No Crying In Baseball

The Dodgers claim Yamamoto and Patti claims Dodgers pitching for FBBL, just that fast. Just when we thought Verdugo could not sink any lower, he goes after his former manager for holding him accountable for his actions, and forces us to agree, a little, with Papelbon. This week’s boyfriends represent LAA and NYM. Pottymouth selects LAA catcher Logan O’Hoppe, not just because it is fun to say his name, but it helps.  Patti goes for SS Zach Neto, a little for the leg kick and a lot for his mom. Over at the Mets, it’s another Zack  - this time “great teammate” Zack Short , while Patti chooses Brett Baty and his “big Texas Boy power.” The Cubs promote Megan Jones to VP of Baseball Strategy, their first woman VP in baseball ops. Wander Franco rakes in a bonus while under investigation, and the Rules committee, stacked with owners, pushes through some changes that no players voted for. It's a done deal, the Os stay at OPACY for another 30 years. Patti has a swaggy little Christmas while Pottymouth waves to Fenway and hangs with Dad.

We say “shipping Shohei and Santa,” “Circumventing circumvention, “ and “back to back Zach to Zack.’ Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

Ashley Kelly is the real hero of the Shohei Ohtani deal but we break it down anyway because it lets Patti do math and reference the Disney Prince, Betts, Freeman, and Yamamoto, but not the dog. Pottymouth leans into the CWS history with Cuban player and selects Oscar Colás Leon, while Patti picks brand new teammate and exceptional dad, veteran catcher Max Stassi. Our STL bfs include  Pottymouth’s choice of Masyn Blaze Winn for all the mom reasons, and Patti goes for her second Nolan of the season, Nolan Gorman. Justine Siegal takes Baseball for All on the road, with tournaments in Costa Rica, Hawaii, and the Leighton Accardo Invitational with the Arizona Peaches.  We encourage you to support her great work providing opportunities for  girls to play baseball. Catch up on the LVBP Pepsi Jonrón Derby where you’ll see lots of familiar bats. Our Police Blotter visits the LA County DA’s office, and touches on the Tampa Bay Hostages. Congrats to the family of Larry Doby, as he receives the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously, on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

We say, “How many is hep?” “Insinuation is very close to implication,” and, “You’re really trying to make numerology happen.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

Just when you thought the Soto trade was going to be the news of the week, Ohtani signed with LAD, pushing contract numbers so far into Monopoly money they may never come back. The rest of the league was busy playing “where’s Evan,” bringing Fedde back from the KBO, and moving around more Nicks. In our second week of profiling boyfriends, we look at the Royals and our hometown Nationals. Pottymouth collects some Garcias, including softball teammate of Acuña, Jr., Maikel Garcia of KC, and a very specific Luis Garcia of WAS, both giving her the opportunity to reference her Jerry Garcia BOS jersey. Patti talks Juniors, starting with KC’s MJ Melendez, who’s record vs BOS allows her to ALSO reference Garcia night at Fenway, and Stone Garrett, proving the success of hard work with an assist from LinkedIn. The Winter Ball out of line behavior of Ronald Acuña, Sr. has us saying Daddy way too many times. The draft lottery gives CLE its first  #1 pick ever, and are the Os really for sale?

We say “I shipped him with himself,” “It’s not a Flintstones reference,” and “Blame it on the cheesecake beer.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

Boyfriend season begins with Pottymouth checking in after an afternoon of visiting breweries in Tennessee (be warned). We lead off with Oakland and Colorado – Pottymouth choosing a pair of Diaz-es (what’s the plural of Diaz?), Jordan and Elias, and Patti selecting yet another Nick and also Nolan 2.0. Awards continue to trickle in, including a team philanthropic award to the Reds for an impressive, long term collaboration, Outstanding DH, and Relievers of the year. Oakland moves on from As to Bs, we cross train with Olympic Swimming and the police blotter, and ask for more context on the drug testing.  Pottymouth digs deeper into Baseball United, and the drum that was the soundtrack to every baseball game Patti ever saw in Cleveland makes it to Cooperstown.

We say “Shotskis with Justin Turner”, “I bet it was a numerology thing,” and “I’m wearing my skeptical face.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

This Thanksgiving weekend Patti and the Pottymouth cross-trained with hockey, Led Zeppelin, assembling IKEA furniture, beer farms, and unsuccessful mousing. MLB players, however, leaned into the giving with Andrew Vaughn working with Digs for DIgnity to assist a family emerging from homelessness, Hunter Greene outfitting hundreds of kids with brand new cleats, and Pablo López supporting pet rescue through pickleball. Playoff teams voted on how to divide their percentage of the postseason gate, sharing “life-changing money” with support staff who helped them get there. Hall of Fame balloting was announced and former NCiB boyfriends are starting to make the list. Winter ball in the DR is featuring familiar faces including Tatis, Jr., Ramirez, Profar, and Aquaman. Baseball United has kicked off in Dubai with appearances by Big Sexy, cricket players, Justine Siegal, and a 6-run HR. We don’t think “moneyball” means what you think it means. Pottymouth wants you to play LVBP fantasy with her. An NBA family reminds us that players are more than pawns in the game. Next week we kick off a new group of baseball boyfriends with the A’s and Rockies. Join our Patreon so you can watch us record “backstage!”

