Best Podcast in Baseball

<p>When the Cardinals arrived at the ballpark Sunday for the series finale against Arizona and an attempt to split a series with the Diamondbacks, the lineup, as a collective, had hit 14 home runs. Nolan Gorman, down with Class AAA Memphis, had 11. The Cardinals' top power prospect and closest prospect to the majors is off to a raucous start with the most homers in the organization, 16-game hitting streak, and growing demands from the fan base for his promotion. So what gives? Offense continues to be the question and what the Cardinals are willing to give to get some more consistently. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss how long the Cardinals can wait for their offense to stir when it seems so similar to the year before (and the year before that, and the year before that), and what reasoning the team has for not bringing up Gorman as the left-handed, power presence they've been looking for. It's not service time, if that's what you're thinking. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The press scrum surrounding Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols on Tuesday in Miami was crowded, and to help Pujols not only held the Post-Dispatch reporter's recorder but also offered to ask questions, too. That's where the first on-the-road Best Podcast in Baseball of 2022 begins -- with that clip and then with a conversation between two reporters used to asking a lot of the questions on the road. Bally Sports Midwest reporter/host Jim Hayes joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the early performance of the Cardinals, the return of Pujols to his first team, and the role Hayes plays in introducing the personalities of the players to fans. Hayes also tells the behind-the-scenes story on the day Nelly met Joe Kelly. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. It is available anywhere you find podcasts and on the new Post-Dispatch app, STL Pinch Hits.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Introducing STL Pinch Hits -- a brand new way to get BPIB and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball coverage and expanded coverage, including a brand new beat at the newspaper, Cardinals minor-league writer. Daniel Guerrero, the new addition to the Post-Dispatch team, will be covering all of the Cardinals' top prospects and minor-league affiliates, bringing exclusive coverage to the new STL Pinch Hits app, including a podcast, video reporters, and almost daily updates on the performances from the minor-league levels. Guerrero grew up in Anaheim, Calif., and that's where this brand new BPIB begins: What it was like being a young baseball fan when Albert Pujols left St. Louis to be an Angel, and now being a reporter in St. Louis as Pujols makes his return at designated hitter. With baseball writer Derrick Goold, Guerrero discusses early performances of note in the minors and the Post-Dispatch Dozen, a ranking of the top 12 prospects in the Cardinals' system who have yet to appear in the majors. Plus, Guerrero drops a scoop at the end of the podcast. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The return several months in the making of a podcast now 10 years in the talking. The Best Podcast in Baseball previews opening day of the 2022 Cardinals season with Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel. He talks about his surprises of camp (Albert Pujols' return?), the issues unaddressed by the team (fifth starter), and what he thought about the first year of Camp Oli. Hummel joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer and BPIB host Derrick Goold to discuss whether the Cardinals are a good team relative to the rest of the National League Central, or a good team within the National League. Answers may vary. The Best Podcast in Baseball, which can be found on the new app STL Pinch Hits, is sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, and it is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. Look for it weekly during the regular season.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>In a predictable but poetic twist, the best way to recapture the enthusiasm of a fanbase after the ice-chill of a work stoppage for the Cardinals, that old-school National League ball club, may be through an American League gizmo. Is the DH the Cardinals way to create excitement coming out of a lockout? That question forms the backbone of a conversation between St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson and baseball writer Derrick Goold during a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball. The lengthy delays between negotiations and attempt to create urgency is discussed in the first 25 minutes before Frederickson and Goold explore how the Cardinals specifically can energize a frustrated fanbase. There will be a frenzy of transactions once the lockout ends, but is that enough? There will be questions about the Cardinals' offense, so is answering them with a name-brand DH enough? The Cardinals are keen on their prospects, but is selling the future any way to regain the fans' interest in the present? In its 10th year, the Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, remains a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Mike Ferrin, MLB Network Radio host extraordinaire, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the ongoing lockout, the ramifications of extending winter for the fans, and how close the Cardinals are to being a favorite for the pennant -- if only they'd make that one last move they just haven't. In this brand new episode and extended conversation, recorded right before the inevitable delay of spring training, Ferrin and Goold discuss whether the National League is more vulnerable or just more volatile given all the moves yet to be made once MLB's lockout ends. Home decor is also detailed. