This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony get the ball rolling on their coverage of the World Baseball Classic! The rosters for all 20 countries participating were recently announced, so the two spent some time analyzing each one with the tournament just two weeks away! But first, they comb through the most recent batch of trades and signings from across the league! Some of the more noteworthy moves include Zack Greinke's return to Kansas City, the Padres locking up their ace long term, and another pair of team friendly extensions out of the Blue Jays and Astros. From here on out, the focus shifts almost primarily to the rosters of the World Baseball Classic! The duo go through all four pools of the tournament and break down some of the more obvious favorites from each one. These favorites include, but are not limited to, the USA, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Japan, and Venezuela. After leaving off with more room for a more in depth WBC analysis closer to the tournament, Tom and Tony spend the remainder of the episode reviving a segment from last year's offseason: the How F'd Are They Scale! With five categories ranging from Ain't No Stopping Us Now to Everything Is On Fire, the two assess the state of each American League team going into the 2023 season. Get ready for the second half of the scale along with plenty more next time! But until then, get comfortable and enjoy the latest from The Diamond Duo Podcast!

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Timestamps:

5:34 - Transactions from the Past Two Weeks (as of 2/11/23)

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony breathe a sigh of relief as the BBWAA did not let us down for a change and elected someone deserving into the Baseball Hall of Fame! Before the duo gets to that though, there's always a fresh batch of trades and transactions to comb through! This week's highlights include Miami acquiring the reigning AL batting average champ, the Rays GM remembering he can extend his players and locking up three of them, and Aroldis Chapman's official departure from the Big Apple (thank God). After acknowledging the accusations placed upon White Sox pitcher, Mike Clevinger, and the passing of all time Oakland A's great, Sal Bando, it's time for the two to talk Hall of Fame! Congratulations are in order for Scott Rolen: the only player from this ballot elected, joining Fred McGriff as the only two individuals to be honored in Cooperstown this year! The two dispute claims that Rolen should not have made it at all and review the cases for some of the biggest names still on the ballot like Helton and Wagner. Once that's done, Tom and Tony look ahead to next year's ballot and the new faces they'll see on it. They highlight, in particular, generational greats in Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Chase Utley. They proceed to wrap up with nods to the remaining newcomers, offering an extra homage to Captain America himself in David Wright, and his unfortunate case that will very likely not result in a HOF election. To close the show, the two bust out an old favorite in the Deep Drive Into Left! They're double dipping this time around with hilarious updates out of the Rockies and Angels camps; in addition, listen to the opening of the Rockies portion to hear two twenty-somethings laugh uncontrollably at very immature humor - hey, it's what they do best. All this and more is featured here in Episode 54 of The Diamond Duo Podcast!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @thediamondduopodcast and on Twitter @DiamondDuoPod for more content and show updates!

Timestamps:

6:26 - Transactions from the Past Two Weeks (as of 1/29/23)

Songs Played In Episode:

"Careless Whisper" by George Michael from his album "Make It Big"

"Baby Shark" by PinkFong

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony relish in not having to think about Carlos Correa or his free agency madness for another wee-oh wait we spoke too soon. The duo begins this one with another look at the Hot Stove for the latest moves and transactions (as of 1/15/23)! These moves are headlined by Boston actually paying one of their superstars in Rafael Devers to keep him in town long term (yes, really), a trade between Detroit and Philadelphia that saw the Phillies snag the Tigers' All Star closer in a shuffling of parts, and, of course, what is hopefully the final chapter in the Carlos Correa saga as he finds his way back to the Twins! The two then pause the show to offer their best wishes and pray for a speedy recovery to Liam Hendriks as he faces his recent diagnosis with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. The second half of the show is entirely dedicated to the constructing of what we're calling a Diamond's Double Dozen as Tom and Tony set out to rank the 24 best MLB players going into next season! Trust us, narrowing countless great players to only two dozen is a lot harder than it sounds; so grab some popcorn and enjoy the attempts of these two to put a composite list together! Before closing out this week's show, Tom and Tony stop and pay tribute to the man who has had one of the largest impacts on both of their personal and professional lives: Bruce Avery. Had it not been for Bruce, you wouldn't be listening to this show, hundreds of college students would not have a station to call home, and the communications field would be without some of its most recognizable faces and voices. We, and many others, owe a great deal to Bruce Avery, may he rest in peace. Join us as we dedicate this episode of The Diamond Duo Podcast to our mentor and friend and the great legacy he leaves behind.

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Timestamps:

0:15 - Not Baseball But…. LET’S GO G-MEN!!!

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony are ready to kick off the new year with a bang and are relieved to not have to record more than one time throughout the editing process! That's in part to the Hot Stove cooling off, but not entirely. The duo go through the biggest deals of the past two weeks (as of 12/30/22), including Daulton Varsho's trade to the Blue Jays, Alex Anthopoulos continuing to be a hypnotist by having his young core sign cheap deals (ie. Sean Murphy), and more! Aside from that, Carlos Correa's injury history being flagged by the Mets, Trevor Bauer being reinstated, and a bunch of umpires calling it quits rounds out the news that's covered. Then, Tom and Tony have something big in store that they hope teams will stick to in 2023, New Year's Resolutions! Most are wacky, but they are all reasonable to follow if teams so choose to. With that all being said, we hope your enjoying the New Year and we also hope you enjoy Episode 52 of The Diamond Duo Podcast!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @thediammondduopodcast and on Twitter @DiamondDuoPod for more content and show updates!

