (32:27). He also looks at the Dodgers defense and pitching, offering predictions on ERA for Clayton Kershaw and saves for Kenley Jansen (33:10). He also picks an unheralded pitcher to watch (36:35). They close the interview by trying to figure out the 4% scenario by which the Dodgers don’t make the playoffs (37:40).

After both interviews, Mark offers his 2020 predictions for baseball’s MVD (Most Valuable Defenders). (39:18)

Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by his former ESPN colleagues, the Sunday Night Baseball radio broadcast team of Jon Sciambi (@BoogSciambi) and Chris Singleton (@Singytweets) to preview the 2020 season. Jon and Chris seek to make their broadcasts smart, interesting, and fun and their listeners better baseball people, which fits well with what we try to do on this podcast.

The two dive right in with picks for ‘sneak-attack’ teams for 2020 and offer thoughts on which team has the widest possible win variance (1:10). They offer their takes on the new rules (12:14), which are the best defensive teams in baseball (16:43) and pick a player who could be a surprise MVP candidate (18:40). They close by explaining the philosophy of their game broadcasts (20:46).

Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by longtime Angels broadcaster José Mota (@JoseMota05) to preview the upcoming season.

Mota provides perspective on what to watch for from several Angels key players, giving insight on how Mike Trout works at-bats (1:30), explaining what Anthony Rendon will bring (4:36), sharing what Andrelton Simmons does that makes him a special defender (5:55), and providing insight on why David Fletcher is a hidden gem (8:51).

José also talks about what it’s been like to watch (and learn Japanese from) Shohei Ohtani and Saya Nomura – check out Jose’s Instagram for more of that - (10:20) and explains how Albert Pujols could still be valuable (13:05).He also discusses how Joe Maddon will handle the pitching staff (15:02), how he delivers analytics to a Spanish-speaking audience (16:44), how he feels about the inevitable decline of pinch-hitter usage (his father Manny was an all-time great pinch-hitter) and how teams will strategize with the new rules in place for this season (19:25). Finally, he also tells of his family’s charity work, which can be found at Motasfaces.com. (21:55)

And yes, we know we didn’t even get to Jo Adell! Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay well and stay safe.

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) asks the question – how can we measure catchers beyond pitch blocking, pitch framing, and caught stealing? Longtime former MLB catcher Bengie Molina (@BengieMolina1), now a Spanish-language radio broadcaster for the Cardinals, tries to help us out.

Bengie talks about the different factors that come into play for a catcher (0:57) and the different personality types he dealt with from Ramon Ortiz and Jarrod Washburn (5:32). He explains how you deal with stubborn pitchers and how he worked with the pitchers he got along with best (7:50). He also relays how things can change for a catcher in the walk back to home plate after a conference at the mound, using Yadier Molina in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Mets as an example (11:45).He offers his take on the difficulties of being a rookie catcher (14:32) and bridging the language gap by encouraging all catchers to be bilingual (16:12). He talks about why he likes watching Buster Posey, Salvador Perez, and his brother Yadier so much (19:24). He also discusses what he would say to someone who wants to catch like a Molina (22:12), how difficult it is to deal with foul tips off the mask (23:08), and how important it is to factor in umpires when calculating framing metrics (26:13).

Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode, Mark Simon talks to Brandon Guyer (@BrandonGuyer), who just retired after an 8-year, 500+-game MLB career in which he was known for his ability to hit left-handed pitching and his penchant for being hit by a pitch. Guyer (with the help of his wife) has just written an 80-page book, The Fully Equipped Athlete and started a new business to mentor aspiring athletes (fullyequippedathlete.com). We often talk on this podcast about the statistical and physical side of the game. Brandon talks about giving athletes the mental foundation to succeed.

