
Almost Cooperstown
We're a father & son who love to talk and argue about baseball! Baseball is the professional sport that has the longest history so there is a lot to talk about. We launched Almost Cooperstown noting that baseball contains a long history of players that, for whatever reasons, have been shunned by the electors of the Hall of Fame. Consequently here are many 'Almost' players still waiting their turn for induction. With less than 1.5% of the now more than 23,000 players in the HOF, we feel there should be more players included. In these podcasts we also discuss current seasons & trends. Please send any messages to almostcooperstown@gmail.com.
Baseball articles can be found here: https://almostcooperstown.substack.com/publish/posts
Episodes
310 episodes
HOF inductions, Trade deadline talk, biggest crowd ever is coming, WPA is cool! - 7.28.25 - Ep. 620
This coming Saturday evening in Bristol, TN the most fans ever to attend an MLB game are predicted to watch the Reds and Braves. HOF inductions took place Sunday in Cooperstown where it was as hot as it always is for those ceremonies. Dave Park...
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Season 6
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Episode 20
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32:32

All-Star ridiculousness & Midseason report - 7.21.25 - Ep. 619
Did you love the home run derby that ended this year's actual All-Star game? The players sure did. But not having real pitchers makes it an entertainment product and not a real baseball thing. It's fine for an exhibition game but real gam...
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Season 6
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Episode 19
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23:47

Baseball Two-Way Greats author Chris Jensen - Ep. 618
Baseball's Two-Way Greats - Pitching/Batting Stars from Ruth and Rogan to Ohtani by Chris Jensen. Is Shohei Ohtani the greatest two-way player in #MLB history? Chris Jensen isn't afraid to take on big subjects and 19th century baseb...
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Season 6
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Episode 18
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35:47

Spin rates & FIP explained. ASG rosters complete. TWIB 7.7.25 - Ep. 617
Sadly #whitesox closer Bobby Jenks passed away from stomach cancer at age 44. Our condolences to the Jenks family. On a happier note #Dodgers Clayton Kershaw struck out his 3,000th #MLB batter! #RedSox Wilyer Abreu hit both a Grand Slam A...
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Season 6
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Episode 17
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26:08

Defensive metrics are many & confusing. We unravel them. TWIB - 6.30.25 - Ep. 616
Dave 'The Cobra' Parker passed away at age 74 less than a month before his induction ceremony in Cooperstown. His arm in right field was legendary and he won the 1978 NL MVP. We're sorry he won't get the opportunity to be there next month...
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Season 6
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Episode 16
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24:44

What the heck is xwOBA? TWIB - 6.23.25 - Ep. 615
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are 1-2 in xwOBA. Expected Weighted On-Base Average (xwOBA) tell the story of a player's season based on quality of and amount of contact, not outcomes....
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Season 6
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Episode 15
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28:48

The Big Nogowskis - Recent MLB player & his father in a special Father's Day podcast! 6.15.25 - Ep. 614
As a father and son doing a podcast we're keenly aware of the bond that baseball can bring to a family. We loved talking with a real live recent (and possibly future) MLB player and his father about their relationship and journeys in base...
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Season 6
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Episode 14
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54:02

Mets season so far & this week in baseball 6.9.25 - Ep. 613
Cal Raleigh aka 'The Big Dumper' hit his 26th home run this week to lead #MLB. If #Mets Tylor Megill was traded to Seattle they'd become a battery meaning the "Big Drip" would pitch to the "Big Dumper". Can we see that happen please? <...
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Season 6
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Episode 13
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33:22

2,500 career hits - the new 3,000? This week in baseball - 6.2.25 - Ep. 612
#Phillies pfell out of pfirst place in the #nleast given a very unusually poor start on Saturday vs. #Brewers. Phillies #Cubs, #Dodgers, #Mets all started Sunday at 36-22. They are the class of the league while in the #americanleague #Yan...
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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38:39

MLB Pitcher game scores are hot! TWIB - 5.26.25 - Ep. 611
Happy Memorial Day! This is episode 301 as we forgot to mention our 300th last week! #tigers Tarik Skubal pitched a Maddux on Sunday, throwing a complete game, striking out 13, only yielding 2 hits, and he threw 94 total pitches. His Game...
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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36:56

Inside the park homers are rare - & This week in baseball 5.19.25 - Ep. 610
Three managers have been fired already before Memorial Day! #Pirates Derek Shelton, #Rockies Bud Black, & #Orioles Brandon Hyde all were dismissed and it kind of makes sense. You can't fire 26 players! #Twins won 13 strai...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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32:36

