In Episode 34, Brock & Ben discuss the surprising starts – both good and bad – of the teams in the American League East, assessing the sustainability of strong Aprils for the Red Sox and Yankees and whether the struggling Rays and Blue Jays can turn it around. The guys then turn their attention to quick-starters Colorado, Pittsburgh and Kansas City, wondering if any of them can exceed expectations of general mediocrity this season.
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In Episode 33, Brock & Ben are joined by Jeff James to discuss the early season storylines for both L.A. teams. Jeff provides some SoCal perspective on the Carlos Quentin-Zack Greinke brawl, the impact of the Greinke injury on the NL West race and the Dodger offense’s early season woes. The guys then turn their focus south, discussing another slow start for the Los Angeles Angels. The episode concludes with Brock & Jeff sharing their impressions of the new film 42 and the guys discussing Jackie Robinson’s career and legacy.
NOTE: The article Brock references in the discussion of 42 can be found here.
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In Episode 31, Yankees fan Digger Lauter returns to the podcast to help Brock & Ben preview the American League East. The guys kick off the show by discussing the rash of recent big dollar extensions before closing out divisional previews with a belated look at the AL East.
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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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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 27, Brock & Ben are joined by international Citizen of the Diaspora Glen Tsurudome to talk Japanese baseball. The guys discuss the latest World Baseball Classic action before turning their attention to Japan. Glen illuminates the Japanese perspective on baseball, the World Baseball Classic and the relationship between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. The guys then identify Japanese players to watch, both in the 2013 WBC Championship Round and as potential cross-overs to MLB. The conversation closes with Glen discussing the identity conflict the WBC raises for a Japanese American, particularly when Japan and the USA meet head-to-head.
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In a very special episode, Dan returns to The Baseball Diaspora Podcast to break down the American League West with Brock & Ben. The guys discuss the latest developments from the World Baseball Classic, including Team USA’s outlook, the Canada-Mexico brawl and Samurai Japan’s offensive awakening. The discussion then turns to the AL West, where the guys ask & answer:
- Will the Oakland A’s build upon their 2012 success & return to the playoffs?
- How does Bob Melvin find handle the positional surplus the A’s project at catcher, in the outfield and at 2B, 3B & SS?
- Will the Houston Astros be an historically bad team in 2013?
- Is the Astros’ complete rebuilding a positive or negative for the young players on the team?
- How do the Texas Rangers replace the production they lose with the departure of Josh Hamilton?
- Where does Jurickson Profar fit on the Rangers this year and how will they get him into the lineup?
- Have the Seattle Mariners’ modest upgrades moved them into contention in the AL West?
- Did the Mariners make the right decision in extending Felix Hernandez with a record-setting contract?
- Have the Los Angeles Angels misstepped in handling Mike Trout’s salary and position this offseason?
- How will Josh Hamilton fit with the Angels and will he prove the missing piece that gets the Angels to the playoffs after falling short last season?
- Is it possible that 3 AL West teams make the playoffs this year?
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In Episode 25, Brock & Ben are joined by Dodgers fan Jeff James to kick off The Baseball Diaspora Podcast’s 2013 divisional previews. After the guys discuss the first week of the World Baseball Classic and the Mark Texeira injury, they turn their focus to the National League West, discussing each team’s offseason and outlook for the upcoming season. The show culminates with the three picking the NL West champion and any potential Wild Card winners from the division.
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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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