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Which teams will have a September to remember? Will it be #Reds? #Mariners? #Royals? The playoff push is on and we rate the teams' chances. We had a 3rd 4-home run game last week for 1st time in #MLB history!  #RedSox ink Aroldis Chapman to another 1 year deal. In our first under-the-radar story of the week we talk about Chapman's HOF credentials. 

#Pirates Paul Skenes has the NL Cy Young award locked up. The AL Cy Young is still up for grabs between Crochet and Skubal. 

#Mets young pitchers McClean, Tong & Sproat are making noise.  Will that get them into the race for the NL East title? Maybe not.  

Our stat of the week is defensive range factor. Getting to baseballs is important but making the play once the fielder gets there is not always calculated!  

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

This conversation delves into the current state of Major League Baseball as the season approaches its conclusion. The hosts discuss playoff dynamics in both the National and American Leagues, the future of the Athletics as they prepare to move to Las Vegas, and the emergence of rookie players. They also explore the significance of relief pitching in the context of Hall of Fame discussions and provide insights into the statistical measure of range factor, emphasizing its importance in evaluating defensive players.

takeaways

• The playoff picture is becoming clearer as the season ends.
• Teams need to perform exceptionally well in September to secure playoff spots.
• The Athletics' move to Vegas could revitalize the franchise.
• Emerging rookies are making significant impacts in their teams.
• Relief pitching is crucial for playoff success and Hall of Fame considerations.
• Range factor is a valuable statistic for assessing defensive players.
• The Yankees' ability to hit home runs is a key part of their strategy.
• The importance of situational pitching is often overlooked in traditional metrics.
• Fans need to consider the context of a player's performance when evaluating their career.
• The postseason often highlights the importance of defensive plays.

titles

• Baseball's Final Stretch: Playoff Push Insights
• Navigating the National League's Playoff Landscape

Sound Bites

• "The American League is a little more interesting."
• "Paul Skenes has now had 50 major league starts."
• "You have to be able to physically make the play."

Chapters

00:00
Introduction and Season Overview

02:41
National League Playoff Picture

05:40
American League Dynamics

08:36
The Future of the Athletics in Vegas

11:54
Rookie Performances and Pitching Prospects

14:36
Relief Pitching and Hall of Fame Considerations

17:34
Stat of the Week: Range Factor Explained

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Sure we talked about #Yankees 9 home runs in one game last week - that's the 2nd time it's happened this season which is a first!  #Phillies Zach Wheeler has surgery and is out for the season - awful.  #Brewers #Cubs #Dodgers #Padres are all good teams and will be tough in the playoffs. 

#Tigers Tarik Skubal and #RedSox Garret Crochet are pitching horses which is more special than ever. #Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk steals his first base ever after 2,000+ games!  #Rangers continue to disappoint. #Orioles sign another catcher to an 8 year deal after one week in #MLB. Huh? What happened to Adley Rutschman? 

Our stat of the week is good ole fashioned batting average.  #NationalLeague has had batting champions for 150 years, the #AmericanLeague for 125 years. Do we really want to pull away from that long and amazing history? Batting average may not be the be-all and end-all offensive stat but we think it's still important. 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

Summary

The conversation delves into various aspects of baseball, including the impact of injuries on team performance, potential realignment and expansion in the league, changes in broadcasting and fan experience, the contrasting situations of the Yankees and Mets, the evaluation of young talent, and the evolving significance of batting average in modern baseball.


Takeaways

Injuries can significantly alter the competitive landscape of the season.
Realignment and expansion are on the horizon for Major League Baseball.
Broadcasting changes are complicating the fan experience.
The Yankees and Mets are facing different challenges this season.
Evaluating young talent is crucial for team success.
Batting average is becoming less significant in evaluating player performance.
Teams are looking for ways to maximize their playoff chances.
The importance of pitching depth is highlighted in team strategies.
Fan engagement is affected by the complexity of game broadcasts.
Historical context of batting titles remains relevant in discussions. 


Titles

Injury Impact and Season Outlook
Realignment and Expansion in Baseball


Sound bites

"We don't want to share insights too early."
"It's going to be hard enough now."
"You could sit the guy right now."


