Episode 19 (8.10.15)

Episode 19 (8.10.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • A case of the Mumps
  • Jake Arrieta's resurgence explained
  • Will the Jays catch the Yankees?
  • MLB Advanced Media makes a lot of money
  • Stat of the Week: Out of Zone Plays (OOZ) (18:13)
  • Sounds of the Game: Tom Cheek (21:06)
  • Baseball Profile: Thurman Munson (27:28)
  • Ump or No Ump (32:47)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: The Changeup: How baseball's tech team built the future of television (Ben Popper)

Peter's article: MLBAM and the Future of MLB's Revenues (Craig Edwards)

Stat of the Week: Out of Zone Plays (OOZ) (Fangraphs)

Sounds of the Game: Tom Cheek calls Joe Carter's walk-off homer in 1993 World Series

"A Foot In The Box Summer Flicks"

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Episode 18 (8.3.15)

Episode 18 (8.3.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Our take on a very busy trade deadline
  • How we feel about the Cubs and White Sox's playoff chances
  • A look back at three deadline deals from recent memory and how they panned out (15:10)
  • Stat of the Week: Revised Zone Rating (RZR) (21:51)
  • Sounds of the Game: Bob Uecker (25:11)
  • We pick the winners of our Summer Flicks contest (28:07)
  • Ump or No Ump (30:04)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

A complete list of the 2015 Trade Deadline trades

Stat of the Week: Revised Zone Rating (RZR) (Fangraphs)

Sounds of the Game: Bob Uecker as Harry Doyle

The winners of the "A Foot In The Box Summer Flicks" contest (full contest details)

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at benson.com.

Episode 17 (7.27.15)

Episode 17 (7.27.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • An update from our Chicago correspondent
  • Cole Hamels no hitter discussion
  • A Hall of Fame journalist is unemployed
  • Two guys doing Moneyball stuff before Billy Beane
  • Stat of the Week: Runs Created (RC) (18:21)
  • Sounds of the Game: Dick Enberg (21:17)
  • AFITB Summer Flicks (27:40)
  • Ump or No Ump (32:49)
  • A listener of the week (and rival baseball journalist)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's Article: Baseball Writer To Be Honored By Hall of Fame, But He's Out of a Job (David Greene, NPR)

Peter's Article: Before Beane (Ben Lindbergh, Grantland)

Stat of the Week: Runs Created (RC) (Fangraphs)

Sounds of the Game: Enberg on the passing of Tony Gwynn, Enberg accepts Frick Award (MLB.com)

A Foot In The Box Summer Flicks (full contest details)

Kiefer's Blog: The Baseball Philosopher

Cole Hamels No-Hits the Cubs

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Episode 16 (7.20.15)

Episode 16 (7.20.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • An All-Star week (and #BaseballBrocation) recap
  • The Normal Cornbelters selling their soul to Pete Rose
  • Has the strike zone gotten bigger?
  • Update from our 4-year-old correspondent
  • Stat of the Week: BB% (17:14)
  • Sounds of the Game: Kirk Gibson Walk-off (10/15/1988) (22:28)
  • Baseball Profile: Mike Trout (27:23)
  • Ump or No Ump (35:12)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's Article: "Pete Rose at the Corn Crib: Next Stop, the All-Star Game" (Dan Barry)

Peter's Article: "Baseball's strike zone has expanded, and hitters aren't happy" (Alex Speier)

Stat of the Week: Walk Rate (BB%) (Fangraphs)

Sounds of the Game: Kirk Gibson Walk-Off (10/15/1988)

Baseball Profile: Mike Trout (Wikipedia, Grantland, ESPN Radio)

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Episode 15 (7.13.15)

Episode 15 (7.13.15)
A Foot In The Box

It's the Brothers' Baseball Road Trip this week. All four of us recorded a podcast while on our annual Elliott brothers' summer baseball trip. The podcast includes the following segments:

