Best Podcast in Baseball

After a slow, sluggish, largely inactive winter, the Cardinals completed a furious finish on the eve of spring training -- trading for Nolan Arenado, re-signing Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina, and trading Dexter Fowler. They also added a 6-foot-9 righthander who throws 98 mph. To get a sense of how radically the Cardinals changed the look of their offseason and the view of the fan base, the Best Podcast in Baseball heads to the middle of Missouri, the middle ground of the Show-Me State, and talks with Post-Dispatch Mizzou beat writer Dave Matter. Columbia, Mo., is home to one of the great burger bars in the country -- and a Cardinals bar, as Matter explains -- and being a blend of KC and STL it's a barometer of where the Cardinals are in holding the attention of their fans, including a new generation. With BPIB host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Matter talks about the "jolt" a recent move brought, and we riff on SEC baseball, Molina's stature as a Cardinals icon and how to secure it, and more. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revisiting a conversation in Cuba with the late Pedro Gomez, a celebrated and beloved baseball writer whose sudden death on Feb. 7 led to a cascade of stories on social media from all the people he knew and mentored. This podcast was recorded in December 2015, and some of the progress made back then by MLB, the U.S. government, and Cuba as part of "baseball diplomacy" stalled a year later. From the archives: While waiting for word on their delayed flight out of Havana, Cuba, ESPN's Pedro Gomez and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball Derrick Goold talk about what they had just seen during Major League Baseball's "goodwill" visit and what they hoped to see result from it. They were two of the 13 members of the media invited on the trip -- which included clinics for youth, press events, and a series of memorable press conferences with Tony Castro, the son of Fidel Castro. Pedro Gomez talks about his parents leaving Cuba three weeks before he was born, and the emotions that surface each time he returns to the island. Also discussed is the excitement that would come from a unified Cuban baseball team. The podcast begins with touchdown in Havana, and the conversation was recorded in a crowded terminal. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Better late than never -- the Best Podcast in Baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals. The planned brand new episode of BPIB had to be shelved as news broke that the heretofore idle Cardinals, once again, had re-engaged with the Colorado Rockies about third baseman and uber-star Nolan Arenado. After years of being a recurring topic in BPIB, what was different this time? The trade happened, for starters. The Cardinals pulled off one of the biggest trades in their history, and certainly the most complicated. To make sense of it, get to know Arenado, and learn how the Rockies got to the point where they would pay their best player to leave and play for another team, BPIB turns to Jenny Cavnar, pre- and post-game host for the Rockies' games on AT&T Sportsnet in Denver. A Denver-area native, Cavnar has covered Arenado was the minors to being one of the best players in the majors. Along with BPIB host Derrick Goold, Cavnar talks about how the best could be ahead for Arenado and how behind him Coors Field echoes with questions. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is produced by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Through the first 2 1/2 months of the offseason, the Cardinals are the one team remaining in the majors that has not added a player from outside to the major-league roster. Good thing their in a division that is hibernating. The National League Central, as a whole, has been leaking talent not adding it this offseason as several teams, the Cardinals included, look to trim payroll. What does that mean for the "legacy" players Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina, who have received scaled-down offers? And what is a "legacy" player? Is the ongoing salary tug-of-war with young starter Jack Flaherty an early indication that he won't be receiving one of the Cardinals' home-spun, homegrown extensions that have defined the past decade? Post-Dispatch writers Ben Frederickson and Derrick Goold explore the answers to those questions. During the recording of this podcast came news that Hall of Famer Hank Aaron had died, on Jan. 22, 2021. The two writers discuss his great impact on the game, and how baseball, as much as ever, could be a beacon for the culture -- if baseball can stop squabbling, that is. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina mentions the possibility of retirement, the NL Central has been the least active in the majors this offseason, and the Cardinals' winter has lacked verve while they ask for patience. All of that, and this brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball begins with a question about The Mandalorian. It will all make sense by the end, when we discuss who will be the Jedi Knight to save the Cardinals for this winter of fan discontent. KMOX/1120 AM sports host Kevin Wheeler joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the three true outcomes of Molina's free agency and what's really going on with the Cardinals' inactive division. The two also touch on the arbitration questions for individual players, "artisanal" statistics, and of course the Disney+ show that has revitalized the Star Wars universe. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meet the Mega Mets. Author and baseball writer Andy Martino joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to talk about a huge deal in Queens and a huge book on the horizon -- Martino's "Cheated" about the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal and the fascinating history of baseball's sign-stealing gray area. In the wake of the New York Mets' blockbuster deal for All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, SNY's MLB reporter Martino to discusses the ownership change and aggressive moves in Queens already this offseason. What does Lindor's arrival mean for the Mets, what does Steve Cohen's ownership mean for salary cap talk in MLB, and where might the Cardinals fit into discussions with the Mets or Yankees when it comes to outfielders? Those questions are all discussed, as is what Jeff Lunhow brought from the Cardinals the Astros, and how the culture he created contributed to the Astros plunge over the edge and into sign stealing that cost three managers their positions and suspended Luhnow for a year. The two longtime baseball writers also talk about how Carlos Beltran makes a re-entry into the game. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closest by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cue the music. Polish that crystal ball. It's the final brand new episode of 2020, and after the welcome return of the BPIB holiday song by Annalyse Crowders and Rob Krosley, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Benjamin Hochman joins host and baseball writer Derrick Goold to share hopes for the New Year and some thoughts on where the Cardinals are headed on the field, where the Cubs are going in the standings, and where baseball can continue to advance off the field. The Cardinals offseason strategy is discussed through the lens of future revenue and how they can get the flock back to the Busch Stadium. "They should do whatever they think they can to win the division this year and prepare to compete with the big boys in the coming years," Hochman says. "Do that. Put all your eggs in that basket." The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. A special thanks as always to Annalyse Crowders and Rob Krosley for the song they wrote and performed for BPIB, and a healthy holiday season to all the listeners and the community that has been created around this podcast. Onward toward 2021 -- and season No. 9. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Any time the biggest story in the world and most significant story in the country collide with the coverage of any beat, that's the most important story of the year. In the 40th brand new episode of the season for BPIB, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson and baseball writer Derrick Goold discuss their selections as the top five stories from the 2020 St. Louis Cardinals. They range from a telling decision that will have repercussions to two defining players who might be taking their talents elsewhere. The top five stories are ranked and discussed, right up to the obvious and predictable top story: The outbreak and Cardinals' recovery. One of the biggest stories in sports is also examined, and some snapshots from the back fields before the pandemic are remembered. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Any time is a good time to tell stories about Bob Gibson and Lou Brock, and the end of this year offered a time to visit with Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel about the two Cardinals icons that he got to know as Hall of Fame players and, most of all, friends. Hummel joins BPIB host and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to reminisce about his favorite stories and legends and moments from two Cardinals icons who died in 2020. The two writers also recall Dick Allen's one All-Star slugging season with the Cardinals. Allen died during 2020 at age 78. In the closing month of the 2020 season, Gibson and Brock died after lengthy battles with illnesses. Gibson was 84, Brock 81. For the past six decades, they've defined the organization and even after retiring as players they shaped its modern brand and place in Major League Baseball. They were baseball royalty, and their legacy is lasting. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It the middle of what would have been baseball's annual winter meetings -- that crucible of scuttlebutt, swaps, and signings -- Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak outlined a team in talks, but at a standstill. He requested "patience." And acknowledged there weren't many clear answers. But there are obvious questions. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins BPIB to discuss a 'white-knuckle' 2021 and whether the Cardinals are really positioning themselves for 2022, when there will be more certainties. Right? Along with BPIB host and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold, the conversation touches on the orchard of available players to upgrade the offense, the overshadowed concern the Cardinals should have about pitching, and what a DH would do for the Cardinals' lineup. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Friday the Miami Marlins announced the hiring of Kim Ng as their general manager was a landmark day in Major League Baseball history, and one of the stories that best captured the joy, the enthusiasm, and the call to action throughout the baseball community was written by MLB.com's Cardinals beat writer Anne Rogers. She reached out to other women in baseball -- trailblazers and role models alike -- to talk to them about Ng and the first woman hired to lead the front office of a major-league club. Rogers joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to talk about her story, the stories she heard, and the stories she can tell about what Ng's hiring means and what the last month has done to the status in baseball. Rogers and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold also discuss the non-tender day, the new names that are available for the Cardinals' needs, and how the same old same old won't work for an offense that risks regression. A Cardinals beat writer Tik Tok dance video sequel is also discussed. Briefly. