Entering the AL East in 1977 the Blue Jays did not always play inside. Like most expansion teams they started slowly but won a World Series (actually 2 back to back) 16 years after their founding.  The Jays have had some HOFers and also some bizarre incidents in their history.  A fun team to root for and talk about! We've added a YouTube Channel.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

Entering the AL East in 1977 the Blue Jays did not always play inside. Like most expansion teams they started slowly but won a World Series (actually 2 back to back) 16 years after their founding.  The Jays have had some HOFers and also some bizarre incidents in their history.  A fun team to root for and talk about!  We've added a YouTube Channel.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Team Deep Dive #13 - Toronto Blue Jays - Ep. 421

The trading deadline has passed and for some teams making bold moves has brought their fans hope for the rest of the season and the playoffs. We talk about baseball mascots - the history, the oddity, and a few bizarre events involving well-known mascots. But we had to let our Mets angst out too and we recorded this the day before the end of the trading deadline so the sell-off of the Mets was not yet even complete. Now all Mets fans have is the future and Mr. and Mrs. Met. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  www.almostcooperstown.com

The trading deadline has passed and for some teams making bold moves has brought their fans hope for the rest of the season and the playoffs. We talk about baseball mascots - the history, the oddity, and a few bizarre events involving well-known mascots. But we had to let our Mets angst out too and we recorded this the day before the end of the trading deadline so the sell-off of the Mets was not yet even complete. Now all Mets fans have is the future and Mr. and Mrs. Met. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Baseball Mascots & Mets Hot Take - Ep. 420

Sean Forman

We admit that we're already addicted to the Immaculate Grid MLB. Now there's NFL, NBA and soon NHL!   It's hard and that's the cool thing!  We had a great time talking again with Sean Forman founder of Baseball Reference and Sports Reference who joined the podcast to talk about the acquisition of Immaculate Grid, how fast it came about and the opportunities for future development. To do it off the top of your head is the coolest thing but Sean said it's ok if you think of the player and use Baseball Reference to check whether he played somewhere or not! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

We admit that we're already addicted to the Immaculate Grid MLB. Now there's NFL, NBA and soon NHL!   It's hard and that's the cool thing!  We had a great time talking again with Sean Forman founder of Baseball Reference and Sports Reference who joined the podcast to talk about the acquisition of Immaculate Grid, how fast it came about and the opportunities for future development. To do it off the top of your head is the coolest thing but Sean said it's ok if you think of the player and use Baseball Reference to check whether he played somewhere or not! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

What's Next for Immaculate Grid? We're back with Sean Forman of Sports Reference! - Ep. 419

When your team is having a less than great season you start thinking about fall and winter sports earlier than when your team is doing well. With the Mets moribund season coming up on 2/3 thru, we're already looking ahead to what we will watch other than baseball while the regular season runs its course. Football training camps open this week, it seems hockey players are already sharpening their skates for a season that begins 2 1/2 weeks after the end of summer. Which of the 4 major U.S. sports (and soccer is gaining on hockey) pays its players the most?  The least? Which sport has the longest average career? We talk about all kinds of non-baseball-y stuff but fear not. We can't help ourselves when it comes to talking about baseball! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

When your team is having a less than great season you start thinking about fall and winter sports earlier than when your team is doing well. With the Mets moribund season coming up on 2/3 thru, we're already looking ahead to what we will watch other than baseball while the regular season runs its course. Football training camps open this week, it seems hockey players are already sharpening their skates for a season that begins 2 1/2 weeks after the end of summer. Which of the 4 major U.S. sports (and soccer is gaining on hockey) pays its players the most?  The least? Which sport has the longest average career? We talk about all kinds of non-baseball-y stuff but fear not. We can't help ourselves when it comes to talking about baseball! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

