What begins with KMOX/1120AM broadcaster Kevin Wheeler's disclosure that he's fascinated by aliens and perhaps Bigfoot turns into a discussion about something that is just as elusive to see at this point: The Cardinals' chances of contending in 2023. Wheeler joins Best Podcast in Baseball host and baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss areas where the Cardinals have seen erosion, from defense to development, and whether there is enough time left on the schedule, talent in the system, and depth on the roster to pull off one of the biggest turnarounds ever by a Cardinals team. And who has to lead it. Sasquatch isn't walking through the door. 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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Cincinnati Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz, less than a week into his big-league career and already a certified sensation, makes his first visit to St. Louis for his first series against an NL Central rival. And he just might tilt the race in a division where no team has stood out, and the favorite to win, the Cardinals, has been down at the bottom. The Athletic baseball writer C. Trent Rosecrans rejoins BPIB to discuss the Cruz Factor, the awe other big-leaguers have in the 6-foot-5 shortstop who is hitting cleanup for the Reds, and whether a weekend series at Busch Stadium comes at a time when Cincinnati is heading up in the division race and the Cardinals are trying to stop sinking from contention. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closet by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. 

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Note: The planned Best Podcast in Baseball episode with author Will Leitch, of New York Magazine and MLB.com, begins at 18:20. While recording a conversation with Leitch about his new novel, the cameo in it by the Cardinals, and his beginnings as a sportswriter, Best Podcast in Baseball host Derrick Goold had to step aside to write a tribute and obituary for Hall of Fame journalist and longtime St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Rick Hummel. This episode begins with a memorial of Hummel from two people have shared a page in the newspaper with him -- one for a brief wonderful time as a Cardinals fan and forever reader of the Post-Dispatch and the other for 20 years as a colleague and sidekick at the ballpark. The previously recorded episode about Leitch's new novel, how sports writing influences his storytelling, and his view of the 2023 Cardinals, Willson Contreras, and if the recent upswing in their success is real -- or, like any novel, a red herring. 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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Sit back and let Rick Hummel spin a yarn. In 2021, as Rick Hummel celebrated his 50th year at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and neared what would be the 41st of 42 consecutive Major League Baseball All-Star Games, the giant of baseball journalism was a guest on the Best Podcast in Baseball. Few writers appeared as often or were quoted as much on the podcast through its first decade, and it is an honor to represent this episode.

From earlier: What started at a bicycle race and put him on the road with the Cardinals and in an elevator with the champ continues today in a press box carrying his name: Rick Hummel. The Hall of Fame baseball writer and member of just about every Hall of Fame for sports and sportswriting in the greater St. Louis area, Hummel began his career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch 50 years ago this July 3. And he hasn't stopped. He'll cover his 41st Major League Baseball All-Star Game that same month and be back on the road to Pittsburgh soon after that. In a brand new edition of the Best Podcast in Baseball, recorded in the Bob Broeg/Rick Hummel press box at Busch Stadium, baseball writer Derrick Goold talks to his longtime colleague about his favorite stories, how his writing as changed, and just what changes the 2021 Cardinals need to break loose from the middle of the standings and .500.

The Best Podcast 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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In a first for the Best Podcast in Baseball, digital baseball producer Carter Chapley joins the show to introduce a new format. Chapley takes reader questions from the STLToday.com Monday live chats and asks lead baseball writer Derrick Goold. This week, the questions highlight the Cardinals' need to sign a pitcher, the Cardinals way and the future of business in baseball.

The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Derrick Goold.

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Where better to go for background and informed viewpoints on the Cardinals decision to reduce All-Star catcher Willson Contreras' time behind the plate than to two of the people who covered him the longest as the man behind the mask for the World Series champion Cubs? Patrick Mooney, baseball writer at The Athletic, and Gordon Wittenmyer, longtime Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere, join the Best Podcast in Baseball, hosted by St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold, to discuss the Cardinals' choice, how the Cubs developed and managed Contreras at catcher, and how this while kerfuffle feels familiar around Wrigley Field, like a Cubby Occurrence. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold.

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About to start a long road trip out west, the Cardinals have already encountered some jarring potholes at the beginning of their season, from a split series vs. Pittsburgh to a botched series opener vs. Arizona. Pitching is the leading culprit. The rotation's contribution of two quality starts in the first 17 games has compromised a bullpen. The recent handling of Jordan Hicks spotlights another question: How and why have the Cardinals struggled recently to develop pitching, particularly power pitching? Alex Reyes is gone having never reached his potential. Dakota Hudson is in Class AAA looking for his. Hicks is in a mopup spot. And now Andre Pallante is optioned. With highway traffic as both a soundtrack and a metaphor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss the speed bumps behind and the road ahead. 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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The season-opening home stand ended with sweep by Atlanta and the first true stress tests of the Cardinals -- one long predicted and the other completely unexpected. Once the cars had been returned to their sales lots and the Clydesdales to their stable, the Cardinals flashed a deep, persistent offense, as advertised. Jordan Walker, the 20-year-old rookie, punctuated his strong debut with his first career MLB homer. The Cardinals also had abbreviated, choppy, and messy starts from the rotation. The Cardinals leave for their first road trip of the season with rotation ERA higher than 7.00. They allowed 42 hits, and that includes five no-hit innings from Jack Flaherty. And that's not the only question lurking. Manager Oliver Marmol questioned Tyler O'Neill's effort on a pivotal play that yielded an out at the plate, and O'Neill was not in the lineup for the series finale vs. Atlanta. O'Neill defended himself, insisting it was not a lack of hustle, and he's eager to prove differently. It's not the first time Marmol has questioned a player's effort publicly, but it is the first time this season and it's earlier than ever, leading to a two-pronged test of the Cardinals: Who will lead the rotation through turbulence, and how will the clubhouse react to the O'Neill decision? St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold at Busch Stadium to discuss. 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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The pitch clock introduced this year by Major League Baseball has the potential to radically change the pace of games, the pulse of pitchers, and even how games are covered by broadcasters. Who better to talk about it than a former pitcher who is now a broadcaster -- and never had an issue working fast? Brad Thompson, Bally Sports Midwest color commentator and a regularly contributor to 101.1 FM/WXOS in St. Louis, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to talk about the rule changes from a pitcher's perspective and how the countdown might stress relievers and alter the effectiveness of pitches. Thompson also discusses his own spring training experience as an example of how a player can make an impression on the back fields and ride that to the majors. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and its host, baseball writer Derrick Goold.

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Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn have been standouts of the Cardinals' spring training, and there have been other young players who have impressed. But if spring training has been a showcase for the future of the Cardinals, what about the present and the pressure to compete for a World Series championship now? Tom Ackerman, sports director at KMOX/1120 AM, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss what he's seen so far in spring training from the young players and what that means for the window to contend with a powerful nucleus of Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Is this collection of standout players in jeopardy of falling short what other strong cores have accomplished in St. Louis? The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.com, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.

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