Nate Heininger & Ben Simorka

Talking About Birds: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

Sports EN ↓ 228 episodes

The only Cardinals podcast dumber than running on Yadi. A weekly podcast mostly about the St. Louis Cardinals.

Author

Nate Heininger & Ben Simorka

Category

Sports

Latest episode

Jul 9, 2026

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Episodes

Optimizing Optimal Optimization 24.07.2025

This week, Nate and Ben talk Canada and the Savannah Bananas, then it’s all Cardinals: Gorman hits the IL, trade chatter heats up, and the rotation continues to fall apart while the bullpen thrives. They break down Pallante’s Jekyll-and-Hyde sinker, discuss Fedde's DFA as the news breaks, and preview the upcoming Padres and Marlins series. Plus, league news, Rich Hill makes history, and a Wrigley...

"Doyle Rules!" Would Be a Lazy Title For This Episode (w/ Daniel Shoptaw) 17.07.2025

It’s All-Star week! Nate is joined by Daniel Shoptaw (@C70) to talk Brendan Donovan’s big night, Liam Doyle’s surprise selection at No. 5, and what the next two weeks need to look like for the Cardinals to be legit buyers. Plus: the bullpen is locked in, the Birds head west, Cal Raleigh swings for the crown, and the Rays have a new owner incoming. Have a question or comment for the show? Text or l...

Hey Don, You're an All Star 10.07.2025

Brendan Donovan is officially an All-Star! We talk about what that means for the Cardinals and dive into Mozeliak’s comments on ownership’s willingness to invest. Arenado’s battling shoulder pain, Fedde’s mechanics are a mess, and we wonder if it’s time to trade Helsley. We preview the Braves series before the All-Star break and look ahead to the D-Backs. Plus, big moves around the league, a sad f...

Ghost in the Pod 03.07.2025

Jordan Walker hits the IL with appendicitis, but the Cardinals cling to a wild card spot as July kicks off. We talk José Fermín’s hot start, Masyn Winn’s star turn, and Sonny Gray’s dominant outing. With a soft schedule ahead, what should the Cards do at the deadline? Plus, a Diamondbacks fan gets banned and the Women’s Pro Baseball League announces its first-ever tryouts. Have a question or comme...

Beefy Boys are Back 26.06.2025

Iván Herrera hits the IL with a hammy strain, and Thomas Saggese gets the call-up. The Cards also snag Garrett Hampson off waivers while DFA’ing Jose Barrero. On the field, Burly is crushing June with a 161 wRC+ and just 8 Ks in 88 PAs—but Gormy’s even hotter, slashing .289/.385/.607 with 5 bombs. Libby and Fedde are locked in, Maton’s untouchable, and Andre Granillo grabs his first MLB win and sa...

Rotation Rotation 19.06.2025

Ben almost blew up, Jordan Walker’s back, the rotation’s a mess, and we’re wondering if Quinn Mathews will be our new favorite Cardinal by July. Lars Nootbaar can’t hit a fastball, Pallante’s ERA is climbing, and McGreevy might be on the way. We preview a big week with the Reds and Cubs coming to town. Plus: Devers gets shipped to the Giants, Civale and Vaughn swap teams, and—wait—Shohei Ohtani pi...

Are We Gorman, or Are We GormOut? 12.06.2025

Nate and Ben open with some Blogger Day talk and then dive into Cardinals news. Brendan Donovan is out with a toe injury, Jordan Walker is progressing well, and Matthew Liberatore is showing signs of fatigue. Zach Plesac signs a minor league deal after pitching well in independent ball. Nolan Gorman is heating up, and McGreevy had a solid six-inning outing. Victor Scott breaks a hitless streak but...

Road to Regression 05.06.2025

In this episode of Talking About Birds , the hosts recap a tough week for the Cardinals, who placed Jordan Walker on the IL and called up Ryan Vilade, while also signing Tyler Matzek to a minor league deal. The pitching staff continues to struggle—Pallante’s arsenal lacks effectiveness, Leahy isn’t generating strikeouts, and Mikolas’s fastball ranks among the worst in MLB. Offensively, Nolan Arena...

Put More Kids in the Seats 29.05.2025

In this episode of 'Talking About Birds,' Nate and Ben dive into the latest happenings around the St. Louis Cardinals, including a recap of recent games and series. They provide insights into key players like Miles Mikolas and Jordan Walker, discuss the Cardinals' dynamic with other teams in the league, and share thoughts on potential trades. Are the Cardinals good this year? It sure seems like it...

Mission ImBaseballible 22.05.2025

Nate and Ben discuss the St. Louis Cardinals' recent performances, including their winning streak and  upcoming series against the Diamondbacks (butts'n'cracks) and Orioles. They dive into Nolan Arenado's candid comments on his struggles and the rise of new stars like Victor Scott and Ivan Herrera. The hosts also explore recent roster updates, league news, notable player performances, and much mor...

Bad Divisions (and Bad Decisions) 15.05.2025

Join Nate Heininger and Ben Simorka on 'Talking About Birds,' the only podcast that cheers on the Cardinals' winning streak like they do. In this episode, they discuss the Cardinals' impressive week of wins, the significance of Wilson Contreras and Nolan Arenado's performance, and the state of the Cardinals' defense. They delve into major MLB news, including Pete Rose's Hall of Fame eligibility po...

Erick Fedde Wap 08.05.2025

In this episode of 'Talking About Birds,' hosts Nate Heininger and Ben Simorka cover a range of topics centered around the Cardinals' recent performances and developments. They discuss standout defensive plays, potential trade scenarios, and the performances of key players like Willson Contreras, Matthew Liberatore, and Michael McGreevy. Injuries, including Mike Trout's, and the impact on team dyn...

