Talking About Birds: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

On this very special episode, Nate and Ben are joined by Akira O'Connor to discuss his trip to London to watch the Cardinals play in the very famous, very well known, Trafalgar Square. Nate and Ben also discuss the recent Ken Rosenthal piece, how the Cardinals should handle the trade deadline, what to do with Tyler O'Neill, the upcoming series against the Yankees, the upcoming series against the Marlins, and Nate tries to debut a new segment.

We are good at planning, and this week it shows! Ben is hosting SOLO as Nate is out of town (or is he?). Ben discusses Jordan Walker's return and his excellence, the continued confusion of Edman in Center, Dylan Carlson's return, Lars Nootbaar's return, the upcoming series in London, and much more!

It's bad, man. Real bad. But, is there still reason for optimism? Can the Cardinals pull themselves out of the basement and compete in a terrible division? Is a resurgent Arenado, Donovan, and Montgomery enough to get the team going again? Should the Cardinals sell, buy, or do a bit of both? We are nearing the halfway point of one of the worst Cardinal seasons in memory, but don't worry, we still have a ton of very real, normal, bird facts to talk about! Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon! www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds

The Cardinals are struggling again, but Jordan Walker IS BACK. What should the Cardinals do with their roster? What is your sparkbird? Luken Baker is Luken Baker-ing! Carlson is coming back, but what should the outfield actually be? Flaherty and Mikolas are looking good (whew) but is that enough? If the Cardinals are "moving talent," who do they move? It's rough out there right now for Cardinals fan, but maybe some interesting facts can lighten the mood?!?!

The 19 day stretch of games has come to end and the Cardinals are in a better place, though that may still be barely above last place. Still, with Mikolas and Flaherty starting to turn it around and the offense staying strong, it's hard not to feel at least a little optimistic about the team. Of course, the shitty division helps. Is Knizner the captain now? Will Contreras get it going again? How long will Liberatore stay in the rotation? What do we do with Waino? It's June, the Cardinals are in 4th place, but their pythag hints at better things to come!

Is Paul DeJong for real, for real? What can we reasonably expect from Oscar Mercado? What the heck are the Cardinals doing with Matthew Liberatore? Why are they so good at messaging, all the time? LUKEN BAKER IS KING AND CHANDLER REDMOND IS LUKEN BAKERING. How good is Nolan Gorman? Will he continue this absurd production? Spoilers: It sure seems like it! The Cardinals are slowly dragging themselves out of the basement of the NL, and as always we've got a ton to talk about! Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon! www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds

Is it too soon to call this a turnaround? Are the Cardinals back? What will we see from Jack Flaherty going forward? How lucky are we that the NL Central is straight trash? How long will we see Mercado in the majors? The Cardinals are on a bit of a heater, and Daniel Shoptaw (@c70) joins to break it all down!

The losing streak may be over, but has the losing actually stopped? Is Busch Stadium ripping us off? What are the odds of the Cardinals still making the playoffs? Should Hicks still be on the team? What the fuuuuuu is going on with the front office and could they have handled this situation any more poorly? How many roster moves will it take before this team is good? Can the Cardinals continue turning it around in Boston, or at home against the Brewers? Times are tough, but there is still a lot of baseball to play!

Nate & Ben are back from the fishing trip and ready to dig in to another week of mediocre baseball. How annoying are the new ads on the jersey? Is Mike Shannon the GOAT? Why did the Cardinals send down Jordan Walker? Do they have an actual plan? Can Zack Thompson and Matthew Liberatore save the rotation, or what's left of it? Why is Arenado slumping so hard, and how can he turn it around? Is the pitching bad, unlucky, or both? With an upcoming series against the struggling Tigers and the upswing Cubs, the Cardinals need a turnaround, and they need it fast.

Paul DeJong is back and will his new approach stick? Waino is returning, can he pull us out of this slump? Jordan Walker is struggling (kinda), whats next for him? Is Genesis back for good, and what does this mean for the bullpen? How excited are you for the Nolan Gorman breakout? Ben is back from Coachella, we have a fishing tournament coming up, and the Cardinals are playing terribly - let's talk about it!

