Best Benjamin Hochman Of The Post Dispatch Podcasts (2024)

1
Are Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers closer to 11th World Series title than Cardinals are to a 12th? 1:03:20

3h ago1:03:20

1:03:20

While awaiting the parade's arrival at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Times sports columnist Dylan Hernandez veers into nostalgia as he wonders whether the Dodgers' run of success and appetite for more might spur the Cardinals to defend their place in the National League and re-spark one of his favorite rivalries. Hosting a parade in Los Angeles for t…

1
Clearing the airwaves on the Cardinals' fuzzy broadcast bind: How it got bad and will get better 58:29

2d ago58:29

58:29

As much as the standings and missteps of their player development system will shape the Cardinals' offseason, arguably the most significant factor in any of their decisions will be when the broadcast sports sinkhole reaches them, and how deep it goes. The consternation will be televised. This much is certain: The Cardinals games will be available t…

1
But at what cost? Auditing Cardinals' planned payroll trim amidst a changing brand (Part 2) 53:50

5d ago53:50

53:50

Continuing the conversation that began in the Best Podcast in Baseball episode 21, season 12, KMOX/1120 AM's Kevin Wheeler considers the question on how the Cardinals can accumulate younger talent, draft picks, or both. The answer begins at first base. The questions continue from there in this brand new Best Podcast in Baseball that ultimately reac…

1
But at what cost? Auditing Cardinals' planned payroll trim amidst a changing brand (Part 1) 58:11

6d ago58:11

58:11

The official changes to some Cardinals' leadership roles, from the front office to the dugout, as they approach their "reset" winter continued on the eve of the World Series with the first new addition to the front office, a new coach, and a new role for an all-time great. Kevin Wheeler, co-host of the drive-time show and baseball coverage at KMOX/…

1
Cardinals vet Matt Carpenter has seen dramatic shifts for MLB hitters, and does he have stories to tell 45:58

1M ago45:58

45:58

Toward the end of his first professional season, not too long after he told a roommate Oliver Marmol about his personal and accelerated timetable to reach the majors, Matt Carpenter got a phone call that could have forever changed his career in baseball. He was approached about being a coach, and he was tempted to take it. The next summer his playi…

1
If a fan's base anger slips into apathy, what message can Cardinals deliver to reinspire the faithful? 42:08

1M ago42:08

42:08

A year after "pitching, pitching, pitching" dictated the Cardinals' approach to the offseason, the club faces a far broader challenge this winter. PR, PR, PR. Or, as Best Podcast in Baseball guest Brooke Grimsley, noted: "Change, change, change." The 2024 Cardinals' season comes to a close with the club trying ot break the hold of .500 and avoid a …

1
How Brewers borrowed from Cardinals blueprint, added patience and development, to rule NL Central 50:42

2M ago50:42

50:42

Despite the smallest market in Major League Baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers have become a marvel of what it means to be a modern contender. The organization the Cardinals used to be and the Cubs wanted to be , the Brewers now are, complete with the 10-game lead in the division standings ahead of the former kings with a month of the season remaining…

1
Cardinals must solve young hitters 'riddle' for top prospects' sake, with Bernie Miklasz 38:47

3M ago38:47

38:47

Within the span of only a few hours, the Cardinals demoted two of their top prospects from the past decade, sending in separate moves their top left-handed slugging prospect and one of the top right-handed hitting prospects in all of the minors. What gives and what does it mean for the Cardinals ongoing, completely confounding "riddle" when it come…

1
Cardinals continue to muddle, stuck in the muck of the middle 1:13:27

3M ago1:13:27

1:13:27

The proverbial turtle on a fencepost that clearly did not get there by itself is also an apt metaphor for the trouble a Major League Baseball club finds itself in when trying to balance between the hedge-fund tycoons and the heavy tankers. Stuck in the middle is a tough place to be as the Cardinals have shown -- and, as with the turtle, it can take…

1
Friendly confines: How constantly close games are defining, testing Cardinals 38:33

5M ago38:33

38:33

It's Flag Day? Have you checked the standings yet? Following closely behind the Cardinals' 3-0 victory against the Cubs at Wrigley Field and each team's 49th game this season decided by three or fewer runs, a question was presented to KMOX/1120 AM's Kevin Wheeler. What are the traits necessary for a team to do well in so many slim-margin games? As …

