The Windup: A show about Baseball

The Baseball Barista with Hunter Pence & Grant Brisbee have a fresh cup of baseball thoughts this week. The guys talk about what is going on with the Padres, how the Astros are sneaky good and the Cardinals making their usual late season push. Really only 3 races to watch right now- the NL West and the 2 Wild Card Races. One team that was expected to be in the mix in the NL was the San Diego P...

In another rollicking edition of Starkville, Jayson and Doug opine about Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.'s heated exchange from last weekend. Was the situation handled properly? Doug draws from his experience as a big leaguer to answer whether Machado comported himself appropriately. Could a pitch clock be adopted by the majors soon? Charlie Montoyo, the Toronto Blue Jays manager, joins Jayso...

Ken and DVR take a close look at the NL MVP and Cy Young Award races as the field for those honors continues to shrink, before checking in on the Wild Card race in both leagues. Then, they open up the mailbag to answer several questions…. -Are pitcher injuries up in 2021? -Can Steroid Era players be honored in Cooperstown without being inducted into the Hall of Fame? -What other factors should vot...

DVR and Britt discuss the ascent of the Cardinals, the surprising lack of offense from the Reds during a favorable stretch in the schedule, their picks for the two AL Wild Card spots as three AL East teams battle it out, and a few of the most surprising seasons they've seen while covering and analyzing baseball as Cedric Mullins makes a push for a 30-30 season. Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRipe...

The Baseball Barista with Hunter Pence & Grant Brisbee is back for another cup of hot baseball takes and thoughts. The guys are going to talk about Vlad Jr going for the Triple Crown, if clinching a playoff spot too early is bad and rooting for chaos with the Wild Cards. The Toronto Blue Jays are on fire and are being led by possible Triple Crown winner Vladimiir Guerrero Jr. There is a chance...

As lighthearted and jovial as we tend to be in Starkville, we know when silent reverence and reflection are necessary. With the 20th anniversary of 9/11 taking place last weekend, Jayson and Doug reminisce about that day, where they were, what they were doing, and the tragedy's impact two decades later. Cleveland Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti chimes in with his 9/11 memo...

Ken and DVR discuss a busy weekend in baseball including the Yankees-Mets' matchup at Citi Field on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the surging Blue Jays, and a combined no-no in Cleveland courtesy of the Brewers before opening up the mailbag. - Could the return of the Universal DH spur realignment? - What might change the way shifts are employed in the future? - What's going on with...

DVR and Keith discuss several 2021 disappointments with an eye toward their future value including Gleyber Torres, Gavin Lux, Victor Robles, and Chris Paddack, before considering how the profile of future Hall of Fame pitchers will be much different than that of current members.  Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw Save 50% on a subscription to The Athletic at...

The Baseball Barista with Hunter Pence & Grant Brisbee have a fresh cup of hot baseball takes this week. The guys talk about Hall of Fame credentials, meaningful September baseball and the crazy Wild Card races. September baseball is so much fun if your team is still in it or not. The guys talk about if they like the new Sept rules regarding the rosters and if it is good for the game or not. T...

Derek Jeter is headed to Cooperstown and Jayson and Doug share their experiences both on and off the field with the Yankees great, explaining why a player who is sometimes criticized as overrated is actually underrated! Then the roundtable returns to get you ready for the final month of the season. The Athletic's Eno Sarris and NY Times baseball writer Tyler Kepner visit Starkville to predict what...

Ken and Tim cover the league from coast to coast in to start the show. The Giants and Dodgers battle for West Coast supremacy while the Red Sox and Mets overcome off the field challenges to stay in the race. All that before opening up this week's mailbag... -Will MLB make needed changes to replay? -Why isn't Joe Maddon on the hot seat? -What teams will be in on the free agent shortstops? -What's w...

DVR and Keith discuss the Phillies' pursuit of Atlanta in the battle for the NL East, the recent struggles of Yu Darvish, the next steps in Cleveland as Year 2 of the post-Lindor era approaches, Adalberto Mondesi's future in Kansas City, Keibert Ruiz's future, and the arrival of Joe Ryan to the Minnesota rotation.  Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw Save 50% o...

