Almost Cooperstown

It was quite a week in #mlb!  #Dodgers subdued #Reds but not before a little excitement in game 2. #Phillies will be a much tougher test and the series started in Philly. 

#Cubs were better than #Padres but is that enough as they head to Milwaukee to face #Brewers over the weekend. What do the Padres do now that the season is over? 

#Tigers vanquish #Guardians who caught and passed them for the AL Central title. Great 3-game series! What do Guards do now? How about some more help for Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan? 

#Yankees beating #RedSox is always news & new star Cam Schlittler announced himself in a huge way! #BlueJays will be a much tougher test and in games one and two the Jays won big! 

Some managers were fired, some were retained and we talked about all 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!

#Mets fans like we are might be relieved that the nightmare finish to the season is finally over. Sure making the playoffs would have been great, but #Reds deserved it more & getting spanked by #Dodgers would have been up next for the boys from Citi Field. 

#Phillies look good to Gordon, Mark is between Dodgers and #Padres.  Neither of think give the #Cubs a chance and both of us still doubt #Brewers which is totally unfair. In the AL #BlueJays & #Mariners finally didn't choke!  #Yankees #RedSox wild card series is delicious as is #Guardians - #Tigers after the Motor City Kitties gave up the AL Central crown that seemed theirs for the taking a couple of weeks ago. 

#Astros will sit out this year's #MLB playoffs as will #Rangers.  

We had 4 players (Raleigh, Judge, Ohtani, and Schwarber) hit 50+ homers w Eugenio Suarez falling just short with 49. It would have been the 1st time there were 5 players who hit 50 HRs. Paul Skenes of the #Pirates finished w a 1.97 ERA which we will talk about for years after he wins the 2025 NL Cy Young award. 

There will be robo umps in #baseball next season. A challenge system will be in use with 2 challenges per team per game.  It's been a long time coming and will make a difference in a positive way we think. 

We make our picks in both leagues so enjoy the episode! 

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!

Mike Trout hit his 400th home run. Remember when he was the best player in #MLB? We started the show talking about Ep. 628 where we talked with author Jane Leavy about her new book - Make Me Commissioner - I know what's wrong with baseball and how to fix it! Jane has some eye-opening comments and ideas so give it a listen or watch! 

There are now 3 players with 50 home runs this season - Cal Raleigh, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber. #Yankees Aaron Judge is on the doorstep of 50 and Eugenio Suarez is within three. There have been four players with 50 home runs (1998 and 2001) but never five!  Trea Turner is hitting .305 and if he doesn't play again this regular season will be the NL batting champ. Might be the only .300 hitter in the NL! Aaron Judge leads AL by a good margin

#Tigers are choking and the #Guardians are charging. #Mariners & #Astros are finished their three game series on Sunday night w Seattle holding a two -game advantage in the #ALWest.  #Bluejays clinched a playoff spot and seem to be in the driver's seat to win the #ALEast. #Redsox are fading a little and may be on the outside looking in but there's still a week of games to play! 

#Brewers also clinched and the #Cubs seem in good shape. #Mets #Reds are tied for the last NL wild card spot w #Padres in pretty good shape for the second WC. 

#Dodgers still maintaining their #NLWest lead and look primed for the #MLB playoffs. Watch out for 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!

We're so excited to have had the chance to talk with former Washington Post baseball writer and best-selling author Jane Leavy join the podcast.  Her new book "Make Me Commissioner - I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It" is fascinating and yet a love letter from Jane to the sport she loves the most. Great stories in the book including the Cape Cod League, Savannah Bananas, how a heavier and slightly larger baseball could save pitcher's arms. Lowering the mound also is an option.  

Jane gets access because she tells the truth and makes it fun to read. Her knowledge is vast and on target. It's one of the longer podcasts we've done but well worth the investment of time. We hope to have her on a again in the future! 

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!

