The SIS Baseball Podcast

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Braves third base coach Ron Washington who has an incredible amount of wisdom to share from his home in New Orleans. Wash explains what defensive excellence means to him (2:19), his first defensive mentor in baseball, Chico Fernandez (2:57), how hard it is to be a good defensive player (4:02), how defense has evolved (5:17), and the best lesson he learned from failing as a player (6:20).

Coach Washington also shares what it was like to play catcher and the difference between a pitch-framer and a pitch singer (7:19), and how he has evolved as a coach (8:55). He explains the role he’s had in working with excellent defenders like Eric Chavez and Ozzie Albies (10:22). Lastly, he says what he likes most about coaching defense and what advice he would give an aspiring coach (15:58).

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and stay healthy!

On this edition of the Sports Info Solution Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Tampa Bay Rays Platinum-Glove winning center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (@KKiermaier39) for a comprehensive explanation of what goes into playing defense.

Kiermaier explains what he is doing to keep busy with his wife and toddler son in Tampa and the commonalities between bow-fishing and trying to catch a fly ball – and there are parallels! (1:00) He also shares the memories of the first good defensive plays he made in Little League and in the majors (4:00), who his favorite defensive player was as a kid (6:06), and the details of the intense amount of preparation he does to play defense the way he does - he takes opponents’ batting practice seriously - and to avoid having any weaknesses (6:59).

Kevin also explains how he defenses Aaron Judge and Ichiro Suzuki and how he adjusts his positioning based on instinct and observations (11:30), what the difference is between making a catch and missing the ball on a low line drive (16:51), and a guide to what goes into a home run robbery (19:24). Mark also details what goes into tracking a home run robbery and how much credit a fielder gets for one and Kevin notes that defensive stats are important to players like him being in the major leagues (21:58).

He also describes his glove and explains the routine he goes through to keep his arm strong (27:35). He also notices that baserunners have stopped challenging him and appreciates the respect that comes with that (31:28). Lastly, he runs through the coaches who helped him out along the way. All hail Skeeter Barnes! (33:00)

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and Stay healthy!

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Dr. Aaron Gray (@MizzouSportsDoc), a Youth & Adult Sports Medicine Physician at the University of Missouri, and SIS Injury Coordinator John Verros (@VerrosJohn).

Dr. Gray gives his advice on sifting through the overwhelming amount of information (and misinformation) related to Coronavirus (1:54), what is known about training to play sports in a pandemic (3:31), and he also evaluates ongoing discussions related to fear of contracting the virus from breathing it in (4:26).

John explains some of the things he’s looking at, like how successfully a pitcher like Justin Verlander can return from injury (5:24). He and Dr. Gray both provide examples of exercises that athletes can do to keep in shape (8:25), what injuries they are most concerned about (10:40), and what studies have piqued their interest (15:42). Lastly, Dr. Gray explains the scenario that MLB officials are likely most concerned about – what happens if the season begins and a player tests positive in midseason (21:42).

Stay safe and well and thank you for listening.

On this episode of the SIS Baseball Podcast, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) talks with two current MLB coaches who have an expertise in playing multiple positions – Don Kelly (Pirates bench coach) and Joe McEwing (White Sox bench coach).

Don Kelly talked about what it took to become “Zobristian” – a player who could play any position on the field (2:23), how many gloves he had (4:27), what it was like to try to be good at multiple positions and which was hardest (5:15), what Jim Leyland taught him (13:25), his favorite defensive play (14:12), what it was like to be a one-time catcher (15:58), and how he integrates what he’s learned into coaching (19:49).

Joe McEwing also shared tales of “Zobristness” (24:16), the advice he would give a 28th-round pick - he was one in 1992 (27:04), what goes into playing second base (28:01), what it was like to play for Tony La Russa and Bobby Valentine, including the clever way that Bobby V had his first baseman hold runners on (31:26). McEwing also talked of teaching defensive excellence and working with Jose Abreu to help him become a better defensive player (33:26). He also explained the White Sox approach to defensive positioning (37:29) and explained why he hit Hall of Fame pitchers like Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, and Tom Glavine so well (41:58).

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On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) takes the show in a different direction. Mark is joined by science writer and stand-up comedienne Kasha Patel (@KashaPatel). Kasha, whose day job is as a science writer and social media manager for NASA, has opened for notable names such as Jen Kirkman and Vir Das in her comedy work. Her stand-up focuses on science, but also traditional topics such as family and the cultural experience of growing up as an Indian in West Virginia.

What’s distinct about Kasha is that she uses data to inform her comedy in ways that parallel how we study baseball statistics. She shares her background (2:33), then transitions into explaining how she tracks her jokes in a spreadsheet (4:09). Mark and Kasha discuss the different ways she categorizes and times her jokes (5:58), the process of tracking jokes and her wish for an automated tracking system (11:27), how old-school comedians have reacted to her work (17:07), how she constructs a joke (19:06), and how she simplifies scientific information to make it easily accessible to audiences who don’t have scientific background (24:02). Lastly, she shares career-development advice that can be applied to any field (26:47).