Can the Cardinals bad luck offense turn it around? Is the pitching also facing just a bunch of bad luck? Would we care so much if this was the middle of the season? Are you scared of birds, especially those that fly? What's your velo? Will the Mariners and Giants series go better? Kelsey Burd (@kburdtweets, Host of Peace, Love, and Baseball & Babe's Babes) joins (from her original Busch II seats) to discuss these things and much more! Note: The sound issues era continues as Nate's daughter cries loudly in the background during parts of the episode. But, you wouldn't get mad a baby, would you?!?!?

NOTE: This episode was recorded live and in person, so the sound is a bit off at times. Thanks for your understanding!The uneven pitching continues but the offense is looking up. How long can Jordan Walker keep this up? Is Flaherty turning a corner? Is Montgomery the best pitcher in the rotation? Will our Gormania ever calm down? Do we even want that? Is Nate going to survive the rest of the trip in Denver? Why is this town so close to the sun? We talk about our time in the speed cage at Coors Field and much, much, more!

Week one of the 2023 season is in the books and it's almost exactly as we expected. The offense is good! The pitching might be a problem! Walker is great! O'Neill is in a fight with Marmol? UGH. The Braves and the Blue Jays were a tough way to start the season, but will the Brewers and Rockies be any easier? How fast can Nate and Ben throw a pitch? Baseball!

BASEBALL IS BACK! WE DID IT! YOU DID IT! Happy Opening Day everyone! Is Jordan Walker the best player in baseball? Should we reset expectations on how good Walker will be? NO. How excited for Woodford are you? Will Mikolas retire a Cardinal? How long before Yepez (we say Yay-pez) gets another shot? How will the Cardinals do against such a strong opening set of teams? We breakdown the upcoming series and generally freak out about the start of the 2023 season, and much more!

Is the World Baseball Classic the best thing to happen to baseball, ever? Is Jake Woodford finally getting some respect? How good is Shaq at making chicken? Will the Brewers keep it close in the NL Central this year? The WBC is over, Japan is king, and the regular season is about to start!

Did the Cardinals just make room for Jordan Walker? Why let Pacheco go? Will team USA advance to the next round of the WBC? How much fun are Arenado, Goldy, Waino, and the rest of the Cardinals having? Could the Cubs be good this year? The WBC is going strong, Spring Training is nearing an end, and we are getting ready for REAL BASEBALL!!!

Is Lars Nootbaar having the best offseason of all time? Will Ohtani take his pepper grinder to STL? Do we dare to dream? Besides Jordan Walker, who else has impressed this Spring? Are all of these power explosions real? We discuss these questions, continue our coverage of the NL Central, and begin our coverage of the WBC!

Is the pitch clock creating a better experience? Is CB Bucknor a petty coward? Is Donovan a power threat? Can we find a way to relax a bit about Jordan Walker? NO. NO WE WON'T. Box scores are piling up and Spring Training is fully underway as we begin a new segment breaking down every NL Central team, and try, try, try to not overreact too much to the early results... EXTEND JORDAN WALKER!!!

Spring training has started and we have a full week of news! It's the podcasts 1 year anniversary! Tyler O'Neill is somehow even more buffed out of his mind, pitchers are bringing in new pitches, and we have our first Best Shape of his Life report. Could it get any better than that? Should baseball change its arbitration system? (YES). Are we super excited that Rolen chose STL as his hat for the HOF? (YES) Are we weirded out by Emo Night at Busch? (YES) Baseball!

BASEBALL PLAYERS ARE DOING BASEBALL ACTIVITIES. The Cardinals have a sudden abundance of Beef Boys™ and we are ready to see how they do in 2023. How does everyone feel about the Mozeliak trade? Who are we excited about this Spring, and should we believe Oliver Marmol when he says it's an open competition? Will the Cardinals put a TAB logo on their jerseys? Is Bally Sports dead, and why is that a good thing? We're about to have actual box scores to talk about, and it's time to get ready for the 2023 season!

What should the Cardinals do with Paul DeJong? Can they survive without him? Why does it seem suddenly like he is a very important part of 2023? How has this podcast made it to episode #50? Should we stop doing it? How much more can we complain about Chip Caray? What is going on with Bally Sports? Daniel Shoptaw (@C70) joins this week to discuss these topics and much more as we inch towards the 2023 season!