  • Meet the brothers (00:00-11:00)
  • Lacey's hard-hitting baseball questions (11:27-28:06)
  • The 90's All-Star team (picked by John and Kevin) versus the 2000's All-Star team (picked by Peter and Paul) (28:15-44:34)
  • Paul's roundtable discussion on baseball current events (44:45-57:15)
  • Baseball Profile Trivia (0:57:15-1:05:28)
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Episode 14 (7.6.15)

Episode 14 (7.6.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • A story involving a Cardinals fan, the Cubs, and a regrettable tattoo
  • A recap of the Angels organizational mess
  • Our midseason awards (MVP, Cy Young, ROY, Most Disappointing Team, Most Surprising Team)
  • Revisiting our preseason predictions (Peter wins in a landslide)
  • First half attendance and pace of play update
  • Stat of the Week: WAR (20:39)
  • Sounds of the Game: The Jeffrey Maier Play (10/9/1996) (24:40)
  • Baseball Profile: Bobby Bonilla (30:36)
  • Preview of next week's special podcast (35:50)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Stat of the Week: Wins Above Replacement (Fangraphs)

Sounds of the Game: The Jeffrey Maier Play (10/9/1996)

Baseball Profile: Bobby Bonilla (Wikipedia)

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com

Episode 13 (6.29.15)

Episode 13 (6.29.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Paul recapping his vacation to Colorado
  • Peter explaining why he visited Scranton
  • A look around the league: Stanton's injury, Scherzer dominating, Sandberg fired
  • Would Paul catch a foul ball while holding his baby?
  • Comparing the Cubs and Cardinals
  • Confirmation that Pete Rose bet on baseball as a player
  • Stat of the Week: Strikeout Rate (K%) (20:10)
  • Sounds of the Game: Henry Aaron hits #715 (4/8/1974) (21:28)
  • Baseball Profile: Archibald Graham (24:40)
  • Umpire or Not An Umpire? (27:47)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: Can Cubs Catch the Cardinals? (Bernie Miklasz)

Peter's article: Pete Rose Update (Outside the Lines)

Stat of the Week: Strikeout Rate (K%) (Fangraphs)

Sounds of the Game: Henry Aaron Passes the Babe (4/8/1974)

Baseball Profile: "Moonlight" Graham Remembered

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Episode 12 (6.22.15)

Episode 12 (6.22.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's podcast is a little different. Peter and his friend Matt record live at the Indians-Cubs game last Thursday. For the box score and write-up from that game, click here.

We will be back to normal next week. Happy Father's Day! Thanks for listening!

Episode 11 (6.15.15)

Episode 11 (6.15.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Bryan filling in for Paul
  • An assessment of Tyler Jay and Dansby Swanson
  • Discussion on how much fan cheering is acceptable
  • A possible All-Star game fix
  • Ty Cobb was definitely not a racist (or was he?)
  • Stat of the Week: Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) (30:55)
  • Throwback Box Score: Reds-Phillies (10/6/2010) (35:28)
  • Baseball Profile: Johnny Vander Meer (44:00)
  • How many pitchers can you guess that have thrown a no-hitter? (48:19)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Bryan's article: How Ty Cobb Was Framed As A Racist (Kyle Smith)

Peter's article: Proposing An All-Star Game Overhaul (Dave Cameron)

Stat of the Week: Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) (Fangraphs)

Throwback Box Score: Reds-Phillies (10/6/2010)

List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
 (Wikipedia)

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Episode 10 (6.8.15)

Episode 10 (6.8.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Illinois baseball update (for more updated info head here)
  • Discussion on all the young power hitters in baseball
  • More Bryce Harper love from Paul
  • Lots of MLB draft discussion
  • Stat of the Week: True Average (TAv) (19:58)
  • Throwback Box Score: Rays-Yankees (9/14/2008) (23:47)
  • Baseball Profile: Rick Monday (27:50)
  • #1 Overall MLB draft picks (34:40)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: Washington's Bryce Harper and the Hottest-Ever Hot Streak (Ben Lindbergh)

Peter's article: How Two Recent MLB Trends Can Help Us Anticipate This Year's Results (Ben Lindbergh)

Stat of the Week: True Average (Baseball Prospectus)

