Beyond the Scrum: The Baseball Stories We Didn't Write

To vote or not to vote for the Hall of Fame with C. Trent Rosecrans Jan 20, 2021

Marc and Andy are joined by the new president of the Baseball Writers Association of America, The Athletic's Reds reporter C. Trent Rosecrans. They debate some of the big topics facing the Hall of Fame and its voters including whether or not writers should be voting at all.

Marc and Andy also react to the Mets firing new general manager Jared Porter after he acknowledged sending explicit text messages to a female reporter in 2016.

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The Virtual Winter Meetings special with Mike Ferrin Dec 10, 2020

Mike Ferrin joins Andy and Marc for a celebration of the virtual Winter Meetings. They cover everything they would have in the lobby at the real Winter Meetings right here on the podcast.

-Surprisingly active free agency

-Updating the arbitration system

-The state of tanking

-The Phillies are a mess

-Checking in on Mike's D-backs

-When would today's worst GM have been baseball's best GM?

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Bill Plaschke talks Dodgers and 25 years of columns, Carig is loving the Cohen era of Mets baseball Nov 11, 2020

Marc and Andy weigh in on the early days of Steve Cohen's ownership of the Mets and how unrecognizable it is from the Wilpon era. Then L.A. Times columnist and Around the Horn regular Bill Plaschke joins the show to tell tales of 25 years as a sports columnist in Los Angeles. How does he continue to succeed in a sports journalism landscape dominated by Twitter. How 18 years on ESPN's Around the Horn has helped him in clubhouses and locker rooms. Bill and Andy share their story ledes if the Dodgers hadn't won the World Series.

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The Dodgers are champions, Cash's blunder and the return of Cora and Hinch Oct 28, 2020

Major League Baseball has a new champion and almost made it through the postseason without a major COVID-19 story. Andy and Marc discuss the Dodgers win over the Rays in what became a potential super-spreader event in Texas. The guys dig into Kevin Cash's decision to pull Blake Snell, attempting and failing to see both sides of the argument. Finally it's a look ahead to the offseason and the possible returns of Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch to the managing ranks.

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Clayton Kershaw is good, Mookie Betts is great, and the Rays can be tough to watch Oct 21, 2020

The World Series is underway and Marc and Andy dive into the key storylines between the Dodgers and Rays. A fresh look at the Clayton Kershaw narrative. The misery of Red Sox fans watching Mookie Betts shine this October. Every club has analytics, so what makes the Rays different? Marc also vows not to rant anymore... we'll see.

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Is the Astros championship window slamming shut? Oct 14, 2020

The Athletic's Astros reporter Jake Kaplan joins Marc and Andy to delve into the state of the Astros. Will they try to bring back George Springer? Should they shake up the roster to better separate themselves from the cheating scandal? Did Dusty Baker do a good job managing the team in 2020? The guys answer those questions and also debate the right time to ask Walker Buehler about his pants.

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What type of villain are the Astros, what's wrong with playoff openers and why is MLB allowing fans? Oct 07, 2020

Andy and Marc begrudgingly welcome back third mic Evan Drellich to the show to discuss why MLB is allowing fans at games, what to make of the Astros in this postseason, what J.A. Happ is so mad about and much more.

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David Wright opens up about his back injury the GQ shoot, and the time Carig burned him Sep 29, 2020

David Wright had to deal with Andy and Marc in the Mets clubhouse during his playing days and yet somehow they convinced him to join the podcast. He looks back on the highs and lows of his All-Star career in New York. Confronting Chase Utley after the controversial slide that injured Reuben Tejada. Battling back from the injury that eventually ended his career. What happened to the clothing from that GQ shoot with Jose Reyes and much more.

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Jorge Arangure on sports versus news and the most exciting team in baseball Sep 23, 2020

Jorge Arangure has covered sports for ESPN, the Washington Post and Vice. Now he's doing the news thing at the New York Times. He talks to Andy and Marc about his journey and his lasting love of the Padres. The guys also talk about what we can take from the 60-game season that is winding down and what they're looking forward to in the postseason.

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Grisham and Roberts Were Both Right and the End of an Era in Queens Sep 16, 2020

Steve Cohen has agreed on a deal to purchase the Mets and Andy and Marc weigh in on what it all means. Yes he's rich, but will he spend the right way to build a successful franchise. Also, how will the Wilpons be remembered. Then the guys dive into the debate surrounding Trent Grisham's home run pose and the Dodgers' reaction. Hint- Everyone can be right in this situation! The episode ends with some press box meltdown memories.

