Chatting with special guest Adam Painter of the Inglorious Batters podcast about fantasy baseball's affect on analytics, fandom, and how we interact with other fans of the game.

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Looking at baseball's Spring Training. Josh's personal experience in the Cactus League, favorite ballparks, and more.

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Welcome to Thinking Baseball, the new iteration of Caught in a Pickle!

A production of Variety Sports Network.

On today’s episode, we’re talking realignment. Expansion is coming to Major League Baseball, and with it have been some crazy ideas out there about what could happen when it does. Hi Jim Bowden! Where do the expansion teams get placed? What divisions do they join? Do divisions get realigned altogether? What are playoffs going to look like?

Featuring Suzy Fulton from Back That Astros Up and Josh Edwards from 7th Inning Stretch.

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This week it was announced who would be gracing the cover for the video game MLB The Show. There’s always a lot of hype and buildup to this now. Fans guessing or making their picks. Kind of how it used to be for the cover of Sports Illustrated, or a Wheaties box. Well, it was announced that Jazz Chisholm is getting the honor this year and I couldn’t help notice a few things when I saw the cover. I was brought up in the old school world of baseball where the extent of self expression was whether or not you wore batting gloves or if you wore your socks high. Baseball now, influenced by its young superstars and social media revolution, seems to be embracing this new wave of freedom of expression. And, if I’m honest with myself and look at both my new school and old school feelings objectively, I’m kinda here for it.

Friday the 13th came and went this last week and with it superstition took center stage. 13 is unlucky. Don’t open an umbrella inside. Don’t walk under a ladder. Don’t cross paths with a black cat. Whatever it is, superstitions are as old as humanity itself. 

Obviously that human psychology shows itself into the game of baseball. Don’t talk to a pitcher when he has a no hitter going. Don’t step on the foul lines. But it seems with the influx of youth into today’s game, these superstitions are starting to lose their power over baseball minds. So, as we always do here, let’s compare notes between old school and new school and see what we can do about some of these baseball superstitions.

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It is verifiable fact that sports are getting more and more specialized. Professional players even have clauses in their contract banning certain activities in their down time. But, with the epidemic of injuries in Major League Baseball, and the increasing burnout of youth baseball players, is playing multiple sports when you’re young really all that bad? Do you really lose any advantage by not specializing sooner?

These questions and more as we talk about Jack of All Trades athletes and how encouraging kids to play multiple sports when you’re young can actually help them individually, and the game of baseball at large.

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On today’s episode we’ll be talking about just how similar baseball is to Christmas. The childlike wonderment, the magic, the mystery, the fun, and the joy. We’ll also touch on stories from our Facebook group and a special performance of a baseball spin on a classic Christmas carol.

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Most baseball people I’ve ever talked to hate soccer/football. Nobody can really tell me why. But it is the most popular sport worldwide, and as MLB is starting to play games in Mexico, London, and Japan, along with the World Baseball Classic in March, baseball is poised to become an international sport on a scale never seen before in the game. So on its way, what can we learn from the sport that has billions of fans all over the world, a cult following for its international tournaments and money being thrown around by teams, owners, and players that would make baseball fans blush.

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Baseball’s offseason is officially underway with our first few trades and signings. Qualifying offers have been made, rejected, and accepted. And the annual discussions, debates, and predictions have begun about salaries and roster construction. And while some teams are throwing money around like Black Friday shoppers at Walmart, some teams seem to play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge as they pinch pennies and insult their fan bases by spending less on their entire team than some teams spend on a single player. Are player salaries out of control? Does there need to be a salary cap? What about a salary floor? Like navigating the Holidays, are there changes that can be made to make this season more enjoyable for everyone?

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Free Agent Predictions on "7th Inning Stretch"

Special guest Manny Gomez joins the show as we reminisce about our favorite parts of the 2022 season. Manny is a member of the BBWAA and hosts one of my favorite baseball podcasts called Baseball Is Not Dead. He definitely leans more new school than I do, but his passion for the game, Latin American players and their stories, and thinking outside of the box style have made him an instant friend in the baseball world. So, I peppered Manny with questions about his view of the season from the field and in the press box as we look back at one of the most fun seasons we’ve seen.