The Baseball Barista with Hunter Pence & Grant Brisbee talk about the Mets' Thumbs Down salute, tight wild card races & team's built for the playoffs. The guys talk about the Mets doing a a thumbs down salute to the fans and if they think it was the right move or not. The Wild Card Races are tight and the guys break down who they can make a run heading into September. They talk about what...

The Braves had every reason to become sellers when Ronald Acuna Jr. went down, but Alex Anthopoulos doubled down on the 2021 season. He joins Starkville to talk about that, submitting an offer for Aroldis Chapman on the way to his wedding, his first job in baseball and more. Plus Jayson and Doug dive into the Atlantic League moving the mound back a foot and the Dodgers and Padres 16-inning maratho...

The Red Sox and Yankees look destined to meet in the AL Wild Card Game. The last time the two teams met in a one-game winner take all matchup was 1978 when Bucky Dent's home run over the monster sent the Yankees to the playoffs and eventual World Series title. Ken and Tim discuss the AL East before opening up this week's mailbag... -Will Yankees ever get rid of facial hair policy? -Will MLB expand...

DVR and Keith discuss the recent arrival of Edward Cabrera in Miami, and check in on several members of the 2021 rookie class -- including Wander Franco, Andrew Vaughn, and Ke'Bryan Hayes -- while setting and adjusting expectations for the group in the wake of the lost 2020 minor-league season. Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...

The Baseball Barista with Hunter Pence & Grant Brisbee are ready to talk some baseball. Tim McMaster is filling in for Grant this week. The guys talk about if they think Ohtani is having the best season ever, the 500 HR club and updated Wild Card Races. Is Shoehei Ohtani having the best season ever in MLB history? The guys give their thoughts on it and compare his hitting and pitching numbers...

Joey Votto looks at baseball differently than most and he brings that unique perspective to Starkville. Some of the topics covered... -The problem with getting 2000 hits is that it's not 3000 hits   -How the game has changed throughout his career -How to measure intangibles -Why he's so impressed by Mike Trout -What made 2017 his pièce de résistance -What made the middle of his career difficult an...

The Orioles front office says the club's re-build is on track despite an 18-game skid. Ken was new to the Orioles beat back in 1988 when the O's lost 21 in a row. He explains the differences and what baseball can do to try to stop tanking. Then in the mailbag... -Should MLB shorten games to help pitcher fatigue? -Should the criteria for a win change with starters not pitching deep into games? -Wil...

DVR and Keith discuss the Padres’ recent slide into a legitimate Wild Card race with the Reds, their picks for who ultimately comes away with the final playoff spot in the National League, and a few reasons to be optimistic about the Pirates’ long-term outlook.  Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper Follow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Baseball Barista with Hunter Pence & Grant Brisbee has a fresh cup of baseball takes. They are gonna talk about Steve Cohen's tweet about the struggling Mets, how to turn things around for slumping teams and how dealing with media & fans is different in every city. The guys recap the exciting and amazing Field of Dreams game. It was a huge success for MLB and the guys are glad that bas...

Whether he's turning a corn field into the Field of Dreams, Australian cricket grounds into an Opening Day ballpark or an English soccer stadium into the site of Red Sox and Yankees, Murray Cook is the man behind MLB's pop-up stadiums. He joins Jayson and Doug to explain what went into the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa from vision to completion. What obstacles had to be overcome and what cha...

Forget the dog days of summer! It was a feel good week across baseball. Ken reflects on being part of the Field of Dreams Game broadcast and admits to being a little early on announcing the end of the year of the no-hitter. In the mailbag... -Is the AL Central entering an era of all five teams being competitive? -How can the Cardinals retool for 2022? -Is Cedric Mullins the most underrated player...

DVR and Keith discuss the three-team battle for the NL East, Austin Riley's growth as a hitter, signs of growth from Touki Toussaint, the possibility that the Mets are the NL East's best team on paper -- even without Jacob deGrom -- whether the Red Sox deserve the criticism they have received for their Trade Deadline approach, the Jays' quiet rise in the AL East, and the Brewers as a legitimate Wo...

The Baseball Barista with Hunter Pence & Grant Brisbee have a fresh cup on baseball takes. The guys give their August Power Rankings, the Field of Dreams game and their favorite baseball movies. They both agree that the Giants & Dodgers are the 2 top teams in the MLB rankings right now. Both teams have very similar approaches at the plate and on the mound. There is some debate after that f...