Best Podcast In Baseball

The Cardinals entered the offseason with optimism they could make American League Cy Young Award runnerup Sonny Gray a compelling offer to come to St. Louis and lead, from the mound and clubhouse, a revamped rotation. In the span of 3 minutes, 9 seconds -- which you'll hear in this brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball -- Gray revealed what the Cardinals saw in him and what he saw in the Cardinals that forged a three-year, $75-million guarantee that gives the veteran right-hander a chance to become the team's first $100-million free agent pitcher. KMOX/1120 AM's Kevin Wheeler pinch-hits as the host for this episode and joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss whether Gray is an ace, whether Gray is enough, and whether the Cardinals have earned a sunnier outlook already for 2024. Also discussed: The need for two relievers to really retool the pitching staff and the art of one-knee-down catching. It radically changed a young prospects place within the Cardinals' organiz

When it comes to the Cardinals' needs for pitching, this is not the offseason to fixate on one name or one solutions, argues St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson. This is the winter to deal in volume -- most Costco, less Hublot. Frederickson takes over hosting duties for a brand new BPIB featuring Derrick Goold, the usual host and usual Post-Dispatch baseball writer. The two writers discuss the pitching options for the Cardinals, the pitching approaches, and just what Cardinals officials mean when they talk about adding "2 1/2 pitchers." What's a half pitcher? Why is it taking so long for the market to move? Goold offers the view of the Cardinals from the GM Meetings, where the industry noted how motivated the Cardinals and executive John Mozeliak appear to be and how the Cardinals and ownership must still prove they're willing to back that motivation with the finances necessary to be a player in the free-agent marketplace for pitchers. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets b

What has to happen for the 2023 World Series to put an exclamation point on a remarkable year for Major League Baseball and its new rules to invigorate (and shorten!) the game? Well, it starts with Arizona. Texas Monthly contributor and longtime baseball writer Richard Justice joins the Best Podcast in Baseball and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the two teams headed to face each other in the World Series: Does the Texas Rangers and their mighty (expensive) lineup have staying power? Are the surprise Arizona Diamondbacks the produce of the new rules? Justice details how D-Backs rookie Corbin Carroll has the ability to become a World Series star due to his knack for disrupting teams -- and, yes, MLB's new rules make that more possible than in recent Octobers. Justice and Goold also discuss two of the oldest pitching coaches in the game leading their staffs to pennants and what that says about the importance of trust in an industry driven by cold, hard analytics. And, speaking o

Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies are putting the PH in fun once again this October, right down to his Phanatic cleats, a teammate's foul mouth, and a fun-filled, phenomenal atmosphere at home games. If more players in 2024 don't use walk-up songs that invite crowd participation, that's not A-Oh, A-OK. How can the Cardinals capture what the Phillies have on the field -- and is there something they can take away from another October run by the Phillies? Even literally? New York Times bestselling author Tyler Kepner, now a national baseball writer for The Athletic, rejoins the podcast to discuss his recent article that is an appreciation of Phillies' right-hander Aaron Nola, a free-agent this winter. Kepner and BPIB host Derrick Goold also discuss a trend in pitching and whether or not it should be concerning, and just how far the Cardinals must go to close the gap on NL standouts. Kepner makes the point that the Cardinals may be squandering the peaks of two all-time greats in the same way some haloed