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The Yankees Stink, Plus James Fegan on the White Sox Who Are Good Sep 09, 2020

After some reflection on the best football books of all time (Friday Night Lights), Marc and Andy try to figure out why the Yankees are not a good baseball team. From injuries, to bad defense and fundamentals, the guys explain what drove Brian Cashman to visit Buffalo and how big a deal it is. Then The Athletic's White Sox reporter James Fegan joins the show to talk discuss the magic that's happening on Chicago's south side. James also opens up about his struggles going to high school on the north side as a White Sox fan and takes us inside the minds of Sox fans.

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Evan Drellich on Rob Manfred's five years as MLB commissioner Sep 02, 2020

Evan Drellich becomes the first two time guest on Beyond the Scrum. He takes Andy and Marc behind the scenes of his latest story on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. They discuss what kind of leader Manfred is, whether or not he loves the game, how baseball has failed with diversity and much more.

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The Small Sample Size Midseason Awards! Aug 26, 2020

Sure the season's only 60-games long. That's not stopping The Athletic's Marc Carig and Andy McCullough from handing out MLB Midseason Awards! (Yes, they included Trout) The guys also discuss if the season can be considered a success so far and what team should the Dodgers fear the most in the first round.

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Fernando Tatis Jr. & Unwritten Rules with Dennis Lin Aug 19, 2020

Marc and Andy welcome The Athletic's Padres reporter Dennis Lin to the show to make sense of the Twitter-storm around Fernando Tatis Jr.'s breaking of baseball's unwritten rules. The guys also dive into the origins of the unwritten rules and try to explain why they won't go away.

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Checking in on the Cardinals' Mess with Mark Saxon Aug 12, 2020

Cardinals beat writer Mark Saxon joins the show to talk with Marc and Andy about all the issues the Cardinals have faced the last two weeks. The team hasn't played since July 29 after a COVID-19 outbreak, and is now facing an uphill battle to play a true competitive season. Saxon fills us in with what's been happening on the ground, and where the team goes from here, on this episode of Beyond the Scrum.
Rundown
1:42 What's the State of Play in St. Louis?
3:13 Is There Any Clarity on Why This Happened?
4:41 Showing Restraint Amidst the Recklessness
7:23 The Hunt for Causation
10:21 A Tempting Fiction
13:42 The Responsibility of Organizations
17:35 Can the Cardinals Still Be Competitve?
18:34 Should They Shut Down Jack Flaherty?
21:42 How Many Games Do They Have to Play for Their Season to Be Legitimate?
26:18 What Happened with the Last Round of Positive Tests?
29:02 Do They Have Enough Arms to Get Through the Season?
34:15 How Are the Fans Handling This?
37:58 Covering a Team Going Through This
Follow Mark on Twitter: @markasaxon
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

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The Mets did it again, plus Matt Gelb talks Phillies Aug 05, 2020

Marc and Andy have both experienced the wonders of covering the Mets beat. That qualifies them to weigh in on the latest mess in Flushing as the club and Yoenis Cespedes part ways. Then The Athletic's Phillies reporter Matt Gelb joins the show to discuss everything going on with the team that went eight days without playing a game despite having no positive COVID-19 tests.

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Dusty Baker's Brilliance, Bad Baseball and the Marlins Outbreak Jul 29, 2020

Marc Carig and Andy McCullough "celebrate" the return of baseball. The guys explain why Dusty Baker's dugout and postgame comments about Joe Kelly and the Dodgers were brilliant (20:00). They consider the implications of the COVID outbreak with the Marlins (2:00) and bemoan the expanded playoffs and sloppy play on the field (30:00).

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In a big week for baseball David Roth joins the show! Jul 22, 2020

Talented writer, former Deadspin editor and optimistic Mets fan David Roth joins the show. The guys discuss at what moment they realized they were excited for the 2020 baseball season, why baseball owners don't join Twitch, who's high school has the most famous alumni and much more.

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Ranking Ballparks, Naming the Aces and Looking Ahead to Opening Day Jul 15, 2020

Andy has major problems with Marc's ballpark rankings and takes him to task (3:00). Then the guys name the aces of MLB and coming up with a shortlist of four current players (12:00). Finally the show dives into the dilemma fans face this season trying to cheer on their favorite team while also understanding the risks involved in playing (39:30).

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Howard Bryant on Bruce Maxwell, Baseball's Evolving Black Player Movement and more Jul 09, 2020

ESPN National baseball writer Howard Bryant joins the show to explain how his recent Bruce Maxwell story came together. Andy, Marc and Howard go on to discuss why African Americans have less and less of a presence in the sport, why the players are ready to dig in for the next labor negotiation and whether or not the 60-game season will be completed.Howard's story: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29414410/the-exile-oakland-bruce-maxwell-birth-mlb-black-player-movement

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Play Ball! (and prepare your grievance) Jun 25, 2020