Guyer discusses what went into his retirement decision, how he looks back on his career, getting hit by pitches, and hitting lefties so well (1:13). He then walks us through 2 plate appearances from Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and what allowed him to come through them successfully (7:39). From there, the conversation shifts to the book, what it was like to put everything he learned on paper, why humility was his top point of emphasis, his friendship with a diverse group of players such as Chris Archer and Yan Gomes, and whose words are most impactful to him (11:43). He also talks about learning proper breath control and meditation and how that allowed him to maximize his talents (22:08). Lastly he talks about his overall goals for the future as he makes the transition to dad/businessman (26:55).

Thanks for tuning in. Don’t forget to rate and review us. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb), Rockies beat writer for MLB.com, Alex Speier (@alexspeier), who covers the Red Sox and MLB for the Boston Globe and Alex Coffey (@byalexcoffey), who covers the Athletics for The Athletic.

Almost every other episode of this podcast deals with statistical subjects or looks at the “how-to” of defensive play. There will hopefully be a time and place for that in the future. This episode is a little different.

This episode focuses on 2 subjects:

1) How teams and players are dealing with Coronavirus-related issues.

2) How players, teams and MLB are responding to social justice concerns

Thank you as always for listening. Stay healthy and stay safe.

More information:

Read Thomas Harding’s coverage at MLB.com

Red Alex Speier’s coverage at BostonGlobe.com

Read Alex Coffey’s coverage at TheAthletic.com

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by KT Wiz outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. (@melrojasjr), arguably the best hitter in the KBO and the league’s leader in hard-hit rate. If Mel’s name sounds familiar, it should – his father pitched 10 seasons in the majors including a strong run as the closer for the Expos. Mel talks about his family’s baseball history, which includes the Alou family, and explains why he’s a hitter and not a pitcher (1:11). He talks about what the season has been like and how improved plate coverage has led to more success (3:31). He also explains what it takes to hit or lay off a nasty forkball and how his family’s history may have come in handy regarding his knowledge of that pitch (7:03).

Mel also discusses his defense and playing/living in Korea (10:40) and what it has been like to play without fans and how KBO fans are highly positive, even when their players are in slumps (16:30). He also explains why he chose to come to the KBO and why he chose to stay (17:38). He picks out some of the league’s other top players and references one who should be a future MLB prospect (20:00). Lastly, he offers advice for anyone considering playing in the KBO (22:23). 

On this special edition episode, Mark Simon is joined by Sports Info Solutions Director of Basketball, Jake Loos. SIS recently announced that it would be entering the basketball business. Jake, the former director of basketball analytics and technology for the Phoenix Suns will head up our operation. Jake talks about his background, which includes an MBA from MIT and what he loves about basketball and statistics (1:12). He then details the challenges of basketball analytics and trying to explain it to non-analytically inclined fans (7:26). He also explains what SIS will be doing with basketball data and the challenges of trying to do the kind of player evaluation he wants to do (11:18). He also talks about why Joe Ingles of the Jazz is one of his favorite players (20:24), why Stephen Curry and Dwyane Wade’s stats are his favorite (22:24), and gives advice both on how to watch the game smarter (25:48) and how to pursue a career in basketball analytics (26:48).

Back to our usual programming later this week. Thanks for tuning in! 

We know that MLB is back and we’ll talk about that plenty in the next few weeks. This week on the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Japanese baseball writer, statistician and historian Jim Allen (@JballAllen) of JballAllen.com to talk about Nippon Professional Baseball (the NPB). Jim explains his background and talks about how Japan was able to work to a 120-game season (1:47), and he also explains how the top storylines this season have been overshadowed by Coronavirus (5:49). He discusses how team pitching plans have changed and top starters are already going deep into games (7:34). Jim also explains the expectations for ex-MLB players Adam Jones and Justin Bour, the latter of whom has drawn comparisons to an all-time Japanese great (9:39). The two then talk about defense and the emphasis that Japanese players put into defense compared versus how much attention defense gets in highlights (14:36). Jim also gives insight into the game’s top defensive players, including standout shortstop Sosuke Genda (16:44). He also points out aspects of defense that Japanese players do better than MLB players (22:58). His choice for the coolest thing to watch about Japanese baseball might surprise you (25:33).

Stay healthy and stay safe. Thank you as always for listening. Please rate and review us if you can.