Nate & Ben discuss the fact that baseball is starting,SOON, the WBC, Willson Contreras, rooting for TEAM USA USA USA, top prospects lists, being hyped about Walker, Winn, Hence, and Graceffo, the Cardinals mediocre off-season, the new rules, Jazz, how dumb the Rockies are, and much more!

Nate & Ben discuss theater popcorn, Alamo Drafthouse, Scott Rolen and what hat he should wear, Chip Carey and the problems with hating your own sport, the ZIPS projections and how they project the 2023 Cardinals, The Royals, baseball movies, and much more! Talking About Birds is supported on Patreon. Join our Patreon and join our private Discord server! www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nate & Ben discuss all the various Winter Warm Up interviews, the DeWitts telling everyone they won't spend more money, Mozeliak making a very pedantic point about spending more money, Arenado's decision to stay, Paul DeJong's leg kick, Matt Holliday resigning and the Joe McEwing hire, the WBC, all the exciting no-roster invitees, the bevy of international signings, Tommy Pham's continued revenge tour, and much more!

Nate & Ben discuss David Lynch films/TV, Jack Flaherty, the Marlins and their depth of great pitching, Jim Bowden and the no good very bad tweet, Edwin Rios/Tyler Naquin, Aaron Goldsmith, Correa (at home with the Twins!), love to Liam Hendriks, and much more!

Nate & Ben discuss the New Years, TEQUILA!, Bollywood, Lars Nootbaars hot offseason, the pros and cons of bat speed, Drive Line, the Cardinals broadcaster situation, the City Connect jerseys, vexillology, the dumb Braves and their amazing lineup, the Cubs, Rich Hiil (dick mountain), Trevor Bauer (ugh), and much much more!

Nate & Ben discuss Chris Sale, Correa, Profar, La Stella, and a bunch of other stuff that won't matter as much as BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL. Check out the wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_Baseball for more info.

Nate & Ben discuss watching crazy baseball movies (join us next week as we watch Battlefield Baseball!), the Rodon deal, the current remaining starting pitching, the trade market, acquiring a relief pitcher (or two), the Cubs recent moves, bird names, and much more!

Nate, Ben, and Kyle discuss the Sean Murphy trade, the Willson Contreras signing, the Cardinals approach to the trade market and free agency, the rule 5 draft, hyped and unhyped prospects, large men and children, Arby's, Jim Beam advent calendars, all the recent moves across the league, and much much more!

Nate & Ben discuss Aaron Judge, Willson Contreras, next steps, Zuniga, Rodon, who else plays catcher, Herrera, Knizner, John Mozeliak's muppety tenor, the NL Central, the biggest moves so far, and so much more!

Nate & Ben discuss the upcoming winter meetings, the Thanksgiving holiday, trading for Jesse Winker, the best parts of the 2022 season, the worst parts, and everything in between!

Nate & Ben discuss Thanksgiving, Goldy winning the MVP, Pujols winning Comeback Player, Alex Reyes :( :( :(, Stratton, Mercado, NOOTBAAR and the WBC, Maddux joining the Rangers (???), the starting rotation and Quintana, the Angel's surprisingly smart start to the offseason, ownership collusion, and much more!

Nate & Ben discuss adopting stray cats, Connor Thomas, Platinum Arenado, Donovan, Jordan Walker, the catcher position, adding more outfielders, and all the various moves that have happened around the league. Also, a familiar aquatic foe returns!

Nate & Ben discuss hating the Astros because they cheated, hating the Astros because of long held rivalries, hating the Astros because of tanking, hating the Astros because of the Correa/Luhnow shenanigans, hating the Astros because they are a dynasty, and also a whole bunch of other interesting Cardinal news and updates!

Nate & Ben discuss scary movies, the Oscars, Nolan Arenado's contract, what the Cardinals should do with the extra cash, lol at the Rockies, Donovan's Gold Glove, Edman's deserved Gold Glove, the Phillies surprising (and fun) continued run, Dusty Baker, semi-robo umps, and much more!

Nate & Ben discuss Skip Schumaker's new job, Arenado's upcoming decision, Waino's return, the gold glove nominations and who should/will win, the World Series, how the Phillies could win, climbing slippery streetlights, and much more!