MLB is ready to go but will we ever hear the words "Play Ball?" Andy and Marc have their doubts and dive into the problems the sport is still facing.1:45 - Players are ready to report as COVID-19 cases climb9:14 - Marc does NOT hate baseball!18:10 - Should baseball have gone with bubble plan?23:45 - The greatest World Series champs of all-time24:35 - Interview with union labor lawyer Eugene Freedman about potential union grievance, what went wrong, what went right and how could media better cover these negotiations.Follow Eugene on Twitter: @EugeneFreedmanFollow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarigFollow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough

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Former MLBPA Director of Communications Greg Bouris Joins the Show Jun 11, 2020

Rundown
1:28 How Did The Parties Get Here?
5:01 How Did the System Break Down?
11:06 Any Way the Relationship Could Become a Partnership?
15:43 Can the MLBPA Ever Stay Even with the Owners?
19:29 Was the Post-Strike Generation Unprepared for Something Like This?
24:11 Worried about What This Will Do to the Sport's Health?
27:08 Coverage of Owners vs. Players
31:35 The Fans' Stance
36:03 How MLBPA Educates a Diverse Membership
39:09 Do You Miss It?
43:52 We're Charlie Brown, They're Lucy
Follow Greg on Twitter: @bourisg
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough

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What Systemic Racism Looks Like in the Press Box Jun 04, 2020

Rundown
1:45 Facing Uneasy Truths
5:46 Marc's Experience as a Filipino-American Baseball Writer
10:37 A Personal Story from Marc
18:08 The Pernicious Influence of "Individualism"
21:52 How Systemic Racism Manifests Itself in Baseball Coverage
30:30 The Resource and Opportunity Gap
40:00 The Potential Gains Being Made in the Moment
44:47 Time to Re-Learn American History
48:03 Trent Rosecrans' Offer on Twitter

Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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Former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti on 2020 MLB Season Negotiations, Bizarre Trade Requests, Lee Elia, and More May 28, 2020

Rundown
0:58 Ned Colletti Joins the Show
4:30 The State of MLB's and MLBPA's Negotiations
10:17 Is This Really Going to Break Down over Money?
17:20 Bizarre Trade Discussions
21:05 What Hasn't Changed in the GM Game?
26:46 Irritations with the Media
32:23 Ned's Personal Story about Lee Elia's Famous Rant
40:35 At Peace with Not Being an MLB GM

Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get a 90-day free trial or 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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Ron Washington Stories, Life as a Musician on Tour, and more with Levi Weaver May 21, 2020

Rundown
1:02 Ron Washington Stories
3:02 MLB's Health and Safety Protocols for the 2020 Season
12:03 Levi's Stay-at-Home Experience
14:14 Levi's Unlikely Route to Covering Baseball for a Living
19:27 Songwriting Troubles and a Life in Music
27:46 Baseball Travel vs. Musician Travel
32:41 Empathizing with Players as Performers
37:33 Levi Explains, and Plays, 'Rank Five'
Follow Levi on Twitter: @ThreeTwoEephus
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough

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Rangers GM Jon Daniels on Good and Bad Trades, Changes in the Business, and More May 14, 2020

Rundown
0:49 Rangers GM Jon Daniels Joins the Show
3:14 Staying on Top of COVID-19 Developments
7:08 The Cliff Lee Trade
12:19 Lessons Learned from the Adrian Gonzalez/Chris Young Trade
17:05 How Different Was the Job a Decade Ago?
19:05 What Would You Tell The First-Year GM Version of Yourself
20:57 What Did That Version Have Right?

Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get a 90-day free trial or 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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The Mookie Betts Trade, the New-Look Red Sox, and Boston Sports Media with Jen McCaffrey May 07, 2020

Rundown
1:19 Marc's Bizarre Jeter-Era Yankees Draft
5:36 The Temperature of the Red Sox Fanbase
9:40 The Mookie Betts Trade
16:02 The Red Sox' Timeline for Contention
19:13 Why Letting Jon Lester Go Still Stings
24:07 Where is the Fanbase on Alex Cora?
27:10 Covering Sports in Boston
34:28 The Craziness of the '04 Summer
Follow Jen on Twitter: @jcmccaffrey
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

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Previous Lives, Baseball's 2020 Fate, and More with Evan Drellich Apr 30, 2020

Rundown
1:58 Evan Drellich Joins the Show
3:33 Memories from the Radio Days
8:03 Being on an Island in Major Sports Cities
11:00 Dealing with Teams as Beat Reporters
18:01 The Business of Baseball During the Pandemic
25:45 Can There Possibly be Minor League Baseball in 2020?
30:22 Covering the Player/Owner Economics Fairly
35:26 Missing the Regular Flow of Covering Baseball
41:45 One Last Trip Down Radio Memory Lane
Follow Evan on Twitter: @EvanDrellich
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get a 90-day free trial or 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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Richard Wang, the English-Language Voice of Taiwanese Baseball, Joins Beyond the Scrum Apr 23, 2020