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A brand new Best Podcast in Baseball is all about negotiations -- negotiating the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame or negotiating the designated hitter into the National League. St. Louis broadcasters Dan McLaughlin, the television voice of the Cardinals for Fox Sports Midwest and founder of Scoops with Danny Mac, and Kevin Wheeler, of 1120 AM/KMOX fame, join the podcast for two discussions that hinge around this same thing. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold talks to McLaughlin about his approach for voting players into Cooperstown, and then gets into the weeds on why the DH is such a big chip for owners and players, even if they both agree it's inevitably going to be in the NL. Ultimately, this is an episode about compromise -- for voting on immortality or leveraging a CBA. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the biggest unknowns for any Major League Baseball club in the 2020-21 offseason is how many tickets they'll be able to sell to how many games in the coming season. Revenue talk is all the rage, and into the conversation saunters word that a casino operator Bally's Corporation will have branding rights for several teams' broadcasts, including the Cardinals, and may infuse elements of gambling into the televised games. Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to go around the horn on four topics: the lingering effects of COVID-19 on one Cardinal; chairman Bill DeWitt's comments on staying competitive with reduced revenue; the Bally's factor; and, sliding into home, the market update for catcher Yadier Molina and pitcher Adam Wainwright. On our walk back to the dugout, we discuss Theo Epstein's departure from the Cubs and what to make of the Theo Era in the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bernie Miklasz, co-creator of the Best Podcast in Baseball and longtime, essential sports voice of St. Louis, joins the podcast he first hosted to discuss with Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold all that has happened in the past few months, and what's next for him. Miklasz, an award-winning and widely read sports columnist for the Post-Dispatch, left several years ago to focus on radio, but before he did he helped jumpstart the podcast that has become BPIB. So BPIB returns to him as an outlet for all of his baseball opinions -- from the 2020 Cardinals season to Kolten Wong's option, Jeff Albert's place as hitting coach to the DH, expanded playoffs, and a neutral-site World Series. Also discussed are postcards, finding sports in politics, and how the Cardinals are a lot like the James Bond film franchise. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of StlToday.com, the Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The Cardinals are the consistency, that nice cup of cocoa on a cold winter's night that is always there to warm you up. It's always there," says Mark Feinsand, MLB.com executive reporter and insider for MLB Network. In a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball, Feinsand joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the chill in the air as free agency opens for Major League Baseball, but there's so little simmering on the Hot Stove. Feinsand details the market for catchers, why J.T. Realmuto is considered a 'unicorn,' where Yadier Molina might fit in New York City, and much, much. Feinsand offers his view of the Cardinals and whether it fits with the angst that is gripping Cardinals Nation, or is the industry view of the local nine something different? The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kolten "Gold Glove" Wong is a free agent. Tony "Men not Machines" La Russa is the manager of the White Sox. The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series champions. Randy Arozarena is an October star. And Justin Turner doesn't think the pandemic rules apply to him. A lot has happened in the past week, and so the Best Podcast in Baseball turns to someone who talks a lot -- about baseball. Kevin Wheeler, back with KMOX/1120 AM, visits again with BPIB host Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer, about everything from the new hole in the Cardinals' lineup and defense to the whether the Rays, with Arozarena in the outfield, are an example of what the Cardinals could have been ... should have been ... would have been? There is a debate about the true value of an elite fielder in the age of shifts, some thoughts on TLR's grand return to the South Side and whether it will be storybook finish for the Hall of Fame manager or a cautionary tale. That's how BPIB enters its (mostly) weekly reports from what could be a frigid offseason in baseball. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tampa Bay Times beat writer Marc Topkin, the busiest man in baseball joins the Best Podcast in Baseball, live from the 2020 World Series at Globe Life Field, it only sounds like we're shouting at you from Texas. Fair warning: Due to technical difficulties during the recording of this episode of the BPIB, the audio files were lost and the backups garbled or corrupted, so what follows is the salvaged audio pieced back together. As a result, the interview is edited for clarity, and the spots where the audio quality varies have been minimized, but not all of them completely erased because of the quality of Topkin's answers. My apologies for the trouble, but his thoughts and explanations were good enough to try and bring you as much of the recording as possible, even if it sounds like we used two tin cans and a shoestring. Topkin joins Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the Randy Arozarena Experience, whether that trade will pinch the Rays at some point, and how the Rays have thrived with creative bullpen use and roster creation. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A handful of Cardinals alumni are rising stars of October -- leading their teams deeper into the playoffs than their former team reached. Randy Arozarena, a former Cardinals outfielder, and the Tampa Bay Rays advance to the American League Championship Series my leaping past St. Louis native and former Cardinals first baseman Luke Voit and the New York Yankees. Meanwhile, the National League, former Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna, who took a run at the Triple Crown in 2020, and his new team, the Atlanta Braves, are set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. What gives? St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson and baseball writer Derrick Goold explore why former Cardinals are doing so well and what the Cardinals missed -- or are missing. The two writers are just back from San Diego and the Cardinals' wild-card series loss to the San Diego Padres, so they have power on their mind, and the Cardinals ongoing lack of it during a month where games are decided by it. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporters take to the road (well, air, honestly) for the wild-card round of the 2020 postseason, and it's time for Ben Frederickson to confess his not-so-secret fondness for the San Diego Padres and their swagger, their power, their youth, and the buoyancy they've brought to baseball. But wait — doesn't this all seem so familiar? Back in 2005 and 2006, the Cardinals came to San Diego for the first round playoffs, and once year (2005) San Diego's best pitcher didn't throw a pitch in the series, and the next (2006) a limping, meandering, 83-win Cardinals team found its championship stride once it got rest, got healthy, and got a rookie closer in place. Deja vu. The threequel is bringing in all the elements of the previous two installations. Padres are without starters Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger, and the Cardinals, winded but not undeterred by their daunting schedule, sure do seem to like Alex Reyes at closer. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold for a brand new episode of BPIB, recorded at a socially acceptable distance in San Diego. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"We're going to play a 60-game season and never be the team we thought we were," says John Mozeliak, Cardinals president of baseball operations. "In fairness, what this team has been through is not normal." That comment Friday before the start of the Cardinals' third doubleheader in five days is the launch point of a brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss how to evaluate the Cardinals season. Is it a dress rehearsal for 2021 if they make the playoffs? Is it a disappointment if they don't make their way into the expanded playoff pool? They settle on one truth: The Cardinals' offense has wasted an exceptional performance by the pitching staff and defense, especially given the COVID-19 outbreak that interrupted the season. Also discussed is the uncertainty of the 2021 minor-league season, and the changes coming to the Cardinals. (Note: This was recorded before the team confirmed some downsizing of staff.) The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.   See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Before they play their first game against Milwaukee, the Cardinals will have finished their season series against the Cubs and Reds, and yet it's the 10 games against the Brew Crew crammed into the final two weeks of the regular season that will decide both team's playoff chances -- and perhaps more. Adam McCalvy, the Brewers beat writer for MLB.com and author of "The Milwaukee Brewers at 50: Celebrating a Half-Century of Brewers Baseball," joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to preview a series more than a month in the making. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold hosts the weekly podcast, and the two veteran scribes of the NL Central discuss everything from Brewers history to Brewers present, to Craig Counsell's influence and a manager's irritation at a Boston hotel, to the problem with the Manager of the Year awards and what it's like covering a World Series game at Fenway Park amidst the fans in right field. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Is 2020 the last swing for the core Cubs that brought their faithful the first World Series since 1908, the group of players that was supposed to establish a dynastic reign over the NL Central with broad-shouldered ability and Miracle Mile charisma? These are the questions explored with Patrick Mooney, a senior writer at The Athletic who covers the Cubs and Major League Baseball, in a brand new BPIB with St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold. With five games crammed into four days at Wrigley Field, the Cardinals have their final head-to-head chance of 2020 to chew into the rival Cubs' lead in the division. When last the Cardinals visited the North Side for a pivotal September series, they swept all four games -- for the first time in 98 years. All 10 games between the Cardinals and Cubs will be played at Wrigley, were the Cubs have defied their meager offense to tighten a grip on first place in the division. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

