No Crying In Baseball

And we thought they were only connected by wearing LAD caps. But no, Kiké Hernandez apologies to all of Puerto Rico from his hospital bed for having to miss the WBC due to shoulder surgery. Just last week his twin, Prince Harry, was apologizing to all of Canada. PCA and Corbs join Team USA and dear young Pete makes Mr. Judge feel his age. Welcome to little outlaw super athlete child, Josie James Swanson. Turns out our terrible predictions were only a little terrible – we aced Cy Young and the NL! The movement to keep LAD from visiting the White House gains traction, and the aerial tramway to the stadium loses some. The Trop is back and we want to know if the ceiling will still be “where the hell is the ball white.”

Baseball United is back, including Barry Larkin Field outside of Dubai, more home grown talent, and some questionable rule changes. The Police Blotter is all sports betting because it is really hitting a new level and we don’t miss the irony of the GMs meeting in a casino last week. Preliminary labor talks give Patti her second favorite quote of the week. We crosstrain with the fascist in chief’s visit to the Commanders vs Lions game last week and more happily with the PWHL’s Takeover Tour. Stay tuned – the WPBL’s draft is coming up!

We say, “You manifested the orangeness,” “That was putting the camel before the horse,” and, “You could have funded healthcare with that flyover.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

Here we go into hot stove!  And the one of us who is not a teacher by trade provides the vocabulary lesson. Stick with us and qualifying offers, arbitration, and super 2s will not confuse you. Congrats to Patti’s center fielders, PCA and Cedanne, for their Gold Glove wins, and to Pottymouth’s catcher Patrick Bailey for his. Pottymouth is accountable with her accounting – she came through with donations to excellent organizations doing good work to balance out guys who have done horrible things off the field helping her favorite team win on the field. Other good works in baseball? Dodgers fans supporting a Toronto children’s hospital, inspired by Toronto fans supporting a Seattle hospital.  Maybe the LAD supporting the California Community Foundation’s LA Neighbors Fund? Maybe not? And the folks urging LAD to take an intentional walk right on past the White House instead of stopping by for a World Series visit.  Sign their petition. 

The police blotter is long, covering Clase and Ortiz’s gambling/fixing pitches indictments, Prince Harry’s completely unnecessary apology to Canada (no kings, anybody?), the Fascist-in-Chief’s pardoning of Daryl Strawberry for things he himself embraces so how can they be wrong, and Harper not actually sleeping with the fishes. Winter ball news includes Javy not only playing for LBPRC but also buying a AA semi-pro team, and the league rebranding in a way that makes Patti think she knows more Spanish than she actually does (El rebranding,” “La Pro”). And how about that Little Machete? More white guys got manager gigs, but one is on his way to being bilingual as Albernaz adds some Baltimore-ese to his native Mass. Your hosts urge you to take some hyper local action if you are comfortable – patronize your local immigrant-owned businesses, support your community foundation, write some postcards to policy makers.

We say, “perhaps the whole king thing is a bigger problem than the baseball cap,” “mafia-level juicy gossip,” and “I’m going to keep talking until you tell me to stop.”  “Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

We have many thoughts about the World Series including loving a Game Seven which had all the things except the result we wanted. Ernie Clement was the center of it all, Freddie couldn't stop with the walk offs, Yamamoto earned that MVP, we got a bench clearing kerfuffle, Will Smith took another big swing, and we had multiple chances to talk about just how much time Shohei should be taking. The TOR bullpen joined the LAD in showing support for Alex Vesia. Vladdy honored Captain Clutch, Marie Philip Poulin, but was unable to channel her magic. Congrats to Pookie for winning the Roberto Clemente award. ICE cooled off ticket sales and caused the plug to be pulled on the LIDOM showcase at Citifield, but the DR/PR all stars may still be on. The MLBPA flushed out a mole. And we give Max the last word on the season.