On this episode, Mark Simon was joined by both a current major leaguer and a former major leaguer.

Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo stopped by to talk shop with regards to why he's a shortstop and how he plays his position. He shared with us his approach in the field and how he uses his instincts.

Former MLB and NPB relief pitcher Jay Jackson also joined us to share lessons learned from his MLB career that he's turned into a self-published book about positivity. He also spoke to us about the coaches that influenced him, as he's about to become a coach in the MLB Draft Summer League.

And Mark's colleague, SIS senior product manager Noah Gatsik, discussed why he's optimistic about the Rays and pessimistic about the Phillies. Spoiler alert: It had to do with their defense.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Baseball America writer Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) to talk about last week’s MLB Draft and how different players rate from a defensive perspective. First, they discuss the preparation heading into the draft and the challenges of trying to evaluate a player’s defense at the amateur level (1:17). Then, Carlos gives a scouting report on Mets draftee Pete Crow-Armstrong, ranging from his defense to his makeup (5:20).

They also discuss No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson and whether he was well equipped to make the move to third base (9:15). Next, Carlos shares his thoughts on Austin Martin to the Blue Jays and the idea of whether a player being versatile at the collegiate level was a good thing (11:16). Then, he talks about the top defensive prospect among infielders, Cubs draftee Ed Howard, and what makes him so promising as a fielder (14:11). One of Carlos’ favorite players in the draft was Garrett Mitchell, who went to the Brewers, and he explains why Mitchell rates so well (16:33). Then he talks about two catchers he likes a lot – Patrick Bailey of the Giants and Drew Romo of the Rockies (19:05).

Lastly, he provides a lengthy list of players who rate well in various analytic measurements, whether they be offense or pitching-based (23:51).

Check out Carlos and his work at baseballamerica.com. Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe, and don’t forget to rate and review the show!

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Coastal Carolina (@CoastalBaseball) outfielder Parker Chavers (@pchavers14). Parker was a preseason All-American and a two-time All-Sun Belt conference selection who missed the start of 2020 due to a shoulder injury. Prior to the injury he was ranked among college baseball’s top outfielders and was particularly praised for his arm strength. He’s viewed as anywhere from a Top 50 to Top 100 selection in this week’s MLB Draft.

Parker talks about how he’s feeling with the draft upcoming (2:16), what went into developing his arm and what has gone into rehabbing his torn labrum (2:31). He provides a self-scouting report on his defense, his hitting approach, and his power (6:58). He also explains why he models his game after Andrew Benintendi and Adam Eaton (10:55) and praises the coaches who helped him get to this point (13:17).

Mark is also joined by SIS Video Scout Associates Brandon Tew (@BrandonTeweets) and Corey Leaden (@cleaden24) (15:37). They dissect the top seven college baseball prospects in the draft, from first baseman Spencer Torkelson to outfielder Heston Kjerstad and pitcher Reid Detmers (18:56). They also provide tips to anyone looking to evaluate college baseball players (32:16).

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) talks with college baseball infielder Dai Dai Otaka (@dai_squared) about studying defensive excellence using a combination of video and in-depth statistical analysis (what we like to do!). Dai Dai first fills us in on his interests and his successful time as a starter at second base and shortstop at Yale, where he won 2 Ivy League titles (2:39).

Dai Dai then explains the study he did reviewing more than 600 5-4-3 and 5-6-3 successful double plays to see where the pivot man most often receives the throw (5:58). He also details the video review he did on the fielding approaches of Nolan Arenado (9:25), Javier Baez (12:30), and Francisco Lindor (14:50), and explains how what he learned could be applied to studying any infielder (15:48).

He also shares his passion for coaching, describing drills that could be done just by watching video highlights on YouTube or throwing a ball against a tree (16:56). He also notes the most common mistakes infielders make (19:54). Lastly, he gives advice for aspiring researchers (21:01) and teases future studies and his career aspirations (22:44).

Make sure to check out Dai Dai’s Twitter work. Thanks for listening, don’t forget to rate and review us, and stay safe!