"The Big Fundy," Cardinals infielder Brad Miller says, describing teammate Paul Goldschmidt, who has reached base in 29 of his first 51 plate appearances since the team returned from its outbreak of COVID-19. During a call with teammates as they readied for a daunting schedule of doubleheaders and no off days, Goldschmidt suggested they have fun, "play loose," and as Miller said the "Tim Duncan of baseball" has led by example. The Cardinals have clawed out of quarantine to a 10-8, so what to make of the team, its expectations, and its approach as the Aug. 31 trade deadline nears? St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the tradecraft of the Cardinals -- what they need, what they'll do, and one big question: Given what this team has gone through, is it right to make a trade, or should Cardinals go with the team -- "Big Fundy" and Company -- that got them this far? The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

After a week when the podcast could would have been outdated by the time it reached your ears, the Best Podcast in Baseball returns -- out of Milwaukee and into the precarious future for the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis radio staple Kevin Wheeler, a contributor to Siruis/XM and KMOX/1120 AM, joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to talk about the nature of covering the COVID-19 outbreak that engulfed the Cardinals on their road trip and what the team looks like as it tries to return to play. The difference between reporting on rumors and riffing on rumors is only the beginning as Wheeler joins the discussion about Dylan Carlson's promotion, the Cardinals' exhausted pitching depth, protocols at the ballpark, and, of course, the notion of a Zero Defect Ziploc. Is that the only thing that will keep the 2020 season -- for the Cardinals or for baseball -- from coming undone. Consider the Cardinals a cautionary tale. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

It's later that usual. The season is shorter than ever. And the postseason, we learned after recording this episode, is going to include more teams. Welcome to Major League Baseball in 2020. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to preview the St. Louis Cardinals 2020 season, as they open the 60-game sprint against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have set their roster, and top prospect Dylan Carlson is not on it -- yet. The NL Central could be the tightest division race in the majors. The Cardinals threw a curve ball when they veered from their usual path of least resistance and named Carlos Martinez the fifth starter and careerlong starter Kwang Hyun Kim their closer, a role he's never had in a regular season. And the biggest question facing the Cardinals remains their lineup and where they're going to unearth offense. The clock is ticking on finding that answer -- starting now. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