Chapters

00:00 Injury Impacts and Season Outlook
01:39 Realignment and Expansion in Major League Baseball
04:59 Broadcasting Changes and Fan Experience
08:48 Yankees and Mets: A Tale of Two Teams
11:53 Pitching Challenges Across the League
14:39 Evaluating Young Talent and Future Prospects
18:50 The Evolution of Batting Average in Baseball

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Three-quarters of the season is in the books. It means you can add about 1/3 of a player's current stats to project what will be the season ending total. Pete Alonso broke Darryl Strawberry's #Mets HR record hitting his 253rd last week. That means the amazing #Mariners Cal Raleigh is just behind pace to hit 60 home runs. But he still is on track to have the greatest offensive season for a catcher in #MLB history. 

#Dodgers Shohei Ohtani hit both a home run and hit into a triple play last week. It wasn't the 1st time it happened as in 2001 #Red Sox Scott Hatterberg had both a grand slam and hit in a triple play in one game. 

#Orioles Brandon Young had a perfect game broken up by an infield hit in the 8th inning last week. He threw the ball wildly and could have been charged with an error but wasn't. 

#Brewers had won 14 in a row before Sunday with some coming in unusual ways. Down 8-1 to the #Reds on Friday they came back to win. And on Saturday they tied the game in the 9th and won it in the 10th. The magic finally ran out on Monday and manager Pat Murphy may just keep on eating those pocket pancakes. 

Pickoffs were not really a part of #baseball until the 1890's when the rubber was moved to its current location of 60 feet 6 inches. But modified rules like coming to a full stop for one second before throwing a pitch did not come into play until 1950. We talk about who has the most pickoffs, most balks, and why baseball should keep the balk rule even if umpires don't always understand it! 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

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In this week's episode of "Almost Cooperstown," we dive into a historic moment as Jen Powell becomes the first female umpire in MLB history to officiate a regular season game. We also explore Roman Anthony's impressive new contract and what it means for his future in baseball. Plus, we take a fun detour into the world of the Savannah Bananas and their unique take on the game. From the latest stats to the ongoing debate about the value of RBIs, we cover it all. Tune in for an engaging discussion on the evolving landscape of baseball!

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

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Ichiro Suzuki gave a great speech at the induction ceremony last weekend in Cooperstown. So did C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Willa Allen gave a nice tribute to the late great Dick (don't call me Richie) Allen and Dave Parker's brother painted a more accurate pitcher of the Cobra. 

The largest crowd ever to attend a regular season #MLB game at Bristol Speedway in Tennessee got rained out on Saturday night - 91,000+ fans attended breaking the record set in 1954 in Cleveland in a game vs. the #Yankees.  The #Braves won on Sunday 4-2 and home runs were celebrated with a 'Home Run' car going around the oval. That was cool. 

Trading deadline had so many teams picking up relief pitchers that can help them for the stretch drive and for the playoffs. #Padres, #Phillies, #Mets, #Yankees, all made significant improvements to their bullpens. Eugenio Suarez also was moved back to #Mariners and with Cal 'Big Dumper' Raleigh the M's have power they have not had in a long time to go with their excellent pitching. 

Is Jimmy Rollins a HOFer? He's now in the Phillies HOF as he was inducted this past weekend. 

Waste pitches used to refer to pitches thrown in a 0-2 count. Now there are means to evaluate how untempting some of those non-competitive pitchers are. Emmauel Clase of the #Guardians along with his teammate Luis Ortiz have cleaned out their lockers as the advanced metrics may have uncovered a gambling scheme.  We talk about strike zone shadow zones and how pitchers can overdo trying to get the batter to go fishing. 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends! 

