Alex and Bobby talk for far too long about Alex’s encounter with John Fisher at a recent A’s game, then probe Rob Manfred’s professed desire for expansion teams. Then they talk with Maria Hernandez and Laura Ortiz from UNITE HERE Local 11 about the strike authorization vote among concessions workers at Dodger Stadium and their struggles to negotiate a fair contract. Finally, they answer some listener questions about the grammar of team nicknames, Hall of Fame cases among young stars, and stats that track fans.
Links:
Dodger Stadium concession workers threaten to strike MLB All-Star Game
Rob Manfred doesn’t hate baseball, and other claims
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On this episode, Bobby and Alex focus entirely on the letter from the Senate Judiciary Committee to Harry Marino and Advocate for Minor Leaguers, attempting to answer the questions that the four senators pose about MLB’s antitrust exemption and how it impacts minor leaguers.

Links:

Anti-Trust Issues 

A League Built On Trust (feat. Jim Quinn) 

The Minor League Theory of Value (feat. Harry Marino)

Alex and Bobby discuss the news that five teams aren’t paying their players in extended spring training and whether we can expect to see change anytime soon. Then they answer listener questions about preferred ballpark food, weaponizing dugout snacks, the best time of day for a game, proper wave timing, Phoebe Bridgers, and more.

Links:

Minor leaguers lament lack of pay in extended spring training 

Mark Canha on Pride Night and using his platform 

Alex and Bobby start with a nominal Bad Take Dramatic Reading (but really more of a Weird Take Dramatic Reading) about Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. Then, they discuss the whispers that other MLB owners are starting to express frustration at the Oakland Athletics use of their revenue sharing checks, before reacting to the news that the Mets met with Harry Marino, Executive Director of Advocates For Minor Leaguers. Finally, they react to Rob Manfred’s quotes summarizing the topics of the owners’ meetings.

Links:

Trouble in Oakland, according to Jon Heyman

Mets meet with Advocates For Minor Leaguers

DOJ asks federal court to limit antitrust exemption

Songs featured in this episode:

Taylor Swift — “Coney “Island • Billie Holiday — “All of Me” • Booker T & the M.G.’s — “Green Onions”

Bobby and Alex discuss Don Mattingly’s sense of style, then look at what’s been trending up and down in their eyes over the course of the season, including the questionable existence of the CBA, myriad ump shows, Buck Showalter, Aaron Judge walk-year mode, and more. Then they try to make sense of the turmoil among the Angelos family in Baltimore, and answer a couple listener questions about a missed Extremely Online Baseball moment and what to do when you’re fed up with your team.

Links:

Rays pitchers reject pride patch 

Angelos family feud looks over Orioles 

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Alex and Bobby banter about the best moments in baseball Twitter history, then briefly check in on Mike Trout’s commisionership before discussing Chris Woodward’s explicitly apolitical comments on the wake of Uvalde, as well as Ron DeSantis pulling funding for a new Rays player development complex. Then they answer listener questions about baseball’s true golden age and whether lineup construction really makes a difference.

Links:

How the Rangers responded to the Uvalde tragedy 

Ron DeSantis vetoes funding for new Rays training facility 

Bobby and Alex discuss questionable algorithm-generated sports predictions, then give an update on corruption in Anaheim, try to make sense of Tommy Pham and Joc Pederson’s fantasy football dust-up, and take stock of Gabe Kapler’s national anthem half-protest. Then they bring on PUP guitarist Steve Sladkowski to talk about the parallels between a touring musician and the minor leagues, why baseball fans like punk music, the cravenness inherent to baseball ownership, the state of walk-up songs in baseball, and more.
Links:
Follow Steve Sladkowski on Twitter
Listen to The Unraveling of PUPTheBand
“What Are The Odds?” On Effectively Wild
Gabe Kapler’s blog post about the national anthem
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Alex and Bobby review Taylor Swift’s NYU commencement speech and reminisce on their own graduation memories, then frame Josh Donaldson’s comment towards Tim Anderson within the broader cultural divide facing MLB, as well as try and parse through the corruption charges casting a shadow over the Angels Stadium deal in Anaheim. Then they answer some listener questions about the stigma of the the starter-to-reliever pipeline, prime real estate when going to a ballpark, which umpires are best suited to throw a game, and more.

Links:

Sign up for the Tipping Pitches Patreon 

Buy Tipping Pitches merch 

Tipping Pitches, now on YouTube 

Bobby and Alex trade prospective “get off my lawn” takes they’ll hold in future years, then take stock of the settlement in Senne v. MLB and how it might play into the future minor league economic system, discuss the recent ill-fated ventures into cryptocurrency around the league, and determine which players are certified Cool and decidedly Uncool.

Links:

Sign up for the Tipping Pitches Patreon 

Get your Tipping Pitches merch 

Senne v. MLB comes to a settlement 

MLB partners with Sorare for NFT game 

Nationals announce an ill-timed Terra partnership 

Songs featured in this episode:

Nelly — "Heart of a Champion" • My Chemical Romance — “The Foundations of Decay” • Booker T & the M.G.’s — “Green Onions”

Bobby and Alex discuss Bill James’s illiteracy regarding team relocations, then review the debut episode of Joe West’s podcast and analyze which NL East team Olivia Rodrigo pulls for. Then they dissect the labor implications of a dead ball and what it says about MLB’s competency, as well as give their takes about Alex Rodriguez’s bizarre commissioner wishlist. Finally, they answer some questions about ballpark traditions, rooting interests within your division, and reception to the newly-launched Patreon.

Links:

Sign up for the Tipping Pitches Patreon 

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