News team, assemble! The Post-Dispatch's baseball writing team gathers to discuss what moves the Cardinals can make quickly and need to make assuredly to race away from the results of 2023 and toward a better 2024. Lynn Worthy explores his first year on the baseball beat at StlToday.com and the Post-Dispatch, and Daniel Guerrero relies on his expertise about the minor-league system to first detail a statistics change and then map where prospects can help, and how soon. Worthy and Guerrero gathered with colleague and baseball writer Derrick Goold, host of the Best Podcast in Baseball, to discuss how the Cardinals got stuck in the muck of a 91-loss season, but more importantly -- how and how quickly they can move out of it once the offseason begins. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Entering September, the Cardinals had an offense that ranked in the top eight in the majors, was producing runs 7% better than the average lineup, and that was with two of its centerpieces struggling. They had the bats to carry a contender. Their arms let them down. The solution is obvious, to quote an executive: "Pitching. Pitching. Pitching." That does not make easy. Frequent contributor Kevin Wheeler, part of the The Dave Glover Show on KMOX/1120 AM, joins the BPIB to discuss the fallout from the 2023 season and the pitching plans that will create a quick turnaround for 2024. He also discusses the defensive spectrum and tries to stay one step ahead of BPIB host, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. Welcome to the offseason.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the minor-league season nears its end -- some Cardinals affiliates are in the postseason, others are completing their schedule -- a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball discusses the performances at every level and "leapers" who have bounded into the conversation for top-prospect rankings with their production in 2023. Daniel Guerrero, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer and beat writer for the minor-league system, details what players have made an impression on him and where significant strides must still be made within the system. Prospects discussed include Thomas Saggese, Victor Scott II, Tekoah Roby, Ian Bedell, Chase Davis, Won-Bin Cho, Edwin Nunez, Gordon Graceffo, and several more. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Lous Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and its host, Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As they meander to their first losing season since 2007, the Cardinals have identified a shopping list for the 2023-24 offseason. To quote the executive who will lead the spree: "Pitching. Pitching. Pitching." John Mozeliak said it thrice on purpose. They intend to add three pitchers from the outside. Will that be enough? Who better to ask than Gordon Wittenmyer, the longtime baseball writer and first-year Reds beat writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer. He covered the Cubs at the start of the season and now is on the daily beat as the Reds make a push for a playoff berth. Both teams are ahead of the Cardinals in the standings. Is there one move that the Cardinals can make to retake control of the NL Central, and what is the move that could give the other teams, like Milwaukee, a longer rain. Is the answer for each team the same -- pitching, pitching, pitching? A brand new Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is produced by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick

So, how did the Cardinals do at the deadline with their acquisition of handfuls of minor-league pitchers? Smart, wrong, or lucky? Maybe a bit of all three. MLB Pipeline prospect guru Jonathan Mayo joins a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss the Cardinals new additions and his new book, 'Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars.' He details which one the Cardinals were when they selected Albert Pujols in the 13th round. Mayo shares stories about teams scouting Pujols as a Missouri high schooler and for a Kansas City-area junior college, and how at least one team forever changed how it runs a draft because it missed on Pujols. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when a team that prides itself on always been a contender turns the final two months of the regular season into extended spring training? That's what the Cardinals are going to find out. After the Cardinals' latest drubbing by the New York Mets at Busch Stadium, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson takes over a brand new BPIB and talks with host and baseball writer Derrick Goold about the trouble with trying to have it both ways -- keeping the sense of urgency to win while also auditioning young players for future roles and accepting their growing pains. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the same night Matthew Liberatore makes his first start against Tampa Bay, the team that identified his talent and drafted him 16th overall in the 2018 draft, the Best Podcast in Baseball visits with Tampa Bay Times' baseball writer Marc Topkin, the longtime baseball writer who covered big-league baseball in this area before there was a big-league team. With BPIB host Derrick Goold, Topkin details how the Rays have rebuilt, replenished, and retooled a pitching staff each year to contend in the robust American League East. Can the Cardinals as they revamp their rotation learn anything from the Rays' commitment to pitching and willingness to experiment? The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball, we bring you PlayBacks, an audio series that brings to life the archives of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In a game that started on Sept. 11, 1974, the Cardinals beat the Mets 4-3 in the longest non-tie game in Major League history. Here is our original report from that game.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Futures Game is approaching and with it the 2023 MLB Draft -- which gives BPIB an excuse to discuss if any talent is racing the Cardinals way and whether it's possible they run the table on their 2020 draft picks. (They won't.) It also is a chance for the Best Podcast in Baseball to introduce a new, regular feature for the podcast: Expanded coverage of the Cardinals minor-league system with St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Daniel Guerrero, co-host of the former BPIB spin-off shot, Best Podcast in the Minors. Guerrero joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss Tink Hence and Victor Scott II representing the Cardinals at the 2023 Futures Game in Seattle, and revisit some past draft selections, including how bountiful the 2020 draft could be. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Mondo Beer + Pizza on the southbank of the Thames, a 5-minute walk from Shakespeare's Globe Theater on one side and London Bridge on the other, the Best Podcast in Baseball visits with Cardinals and baseball fans in London to discuss how they became Cardinals fans and how they chase the game with the time zones against them. You'll hear from, in order, Scott Seamons, Matt Benson, and Russell Eassom, one of the hosts of the podcast Bat Flips & Nerds, a UK-based baseball podcast. It's not Mark Twain, an Missouri innocent abroad, but there is witty banter. Promise. They talk with BPIB host and baseball writer Derrick Goold over pints about what the London Series could mean for baseball's profile in Britain. We also learn some new words. The podcast was organized with the help of the founders of Mondo Brewing in London. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for