We say “cabana injuries,” “you would have known if there were cowbells,” and “we’re only drinking barrel-aged beverages today.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

We couldn’t be more pleased with the unanimous votes for RoY and MVP.  Not so thrilled with the owners voting unanimously to send Oakland’s team to Vegas. Props to Gunnar for his sexy defense and leading all rookies in HRs, and to Corbin for being the first Diamondback to win RoY, and the first ever to win with 25HRs and 50SBs. Shohei’s second MVP win was a surprise to no one and Miggy’s enthusiasm for Ronald’s title led us down a “we’re not sure he should say that in front of children” path.  Still not sure, but we’re distracted by  Acuña’s immediate and remarkable LVBP debut moments after the announcement. Dusty has us re-evaluating Ron’s past as he takes over the LAAs. New Mets manager Carlos Mendoza thanks his wife for sacrificing her career for his. There are more than 60 new free agents as of Friday’s non-tender deadline, and one new one this week as Yoshinobu Yamamoto season kicks off. Fisher may have gotten his As move past the owners, but still has to contend with Nevada’s teachers and Oakland’s mayor. MLB picks markets over justice  as it hands the 2025 ASG back to ATL. No riding the coattails of the successful pitch clock – tinkering has already begun. The top 30 girls playing HS ball came together for the Breakthrough Series last weekend, and this week brings the 2nd All American Women's Baseball Classic.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

We say “the level of dammit,” “one person’s manipulation is another person’ strategizing,” and answer the age-old question, “What do French people wear on their feet?”  Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

It was a “pretty fun day” for Stephen Vogt, named manager for the Guards, less so for David Ross in the surprise loss of his CHI gig, and downright polarizing in regards to Craig Counsell’s historic contract prompting another manager to muse about unionization. The Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards lead Mauricio Dubón for multiple Honduran firsts, Ha Seong Kim to a first for Asian-born MLB players, and a Pottymouth first as she finally remembered to vote for Platinum Glove. We ponder the steady increase in Tommy John surgeries (more diagnoses or more stress on arms?) and consider staying away from where GMs gather to avoid stomach bugs. Oakland’s mayor incorporates swag and economic greed in her appeal to owners to vote against an A’s move to Vegas. Nelson Cruz concludes his LIDOM farewell tour in time for Citifield to welcome Los Tigres del Licey and Las Águilas Cibaeñas for a three game series to packed houses. Rush’s Geddy Lee, with a surprising amount of baseball cred, prepares to auction 300 items from his stunning collection of baseball memorabilia. Please support USA Baseball’s Anna Kimbrel in her Baseball at Heart effort to fund more girls baseball clinics in Uganda. 

We say, “more Rockers in baseball,” “multiple Funnars,” and “he chews too much tobacco to be my boyfriend.”  Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

After supporting the local adult-beverage economy in honor of Pottymouth’s birthday, we give a little love to the World Series, including the parade with dogs, flying beer, mic drops, and possibly chaps, and move on to Hot Stove Season. Patti previews what to expect when – options accepted and declined, qualifying offers, trades, and full-on free agent negotiations. We ponder big moves like Joey’s lifetime with CIN coming to a close, and Nelson’s lifetime in the sport winding down. Mookie makes a questionable judgement call.  MLB’s settlement with the Valley Cats and the Sea Unicorns ends another opportunity for the Supreme Court to re-examine baseball’s anti-trust exemption. Elly De La Cruz has a first pitch in LIDOM, Cesar Hernandez is lighting up LVBP, and the CPBL’s convoluted playoff system is in full swing. MLB Awards season has begun with the MLBPA Player’s Choice awards, honoring Ronald, Shohei, Corbin, and Gunnar, looking like a preview of upcoming MVP and ROY nods. Aaron Judge wins the Roberto Clemente Award this season for the work of his All Rise Foundation which is well-deserving of a look.  Patt wants you to read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Wait Till Next Year.” 

We say, “beer goggles for your ears,” “Corey Seager would make a great guard at Buckingham Palace, and “assless chaps on fire.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

Still haven’t thrown in for a World Series team?  We provide a helpful pro and con list featuring social justice fails, hockey, questionable music, and outstanding rookies. Merrill Kelly becomes an unlikely hero, Ketel Marte picks up where he left off in 2017, Tommy Pham keeps us scratching our heads, and the kids are making their marks. At Dusty’s request we say “see you later” instead of goodbye, and at Pottymouth’s recommendation (clearly), we say hello to Craig Breslow. Our resident international relations expert does a deep dive on UAE-based Baseball United – is it really growing the game in the Middle East/Indian Subcontinent, or is it a money grab funded by oil? And Patti learns the secret behind “Nick’s one button open feels like more.”

We say “Barbie,” “Miss America,” and “Ottoman Empire.”  Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

Recording right after Games 5 in the LDS, one would think we would be all postseason all the time.  You haven’t met Pottymouth. Prepare to be schooled on how being pro-Israel is not the same as standing up against anti-semitism,  and we’re not sure all the baseball players in that video understand that. Also that our supporting the right of athletes to speak out on issues that matter to them in no way extends to our agreeing with them.  We also dip back into how immigration policy is preventing families of Venezuelan baseball players from coming to the US to see them play. We come around to the “New England Parlor Game” of all the people declining interviews to head baseball ops for the Red Sox (Pottymouth plants a flag for Craig Breslow), and how Marlins ownership drove out Kim Ng, who was arguably the best thing to happen to that franchise in years. Why are baseball academies in the DR such targets for break-ins? And ah, yes, the postseason. Pottymouth was right about Kyle, Patti calls dibs on Alek while still throwing down for Nats North, and the Bryan Abreu kerfuffle gives is the bench clearing we didn’t know we needed. Patti wants to be the PitchCom librarian and is currently wondering where Austin Hedges’ “F*^& Yeah” track gets filed.

We say “We are not shut up and dribble people,” “Is it an isthmus?” and “I don’t speak Spanish but that sounds like National Chickens.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.