No Crying In Baseball

The NCiB Boyfriends are finishing strong in the record books, with Ryan passing Cal, BobbyD passing Ted,, and Salvy passing Johnny. Eric Hosmer is the answer to both of the Max Scherzer trivia questions from this week, Franmil hits #30 by request, and Christian Yelich fills the stands. Our BFs dominate the Roberto Clemente award nominations. Tony LaRussa makes a triumphant return to  the police blotter but is quickly overshadowed by KBO pitcher Mike Montgomery’s suspension for throwing a rosin bag at an umpire.

Advocates for Minor Leaguers make their point about poverty wages for players with their excellent #Fairball campaign, with support from High A players from Mets and Phillies, and fan actions around the country.  Show your support by wearing a #Fairball wristband, yours for a donation to the organization. Baseball for All is involved in two upcoming regional girls baseball tournaments, the Leighton Accardo Series in  Arizona, and our hometown DMV Series. Our COVID report has postseason mandates, legal challenges, and a what the actual hell. 

We say kerfuffle, reading glasses, and Guatemala.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.

Continental treasure Joey Votto, Yu Darvish, and Melanie Newman show us how to grow the game by focusing on the kids. It’s good to be a 10 year old baseball fan right now. Patti gifts Pottymouth a link to supercuts of the  Soto Shuffle, because it goes well with whiskey and she deserves it. Ryan Mountcastle, Marcus Semien, and Wander Franco chase some history. Hunter Renfroe’s sexy defense gets overshadowed by his assertions that MLB told the Red Sox to stop COVID testing, which the league denies, redundantly, and the team does not, particularly. MLB lags behind other professional sports leagues in vaccination rates, surprising really no one.

Our police blotter has a lot of Ozuna and just a little Bauer. Oracle Park workers are signing up for  picket duty in case conditions don’t improve at this Giants home stand. MLB’s Grit program  is seeking out the best girl  baseball players for participation in elite trainings and tournaments at the same time SABR’s Women in Baseball Conference is awarding the annual “Dorothy” to acclaimed sports journalist Claire Smith, the first woman MLB beat writer. We crosstrain with the sport formerly known as women’s hockey, now the Premier Hockey Federation -- no labels, no limits. 

We say “Old and in the gutter,” “maple bar with bacon,” “ratio of happy to shitty,” and “Happy Birthday” to Pottymouth’s dad.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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 give Javy and Francisco thumbs up for their right to not like being booed, and reiterate our official stance that although fans have the right to boo, it is really bad form and should be avoided except in a few very specific instances. In our boyfriend report, Andrew Stevenson’s mullet gets some press and ups his qHAR, Yoshi Tsutsugo finds comfort in Chipotles, and Iglesias is released to make room for Junk. Four teams and the League itself  institute COVID vaccination requirements for non-player employees, and some long term staff would rather leave than get the shot. Recent outbreaks beg the question is a player’s “personal choice”  to not be vaccinated harmful to their team’s chance in the playoffs? Oracle Park food concession workers vote to strike over lack of  COVID protections, among other issues.

In the Police Blotter, we are angrier and more deeply disappointed  all the time at Jonah Keri, who just pled guilty to more than a dozen domestic assault charges. The Nats model good behavior by releasing Starlin Castro at the end of his suspension, and taking responsibility for bringing him on in the first place.  The Mets acting GM, who replaced the GM they fired for sending inappropriate communications to female journalists, was just arrested for DUI. Pitcher Josiah Gray gives back by donating autographed cleats for a fundraising auction at Adopt a Minor League Player. That same organization is raising funds for Somerset Patriots players, the Yankees AA affiliate, who lost cars and equipment and  other belongings when Ida caused extreme flooding at their ballpark last week.  Still waiting for the Yankees to pony up.

This weekend saw Baseball for All’s annual Maria Pepe series, hosted by NY Girls Baseball, and groundbreaker Maria was there, seeing the change she brought to the sport. Bryan Ruby, of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, comes out as the one and only openly gay man in professional baseball. It’s  2021, people.

Jose Ramirez’s necklace, though.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.

In NCiB Boyfriend news, Salvador Perez is having a career year, Franmil Reyes proves his boyfriend cred, and Ian Happ flashes some potential. Veteran Gregory Polanco is released by the Pirates to make room for Pottymouth’s bf Cole Tucker, and Will Smith credits his batting tear on no fear of failing. We take “not afraid to fail” to heart and present an edit-free episode. 

The COVID report is back with a vengeance. A positive test for Zach Eflin distracts the Phillies from his knee trouble, and takes out two more vaxxed teammates leading to Bryce Harper offering to serve as emergency back-up catcher. Kiké Hernadez and Christian Arroyo are out for the Red Sox, joined by a flock of Cardinals, and a boatload of Rangers including several starting pitchers. The Nationals and Astros announce vaccine requirements for all non-player staff -- player vaccination requirements are subject to collective bargaining.