1
Walking in Memphis: A visit to Cardinals' scrutinized prospect pipeline 36:21

5M ago36:21

36:21

When it comes to evaluating a farm system, few things offer a better glimpse of the external view than the trade deadline and nothing gives greater clarity on the internal view than when there's a need at the major-league level. Consider the Cardinals. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Daniel Guerrero recently visited Memphis, Tennessee, to s…

1
Archrivals Cardinals and Cubs share more in common than still chasing Brewers for 1st 49:36

6M ago49:36

49:36

"That gets to the frustration of Cubs fans," says The Athletic senior writer Patrick Mooney. "Of like look at this division and why is the approach so measured and logical all the time to its extreme? ... That drives Cubs fans crazy with good reason." "It's where Cubs and Cardinals fans agree," continues Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold.…

1
Legends on the fall: How far are Red Sox and Cardinals from reclaiming their October prominence? 50:32

6M ago50:32

50:32

Since the Boston Red Sox last bested the Cardinals nearly 11 years ago in one of their recurring World Series appointments, the Red Sox have had three last-place finishes and the Cardinals have slowly faded and fallen, like the leaves, into a decadelong cold snap without a World Series appearance. For these two October rivals, once legends of fall …

1
The meatball factor and super-size problem with Cardinals offense 1:15:15

6M ago1:15:15

1:15:15

With apologies to colleague and Post-Dispatch food critic Ian Froeb, we're talking about meatballs in this episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball. Meatballs and super-sizing. Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins the Best Podcast in Baseball, and using his column as a map he and Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold explore t…

1
Can Cardinals' outfield of recent past, Memphis' outfield in the present become St. Louis' outfield for the future? 37:15

6M ago37:15

37:15

Less than a month after two of the Cardinals' leading young position players started opening day side by side in outfield, bringing a glimpse of the future into the present, Jordan Walker and Victor Scott II are reunited this weekend at Class AAA Memphis. Early season offensive struggles have led to both outfieldres being optioned to the Cardinals'…

1
What it was like to be born as a baseball fan into Whiteyball, a force multiplier for Cardinals history 50:50

7M ago50:50

50:50

Whether it was the style of play still expected of the team, the restoration of championship expectations, or the devoted fans that filled the ballpark and informed and inspired generations to come, the 1980s teams of Whitey Herzog were a force multiplier for Cardinals history. They amplified the reach and the devotion of the fans. And Herzog was t…

1
Taking hacks to determine if Cardinals' frostbit offense is a warning sign or small sample size 1:03:02

7M ago1:03:02

1:03:02

As the Cardinals head west for the second time in the first month of the regular season, they do so lugging the baggage from one of the least productive lineups in the majors. The Cardinals' rank in the bottom five for many significant offensive categories. Four of the team's home runs have come from the catcher position, none from third baseman No…

1
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn joins BPIB to discuss returning home, baseball's 'sense of humor' 38:47

7M ago38:47

38:47

A World Series champion, a two-time NL pennant-winner, and a two-time All-Star, Lance Lynn has done a bit of everything as a Cardinal and since he was a Cardinal. But on April 4, 2024, the burly, right-handed starter will do something he never has. He will start the home opener at Busch Stadium for the Cardinals. And that might mean doing something…

1
Welcome to the mosh pit of parity: Some team (by rule) must win the NL Central, so how? 41:00

8M ago41:00

41:00

From the back fields and press box at Sloan Park, the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball Derrick Goold and Cincinnati Enquirer baseball writer Gordon Wittenmyer survey the National League Central and discuss ballpark factors, dead zones, and whether any of these teams is actually going to win the division, or…

1
What did Cardinals learn from disastrous '23 that they can already apply to early '24 challenges? 1:02:55

8M ago1:02:55

1:02:55

The 2023 Cardinals, on their way to 91 losses and a last-place finish, diagnosed the rotation, an inconsistent outfield, and a difficult schedule at the start of the season as reasons for the fist last place finish in more than 30 years. Well, deja vu. The Cardinals near the start of the 2024 regular season with injuries in the rotation, uncertaint…