We demonstrate that we are fans of sports other than baseball - Ep. 418

We're joined by HOF expert &amp; baseball historian David Metter - @CooperstownDave if you follow him as we do.  One can gain entrance to the Hall of Fame by combining different aspects of their baseball contribution. For some it could be as a player and manager (Lou Piniella and Davey Johnson and eventually Dusty Baker).  For others like baseball executives and even umpires their contributions to the game are hall-worthy. There are only 10 umpires in the HOF and 22 managers.  Does Tommy John qualify based on the sum total of his excellent playing career and the being recipient  of the most famous 'baseball' surgery of all time? We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

We're joined by HOF expert &amp; baseball historian David Metter - @CooperstownDave if you follow him as we do.  One can gain entrance to the Hall of Fame by combining different aspects of their baseball contribution. For some it could be as a player and manager (Lou Piniella and Davey Johnson and eventually Dusty Baker).  For others like baseball executives and even umpires their contributions to the game are hall-worthy. There are only 10 umpires in the HOF and 22 managers.  Does Tommy John qualify based on the sum total of his excellent playing career and the being recipient  of the most famous 'baseball' surgery of all time? We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Rule B Candidates for the HOF are there to right the wrongs - Ep. 417

In a season full of changes there also have been a bunch of surprises. Like the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Not to mention the Mets, Padres, and Cardinals. The Braves continue to dominate and the Rays just find new ways to win.  We were wrong and it's Jon Gray not Sonny Gray is pitching for the Texas Rangers this season.  Gray areas always screw things up. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

In a season full of changes there also have been a bunch of surprises. Like the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Not to mention the Mets, Padres, and Cardinals. The Braves continue to dominate and the Rays just find new ways to win.  We were wrong and it's Jon Gray not Sonny Gray is pitching for the Texas Rangers this season.  Gray areas always screw things up. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Almost Cooperstown midseason report - Ep. 416

Met fans like us are still smarting from the 2015 loss in the World Series to those overachieving Royals.  Entering the AL as one of 2 expansion teams in the league in 1969 (the Seattle Pilots now Milwaukee Brewers was the other), the Royals got good fast with a winning record only 4 years after their birth and reaching the AL playoffs multiple times in their first 10 years.  Winning the 1985 World Series was also a glorious time for the Royals. But they've been bad more than they've been good and the present team is no exception. We talk about the best players in franchise history although their number one player is universally acknowledged as being HOFer George Brett. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

Met fans like us are still smarting from the 2015 loss in the World Series to those overachieving Royals.  Entering the AL as one of 2 expansion teams in the league in 1969 (the Seattle Pilots now Milwaukee Brewers was the other), the Royals got good fast with a winning record only 4 years after their birth and reaching the AL playoffs multiple times in their first 10 years.  Winning the 1985 World Series was also a glorious time for the Royals. But they've been bad more than they've been good and the present team is no exception. We talk about the best players in franchise history although their number one player is universally acknowledged as being HOFer George Brett. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Team Deep Dive #12 - Kansas City Royals - Ep. 415

We recorded on Father's Day weekend &amp; hope all the Dads had a great day!  It's interesting that MLB player father's almost always outperform their MLB player sons. Except for Barry Bonds &amp; Roberto Alomar at least!  It must be both amazing and challenging to grow up the son of a MLBer.  You get advantages but also compared each and every day!  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

We recorded on Father's Day weekend &amp; hope all the Dads had a great day!  It's interesting that MLB player father's almost always outperform their MLB player sons. Except for Barry Bonds &amp; Roberto Alomar at least!  It must be both amazing and challenging to grow up the son of a MLBer.  You get advantages but also compared each and every day!  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

MLB Fathers & Sons - Ep. 414

The 1st MLB All-Star game was played 90 years ago in 1933.  As it is today the American League played the National League.  The players really wanted to win the game since they were paid more if they did win and league supremacy was much more important than it is today.  Even if the MLB ASG is the best of the 4 major U.S. sports,  could it be made better by making a few changes?  90 years is a long time to do anything the same way!  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

