Bases Loaded Baseball Show

After a longer than expected summer break we finally manage to get another episode in the can. Gary is joined by Bases Loaded forum members Mark and Chris. We look at the developing battle for post season places and speculate on which teams will make October and revise our World Series predictions. There then follows a discussion about which unexpected players have made their mark on the 2014 season. We have an interesting look at what current MLB players will end up in Cooperstown. Chris and Mark then give Brian Cashman the green light to return to the Bronx which makes Gary happy. Hope you enjoy. All feedback welcome.

So with the first half of the 2014 MLB season in the books the Strike 3 Media guys got together to look at their teams fortunes to date. Harper (Mets), Squire (SF Giants) joined Gary (Red Sox) to look back at the first 80 games. They also look at what prospects we should keep an eye on in the 2nd half, What they would like to happen as the trade window opens and their 1/2 season player awards. They finish off with a look at the World Cup in 2014 and ponder if it will have a lasting impact on USA sports fans. It's the last Podcast before the AS break - we hope you enjoy both the podcast and the break.

In episode 32 Gary is joined live from San Francisco by Squire (@__SJH__) and Chris from England (@FreeReinuk). Amongst the topics we flapped our gums over were the DH rule and pitchers batting, drilling Big Papi, is it bad form to steal a base when 5 runs up in the 9th? How many $$$ you need in your pocket to attend a ball game, why are the Giants winning ?, baseball rivalries and why Squire wouldnt take Yasiel Puig if you gave him to the Giants for free. Chris finishes off the show with a quick update on whats happening in British Baseball. I really enjoyed the conversation in this one - hope you do too.

Did you hear the one about the Scotsman the Englishman and the Irishman ? Well that's the story in Epiosode 31. Kevin and Gary are joined again by Chris Ward (@FreeReinUk) to basically bluff our way through all six Divisions in MLB. In between we get sidetracked into the failings of MLBtv, How to dive into base and also manage to get sidetracked on several occasions as Kevin suffers through the Yankees defeat by the Brewers. At the end of the Podcast Chris provides a short preview of this weeks Baseball Schedule in the UK & Ireland. Hope you enjoy.

In Epsiode 30 Andy & Gary are joined by forum member and blogger David (OddSox) and Brad Cook PR & Marketing Manager for Out Of The Park Developments - Creators of the hugely popular OOTP15 Baseball SIM game. Brad talks about OOTP15 and the new developments within the game and explains the work that goes into bringing a game as close as possible to the real thing to our PC screens. The lads then discuss the resources they use to keep up to date and improve their knowledge of the game given the lack of main stream media coverage in the UK and a general chat about fantasy baseball, games console MLB games, baseball websites and podcasts. Oh and Brad kindly gave us a few games to give away - be sure to listen to the end for details. Enjoy.

In episode 29 Kevin, Gary & Andy are joined by Chris Ward @FreeReinUK. Chris blogs on MLB and plays 2B for Guildford Mavericks. The discussion centres around Pineda's dirty hands, how the new replay rule is working (or not) Chris comes up with a radical suggestion to improve it, how AL East is panning out and the rampant Brew Crew. Andy and Kev come to blows over pitching coaches intervention (always a touchy subject). Chris then takes time to enlighten us about the game of Baseball in the UK and tells us how foreign substances give you a better feel for your balls.

In our third espisode in a week Kevin makes his return as host and is Joined by Gary and forum members and bloggers Mark & David - making it 2 Yankee and 2 Red Sox fans (No East coast bias on BL eh?) The lads discuss which players from the rival teams they'd want on their team and which player from their time watching their teams they'd love to have on the current roster. They discuss the good and bad of this weeks mega deals (Cabrera & Trout) and have a look at the new PED agreement. They close out by suggestions to improve the game. There you go 3 in a week and all free gratis !! We hope you enjoy. Play Ball.

In the last of our divisional preview episodes Andy & Gary are joined by Rays fan Joe and Dodgers fan Joe to look at AL East and NL West. The guys talk us through their clubs rosters and then look in less details at the other clubs in their divisions. Dodgers Joe was recorded whilst on his mobile phone somewhere in the Nevada desert between Vegas and Los Angeles so we did experience a few Skype issues which we apologise for in advance and hope it does not ruin your enjoyment of the podcast.

In episode 26 Andy, Gary & Mark are joined by forum member Bryan Mullin to preview AL West with a close look at Bryan's Seattle Mariners. The lads also discuss the success of the Dodgers - D'Backs series in Sydney and speculate if we have any chance of seeing a series on this side of the pond. There is the usual look at the remaining free agents and a quick walk down the queue awaiting Tommy John surgery. As the season approaches the podcasts get more frequent - hope you enjoy.