1
Cardinals near the breakpoint. How will mid-spring injuries strain roster, reveal new talents? 39:00

8M ago39:00

39:00

Within the first 90 seconds of his camp-opening comments, Cardinals executive John Mozeliak said one of the "critical" questions of spring was whether the team could stay healthy. He noted that is something he has probably said in all 17 years of addressing the media on the first day of official workouts. Injuries, after all, are part of the game, …

1
10 Cardinals prospects, 2 minutes each on how they're poised for a leap year in 2024 33:51

8M ago33:51

33:51

Ten prospects. Two minutes each. Start the clock. St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Daniel Guerrero, one of the few staff writers at a daily paper dedicated to covering minor-league affiliates of the city's major-league team, joins the Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss 10 prospects who are set to have a leap year in 2024. Building off of Gu…

1
Seeking the 'Legend of Sonny Gray' and how spring can be the season of storytelling 34:25

9M ago34:25

34:25

"See a Different Game" was the motto of The Sporting News for a long time, and for a long time The Sporting News was known as the Bible of Baseball. Like everything, The Sporting News has changed, baseball coverage has changed, but more and more the best coverage remains true to that directive, "See a Different Game." And the best season for tellin…

1
Hello, 2024. What way is the wind blowing as Cardinals open pivotal spring for top players, management? 41:48

9M ago41:48

41:48

On a windy day on the back fields of Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., Mike Claiborne, one of the radio voices of the Cardinals, joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss how maybe Flag Day is too late in the schedule to determine where the club is headed in 2024. So it's time for an earlier Claiborne appearnce. It's a Leap Year. It's after…

1
What tone must Cardinals set during spring training? Follow the leaders 1:05:50

9M ago1:05:50

1:05:50

As Cardinals prepare for the official opening of spring training, what tone must be set early and what lessons from last year's losing season and curious spring will inform this year's camp? St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss how more than just the Cardinals' spring training faci…

1
New Cardinals reliever Andrew Kittredge talks trade, slider, and his Huskies 37:26

10M ago37:26

37:26

New Cardinals reliever Andrew Kittredge, less than 72 hours after the trade that brought him from Tampa Bay to St. Louis, talks with the Best Podcast in Baseball and host Derrick Goold about the move, and why it wasn't entirely unexpected. Kittredge also details the slider that got him to the majors, and how the Rays and their creative and collabor…

1
Comedian Greg Warren wrestles with Cardinals moves, MLB gifts (Part 2) 45:02

11M ago45:02

45:02

It's the Best Podcast in Baseball Holiday Episode: Part 2. Comedian Greg Warren, an All-American wrestler at Mizzou, considers a question posed by Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson: What current Cardinal would make the best wrestler? The physical skills and mental strength necessary propels the discussion in this is second part of the…

1
Comedian Greg Warren checks the sizzle and substance on Cardinals' Hot Stove (Part 1) 1:00:24

11M ago1:00:24

1:00:24

It's the Best Podcast in Baseball Holiday Episode: Part 1. Comedian Greg Warren, a St. Louis native and devoted Cardinals fan, took over as entertainment for his friends at ballgames this past year when the results on the field were hardly a laughing matter. If that meant waving off the t-shirt slingshot or spiking his hat in frustration when the b…

1
How Shohei Ohtani's unicorn contract stokes Dodgers' threat to Cardinals' historic NL reign 39:01

11M ago39:01

39:01

The Cardinals have 11 World Series titles, most in the National League. Just ask them. But the Dodgers are coming for that crown the Cardinals cling to -- only four behind with 10 years of Shohei Ohtani ahead. "That's the mission statement," says Los Angeles Times baseball writer Bill Shaikin as he joins the Best Podcast in Baseball from the epicen…

1
Welcome to the Sonny side of the Cardinals' winter spruce-up 51:00

11M ago51:00

51:00

The Cardinals entered the offseason with optimism they could make American League Cy Young Award runnerup Sonny Gray a compelling offer to come to St. Louis and lead, from the mound and clubhouse, a revamped rotation. In the span of 3 minutes, 9 seconds -- which you'll hear in this brand new episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball -- Gray revealed …