The 1st MLB All-Star game was played 90 years ago in 1933.  As it is today the American League played the National League.  The players really wanted to win the game since they were paid more if they did win and league supremacy was much more important than it is today.  Even if the MLB ASG is the best of the 4 major U.S. sports,  could it be made better by making a few changes?  90 years is a long time to do anything the same way!  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Is the MLB All-Star game still worth playing? - Ep. 413

With more than a third of the 2023 MLB season played there's still hope for most of the teams to claim at least a Wild Card slot. Is being in 1st place June 1st a key to a guaranteed playoff spot?  Well mostly yes.  But as we've seen teams can even below .500 after May and still make the playoffs and even win or play in the World Series (Nationals, Braves, Phillies).   Are teams going to be buyers or sellers? Or neither?  WE talk about all that and more. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

With more than a third of the 2023 MLB season played there's still hope for most of the teams to claim at least a Wild Card slot. Is being in 1st place June 1st a key to a guaranteed playoff spot?  Well mostly yes.  But as we've seen teams can even below .500 after May and still make the playoffs and even win or play in the World Series (Nationals, Braves, Phillies).   Are teams going to be buyers or sellers? Or neither?  WE talk about all that and more.  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

If your team's not in 1st place June 1 it still might be ok - Ep. 412

We're a father &amp; son who love to talk and argue about Baseball! Since baseball began in the U.S and is the professional sport that has the longest history, there is a lot to talk about! We launched Almost Cooperstown by noting that baseball contains a long history of players that, for whatever reasons, have been shunned by the electors of the Hall of Fame. Thus there are many 'Almost' players still waiting their turn for induction. With less than 2% of the now more than 20,000 players in the HOF, we feel there should be more players included. In these podcasts we discuss the HOF as well as all topics related to the game we love to watch and talk about. Please send any messages to almostcooperstown@gmail.com

A question was posed from a listener - Nile A.  What does a baseball manager actually do?  Besides sit and watch the game?  Baseball has managers, Soccer has team managers, but football, basketball, and ice hockey all have coaches. Why are baseball team leaders called coaches until the players turn professional? We answer those and other questions related to 'what does a baseball manager do?'  Thanks for the fun question as we had fun talking about the various aspects of the baseball manager's job and how it's changed over the years. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  www.almostcooperstown.com

A question was posed from a listener - Nile A.  What does a baseball manager actually do?  Besides sit and watch the game?  Baseball has managers, Soccer has team managers, but football, basketball, and ice hockey all have coaches. Why are baseball team leaders called coaches until the players turn professional? We answer those and other questions related to 'what does a baseball manager do?'  Thanks for the fun question as we had fun talking about the various aspects of the baseball manager's job and how it's changed over the years. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating!  <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

What do baseball managers actually do? - Ep. 411

When it comes to doing a deep dive on our favorite team we could have spent hours. But we kept in mind that listeners may not love the Amazin's as much as we do.  We didn't even talk about the greatest managers in NY Met history. (Gil Hodges and Davey Johnson headline with Yogi, Bobby V, and TC right behind. You can hear the pain in our voices, and the hope! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

When it comes to doing a deep dive on our favorite team we could have spent hours. But we kept in mind that listeners may not love the Amazin's as much as we do.  We didn't even talk about the greatest managers in NY Met history. (Gil Hodges and Davey Johnson headline with Yogi, Bobby V, and TC right behind. You can hear the pain in our voices, and the hope!  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Team Deep Dive #11 - The New York Mets - Ep. 410

HOFer 'Candy' Cummings is credited with 'inventing' the curveball.  But as you'd expect a pitcher's fastball has almost always been the #1 pitch.  Pitchers throw more varieties of pitches today than ever before. They have to because hitters are so good!  We talk about how different the average pitcher arsenals are today versus 50, 100, and 150 years ago! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

HOFer 'Candy' Cummings is credited with 'inventing' the curveball.  But as you'd expect a pitcher's fastball has almost always been the #1 pitch.  Pitchers throw more varieties of pitches today than ever before. They have to because hitters are so good!  We talk about how different the average pitcher arsenals are today versus 50, 100, and 150 years ago! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Pitcher's arsenals are more formidable than ever - Ep. 409

