All About Baseball with Byron Copley

Admittedly, there are many good (read: power) hitters in MLB who strike out too much, and at rates significantly higher than 20 years ago. This episode of All About Baseball looks at this phenomenon and offers some basic, fundamental observations as to how these elite hitters could minimize their strike outs and, as a result, generate more runs for their teams.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

What do I mean by this? A post on X featured 30 "young" fans -- one from each MLB team -- who, in my opinion, lack a fundamental understanding of what it takes to play in the major leagues for decades. Each of them selects a player who, in their opinion, is "overrated" and the vast majority of them they name are among the best who ever played the game. The players that they name, in fact, deserve to be remembered for their greatness -- and that they would be as good or better today than they were yesterday.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

General Manager Matt Millward and Director of Facilities Operations Tim Siegel of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, the Single A team of the Chicago White Sox, deliver a captivating story about the unique value that the Cannon Ballers provide to the residents of Kannapolis, North Carolina, and beyond. This comprehensive conversation covers a wide variety of subjects that are all related to a single theme: making life better.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

As the trade deadline (August 3) looms, I wonder why the Tigers haven't already traded Tarik Skubal. Perhaps they have no intention of doing so. I consider that a mistake. That he was the scheduled starter on Wednesday, July 29, indicates to me that the Tigers intend on keeping him. Or it could be a substantial lapse in judgement given that, should Skubal get injured in any way, his value would plummet. This episode offers a case for trading Skubal along with the ironclad conditions for doing so. And by the time that this episode drops on Thursday, July 30, everything may have changed.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

Skubal Locker Room Interview 7/23/2026

Skubal Says He'll Pitch Wednesday, July 29, 2026

This episode of All About Baseball is one of rude discovery. When I remembered that I had only a handful of recollections from my little-league baseball season of 1969 -- when I was 12 years old -- my curiosity led me to delve into the archives of the local newspaper to uncover the results of that 18-game season. I was unprepared for the surprise, dismay, and disappointment that I experienced, having learned that our team had one of the worst records in our league that year.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

I need to take this week off to address an oral-surgery procedure that is ongoing, and that affects the quality of my voice and diction. Given that this is All-Star week, I thought it appropriate to replay an episode that was originally posted on July 13, 2024, which offers a personal account of my experience of attending the All-Star Game at Tiger Stadium on July 13, 1971.

Thank you as always for your interest and support.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

Reggie Jackson's Home Run 7/13/1971

Having completed a distinguished 11-year career in 2021 as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Buster Posey, an immensely popular Bay Area figure, purchased an undisclosed percentage of the team and joined the Giants’ board of directors in 2022. Then, in a move that surprised many, Posey, at his own request, was appointed President of Baseball Operations in September, 2024.

His tenure as President of Baseball Operations, unfortunately, has not mirrored that of his stellar career as a player.

This episode of All About Baseball amplifies a listener request to “tell me more” about why members of an unidentified podcast criticized Posey's performance during the last 18 months.

More recently, Posey has received negative responses for his refusal to address the media regarding a controversy surrounding "Pride Night" at Oracle Park. Posey may not yet realize that his responsibilities as "President of Baseball Operations" extend beyond the foul lines or that executing them effectively requires far more experience than he has gained since he willingly usurped the position.

NOTE: I misidentified a Giants' player as "Sean Hentges." His name is Sam Hentges. My apologies.

Also, our cat, Alice, offers her input just past the 15:00 mark.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred is proposing changes to the MLB Amateur Draft. In my opinion, these changes will adversely affect the quality of play and deny thousands of aspiring young men the opportunity to develop into a Major League ballplayers.

Manfred wants to cut the draft from 20 rounds to 12 rounds, eliminating approximately 250 players from the existing draft pool and cancelling their dream of attempting to become an MLB player. Be very surprised in this episode to discover only a small sample of men who would not have been drafted if the draft was 12 rounds from 1965 to the present day.

By the way ... the player who I talked to in my apartment workout facility was Kevin Patterson. A 30th-round draft pick, he played in the minor leagues for the Blue Jays' organization from 2011 to 2014, upholding his promise to his wife. This episode explains.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin

I am off this week. As the one-year anniversary of our son Stuart's death approaches and passes, I thought it appropriate to replay the episode that I recorded in July, 2025, a few days after his funeral. After a brief preamble that I recorded in advance, you'll hear that episode. Thank you for your prayers and support, and please continue praying for the peaceful repose of Stuart's soul.

I am honored to welcome Pulitzer Prize finalist, journalist, author, and accomplished historian Edward Achorn to All About Baseball. Edward's two books about baseball in the 19th Century, Fifty Nine in '84 and The Summer of Beer and Whiskey, place the reader "at the shoulder" (Ed's words) of Old Hoss Radbourn and Chris Von Der Ahe respectively. And as Radbourn carried the 1884 Providence Grays on his shoulders, Von Der Ahe carried the future of professional baseball on his. Achorn, in this episode, details the personas of both men, the process of writing these two books, and adds significant bonus material on Abraham Lincoln -- the subject of his last three books.

Music: "Field Grass," by Sergei Pavkin