Someone forgot to tell the New York Mets that the Washington Nationals were supposed to win the National League pennant. Podcast #18 looks at how the offensive power outage in Washington, combined with the outstanding young pitching in New York, has turned the National League East on its ear. Could the acquisitions of Yoenis Cespedes and Tyler Clippard be just what the doctor ordered to put the Mets over the top?

Host Gene Gumbs also breaks down the winners and losers at the trade deadline. Who takes home the trophy for the best July deals – Houston, Texas, Toronto? There’s no doubt that the wild card races in both leagues were impacted greatly by the flurry of deals in the last week of July.

Another big topic of this week’s episode is the continuing NFL witch hunt of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Whether you’re a Patriot fan or not, there are a lot of things in the NFL’s report and conduct during the investigation that just don’t smell right.

Also in this episode:

* The Red Sox do nothing at trade deadline

* Could a Boston August waiver trade be in the cards?

* Why are the Angels questioning C.J. Wilson‘s injury?

* Did the Phillies get enough for the three players they moved?

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Enjoy and thanks for listening!

There have been a flurry of MLB trades in the last few days as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. One of the biggest saw the Colorado Rockies trade Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays for Jose Reyes and a couple of prospects. In Podcast #17, host Gene Gumbs tells you why this was a poor trade for the Rockies and a bad sign for the future of the franchise.

The Kansas City Royals, New York Mets and Anaheim Angels have been very busy as well. Jonathan Papelbon finally got his wish and was shipped out of Philadelphia, but Cole Hamels is still waiting to find out where he’ll land.

Your host also laments the embarrassing effort the Boston Red Sox have put out the last few days. There is real worry in Red Sox Nation that this season could go from bad to ludicrous. Is it time to bring up all the young pitchers and send Joe Kelly, Justin Masterson, Rick Porcello and Wade Miley to the sin bin?

Also in MLB trade deadline episode:

* The Minnesota Twins need to make a move

* Are the San Francisco Giants the best team in the NL?

* A-Rod’s performance this year shows he never needed PEDs

* Did the Mets do enough?

* KC moves put them at the head of the class

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Enjoy and thanks for listening!

The MLB trade deadline is only ten days away and as teams jockey for post-season position, general managers need to decide if they’ll be buyers, sellers, or stand pat. Podcast #16 breaks down some of the big names on the block, and which teams might be interested.

Will Cole Hamels finally be traded, or did Ruben Amaro wait too long? Which team can afford the high-rent district of Johnny Cueto?

One thing is for certain, the Boston Red Sox season has flat-lined, and the carvers are putting the finishing touched on the headstone. Red Sox fans don’t have to look any further than Ben Cherington for blame. The general manager put together a sub-par pitching staff that has lived up their mediocre career statistics.

Also in MLB trade deadline episode:

* Would the NY Mets dare trade a young pitcher to get a bat?

* The impressive run by Zack Greinke

* A big week for the Kansas City Royals

* Albert Pujols hits #549, passing Mike Schmidt

* Zach Johnson wins his second golfing major

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. Feel free to leave feedback and ideas for future episodes. Enjoy and thanks for listening!

The Sports Microscope’s idiot meter has been pegging lately. We all know people who aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed, right? Well the sports world has its share (and maybe someone else’s too), and the papers and Internet have been filled with them the last couple of weeks. It goes to show you, idiots are everywhere!

A grumpy Podcast #15 looks at some things that just make you shake your head.

Supposedly mature athletes are potentially ruining their careers and earning potential by playing with fire(works), driving drunk, or doing other risky things. Others feel themselves entitled enough to pout and threaten to hold out if they don’t get a few “extra” million. A certain NASCAR driver feels they have the right to mouth off and challenge the icons of a sport without first earning the privilege. And an MLB reliever continues to show that athletes should be seen and not heard.

I can’t take it. Just behave like men (and women), shut up and play.

Also in this episode:

* Highlights from the MLB All-Star Game

* Jacob deGrom‘s All-Star moment

* Remembering Ken Stabler

* A look around baseball as the second half starts

* Is it time for the Tigers to wave the white flag

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. Feel free to leave feedback and ideas for topics for further episodes. Enjoy!