Then in the spirit of Kasha’s podcast, Science Comedy Paradox, Mark and show producer Justin Stine (@j_stine31) discuss the biggest takeaways from the conversation and share an analogy Kasha made comparing her joke list to a baseball lineup (29:52).

Stay safe, stay healthy, and thanks for listening!

Helpful Links

Kasha’s Tedx Talk – “Sneaking Science into Standup”

Stand-up set at the DC Improv

Science Comedy Paradox Podcast

On this episode of the Sports Info Solutions, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Giants bench coach Kai Correa (@ThatGuy_Kai). He talked about #CoachesvsCOVID, a series of coaching clinics aimed at raising money for The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which is doing Covid-related research (1:56).

Kai also talked about the instructional videos available on the Giants YouTube page and how he taught the younger Giants first basemen proper posture and how to turn one-legged double plays (3:32). He then goes through what influenced him as he progressed in his career: the MLB and college coaches, film study, and trial-and-error (6:22). He also told the story of his coaching family tree, including his grandfather, who coached scholastic sports for more than 60 years (8:34).

Correa’s path to MLB is fascinating. He explained the process that led to his becoming a coach on Gabe Kapler’s staff and what his role will entail (10:04), what he wants to do to help add length to the primes of players like Evan Longoria (11:22), getting buy-in to the program-building work that the team is doing (13:55). He explained his receptiveness to analytics and how he likes to combine film, feel, and data to teach defense (15:33). He explains how he teaches getting in position and why he prioritizes that for teaching youth baseball players (17:28).

Thanks for listening. Stay safe and healthy!

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center- FredHutch.org

Kai’s Fred Hutch Fundraising Page

#FridayFielders baseball tutorials

How to train like a big league infielder: Part I Part II Part III

On this edition of the Sports Info Solutions Baseball Podcast, two-time Fielding Bible Award winner Matt Olson (@mattolson21) joins Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) from Atlanta to talk shop – defensive excellence at first base. Matt remembers the first time he made a great defensive play (2:40), the state of Georgia’s excellence when it comes to great defense (4:09), who he watched growing up (5:30), his conversion from third base to first base as a kid (6:18), the disadvantages of being a right-handed first baseman (9:23), and how wide he’s willing to play (10:34). Matt also explains what it’s like to play first base in Oakland with its wide foul territory (13:20), the preparation that goes into playing the position and how it pays off (16:07), the mental side of playing first base and the challenge of not taking a slump into the field (17:26), his favorite Matt Chapman play (19:25), and the things he most wants to improve upon (20:58).

Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and stay well.

On this episode of the SIS Baseball Podcast, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) talks with the authors of “Future Value: The Battle for Baseball’s Soul And How Teams Will Find The Next Superstars,” Eric Longenhagen (@longenhagen) and Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd). They discuss how much of the book is based on personal experience versus how much is from others in the business (4:26), scouting stories about Scott Olsen and J.T. Realmuto and the lessons applied to each (6:31), and the variance team-to-team when it comes to the sophistication of scouting and player evaluation (12:09). They also share the four different groupings in which MLB teams can be placed based on scouting/statistical sophistication and success (14:27) and explain the challenges in evaluating defense and what fans should look for when they watch new players (19:24). The show ends with both of them giving their tips to people who want to work in scouting and player development (languages to learn both for speaking and computer programming) (28:22) and Eric recounts his time working for our company (32:01).

Thanks for tuning in. Stay safe and be well.

On this edition of the SIS Baseball Podcast, senior research analyst Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Keith Law (@keithlaw), senior baseball writer at The Athletic and author of the new book “The Inside Game.”

Mark and Keith talk about the motivation for writing this book and what he would want someone to get out of it (1:11), bias as it relates to high school pitcher selection in the MLB Draft (4:41), the power of the first impression a player makes (9:08), biases that become apparent when trying to evaluate defense (11:15), the challenge of coming up with solutions to dealing with bias and where teams will improve at dealing with bias in the next 20 to 50 years (17:35).

They also discuss a favorite computer game, Earl Weaver Baseball, and what made it so good (20:27), and how simulations could help with decision-making under pressure (22:37). They end their discussion talking about another passion of Keith’s, board games, and what board game best simulates baseball thinking (25:23). Keith also provides a list of minor league prospects to watch on the defensive side when baseball resumes (30:57).

Thanks for tuning in! And stay safe!

On this edition of The SIS Baseball Podcast, Mark Simon (@MarkASimonSays) is joined by Wall Street Journal national baseball writer Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond), author of the new book, Swing Kings: The Inside Story of the Home Run Revolution. Jared and Mark discuss who these people are that have established themselves as hitting experts (2:08), the communications aspect of trying to teach hitting (5:37), which superstar players have benefited the most from swing coaches (7:04), how much of the home run increase is related to swings vs the changing baseball (12:48), and Jared’s experience as a hitting pupil (17:11).

Get your copy of Swing Kings: The Inside Story of the Home Run Revolution at HarperCollins.com or wherever books are sold.