Best Podcast in Baseball

A season that contained such wonder (Albert Pujols' 700th home run) and such unexpected storylines (Albert Pujols' 700th home run) finished where so many seasons have recently for the Cardinals -- flat. Swept out of the postseason by the lower-seeded Philadelphia Phillies, at home, the Cardinals have an early start on the postseason. But will it be any different? Must it be? The retirement of Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols leave the Cardinals with significant holes to fill -- on the field, in the clubhouse, and as part of the offense. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss with baseball writer and host Derrick Goold what went awry in the National League Wild Card series, what separates the 100-win behemoths in the National League from the Cardinals, and what to do next, other than just wait and "hope-cast." The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. 

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"And there isn't a Chris Carpenter walking through the door." A playoff preview with KMOX/1120 AM host Kevin Wheeler and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold. After 11 years, the Philadelphia Phillies are back in the playoffs and awaiting them -- why it's the same team that eliminated them in 2011 and changed the course of that franchise. The Cardinals welcome the Phillies for a best-of-three wild-card series all played at Busch Stadium in the first weekend of Major League Baseball's expanded postseason. Wheeler and Goold discuss the top-end pitching edge the Phillies have with tandem right-handed aces and whether the Cardinals can counter with pitching depth. What are the matchups to watch? And what brutal rounds await the team that advances with Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers looming as some of the best teams the NL has seen since, well, that 2011 Phillies team was really good, too. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.

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As a companion to the Post-Dispatch's Oct. 2 special commemorative edition celebrating the careers of Cardinals greats Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, the Best Podcast in Baseball gathers several of the writers who contributed to that keepsake publication to discuss the Hall of Fame careers. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold hosts the two conversations. First, from the seats at Busch Stadium outside the press box named for him, Hall of Fame writer Rick Hummel talks about Molina and Pujols at the beginning of their Cardinals' careers and all the way to the end, when Hummel argues Pujols stands on the pedestal beside The Man, Stan Musial. In the second part of the podcast, columnists Ben Frederickson and Benjamin Hochman join to discuss their stories in the special section, their experience covering Molina and Pujols, and how they've changed what it means to be a Cardinal and what's expected of the Cardinals. The Best Podcast in Baseball, after a brief unscheduled hiatus, will return with alacrity for the postseason. BPIB, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.

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In this bonus episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball, we bring you PlayBacks, an audio series that brings to life the archives of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

This episode looks at the Cardinals' Game 7 victory over the New York Yankees for their first World Series title.

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Two teams, two of the sharpest teams in baseball, both leading their division, made trades at the deadline that slowed their season, and in one cause capsized their hold on first place. The Cardinals, meanwhile, took flight. Don't dismiss the old school nuances in the Cardinals' new-school look, says St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson. At the same time, they revitalized the pitching staff, the Cardinals recast their lineup around matchups and ignited one of the best offenses in the game, buoyed by the trio of Nolan Arenado, Albert Pujols, and Paul Goldschmidt. What does their August tell us about their chances in October? Frederickson joins Best Podcast in Baseball host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, to discuss yet another second-half surge with the Cardinals and what, if anything, makes this different than a year ago. Also discussed is how Jake Woodford personifies the improvements the Cardinals made and the blunt explanations first-year manager Oliver Marmol has given. There is also a long discussion on his approach, how he's brought ball talk back to the ballpark, and what really connects with St. Louis. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  

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There's more than hopping the pond for a series in London to the Cardinals-Cubs meetings in 2023. Start with this: There are few of them. Six games from one of the game's oldest rivalries have been shaved off the schedule as part of Major League Baseball's balanced scheduled. What does that mean? ESPN baseball reporter Jesse Rogers suggests it could bring even more intensity to the rivalry. Rogers, who will be part of the network's Sunday Night Baseball coverage from Busch Stadium on Sunday, joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the changes to the 2023 season and when to expect the Cubs to be contenders again. Could be sooner than anyone thinks, argues Rogers. And they're going to start spending, too. Maybe the fewer games will benefit the Cardinals after all. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.

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"Our fans want to win today. But our fans want to win every year," says Cardinals vice president/general manager Michael Girsch as he joins the Best Podcast in Baseball for the first time to discuss his rise to becoming the 13th GM in organization history and the expectations ownership sets for the club. Girsch, a native of Chicago, joined the Cardinals before the 2006 World Series championship season, worked his way up through the baseball operations structure, and became general manager in June 2017. He's had the position since. With St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer and BPIB host Derrick Goold, Girsch offers insight into how trades are made at the deadline, how the Cardinals' pitching depth has come up lacking two years in a row, and how there's been a Hall of Famer on the field for every generation, and that's something ownership expects. Girsch also discusses his entry into baseball, finding a door that opened in the wake of Moneyball, and the surprises he found once inside the room where things really happen, and not observing from the spreadsheet of an consultant. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a weekly production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.

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Two longtime Colorado baseball writers, MLB.com's Thomas Harding and The Denver Post's Patrick Saunders, join St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the brilliance of Nolan Arenado at third base and what, despite all the Gold Glove awards, he's yet to catch. And can he find that with the Cardinals? The three baseball writers recall Arenado's finest plays in the field, the legacy he left behind in Colorado, how he forced the Rockies to consider their direction and whether that will have a lasting influence on the organization. Plus, the two Denver baseball writers answer a question key to St. Louis: What does Nolan Arenado want in an organization, and is there a chance he opts-out of his contract with the Cardinals to seek it somewhere else? The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday,com, and Derrick Goold.

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Against National League rivals that got better at the deadline, the Cardinals will need to have the best bullpen in Octobers, argues Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel. Did they do enough at the deadline to assure that? That's the theme of a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball, featuring Hummel and his St. Louis Post-Dispatch colleague Derrick Goold, a baseball writer and host of BPIB. The Cardinals added two lefty starters at the deadline and a right-handed reliever. They did not make the huge splash of San Diego (Juan Soto, Josh Bell), the name-brand move of Philadelphia (Noan Syndergaard, David Robertson), or even the familiar savvy move of Atlanta Braves (Jake Odorizzi). What they did do is invite questions about a front office eager to expect the best from its roster, betting on it to maximize its ability and "get hot," while being more conservative when it comes to helping. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goodl.

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Within this brand new BPIB there are discussions about developing hitters, surviving the AL East, an AL view of the Cardinals, and how Stubby Clapp and Tyler O'Neill have come to represent Canada baseball. First, there is a discussion about the travel restrictions at the border that limit entry to Canada and the U.S. for visitors who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. While so much attention is on the players visitors are missing, the Blue Jays are at a competitive disadvantage due to fewer players available and roster management. Are they galvanized by this disadvantage? Fast forward 5 minutes if you want to get straight to the talk about offense. The Toronto Blue Jays have another young group of power-packed hitters leading baseball's hottest lineup. It's a homegrown, augmented lineup the likes of which the Cardinals have long wanted to create, but lacked the same ability to develop and debut impact young hitters. So how do the Jays do it? Is there a Jays' Way? Shi Davidi, senior baseball columnist for Sportsnet and Sportsnet.Ca, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss offense and how to thrive in the AL East a team better 'bang.' The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.

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