The Ringer MLB Show

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Hall of Fame Weekend and 'The Cooperstown Casebook' (Ep. 95) Jul 27, 2017

Show notes

On the eve of the Hall of Fame's annual induction ceremony, The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann bring on Sports Illustrated writer Jay Jaffe to discuss the future of Hall of Fame debates (06:00), how the Hall would be different if Jay could pick the plaques (12:00), several overlooked inductees and candidates (19:30), Adrián Beltré and the BBWAA's bias against third basemen (27:30), how the Hall should handle relievers (44:00), and Jay's new book, 'The Cooperstown Casebook' (48:00).

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Parity, Payroll, and Deadline Decisions (Ep. 94) Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss the injuries that forced Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg to leave their Sunday starts early (02:30), then bring on FiveThirtyEight editor and senior sportswriter Neil Paine to talk about the unusual eliteness of 2017's top teams (10:30), how to evaluate whether a team should buy or sell at the trade deadline (16:00), the teams with the toughest buy/sell decisions this season (38:30), the best matches between contending teams and expendable players (41:00), and the outlook for Aaron Judge (43:30).

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Trade Season Starts Early (Ep. 93) Jul 20, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about the Astros' funeral for Carlos Beltrán's glove (01:15), the problem with baseball humor (02:30), and why teams aren't waiting for the deadline to make moves (05:30). Then they round up the news from a busy baseball week, including: the Yankees–White Sox trade (08:30); Yoan Moncada's promotion (18:30); the battle to be Chicago's best-looking third baseman (20:45); the Carlos Correa injury (22:15); Kris Bryant's close call (22:00); the pros and cons of headfirst slides (22:30); the J.D. Martinez deal (and why Detroit didn't get more) (30:00); the changing tenor of trade analysis (37:30); Orioles trade rumors (41:30); the red-hot Dodgers and Dodger Stadium naming rights (43:30); what constitutes a blockbuster (47:30); and, for the first time in months, what Jerry Dipoto did (51:30).

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The Truth About (the Original) Ty Cobb (Ep. 92) Jul 17, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about Freddie Freeman's performance at third base so far (00:30), the Nationals' trade for Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson (02:00), and Matt Holliday's weekend baserunning adventure (06:15). Then, with "Ty Cobb" recently trending for a surprising reason, they talk to Charles Leerhsen, author of 'Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty,' about why the baseball legend was not the cruel, cutthroat racist he's widely believed to be (12:00), how that misconception started (26:30), and what we can learn from how hard it's been to debunk Cobb's bad reputation (49:30).

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The Quintana Trade and the Most Fascinating Rest-of-Season Storylines (Ep. 91) Jul 13, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about an All-Star idea (01:00) and the Cubs–White Sox José Quintana trade (04:30), then discuss several stories that are foremost on their minds as the All-Star break comes to a close, including close pennant races (13:30), the staying power of some early-season surprises (and some slow starters' comeback potential) (34:00), who'll do what at the trade deadline (40:30), and the competition for the most valuable individual season (51:00).

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Explaining the Unlikeliest All-Stars (Ep. 90) Jul 10, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann bring on a series of writers (including Eric Stephen, Rustin Dodd, Dan Hayes, Andrew Stoeten, and Zach Buchanan) to explain the anomalous seasons of five veterans who are making their first trips to the All-Star Game: Alex Wood (04:15), Jason Vargas (15:15), Avisaíl García (28:00), Justin Smoak (40:30), and Zack Cozart (53:00). In the process, they also discuss the trade-deadline outlooks of the Dodgers, Royals, White Sox, Blue Jays, and Reds.

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Tyler Flowers, Framing, and the Robot Umps Debate (Ep. 89) Jul 06, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about All-Star selection philosophies (1:10) and then tee up Ben’s conversation with Braves catcher Tyler Flowers, an elite pitch framer who’s transformed himself offensively and has, by one measure, been one of the most valuable players in baseball this season (10:25). Then, they discuss whether Flowers’s framing skill is good or bad for baseball (36:55), the obstacles that still stand in the way of a computerized strike zone (42:35), and whether they’re pro-robot umps (45:00).

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Let the Trade Talk Begin (Ep. 88) Jul 03, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann bring on Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports to talk about the likely (and unlikely) buyers and sellers at this month's MLB trade deadline (01:00), what the contenders can do to address their weaknesses (13:00), the best bats and arms available (31:00), the impact that the massive 2018-19 free-agent classes could have on the market throughout the next year (45:00), and the latest on Japanese superstar Shohei Otani's MLB ETA (48:00).

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The First-Half Draft (Ep. 87) Jun 29, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss the Cubs' decision to DFA Miguel Montero (00:30) and the end of the College World Series (06:30), then draft 10 of their favorite stories from the first half of the 2017 regular-season schedule (plus honorable mentions) and forecast how they'll hold up over the rest of the season (10:00).

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The Dodgers, the Freeze, and Julio Urías (Ep. 86) Jun 26, 2017

Show notes

The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss a wild Dodgers win and the surprising longevity of weak-hitting Michael Martínez (05:30), then talk to superhero/sprinter/Braves grounds crew member Nigel Talton (a.k.a. "the Freeze") about becoming a between-innings phenomenon at SunTrust Park this season (09:30). Lastly, they bring on orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Dugas to discuss the season-ending injury to Dodgers phenom Julio Urías (25:15), the prognosis for his career and return (28:00), and why shoulder injuries have become less common among major league pitchers (32:30).

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