In Episode 29, Brock & Ben discuss the Brewers signing Kyle Lohse, the Yankees trading for Vernon Wells and preview the American League Central.
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In Episode 23, Brock & Ben spend a little while discussing the issues of the day, specifically Kyle Lohse and baseball’s arbitration shutout, before turning to weightier topics. Returning to offseason storylines, the guys spend the rest of the podcast discussing the ghosts of PEDs past, present and future and how to deal with steroids both in the context of the Hall of Fame and in the game going forward.
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The last two games of the 2012 NLCS have had the trappings of deja vu. In Game 5, Cardinals starter Lance Lynn hit an invisible wall in the 4th inning and – as in Game 1 of the series – had to be relieved before recording 12 outs. In Game 6, the St. Louis defense…
One last strike. That’s the refrain that kept running through my head last night as the St. Louis Cardinals stepped to the brink of elimination. Twice. Again. I may even have spoken the words out loud once or twice, an idle prayer for reprise to fill the tense seconds. “And a foul ball out of…
In Episode 19, Brock & Dan turn their attention to the 2012 postseason, breaking down each postseason matchup from the Wild Card round and the Division Series, discussing:
- Will the Texas Rangers be able to bounce back for the shock and deflation of being overtaken in the AL West on the final day of the season?
- Does the Baltimore Orioles offense, MIA as of late, show up for Friday’s Wild Card game?
- Whose advantage trumps: the Rangers offense and starter Yu Darvish or Baltimore’s bullpen and Buck Showalter?
- Can the St. Louis Cardinals end the Atlanta Braves record win-streak of 23 in games started by Kris Medlen?
- Can the Cardinals bullpen control the Braves’ lefthanded power bats?
- Which of the two teams (the San Francisco Giants & Cincinnati Reds) who put up gaudy records in weak divisions by way of solid starting pitching, reliable bullpens and offenses able to make up for the loss of marquee names (Melky Cabrera, Joey Votto) will prevail?
- Which Tim Lincecum and which Mat Latos will we see in the playoffs?
- Will the Detroit Tigers’ poor defense catch up with them in this round?
- Which Justin Verlander will we see this October, the Cy Young-caliber pitcher of the 2011 & 2012 regular season, or the more erratic model from the 2011 postseason?
- Will the A’s bullpen be rested and ready to go for Saturday?
- Will Brett Anderson return in time to contribute to a postseason run?
- Will either Wild Card be able to beat the New York Yankees or the Washington Nationals?
The guys conclude by making their playoff predictions for each series, all the way through to a world champion. Listen and then go place your bets!
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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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In Episode 15, the Diaspora returns. Brock and Dan apologize for their extended absence, then turn their attention to the first month of the season, including:
- Albert Pujols’ struggles and whether they are cause for concern
- The Los Angeles Angels’ slow start and whether they remain in the AL playoff picture
- The view from St. Louis on Pujols’ slow start and whether Cardinals fans feel like they dodged a bullet by not signing him
- The difficult Aprils of Adam Wainwright, Tim Lincecum and Josh Johnson and the level of concern associated with each pitcher’s struggles
The guys then discuss their impressions of ballparks they have recently visited, including Marlins Park, Tropicana Field, Nationals Park and Camden Yards before wrapping the podcast with an update on the Oakland A’s stadium situation
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In Episode 14, Brock and Dan record in person – a first for The Baseball Diaspora Podcast! The guys cover baseball’s multiple opening days and discuss insights from the young 2012 season, including:
- Brock and Dan’s attendance at Opening Night at the new Marlins Park in Miami and their impressions of the new stadium
- The Miami Marlins and whether the team’s lack of offense two games in is cause for concern
- The St. Louis Cardinals and if their early success portends good things in 2012
- Yoenis Cespedes, his power and defense, and what he means for baseball in Oakland during the rebuild
- Tim Lincecum’s troubling first start and whether it points to greater concerns for the San Francisco Giants this season
- The Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees and how tight the race for the AL East may become this year
- The “year of the pitcher” trope and whether 2012 projects to continue in the tradition of the last two as more pitching-dominated
- The Dodgers sale, the rise of regional TV revenue and what the new baseball economic landscape means for fans
- The Great Dodger Panic of 2012 – how the Joey Votto and Matt Cain extensions impact the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, respectively, and what these contracts mean for baseball generally
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A series of pitching duels it is not, at least not in terms of starting pitching. Through three games, the 2011 NLCS has been tough on the starters from both teams. In 28.1 innings pitched, St. Louis and Milwaukee starters have combined to allow 42 hits, 15 walks and 26 earned runs. Even identifying the…
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