Ringer staff writer Michael Baumann is joined by Zach Kram to examine the impact of Robinson Cano testing positive for a banned diuretic, from how the 80-game suspension will hurt this year's Mariners to how it could hurt Cano's Hall of Fame chances (02:00). Then Ringer editor-at-large Bryan Curtis joins the podcast to talk about the Supreme Court's landmark ruling on sports betting, how it reflects on baseball's colorful history with gambling, and how it might change the way we talk about the g...
May 15, 2018•46 min•Ep. 135
Ringer staff writer Michael Baumann starts this week's show by joining Zach Kram to stare at the Braves' young stars in slack-jawed awe (01:55). He then talks Yankees-Red Sox and the star qualities of Luis Severino and Mookie Betts with Paolo Uggetti (22:25) before asking Ben Lindbergh if Clayton Kershaw is still the best pitcher in baseball (37:08). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 08, 2018•55 min•Ep. 134
Ringer staff writer Michael Baumann wanted to talk to Zach Kram about the dominant Arizona Diamondbacks, but fittingly, the Dodgers overshadowed their rivals again by announcing that star shortstop Corey Seager is out for the season (03:00). Then he talks about Gerrit Cole's impressive April with Ringer editor Ben Glicksman (19:30), and Ben Lindbergh gives his thoughts on Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius's power surge (33:45). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
May 01, 2018•53 min•Ep. 133
Ringer staff writer Michael Baumann is joined by Zach Kram to talk about baseball's holy trinity leading the league in homers (02:00). Then, Rodger Sherman shares his proposal for what should happen to teams that get no-hit (20:30), and Ben Lindbergh breaks down the early AL favorites (32:30) and explains how throwing strikes ain't all it's been cracked up to be (44:30). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 24, 2018•51 min•Ep. 132
Ringer staff writer Michael Baumann is joined by Zach Kram to discuss the upside-down NL East (01:15) and NL Central races (10:00) then marvels at the Angels' hot start with Ben Lindbergh (21:15). Finally Ringer senior editor and staff contrarian Ryan "O'Headline" O'Hanlon joins the pod to talk about whether pitch framing is dishonorable (37:30) and whether Aaron Judge is still the worst player in baseball (46:15). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 18, 2018•52 min•Ep. 131
The Ringer's Michael Baumann talks to Zach Kram about the 8-1 Mets (01:45), then brings in Ben Lindbergh to marvel at Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani's stellar week (16:00). Finally, Bill Simmons drops by to talk about Ohtani's unique star potential (30:45), the Red Sox (46:30), and the story lines that could make this regular season one to remember (53:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 10, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 130
The Ringer's Michael Baumann talks to Chris Ryan about rookie Phillies manager Gabe Kapler's creative bullpen use (01:00). Then he brings in Zach Kram to talk about Shohei Ohtani's debut(s) (16:00) and Sean Yoo to talk about the Yankees' return to Evil Empire status (28:15), before Ben Lindbergh closes with the Astros' new-look rotation (38:00) and the awkward timing of Yuli Gurriel's suspension (47:00). You can find the official Ringer merch store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop Learn more about...
Apr 03, 2018•53 min•Ep. 129
Ringer writer Michael Baumann examines the Vegas win total over/unders for all 30 teams, featuring Zach Kram on the AL West (02:00) and NL Central (14:00), Claire McNear on the NL East (23:30) and NL West (29:45), and Ben Lindbergh on the AL Central (37:30) and AL East (44:15). You can find the official Ringer merch store here: http://bit.ly/ringershop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 27, 2018•55 min•Ep. 128
HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons links up with Jack-O to get ready for the 2018 baseball season by checking up on whom the Yankees have in their outfield (2:46) and surveying the starting lineup (13:40) before wrapping up the show with some spring 2018 prop bets (26:02). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 22, 2018•35 min•Ep. 127
The Ringer's Michael Baumann kicks off the 2018 baseball season by needling Mallory Rubin about Manny Machado's future in Baltimore (01:15) and chatting with Zach Kram about the unique problems that Shoehei Otani poses for fantasy baseball (08:30). Then Sean Fennessey joins the show to discuss the confusing and frustrating Mets (22:00) and Ben Lindbergh closes out the show with free-agency talk (34:30). Read Claire McNear's article on the future of Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals here:...
