Baseball Connection

The 2021 Silver Slugger awards have been given out. Who are the best bats around? Marcus Semien keeps adding to his trophy case and had what might be the best contract year player in recent memory. Is this the last time we'll see a pitcher win it? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Juan Soto just might be the best hitter of this generation. Some believe he could be baseball's first $500 million man. Would the Nationals be willing to spend that? Joakim Soria has hung up his cleats after a  strong 14-season career. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Hank Aaron award is awarded to the best offensive performer in each league. This year's awardees are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bryce Harper. At age 22, Vlad became the youngest winner ever. Meanwhile, Harper took home his his 2nd such award. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Dodgers did not extend Clayton Kershaw a qualifying offer and he will become a free agent. Could Kershaw possibly be pitching somewhere else in 2022? What is the Dodgers' best strategy to fill their pitching needs? Justin Verlander hosted a workout which was attended by 15-20 teams. His fastball sat in the mid-90s. Verlander will be one of the most intriguing arms on the market this winter. Al...

The Gold Glove Award winners have been announced for 2021. St. Louis led the way with 5 Cardinals bringing home hardware. Nolan Arenado won his ninth straight Gold Glove. Is Yuli Gurriel getting better with age? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Carlos Correa has an offer on the table from the Astros for 6 years, $160 million. The total value is nowhere near what Correa is likely looking for after seeing Lindor & Tatis score $340+ million. Noah Syndergaard received a qualifying offer from the Mets - he really should accept it. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Add Joc Pederson to the list of free agent outfielders this winter. Because Pederson declined his mutual option, he is able to search for a deal on the open market. Will he get a multi-year deal? Dusty Baker is returning to manage the Astros in 2022. All this (and more) on today's episode.

We take a look at the schedule for the upcoming awards season. Gold Glove awards will be up first and unveiled this weekend, followed by all the remaining major awards later in November. Who might the winners be? Nick Castellanos has opted out of the 2 years and $34 million remaining on his contract. He'll be a free agent. All this on today's episode.

Buster Posey's illustrious career has come to and end. Posey will announce his retirement during a press conference on Thursday. Does he have a case for the Hall of Fame? The Tigers are poised for a productive winter. They got things started by acquiring Tucker Barnhart in a trade with the Reds. All this on today's episode.

The Atlanta Braves are 2021 World Series Champions. Atlanta took down Houston by a score of 7-0 in Game 6. Jorge Soler blasted a moonshot en route to collecting World Series MVP honors. How did they get here? What was their key to success? All this (and more) on today's episode.

What can we expect from the Padres now that Bob Melvin is their manager? Melvin will be handed a roster with the most talent he's ever seen. What will the A's do to replace him? Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy passed away after losing his battle with cancer. All this (and more) on today's episode.

With their backs against the wall, the Astros won a back-and-forth contest to force Game 6 against the Braves. The Braves struck immediately with a first inning grand slam, but Houston scratched and clawed their way back. The Astros shuffled their lineup and it worked. Alex Bregman & Carlos Correa joined in with big hits. We have ourselves a series.

The beat goes on for the Atlanta Braves. They continue to play exceptionally well at home and defeated the Astros to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Another strong pitching effort plus back-to-back homers from Dansby Swanson & Jorge Soler led the Braves in this one. Don't count the Astros out yet, but their bats will have to wake up to salvage their championship hopes.

Game 3 of the World Series featured great pitching on both sides but the Braves came out on top. Ian Anderson led the way with 5 no-hit innings. Anderson has started more playoff games than any rookie in MLB history. Braves pitchers combined for a 2-hit shutout. With managerial roles open around MLB, Ron Washington's name has been coming up a lot lately. All this on today's episode.

The World Series is tied at one game apiece. Houston returned the favor with a strong offensive performance of their own. The series will head back to Atlanta for 3 games. Is 2-3-2 a reasonable format anymore? After a few weeks of searching, the Padres have found their new manager. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Braves jumped out to an early lead and maintained it en route to a Game 1 victory in the World Series. Braves starter, Charlie Morton, left the game early after what proved to be a broken leg. How will the Braves replace him? Shohei Ohtani taught us that something called the Historic Achievement Award even exists. Nelson Cruz is this year's Roberto Clemente Award winner.

The World Series begins in Houston as the Astros seek to silence all their haters. The Braves are back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 1999. Who has the upper hand and what should we be watching for? All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Cardinals' managerial opening didn't last very long. St. Louis is hiring Oliver Marmol to be their next manager. At 35, Marmol will be the youngest manager in MLB. The Silver Slugger finalists have been announced. Who made this first cut?

What path will the Giants take this winter? They have a pitching staff to rebuild, veterans to retain, and plenty of money to spend. Kyle Schwarber expressed interest in returning to Boston, but will they have room? How does the qualifying offer work and who might accept one this year? All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Atlanta Braves are going to the World Series. Eddie Rosario took home NLCS MVP honors as he led the Braves offense as they clinched the National League pennant. It's quite an underdog story considering the major injuries the Braves sustained this year. We've learned not to count them out.

For the third time in five years, the Houston Astros have won the American League pennant. The Astros silenced Boston's bats over the last three games. Yordan Alvarez' hot bat earned him ALCS MVP. They await the winner of the Braves-Dodgers series. Max Scherzer is battling a "dead arm" and won't pitch for LA in Game 6. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Dodgers quickly silenced whispers of their season coming to an end just yet. Chris Taylor belted 3 HRs and AJ Pollock added 2 more as they routed the Braves to make it a 3-2 series heading back to Atlanta. Houston looks to close things out at home. Can they? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Cody Bellinger tomahawked a 3-run homer to bring the Dodgers all the way back to victory. Atlanta was close to taking a stranglehold in this series, but never count LA out. Houston tied the ALCS with a late rally of their own. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Astros lost badly to the Red Sox in Game 3 of the ALCS. Boston's bats are feasting off weak pitching. Who can the Astros turn to to stop the bleeding? Aaron Boone is returning to manage the Yankees on a 3-year deal. Who is to blame for the Yankees' playoff shortcomings in recent years? All this (and more) on today's episode.

We're still not quite sure why Mike Shildt got fired by the Cardinals. The Padres are interested in him though. MLB has announced major plans to provide housing for minor league players next season. We might also be getting a streaming service for in-market games. Joctober continued in Atlanta as the Braves took a 2-0 series lead. All this (and more) on today's episode.