Nate and Ben discuss Bruce Sutter (RIP), finish the climactic conclusion to the Heroes and Hatchlings draft, Waino's return, Arenado's contract situation, Albert's new girlfriend, Yadi coaching, Flores/Girsch extension, the catcher market, starting pitching, the current playoffs, and so much more!

Nate & Ben discuss the shocking ending to their Heroes and Hatchlings game, the true flukiness of game one, Quintana's great start, Yepez' big moment, questionable Marmol decisions, game two and the incredibly boring offensive output, Harper's dinger, Goldy's struggles, March predictions, Periwinkle Van Winkle, and much much more.

Nate & Ben discuss the end of the season, the Brewers (lol), the strengths/weaknesses of the Phillies, the Cardinals rotation, the lineup, Albert Pujols, the terrible schedule, frustration with day playoff games, the terrible broadcast booth, Gallegos exciting contract, the AL playoff bracket, and much more!

Nate and Ben discuss the 2022 NL Central Champion St. Lous Cardinals, Pujols 700th home run, Arenado and Goldy, Quintana, Monty, Waino, Mikolas, the playoff rotation, injury updates, Aaron Judge, and try to remember the 2019 Cardinals.

Nate and Ben celebrate Ben's recent wedding, talk about the Gorman demotion and its implications, the return of Yay-Pez!, O'Neill's frustrating season, Bader's return, Jordan Hicks tired arm, Matz' return, the outfield dilemma, old man Waino, immaculate Helsley, the playoffs, and much more!

Nate and Ben discuss Albert Pujols making history, Quintana's success, Monty's success, the Cardinals approach to pitching, Yadi, Tommy, and Donovan's success, Alec Burleson, the new rules, and famous baseball wives.

Nate & Ben discuss Helsley's new hellish intro, Jack Flaherty's exciting return, Jordan Hicks and his slider, the return of Matz and what to do with him, Dak Hudson's strong start, ALL THE PITCHERS ARE PITCHING WELL, speedy Ben DeLuzio, Waino and Yadi on the cusp of history, the AL Central, AL MVP, the MLBPA, Kimbrel, and much much more!

Nate, Ben, and guest Daniel Shoptaw (@C70, Meet Me at Musial, Gateway to Baseball Heaven) discuss the recent series against the Cubs, the series against the Braves, Tater Tots, Lars Nootbars breakout, Tyler O"Neill's return to form, Wainwright's big night at the mic and on the mound, Carlson's struggles, Albert's chase, Flaherty's return, and much more!

Nate & Ben discuss the Machine, Knizner, Dickerson, Fiery Oli Marmol, Jordan Montgomery, Bader, the Cardinals run differential and pythag record, TJ McFarland, Yadi's great escape, the Dodgers, and so much more!

Nate and Bend discuss Nolan Arenado's MVP candidacy and offseason plans, Edman's decline, the series against the Rockies (ugh), the series against the Brewers (woop!), Ryan Helsley!, Montgomery, the Brewers and their offensive collapse, Jack Flaherty's imminent return, Tink Hence and Alec Burleson, TLR's sleepy approach, and much more!

Nate & Ben are joined by Tara Nichols (Birds on the Black, Gateway to Baseball Heaven) discuss a dumb watermelon challenge, the FIRST PLACE ST LOUIS CARDINALS, the very strange Hader trade, the Cardinals boring/predictable/bad/good trade deadline, Matt Carpenter's return to Busch, Paul DeJong's triumphant comeback, Quintana. & Montgomery's early impact, and much much more!

Nate & Ben discuss the Juan Soto trade, Mozeliak's approach, the additions to the rotation, Bader, the Brewers strange move and the rest of the NL Central, the Rockies (lol), Vin Scully (RIP), and much more!

Nate & Ben discuss heroics in Chicago, the Arenado/Goldschmidt situation, Yadi's return, Matz' injury, the uncertainty of the rest of the IL, the upcoming trade deadline and WHY THE CARDINALS SHOULD TRADE FOR SOTO, adding pitching, the recent HoF inductees, and so much more! Also, Ben fights off a familiar aquatic foe.

Nate and Ben talk baseball movies, the home run derby, Albert's cry for help, the JRod Show, Juan Soto and why he should be a Cardinal, Juan Soto and why he won't be a Cardinal, the All Star game, and the college heavy draft.