Podcast appearances and mentions of Doug Fister

In today's episode, Jim and Adam welcome Bailey, founder of "Foolish Baseball" to talk about the most intriguing managerial openings (5:50), Jim's Stat Spotlight makes a bold prediction out there for Zack Greinke (23:04), we somehow end up talking about Doug Fister? (30:00) and talk about our favorite random players to stumble across while stat hunting. During our World Series preview (34:13), Adam makes a ridiculous World Series prediction. Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbW12JIVAdi5NugdakbU33A

  Due to several big-time free agents still unsigned, some MLB players are talking players strike. Chip and Cern dig little into what started the 1994 MLB Strike. Chip and Cern review the Adam Wainwright clip where he is talking about a strike. Find out who is still unsigned, how much are they making and some Giants salary talk on this episode of the Chip and Cern Show.    Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are the two biggest free agents that are yet to be signed and many think that owners are colluding against these big players and their contracts.    Chip has some tips on how to get the strike does not look like some money grab.    Chip and Cern learn up about what caused the 1994 strike and how it affected the game after that.    Chip just starts reading off some stats from the 1994 strike-shortened season.    Cern has a great point in saying the game of baseball isn’t ready for a strike. Attendance is down, and the game is tough to keep up with, so a strike isn’t a good one to take for the MLB.   Here are the remaining free agents for 2019 MLB:   Catchers Martin Maldonado (32, 0.9) Matt Wieters (33, 0.9) First basemen Hanley Ramirez (35, -0.2) Logan Morrison (31, -0.7) Second basemen Josh Harrison (31, 0.3)  Logan Forsythe (32, -0.2) Brandon Phillips (38, -0.3) Third basemen Chase Headley (35, -0.4) Danny Valencia (34, -0.4) Jose Reyes (36, -0.9) Shortstops Manny Machado (26 years old, 6.2 WAR) Jose Iglesias (29, 2.5) Left fielders Marwin Gonzalez (30, 1.6) Denard Span (35, 1.5) Craig Gentry (35, 0.6) Matt Holliday (39, 0.1) Center fielders Adam Jones (33, 0.5) Austin Jackson (32, -1.0) Right fielders Bryce Harper (26 years old, 3.5 WAR) Carlos Gonzalez (33, 1.7) Jose Bautista (38, 1.0) Carlos Gomez (33, -0.5) Chris Young (35, -0.5) Designated hitters Evan Gattis (32, 0.0) Starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel (31, 3.6) Gio Gonzalez (33, 2.0) Clay Buchholz (34, 1.9) James Shields (37, 0.8) Edwin Jackson (35, 0.7) Doug Fister (35, 0.3) -- Retired (2/13). Bartolo Colon (46, 0.2) Yovani Gallardo (33, 0.1) Miguel Gonzalez (35, -0.3) Chris Tillman (31, -0.4) Ervin Santana (36, -0.5) Relief pitchers Craig Kimbrel (31, 1.5) Tony Sipp (35, 0.9) Nick Vincent (32, 0.7) Tyler Clippard (34, 0.5) Adam Warren (31, 0.3) Bud Norris (34, 0.2) Ryan Madson (38, 0.2) Santiago Casilla (38, 0.1) Jorge De La Rosa (38, 0.0) Justin Hancock (28, 0.0) Fernando Salas (34, 0.0) Blake Wood (33, 0.0) Matt Belisle (39, -0.2) AJ Ramos (32, -0.2) Jim Johnson (36, -0.3) Boone Logan (34, -0.3) Peter Moylan (40, -0.4) Blaine Boyer (37, -0.9) Joaquin Benoit (41, N/A)  Jandel Gustave (26, N/A)      Chip and Cern go on to triggering themselves looking at all the crazy high salaries for subpar players on the Giants.    Chip and Cern have some fresh new merch! Tee shirts, hoodies, iPhone and Samsung phone cases and more! Check out the Chip and Cern Merch Store at https://teespring.com/chip-and-cern-heads-unisex-tee   Be sure to spread the word around and tell your friends about the Chip and Cern Show. The radio is dying, and podcasts are coming, so be ready. You can plug your phone into your car and listen when driving around.   If you want a free sticker, shoot an email to chipandcernshow@gmail.com, and we will give you one.    As always we appreciate you spreading the word with your friends, coworkers, family and churchgoing community members. The Hits are great into to the Chip and Cern Show, so share those!

Ben Lindbergh and Jeff Sullivan banter about Willians Astudillo’s visa problem, Doug Fister’s retirement and CC Sabathia’s retirement tour, Johnny Cueto’s late horses, the current size of Yoenis Cespedes, players’ newly coordinated messaging about baseball economics, and Aaron Nola’s extension, then answer listener emails about when baseball will cease to exist, small-market teams’ spending, Shohei […]

