Almost Cooperstown

Already in this 2022 season 2 managers have been fired.   Joe Maddon and Joe Girardi.  There are no other Joe's managing in MLB so maybe everyone else's job is safe.  Why change managers in-season - early-mid-late season?   We talk about manager changes over the years - even the fairly recent one where the manager was fired with 12 games to go and his successor led the team to a scintillating 7-5 finish to make the playoffs.  

Then there's owner George Steinbrenner and his Yankees. There won't ever be another like him.  That's probably a good thing overall but it sure wasn't boring in the Bronx in the 1970's & 80's! 

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 

 

Many baseball fans still feel that Sandy Koufax is the GOAT.  At least as pitchers go. Despite his relatively short career, Sandy had a sustained period of excellence (6 years) that is unrivaled.  382K's in one season is incredible to think about.  But this in no way should sell Clayton Kershaw short.  He has done it for a long time and at times been as good if not better than Sandy Koufax!  

The are a surprising amount of similarities in their career statistics.   We talked about that and marveled at how terrific both of these pitchers were and are! 

Here's the link to Adam Korengold very cool data visualization discussed during the podcast - check it out: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/adam.s.korengold/viz/KoufaxKershawandAFewThousandKs/Dashboard1

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 

Our second deep dive we turn to the Senior Circuit and one its more recent entrants the San Diego Padres.  There was a AAA team called the Padres in the 1940s.  The current Padres came as a result of the 1969 expansion and at the advent of two divisions for each league. The Padres got off to a poor start and well, it's been a rough 52 years only appearing in two WS never winning one.  

There have been some amazing HOF players who played for the Padres and we talk about many of them but did not mention Ozzie Smith who was traded to St. Louis after the 1981 season for Garry Templeton.  Perhaps the Padres never winning a World Series is the curse of Ozzie? 

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 

All three are 'Almost' guys.  All played in different time frames - Bonds from 1968-81, Davis from 1984-2001, and Mauer played from 2004-1018.  All were All-Stars and won Gold Gloves.  We discussed their eras, how their careers look in retrospect, and if we'd push to have any or all voted into Cooperstown.  

All had careers that are probably better than you might remember. Give a listen! 

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 
  

The Women's NCAA Softball World Series starts June 2.  Throwing from 43 feet, the pitchers often dominate but not always.  The spirit of the games, the camaradarie the players demonstrate all make for fast moving games that are worth watching.  Oklahoma is the favorite but there are several strong contenders. 

The Men's CWS begins June 16 but the Super Regionals are also set to begin this Friday June 3.  #1 seed Tennessee is formidable but we often see that anything is possible in the annual 
tournament in Omaha, Nebraska.  

We discuss what we like about the Women's game as well as why MLB does not offer to donate wood bats to NCAA DI & DII teams.  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 

Well we kind of did the Mets already but chances are at some point we will be compelled to do them again.  This is the first of 30 episodes dedicated to an individual team. It's history, great players, successes and failures. Who's the greatest Mariner of  all-time? You can probably come up with a couple of candidates but you'll have to listen to hear what we think! 

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 

Some teams are better at rebuilding their rosters in ways that allow them to get back to winning faster and more consistently than others.  Going all in to win a World Series is worth it and teams like the Royals and Nationals have shown that in recent years.  

Wealthier ownership does help but it's far from a guarantee. Teams can and do spend unwisely.  Organizational approach also can make a big difference. Think Tampa Bay.  We discuss all 30 teams and how they stack up  being either a 'good' , 'bad', neither good nor bad, or just ok because they manage to be better than most.  

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 

We're NL fans since we root for the Mets.  There used to be such a thing as 'National League' baseball. It had sacrifice bunts, pinch hitters, pitchers wearing jackets in July on the bases. All that is over now that the DH is in place for both the AL and NL.  We always favored the strategy behind working around the pitcher's turn in the batting order. But pitchers hitting, if possible, just got worse. And for many valid reasons. 

We talk about some of the worst hitting pitchers in history wrapped around the lack of hitting so far in this 2022 season as we approach mid-May. 

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 

We asked Adam Korengold who joined us for Episode 302 on the Negro Leagues, to help us compare the very excellent careers of Negro Leagues star 'Cool' Papa Bell and the greatest base stealer in MLB history Rickey Henderson. Using data visualization maps Adam was able to compare their performances against that of their peers.  Rickey's overall numbers are historic and unmatched. But Cool Papa also dominated his competition.   So how did it turn out? You'd have to listen to find out! 

Makes us think we might do Babe Ruth vs. Barry Bonds at a future date.  

Below is the link to Adam Korengold's Tableau which depicts the data discussed. 

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/adam.s.korengold/viz/CoolPapaBellvsRickeyHenderson/CoolPapaBellandRickeyHendersonSpeedstersAlike

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at [email protected].  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! 


 

Seiya Suzuki is burning it up in his rookie MLB season.  Japanese players are making more and more noise with Shohei Ohtani and even NPB league sensation Roki Sasaki.  And then there's the KBO - Korean Baseball Organization.  Only around for 40 years the KBO was fun to watch during the pandemic season and fans know more about what's going on in both Korean and Japanese baseball more than ever before!

We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.

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