The Baseball Rabbi Podcast

The 2020 season is about to begin, and things look a bit different from what we anticipated when we had our season preview episodes back in March. Pesach will help you understand what you need to know about the sixty game season and the unusual schedule that's coming up. Stat Guru Moshe Schorr joins us in order to discuss whether catching foul tips actually is a skill (you will recall that Jason Kendall said definitively that it is not). And for those who were wondering, Jim Thome isn't as bad a home run hitter as Jimmie Foxx. Glad we cleared that up. For more details, you gotta listen.

Analytics are wonderful tools to help us understand what happened; but from the perspective of the players on the field, the game is often quite different from what fans are able to measure. With that in mind, Pesach and Scott talk to three-time All-Star catcher Jason Kendall about learning how to call a game, framing, catching foul tips, what makes a good manager, working with CC Sabathia during the greatest stretch of his career, and much more. Download it now, you don't want to miss this one.

Bobby Bonilla Day has come and gone, but the Baseball Rabbi isn't in the mood to celebrate the Mets' futility; Pesach and Scott would rather talk about why buying Bonilla out was a smart move for everyone. (Don't worry, there are plenty of other reasons to mock New York's NL club.) More importantly, in honor of the Negro Leagues' centennial, they try to guess (with some help from metrics) where Satchel Paige ranks all time among pitchers. Plus: Sparky Anderson signed a baseball, and in his honor Pesach looks into his managerial career, and slightly less illustrious - but still unique - playing career. And the baseball? We're giving it away on Sparky Day. Listen in to find out more.

In 2018, Max Scherzer led MLB in strikeouts with 300, he led the National League in strikeouts per nine innings with 12.2, and he also led the NL in strikeout-to-walk ratio with 5.8. After reaching strikeout number 300, Scherzer gave a shout-out to catcher Matt Wieters for being the best at catching foul tips. Scherzer, however, provided no evidence for his claim, and even said that there's no metric to demonstrate it. So was he right? Can we, in fact, measure it? More to the point, does it even matter? Stat guru Moshe Schorr was on the case, so listen up as Pesach Wolicki explains their findings in this clip from October, 2018.

With the baseball-loving population already frustrated with both players and ownership, MLB decided that it was the perfect time to tamper with tradition in order to shave a few minutes off games that go into extra innings. Scott asks Pesach if this is as stupid as it sounds, or if there's some super secret reasoning that makes it all make sense. (Hint: it doesn't do what it's supposed to - there's a much better solution for that - but it might actually be a lot of fun.) They also discuss the most significant rookie seasons of all time, with some deep dives into Fernando Valenzuela, Mark Fidrych, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and more. (Sadly, Tom Tresh didn't make the cut.)

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As Major League Baseball desperately tries not to destroy itself, one rare positive development has been the suggestion of a universal designated hitter. But what about tradition? What about strategy? What about logic? Lefty Grove never complained about batting! The Baseball Rabbi - Pesach in particular - destroys these and other arguments and demonstrates that, like it or not, the DH is the guarantor of true baseball integrity. Plus: ESPN's "Long Gone Summer" documentary is a travesty. (Except for Bob Costas. He was awesome.)

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In 1979, Fred Lynn won the slash line triple crown by leading the AL in batting average, OBP, and slugging... but he came in fourth in the MVP balloting. Did any others with comparable seasons do as poorly in the MVP voting? What does the answer tell us? (Hint: Larry Walker is the star of this episode.) Plus: the advanced age of the 1982 California Angels, and learn about partnering with us by becoming a Baseball Rabbi patron - sign up at https://www.patreon.com/baseballrabbipodcast!

Back in the 1970s and early 80s, Red Sox centerfielder Fred Lynn was one of the greatest players in the Major Leagues. He won the MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1975 (and deserved to win the MVP again in 1979), he was an All Star nine years in a row and a starter six times, and he was the ALCS MVP in 1982 even though he was on the losing team (let that sink in). In this special episode, Pesach and Scott talk to Fred Lynn about his three College World Series championships at USC, his thoughts on the 1978 Red Sox collapse, how he looks at his stats with the benefit of hindsight, the way he played his best on the biggest stages, and much more.

The Baseball Rabbi has been making lists of the five most memorable seasons for each position, but listing significant catcher seasons poses a unique challenge. What makes catcher different from every other position? How can we compare modern catchers with catchers from before 2008? (Answer: We can't.) Join Pesach and Scott for a deep dive into catchers, starring Johnny Bench, Roy Campanella, Gary Carter, Buster Posey, Carlton Fisk, Joe Mauer, Yogi Berra, and a bunch of guys who didn't make the cut. Plus: Mike Piazza wasn't a cheater, his 1997 was the greatest season ever for a catcher, and it still isn't on the list. Why?

Pesach and Scott had similar lists of their favorite seasons by shortstops, first basemen, and second basemen, but their lists diverge when it comes to third base. Brett or Brooks? Eddie Mathews or Adrian Beltre? One Mike Schmidt season or two (or three or four or five)? It's all about the strange nature of third base, and how it has changed drastically over the years. Plus: is corking bats akin to taking steroids, and how Eddie Mathews might have changed the course of baseball history (Hello, Milwaukee Red Sox!).