Timestamps:

2:43 - What Tom and Tony Had Planned for New Years

8:49 - Transactions from the Past Two Weeks (as of 12/30/22)

21:10 - Daulton Varsho Traded to TOR; ARI Gets a Top Prospect

30:57 - Carlos Correa to Mets In Danger?

35:02 - Trevor Bauer is Reinstated

40:49 - 10 Umpires Set to Retire This Offseason

48:33 - New Years Resolutions for MLB Teams Begins

50:42 - AL East

59:03 - AL Central

1:05:57 - AL West

1:11:22 - NL East

1:17:41 - NL Central

1:23:17 - NL West

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony think they're free from the horror of having to re-record segments in the middle of the week, but alas, they underestimate the power of Steve Cohen's wallet and his desire to build a super team. The two begin innocently enough by listing off what they think are the biggest transactions of the past two weeks; this includes names like Xander Bogaerts signing with the Padres, Dansby Swanson taking his talent to the Cubs, Sean Murphy being shipped to the Braves in a three way deal, and Carlos Correa inking a 13 year deal with the Giants. Oh wait, I'm sorry did we say Giants? I meant the Mets, specifically in the middle of the night just far enough ahead of Sunday for Tom and Tony to have to scrap an entire conversation about Correa going to San Fran - thanks for that, Steve :). Outside of the free agency market, the duo construct their mock Hall Of Fame Ballots for the upcoming election and construct their Teams Of The Year via a draft. It's been a crazy fun 2022 that we've shared with you; thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your year with us, no matter how big or small that part was. We'll see you in the New Year, but until then, enjoy Episode 51 of The Diamond Duo Podcast!

NOTE: the Teams Of The Year draft was recorded for Episode 50 but needed to be cut for time. With it being recycled here, keep an eye out for those social media graphics to vote for your favorite!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @thediammondduopodcast and on Twitter @DiamondDuoPod for more content and show updates!

Timestamps:

0:56 - Random Babbling Not About Baseball… But Rather PBS, Krusty the Clown, Movies, & More

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony are thankful for reaching 50 episodes of the show! Thank you to everyone who's supported us so much in the journey and we look forward to having you onboard for a long time! In Episode 50, Tom and Tony realized recording during the Winter Meetings was a terrible, terrible mistake! Deals continue to pour in and the duo can barely keep up! In the end, we recap almost every deal that's been reached. This includes Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Trea Turner, Aaron (Arson) Judge, and all the rest in between! Because of all the chaos, Tom and Tony have just enough time to recap the MLB Awards, the Hall of Fame ballot's release, Fred McGriff's enshrinement, and the passing of Gaylord Perry. We hope you enjoy our 50th Episode of The Diamond Duo Podcast and you stay tuned for more!

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Next week, we will release another episode because of extra content we wanted to get to, but couldn't in this episode due to all of the news that broke. We've got our mock Hall of Fame ballots, Teams of the Year draft, and more from the Winter Meetings coming up! Until then, enjoy Episode 50!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @thediamondduopodcast and on Twitter @DiamondDuoPod for more content and show updates!

Timestamps:

0:32 - Thank You All For Helping Us Reach 50 Episodes!

Song Played in Episode:

"Theme from New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra from his album "Nothing but the Best" 2008

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony usher in the offseason with a little free agency special as they look forward to the many transactions they'll see over the next couple of months! Before any soon-to-be proven wrong prediction are made, as always, there's some stories to go over! First off, to cover the barrage of awards season, the duo rapid fire their thoughts on the big four major awards (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie Of The Year, Manager Of The Year), the contemporary Hall Of Fame ballot, the Silver Slugger winners, and the Platinum winners all back to back. The two then touch upon the split between the Astros and their former GM, James Click, and some of the rumored causes of this parting of ways. And of course, the final step before a look at free agency is to cover the deals that have already gone down! The deals include Clayton Kershaw staying in L.A., Raphael Montero returning to Houston, and Atlanta taking a chance on several low risk high reward bullpen pieces! At last, it's time foe the duo to make some free agency predictions that totally won't be dated in a month's time. One by one, Tom and Tony share their on the spot thoughts on where 13 of the most coveted free agents will land! Once that's been wrapped up, all that's left to do is look forward to our momentous 50th episode on the horizon! That being said, please advise that we will be returning to bi-weekly uploads for the remainder of the offseason. There will not be an episode next week to ensure that enough material has been built up to give us the fuel for a full length episode. Thank you all for sticking with us all throughout the 2022 season, and we truly hope you'll stay with us as we not-so-patiently wait for baseball to return! Until that wonderful March day is upon us again, let's embrace the free agency chaos with open arms here on Episode 49 of The Diamond Duo Podcast!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @thediamondduopodcast and on Twitter @DiamondDuoPod for more content and show updates!