1
Crank up the volume! Cardinals need to deal in bulk for pitching 48:09

12M ago48:09

48:09

When it comes to the Cardinals' needs for pitching, this is not the offseason to fixate on one name or one solutions, argues St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson. This is the winter to deal in volume -- most Costco, less Hublot. Frederickson takes over hosting duties for a brand new BPIB featuring Derrick Goold, the usual host …

1
New rules the World Series: What's now for Rangers & Diamondbacks? What's next for Astros? 54:16

1y ago54:16

54:16

What has to happen for the 2023 World Series to put an exclamation point on a remarkable year for Major League Baseball and its new rules to invigorate (and shorten!) the game? Well, it starts with Arizona. Texas Monthly contributor and longtime baseball writer Richard Justice joins the Best Podcast in Baseball and St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball …

1
What can Cardinals take from Phillies' ongoing, outgoing October vibes? 41:58

1y ago41:58

41:58

Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies are putting the PH in fun once again this October, right down to his Phanatic cleats, a teammate's foul mouth, and a fun-filled, phenomenal atmosphere at home games. If more players in 2024 don't use walk-up songs that invite crowd participation, that's not A-Oh, A-OK. How can the Cardinals capture what th…

1
With Cardinals' winter off and running, Post-Dispatch's baseball writers set the pace 52:03

1y ago52:03

52:03

News team, assemble! The Post-Dispatch's baseball writing team gathers to discuss what moves the Cardinals can make quickly and need to make assuredly to race away from the results of 2023 and toward a better 2024. Lynn Worthy explores his first year on the baseball beat at StlToday.com and the Post-Dispatch, and Daniel Guerrero relies on his exper…

1
After being lapped, how can Cardinals catch up in MLB's arms race? 53:34

1y ago53:34

53:34

Entering September, the Cardinals had an offense that ranked in the top eight in the majors, was producing runs 7% better than the average lineup, and that was with two of its centerpieces struggling. They had the bats to carry a contender. Their arms let them down. The solution is obvious, to quote an executive: "Pitching. Pitching. Pitching." Tha…

1
Catching up on Cardinals' minor-league 'leapers' with StlToday.com's Daniel Guerrero 51:00

1y ago51:00

51:00

As the minor-league season nears its end -- some Cardinals affiliates are in the postseason, others are completing their schedule -- a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball discusses the performances at every level and "leapers" who have bounded into the conversation for top-prospect rankings with their production in 2023. Daniel Guerrero, the St. Lou…

1
How quickly can Cardinals close NL Central gap? How much will it cost? 51:00

1y ago51:00

51:00

As they meander to their first losing season since 2007, the Cardinals have identified a shopping list for the 2023-24 offseason. To quote the executive who will lead the spree: "Pitching. Pitching. Pitching." John Mozeliak said it thrice on purpose. They intend to add three pitchers from the outside. Will that be enough? Who better to ask than Gor…

1
Talking Cardinals prospects, deadline adds with 'Smart, Wrong and Lucky' author 41:28

1y ago41:28

41:28

So, how did the Cardinals do at the deadline with their acquisition of handfuls of minor-league pitchers? Smart, wrong, or lucky? Maybe a bit of all three. MLB Pipeline prospect guru Jonathan Mayo joins a brand new Best Podcast in Baseball to discuss the Cardinals new additions and his new book, 'Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseb…

1
As summer heats up, Cardinals turn dog days into extended spring training 51:31

1y ago51:31

51:31

What happens when a team that prides itself on always been a contender turns the final two months of the regular season into extended spring training? That's what the Cardinals are going to find out. After the Cardinals' latest drubbing by the New York Mets at Busch Stadium, St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports columnist Ben Frederickson takes over a bra…

1
What can Cardinals learn, borrow, take from Tampa Bay's pitching approach? 30:51

1y ago30:51

30:51

On the same night Matthew Liberatore makes his first start against Tampa Bay, the team that identified his talent and drafted him 16th overall in the 2018 draft, the Best Podcast in Baseball visits with Tampa Bay Times' baseball writer Marc Topkin, the longtime baseball writer who covered big-league baseball in this area before there was a big-leag…