Now that the MLB All-Star Game actually means something, the composition of the roster becomes a little more important. While the fans have the say-so in the starting lineup, the players have a vote for some of the reserves and pitchers, and the respective managers get to round them out.

The American League roster is led six Royals and skippered by KC manager Ned Yost. The Cardinals placed five players on the NL roster, and manager Bruce Bochy made a couple of questionable choices and left off at least one huge name.

Also in this episode:

* Talk about the US Women’s World Cup title

* Why soccer will never surpass football’s popularity

* Bryce Harper‘s decision not to participate in the Home Run Derby

* Rick Porcello‘s do-or-die start on Wednesday for the Red Sox

* Mike Scioscia‘s KO of former GM Jerry Dipoto

* Is Justin Verlander‘s career on the wane?

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. Feel free to leave feedback and ideas for topics for further episodes. Enjoy!

Just when you thought it was time to start throwing shovels of dirt on the Boston Red Sox 2015 casket, the boys show some signs of life. In episode 13 of the Sports Microscope podcast, host Gene Gumbs takes the team’s pulse and sees reason for optimism. Or could it be just another typical Red Sox ploy to break their fan’s hearts? Either way, it becomes more likely that Boston will be buyers come the trade deadline if things continue they way they are.

Other Stuff Not About the Red Sox:

* Phil Mickelson’s bad day

* The US Women’s World Cup Team reaches final game

* The St. Louis Cardinal juggernaut

* The continued greatness of Albert Pujols

* Steve Matz: The greatest hitting debut for a pitcher – ever

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. Got a comment or a suggestion for a future episode? The Sports Microscope loves mail and we look forward to your feedback. Enjoy!

No matter what you thought of the Chambers Bay course, there’s no denying that that 115th edition of the US Open Golf Tournament was compelling. From the unusual layout, to the controversial setup, to the Jason Day drama, there was a little bit for everyone. The finish also cemented Jordan Spieth’s spot as the new face of American golf. We’ll be talking about the Jordan-Rory battle for years, the same way we talked about Tiger and Phil, and Arnie and Jack.

Fox Sports also had an up-and-down run during the tournament. I talk about some of the highs and lows of their coverage.

Also in this episode:

* The Boston Red Sox do-or-die week

* The Darryl Hamilton tragedy

* The latest revelations about Pete Rose

* The All-Star Game voting mess

* I wonder why the Cardinals hack isn’t getting the play deflategate did

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. Enjoy, and I look forward to your feedback!

Monday’s firing of Bud Black by the San Diego Padres is the lead topic of conversation in episode #11 of the Sports Microscope podcast this week. Black, one of the sharpest managers in baseball, took the hit for “inconsistent play,” as General Manager AJ Preller put it. Frankly, I think it is just another attempt by Preller to remake the Padres in his image and bring in a manager that he can have more influence over. I sincerely doubt Bud Black will be unemployed long.

Also in this episode:

* The Boston Red Sox freefall

* A trip around MLB

* A US Open Golf Tournament preview

* The end (almost) of the winter sports season

* My pick for team of the week

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. Enjoy, and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

In the latest episode of the Sports Microscope podcast I talk about the recent baseball fan injury and the need to be careful not to overreact. We tend to go overboard in reaction to tragedies in the world today, and an isolated incident like this should not be a reason to ruin the fan experience for everyone else attending baseball games.

Other topics

We’ll take a trip around Major League Baseball, touch on the recent draft, talk a little horse racing and golf, and I’ll tell you why it’s been hard for me to get too excited about the Women’s World Cup soccer tournament.

You can listen to the latest episode here or subscribe to it on iTunes to have it automatically downloaded to your iOS devices. Enjoy, and I look forward to hearing your feedback!

 

Episode nine of the Sports Microscope podcast is available for download. This week’s edition includes my thoughts on Tiger’s return to the golf course this week, Adrian Peterson’s wise decision to do more football playing and less talking, and the state of the American League East and National League West. In addition, I give you my pick for team of the week.

You can listen to the episode right here or download it from iTunes. Previous podcasts can be found on link at the top of the page.

I welcome your feedback and suggestions for future episodes. Enjoy!