25% of 2025 MLB season is done. Projecting individual stats over 162 games is fun - TWIB - 5.12.25 - Ep. 609
#Yankees Aaron Judge is now on pace for 56 home runs which would surprise exactly nobody! Judge also has a #MLB leading 39 RBIs which over 162 games would be 156 RBIs. That hasn't been done since A-Rod did it for those same Yankees in 200...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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37:01

Are MLB team captains irrelevant? TWIB - 5.5.25 - Ep. 608
It was more fun talking about This Week in Baseball goings-on since #MLB team captains are kinda unimportant. A vestige of 19th century baseball, there are only three team captains in the Majors today. # Yankees Aaron Judge #Royals Salvador Per...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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35:04

Check swings need to be checked out & 4 HR game This Week in Baseball - 4.28.25 - Ep. 607
#Pirates rookie 27 YO Matt Gorski hit a home run in his first #MLB at-bat this week! But maybe #Dbacks Eugenio Suarez outdid him by clubbing 4 home runs in a game versus the #Braves, that Arizona ended up losing! Are the #Giants &a...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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30:17

Future HOFers playing 2025 & This Week in Baseball - 4.21.25 - Ep. 606
About 1/8th of the season is past so you can pretty much take #MLB player stats and multiply by eight. Tyler Soderstrom of the #athletics s is not going to hit 72 home runs. But #yankees AaronJudge could definitely finish with 56 or m...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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34:44

The 5 best starting pitchers in Mets history - TWIB 4.14.25 - Ep. 605
#Angels in first place is something we did not expect. Mike Trout leading the #AL in homers is not as shock but that he has 6 HRs and 10 hits is at least surprising! The #Tigers are in 1st place as are #Yankees, #Padres, #Cubs w #Mets &am...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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29:57

Roundtable discussion - which baseball movies should be watched again or for the 1st time? - Ep. 604
Baseball movies are rarer than they used to be. Has there been a great one that you love in the past 10 years? Gordon and Mark participated in a roundtable with 4 other baseball writers/podcasters/personalities - Vince Wetzel (author of "...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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56:08

This week in baseball was SO much fun! - 4.7.25 - Ep. 603
The #Dodgers finally lost & #Braves finally won. Yet it's the #Giants who are in 1st place in the NL West. #Padres also lost but still are off to a great start. #Cubs are looking good as are #Phillies who beat L.A. 2 out of 3 this weekend. ...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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28:08

This week in baseball & we pick postseason award winners - 3.31.25 - Ep. 602
It's not really been a week in baseball but the Dodgers & Cubs have played 5 games now (Dodgers have won them all and are on a path to be undefeated) so that's close to a week. There are no narratives written in March for MLB teams. That go...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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41:21

SEASON SIX PREMIERE! 2025 Season Preview & Predictions - Ep. 601
As we launch our 6th season of Almost Cooperstown podcasts we start by saying thank you to our listeners and viewers. 280 episodes in the can and still going strong! Thank you for liking to hear and watch us talk about our favorite thing ...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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1:17:46

Keith O'Brien author of Charlie Hustle on Pete Rose & his chances for Cooperstown - Ep. 580
Author of 19 books, Keith O'Brien grew up in Cincinnati and had a front row seat to much of Pete Rose's career. Keith's 2024 book "Charlie Hustle" won awards from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and The New Yorker. We both enjoyed the ...
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Season 5
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Episode 80
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44:35

Baseball Banning, Blackballing & Blacklisting - Ep. 579
Even before Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis banned eight #Whitesox players for their attempted fix of the 1919 World Series, players had been banned, blacklisted and banished from baseball mostly for trying to fix games but not always. Once Comm...
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Season 5
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Episode 79
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22:17

Spring Training injuries & the youngest player in MLB history - Ep. 578
#Yankees Giancarlo Stanton is injured. Again. This time it is tennis elbow in both elbows! #Mets FA acquisition Nick Madrigal is doing his Jed Lowrie imitation as he's out for the season before it ever started! Injuries are part of ...
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Season 5
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Episode 78
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28:10
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TWIB - 2.24.25 & Pitching in the Deadball era - Ep. 577
Alex Bregman homered in his first Spring Training game for #redsox. He also went 3-3. #Mets Juan Soto went oppo toco deep in his first AB with his new team. #yankees Aaron Boone got a contract extension and Giancarlo Stanton has tennis elbow. I...
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Season 5
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Episode 77
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32:54

Bregman to Red Sox & other big news of the week. A quick review of Deadball era hitting which stank. - Ep.576
There was enough news for us to talk about what went on this week. Alex Bregman #redsox was the biggest player news. #Angels Rendon is out of action for the season. Again. Before it even started! Who will be the dark horse teams in #MLB 2025? H...
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Season 5
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Episode 76
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30:35