We say, “I’m doing numerology in my head,” “a tax on people who can’t do math,” and, “I’ll cheers with my Canadian little whiskey here.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

Your hosts are relieved there’s no sweep, but can we make it to a Game 7? Ernie Clement gives us the first episode of Home Town Love Comparison. TOR and Shohei have some we don’t need you no take backsies moments. Kiké has a record and Will comes out of his shell and goes right back in. George’s sister Lena keeps him in line while planning a post-WS wedding. We spend maybe too much time on tight pants but we have medical concerns. The Angels and Os pick new managers and we have opinions. The NBA betting scandals make both Rob and Tony toe some lines between concern, accountability, and income generation. The WPBL picks its first four cities, and MLB invites applications to National Girls and Women in Sports Day and also the Trailblazer series. Vladdy’s foundation and El Gente del Barrio collaborate on a derby fundraiser in Miami, Pottymouth has AI teach her about Copa América de Béisbol, and LIDOM is counting on the hurricane going the other way so games can begin soon. LVBP welcomes it first female umpire. We crosstrain with tariffs and the definition of hostile acts.

We say, “I’m going to tell you what he said and then I’m going to watch your face,” “Lower body leaves lots of room to contemplate,” and “You just compared AI to a house elf, favorably.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

The postseason peaked early for Patti with this holy crap of an all-boyfriend double play. Other than that, and  Jackson Chourio, NCiB is ticked about the LAD sweep, both because LAD and also because sweep. Maybe also because MLB will use this to push for a salary cap when collective bargaining begins. Is it fair that Shohei Ohtani is also Michael Jordan? We are not pleased that a Brewer’s fan provided a teaching moment in consequences for fans behaving badly. We fully endorse the “power of weird” in SEA fandom, from the $16 spell to rally shoes and cheetos and Logan Gilbert requesting Eugenio Suarez’s grand slam. Gold Glove nominees were announced and Pottymouth gets a double nominee while Patti has a deep outfield with sexy defense. We crosstrain with the NFL, and a little with the Police Blotter as the Fascist in Chief meddles in World Cup Soccer. What a relief that Winter Ball is here!

We say, ”Apples to kumquats,” Brighton is to Rochester as Olney is to Rockville,” and, “New England Gangsta.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

Here we are in the week of maybe we want the Beer Cruise World Series (what else would you call a Brewers/Mariners match up?), but sure do like the idea of Canadians right now, and even though we like some guys a lot it's a no go for LAD in our hearts. 15 innings of ball and we spend our time on a fish race and Kerry Carpenter not cleaning up after himself. Okay, also Jorge Palanco and Leo Rivas. We’ve got small guys playing small ball and Toronto sports teams crosstraining among themselves. We don’t share Bad Bunny’s fandom but defend his right to sit out God Bless America because the only stretch song where standing is compulsory if able is Take Me Out. We don’t focus on Orion’s mistake as much as his accountability and the support of his team. And how ‘bout that Ernie Clement?

Pottymouth remembers Mike Greenwell including a story about a gator which we do not condone but understand its place in lore. The Rays are sold and the former owner shares the wealth. And MLB says Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion without saying Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

We say, “We are saving Humpy for the Moment,” “Is there a sad Pierogi?” and “We are allowed to say them because we are not funded by the Federal Government.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

Patti and Pottymouth have entered the “there’s always next year” phase of mourning Wildcard losses and have moved on to pondering such issues as “The Blue Jays wouldn’t have to visit the White House.” In our hearts we are simultaneously rooting for a SEA/MIL WS matchup and knocking on all the wood. In our “made it to postseason” boyfriend world we have elder statesmen counseling the kids, Ernie and Jackson lighting things up, and Ben Fricking Rice. In our Police Blotter: Fans Behaving Badly, we have BOS fans harassing Cam Schlittler’s family online, and the man LIVES in Boston. He seemed to channel his reaction constructively. Although ARAMARK delights PHI fans with its 9-9-9 box of moderation and thematic treats like Bader Tots, it’s really quite a corporate horror with its retaliation against unionized ballpark workers and its contract with approximately 100 detention centers. On a related note, LAD majority owner Mark Walter has profited handsomely from enormous private prison contracts with ICE as well as connections to technology tracking immigrants. We salute Seattle mayoral candidate Katie Wilson, who has a platform we can get behind even before she crosstrains with the Mariners in her campaign slogan, “The Big Dumper’s City Needs Public Bathrooms.” Pottymouth would very much like you to read Immigration Detention Inc., The Big Business of Locking Up Immigrants, Nancy Hiemstra & Diedre Conlon.