The investigation into Angel’s pitcher Tyler Scaggs’ death is alluding to a larger drug ring within the team, including former communications staffer Eric Kay using an app to arrange for delivery of opiates to the ballpark, in return for game tickets and in once case a Mike Trout autographed ball. The Pasadena police have turned over the results of the Trevor Bauer investigation to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office so that  the DA can determine if charges will be filed.

Alcides Escobar builds a boyfriend case by bringing his son’s little league team to a Nats game in Miami. NCiB patron saint Sean Doolittle heads to the wrong Washington. Chris Sale throws an immaculate inning and changes his shirt. The Atlantic League lab rats have some sore lats and not much difference in batting stats three weeks into the experiment of moving the pitching mound back a foot. Congrats to ​​Diamilette Quiles, the first woman in beísbol femenino de PR to reach 100 hits. We say colonies, condom clown, and first day of school.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.

Hey Miggy! Miguel Cabrera is the 28th MLB player and first Venezuelan to reach 500 home runs. Patti’s pitcher pick Triston McKenzie is on a tear, plus extra credit for attention to qHar. Boyfriend highlights include Votto’s Abigal Effect, the return of Christian Yelich’s bat, Mountcastle’s streak, Cronenworth’s heroics, and an apology to Jo Adell. It’s Chipotle for everybody thanks to the work of Adopt a Minor Leaguer, the generosity of players Gabe Klobosits and Michael Wacha, and fans everywhere.

In the Police Blotter, we walk you through Sheryl Ring’s excellent explanation of the Trevor Bauer restraining order decision and what it means going forward, and explain The Baseball Rule (remember netting?). The Little League World Series is back with exactly one girl player (Yay, Ella Bruning), and pretty cool unis for the Classic game. Joe Ryan of Olympic qHar fame gets his first AAA start, the KBO’s Choi Jeong sets a dubious world record, and the Brothers win the first half of the CPBL season.

We say boy bands, repechage, and assumption of risk.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.

(Note to our regular listeners - this special interview with the fabulous 14-year-old Costa Rican baseball / baseball player Francela Verdura is in Spanish. If you understand Spanish - enjoy! If you don't, we recommend giving it a listen to see what you can grasp. Francela came to the US and played in the Baseball for All tournament while developing her English skills, so dear listeners, you now have the opportunity to develop your Spanish skills through listening to a “charla” about baseball.)

¡Bienvenidos a nuestro primer episodio de No Crying in Baseball completamente en español! Pottymouth tuvo la fortuna de entrevistar a Francela Verdura, una pelotera jóven de Costa Rica quien vino recientemente al torneo de Baseball for All (Béisbol para todos) en Maryland. Francela nos cuenta su experiencia con el béisbol en Costa Rica y cómo se involucró en un deporte, que no es tan conocido allá. Ella es una beisbolera con mucho talento y se esfuerza constantemente en cada entrenamiento para mejorar. Nos habla también de la diferencia entre el béisbol y el softball, su experiencia con los dos, y el panorama de las chicas costarricenses que quieren jugar a la pelota. Además, nos explica su rutina, describe los equipos con los que ha jugado y cómo vino a Estados Unidos para jugar en un torneo de mujeres jóvenes. Al fin, hablamos de sus metas y sus planes del futuro, tanto en el béisbol como en la vida.

¡Muchísimas gracias a Francela, a su familia, a la familia Cherry en Washington DC por habernosla presentado, y lo más importante, a Baseball for All por todo lo que hacen para promover el béisbol femenino!

Nos puedes encontrar en Twitter @ncibpodcast,, en Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball y en el internet a nocryinginbball.com. Por favor, déjanos una evaluación en Apple Podcasts o donde quiera que nos escuchas. Se nos puede apoyar en  Patreon  para ayudarnos a continuar lo que estamos haciendo.

Surprising no one, Patti and the Pottymouth celebrate their 200th episode with a rant. Turns out we have some opinions and suggestions regarding the Field of Dreams game: How to actually include Iowans in baseball, better uses for all that cash, meaningful alternative sites (including supporting the proposed International Women’s Baseball Center Museum and Activity Center at the home of the Rockford Peaches), and a nod to FiveThirtyEights’ take on a modern FoD lineup.

We celebrate Tyler Gilbert’s first-start no-no, the triumphant return of Chris Sale and his weird shirt, and Joey Votto Still Banging. The Police Blotter finds minor leagues playing in air unhealthy to breathe, MLB considering deals with Barstool Sports despite their documented misogyny and racism, and a WashPost report that again begs the question, what did the Dodgers know before signing Trevor Bauer?

Pottymouth introduces you to Francela Verdura, a 14 year old girl from Costa Rica who played in the recent Baseball for All Nationals. Watch for their  full interview, in Spanish, later this week. Last weekend’s Women’s College Invitational was a step to developing women’s club baseball on the way to making women’s  baseball an NCAA sanctioned sport.

We say Pete Rose (more than once!), climate change, and the Czech Republic.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.

