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 28, Brock and Ben say goodbye to the 2013 World Baseball Classic and continue moving eastward with their preview of the National League Central.
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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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In Episode 20, Brock & Dan look back at the memorable 2012 Division Series, then turn their attention to the League Championship Series currently in progress. In typical TBD fashion, the topics of discussion hew closely to the teams closest to the guys’ hearts. Topics include: - The impressive showing by the Oakland crowd in…
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 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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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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In Episode 9, Brock and Dan are joined by Twins fan and Citizen of the Diaspora Daren Garshelis as they break down the AL Central. After Daren shares a harrowing story of braving Yankee Stadium for a Twins playoff game, the guys discuss:
- Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer and if they will be healthy enough to help the Twins rebound from a difficult 2011
- What to make of the Twins bullpen with Joe Nathan’s departure and Joel Zumaya’s injury
- Francisco Liriano and if there is hope for him in 2012 or if his best years are behind him
- The Detroit Tigers and whether they have a stranglehold on the AL Central for the next few seasons
- The impact Detroit’s decision to sacrifice defense will have on the team’s chances for a deep playoff run
- The Cleveland Indians and whether they will make things interesting in the division this year and in the near future
- The Kansas City Royals youth movement and if and when the Royals will return to relevance
- The Chicago White Sox’ difficult offseason and what it means for their competitiveness going forward
- How the additional Wild Card impacts the AL Central
and
- Predictions for who will win the AL Central in 2012
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In Episode 8, Part 1, Brock and Dan are joined by Yankee fan and Citizen of the Diaspora Digger Lauter to break down the AL East. After establishing Digger’s Diaspora credentials, the guys discuss:
- The Yankees’ offseason moves, specifically the Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero trade
- Who the five pitchers in the Yankees’ opening day rotation should be
- The Yankees’ search for a left-handed bat
- Whether the aging Yankees lineup is cause for concern for fans in the near future
- Which team – Red Sox or Rays – represents the greatest threat to the Yankees in 2012
- Whether the Blue Jays and Orioles project to contend in the near future or instead are consigned to second division status
- How the second Wild Card impacts the AL East (once implemented)
and
- Projections for who will win the AL East and AL Wild Card in 2012
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In Episode 7, Brock and Dan dive headfirst into baseball drama, both off the field and on, discussing:
- Josh Hamilton’s recent relapse, what it means for him and the Rangers, and how news of the incident was received by the media
- Cecil Fielder’s continued standoffishness toward his son and whether it will motivate Prince to put up impressive numbers in Detroit
- Tim Lincecum’s break up with fast food and how the slender righty somehow lost 20-25 pounds
- The Colorado Rockies following the A’s example and becoming baseball hoarders, collecting mediocre starting pitching like it’s on sale
- The phenomenon of embracing players you used to root fervently against when they played for a hated rival and the specific players that would never, under any circumstances, be welcome on Dan’s A’s and Brock’s Cardinals
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