In our first show in partnership with Lastwordonsports.com and with Kevin unavailable due to Fathering duties (Congrats Kev) Andy and Gary were joined by White Sox fan Matt and Mets fan Harper (the voice behind Desert Island Mets). After tying up the loose ends of free agent signings then discussing the high quality of the blogs on our site the guys had a closer look at both the White Sox and Mets. Harper explains how the Desert Island Mets came about and his plans going forward. Hope you enjoy episode 25 and please give our facebook page a like and join us on our forum at www.basesloaded.eu

Exactly one year on from episode one Kevin, Andy & Gary get together for episode 24. They take a look at what teams have benefited the most from the free agent market, take a look at the spiralling costs of contracts, discuss the introduction of replay, the importance of spring training games but most importantly they speculate on what name Kevin will give to his impending new arrival ( Papi Pedroia Rooney ?). Hope you enjoy.

Hot Stove - In our first off season show we look at the wheeling & dealing in the free agent & trade markets. Kevin, Gary & Tony look at the state of the market. Inevitably with the Cano / Ellsbury / McCann deals a lot of the talk is around NYY and Kev's assertions that Cashman has everything under control. It's a pretty loose (which means we cant hide the fact it was unscripted) and laid back (which means we probably had no clue what we were talking about) hour and a bit - hope you enjoy it.

It's taken almost two weeks of intensive counselling for Kev to come out from under his duvet and face the world following the Red Sox World Series Victory. With the help of Andy and Gary the lads reflect on the World Series and on the 2013 season in general. It's a lighthearted look back on a great season of baseball and the first season for the Bases Loaded Podcast. We hope you enjoy it as much as Gary enjoyed Kevin's pain and angst.

Andy is in the hot seat in Kev's absence and he is joined by Mark (Red Sox) and guests from Facebook - Chuck (Tigers), Boyd (Cardinals), Kyle (Dodgers) and Mike (Giants) - to discuss the ALCS and NLCS and look ahead to the 2013 World Series.

We are deep into play off time and like our esteemed broadcasters across the pond we bring in guest broadcasters to help analyse the do or die games. Rays fan Krys and Tigers fan Mick join Kev and Gary to look over the games played so far and the match ups to come. The chat takes its usual meandering route and ends up with Krys giving us his opinion on his Teams need to leave its current base in St Pete.

It's the final evening of the regular season unfolds Kevin, Tony and Gary got together to share the excitement of the AL Wild Card race and generally mull over the impending play offs. As usual they get sidetracked (who hosts this show anyway ?) and among other topics discussed are pregnancy, buckfast, budweiser and emulsion. Sporadic baseball chat did however break out from time to time and we looked at the impact of the Astros on the WC race and potential HoF credentials of Andy Pettite. Things are a wee bit disjointed as like all MLB professionals there is a lot of scoreboard watching going on. Oh and there was all the tension as the winner of the OOTP Baseball 14 Game was revealed to the masses.

As the regular season races towards its conclusion, Kevin, Gary, Mark and Andy - returning from BBC duty - continue the Manager of the Year discussion, the tight Wild Card race in the American League and the close battle for National League Central honours as the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds fight it out. Scott Boras is a hot topic as his proposal of a 12-year deal for Bryce Harper has the panel looking at potential long-term contracts and then we discuss young Jose Fernandez, who got on the wrong side of the Braves recently. Finally, Andy and Harper - of Metsbhoys fame - interview Brad from Out Of The Park Baseball and we give you the opportunity to win a copy of the game. Good luck and enjoy.

In episode 17 Kevin and Gary are joined by Mark (who has been recalled from a sojourn in AAA) and a new voice in White Sox fan Matt (aka Spiggle). Matt chats all things White Sox and then all the lads discuss the AL wild card race, a crazy series in the Bronx, Kev is on the same medication as ARod and makes an outlandish proposal for AL manager of the year, we get sucked into a wee chat on the cheat at 3B for the Yankees and finally which Red Sox player has the best beard and which one has a banjo and dungarees in his locker. A wee bit longer than usual and a huge bit less edited than usual. Enjoy.

In a bit of a different show from our usual format - we are joined by some of the contributors to the forum at www.basesloaded.eu. Joe (Rays Fan), Alan (Phillies fan) and Jim (Red Sox fan). The guys explain their backgrounds following MLB, the current situation with their ball clubs and Jim enlightens us about his favourite Ball Parks. Unfortunately with the lads joining us using different methods and at different times - it may sound a little disjointed - but when does it ever not ? Thanks to the guys for joining us and hope you enjoy the different voices and views.

Kev, Andy and Gary are joined by Daniel from The Greedy Pinstripes blog, an exiled Yankees fan living in Atlanta, Georgia, who writes about all things Yankees - good, bad or indifferent. The show centres around the Biogenesis reports and the impending bans for several players but we also discuss the future of the Yankees organisation as well as having a quick look at the trade deadline deals.