Useful Links

Dai Dai Otaka Yale player page

Dai Dai’s study of 5-4-3 double plays

Study of approach of Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor

The “Watching highlights on YouTube drill”

On this episode, Mark Simon (@markasimonsays) is joined by Dirk Lammers (@ddlammers), author of Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders and an expert on the history of no-hitters for a conversation on all the different factors that go into throwing one. Dirk explains the origins of his research, how much research he’s done, and his favorite (2:18). They then discuss the most prominent defensive plays in no-hitters, what made Gregor Blanco’s perfect game-saving catch so special, what percentage of no-hitters feature a good or great defensive play, and why Kevin Kouzmanoff should be remembered for his defensive work (7:21). They also get into the role of umpires and catchers (14:36) and look at patterns in pitchers that throw no-hitters (18:47). Lastly they discuss the most likely current pitchers to throw a no-hitter (20:01). Thanks for listening and stay safe!

Dirk’s website – NoNoHitters.com (@nonohitters)

No-Hitters Referenced

Robin Yount catch in Juan Nieves no-hitter LINK

Gregor Blanco catch in Matt Cain perfect game LINK

DeWayne Wise catch in Mark Buehrle perfect game LINK

Mike Baxter catch in Johan Santana no-hitter LINK

Dallas Braden perfect game LINK

Roy Halladay perfect game LINK

Francisco Liriano no-hitter LINK

Harvey Haddix near-perfect game LINK

Max Scherzer’s 17-strikeout no-hitter LINK

Sandy Koufax perfect game LINK

Tom Seaver’s no-hitter LINK

The story of a Cy Young’s no-hitter LINK

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Yonhap News reporter Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1). Jeeho is based in Seoul, South Korea and covers the KBO on a daily basis. He explains fan reaction to the return of baseball (2:27) and what it’s like to cover baseball in the age of Coronavirus (4:46). He also gives his impressions of the season so far, why Preston Tucker is off to a good start, and which American and Korean pitchers have fared well (6:42). That leads to a discussion of how we should translate stats from KBO to MLB (9:02), how Korean teams use analytics (10:49), and how the hitting approach of a Korean batter differs from MLB counterparts (12:51). Jeeho also points out how much defensive tracking goes on in the KBO and who the top defensive players are (14:40), and how shifting hasn’t necessarily caught on quite as much (16:18). He also explains what he’s seen in terms of an early increase in injuries (20:20). Lastly, he shares a few fun facts and stats he has compiled (23:17), explains why he doesn’t want to jinx no-hitters by mentioning them on Twitter (25:22), and gives some things for viewers to keep an eye on for the rest of the season (26:16).

Stay safe. Stay well. Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe. Thanks for listening!

Useful Links

Statiz (Korean-Language Analytics Site)

MyKBOStats (English-Language KBO Site)

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by softball star A.J. Andrews (@aj_andrews_) to talk about what goes into being an outstanding defensive outfielder. A.J. was the first softball player to be awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove, and she breaks down three catches: the first being one along the right field line in which she explained proper diving technique and how to evaluate the angles you take (2:58), the second being the first time she could remember making a great play as a kid (10:24), and the third in which she crashed into the outfield wall (13:11).

A.J. also discusses pre-pitch anticipation (15:38), how defensive positioning in softball is similar to defensive positioning in baseball (17:39), and the mentality needed to be a great defensive outfielder (22:24).

Thank you for listening. Stay healthy and stay safe!

Links

AlwaysAJ.com

TheAJAndrews.com

A.J.’s YouTube page

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Washington Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver (@DeanO_Lytics), a pioneer in basketball analytics, to discuss some of the challenges of measuring defense in his sport.

Dean talks about the differences in basketball analysis contrasting 25 years ago to now (2:18), the parallels between tracking defense in basketball and baseball (5:23), and trying to chart the effectiveness of double-teams, getting hands in the face of shooters, and deflections (8:07). He also explains the influence that coaches have on defensive performance (14:07).