As long as baseball has been played people have bet on the game and events during the playing of games.  Today we see updated betting lines posted during coverage of the games!  A far cry from when bets were made through a casino or a bookie!  We ask the question are baseball bettors real fans of the game? Do they watch the game the way non-betting fans do?  Betting on baseball is here to stay and will likely get even more reach.  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

As long as baseball has been played people have bet on the game and events during the playing of games.  Today we see updated betting lines posted during coverage of the games!  A far cry from when bets were made through a casino or a bookie!  We ask the question are baseball bettors real fans of the game? Do they watch the game the way non-betting fans do?  Betting on baseball is here to stay and will likely get even more reach.  We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Betting on Baseball keeps going further - Ep. 408

We start with the obvious 4 - Miguel Cabrera, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.  But Mike Trout is already in HOFer in our book. But how about Joey Votto? Zach Greinke?  Evan Longoria? Evan Longoria!!!?  Since Cabrera is retiring after this year and playing beyond this season is not certain with Kershaw, Votto, and Greinke, you do well to watch these players carefully as it may be for the last time! There are players who've played more than 8 MLB seasons that we talk about who are either on track and need more time to achieve HOF status,  We also discuss others that had a good start but kind of fizzled out. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

We start with the obvious 4 - Miguel Cabrera, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.  But Mike Trout is already in HOFer in our book. But how about Joey Votto? Zach Greinke?  Evan Longoria? Evan Longoria!!!?  Since Cabrera is retiring after this year and playing beyond this season is not certain with Kershaw, Votto, and Greinke, you do well to watch these players carefully as it may be for the last time! There are players who've played more than 8 MLB seasons that we talk about who are either on track and need more time to achieve HOF status,  We also discuss others that had a good start but kind of fizzled out. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Future HOF'ers & Almosts Playing This 2023 MLB Season - Ep. 407

Babe Ruth

Shohei Ohtani

Of course Shohei Ohtani would not have been able to play in the 1920s. The first Japanese-born player Masanori Murakari appeared in an MLB game in 1964.  And it might have been the same for Aaron Judge who is bi-racial but may have been deemed 'acceptable' 100 years ago. But we use our imaginations and wonder what Babe Ruth would have looked like (fitter and stronger) in 2023 vs. 1923. And Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani playing in the 1920's would not have them looking the way they do now using the training methods of that day! All three of them do things that have not been done before.  Babe Ruth did not bat the way he did AFTER he ceased pitching regularly.  Pitching and hitting at elite levels during the same season is unprecedented even if Babe Ruth led the league in 1918 with 11 homers while being a regular starting pitcher for the Red Sox. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

Of course Shohei Ohtani would not have been able to play in the 1920s. The first Japanese-born player Masanori Murakari appeared in an MLB game in 1964.  And it might have been the same for Aaron Judge who is bi-racial but may have been deemed 'acceptable' 100 years ago. But we use our imaginations and wonder what Babe Ruth would have looked like (fitter and stronger) in 2023 vs. 1923. And Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani playing in the 1920's would not have them looking the way they do now using the training methods of that day! All three of them do things that have not been done before.  Babe Ruth did not bat the way he did AFTER he ceased pitching regularly.  Pitching and hitting at elite levels during the same season is unprecedented even if Babe Ruth led the league in 1918 with 11 homers while being a regular starting pitcher for the Red Sox. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out a few kinks so bear with us.  Here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

What would become of Babe Ruth, Shohei Ohtani, & Aaron Judge if they switched eras? - Ep. 406

Established in 1962 (like the Mets) the Astros were originally the Houston Colt 45's and played in Colt Stadium. The Astrodome opened in 1965 as the self-proclaimed 8th wonder of the world.   The first 20+ years of the franchise did not go very well but since 1997 things have gone better and the 'Stros have only missed the playoffs once since 2015. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