With the St. Louis Cardinals speeding toward opening day and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's 2020 Baseball Preview section about to drop its 26-page extravaganza, including a poster-ready cover of Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, the podcast takes a brief detour to the other side of the state and a visit with Kansas City Star columnist Sam Mellinger. The Kansas City Royals will visit Busch Stadium for an exhibition game on July 22 -- the Cardinals' first game against an opposing team in 133 games. It's the Cardinals first chance to catch 22, Royals manager Mike Matheny, and his first appearance in uniform at Busch since the Cardinals fired him midway through the 2018 season. The Royals are a team in the middle of a reinvention, and what they're trying do will some familiar to Cardinals fans. They want to draft and debut pitching, pitching, pitching. Development is where the Cardinals have found their edge. Can KC? Mellinger and Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold discuss that -- and navigate a few tangents about covering baseball during a pandemic. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a weekly production of The Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Remember Luis Robert, the uber-talented outfielder from Cuba who the Cardinals tried to woo before falling short of the Chicago White Sox's offer? Well, the Cardinals are scheduled to face him and the Sox in Dyersville, Iowa, near the site of the Field of Dreams, and his Chicago teammates have nickname for him. Brace yourself. They call him: Trout. Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Steve Greenberg joins the Best Podcast in Baseball and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the rising Sox of the American League Central, the possible magic of a game in a cornfield, and how the Cubs are in a "fragile" spot in their club's current era. Greenberg, a longtime resident of St. Louis, also talks about the changing tone of the Cubs fans base and how his return to Chicago, where he grew up, has helped crystallize what he misses about living in St. Louis. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

As the Cardinals hold their first official workout of the rebooted 2020 season, Chris Hrabe, of KMOX/1120 AM, joins BPIB host and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to field seven questions that confront the Cardinals as they ready for the 60-game dash of the 2020 season. The questions range from the field -- who will be the first starter? who will close? who will play left field? -- to the environment and whether baseball and its players will remain healthy enough to see this season through to a championship. And, the biggest thing standing between the Cardinals and their success still remains unanswered: How are they going to score more runs? The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design, is a production of STLtoday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

'Stay healthy. Get weird.' That's the motto suggested for the 2020 Major League Baseball season as teams begin to report to their "summer camp" sites and ready for the first official workouts after more than three months of stoppage due to the global pandemic. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports writers Derrick Goold and Ben Frederickson discuss the chances of actually having a baseball season in the face of spiking coronavirus cases and the massive, strict protocols in place for teams to follow, all of which will rely on the discipline of players and anyone affiliated with the team to change habits and commit to the health of others. It's a big undertaking. And it could be a massive celebration of baseball's community and willingness to work together. Also discussed is how weird teams could get -- six-man rotation, quick hooks for veterans, and much more. Plus, Frederickson recommends a promotion and PSA for the Cardinals that should have happened yesterday. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

'Ladies and gentlemen, Greg Warren ... ' St. Louis native Greg Warren, whose comedy special 'Where the Field Corn Grows' will debut on Amazon, Amazon Prime Direct, Google Play, and elsewhere on June 30, 2020, joins the podcast before his show in Myrtle Beach to discuss his fondness for the Cardinals and whether baseball can withstand some self-inflicted bruises as the owners and players' union tussle and try to save the 2020 season. Warren joins two other Mizzou School of Journalism grads, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriters Ben Frederickson and Derrick Goold, for a new BPIB and explores the cultural significance of Tower Tee, the joy of visiting batting cages on the road, what kind of corn is the best habitat for baseball ghosts, and why six is a super serious number for his father. Warren's special, 'Where the Field Corn Grows,' from 800 Pound Gorilla Records will be available as an album on July 21, 2020. A clip from his special is used with permission from his publicist. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The arrival of Flag Day every June 14 at Busch Stadium means one thing -- it is now Mike Claiborne-approved to begin talking about and looking at the standings. This year, those standings are empty, indefinitely ppd. Tandem crises have engulfed the United States and baseball could play a part in reopening a country and bringing it together, if owners and players can wade through their public squabbles to an agreement on the 2020 season. Claiborne, a Cardinals broadcaster and host of ClaibsOnline.com, joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to talk about the importance of Flag Day to the standings -- and what could be most important about this Flag Day. It's a chance for baseball to stop playing games and stand for something. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

This past week, Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore explained his organization's plans to continue paying minor-league players a full stipend and not release any players, and he did so with an eloquent description of how the minor-leaguers of today are the coaches, scouts, and umpires of the future that help nurture and grow the fans and players of generations yet to come. Call them the Johnny Appleseeds of baseball. And there will be fewer in 2021 -- and possibly beyond. To better understand Moore's comments, Kansas City Star sports columnist Vahe Gregorian joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the Royals' approach, the Royals' place in their community, and, of course, the Royals' new manager, Mike Matheny, and what plans the team had for 2020. The conversation keeps revisiting the idea of baseball's place in a community as a way to connect people -- across states, across countries, and across divides. But that takes the game being a part of the community, not abandoning it. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A special bonus episode: Baseball America national writer Kyle Glaser joined Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold for a series of videos to discuss the future at every position for the Cardinals. Their conversation was part of an eight-day, eight-part series that appeared in The Post-Dispatch and online at StlToday.com. For BPIB listeners, the entire conversation has been combined here to offer a look into the impact players the Cardinals have on deck, on the horizon, and the positions where they are in a hole. Glaser does the Cardinals' Top 30 rankings for Baseball America's Prospects Handbook, and few people spend as much time talking to scouts and collecting reports on the Cardinals' system. Players discussed in this podcast include Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman, Matthew Liberatore, Zack Thompson, Delvin Perez, Mateo Gil, Elehuris Montero, Malcom Nunez, Johan Oviedo, Jhon Torres, and many more. The entire eight-part series can be found at StlToday.com. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson, from his home office in the St. Louis area, hosts a night at the round table with four of his colleagues: Blues beat writer Jim Thomas, Mizzou beat writer Dave Matter, sports columnist Benjamin Hochman, and baseball writer Derrick Goold. Viewers were invited to ask questions throughout the broadcast, and this is the audio-only recording of the event. There's baseball talk, rink talk, Tiger talk, and even some small talk as five members of the StlToday.com staff discuss the landscape of St. Louis sports during the coronavirus crisis and how each league is tentatively, haltingly, and, in some cases, optimistically planning a return to play. A video of the latest Sports on Tap event is available at StlToday.com. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The Heartland Division? Fly-Over Central? The Breadbasket Rivalries? We're still working on the name, but the clock may be ticking. Major League Baseball's plan to start a shortened 2020 regular season is likely to include a revamp of the divisions and a merger between the Cardinals' National League Central and the American League Central. The result will be a geographically condensed division right in the middle of the country -- and perhaps the awakening of new rivals, not to mention a more rigorous path to the postseason for the Minnesota Twins. To help map a Midwest Division, Star Tribune baseball writer LaVelle Neal joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the Twins, their bombastic 101-win season in 2019, and all the hurdles ahead as baseball attempts to return from its indefinite delay to the 2020 season. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Major League Baseball has delivered a proposal for how it can return for a shortened, highly-structured 2020 regular season, and that has revealed the parallel tracks the owners and players are driving. There is the precaution of health and the motivation of wealth and revenue -- and where these two intersect is the start of a discussion between St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson and baseball writer Derrick Goold. By nature of their position, the owners control serve and get to present the proposal to return to the players -- thus standing out in the narrative as the group that wants the game back and putting the players on defense to pick away at the proposal. The owners are a messaging machine. So how do the players regain a foothold in the conversation and the public perception. They have a good message, but the messengers are scattered, taking to social media and streaming services to broadcast their many, varied, valued, and fractured opinions. Is the game of baseball enough to bridge the game and overcome the business of baseball? The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