Mark went to the #mets game Friday night to see the return of Jacob DeGrom. It did not go well for the Metropolitans as rookie Jonah Tong didn't make it out of the 1st inning. The Mets are so awful lately that Mark proclaimed them dead as he did the #rangers a couple of weeks ago. That proclamation was before the Rangers went on a tear! So maybe that's the trick as the Mets came back to win 5-2 on Sunday immediately after that? 

Paul Skenes pulled after less than 70 pitches in a #pirates win last week. Skenes has the Cy Young locked up so why is everyone so upset? Pirates have had a weird season - 17 shutouts, swept Mets #Dodgers, #Giants, #Tigers, #Phillies and #dbacks. They were 46-82 against everyone else. They were 47-72 if you take out the shutouts. Ugh! 

#yankees are hanging in as are the #bluejays who have a sold lead in the AL East. #Brewers are still reigning as are the Phillies & Tigers. 
Who has the most saves in #MLB this season. Are saves still important? Our under-the-radar stat of the week is about saves. Our stat of the week is about  #perfectgame showcases and #driveline training.

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!

Our under-the-radar story of the week is asking about why a fan would grab a baseball from a kid at the game? Grabbing a hat away from a kid? What is wrong with #baseball fans?  It wasn't enough to have #Yankees fans thrown out of the playoff games last year for interfering with a play. 

Fans are behaving badly all over the place!  #Astros Framber Valdez behaved oddly when he seemingly crossed up his own catcher and hit the guy in the chest with a pitch. Bizarre! 

NL playoff teams seem pretty set. AL still has a WC race. AL East has tightened - will the #Bluejays give up the lead? They got swept in NY this weekend. Cal Raleigh has tied the all-time record for home runs in a season while catching with 42. Whose record did he tie? 

Our stat-of-the week - if you are a baseball fan how much baseball do you watch? Do you watch the entire game often? Sometimes? Never?  162 games is an awesome commitment compared to watching a team play 17 #NFL games.

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!

Transcript:

Just terrible because at least like when the right white socks were that awful a couple years ago There's an entertaining aspect to it. Mm-hmm. All right. I think we just did our sound check The Yankees actually are now two games back so remember we're starting mom's leaving we give it a pause we go You're not leaving right from the start. Are you? I Think it's easier if you leave from the start

when you're out of here? No, she doesn't want to. Oh, I'm just saying, do we want to stop and start in the middle of this randomly? Because that's what's going to have to happen then. We're going to have to stop in the middle of the podcast. Mom leave. Why isn't she just going to leave and she's going to try to edit that out? Oh, you want to edit that part out? Right. That's why I just leave right now. That's why I'm saying it's much easier for you to start it. Leave. Have us do the whole podcast.

then I just get up and pause it. And you just hit the stop And I hit the stop button when I'm done and then you can come back and finish all the editing later. Okay. think that's the easiest way to do it. Okay, yeah. And I'm actually already recording so I will, I guess, step out. Right. And, And you just have to then edit that. And it looks good. We're all nice and Right. I think this is way easier than trying to stop midstream to have mom leave at that point. I don't know about you. No, you're right, Okay. Bye-bye. I'm sorry about the timing.

Almost Cooperstown (01:34.722)
The Giants are catching up to the Reds and they're right behind the Mets. The Yankees swept the Jays. They're two games behind. This week in baseball, we're going to talk about the stat of the week, which is going to be about watching baseball and the under-the-radar story of the week. That's going to be why are fans behaving so badly? It's this week in baseball. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as you well know now, almost had a no-hitter.

Right down to his final out against the Orioles and you know, we thought he was going to be able to do it. And then boy, did that turn around. Right. Not just one swing of the bat, but what happened afterwards? He didn't just lose the no hitter. He lost the game. And that's the strange thing. So Jackson holiday hits the home run to break up the no hitter. And I think I'm not sure how many, but there's a lot of pitchers that have lost a no hitter with two outs in the ninth inning or perfect games with two outs in the

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

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

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!

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!