I have some thoughts on how to tweak the All Star Game.

Plus the Orioles did something right, getting quantity for Manny Machado. One of the players Baltimore got has one of the best baseball names I have heard in years: Zach Pop.

I am back podcasting after taking a few weeks to deal with an unpleasantness called "REALITY."

I talk about the Cardinals managerial situation, Jose Oquendo's resume, the charging A's and the making of the In Memoriam video.

A proposal floated around baseball that would limit a manager to using four pitchers for a 9 inning game. At first I felt like it was a foolish suggestion.

But after some reflection, I think it has some merit.

The Mets need to make trades before their assets get hurt. The Angels need to make a splash to make up for the loss of Ohtani and to not waste yet another brilliant Mike Trout season.

They need to talk together and make it work.

Recorded at Robinson Stadium at Pasadena City College.

We are in mid June. Despite some of the wildly unpredictable records all around baseball, my preseason pennant picks of the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros still look pretty good.

The Capitals winning the Stanley Cup tonight has removed regional angst for Washington fans, including Nats fans. But the Nationals still have their specific battles to win.

Plus the Mets need to make a big move now to kickstart the rebuild process.

My friend Laura, the host of Resting Pitch Face Podcast, wishes that I would not bring up the Nationals post season failures when I talk about them.

I have to. It is part of their identity. And the compounding of anguish that the Nationals and their fans feel is real.

The narrative can only break with victory. And there is precedent to show that to be true.

Roughly 1/3 of the season is in the books. Some contenders that we are expecting are doing well. Some bad teams we are expecting to stink are doing just that.

But the Brewers have the best record in the NL and the biggest lead. Could this be a defining year for the franchise.

The Orioles blew a big chance to kick start a rebuilding process by holding onto Zach Britton for too long. The Dodgers need to learn from that mistake if their season does not turn around soon.

Shockingly, Hanley Ramirez was designated for assignment yesterday. But when you take two steps back, not only does it make sense for the Red Sox but it also reflects on why last year's free agency market unfolded the way it did.