We say, “Sympathy wooze,” “porn management,” and “the burrito came in later.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

It's the Phew Day between the last day of the regular season, and the first of the Wildcard round in which both Patti and Pottymouth are heavily invested. It was a record year for 30-30 seasons including PCA and six former NCiB boyfriends. Andy and Ernie help with the clinching, and Pottymouth gets all numerology-y with Jackson Chourio. Ceddanne clinched with a triple, and Guards play Guardball and clinch with a HBP. Brayan Rocchio reminds us that he’s a postseason darling with a walk off triple to cement the ALC. Pookie is learning some guitar in his downtime. Aaron is tall for a batting champ and Cal is awfully catcher-ish for a home run king. But which will be MVP? We have thoughts. Breaking T almost gets Pottymouth to buy a Kershaw shirt. But instead she waxes poetic over Paul Toboni and the horse he road in on. Congrats to Tito on bringing another team to the postseason. And what City wouldn’t want Seattle’s double booking problems. We missed the fiesta, but the Mariners found their man of the hour and celebrated his good guy-ness. Things got legitimately wild in the fantasy league but we crowned the second place winner(s). Please enjoy some Baseball Project and this terrific piece by Chelsea James. Buckle up and get your second screens ready so you can watch baseball at work. Here we go.

We say, “It’s a farming thing, and possibly a biblical thing,” “Classic, aromatic, and fluffy,” and “I’m just hitting stuff with sticks.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

As we edge closer to the postseason, Patti references a 1979 Ian Hunter classic while Pottymouth gets all literary while Waiting to Exhale. The lands of our respective births are giving us all the feels. Pottymouth promises to not mention the Red Sox at all so as not to flap any butterfly wings so you’ll only hear the team name five or six times. The Guards are on a tear, chasing an historic comeback while fielding a team of relative unknowns and Patti does love an underdog story. How about MLB not being wrong about increasing the number of wildcard teams keeps the season meaningful until the end?

Our boyfriends past and present are reaching milestones. Junior gets to 40, Giancarlo gets to 450, Jazz gets a 30-30, Jose can’t stop getting to 30-30, and Pete and Corbin are each one away.  Cal knocks out a new record every week, and Juan gets a personal best. Yedlimar de Jesús becomes the first Puerto Rican woman to play D1 baseball. We crosstrain with the NCAA where we learn that top high school girls basketball players are flexing their values and turning their backs on scholarships or even applying to colleges in states that have removed or limited a woman’s right to choose. In international baseball news, Charros del Jalisco may not have prevailed but you can still get a Tequila hat. The US government has not yet approved Cuba’s attendance for the World Baseball Classic Pool A round in Puerto Rico, a berth they have earned. MLB may consider moving the whole round to an alternate country, so we of course suggest Cuba. And Adam Darowski found the missing 19 hits.

We say, “a lot of huzzah-ing,” “can of waxy worms,” and “shut up and dribble but in a good way.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

Interpret it as you like, either the unusual more than a year since the last major league no-hitter, or the disappointing and angry-making corporate culture associated with the Detroit Tigers. We kick off the police blotter by sharing the outcome of the Athletic’s investigation resulting in eight men, including six from Ilitch Sports and Entertainment, which operates the team, the former assistant manager, and a former player/current broadcaster for the team, of an appalling range of misconduct toward women staff. We move on to the behavior of the NYY in light of the killing of Charlie Kirk, someone completely unrelated to the Yankees organization, yet honored with a moment of silence – a gesture not extended to victims of school shootings or the killing of elected officials. It's a choice. In boyfriend news, Patrick Bailey has a grand slam walk off adding to Tanner Tightpant’s very bad week. Walker Buehler started off his PHI tenure with a win. Sal Frelick contributes to MIL being the first team to clinch, and Anthony RIzzo commits an error on the first play coming his way in retirement, but makes up for it in a round of beers for his fellow fans. We ponder the range of options of sea witches / mermaids / selkies / sirens available through Etsy vs Craig’s List but the witch that was booked set SEA on a winning streak. Met’s owner Stephen Cohen invests in the renovation of Beyer Stadium, home of the Rockford Peaches. Robinson Canó reaches 4000 professional hits, probably. And there is still hope for Tequila.

We say, “That’s the person who would wear a dickie,” “It’s more you than it is hair,” and “I’m missing 19 hits.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @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. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.