The Heart and Hustle Awards were announced last week and our boyfriends past and present were a lock Our Olympic Baseball rundown covers qHAR, the bullpen cart, the emotional Eddie Alvarez story, and Scott Kazmir and Nick Allen, two guys at opposite ends of their career getting a bump from the spotlight. Hooray for that, plus Brock Holt’s eephus, the Scherzer’s philanthropy, Adley Rutschman in general, the CPBL, and Christian Yelich’s acoustic guitar, because then things go south. 

In Police  Blotter, Omar Vizquel’s story gets significantly  worse, the lead-up to Trevor Bauer’s restraining order hearing continues to spiral, and Ramon Laureano is player #5 to earn a PED suspension this year. MLB has given up on encouraging players to vaccinate and now may have to put back some loosened protocols -- mask mandates already in place in Spring Training facilities used for the minors. None of the remaining seven teams has met the 85% vax threshold since June.

Write your congressperson to support the Minor League Baseball Relief Act to carve out emergency relief for ballpark staff wages and stadium expenses due to no season last year and reduced ticket sales this year. This is similar to other Federal relief earmarked for suffering business, small and large, but focusing on keeping these specific community treasures afloat until they regain their footing. There is no Federal  help on the way for the woes suffered by minor league players due to MLB not ponying up housing and food for their staff but instead creating unnecessary financial stress and damaging player health. Thank you Adopt a Minor Leaguer and More Than Baseball for your work here. 

We say Wood Ducks, Rubber Ducks, fight club, Hammers, and Guardians.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.

The trade deadline gutted the Cubs and Nationals, sent hometown heroes across the country to make immediate impacts, and gave us the “Let’s Go, New Guy!” chant. Not to mention the upheaval in qHAR (quality Hair Above Replacement) with Joey Gallo to the Yankees and Freddy Galvis to the Phillies. Patti and the Pottymouth give you the rundown on the most nerve-wracking and frenetic trade season we can remember. Please keep Daniel Brito, infielder for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phils AAA) in your thoughts after his on-field collapse and subsequent surgeries over the weekend in Rochester. The Health Watch includes Fernando Tatis Jr.’s shoulder, the Disney Prince’s likely Tommy John, and CLE manager Terry Francona out for the season with a long list of maladies.

In dinger land, Joey Votto makes the old guys proud with his seven consecutive games with homers, while new guy Rodolfo Castro makes history notching homers for every one of his first five major league hits and new guy Seby Zavala’s first three hits, all homers, happened in the same game.

Mets owner Stephen Cohen leads off the Police Blotter with his bragging about paying newly-drafted players way below their worth. Will Kumar Rocker get the last laugh under the new NIL rules or is his bright future in jeopardy because the Mets backed away from their first round draft pick? Although Marcel Ozuna’s charges have been reduced from a felony to misdemeanor assault, MLB continues to investigate under the league’s domestic abuse policy. That same policy resulted in a 30 game suspension for Starlin Castro although details have not been made public.

The COVID report brings us the happy story of the Toronto Blue Jays finally returning home to the Rogers Centre, and the crap news of Trea Turner, Christian Yelich, Don Mattingly, and a host of others with positive COVID tests. In Olympic baseball coverage, Pottymouth brings us the vocabulary word “repechage” which has a very flowery and kind definition but Patti just thinks means “loser’s bracket.” We also say the words “hobbit,” “bar mitzvah,” and “bacon.”

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.

The Cleveland Baseball Team officially becomes the Guardians, which requires footnotes (but we’ve got’em). It’s always Women in Baseball Week for NCiB, but this week it is official for the rest of the world. We re-cap the wildly successful Baseball for All Nationals and preview some steps to making college baseball more possible for women. We rant a little about the criticisms of the groundbreaking all-woman broadcast team that called an Os/Rays game last week, and give Patti’s former BF Anthony Santander some props for knowing what’s up. Pottymouth presents the obligatory Kiké Hernandez Appreciation Segment, and Jon Lester’s 2 run homer gives us an opportunity to name check Big Sexy.

We give explaining the Oakland A’s current status re the Port and the Strip our best shot. Our proposed scenario is drop an expansion team into Vegas because how cool would that be, and figure out how to keep the A’s where they belong. Montgomery, AL pickles their AA Biscuits to become Montgomery Kimchee for a day, to honor Korean culture. The CPBL is back, but Mitch Lively and the All Star Game are not, so our excitement is tempered. Olympic Baseball is about to start, but the Hobbit House may cramp Pottymouth’s ability to watch. But she’ll be in a frickin’ HOBBIT HOUSE. 

In our Police Blotter, CLE reliever Nick Wittgren, his wife, and children are all targets of online death threats because of a “bad day at work” and this needs to stop. Starlin Castro’s administrative leave and domestic abuse investigation continue on, and the hearing over Trevor Bauer’s restraining order gets kicked down the road. Did we need to know the color of his suit or that the Dodgers’ may enjoy some salary relief if he is suspended? Not so much. We do want to know what women were consulted as part of his vetting process. Hey, the NFL is going to fine unvaccinated players almost $15K if they violate COVID protocol. Now we’re talking.

Get vaxxed, fight the man, 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.