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>With another year of Hall of Fame voting and angst over, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens ushered off the ballot, and David Ortiz welcomed into Cooperstown, Jay Jaffe, senior writer at FanGraphs.com and Hall of Fame aficionado, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss what it all means. Does Ortiz's first-ballot induction set the stage for a new precedent when it comes to specialists like relievers or players with ties to performance-enhancing drugs, however vague or intangible? Does Scott Rolen's second significant jump in as many years put him on deck for induction in 2023, and does that mean Cooperstown is starting to feel the glove? If so, Yadier Molina -- first ballot? Jaffe, author of The Cooperstown Casebook and essential reading every Hall of Fame season at FanGraphs, joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss their ballots, the trends, the frustrations, and where several prominent current and former Cardinals fit on the road to bronze at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The annual opening of the international signing period has been nicknamed "Jesse Sanchez Day" because of the attention, care, insight and depth of coverage MLB.com baseball writer Jesse Sanchez has brought to that market and the talents it introduces to baseball and baseball fans. In a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball, recorded a few days after the Jan. 15 opening of the international market, Sanchez talks with St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold about the challenges that faced players and scouts alike as they negotiated deals and identified players during a global pandemic. More than just the calendar shifted. Sanchez also offers a scouting report on the prized signing by the Cardinals -- switch-hitting shortstop Jonathan Mejia, a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic. Plus, the two writers detail how the Cardinals scouted and ultimately signed Won-Bin Cho, the teenage slugger from South Korea who is also the first amateur player from Asia to sign with the Cardinals. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The Best Podcast in Baseball begins its 10th year with a brand new and extended episode and a discussion about baseball's past and the Cardinals' future. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold faces questions from Kevin Wheeler (KMOX/1120 AM) about the 2022 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and the players he voted for this year. Lists are the theme, after all. Goold brought his list of 10 players who appeared on his ballot, and Wheeler discussed his list of Top 20 prospects in the Cardinals' system. The podcast explores the nature of ranking players for what they could do in the game, and then years later having to research and assess what players did in their careers and whether that merits Cooperstown. Warning: There is a rant about how underappreciated third basemen are, historically. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>When baseball emerges from its long, cold, inactive winter, and players take the field again in spring, what should the game look like? Start with more improvisation of talent, less calculation of risks. That was the answer given by Kevin Wheeler, broadcaster at KMOX/1120 AM. He tackled the on-field product first, saving the off-field economics for another conversation. As baseball has shifted from probability management to risk management, the product and entertainment value on the field has shifted. Do good teams draw fans, or do teams also have to play an appealing style of baseball, and if every team is drawing from the same numbers does that mean they all play the same? Dullsville. In the final BPIB of 2021, Wheeler and host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, talk about the changing dynamics of baseball on the field, from youth to majors, from development to debut, and how when the lockout ends and play resumes some changes (including one simple tweak that would address tanking, too) will give the team a jolt. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. Have a happy, healthy holiday season. BPIB will return in 2022.</p> <p> </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Should St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson be able to decorate a window at his house with a "major award"? He turns this question -- which definitely has legs -- over to the listeners of the Best Podcast in Baseball. And that's just the beginning. As BPIB nears its 10th year in the podcast game, Frederickson joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the biggest stories of the past year for the St. Louis Cardinals. The acquisition of Nolan Arenado, a record 17-game winning streak, and the abrupt, confusing firing of the manager -- any of those would have been the biggest story of a non-championship season. And they all happened in 2021. The answer on what was the biggest shapes how the Cardinals should be viewed in 2022, and the podcast explores the rising expectations, the storylines, and who specifically is in the spotlight as the Cardinals also reach a decade milestone. That is, a decade without a title. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Todd Radom is the artist whose work you know and whose name you should. You probably have one of his designs on a t-shirt or a hat, on a sticker or a pennant or a flag or bobblehead or beer stein. You might even have it as a tattoo. As I type this, I can see at least a half dozen items in my offense -- from patches to baseballs -- that have one of the logos he created. Radom, an author and graphic designer, is the hand behind Busch Stadium II's final year logo, Busch Stadium III's first year logo, and so many others, from the Washington Nationals' logo and look to the Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, and other teams' anniversary logos. He designed the patches for the final year of old Yankee Stadium and the first year of current Yankee Stadium, and the Wichita Wind Surge -- yeah, that's his work, too. Radom joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the history of logos, the history he invests into his logos, and along the way the two add a few stitches of trivia. The Birds on the Bat are about to celebrate their 100th anniversary, and their place in logo legend is discussed. Plus, Radom offers his definitive opinion on whether the Cardinals should wear blue caps on the road. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Fans want baseball's caretakes to take care of the game they love, argues The Sporting News baseball writer Ryan Fagan, a stack of baseball cards nearby and a work stoppage all around. With Major League Baseball's lockout entering its second weekend, two baseball writers meet at a local St. Louis comic book shop to open some baseball cards and talk about the precarious spot the game and the card industry find themselves in, both on the brink on significant change, and possibly not for the better. Fagan joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer and Best Podcast in Baseball host Derrick Goold to talk about the goals of the owners and players in the stalled negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The two writers discuss changes to the draft, to the on-field rules, and to the economy of baseball that could rise from a new CBA. They also discuss baseball cards -- best designs, favorite individual cards -- and the similarity between the game on the field and what's happening with wax packs as Topps, after 70 years of making cards, is on the verge of being replaced by Fanatics. This episode was recorded on location at Apotheosis Comics on Grand Boulevard in St. Louis. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p> <p>BW0BMeKr9EFSpQfjeXxF</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>What happens when the tables turn on seven deadline writers and people get to ask them questions? Sports on Tap does. The Best Podcast in Baseball brings you the 2021 St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sports on Tap event as hosted by sports columnist Ben Frederickson. On Nov. 18, 2021, seven members of the Post-Dispatch sports staff fielded questions from readers at Ballpark Village. Frederickson was joined by Blues beat writer Jim Thomas, Mizzou beat writer Dave Matter, Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel, and sports columnists Jeff Gordon and Benjamin Hochman. BPIB host and baseball writer Derrick Goold also participated. The topics were not limited to baseball, but the Cardinals and baseball were a significant part of the conversation, from free agents chased to managers changed and even a question comparing the ownership of the Blues with the ownership of the Cardinals.</p> <p>Look for more Sports on Tap events in the near future. Tickets will be available at StlToday.com. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>In a BPIB crossover event hosted by Scoops with Danny Mac's Dan McLaughlin, the television voice of the Cardinals, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold talks about the Cardinals' search for a free-agent pitcher, the availability of St. Louis-area native and future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, and the sudden, shocking manager change the Cardinals made this offseason. McLaughlin and Goold also discuss the oncoming expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and how precarious baseball, a sport defined by its daily presence, rests on the minds of its fans, especially if the holidays are littered with squabbling between owners and the players' union and spring arrives without baseball in it.</p> <p>The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>So what's better -- the adrenaline rush that comes from tanking a few years to try and peak with a great team in a few years, or the steady drumbeat of contention without the flare of high picks and lofty free-agent pursuits? A strange thing has happened in the National League Central within the first few weeks of the season: The next season appears to be over for three teams. With the Cubs ejecting their core, the Reds dropping salary, and the Pirates in another year of their multi-year rebuilding project, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers are left with what appears, today, like a two-team race for the division crown. Oh, and the Brewers are pondering a trade of their best reliever, All-Star Josh Hader. This must be what Scott Boras meant about the 'race to the bottom.' Gordon Wittenmyer, baseball writer and Cubs beat reporter for NBCSports Chicago, joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick for a Best Podcast in Baseball episode to discuss the division race, tanking, and whether the Cubs are any better than when they started almost a decade ago -- or are they worse? The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closest by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>A colossal feat of baseball reporting and baseball writing, Joe Posnanski's 'The Baseball 100', a New York Times bestseller, hits the desk with a thump to announce its gravity but lifts the heart as a joy to read. It's more than a ranking of the greatest 100 players in baseball history -- ranging from Willie Mays (No. 1) to Stan Musial (No. 9) and out to Ol' Pete Alexander, Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, Max Scherzer, and Ichiro -- it's a bound volume of 100 of the greatest stories in baseball. Posnanski joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the challenge of telling these stories, ranking the great players, what he found during his quest, and what he tried to capture about the highest-rated active player, former Cardinals MVP Albert Pujols. Posnanski, an award-winning sports columnist, is also the author of 'The Soul of Baseball' as well as JoeBlogs, and he's the host of the Podcast.