Established in 1962 (like the Mets) the Astros were originally the Houston Colt 45's and played in Colt Stadium. The Astrodome opened in 1965 as the self-proclaimed 8th wonder of the world.   The first 20+ years of the franchise did not go very well but since 1997 things have gone better and the 'Stros have only missed the playoffs once since 2015. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Team Deep Dive #10 - Houston Astros - Ep. 405

Johnny Bench

Yogi Berra

Yadier Molina

We spent the entire episode calling him I-Rod without ever mentioning Ivan Rodriguez by name!  We didn't mention a few catchers like Carlton Fisk and Gary Carter who were close.  We also did not talk about Josh Gibson who may have been the best of all time?! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.comwww.almostcooperstown.com

We spent the entire episode calling him I-Rod without ever mentioning Ivan Rodriguez by name!  We didn't mention a few catchers like Carlton Fisk and Gary Carter who were close.  We also did not talk about Josh Gibson who may have been the best of all time?! We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a><a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Comparing careers of Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Ivan Rodriguez, & Yadier Molina - Ep. 404

Most baseball fans know the Dodgers have the most Rookies of the Year, 18, since the award now named for the 1st winner Jackie Robinson in 1947.  Jackie was the 1st Dodger with Cody Bellinger being the most recent. The Yankees are 2nd with 9.  Are some teams better at handling rookies? Is it an organizational thing? Or are some teams luckier than others. It's interesting that most of the teams with the most ROYs have been more consistently in contention than the others. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

Most baseball fans know the Dodgers have the most Rookies of the Year, 18, since the award now named for the 1st winner Jackie Robinson in 1947.  Jackie was the 1st Dodger with Cody Bellinger being the most recent. The Yankees are 2nd with 9.  Are some teams better at handling rookies? Is it an organizational thing? Or are some teams luckier than others. It's interesting that most of the teams with the most ROYs have been more consistently in contention than the others. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

Which teams handle Rookies best? - Ep. 403

All 30 MLB teams will play on Opening Day March 30 - the day this podcast drops! We were lucky to be joined by Michael Ortman  to talk about his book Opening Day 50-for-50, One fan, One game, A half century of baseball stories.  The history of what was going on at the time of each Opening Day in baseball is woven into his book in a very compelling way.  This season's Opening Day debuts new rules that will make watching baseball in 2023 faster and we think better. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the Almost Cooperstown channel.To learn more about the book visit Michael Ortman's website: https://www.openingday5050.com/Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! www.almostcooperstown.com

All 30 MLB teams will play on Opening Day March 30 - the day this podcast drops! We were lucky to be joined by Michael Ortman  to talk about his book Opening Day 50-for-50, One fan, One game, A half century of baseball stories.  The history of what was going on at the time of each Opening Day in baseball is woven into his book in a very compelling way.  This season's Opening Day debuts new rules that will make watching baseball in 2023 faster and we think better. We've added a YouTube Channel and are still working out our own kinks.  No videos yet but if you care to listen from YouTube here is the link to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLaaUg4_shytkZ22cvMM-g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost Cooperstown channel</a>. To learn more about the book visit Michael Ortman's website: <a href="https://www.openingday5050.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.openingday5050.com/</a> Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  You can also follow us on Twitter @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel.  If you can please give the podcast 4 or 5 star rating! <a href="http://www.almostcooperstown.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.almostcooperstown.com</a>

It's 2023 Opening Day!  Still as cool as it was 50 or more years ago! - Ep. 402

We're a father &amp; son who love to talk and argue about Baseball! Since baseball began in the U.S and is the professional sport that has the longest history, there is a lot to talk about! We launched Almost Cooperstown by noting that baseball contains a long history of players that, for whatever reasons, have been shunned by the electors of the Hall of Fame. Thus there are many 'Almost' players still waiting their turn for induction. With less than 2% of the now more than 20,000 players in the HOF, we feel there should be more players included. In these podcasts we discuss the HOF as well as all topics related to the game we love to watch and talk about. Please send any messages to almostcooperstown@gmail.com

Almost Cooperstown

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