The Ringer MLB Show

By The RingerSports

The Ringer MLB Show episodes

August 01, 2017 The Trade Deadline Dissected (Ep. 96)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann celebrate Adrián Beltré's 3,000th hit and improbable Hall of Fame career path (04:00), then break down all the action on trade-deadline day, including the Dodgers adding Yu Darvish to their already-formidable rotation (10:00), the Yankees acquiring Sonny Gray and Jaime García (21:30), and other contenders (including the Red Sox, Indians, and Nationals) restocking their bullpens (25:00). They also discuss whether teams such as the Red Sox, Astros, and Orioles should have been more active (27:30), as well as the steep decline in the value of Jonathan Lucroy (38:30), who was traded at a second consecutive deadline, this time for a much smaller return.

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53 min
July 27, 2017 Hall of Fame Weekend and 'The Cooperstown Casebook' (Ep. 95)
On the eve of the Hall of Fame's annual induction ceremony, The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann bring on Sports Illustrated writer Jay Jaffe to discuss the future of Hall of Fame debates (06:00), how the Hall would be different if Jay could pick the plaques (12:00), several overlooked inductees and candidates (19:30), Adrián Beltré and the BBWAA's bias against third basemen (27:30), how the Hall should handle relievers (44:00), and Jay's new book, 'The Cooperstown Casebook' (48:00).

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53 min
July 24, 2017 Parity, Payroll, and Deadline Decisions (Ep. 94)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss the injuries that forced Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg to leave their Sunday starts early (02:30), then bring on FiveThirtyEight editor and senior sportswriter Neil Paine to talk about the unusual eliteness of 2017's top teams (10:30), how to evaluate whether a team should buy or sell at the trade deadline (16:00), the teams with the toughest buy/sell decisions this season (38:30), the best matches between contending teams and expendable players (41:00), and the outlook for Aaron Judge (43:30).

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52 min
July 20, 2017 Trade Season Starts Early (Ep. 93)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about the Astros' funeral for Carlos Beltrán's glove (01:15), the problem with baseball humor (02:30), and why teams aren't waiting for the deadline to make moves (05:30). Then they round up the news from a busy baseball week, including: the Yankees–White Sox trade (08:30); Yoan Moncada's promotion (18:30); the battle to be Chicago's best-looking third baseman (20:45); the Carlos Correa injury (22:15); Kris Bryant's close call (22:00); the pros and cons of headfirst slides (22:30); the J.D. Martinez deal (and why Detroit didn't get more) (30:00); the changing tenor of trade analysis (37:30); Orioles trade rumors (41:30); the red-hot Dodgers and Dodger Stadium naming rights (43:30); what constitutes a blockbuster (47:30); and, for the first time in months, what Jerry Dipoto did (51:30).

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56 min
July 17, 2017 The Truth About (the Original) Ty Cobb (Ep. 92)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about Freddie Freeman's performance at third base so far (00:30), the Nationals' trade for Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson (02:00), and Matt Holliday's weekend baserunning adventure (06:15). Then, with "Ty Cobb" recently trending for a surprising reason, they talk to Charles Leerhsen, author of 'Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty,' about why the baseball legend was not the cruel, cutthroat racist he's widely believed to be (12:00), how that misconception started (26:30), and what we can learn from how hard it's been to debunk Cobb's bad reputation (49:30).

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1 hr 1 min
July 13, 2017 The Quintana Trade and the Most Fascinating Rest-of-Season Storylines (Ep. 91)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about an All-Star idea (01:00) and the Cubs–White Sox José Quintana trade (04:30), then discuss several stories that are foremost on their minds as the All-Star break comes to a close, including close pennant races (13:30), the staying power of some early-season surprises (and some slow starters' comeback potential) (34:00), who'll do what at the trade deadline (40:30), and the competition for the most valuable individual season (51:00).

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1 hr 1 min
July 10, 2017 Explaining the Unlikeliest All-Stars (Ep. 90)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann bring on a series of writers (including Eric Stephen, Rustin Dodd, Dan Hayes, Andrew Stoeten, and Zach Buchanan) to explain the anomalous seasons of five veterans who are making their first trips to the All-Star Game: Alex Wood (04:15), Jason Vargas (15:15), Avisaíl García (28:00), Justin Smoak (40:30), and Zack Cozart (53:00). In the process, they also discuss the trade-deadline outlooks of the Dodgers, Royals, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Reds.

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1 hr 5 min
July 06, 2017 Tyler Flowers, Framing, and the Robot Umps Debate (Ep. 89)
The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about All-Star selection philosophies (1:10) and then tee up Ben’s conversation with Braves catcher Tyler Flowers, an elite pitch framer who’s transformed himself offensively and has, by one measure, been one of the most valuable players in baseball this season (10:25). Then, they discuss whether Flowers’s framing skill is good or bad for baseball (36:55), the obstacles that still stand in the way of a computerized strike zone (42:35), and whether they’re pro-robot umps (45:00).

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59 min
July 03, 2017 Let the Trade Talk Begin (Ep. 88)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann bring on Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports to talk about the likely (and unlikely) buyers and sellers at this month's MLB trade deadline (01:00), what the contenders can do to address their weaknesses (13:00), the best bats and arms available (31:00), the impact that the massive 2018-19 free-agent classes could have on the market throughout the next year (45:00), and the latest on Japanese superstar Shohei Otani's MLB ETA (48:00).

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54 min
June 29, 2017 The First-Half Draft (Ep. 87)
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss the Cubs' decision to DFA Miguel Montero (00:30) and the end of the College World Series (06:30), then draft 10 of their favorite stories from the first half of the 2017 regular-season schedule (plus honorable mentions) and forecast how they'll hold up over the rest of the season (10:00).

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54 min

About The Ringer MLB Show

From the publisher's feed

A rotating cast of Ringer staff members break down baseball's biggest and silliest stories, mixing in interviews with plugged-in media members and insiders from the front office to the dugout.