The Windup: A show about Baseball

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 marathon. All that plus trivia. Could the guys snap their losing streak?Follow Jayson on Twitter: @jaysonstFollow Doug on Twitter: @dougglanvilleFollow Mayor Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMasterSave 50% on a subscription to The Athletic at theathletic.com/baseballshow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the WC series?-Could the Padres move on from Jace Tingler?-Possible suitors for Max Scherzer?-Explaining the Dodgers and baseball's actions regarding Trevor Bauer?-Does Ohtani's home runs help his Cy Young candidacy?-Are robo umps going to happen?-Favorite brothers in baseball history?All that and more! To be a part of next week's episode call the voicemail at 646-543-7072 or email tabaseballshow@gmail.com.Follow Ken on Twitter: @Ken_RosenthalFollow Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMasterSave 50% on a subscription to The Athletic by visiting theathletic.com/baseballshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @DerekVanRiperFollow Keith on Twitter: @keithlaw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 to some of the greats in the game. Miguel Cabrera became the newest member of the 500 Home Run Club. The guys debate which players could be next to get to the big milestone. And they break down some of the updated Wild Card races and if the Padres can turn things around to get into the Playoffs.Follow Hunter on Twitter: @hunterpenceFollow Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMasterSave 33% on a subscription to The Athletic by visiting theathletic.com/baseballshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 and why he's having the most fun of his career right nowAll that and more. Then, in Strange But True, Rays outfielder Brett Phillips placed himself along side legends of the game after his inside-the-park homer last week and Jayson and Doug get a blast from the past as Paul Hembekides delivers this week's trivia question.Follow Jayson on Twitter: @jaysonstFollow Doug on Twitter: @dougglanvilleFollow Paul Hembekides on Twitter: @PaulHemboFollow Mayor Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMasterSave 33% on a subscription to The Athletic at theathletic.com/baseballshow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?-Will the Angels be able to keep Ohtani in free agency?-Is MLB returning to the Field of Dreams too soon?-Would moving the All-Star Game to March help give players a mid-season break?-How can Reds react if Castellanos opts out?-Should Robert Clemente Day be given more attention? -Why do people care if a Hall of Famer is voted in unanimously?All that and more! To be a part of next week's episode call the voicemail at 646-543-7072 or email tabaseballshow@gmail.com.Follow Ken on Twitter: @Ken_RosenthalFollow Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMasterSave 33% on a subscription to The Athletic by visiting theathletic.com/baseballshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: @DerekVanRiperFollow 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 baseball is expanding and tying in pop culture more. They talk about you never forget a monster HR and they talk about some of their favorite big blasts. Mets Owner Steve Cohen sent out a tweet calling out the team's offense and the guys talk about if it was the right thing to do. They break down some of the other slumping teams in baseball and if they can turn things around. Hunter talks about his experiences with media and fans during his playing career and how things were different in every city. And they talk about how they were surprised no Giants were getting any love in the NL MVP talk.Follow Hunter on Twitter: @hunterpenceFollow Grant on Twitter: @GrantBrisbeeSave 33% on a subscription to The Athletic by visiting theathletic.com/baseballshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 challenges almost derailed the project.Add in some Shoeless Joe Jackson trivia and a Strange But True week with the Cubs and you have another can't miss episode of Starkville.Follow Jayson on Twitter: @jaysonstFollow Doug on Twitter: @dougglanvilleFollow Murray Cook on Twitter: @cookmurrayFollow Mayor Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMasterFollow Christopher Kamka on Twitter: @ckamkaSave 33% on a subscription to The Athletic at theathletic.com/baseballshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 in the game?-Did the Red Sox not do enough to help struggling bullpen?-With all the gambling in the game, should MLB reconsider Pete Rose's ban?-Who are the best local broadcasters in MLB?-Will baseball work to allow MLB players to compete in potential 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles?All that and more! To be a part of next week's episode call the voicemail at 646-543-7072 or email tabaseballshow@gmail.com.Follow Ken on Twitter: @Ken_RosenthalFollow Tim on Twitter: @TimMMcMasterSave 33% on a subscription to The Athletic by visiting theathletic.com/baseballshow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.