Mar 20, 2018•52 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann catch up with a wave of early-offseason moves, including a quintet of managerial hirings and the emergence of a new model of manager (06:00), the players association's perplexing stance on Shohei Otani (27:30), the opt-in decisions of a trio of pitchers (and the extension of Justin Upton) (39:00), potentially era-ending option decisions regarding Andre Ethier, Ichiro Suzuki, and Jose Bautista, and the Yasmani Grandal trade market (49:00). Learn more...
Nov 06, 2017•1 hr 1 min
The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss Game 7 of the World Series, dwelling on the Dodgers’ lack of timely hitting, Yu Darvish’s Series struggles, the argument that Clayton Kershaw should have started Game 7 instead, and how the Astros-Dodgers battle stacks up historically. Then they talk about the effectiveness of (and backlash to) tanking, how hard it is to win titles, whether teams can still become dynasties in baseball today, and how the Astros and Dodgers set up for the futu...
Nov 02, 2017•57 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss the story lines and hangover from a historic World Series Game 5, including home runs and slick balls (04:30), Clayton Kershaw's renewed postseason struggles (11:30), bad (and depleted) bullpens (14:00), a series of incredible comebacks and unlikely events involving baseball's best teams and biggest stars (24:00), and Yuli Gurriel's deferred suspension (31:30). Then they bring on colleague and brand-new baseball writer Shea Serrano to discus...
Oct 30, 2017•1 hr
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann go deep on Game 2 of the World Series, a classic tilt between the Astros and Dodgers. They dissect Dave Roberts's fateful decision to pull starter Rich Hill after four innings (02:45), then draft their favorite moments from the game (13:00), from the eight home runs (16:00) to the bat flips (18:00) to a series of bizarre outfield deflections (27:30). They conclude by discussing the Yankees' controversial decision to part ways with manager Joe Girard...
Oct 26, 2017•55 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann close the book on the championship series by reviewing the Astros' incredible curveball usage (and bullpen avoidance) in ALCS Game 7 (02:45), tipping their caps to the vanquished Cubs and Yankees (14:00), and discussing their top reasons to be excited about the World Series and explaining why the Dodgers-Astros matchup seems so even (21:00). They finish by reflecting on the dismissal of Dusty Baker and the managerial moves of the Mets, Tigers, and R...
Oct 23, 2017•1 hr 1 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann break down both championship series, starting with the Yankees' comeback from an 0-2 deficit to take a 3-2 lead over the Astros (05:00), the resurgence of Aaron Judge and Gary Sánchez (08:00), the atmosphere at Yankee Stadium (15:45), misleading momentum (19:30), and the Astros' issues on offense and in the bullpen (21:00). Then they discuss how the Dodgers have outplayed the Cubs en route to a 3-1 series lead (38:00) and how the Cubs saved themselv...
Oct 19, 2017•1 hr 1 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss Ben's furtive baseball-watching on his wedding weekend (02:00), then break down both of the 2-0 championship series (05:00), beginning with the brilliance of Astros starters Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander (12:00), the riveting tag team of José Altuve and Carlos Correa (21:30), the exciting send-off Altuve gave Game 2 (25:00), and the offensive struggles of Aaron Judge and Gary Sánchez (27:30), and ending with the heroics of Yasiel Puig ...
Oct 16, 2017•58 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann marvel at a sick Stephen Strasburg's brilliant performance in Game 4 of the NLDS (02:00) and condemn the macho culture that questioned his character before the start (10:00). Then they analyze the Yankees' unlikely recovery to beat Cleveland after trailing 2-0 in the ALDS (25:30), preview the Astros-Yankees ALCS (35:00), salute the three teams eliminated from the playoffs this week (48:30), and reflect on the firing of former Red Sox skipper John Fa...
Oct 12, 2017•58 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann break down the weekend's playoff action, starting with Joe Girardi's curious relationship with the challenge and Aaron Judge's untimely slump (02:00), then David Price's emergence as Boston's only trustworthy pitcher (23:00) and Jose Altuve's .700-plus batting average (32:45). Then they wrestle with Clayton Kershaw's playoff reputation (37:45), whether Arizona is good enough to come back from a 2-0 deficit (42:00), and Joe Maddon's bullpen managemen...