As conversations about baseball's return gain volume, how clubs return from this lengthy stoppage of all official activities will be more than a test of talent -- it will challenge the existing clubhouse culture and the organization's leadership. That starts with trust -- and courage, says Southern Illinois University pitching coach Tim Jamieson. The longtime head baseball coach at the University of Missouri joins a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball to talk coaching during quarantine, the traits of successful coaches at any level and in any sport, pitching development, and, of course, the competitive zest and career of Max Scherzer, an All-American and first-round pick from Jamieson's Mizzou program. For more than 25 years, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold has had a chance to learn from Jamieson -- first as a wannabe baseball writer and freshman interviewing the pitching coach and later as a baseball writer returning to MU for a story on the program's rise. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

This past week Cardinals veteran Yadier Molina, a constant at catcher for nearly two decades, suggested that he would pursue free agency this winter if he and the team cannot come to an agreement on an extension. He previously had said he would either play for the Cardinals or retire. Now, he wants to play. His preference is to be a Cardinal. But his priority is to play. St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Benjamin Hochman joins podcast host Derrick Goold, a baseball writer at the newspaper, to discuss his column about Molina, about the need to re-sign him and a motivation behind Molina's comments. Hochman and Goold also discuss the various plans for baseball's return from the coronavirus shutdown and indefinite delay of the season, and Goold asks that pressing question, as first articulated by Michael Keaton in 'Batman': "You wanna get nuts? C'mon, let's get nuts." The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Author Brad Bulukjian joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss his new book, "The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball's Afterlife." The concept is so genius it should make you jealous. Balukjian took a pack of 1986 TOPPS baseball cards, opened it, and then set out on the road to find each player inside the pack -- from Steve Yeager in Los Angeles to Don Carman in Naples, Fla., to Garry Templeton in San Diego and Vince Coleman in ... well, we will get to that. The conversation with Templeton and chapter about him hinges on his view of the event in St. Louis, the one that got him yanked from the field and eventually traded by the Cardinals. His thoughts -- and his explanation -- alters the perspective of a pivotal moment in Cardinals history. The book is part travelogue, part memoir, and part baseball book -- all wrapped up neatly like the familiar TOPPS wax pack, complete with a stick of gum. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson, fresh off streaming some live baseball from Asia, joins baseball writer Derrick Goold and the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss official signs of optimism for the return of sports and Major League Baseball. Players are getting creative to stay in shape (see: Goldschmidt, Paul and Voit, Luke), leagues will get creative to play a season (see: Grapefruit League vs. Cactus League), and fans will be asked to be patient as games likely happen in isolated cities in front of empty ballparks. But there's a note of caution. Will this stoppage and the hasty return of sports -- when safe, when healthy, when permitted -- accelerate changes in Major League Baseball. Did we see the last baseball game without a DH? Will the schedule dismantle the American and National leagues and prioritize balance, not history? The two Post-Dispatch staff writers discuss sports returns, and the ramifications. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. (Please note there is one moment of crashing feedback early in the podcast when a microphone was jostled. Thank you for understanding.) See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

What do you know about Finnish Baseball? Let Tom Timmermann explain. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's hockey writer and resident uber-sportswriter Timmermann and Amy Marxkors, of KMOX/1120 AM, join the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss baseball in a bubble, hockey staying on ice, and just how far we should be willing to shape, change, and wedge professional sports into the schedule and format that allows them to return as quickly as possible. Marxkors and Timmermann, the co-hosts of 'Flotsam and Jetsam,' discuss with St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball Derrick Goold the importance of community at sporting events and whether the 2020 champion -- if there is one in the NHL or will be one in MLB -- will be affixed with an asterisk because the season and the playoffs could be so different than usual. How much should sports change just to come back when a nation is in crisis? The Dodgers are discussed. So is Wayne Gretzky. And then there's the 'classic 'Flotsam and Jetsam' factoid about Finnish baseball. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

