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
326 episodes
One minute on each of the 30 MLB teams' off-season needs - Ep. 636
Hot stove season in #MLB is fully in gear but the deals are yet to commence. That will happen and probably in December as the Winter meetings are often the kickoff for wheeling and dealing. We did one minute on every team in Major League Baseba...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 36
•
32:16
Predicting the winners of MLB's postseason awards - Ep. 635 - 11.10.25
It's not as if either of us went way far off the limb in our picks. We talked about the Hank Aaron Award for best offensive player and if that impacts the AL MVP race. There's a difference of opinion. Cy Young in the AL was close and the same w...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 35
•
28:19
Did we just watch the greatest World Series in history? - Ep. 634 - 11.3.25
Since 1973 there gave been 17 seven-game World Series. None of them had an 18-inning game, a player who got on base 9x in one game, a rookie striking out 12 hitters and a solo extra inning home run for the final runs. #Dodgers #BlueJays w...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 34
•
23:44
2025 LCS Wrap & World Series preview Ep. 633 - 10.23.25
#Bluejays found their groove in Seattle winning the series 4-3 over the #Mariners in 7 interesting and often exciting games. #Dodgers dominated #Brewers who could only muster 4 runs in 4 games. A George Springer dinger made the difference in ga...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 33
•
26:27
Division Series postmortem & League Championship series 2025 preview Ep. 632 - 10.13.25
Did you stay up late to watch game one of the ALCS Sunday night the 12th? #Mariners and #BlueJays both entered the American League in 1977. Toronto has won 2 World Series but the Mariners have never won a pennant. Will they get past the Jays wh...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 32
•
31:34
Wild Card Series wrap, Division series look. Several managers fired. In 33 minutes! Ep. 631 - 10.6.25
It was quite a week in #mlb! #Dodgers subdued #Reds but not before a little excitement in game 2. #Phillies will be a much tougher test and the series started in Philly. #Cubs were better than #Padres but is that enough as the...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 31
•
33:39
All at once the 2025 MLB Regular season is over. Ep. 630 - 9.29.25
#Mets fans like we are might be relieved that the nightmare finish to the season is finally over. Sure making the playoffs would have been great, but #Reds deserved it more & getting spanked by #Dodgers would have been up next for the boys ...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 30
•
39:29
The last week of the 2025 MLB Season - so much is undecided! Ep. 629
Mike Trout hit his 400th home run. Remember when he was the best player in #MLB? We started the show talking about Ep. 628 where we talked with author Jane Leavy about her new book - Make Me Commissioner - I know what's wrong with baseball and ...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 29
•
23:02
Best-selling author Jane Leavy talks about new book "Make Me Commissioner! I Know What's Wrong With Baseball & How To Fix It" - Ep. 628
We're so excited to have had the chance to talk with former Washington Post baseball writer and best-selling author Jane Leavy join the podcast. Her new book "Make Me Commissioner - I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It" is ...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 28
•
1:11:36
Saves underrated? Perfect Game & Driveline - what's up? This week in Baseball. Ep. 627 9.14.25- 9.15.25
Mark went to the #mets game Friday night to see the return of Jacob DeGrom. It did not go well for the Metropolitans as rookie Jonah Tong didn't make it out of the 1st inning. The Mets are so awful lately that Mark proclaimed them dead as he di...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 27
•
29:21
Fans behaving badly & how much baseball do fans really watch? Ep. 626 .9.8.25
Our under-the-radar story of the week is asking about why a fan would grab a baseball from a kid at the game? Grabbing a hat away from a kid? What is wrong with #baseball fans? It wasn't enough to have #Yankees fans thrown out of the play...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 25
•
31:58
Under the radar story of the week & Range factor - Ep. 625- 9.1.25
Which teams will have a September to remember? Will it be #Reds? #Mariners? #Royals? The playoff push is on and we rate the teams' chances. We had a 3rd 4-home run game last week for 1st time in #MLB history! #RedSox ink Aroldis Chapman t...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 25
•
28:44
156 game season may come w expansion. Batting average deserves more respect - Ep.624 8.25.25
Sure we talked about #Yankees 9 home runs in one game last week - that's the 2nd time it's happened this season which is a first! #Phillies Zach Wheeler has surgery and is out for the season - awful. #Brewers #Cubs #Dodgers #Padres ...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 24
•
28:53
75% of MLB season is done, Alonso is Mets HR king. Stat OT week Pickoffs & Balks oh my! Ep. 623 - TWIB - 8.18.25
Three-quarters of the season is in the books. It means you can add about 1/3 of a player's current stats to project what will be the season ending total. Pete Alonso broke Darryl Strawberry's #Mets HR record hitting his 253rd last week. That me...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 23
•
28:09
"MLB Milestones: Jen Powell, Roman Anthony, & Savannah Bananas.Stat of week RBIs" Ep. 622 TWIB 08.11.25
In this week's episode of "Almost Cooperstown," we dive into a historic moment as Jen Powell becomes the first female umpire in MLB history to officiate a regular season game. We also explore Roman Anthony's impressive new contract and what it ...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 22
•
25:13
Trade deadline wild with relievers, Waste pitches are not what they used to be - Ep. 621 - 8.4.25
Ichiro Suzuki gave a great speech at the induction ceremony last weekend in Cooperstown. So did C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Willa Allen gave a nice tribute to the late great Dick (don't call me Richie) Allen and Dave Parker's brother painte...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 21
•
34:47
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...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 20
•
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...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 19
•
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...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 18
•
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...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 17
•
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...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 16
•
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....
•
Season 6
•
Episode 15
•
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...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 14
•
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? <...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 13
•
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...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 12
•
38:39