Timestamps:

1:28 - The Bet is Being Paid Off + Another Mess of Disclaimers

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony grit their teeth and let out a disgruntled sigh as they are forced to congratulate the Houston Astros for winning the 2022 World Series. The two pick up right where they left off last week and cover the final four games of the Fall Classic right out of the gate! All stories and key moments from Philly's Game 3 offensive showcase, Houston's combined no-hitter in Game 4, the close-as-can-be Game 5, and the decisive Game 6 are explored and discussed in this opening segment. Though Houston's victory does hurt, it hurts especially more for the duo as this opens the door for them to follow up on a bet they set so long ago. Yes, the two finally have a punishment for losing fantasy baseball; we won't dare spoil it here so you'll just have to listen and see! Following the Game 6 discussion, Tom and Tony rattle off some interesting stats and storylines to put the bookend on this World Series and this season of baseball! Though the season may officially be over, baseball news and moves will never stop! This is apparent in the major headlines the two go over immediately after the Postseason talk. They  touch upon the first two moves of the offseason, the Gold Glove and Roberto Clemente Award winners, and the conclusion of the White Sox tiresome search to find a new manager! With the offseason upon us and free agency about to kick into high gear, be sure to stay up to date on all the latest episodes of The Diamond Duo Podcast for all the latest transactions and big storylines! We'll have it all right here coming at you starting next week with a preliminary offseason outlook. Until then however, let's toast the end of another great baseball season together here on Episode 48 of The Diamond Duo Podcast!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @thediamondduopodcast and on Twitter @DiamondDuoPod for more content and show updates!

Timestamps:

1:11 - The Astros Win the World Series + A Mess of Disclaimers

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony ready themselves for what is very likely the final episode they record with baseball still going on this season! To celebrate the occasion, the two pull out all the stops and prepare to cover every last morsel of a story from games 1 and 2 of the Fall Classic, But first, there's always a few smaller stories to tend to. First off was the fact that the Royals, Marlins, and yes, even the White Sox found new managers to helm their squads in 2023. Some more news came from the Brewers front office as David Stearns stepped down from his role as President of Baseball Operations; the duo discuss his successful tenure in Milwaukee and the likelihood Stearns ends up with a team like the Mets. The focus is then shifted towards the players as the two go over Nolan Arenado electing to opt into the rest of his Cardinals contract, Brock Holt deciding to hang up his cleats after 10 seasons in the Bigs, and the announcement of the Silver Slugger nominees. Tom and Tony spend a little more time going over these candidates, some likely winners, and some picks that just make you go WTF. Then, at last, it's time to talk about the postseason yet again. Before the two start up about the World Series, they bid farewell to their fallen Yankees all while mocking their skipper for his inabilities both as a manager and a motivator. Once the duo gets started on the World Series, there's no stopping from there. From Philly's Game 1 comeback, to Houston's Game 2 bounce back, and a "frisky" starter to a perfect game (technically)! We've got it all right here on the World Series episode of The Diamond Duo Podcast!

Make sure to follow us on Instagram @thediamondduopodcast and on Twitter @DiamondDuoPod for more content and show updates!

Timestamps:

1:07 - It’s Time We Made a Swear Jar

This week on The Diamond Duo Podcast, Tom and Tony grit their teeth and clench their fists as they prepare themselves to discuss one of the most lopsided Championship Series in baseball history, that their team, of course, was on the wrong side of! But first, the two address the shuffling of managers amongst the teams no longer in contention. These moves include the Rangers coaxing Bruce Bochy out of retirement, the Blue Jays removing the interim tag off of John Schneider with a three year contract extension, and the White Sox still not knowing what a manager even is as they interview both hot prospect Joe Espada and former manager turned TV analyst, Ozzie Guillen. The duo then deep dives the Gold Glove finalists and how hilarious they turned out. Everything including the snubs (cough cough Judge) and head scratchers (cough cough Soto) is analyzed in this awards discussion. Speaking of awards, next up is the Hank Aaron finalists talk and how the AL is all but set yet the NL could see some sneaky contention for the distinction. At last, it's time to talk postseason again! Tom and Tony begin with the NLCS (up until Game 3) and all the crucial players within it. Game 1's pitching masterclass, Game 2's defensive blunders and heroic comeback, and Game 3's clutch Jean are all put on display in this segment! However, this enthusiasm is short-lived as the two now have to talk about the ALCS and all the ways it broke the spirits of every Yankees fan watching. Be prepared for the tirade of the century as the duo take most the this one's back half ripping into this team's players, coaches, and upper management for their rampant excuse-making and continued struggles in October. This one stokes the ire of Tom and Tony so kick back and watch the fireworks here on Episode 46 of The Diamond Duo Podcast!

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Timestamps:

6:11 - Bruce Bochy Comes Out of Retirement to Manage the Rangers