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
333 episodes
Japanese free agents signings, weird 2025 baseball records, Era-adjusted WAR Ep. 643 -1.5.26
While Bregman, Bellinger, Tucker, and Valdez wait for some team to pull the trigger and sign them, two more Japanese League players - Imai and Okamoto signed with the Astros and Blue Jays respectively. Baseball WAR scores are not adjusted...
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Season 6
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Episode 43
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23:06
The Big Boring Off-Season, World Baseball Classic Rosters, HOF voting so far - Ep. 642 - 12.29.25
Free agent hitters Cody Bellinger, Alex Bregman, & Kyle Tucker have still not yet found a team for the 2026 season as the dog days of winter continue. Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen are also still out there as starting pitchers along with Ch...
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Season 6
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Episode 42
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25:04
Ep. 641 - Author Stephen Dittmore "Jim Gilliam The Forgotten Dodger" 12.22.25
Dr. Stephen W. Dittmore has written a book that needed to be written about Jim "Junior" Gilliam. Gilliam followed HOFer Jackie Robinson through Montreal to Brooklyn and was signed by Branch Rickey. Not quite a HOFer himself, Gilliam was a membe...
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Season 6
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Episode 41
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42:55
Tigers bolster bullpen, Mets are confusing their fans & notes from Met fan event Ep. 640 - 12.15.25
Closer Robert Suarez goes to Braves who only need to figure out shortstop to be a juggernaut once again. The Tigers signed future HOFer Kenley Jansen & re-signed Kyle Finnegan. Sure doesn't look like a team about to trade 2 time AL Cy...
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Season 6
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Episode 40
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37:37
Jeff Kent is a Hall-of-Famer, Barry Bonds & Roger Clemens are not Ep. 639 - 12.8.25
2nd baseman & one-time NL MVP Jeff Kent got into the Hall-of-Fame which few expected including us. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens did not get 25% of the votes to return to the Contemporary Era ballot in 2028 and now will have to wait until 2...
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Season 6
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Episode 39
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25:46
9 new MLB managers for 2026 & Mets off-season Ep. 638 - 12.1.25
We began by talking about the best HOFers that did not make the HOF. Not hitting as many home runs hurt the chances of Derek Jeter, Wade Boggs, and Tony Gwynn all of whom did not win an MVP. Manny Ramirez did hit a lot of HRs never won an MVP, ...
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Season 6
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Episode 38
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41:27
Only 4 of 13 Accept Qualifying Offer - This week in baseball Ep. 637- 11.24.25
The four that accepted the $22M Qualifying offer from their teams - Gleyber Torres, Shota Imanaga, Trent Grisham, and Brandon Woodruff all made sense for them and their teams. But for #Rangers one-time star Adolis Garcia, he was non-tendered a ...
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Season 6
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Episode 37
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25:18
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...
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Season 6
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Episode 36
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 35
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 34
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 33
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 32
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 31
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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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 30
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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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 29
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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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 28
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 27
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 25
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 25
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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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 24
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 23
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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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 22
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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...
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Season 6
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Episode 21
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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...
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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