Posts Tagged ‘ Cole Hamels ’

Episode 32: T’is the Season for Overreaction!

April 11, 2013
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In Episode 32, with divisional previews complete, Brock & Ben turn their attention to the young 2013 season.  After leading off the podcast with the first ever TBD listener email, the guys recap the weekend’s Cardinals-Giants series in San Francisco. The guys them move on to discuss the Jason Motte, Jered Weaver and Jeff Niemann injuries and their impact, then close by running a number of opening week  storylines through the lens of early season confirmation bias and overreaction.

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Episode 30: NL East Preview

March 27, 2013
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In Episode 30, Brock & Ben take a look at the Vegas odds for teams winning the pennant and the World Series and discuss what it means for the 2013 season.  The guys then turn their attention to the National League East, breaking down the division and predicting its playoff chances.

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Episode 22: The Baseball Diaspora 2.0

February 13, 2013
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In Episode 22, Brock bids a heartfelt farewell to Dan’s regular involvement with the podcast and welcomes new co-host Ben Stein.  After establishing Ben’s diaspora credentials, the guys turn their attention to the concluding offseason, focusing specifically on issues of baseball economics, injuries and medical advances and the impending World Baseball Classic.  Topics include:

- How the big pitching deals of the offseason stack up both against past long-term, high-dollar pitching contracts and the mega-contracts given to hitters in recent years in terms of advisability and value

- Whether the rising cost of quality pitching will result in teams locking up their young aces (or potential aces) long-term early in their careers (a la Evan Longoria, Troy Tulowitzki and a slew of other young position players)

- If the rising cost of pitching is responsible for a recent willingness to deal top prospects (Wil Myers, Travis D’Arnaud) to net quality starters on team-friendly contracts (James Shields, R.A. Dickey)

- What the Myers, D’Arnaud and Trevor Bauer trades mean for the recent standard practice of holding onto top prospects and whether we will see more major league-ready prospects traded in the near future

- What role personality plays in organizational thinking with respect to its players and prospects and whether Arizona mishandled its unloading of Bauer, Justin Upton and Chris Young

- The advance of medical technology and how it is impacting baseball contracts, making the “pending physical” much more than a mere formality

- Whether the use of enhanced medical capabilities to not only spot current injuries but to project future risk may present a future labor problem as more players have the experience shared by Mike Napoli and Francisco Liriano and lose guaranteed money and guaranteed years as a result of more heightened medical scrutiny

- Injuries and the World Baseball Classic and whether it’s time for MLB to step in to remove some of the barriers to the participation of some of the game’s top talents

- What it will take for the WBC to rise to the level of prestige and participation of the World Cup

and

- Who is missing from Team USA that would most enhance the team in terms of both quality on the field and star quality?

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Episode 17: Baseball in Vegas & the Trade Deadline

July 28, 2012
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In Episode 17, Brock & Dan discuss Dan throwing out the first pitch before a Triple A Las Vegas 51′s game, then turn their attention to the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline, specifically:

- The Miami Marlins’ mini-fire sale and whether the new era of baseball in South Florida is already over

- The Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez/Omar Infante trades and how they grade out for the teams involved

- The Cole Hamels contract, what it means for the Philadelphia Phillies and whether the aging Phillies have one more run in them

- The Zack Greinke trade and how it impacts the tight race in the AL West

- What moves the Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s might make before the deadline to counter the Angels’ acquisition of Greinke

- Whether the St. Louis Cardinals will make a move before Tuesday and if so, for what

and

- If and where the remaining names on the trade block – Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Josh Johnson, James Shields, Cliff Lee, Francisco Liriano, Chase Headly, Hunter Pence – will move

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Episode 16: Looking Forward, Looking Back

July 14, 2012
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In Episode 16, baseball is back and so is The Baseball Diaspora!  Brock & Dan look back at the first half of the 2012 season and look forward to the July 31st trade deadline, focusing specifically on the A’s and the Cardinals.  Topics of discussion include:

- How the A’s have defied predictions to finish above .500 in the first half and just 1.5 games out of the AL Wild Cards