"This has been a curveball for us and our jobs," begins St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson before discussing how to cover sports in a time without sports when there is a much larger, more serious story. The answer? It's the same as when you're covering a sporting event: Write the people. Find the heroes. The real ones this time. Frederickson rejoins StlToday.com baseball writer Derrick Goold and the Best Podcast in Baseball for a discussion about cake -- the gift of it and whether Major League Baseball is telling minor-league players to go eat some. As what would have been opening day at Busch Stadium approaches, the two sportswriters also discuss the news of the week (agreements between MLB and the union) and what will be missing when there isn't a game downtown on April 2. Tony La Russa offered Frederickson some advice. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The Cincinnati Reds won the offseason Yahtzee with good vibes coming from a surprise pitching staff (check), a big free-agent signing (check), a sexy addition of modern pitching tech gurus (check), a hometown and feisty manager (check), and a bright young talent on the horizon who stirred imaginations in spring (check). Alas, they won't get the traditional stage to show it. On the eve of Cincinnati's civic holiday -- baseball's opening day in the city of one of the first pro teams -- The Athletic's Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to talk about the opening day that won't be against the St. Louis Cardinals. Skyline Chili is referenced, baseball stories are told, and the 2012 Reds are discussed in unexpected detail -- because enthusiasm hasn't been this high for a Reds team since that team whiffed in October. Baseball legends are revisited. Newspapers are lauded. And a checklist of things we can do as a community -- a BPIB community -- during this time without baseball is offered. Rosecrans also provides a fitting (borrowed) tagline in this extended edition of the BPIB: 'Mischief Managed.' The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Author and New York Times national baseball columnist Tyler Kepner joins a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss an April without baseball and his book, "K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches," which is now available in paperback. With host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Kepner -- joining the podcast from a socially approved social distancing distance, all the way in Connecticut -- discusses his favorite pitch, its master, the curveball, its master, and how it's about time the National Baseball Hall of Fame found some way to honor some of the best coaches. The two baseball writers spin yarns about pitch legends, examine the Reds' approach to pitching, and talk about the questions facing baseball during a global pandemic, when there are bigger things than a baseball stoppage but baseball could still play a part in the culture. It can provide stories -- that we tall when self-isolating with family. Please forgive the audio quality as this podcast was pieced together with the technology on hand, and it will improve for subsequent episodes. The Best Podcast in Baseball is brought to by Closets by Design. The podcast is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A day after Major League Baseball shutters spring training camps and two days after the global pandemic coronavirus causes the cancellation of spring training games and delay of opening day, the remaining baseball writers covering the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla., gather to discuss how to cover a game with not games, a sports without competition, a team in a time of national emergency. St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel joins sports columnist Ben Frederickson, MLB.com beat writer Anne Rogers, and baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss the parallels he's seen in his four decades of covering the game. Also discussed is where spring left the Cardinals, the odd sensation of watching a game that shouldn't have been played, and, to close, some of the best opening day memories they have. Where does sports writing now fit into the upended daily lives of readers, and what role do sports writers have -- providing information and providing distraction? The Best Podcast in Baseball is brought to you weekly by Closets by Design (1-800-BY-DESIGN), and it is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Advanced defensive metrics are in good hands as 'The Fielding Bible V' drops this week, and one of the authors, Mark Simon, joins The Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss the evolution of defensive stats, some of the best fielders at each position, and if there is way to put in simple terms (runs) how the Cardinals can compensate for a lack of offense with a robust, even elite defense. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold, making his way across the state of Florida after covering some spring training baseball, talks with Simon about how the data digs Paul DeJong's defense at shortstop, how The Fielding Bible saw Kolten Wong coming as an elite defensive player years before the Gold Glove voters did, and how defensive stats may start to shape Hall of Fame voting. The two baseball writers all discuss if Yadier Molina is the breakthrough player, or maybe it's Omar Vizquel. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The eighth season of Best Podcast in Baseball begins with a brand new episode and a question, borrowed from a baseball podcast in Britain: What five players define your relationship with baseball? St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold talks with Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel and MLB.com Cardinals beat writer Anne Rogers about the players that made them baseball fans, the players that kept them baseball players, and the players that mark their transition from baseball fan to baseball writer. With three generations represented -- Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennial -- the list of players mentioned has wide range, but a few notable overlaps, too. The trio of baseball writers also discuss the five players who will define the 2020 Cardinals season and set the table for future episodes of BPIB -- coming weekly throughout the baseball season. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold.  See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

'Bat Flips & Nerds,' a UK-based baseball broadcast hosted by a group of British seamheads, invited St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold onto their show to discuss the 2020 London Series, the Cardinals traveling abroad to face the Cubs, and much much more. But really they talked about pubs. Russell Eassom hosted the podcast, and the crew at Bat Flips & Nerds, which you can find on Twitter and on its Web site, was kind enough to allow for a crossover episode, using the audio here at BPIB. We also both use the word "asymptotic" to describe something -- and do so correctly. Coming soon: The Eighth Season of BPIB, debuting from Jupiter, Fla. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel joins the Best Podcast in Baseball for the finale of the podcast's seventh season, right on the eve of Cardinals' pitchers and catchers reporting for 2020 spring training. The Cardinals have some cleaning up to do in camp -- specifically finding a cleanup hitter. BPIB host Derrick Goold talks with 'The Commish' about whether the offense is the be-all, end-all question for the Cardinals, and how long they can go into the season without an answer. In his 43rd spring training as a baseball writer for The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Hummel also discusses past tales of Florida follies on the fields of spring. The Best Podcast in Baseball, which will return in the first week of spring with a brand new season, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Objects in the sideview mirror are closer than they appear, and the Los Angeles Dodgers could soon flip the Cardinals' brand upside down. Is that a concern? Or do the Cardinals have a business model for that. Fresh from the Winter Warm-Up and packing for spring training, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports writers Derrick Goold and Ben Frederickson discuss the comments coming from the Cardinals at the annual fan fest, the rigidity of the budget, and if the Cardinals haven't been aggressive to add some of the star players available -- then will they ever? There is also a rant. And some Talking Heads references. The constant Cardinals coverage at StlToday.com will begin from Florida in the first week of February. That includes podcasts, chats, features, slide shows, videos, and more reporters on the ground in Jupiter, Fla., than any other St. Louis outlet. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Scoops! Crossover! Dan McLaughlin, the television voice of the Cardinals and uber-host of all things Scoops with Danny Mac, has created a podcast empire, and a new year means new appearances for St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold. As a preview of the podcasts McLaughlin and Goold will do every weekday during spring training and then throughout the season here at the Best Podcast in Baseball and at Scoops with Danny Mac, here is a recent conversation about the voting for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and some questions facing the Cardinals as spring training approaches. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

At a time when teams are usually generating optimism with fan fests and starting to sell tickets for the onrushing new season, baseball was engulfed by a sign-stealing scandal that has upended two franchises, cost three managers their jobs, and is still unfurling in real time, on social media, with the gleeful participation of active players. In a brand new edition of the Best Podcast in Baseball, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports writers Derrick Goold and Ben Frederickson, discuss the fallout from the sign-stealing penalties. They disagree on whether the punishment given Houston was enough, and they arrive at a question about what this scandal tells us about the pressure put on the modern-day manager and if its incongruous with the power of the modern-day manager. There is also a Nolan Arenado discussion. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

New Year. Same questions. Back from a holiday break, Post-Dispatch staff writers Derrick Goold and Ben Frederickson discuss the concerns facing the Cardinals through the lens of offseason negotiations. The Colorado Rockies are exploring trades involving Nolan Arenado, and the Cardinals have long been fascinated by adding the Gold Glove-winning third baseman to their lineup. Is the conversation different today than it was 12 months ago -- and why? And should it matter? The two writers also explore the semantics of deals, how they as reporters could do a better job describing and articulating what teams are actually talking about, how trades develop and happen, and why saying a team talked to an agent might not mean anything at all. Enter Marcell Ozuna. The Cardinals remain in conversation with Ozuna's agent about the free-agent left fielder and their most recent cleanup hitter. The question facing the Cardinals, as Frederickson points out, is this: If not Marcell Ozuna, then who? There is also a contest! Win a copy of Goold's Cardinals book by posting a picture on Twitter of where you listened to BPIB, and be sure to send it too @Ben_Fred or @dgoold and add #BPIB. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. It can be found on iTunes and anywhere you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