Lastly, he discusses the different perspectives on fouling when up by 3 points in the final seconds (18:32) and offers advice to aspiring statistical analysts (22:32).

Thanks for listening and stay safe.

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Braves third base coach Ron Washington who has an incredible amount of wisdom to share from his home in New Orleans. Wash explains what defensive excellence means to him (2:19), his first defensive mentor in baseball, Chico Fernandez (2:57), how hard it is to be a good defensive player (4:02), how defense has evolved (5:17), and the best lesson he learned from failing as a player (6:20).

Coach Washington also shares what it was like to play catcher and the difference between a pitch-framer and a pitch singer (7:19), and how he has evolved as a coach (8:55). He explains the role he’s had in working with excellent defenders like Eric Chavez and Ozzie Albies (10:22). Lastly, he says what he likes most about coaching defense and what advice he would give an aspiring coach (15:58).

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and stay healthy!

On this edition of the Sports Info Solution Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Tampa Bay Rays Platinum-Glove winning center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (@KKiermaier39) for a comprehensive explanation of what goes into playing defense.

Kiermaier explains what he is doing to keep busy with his wife and toddler son in Tampa and the commonalities between bow-fishing and trying to catch a fly ball – and there are parallels! (1:00) He also shares the memories of the first good defensive plays he made in Little League and in the majors (4:00), who his favorite defensive player was as a kid (6:06), and the details of the intense amount of preparation he does to play defense the way he does - he takes opponents’ batting practice seriously - and to avoid having any weaknesses (6:59).

Kevin also explains how he defenses Aaron Judge and Ichiro Suzuki and how he adjusts his positioning based on instinct and observations (11:30), what the difference is between making a catch and missing the ball on a low line drive (16:51), and a guide to what goes into a home run robbery (19:24). Mark also details what goes into tracking a home run robbery and how much credit a fielder gets for one and Kevin notes that defensive stats are important to players like him being in the major leagues (21:58).

He also describes his glove and explains the routine he goes through to keep his arm strong (27:35). He also notices that baserunners have stopped challenging him and appreciates the respect that comes with that (31:28). Lastly, he runs through the coaches who helped him out along the way. All hail Skeeter Barnes! (33:00)

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and Stay healthy!

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Dr. Aaron Gray (@MizzouSportsDoc), a Youth & Adult Sports Medicine Physician at the University of Missouri, and SIS Injury Coordinator John Verros (@VerrosJohn).

Dr. Gray gives his advice on sifting through the overwhelming amount of information (and misinformation) related to Coronavirus (1:54), what is known about training to play sports in a pandemic (3:31), and he also evaluates ongoing discussions related to fear of contracting the virus from breathing it in (4:26).

John explains some of the things he’s looking at, like how successfully a pitcher like Justin Verlander can return from injury (5:24). He and Dr. Gray both provide examples of exercises that athletes can do to keep in shape (8:25), what injuries they are most concerned about (10:40), and what studies have piqued their interest (15:42). Lastly, Dr. Gray explains the scenario that MLB officials are likely most concerned about – what happens if the season begins and a player tests positive in midseason (21:42).

Stay safe and well and thank you for listening.

On this episode, Mark Simon welcomes 2024 Rays Minor League Defensive Player of the Year Tanner Murray, who plays two infield positions and is now learning the outfield. Tanner talked about his transition to new positions and the other players on the well-loaded Durham Bulls that could be great defensive major leaguers in the future, like Carson Williams and Tre' Morgan.

Mark also spanned the globe talking with baseball writer Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extra Base about the current generation of Venezuelan baseball players. They talked about the defensive excellence of Wilyer Abreu and Ezequiel Tovar, the hitting prowess of Wilmer Flores, and the early-season struggle for Anthony Santander.

Lastly, Mark closed the show with his SIS colleague, associate director of baseball operations Evan Butler. They talked about MLB stadiums and their various quirks and traits and how that related to enjoying a game in person.