What begins with KMOX/1120AM broadcaster Kevin Wheeler's disclosure that he's fascinated by aliens and perhaps Bigfoot turns into a discussion about something that is just as elusive to see at this point: The Cardinals' chances of contending in 2023. Wheeler joins Best Podcast in Baseball host and baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss areas where the Cardinals have seen erosion, from defense to development, and whether there is enough time left on the schedule, talent in the system, and depth on the roster to pull off one of the biggest turnarounds ever by a Cardinals team. And who has to lead it. Sasquatch isn't walking through the door. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cincinnati Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz, less than a week into his big-league career and already a certified sensation, makes his first visit to St. Louis for his first series against an NL Central rival. And he just might tilt the race in a division where no team has stood out, and the favorite to win, the Cardinals, has been down at the bottom. The Athletic baseball writer C. Trent Rosecrans rejoins BPIB to discuss the Cruz Factor, the awe other big-leaguers have in the 6-foot-5 shortstop who is hitting cleanup for the Reds, and whether a weekend series at Busch Stadium comes at a time when Cincinnati is heading up in the division race and the Cardinals are trying to stop sinking from contention. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closet by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Note: The planned Best Podcast in Baseball episode with author Will Leitch, of New York Magazine and MLB.com, begins at 18:20. While recording a conversation with Leitch about his new novel, the cameo in it by the Cardinals, and his beginnings as a sportswriter, Best Podcast in Baseball host Derrick Goold had to step aside to write a tribute and obituary for Hall of Fame journalist and longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Rick Hummel. This episode begins with a memorial of Hummel from two people have shared a page in the newspaper with him -- one for a brief wonderful time as a Cardinals fan and forever reader of the Post-Dispatch and the other for 20 years as a colleague and sidekick at the ballpark. The previously recorded episode about Leitch's new novel, how sports writing influences his storytelling, and his view of the 2023 Cardinals, Willson Contreras, and if the recent upswing in their success is real -- or, like any novel, a red herring. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets

Sit back and let Rick Hummel spin a yarn. In 2021, as Rick Hummel celebrated his 50th year at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and neared what would be the 41st of 42 consecutive Major League Baseball All-Star Games, the giant of baseball journalism was a guest on the Best Podcast in Baseball. Few writers appeared as often or were quoted as much on the podcast through its first decade, and it is an honor to represent this episode. From earlier: What started at a bicycle race and put him on the road with the Cardinals and in an elevator with the champ continues today in a press box carrying his name: Rick Hummel. The Hall of Fame baseball writer and member of just about every Hall of Fame for sports and sportswriting in the greater St. Louis area, Hummel began his career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch 50 years ago this July 3. And he hasn't stopped. He'll cover his 41st Major League Baseball All-Star Game that same month and be back on the road to Pittsburgh soon after that. In a brand new edition of the Best Podca

In a first for the Best Podcast in Baseball, digital baseball producer Carter Chapley joins the show to introduce a new format. Chapley takes reader questions from the STLToday.com Monday live chats and asks lead baseball writer Derrick Goold. This week, the questions highlight the Cardinals' need to sign a pitcher, the Cardinals way and the future of business in baseball. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Derrick Goold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where better to go for background and informed viewpoints on the Cardinals decision to reduce All-Star catcher Willson Contreras' time behind the plate than to two of the people who covered him the longest as the man behind the mask for the World Series champion Cubs? Patrick Mooney, baseball writer at The Athletic, and Gordon Wittenmyer, longtime Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere, join the Best Podcast in Baseball, hosted by St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold, to discuss the Cardinals' choice, how the Cubs developed and managed Contreras at catcher, and how this while kerfuffle feels familiar around Wrigley Field, like a Cubby Occurrence. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.