Oct 09, 2017•53 min
The Ringer’s Mallory Rubin and Ryan O’Hanlon present the casual fan’s guide to baseball playoffs by explaining what they look forward to most in October (2:10). Plus, they are joined by The Ringer’s resident Cubs fan Robert Mays to chat about his team’s chances of repeating as the World Series champions (50:19). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 06, 2017•1 hr 5 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk about their takeaways from the Yankees' and Diamondbacks' lengthy and eventful wins in the wild-card games, focusing on how those games may have given us a glimpse at what's in store for the rest of the playoffs (02:00). Then they preview all four division series matchups, with prop bets and predictions (13:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Oct 05, 2017•55 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann celebrate the extension of Clayton Kershaw's ERA reduction streak (01:00), then bring on their colleague Zach Kram for a wide-ranging playoff preview, including thoughts on wild-card game formats and strategy (10:30), the lopsided nature of this year's wild-card matchups (22:15), whether there's such a thing as a way to win in the playoffs (25:00), which relievers and bullpens are best suited for heavy playoff workloads (32:00), which teams might be...
Oct 02, 2017•53 min
The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about Michael’s blasts-from-the-past Diamond Mind draft (0:20) and the White Sox broadcast crew’s beliefs about batting around (2:50), then discuss the evolution of BBWAA awards voting (0:00), why some of this season’s awards races are too close to call (5:35), and which players they would pick for MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year (11:10). Later, they bring back baseball historian, writer, and podcaster Steven Goldman to discuss ex-playe...
Sep 28, 2017•53 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about the Nationals' 'Game of Thrones' cosplay (02:00), the Angels' possible salary manipulation (03:30), and the Rockies-Brewers wild-card race (07:00). Then they talk to Yahoo Sports columnist Jeff Passan about Oakland catcher Bruce Maxwell's decision to kneel during the national anthem (12:30), the debate about extending the netting at MLB ballparks (40:00), and the latest outlook for Shohei Otani's potential free agency (50:00). Lastly, t...
Sep 25, 2017•1 hr 3 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann begin by recounting the best listener-submitted nicknames for their guest on the previous episode, Blue Jays hit-by-pitch machine Nick Sinay (01:30). Then, with most of the pennant races decided, Ben and Michael list some of the best reasons to pay attention to the rest of regular-season baseball, from the few remaining playoff races to team records to individual accomplishments (04:00). Lastly, they bring on FanGraphs writer Travis Sawchik to discu...
Sep 21, 2017•56 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann dissect the stats of Blue Jays minor leaguer Nick Sinay, one of the most hit-by-pitch-prone players of all time (02:15), and play a quick game of "Pitcher who's posted at least a 50 Game Score in the last 30 days or pop-punk/emo front man" (09:30). Then they bring on Sinay to find out why and where he gets hit so often (16:30), how many bruises he has (21:00), how he stays on the field despite getting plunked every other game (on average) (23:00), a...
Sep 18, 2017•43 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann discuss Cleveland's record winning streak (02:45), the prospect of Shohei Otani signing with an MLB team this offseason (05:45), and the continued offensive excellence of the Phillies' Rhys Hoskins (10:30). Then, in a special Space Week crossover, they bring on Ira Steven Behr, former executive producer and showrunner of 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,' to reminisce about the origin, making, and legacy of the legendary 'Deep Space Nine' baseball episod...
Sep 14, 2017•53 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann talk about the teams in the midst of baseball's worst of times and best of times, bringing on L.A. Times beat writer Andy McCullough to diagnose the slumping Dodgers (who've lost 10 in a row and 15 of 16) (03:00) and then MLB.com beat writer Jordan Bastian to discuss the unbeatable Indians (who've won 18 in a row and at least temporarily claimed the AL's best record) (36:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Sep 11, 2017•1 hr 1 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann banter about their enthusiasm for next month's probable playoff matchups (01:00), examine the significance (if any) of the Dodgers' slump and the Indians' and Diamondbacks' hot streaks (03:30), and discuss the Red Sox–Yankees sign-stealing scandal (18:30). Then they bring on longtime baseball scout and executive Tony Blengino for an insider's perspective on sign-stealing (26:00), whether baseball's prohibition on internet-connected devices in the du...
Sep 07, 2017•53 min
The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh and Michael Baumann answer listener questions about playoff chases, statistical milestones, award races, baseball terminology, and more, and try to repair their relationship after having their most vehement disagreement ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 04, 2017•54 min