By signing Korean lefty Kwang Hyun Kim to a two-year deal, the Cardinals didn't just add a swingman who could be in the rotation if Carlos Martinez isn't -- they set the bar Carlos Martinez must beat to be in the rotation. In the final brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball in 2019, host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, discusses the Cardinals' addition with sports columnist Ben Frederickson, who makes the point that we're asking the wrong question. Martinez must prove his health, must prove his readiness for the rotation, and must prove he's better than Kim, who the Cardinals signed to compete for a starting job. With all of their moves this winter, the Cardinals are asking fans to take the same leap of faith the team is trying -- only the fans get to jump first. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

After a brief hiatus (thank you for your patience), the Best Podcast in Baseball, fresh off the plane from baseball's Winter Meetings, is back with a brand new episode. The Cardinals have adopted a wait-and-watch approach this offseason, favoring math over mash, data over drama. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold, host of the BPIB, and sports columnist Ben Frederickson discuss the Cardinals' stance and what it has already cost them -- and why their return to October may have more to do with it than they are letting on. The Cardinals insist they're betting on the roster they already have. Maybe that's a hedge. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of Derrick Goold, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and StlToday.com. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Recorded hours after the final out of the 115th World Series and before the lights went out at Minute Maid Park, this brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball features a conversation with New York Times national baseball columnist Tyler Kepner, author of the book "K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches." Kepner and Best Podcast in Baseball host and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold talk about what they just witnessed during Washington's Game 7 victory and the first title in the short history of the Nationals franchise. Will the money and prospect that Houston and Washington spent on starting pitching to get to this point have a trickle-down impact on the rest of baseball, especially as a talented group of starters reaches free agency? What will be the lasting impact of the Nats' victory -- and is their reign a brief one? Kepner, after covering his 101st consecutive World Series game, also discusses his favorite specific pitches in World Series and postseason history, including one famous curve that bent past Carlos Beltran, who reportedly will be the next manager of the Mets. The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

From the lobby of a downtown St. Louis hotel on the eve of leaving town for the 2019 World Series, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold visits with colleague and Hall of Fame baseball writer Rick Hummel about the future of the Cardinals for a brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball. The two baseball writers explore improvements the Cardinals could make and changes the Cardinals need to make, and all of the conversation circles back and back again to the outfield. There are some surprise solutions, especially one involving a trade many years past its do-date, but still strangely fitting for both clubs. That right, BPIB goes straight-up chat by proposing trades. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson rejoins the podcast for a conversation with host Derrick Goold,St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer, to recap the 2019 Cardinals season and, specifically, the offensive funk that led to a swift exit from the National League Championship Series. So swift indeed that we barely had time to record a podcast before the end arrived. So, BPIB is making up for it now. From the tree house studios, Frederickson even has a hot take on the outfield, and once he realizes that the take is more measured and thoughtful than "hot," he takes another swing at it with a smoldering take on catching. The Best Podcast in Baseball is brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis! and it is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A brief tangent, a digression if you will as the Best Podcast in Baseball readies a series of brand new episodes to recap the 2019 Cardinals season and preview the moves for the 2020 Cardinals. Analytics giant, author, and commissioner of the West Coast League, Rob Neyer invited St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold onto his podcast, SABRcast, to discuss baseball writing, baseball fandom in a minor-league time zone, a favorite Yankees cap, and much more more. The interview has been re-cast here in a crossover agreement with the producers of SABRcast, the Society for American Baseball Research. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design! of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. New episodes, featuring Ben Frederickson and Rick Hummel, will drop throughout this World Series week. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

As the National League Division Series between the Cardinals and Atlanta Braves shifts back to Busch Stadium for the marble game -- Game 3 -- the Best Podcast in Baseball pulls The Athletic's Braves beat writer David O'Brien into the conversation and explores the many similarities in this October series. BPIB host Derrick Goold and the longtime baseball writer O'Brien, who was once with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, talk pitching plans for Game 4 and a potential Game 5 and check out the mirror image the Braves cast of the Cardinals, from manager and leaders top young pitchers on down. After Cardinals rookie reliever Ryan Helsley's comments that the Braves' longtime cheer is 'disrespectful' to his Cherokee heritage, O'Brien also offers some insight into the 'Tomahawk Chop.' How badly KU men's basketball needs its rivalry with Mizzou is also discussed. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is part of The Post-Dispatch's constant Cardinals coverage, complete with chats, live blogs, columns, and in-depth game previews every day in the pages of the newspaper and at StlToday.com. The BPIB is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

From Atlanta, where the Cardinals open the National League Division Series, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold and sports columnist Benjamin Hochman discuss the return to October for the Local Nine and just how many things have happened since the days of yore, back in 2015. The price of bread has gone up. The price of gas has gone down. Hochman got married. So much. In a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design! of St. Louis, the duo set the stage for the NLDS, the Cardinals' forthcoming roster decisions and how they lineup with the Braves, right down to the playoff rookies they have in the dugout -- or making decisions from the dugout. Housekeeping at the hotel does have a cameo. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of The St. Louis Post-dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

With 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Cardinals hold a slim lead in the National League Central and have what essentially is a best-of-seven series against the rival Cubs to determine the division champ. On the eve of a four-game series at Wrigley Field, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold and sports columnist Benjamin Hochman preview the series and discuss what is at stake for the Cardinals (four years out of the playoffs?!) and for the Cubs (whatever happened to that dynasty?!). Along the way, Hochman offers his take on a star-studded pitching matchup and whether the Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals all underachieved, overachieved, or played this season as expected. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design! of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

A special extended edition of the Best Podcast in Baseball that includes some remembrances of Chris Duncan, the Cardinals outfielder, World Series champion, and St. Louis radio personality who died Sept. 6, at 38. Kevin Wheeler, who got his St. Louis start at KMOX/1120 AM, joins the podcast to discuss all things Cardinals, all things lineup, and all things Randy Arozarena with BPIB host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and StlToday.com. Wheeler is asked, given how well the Cardinals have played, if he had any second thoughts about his skewering takes on the management of the team coming out of July. A colleague of Duncan's how the former big leaguer always made his colleagues feel "like one of the boys." Wheeler worked with Duncan at a local all-sports station in St. Louis and recalls how the former big leaguer made all of his colleagues feel "like one of the boys." And if you've read this far, let me also say, thank you for your continued support of this podcast. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