Throwback Box Score: Yankees-Rays (9/14/2008)

List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks
 (Wikipedia)

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Episode 9 (6.1.15)

Episode 9 (6.1.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Illinois baseball update (for more updated info head here)
  • An important life update from both of us
  • Bryce Harper vs. Kris Bryant
  • Josh Hamilton is back in Texas
  • More discussion on what a team's record at this point in the season means
  • An article on how Bryce Harper has improved so much this season
  • Stat of the Week: Slugging Percentage (SLG) (22:20)
  • Throwback Box Score: Statcast (32:22)
  • The guy that invented the MLB logo passed away (38:00)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: Bryce Harper on His Breakout (Eno Sarris)

Peter's article: As Signpost Nears, Clues About Who Will Reach October (Tom Verducci)

Stat of the Week: Slugging Percentage (Wikipedia)

Throwback Box Score: Statcast Data

Jerry Dior, designer of Major League Baseball's logo, dies at 82
 (New York Times)

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Episode 8 (5.25.15)

Episode 8 (5.25.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Illinois baseball update (the streak is over)
  • We revisit our preseason predictions
  • Bryce Harper and Nelson Cruz are crushing right now
  • An MLB attendance update
  • Paul recapping a book on A-Rod
  • Discussion on how predictive a team's record on May 15th is
  • Stat of the Week: Isolated Power (ISO) (22:11)
  • Throwback Box Score: Retired Numbers (27:21)
  • Our first interview with a female (33:30)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez (Selena Roberts)

Peter's article: The Meaning of a Team's Record in Mid-May (Alex Remington)

Stat of the Week: ISO (FanGraphs)

Throwback Box Score: MLB Retired Uniform Numbers

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com

Episode 7 (5.18.15)

Episode 7 (5.18.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Illinois baseball update (they're still really good)
  • Excitement surrounding the Cubs and White Sox current hot streaks
  • A listener shout out from a state that borders Canada
  • An ambidextrous pitcher?
  • Discussion on how the Cardinals have kept winning without Wainwright
  • Stat of the Week: Runs Scored (20:33)
  • Throwback Box Score: Cubs-Astros 1998 (24:55)
  • Our first guest interview (spoiler: he has a killer accent) (29:41)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: Show Of Hands (Chris Jones)

Peter's article: We Don't Need An Ace: How The Cardinals Have Kept Winning Without Adam Wainwright  (Jonah Keri)

Stat of the Week: Runs Scored (Baseball Reference)

Throwback Box Score: Cubs - Astros (5/6/1998)

Ambidextrous Pitcher Video: youtube.com/watch?v=-2oD8KzxS14

Gregory Polanco falls down, Cubs win

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Episode 6 (5.11.15)

Episode 6 (5.11.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Two (you read that correctly) listener shout-outs
  • Remembering last second shots and walk-off's
  • Our reaction to the Bill Simmons news
  • More doubleheaders in baseball?
  • A discussion on the person that Ted Williams was
  • Stat of the Week: BABIP (22:49)
  • Throwback Box Score (26:45)
  • Baseball Profiles: Peter Gammons (31:11)
  • How to make a sports podcast that doesn't suck (34:17)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: MLB Attendance So Far and a Call for Doubleheaders (Craig Edwards)

Peter's article: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived On (Wright Thompson)

Stat of the Week: Batting average on balls in play (BABIP) (Wikipedia)

Throwback Box Score: Devil Rays - Tigers (3/31/1998)

How to Make a Sports Podcast That Doesn't Suck (David G. Temple)

Mike Matheney on NPR

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Episode 5 (5.4.15)

Episode 5 (5.4.15)
A Foot In The Box

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. Listen to the podcast at SoundCloud.

This week's episode includes:

  • An explanation for why this week's podcast is different
  • A listener shout-out
  • Pace of Play rules update
  • Discussion on the White Sox-Orioles game that was played without fans
  • A-Rod ties Willie Mays with home run 660
  • The University of Illinois winning steak (now at 21 games)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Jayson Stark: Was Hamilton Worst Free Agent Signing of All-Time?