</p> <p>The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The St. Louis Cardinals, one win away from securing a wild-card berth in the postseason, return to Busch Stadium riding the longest winning streak in club history and one of the longest of all time in the closing month of a season. The Cardinals have won 16 consecutive games, bested teams from New York to Wisconsin, and are coming off of a four-game sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley Field. They even survived the infield-fly rule. So, what spurred this radical rewrite of a disappointing season? KMOX/1120 AM host Kevin Wheeler rejoins the Best Podcast in Baseball and Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss two pivotal elements of the revival: an offense hitting its stride and a defense that is by far the best, most aggressive, and most creative in baseball.</p> <p>The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>So, what we were talking about again? Washington Post national baseball writer Chelsea Janes joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to make sense of a season no longer on the brink because the Cardinals are now the hottest team in baseball. In the span of two weeks -- roughly the time it took to put together a new episode of the BPIB (and scrap one, too) -- the Cardinals have gone from trailing by four games in the race for the National League's second wild card to leading it and being the favorite to land it. The Cardinals have gained eight games in the standings with the longest winning by the club in 20 years and only the 13th time in the team's 130-year history that they've won more than 10 consecutive games. To make sense of how far the Cardinals have come and the unexpected way they're winning, BPIB host and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold talks to Janes for a national perspective and how the Cardinals could become America's darlings of October if they dispatch that team from Tinseltown. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of Derrick Goold, StlToday.com, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The morning after a historically ugly loss in Pittsburgh for the Cardinals of 2021, Drew Silva, senior Major League Baseball writer at NBC Sports Edge and self-described "pessimistic" Cardinals fan, grabs a cold coffee and joins Best Podcast in Baseball host and baseball writer Derrick Goold to talk about the moves the club could make to reignite excitement by the start of the 2022 season. Silva, who last joined the podcast at Urban Chestnut in St. Louis, home of the Fantasyland IPA, writes about fantasy baseball and has a biting presence on Twitter when it comes the Cardinals. He explains how he became a fan of the team, how their notable successes came notable times in his life, and how this year's team got to where it is -- drifting from the playoff race, if only the other teams would let them. In addition to writing for NBC Sports Edge, Silva also hosts the podcast Circling the Bases. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The Milwaukee Brewers and their ever-widening lead in the National League Central visited Busch Stadium with, as infielder Kolten Wong said, "a point to make." Consider it made. Brewers broadcaster Jeff Levering, who spent time as a prospect in the Cardinals' organization too while calling games for Class AA Springfield during Mike Shildt's tenure there, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball from the visitors' radio booth at Busch Stadium to talk about Milwaukee's ascension as the best team -- best organization? -- in the National League Central. With two wins in the first two games of the series, the first-place Brewers have widened their lead over the third-place Cardinals to 12 games with 11 head-to-head games remaining. Milwaukee has had the season the Cardinals imagined -- one hinged around an exceptional, deep pitching staff and infused with an aggressive move as a booster rocket up the standings. Levering talks with Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold about watching Shildt's work in Springfield, Mo., and how that plays in the big leagues, and there's also a Bob Uecker story, or two. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>A "second reckoning" is upon the Cardinals less than a week after baseball's one and only trade deadline for the 2021 season. There were frenetic trades, an MVP and a Cy Young Award winner with St. Louis ties, and a lot of energy and excitement everywhere around the Major League Baseball trade deadline -- except locally. The Cardinals added two established, veteran lefties and spoke about their goal of "getting through" the 2021 season. That's several notches below contending, let alone striving for a championship. They spoke of surviving, not thriving. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins Derrick Goold, baseball writer at the Post-Dispatch, to discuss the Cardinals increasingly conservative approach to moves, whether injuries are indeed a valid explanation for their trouble breaking loose from .500, and if KC's visit with reinvented manager Mike Matheny is an example of how continuity might just breed complacency without the ranks of the Cardinals. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Whether it's a Spiders roster transplanted to St. Louis and a nickname abandoned or how they're perched together in the middling middle of the majors, Cleveland and the Cardinals have an intertwined baseball history (and present) beyond their rare series against each other. Anthony Castrovince, MLB.com national baseball columnist and MLB Network contributor, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss the most significant and inevitable news in his hometown of Cleveland: The ball club has a new name. The Cleveland Guardians will debut in 2022. Castrovince talks with St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold about Cleveland's name change, about his advocacy of the Spiders, about the modern Cardinals getting their start when the Spiders moved to St. Louis (kind of), and how much the Cardinals and future Guardians have in common -- from an ability to develop pitching to a need to develop a hitter to that dangerous, uncomfortable limbo teams find themselves in these days when they win just enough to be good but never enough to be great. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>San Francisco Chronicle baseball writer Susan Slusser joins the Best Podcast in Baseball host Derrick Goold, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, for a conversation at Oracle Park about the surprise time in the National League -- the Giants. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the team that has to contend with the glitzy Dodgers and rising Padres, and instead it's the Giants who neared the All-Star break in first place with the best record in the National League. Slusser, a former president of the BBWAA, won California's sportswriter of the year award for her coverage of the Athletics, and for 2021, in a significant offseason move, relocated across the Bay to a new beat covering a new team in a new league. That's a good launch point for a discussion about how the Giants were built, their giant coaching staff, and, of course, what happens when a catching Giant hangs up his gear for the last time after defining an era for a championship team. It could happen in two NL cities soon. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>What started at a bicycle race and put him on the road with the Cardinals and in an elevator with the champ continues today in a press box carrying his name: Rick Hummel. The Hall of Fame baseball writer and member of just about every Hall of Fame for sports and sportswriting in the greater St. Louis area, Hummel began his career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch 50 years ago this July 3. And he hasn't stopped. He'll cover his 41st Major League Baseball All-Star Game that same month and be back on the road to Pittsburgh soon after that. In a brand new edition of the Best Podcast in Baseball, recorded in the Bob Broeg/Rick Hummel press box at Busch Stadium, baseball writer Derrick Goold talks to his longtime colleague about his favorite stories, how his writing as changed, and just what changes the 2021 Cardinals need to break loose from the middle of the standings and .500. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Major League Baseball's crack down on the sticky stuff being used to enhance pitches has begun, and who better to talk about the pursuit and policing of the game's best pitches than the reporter who wrote the book on pitches: Tyler Kepner, New York Times national baseball writer and author of "K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches." Kepner joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss how far the game has veered toward a pitching-dominated game and whether baseball's nature is always to favor the pitcher. They explore are how the targets of criticism -- coaches, managers, front office, media -- compare when the Yankees are struggled to when the Cardinals are struggling. And, also asked is whether Kepner, one of the most highly respected and read baseball writers in country, has concerns for the game as it wrestles with a lack of action while on the precipice of a labor tussle. The Best Podcast Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>The trade winds are already blowing, and the St. Louis Cardinals have needs after almost six years of not being an active participant -- buyer or seller -- at the deadline. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson rejoins the podcast to discuss options for the Cardinals and what move or moves would stabilize a team listing through June. The available starting pitchers, such as former Mizzou greats Max Scherzer and Kyle Gibson are discussed, as well as an outfielder that would reshape the look of the Cardinals' lineup and possibly give the National League Central a compelling subplot for years to come. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, stltoday.com, and Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>'Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series that Changed Baseball', by author Luke Epplin, is a captivating read that weaves the origins, backgrounds, motivations, and legends of Larry Doby, Satchel Paige, Bob Feller, and Bill Veeck together just as they unify to carry Cleveland to the 1948 World Series title. It's the last World Series championship Cleveland has won. It's also one that captivated the country and signaled a history shift for Major League Baseball. Epplin grew up in Illinois, about an hour outside of St. Louis, on tales of the St. Louis Browns, and he became a "die-hard Cardinals fan," his words, watching Ozzie Smith & Co. flip through the league in the 1980s. Epplin joins BPIB host and Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss his book, the route that took him from St. Louis fan to Cleveland chronicler, and how the story of the '48 team reconnected him with baseball and resonates with the situation the game is in today. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Whatever happened to Cincinnattitude? First there was a moment that ignited Nicholas Castellanos and the Reds. Then it was a T-shirt. Now it's a huge, looming poster at Great American Ball Park, just as Castellanos was a huge, looming presence when he looked down on a Cardinals rookie pitcher at home plate and flexed. But what if that striking image of the Reds season is the high point of the season -- and there's no substance, no strength behind the flex. Cincinnati Enquirer baseball writer Bobby Nightengale joins the Best Podcast in Baseball and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the Reds, their peripheral contention in the NL Central, and the division at large. Is there a trade that would radically reshape the division race and catapult Cincinnati into the swaggering, bat-flipping, flexing team they say they want to be? The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Before closing with a fantastic David Peralta story, Mike Ferrin, MLB Network Radio host and Diamondbacks broadcaster, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball for a conversation about what's changing within baseball -- for the better. With the Nolan Arenado Show and the Cardinals' victory in the second game of a series against Arizona as the backbone of a wide-ranging discussion, Ferrin and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold mention rule changes, foreign substance crackdown, and strike zone shifts that could improve play. But they also explore how younger fans connect with the game through on-demand highlights and how emotions that are celebrated in October are finding their way into a series in May -- and it's time to embrace that. Baseball has become a power game, for hitters and for pitchers, and now the power of some personalities are taking over, for the better. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Tony La Russa's return to the dugout has not been a breeze in the Windy City, but he's definitely part of the buzz for baseball on the South Side, while the North Side wonders what might have been. David Haugh, longtime Chicago Tribune columnist and now morning co-host at 670 AM The Score, joins the St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold on a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss all things Chicago baseball. La Russa made headlines this week by positioning himself as the arbiter of the unwritten rules of the game when he expressed frustration with his own player for hitting a 3-0 pitch for a home run in a rout of Minnesota. Was he behind the times -- or ahead of the strategy? The Cubs make their first visit to St. Louis' Busch Stadium since 2019, and they are a team at the fulcrum between maintaining their core players, some of whom won a championship in 2016, and moving on without the dynasty imagined. Haugh mentions the Cardinals' role in causing a pivot in the run of championships that wasn't. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>San Diego has built a contender out of big contracts, star power, and one of the most charismatic young players in baseball -- offering a stark contrast to how another mid-sized market runs their roster, or did. For the Padres, it better work, and soon. As the St. Louis Cardinals visit San Diego for the first time since losing a playoff series, the Padres' roster has been diluted by several positive COVID-19 tests and as many as five regulars will miss the three-game series at Petco Park. A full-strength rematch will have to wait. But depth will be on display. San Diego Union-Tribune baseball writer Kevin Acee joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss with St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold the Padres, their big-spending ways, their big moves, and whether they're big enough to overcome the behemoth of the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers.</p> <p>The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>Former Cardinals reliever and current broadcaster Brad Thompson joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to talk about what he was thinking on the mound in 2009 as he faced the New York Mets captain David Wright after two of his teammates had been hit with pitches. The art of pitching inside and the gray area of sending a message is where this brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball begins. Thompson and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold also discuss some reasons for all of the bruises in baseball this season, and of course they touch on whether Albert Pujols, about to be released by the Angels, is fit for a reunion with the Cardinals. Thompson tells tales of being on the team when Pujols as at his peak. The 2021 Cardinals finding their footing and what they're missing is also explored. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>

<p>What are baseball fans, their interest set ablaze by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and the brawny dizzying home run race of 1998, supposed to think about a summer that was so electric at the time -- and so inauthentic in hindsight? That was a question sportswriter Joan Niesen, a St. Louis native who spent years writing for Sports Illustrated, set out to ask in her podcast 'Crushed.' What she found was how baseball players on the brink of the majors faced a similar, uncertain and nebulous question, and that Steroid Era's scar on the game is more complex than a few stars dragged before Congress. Niesen joins the Best Podcast in Baseball host and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the genesis of her podcast, the revelations from a former Cardinals farmhand who faced a common fork in his career -- to use PEDs, or not -- and her own personal reckoning with the summer that captivated her imagination as a baseball fan. 'Crushed' is a seven-part series produced by Religion of Sports and PRX and it is available wherever you find podcasts. So is BPIB. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. </p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>