Fishing for Dongs 01.05.2025

In this episode, Nate Heininger and Ben Simorka discuss their recent fishing trip at the Lake of the Ozarks, where they performed as expected. They transition into talking about the St. Louis Cardinals, including their continued struggles, key player performances, and potential trades involving Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton. They also touch on MLB league news, such as potential moves for the Tampa B...

I Need A Hug 24.04.2025

Nate & Ben discuss 5k rainouts, fishing tournaments, Coachella, good food, the Cardinal bullpen, Masyn Winn returning, the Siani decision, building a lineup with the current roster, what to do with Burleson, Miles Mikolas, the Liberatore breakout continuing, Matz being good, bear hugs as medical procedures, JJ Wetherholt and Chase Davis, the terrible no good very bad weekend in New York, conce...

Slinger Dogs 17.04.2025

Nate & Ben discuss the Cardinal 5k, Slinger Dogs, French Toast Dips, food truck ideas, the expansion to the 6 man rotation, what a .500 team looks like, the offense is GOOD, the defense is GOOD, the pitching is WE DONT KNOW YET, weed easter, Masyn Winn on the IL, the hopeful return of Gormania, Cooper Hjerpe, Matt Svanson, a ridiculous week of Cardinal starters, Liberatore's breakout, Willson'...

Pedro and Pozo: Bash Bros 10.04.2025

Nate & Ben discuss morning brown, french toast, Rockies opening day, Ivan Herrera's injury :(, Pages being good and the long term options at catcher, every catcher can rake, Saggese, the offense being good, the pitching maybe being bad, what to do with Miles Mikolas, the ascension of Matthew Liberatore, and much more!  Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (...

You Can't Have Any Dessert, Until You Eat Your Grip Tape 03.04.2025

Nate & Ben discuss the Savannah Bananas, torpedo bats, bowling pin bats, favorite nautical bombs, the Cardinals fun start to the season, the offense being good (maybe, hopefully), Nootbaar's ascension, VS2, Jordan Walker being fun, bat speed, not worrying about Winn and Contreras, the good and the bad of the pitching, not overreacting to small samples, overreacting to small samples, eating gri...

Opening Day, 2025: Victor Scott II, too 27.03.2025

Nate & Ben discuss OPENING DAY!!!!! And, the conclusion of Spring Training, the surprising end to the Centerfield battle, the return of VS2, what to do with Siani, the losers of the decisions, the rotation, a Nolan Arenado bounceback season?, JJ Wetherholt, the Jupiter complex, the upcoming series against the Twins, the series against the Angels, and much more!  Have a question or comment for...

Get Your Phil (Maton) 20.03.2025

Nate & Ben disuss surviving a half marathon, delicious treats vs hot eats, foot injuries, the final spring training battles, what to do with Walker and Gorman, the clunky roster construction, starting a 6 man rotation, being hyped for some pitchers, being HYPED for Herrera, the Cubs, BASEBALL IS BACK, and much more!  Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (84...

Pitchers Missed (w/ Nick Pollack) 13.03.2025

Nate & Ben are joined by Nick Pollack (PitcherList.com) to discuss the Cardinals offseason (lol), what to expect from the Cardinals rotation, finding some hope in the young guys, figuring out what to do with Steven Matz, bad fantasy baseball strategy, who the next man up in the rotation is, can Liberatore find it?, Ben's upcoming half-marathon, and much more!  Have a question or comment for th...

Spare Jordan 06.03.2025

Nate & Ben discuss the Oscars, Wicked, GotHam city, Marvel Rivals, two part movies, Jordan Walker's injury (with a mid-episode update!), Zack Thompson's injury and the life of a pitcher, players being mic'd up during games, pitching prospects starting to po, and much more!  Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737) Talking About Bir...

Dongs Have Been Doinked 27.02.2025

Nate & Ben discuss going to a Blues game, the start of the MLS season, the problem with ties, the new ABS testing and the impact on the game, more Arenado news (kinda), trading Eric Fedde, Hit Cookies, Real Cookies, the VS2 power surge, JJ's strong start and keeping calm about JJs strong start, Quinn's excellent start, getting excited about Roby again, Jordan Walker, and the start of our NL Ce...

Hunks Are Back 20.02.2025

Nate & Ben discuss going to NBA games, music in sports, humans getting taller, Spring Training starting!, embracing Arenado and moving on, still roasting Mozeliak, how the Cardinals manage their roster with Arenado still here, what to do with Alec Burleson, who gets the at bats, Willson Contreras the Hunk, dreaming on Contreras at 650 PAs, the Rockies compared to the Cardinals, baseball back o...

Casa Birdnitas 13.02.2025

Nate & Ben discuss the boring, bad Super Bowl (except Kendrick), skiing, Casa Bonita, singing seals, the Michael Helman trade, the Nick Anderson signing, the worst off-season ever, arbitration outcomes, being frustrated with Mozeliak (still), Arenado (again, again, again), Willson moving to first, and PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORTING!!!  Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us...

unZIPped with Dan (w/ Dan Szymborski) 06.02.2025

Nate & Ben are joined by Dan Szymborski (Fangrahs, ESPN, ZIPs) to discuss the 2025 ZIPs projections, what to expect from Jordan Walker, where the Cardinals sit in the NL Central, being stuck in the middle, how the rotation could evolve, what to make of the Arenado situation, skiing, spelling words, and much more!  Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848)...

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