Jayson Stark: MLB Showing Notable Drop In Game Time, Will Relax Pace-Of-Play Fines

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com

Episode 4 (4.27.15)

Episode 4 (4.27.15)
A Foot In The Box

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

This week's episode includes:

  • Paul's reaction to receiving our first piece of fan mail
  • A brief divisional look at the first three weeks of the season
  • The Royals being bad at life
  • A debate about "batting around"
  • Stat of the Week: Stolen Bases (19:23)
  • Throwback Box Score (24:55)
  • Baseball Profiles: Bernie Williams (30:44)
  • Ranking of the best interleague rivalries (37:35)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: Royals Must Address Yordano Ventura's Emotional Misadventures (Vahe Gregorian)

Peter's article: MLB: Here's A Perplexing Question to Bat Around (Jared Diamond)

Stat of the Week: Stolen Bases (Baseball Reference)

Throwback Box Score: 2003 All Star-Game

Best Interleague Location Rivalries (Will Leitch)

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com

Episode 3 (4.20.15)

Episode 3 (4.20.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • A special shout out to three of our listeners, including two from a foreign land
  • The country of origin for Chin Ming Wang
  • KRIS BRYANT IS PLAYING BASEBALL IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES
  • Stat of the Week: WHIP (16:26)
  • A twist on the Throwback Box Score (20:41)
  • Baseball Profile: Cal Ripken, Jr. ( 27:09)
  • Chicken Finger delays MLB game (34:48)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: Kris Bryant and Floor Versus Ceiling (Dave Cameron)

Peter's article: Expectations Too High For Bryant? (Will Leitch)

Stat of the Week: Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP) (FranGraphs)

Throwback Box Score: Home Run Leader For Each Franchise

Giant-Diamondbacks game delayed by a chicken finger falling from the sky (Seth Rosenthal)

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com

Episode 2 (4.13.15)

Episode 2 (4.13.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • A special shout out to one of our listeners
  • Paul talking about taking naps
  • MLB television ratings on Opening Day
  • Stat of the Week: ERA (12:03)
  • Throwback Box Score (20:47)
  • Baseball Profile: Matt Bush ( 24:26)
  • Celebration of National Sibling Day (29:42)

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: From print edition of Sports Illustrated Nap Time (Matt McCarthy)

Peter's article: Very Ealry Verdict: MLB Pace of Play Has Picked Up (Scott Boeck)

Stat of the Week: Earned Run Average (ERA) (Wikipedia)

Throwback Box Score: Red Sox - Rockies (October 27, 2007)

MLB.com ranking of baseball brothers (Lyle Spencer)

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com

Episode 1.5 (4.9.15)

Episode 1.5 (4.9.15)
A Foot In The Box

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This week's episode includes:

  • Feedback from our first episode (including an individual shout-out)
  • One-word description of each team
  • One intriguing player to watch for from each team
  • Predictions: Awards, Postseason, World Series
  • Explanation of 2015 rule changes
  • Tony La Russa's cat obsession

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Tony La Russa's cat obsession (Jason Gay)

Pitchers and hitters that take the longest time in-between pitches

Pitchers and hitters that take the shortest time in-between pitches

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com

Episode 1 (4.6.15)

Episode 1 (4.6.15)
A Foot In The Box

This week's episode includes:

  • An introduction to "A Foot In The Box", including an explanation of the name
  • Introductions of each other (including an in-depth analysis of our high school baseball careers)
  • Debut of weekly segments: Out of the Box, Stat of the Week, Throwback Box Score, Baseball Profiles
  • MLB players reciting famous speech from "Field of Dreams"

Mentioned in this week's episode:

Paul's article: Dodgers set MLB record payroll at $270M; average is $4.2M (Ronald Blum)

Peter's article: A Q & A With Baseball's New Commissioner (Brian Costa, Matthew Futterman)

Stat of the Week: On-Base Percentage (FanGraphs explanation)

Throwback Box Score: White Sox - Indians (April 4, 2005)

MLB players recite famous "Field of Dreams" speech

Music provided by Bensound. Check them out at bensound.com