1
Sept. 12, 1974: The Cardinals get the longest win in National League history 9:47

1+ y ago9:47

9:47

In this bonus episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball, we bring you PlayBacks, an audio series that brings to life the archives of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In a game that started on Sept. 11, 1974, the Cardinals beat the Mets 4-3 in the longest non-tie game in Major League history. Here is our original report from that game. See omnystudio.com/…

1
A glimpse into Cardinals' future through present prospects, past drafts 54:38

1+ y ago54:38

54:38

The Futures Game is approaching and with it the 2023 MLB Draft -- which gives BPIB an excuse to discuss if any talent is racing the Cardinals way and whether it's possible they run the table on their 2020 draft picks. (They won't.) It also is a chance for the Best Podcast in Baseball to introduce a new, regular feature for the podcast: Expanded cov…

1
A baseball writer in King Arthur's Court 48:02

1+ y ago48:02

48:02

From Mondo Beer + Pizza on the southbank of the Thames, a 5-minute walk from Shakespeare's Globe Theater on one side and London Bridge on the other, the Best Podcast in Baseball visits with Cardinals and baseball fans in London to discuss how they became Cardinals fans and how they chase the game with the time zones against them. You'll hear from, …

1
How 'small things' add up to big problems for Cardinals 38:33

1+ y ago38:33

38:33

What begins with KMOX/1120AM broadcaster Kevin Wheeler's disclosure that he's fascinated by aliens and perhaps Bigfoot turns into a discussion about something that is just as elusive to see at this point: The Cardinals' chances of contending in 2023. Wheeler joins Best Podcast in Baseball host and baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss areas wher…

1
Can Elly De La Cruz raise Reds vs. Cardinals, vulnerable NL Central 35:16

1+ y ago35:16

35:16

Cincinnati Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz, less than a week into his big-league career and already a certified sensation, makes his first visit to St. Louis for his first series against an NL Central rival. And he just might tilt the race in a division where no team has stood out, and the favorite to win, the Cardinals, has been down at the bottom. Th…

1
'The Time has Come' author Will Leitch talks Cardinals, writing, and the dean of Cardinals writers 1:15:48

1+ y ago1:15:48

1:15:48

Note: The planned Best Podcast in Baseball episode with author Will Leitch, of New York Magazine and MLB.com, begins at 18:20. While recording a conversation with Leitch about his new novel, the cameo in it by the Cardinals, and his beginnings as a sportswriter, Best Podcast in Baseball host Derrick Goold had to step aside to write a tribute and ob…

1
It all started at a bicycle race. Let Post-Dispatch great Rick Hummel tell you a story 59:03

1+ y ago59:03

59:03

Sit back and let Rick Hummel spin a yarn. In 2021, as Rick Hummel celebrated his 50th year at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and neared what would be the 41st of 42 consecutive Major League Baseball All-Star Games, the giant of baseball journalism was a guest on the Best Podcast in Baseball. Few writers appeared as often or were quoted as much on the …

1
Answering reader questions on pitching, the Cardinals way and salary caps 36:04

1+ y ago36:04

36:04

In a first for the Best Podcast in Baseball, digital baseball producer Carter Chapley joins the show to introduce a new format. Chapley takes reader questions from the STLToday.com Monday live chats and asks lead baseball writer Derrick Goold. This week, the questions highlight the Cardinals' need to sign a pitcher, the Cardinals way and the future…

1
Cardinals catching heat for Willson Contreras decision, a Cubs view 39:59

1+ y ago39:59

39:59

Where better to go for background and informed viewpoints on the Cardinals decision to reduce All-Star catcher Willson Contreras' time behind the plate than to two of the people who covered him the longest as the man behind the mask for the World Series champion Cubs? Patrick Mooney, baseball writer at The Athletic, and Gordon Wittenmyer, longtime …

1
Potholes on the expressway of pitching development: Best Podcast in Baseball 39:28

1+ y ago39:28

39:28

About to start a long road trip out west, the Cardinals have already encountered some jarring potholes at the beginning of their season, from a split series vs. Pittsburgh to a botched series opener vs. Arizona. Pitching is the leading culprit. The rotation's contribution of two quality starts in the first 17 games has compromised a bullpen. The re…

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