The BPIB goes BPOC. Big Podcast on Campus. With school back in session, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson joins Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss what the Cardinals could learn from last year's September stumble. The Cardinals, the only team to win 20 games in August 2018, frayed toward the end and lost of eight of their 11 games against division foes and five of their final six games to slip from contention to late dismissal, but dismissal nonetheless from another October. Explored in this episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, are whether the Cardinals can count on experience as an edge in the season's final month, when the pitching reckoning will happen, how Jack Flaherty has asserted himself as a fall pitcher, and what's up with Marcell Ozuna's future? The farm system rankings are also discussed as well as Dylan Carlson's role -- and how to square the team's plan for him with the trumpeting of September experience. (Editor's note: This podcast was recorded before the results of Lane Thomas' CT scan revealed a fracture in his right wrist.) The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

After a week's hiatus to go, um, 'on assignment,' the Best Podcast in Baseball returns with a brand new episode featuring host Derrick Goold, baseball writer at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and guest Benjamin Hochman, sports columnist at The Post-Dispatch. The Cardinals have reached induction weekend for the team's Hall of Fame as a first-place team. The offense has shown sparks of consistency. And that's where we begin this week's conversation -- what to do with the lineup, where to hit Kolten Wong (when healthy), and how Matt Carpenter can get his groove back. Hochman also debuted a new line to describe the production from the Cardinals' hitters so far this season. We also discuss media relations and Hochman's new book, "If These Walls Could Talk: Colorado Rockies." The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of StlToday.com, The Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Not that two sportswriters would know anything about missing a deadline, so St. Louis Post-dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson and baseball writer Derrick Goold do their best to make sense of the Cardinals' inactivity for a fourth consecutive trade deadline. When the clock struck 3 p.m. St. Louis time and all of the trades had to be finalized -- including a whopper that sent Zack Greinke to Houston -- the Cardinals found themselves without the starter they chased. They had a hold on first place, but did little to strength it but add to their lefty depth with a waiver claim and ship Jedd Gyorko to the Los Angeles Dodgers. At the ballpark, later that evening, a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball -- an extended version, if you will -- aims to understand how the Cardinals got into this predicament where potential carries so much more weight than production, where algorithms have them frozen and their minor-league system is no longer deep enough to make deals. Is this the day that determines whether they are a playoff team -- or barred from October for the fourth consecutive season? This seems to be a pivot point in the season, and BPIB is there to map the direction the Cardinals go from here. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought you by Closets by Design! of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, stltoday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

After a career that included five years with the Cardinals, a 2006 World Series championship, and stints as both a starter and reliever, Brad Thompson dropped his sinker and picked up a microphone. It also made him available for the Best Podcast in Baseball. From a perch atop PNC Park, Thompson joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer to talk about his career, the pitch that made him, the pitch that escaped him, and his role as a ubiquitous broadcaster in St. Louis. Thompson is part of The Fast Lane at 101.1 FM/WXOS, is featured on the Cardinals broadcasts for Fox Sports Midwest, and is the co-host with FredBird of the Cardinals' Kids TV program. He talks about his move from the field to the broadcast booth, and in the broadcast booth tells some tall tales and explores what the Cardinals should do at the trade deadline. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design! of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

With the All-Star break behind us, does the National League now begin the long, 2 1/2-month coronation of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the pennant-winner, again? That's the question that launches a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis. Mike Ferrin, host of Power Alley on MLB Network Radio and part of the Arizona Diamondbacks radio broadcast team, joins the podcast to discuss the Dodgers, the D-Backs, the Cardinals and the NL race, right up to the trade deadline. What can teams chasing the Dodgers do to narrow the gap -- or give them a better chance in October against the inevitable? Also, Ferrin drops some hip baseball lingo on BPIB host Derrick Goold. The Best Podcast in Baseball is a production of StlToday.com, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and baseball writer Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

No longer sitting on 7.14, the Best Podcast in Baseball join's A's-Plus Podcast for an interleague crossover episode featuring Susan Slusser, the San Francisco Chronicle's A's beat writer and California Sportswriter of the Year. BPIB host Derrick Goold, a baseball writer at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Slusser discuss the deep differences between the usual baseball trade and the trade between the Cardinals and Athletics that sent Stephen Piscotty home to the Bay Area. The two former presidents of the BBWAA also talk about the similarities between the 2019 A's and the 2019 Cardinals, whether the A's can assert themselves as Oakland's hometown team as the NFL and NBA leave town, and the legacy of Moneyball, including the Luhnow that it unleashed on the American League West. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

On the eve of Albert Pujols' return to St. Louis for the first time since signing with the Angels after the 2011 season, Los Angeles Times national baseball writer Andy McCullough, a former Missouri Sports Writer of the Year winner, joins Best Podcast in Baseball host Derrick Goold to discuss what he's discovered about Pujols' legacy while visiting Mound City. Hint: There's a statue of Pujols waiting for a home. The two baseball writers also discuss the conversion rate on wins in the National League West to wins in the National League Central, and why McCullough sees a better team in the Cardinals than maybe the standings imply. There is also a rant about a GM that compared himself to brain surgeons and a discussion about the modern game of baseball. McCullough makes a good point about what baseball has above other spots -- and how it's missing the chance to market and maximize that trait. The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

It's the Best Road Trip in Baseball: Joey Mellows, known on Twitter as @BaseballBrit, is, according to his bio, "a cheerful British chap on a 162-game mission to promote interest in baseball." Specifically, he wants to ignite interest in the United Kingdom, where the Cardinals and Cubs are set to play in June 2020. As part of his journey to 162 games this season, he has thrice tried to see the Cardinals -- and rain has interrupted his experience every time. Mellows joins St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold to talk about the origins of his fondness for baseball, his planned unplanned schedule, and why baseball's fan base in the UK has so many insomniacs. There is also a friendly debate about colleges and invitation for the BPIB to go international.Which will happen. Book it. This interview is split between two parts -- one out in the stadium, surrounded by the ballpark vibe, and the other, after the rains came, under cover, in the quiet of the press box. Mellows' work can be found on Twitter (@BaseballBrit) and in the podcasts "Bat Flips and Nerds" and "Absolute Bunts." The Best Podcast in Baseball, brought to you by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of StlToday.com, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Derrick Goold. See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.