- Revisiting the A’s offseason in light of the production the team has received from Josh Reddick, Jarrod Parker, Tom Milone, Ryan Cook and Derek Norris

- The manner in which the Cardinals have overcome the losses of Albert Pujols, Tony La Russa, Dave Duncan and Chris Carpenter to contend in 2012

- How injuries have impacted the Cardinals, but not in the ways everyone expected

- Assigning 1st half MVP, Cy Young, Rookie and “Thanks for Nothing” honors for both the A’s and the Cardinals

- What direction each of the two teams will go at the trade deadline, buyer or seller

- Whether the playoffs are in reach for either the A’s or the Cards and where each team figures to end up at season’s end

- Which of baseball’s major potential trade pieces – Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, Justin Upton – will move before the deadline and where

 

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All-Star Hits & Misses

July 11, 2012
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AP Photo/Chris Lee, Post-Dispatch

  How could I not love the MLB All-Star Game?  It is a living, breathing embodiment of the baseball diaspora.   More than most anything else MLB does, the All-Star experience is about the fans.  Fan voting, fan fest and programming designed to entice every type of fan, from the most casual (Derek Jeter! Celebrities…

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Episode 13: NL West Preview

March 22, 2012
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In Episode 13, Brock and Dan are joined by Los Angeles Dodgers fan and Citizen of the Diaspora Brett Moore to talk NL West.  After hearing about growing up Dodger Blue from Brett, the guys discuss:

- How bleak things got for Dodgers fans at the end of the McCourt era and who fans hope wins the bidding for the franchise

- Reports that Dodger Stadium naming rights might be for sale and how much of a travesty a name change would be for one of baseball’s most historic parks

- The Dodgers’ offseason moves and whether the 2012 version of the team is better than the 2011 entry

- Matt Kemp’s 8-year $160 million extension and whether it is a good deal for the Dodgers

- If the Arizona Diamondbacks can repeat as division champions

- Whether the San Francisco Giants offseason moves improve their offense sufficiently to return them to the playoffs after they failed to defend their World Series title in 2011

- Whether the Colorado Rockies have a coherent plan in place or if Colorado’s questionable offseason acquisitions signal a lack of direction for the club

- San Diego’s rebuild and if the Mat Latos trade, Cameron Maybin signing and the Padres’ strong farm system are evidence that the Padres are moving in the right direction

- How the additional Wild Card will impact the NL West and if the division can expect more than one team in the playoffs this season and beyond

and

- Predictions for who will win the NL West and NL Wild Card(s)

Brett Moore is a host of sports and fantasy sports shows on KCR College Radio in San Diego.   Follow him  on Twitter as @BigLoudMoore.

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Episode 11: NL East Preview

March 7, 2012
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In Episode 11, Brock & Dan are joined by Mets fan and Citizen of the Diaspora Mike Connors, who helps the guys break down the NL East.  After Mike regales the guys with stories of his epic baseball road trips, the three discuss:

- The financial woes of New York Mets ownership and whether fans can hope for a resolution soon

- The Mets offseason and whether the team will be better than last season

- David Wright and whether he will still be a Met by season’s end

- Johan Santana’s recovery and what to expect from him this season

- R.A. Dickey and Mets fans appreciation for him

- The Mets abandoning black in their uniforms and returning to the classic blue and orange only

- The Philadelphia Phillies and if age, injuries and bad contracts will keep them out of the playoffs this season

- The Atlanta Braves and whether injuries will continue to hold them back or if their young talent will rise to the top

- The Miami Marlins and how their big offseason positions them in the division

- First impressions of the new Marlins Ballpark based on Dan’s visit there for Tuesday night’s exhibition between a Marlins’ split squad and the University of Miami baseball team

- The Washington Nationals and if they are ready to take the  next step and become a contender in a tough division

- Whether the Marlins or the Nationals are more likely to make the playoffs in 2012

- How the additional Wild Card impacts the NL East and whether we can expect to see 3 NL East teams in the 2012 postseason

and

- Predictions for who will win the NL East and NL Wild Card(s)

 

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