Rundown
1:15 The Red Sox Get a Slap on the Wrist
4:18 The Culture of Cheating (or Gamesmanship) in Baseball
7:00 Power Dynamics and Playoff Shares
12:02 Baseball in Taiwan
14:08 Our Interview with Richard Wang
15:08 Richard's Experience with Sudden Worldwide Attention
20:02 Broadcasting in Your Second Language
24:30 Richard's Time in Boston
28:29 Introducing Taiwanese Baseball to the World
31:24 Games for the English-Speaking Audience
33:59 Talking Fubon Guardians
39:16 How to Find This Weekend's Games
42:20 The James Shields-Wil Myers Trade, and New Info on Old Stories
44:55 Marc's Diving Deep on Uniforms
46:25 Andy's 'Centerfield' Controversy

Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get a 90-day free trial or 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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The Players We Hope to See in 2020 Apr 15, 2020

Rundown
2:44 Marc Checked Out Taiwanese Baseball
6:35 The Arizona Plan is Probably MLB's Most Realistic
11:03 The Players We Want to See This Year
11:41 Andy on Yu Darvish
14:17 Marc on Nelson Cruz
17:39 Andy on Mookie Betts
19:57 Marc on Keston Hiura
21:25 The White Sox and Brewers
23:47 The Battle Between Good (A's) and Evil (Astros) in the AL West
25:04 Marc's Story on the Passing of New York Post Photographer Anthony Causi
32:22 Looking Back at the Last Month
35:30 Embracing Creativity
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get a 90-day free trial or 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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Is MLB's Arizona Plan Feasible? Apr 09, 2020

Rundown
2:38 Laying out the Arizona Plan
8:54 No Good Solution
13:31 Perspective from the Players
19:44 Taking the 2020 Season Seriously
25:40 Missing Sports
28:32 Baseball as a Companion
32:24 Is the Plan Feasible?
Follow Trent on Twitter: @ctrent
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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The Cubs, the Shutdown and Sports Writing with Sahadev Sharma Apr 01, 2020

Rundown
2:57 Where are the Cubs?
4:28 Sahadev's Shutdown Experience
6:18 The Cubs' Post-World Series Trajectory
10:43 Front Office Fallibility
15:20 Exploring the Nuance of a Dynasty That Wasn't
22:21 Why Were the Cubs Slow to Adjust?
26:05 Characterizing the Cubs' Spending
30:18 The Eventual Break with Joe Maddon
32:59 A Paean to David Ross
36:19 If David Ross Struggles as a Manager, It Will Be With...
39:08 Ross' Work with the Cubs' R&D Group
41:51 Sahadev's Unconventional Start in Sports Writing
46:07 What's Sahadev Working On?
Follow Sahadev on Twitter: @sahadevsharma
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

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Ken Rosenthal and the Surreality of the Moment Mar 24, 2020

Rundown
2:45 The Challenges of Covering Baseball Right Now
8:46 The Day Baseball Shut Down
13:19 What Does Ken Miss about Opening Day and the Game?
16:15 What it Was Like Being on the Same Beat as Tim Kurkjian
24:27 A New Project with Jayson Stark
28:10 Are People around the Game Bored?
32:07 Durability of Feature Stories
35:33 A Great Frank Robinson Story from Ken
Follow Ken on Twitter: @Ken_Rosenthal
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to get 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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Uncertainty Grips the World of Sports Mar 17, 2020

Rundown
2:17 What Can Sportswriters Provide in a Time Like This?
10:32 Marc's "Best Lineup Ever" Story
13:00 Breaking the MLB Routine
19:56 Andy's Working on a Poker Story
23:00 What's Marc Working On?
30:04 Things We Miss about Opening Day
38:39 Tom Brady Buries the Lede

Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to save 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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Coronavirus Shuts the Media Out of MLB Clubhouses Mar 11, 2020

Rundown
1:50 Importance of Clubhouse Access to All Stakeholders
11:17 Creating Relationships with Players
16:45 Giving Players Freedom Away from the Park
19:52 Can Baseball Afford to Limit Access?
22:21 A Game of 1 (Yes) or 0 (No)
27:33 Has MLB Given Barry Bonds Been a 'Death Sentence?'

Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to save 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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Welcome to Beyond the Scrum Mar 05, 2020

Rundown
2:34 What 'Beyond the Scrum' Is All About
10:07 The Value in Putting Microphones on Players
15:41 Working in Big Markets vs. Small Markets
21:15 The Art of the Post-Game Interview
24:42 Quizzing One Another on Their First Teams Covered
29:02 A-Rod on the Astros
Follow Andy on Twitter: @ByMcCullough
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcCarig

Go to theathletic.com/beyondthescrum to save 40% off a one-year subscription to The Athletic.

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