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This coming Saturday evening in Bristol, TN the most fans ever to attend an MLB game are predicted to watch the Reds and Braves. HOF inductions took place Sunday in Cooperstown where it was as hot as it always is for those ceremonies. Dave Parker's son spoke eloquently about him and Dick Allen's widow Willa gave a moving tribute to an all-time great. Billy Wagner, C.C. Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki all very deserving, were celebrated.  
The MLB trade deadline is Friday this week and there have yet to be big-time deals but there's still time. This week in baseball's biggest story on the field was Nick Kurtz's amazing game for the A's vs. the Astros in Houston. 6 for 6 with 4 HR's and a record-tying 19 total bases! Shawn Green has company!  
We talk about Win Probability Added - WPA, which catalogs which players are the ones that contribute to a team's winning chances the most. Barry Bonds, HOFers Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams are the top three with Willie Mays and Henry Aaron right behind on the all-time list and on the pitching side Lefty Grove, Walter Johnson, and Roger Clemens lead the pitchers in WPA and nobody should b surprised.  The stats list a ton of HOFers and a few that should be HOFers!

It is the Braves that have three pitchers w initials DD not the Rangers. 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your frien

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Did you love the home run derby that ended this year's actual All-Star game?  The players sure did. But not having real pitchers makes it an entertainment product and not a real baseball thing. It's fine for an exhibition game but real games should not be decided in the 10th inning with a homerun swing off.  

#Mariners Cal Raleigh leads #MLB in home runs and also was the first catcher to ever win the Monday Home Run Derby. Raleigh is a legit MVP candidate (along with #Yankees Aaron Judge. The 'Big Dumper' may hit more than 60 home runs and the all-time best by a catcher is 48 by #Royals Salvador Perez.  

Now that the post ASG games have begun we are staring down the trading deadline which is in 10 days. Which teams will be buyers and which teams will be sellers?  We look at all the divisions and forecast which teams should go for it and which should get what they can and reload for next year. 

Correction: John Mozeliak is the POBO for the Cardinals. Bill DeWitt is the owner. 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

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Baseball's Two-Way Greats - Pitching/Batting Stars from Ruth and Rogan to Ohtani by Chris Jensen. 

Is Shohei Ohtani the greatest two-way player in #MLB history? Chris Jensen isn't afraid to take on big subjects and 19th century baseball had its fair share of two-way stars.  Chris breaks down the greatest two-way players into 19th century, pre-integration era (1947), Negro Leagues, Latin Leagues, and of course the post-integrated era. 

Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe was both a pitcher and catcher and would sometimes play behind the plate in one game of a doubleheader and then pitch the other game! Babe Ruth is the first name you think of when you think two-way players but how about John Montgomery Ward? Or Negro League star player and manager Bullet Rogan? Was he really better than Satchel Paige? Chris believes Shohei is amazing just like we all do and gives reasons why Shohei might be the best of them all although he'd rather not categorize things that way.  

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

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Sadly #whitesox closer Bobby Jenks passed away from stomach cancer at age 44. Our condolences to the Jenks family. On a happier note #Dodgers Clayton Kershaw struck out his 3,000th #MLB batter!  #RedSox Wilyer Abreu hit both a Grand Slam AND an inside-the-park home run in the same game last week! 

HOFer Robbie Alomar had an ignominus end with #BlueJays having his number un-retired and being erased from the Jays HOF. On the other hand, or hands, Moises Alou, a career .300 hitter used to pee on his hands during the winter and spring to toughen them up. So apparently did #Yankees Jorge Posada according to former teammate Nick Swisher. 

Spin rates are a pitcher glamour stat. But is it really an indicator of success? How about FIP - fielding independent pitching? We explain both advanced stats and try to make some sense out of them. 

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

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Dave 'The Cobra' Parker passed away at age 74 less than a month before his induction ceremony in Cooperstown. His arm in right field was legendary and he won the 1978 NL MVP.  We're sorry he won't get the opportunity to be there next month. 

Corbin Carrol of the #dbacks broke his wrist. Without Corbin Burnes the road got that much tougher. #Mets have been awful losing 13 of 16 and falling out of 1st place in the #nleast.  #Dodgers #Cubs #Astros are fine. #Yankees #Rays in #aleast. #Tigers are supreme in #alcentral. #phillies lead the pack in #nleast. And then there are the #giants 

How about Defensive stats? We've come a long way from fielding percentage. The amount of defensive metrics is ever-increasing. We pull apart what it all means and it's not as complicated is it might seem.

Intro & Outro music this season courtesy of Mercury Maid! Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  And please tell your friends!

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