Thanks as always for listening. Please check out the new-and-improved FieldingBible.com website, follow us on Bluesky at @sportsinfosolutions.com, and read our work at SportsInfoSolutions.com. You can e-mail us at Mark@sportsinfosolutions.com.

On this episode of the SIS Baseball Podcast, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) talks with two current MLB coaches who have an expertise in playing multiple positions – Don Kelly (Pirates bench coach) and Joe McEwing (White Sox bench coach).

Don Kelly talked about what it took to become “Zobristian” – a player who could play any position on the field (2:23), how many gloves he had (4:27), what it was like to try to be good at multiple positions and which was hardest (5:15), what Jim Leyland taught him (13:25), his favorite defensive play (14:12), what it was like to be a one-time catcher (15:58), and how he integrates what he’s learned into coaching (19:49).

Joe McEwing also shared tales of “Zobristness” (24:16), the advice he would give a 28th-round pick - he was one in 1992 (27:04), what goes into playing second base (28:01), what it was like to play for Tony La Russa and Bobby Valentine, including the clever way that Bobby V had his first baseman hold runners on (31:26). McEwing also talked of teaching defensive excellence and working with Jose Abreu to help him become a better defensive player (33:26). He also explained the White Sox approach to defensive positioning (37:29) and explained why he hit Hall of Fame pitchers like Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine so well (41:58).

Thank you for tuning in. Please rate, review and subscribe. If you have any feedback on the podcast, send it to mark@sportsinfosolutions.com

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) takes the show in a different direction. Mark is joined by science writer and stand-up comedienne Kasha Patel (@KashaPatel). Kasha, whose day job is as a science writer and social media manager for NASA, has opened for notable names such as Jen Kirkman and Vir Das in her comedy work. Her stand-up focuses on science, but also traditional topics such as family and the cultural experience of growing up as an Indian in West Virginia.

What’s distinct about Kasha is that she uses data to inform her comedy in ways that parallel how we study baseball statistics. She shares her background (2:33), then transitions into explaining how she tracks her jokes in a spreadsheet (4:09). Mark and Kasha discuss the different ways she categorizes and times her jokes (5:58), the process of tracking jokes and her wish for an automated tracking system (11:27), how old-school comedians have reacted to her work (17:07), how she constructs a joke (19:06), and how she simplifies scientific information to make it easily accessible to audiences who don’t have scientific background (24:02). Lastly, she shares career-development advice that can be applied to any field (26:47).

Then in the spirit of Kasha’s podcast, Science Comedy Paradox, Mark and show producer Justin Stine (@j_stine31) discuss the biggest takeaways from the conversation and share an analogy Kasha made comparing her joke list to a baseball lineup (29:52).

Stay safe, stay healthy, and thanks for listening!

Helpful Links

Kasha’s Tedx Talk – “Sneaking Science into Standup”

Stand-up set at the DC Improv

Science Comedy Paradox Podcast

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Giants bench coach Kai Correa (@ThatGuy_Kai). He talked about #CoachesvsCOVID, a series of coaching clinics aimed at raising money for The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which is doing Covid-related research (1:56).

Kai also talked about the instructional videos available on the Giants YouTube page and how he taught the younger Giants first basemen proper posture and how to turn one-legged double plays (3:32). He then goes through what influenced him as he progressed in his career: the MLB and college coaches, film study, and trial-and-error (6:22). He also told the story of his coaching family tree, including his grandfather, who coached scholastic sports for more than 60 years (8:34).

Correa’s path to MLB is fascinating. He explained the process that led to his becoming a coach on Gabe Kapler’s staff and what his role will entail (10:04), what he wants to do to help add length to the primes of players like Evan Longoria (11:22), getting buy-in to the program-building work that the team is doing (13:55). He explained his receptiveness to analytics and how he likes to combine film, feel, and data to teach defense (15:33). He explains how he teaches getting in position and why he prioritizes that for teaching youth baseball players (17:28).

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and healthy!

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center- FredHutch.org

Kai’s Fred Hutch Fundraising Page

#FridayFielders baseball tutorials

How to train like a big league infielder: Part I Part II Part III