Purple Dinosaur Podcast

Hours from first pitch of the United States' first appearance in a World Baseball Classic championship game, Anthony and Tyler are live together in Los Angeles. The guys preview the Americans' matchup with Puerto Rico and discuss the tournament and atmosphere so far through two semifinal games at Dodger Stadium. Also, Nolan Arenado is going to be fine, you clowns.

Plus, the Rockies got some rough news with the announcement that Chad Bettis's cancer has returned. Wishing Chad all the best, PDP discusses what it means from a baseball standpoint and who may fill the spot in the rotation while Bettis is undergoing treatment.

A week into spring training, the Rockies have gotten their first hit of bad news. David Dahl's back is a bigger issue than originally thought, threatening to keep the dreamiest Rockies player off the field for possibly the rest of the Cactus League slate. We'll discuss what that means for Colorado's Opening Day roster and who, if anyone, should play instead of Gerardo Parra if Dahl isn't 100 percent healthy by the start of the season.

The World Baseball Classic's fourth installment is here, and Anthony and Tyler break down why people seem to be so averse to it despite their love for things like, you know, every other sport's highest level of international competition.

Plus, we're taking tons of #AskPDPs this week, which you can always submit on Twitter or through the ol' email inbox. A sampling: is bread, once toasted, still bread?

(Yes. Of course it is, you monster.)

Spring training is here and, with it, actual games are on the horizon. This week, Anthony and Tyler go long on the Rockies' strengths and weaknesses as camps open. Colorado's bullpen, one would think, will be decent this season, and after discussing newcomers to the relief corps last episode, the guys discuss returning players who could factor in with pivotal roles in 2017.

The Rockies' minor league affiliates have a change this year with the Lancaster JetHawks in as the club's new Class A Advanced affiliate. Anthony and Tyler talk with Jason Schwartz, radio voice of the JetHawks, about the new affiliation, the changed landscape of the California League, and more.

So the Colorado Rockies' bullpen was historically bad last year. In the interim, they've tried signing players to make it less bad. That, of course, has generated nothing but mockery from many segments of the media, both local and national. In this week's edition of the Purple Dinosaur Podcast, we break down how the Rockies' relief corps could be (gasp!) improved in 2017 because of the additions of players who are less bad than good.

Plus former Double-A New Britain/Hartford manager and 2017 Albuquerque hitting coach Darin Everson joins the show to discuss his last couple years heading up two talented teams in the Eastern League, his duties with the 'Topes for the new year, and much more.

The Purple Dinosaur Podcast returns for 2017, much to your dismay. This week, we're talking Ian Desmond and how we were pretty positive we'd be talking way more than just Ian Desmond by January 3rd. But hey, we're not. Ian Desmond may well be the Rockies' starting first baseman on Opening Day, so I guess we all start getting used to that idea. What does it mean for the club, and what does it say about the front office and its plan for the future (or lack thereof)?

Former Sporting News MLB editor Justin McGuire joins the show to discuss his new podcast "Baseball by the Book" in which he interviews authors of some of the best baseball books around. We'll also ask Justin if, as we fear, members of the national media look at the Rockies and go, "Yeah, nobody knows what they're doing out there."

Finally, #AskPDP returns with new theme music and all your best and most pertinent queries. The answers are revelatory and include Tyler's wedding plans with Cecily Strong.

Two years after we brought Craig Goldstein onto the show to preview his family's monumental pie collection for Thanksgiving 2014, he returns with a recap of Thanksgiving 2016. We'll discuss what almond substances are best use to adhere filings to crust, what a "black bottom" pie is, and other pie-related things.

Also, we talk a few crumbs -- ;) ;) ;) -- of baseball with Craig, since he works for Baseball Prospectus. Included is a discussion of the now-agreed-upon Collective Bargaining Agreement, its major sticking points, and what things in the deal could mean going forward for labor peace in the game.

The Rockies haven't done much yet, but a new CBA ensures the Winter Meetings will start on schedule on Dec. 4. Colorado needs a new first baseman and bullpen components. Could Chris Carter or Mark Melancon be in the mix? We'll discuss.

The Rockies are headed into the meat of the offseason with a new manager. Former Padres skipper Bud Black will take the reins for 2017, making him the seventh manager in Rockies history and second with a name that's some type of variation on "Bud" somehow.

On this week's edition of the show, we discuss the hire and what it means for the organization. With Black's experience as a manager, pitching coach, and pitcher in the big leagues, how will he approach handling the Rockies' staff at altitude? What about working with pitching coach Steve Foster and bullpen coach Darren Holmes, both of whom have been retained for 2017?

Plus, Nolan Arenado captured his fourth gold glove in four big league seasons this week. We'll discuss just how rare that is and what Nolan's standing on the national stage says about him at this early point his career.

The Walt Weiss Era has come to an end in Colorado. That's the big topic of discussion for Episode 89 of your favorite Colorado Rockies podcast. Who will Weiss' replacement be? What's his legacy as a manager? What does the move mean for Jeff Bridich?

Also, David John LeMahieu won a National League batting title this week, which of course was cause for the Denver sports media to dump all over him and try to delegitimize it by questioning Weiss' decision to sit DJLM during the season's final week. Does it cheapen Deej's accomplishment? (HINT: Hell no, stop being an idiot.)

Plus, we dive into an early offseason edition of #AskPDP in which we field some of our most ludicrous questions and spend an inordinate amount of time discussing if cereal can be considered soup. (HINT: It cannot.)

Jorge De La Rosa's days as a Colorado Rockies pitcher are likely done. So are those of the Class A Advanced Modesto Nuts as a Rockies affiliate on the farm. First, we discuss DLR's complicated legacy. For nine seasons, he's been the Rockies' most consistent presence on the mound and has done things at Coors Field that no other pitcher has accomplished. Yet at 35, he leaves a Rockies team with a pitching staff full of young prospects eyeing the future. We break down what he's meant in Colorado and what the next chapter means for Rockies pitchers behind him.

This week, we also look at the future composition Rockies' farm system. Now out of Modesto, does Colorado look for a return to the Carolina League?

Plus, Nolan Arenado should be in the MVP conversation. He won't win it, but he should be in the discussion, at least. Anthony explains why.

After a couple weeks away, the Purple Dinosaur Podcast returns to talk Colorado Rockies baseball and finds itself stunned that the Rockies have only gone 9-10 since the last episode of this podcast. That's strange because it feelsl ike they've gone 0-the century.

This week, we're back to talk about Colorado's continued struggles against bad teams with Episode 87 coming on the heels of a thrilling three-day head-bashing at Arizona. We'll also discuss the rookie wall pitchers like Jon Gray, Tyler Andeson, and Jeff Hoffman appear to be hitting -- and why that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Walt Weiss is also on the docket this week. Will the Rockies skipper make it through the 2016 offseason as the Rockies skipper? Also, did you know he coached at a high school before taking this big league managerial job? It's true!

Finally, we'll take some #AskPDP questions, but none of you really took your assignment with those seriously this week. You've really just disappointed us and everyone around you. Just kidding, love you.