Sam Miller joined us to talk about his recent article about evaluating Statcast's new Pop Time metric. Surprising exactly no one, we also talk about Shohei Ohtani, again. And take a look at Robinson Cańo's Hall of Fame candidacy. 'Pop' science: Your guide to learning a new MLB stat by Sam Miller Usain Bolt playing baseball by Sam Miller A big step forward in measuring command by Eno Sarris CMD from Baseball Prospectus What Makes a Good Change Up? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 by Harry Pavlidis Below is a table showing the comparative ratings of some of the pitchers with the best command scores. Command+ CMD Name 1 9 Kyle Hendricks 2 19 Jordan Zimmermann 3 21 Alex Wood 4 10 Jeremy Hellickson 5 64 Masahiro Tanaka 6 86 Josh Tomlin * 7 25 Aaron Nola 8 12 Tyler Mahle 9 6 Jacob deGrom 10 3 Zack Greinke 12 4 Corey Kluber 20 2 Marco Gonzales 23 1 Kyle Davies 53 8 Doug Fister 101 5 Marco Estrada 122 7 CC Sabathia Data pulled a few days apart, 151 total pitchers in COMMAND+ rankings and 130 in CMD * Tomlin ranked sixth in CMD in 2017 Shohei Ohtani is flexible https://twitter.com/shinjibvby/status/996478920110190592

What can be expected out of Nomar Mazara in 2018? MLB.com's Dani Wexelman and MLB.com executive correspondent Richard Justice break down why the team feels Mazara is a key piece to the team and they discuss if Doug Fister is ready for a bounceback season.

Shohei Ohtani has narrowed his list down to seven teams, but which destination would have the biggest impact on fantasy drafts? MLB.com's Matthew Leach and fantasy expert Fred Zinkie break down where they would like to see Ohtani land and if he will produce more as a pitcher or a hitter. They also discuss the recent transactions around the league including Welington Castillo to the White Sox (5:55), Mike Minor's deal with the Rangers (8:20), the Cardinals signing Miles Mikolas (12:00), the Rangers' one-year deal with Doug Fister (17:55), the non-tender candidates that were not offered contracts by their former team (23:30), if the trade of Brad Boxberger to Arizona cements Alex Colome as the closer in Tampa Bay (27:55) and if Aledmys Diaz can find playing time in Toronto. (38:40)

The Dallas Morning News SportsDay writers talk Rangers pitching and how Doug Fister will be used. How the Rangers may be able to get Shohei Otani. Emily Jones talks about her favorite Rangers and what it is like to be a woman working in an MLB clubhouse.

General manager Jeff Luhnow sits down with Robert Ford and Steve Sparks before Sunday's ALDS Game 3 in Boston's Fenway Park. Later, Manager A.J. Hinch previews today's match up between Brad Peacock and Doug Fister

Episode 299 – Also Opposite A “Bum” The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live! In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Matthew Dewoskin discuss Edwin Jackson continuing to slow down, Matt borrowing a quality Lucas Duda joke, the rule of Brent Suter and Brandon Woodruff, the return of Travis Jankowski, marveling over how bad Dylan Covey has been, Doug Fister […]

In Episode 52 of “The Red Seat”, Jake Devereaux (@DevJake) and Matt Kory (@mattymatty2000 ) discuss the latest Red Sox news. Topics include: Is David Price to the bullpen the right move for the team going forward?Have two recent bad starts by Doug Fister changed the projected playoff rotation?What should the Red Sox do with a Chris Sale who is struggling over the last two months?Dustin Pedroia got hit in the nose, Hanley Ramirez has a sore shoulder, and Eduardo Nunez is still out. Where is the offense going to come from?!Christian Vazquez DH?!       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ALL NEW SHOW! This week Doug Fister is the hot topic! Who would he bump out of a playoff rotation? Can he keep this up through September? Other Sox topics include David Price, Eckersley and Remy together needs to happen, and what in the WORLD is in the water in Cleveland and LA?  

0:14 - Lou Merloni, Evan Drellich, and Tim Britton debate what the playoff rotation should look like and discuss if Doug Fister has earned a spot over Rick Porcello. 5:12 - It's looking like the Red Sox will have to play either the Indians or the Astros in the ALDS. Which team would you rather face? The guys break it down. 9:54 - Britton talks about how David Price might be more effective pitching out of the bullpen in the postseason but Drellich does not agree. 15:48 - Has Corey Kluber overtaken Chris Sale as the favorite to win the A.L. Cy Young award winner? Lou Merloni believes so.

Episode 296 – Hold My Beer, I’m Going In The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live! In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Matthew Dewoskin discuss the Tank Bears, the Nationals facing a possible two-day-hangover lineup, Harrison Bader getting regular playing time, Dylan’s loud partying neighbors, being forced to believe in Doug Fister, Nicky Delmonico playing for a job, Brett […]

Eric Karabell and Tristan Cockcroft preview the weekend with hitters and pitchers to watch, discuss replacements for Billy Hamilton, the value of Doug Fister and more.

Al Melchior is back on the program to help us figure out if Doug Fister is legit (2:14) and which rookie SPs are the top priorities right now (12:14). Jake Junis? Lucas Giolito? Dillon Peters? ... A look at the Most Added list (20:00), a streaking Carlos Gonzalez (26:15), yesterday's SPs (30:10) and tough hitter matchups in Week 24 (38:01) ... Two-start pitchers for Week 24 (42:55). Who can you trust to make that second start? ... Your emails at fantasybaseball@cbsi.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple Watch-Gate is upon us and oh boy do we have a lot to discuss. We break down how the issue isn't that the Red Sox stole signs, just that they were dumb enough to bring technology into the mix, how the Yankees leaked this story to get ahead of the claims that they stole signs as well, Jon Heyman's BIZARRE take that the Sox should forfeit any wins against the Yankees this year, Rob Manfred downplaying the whole situation, Yankees claiming Doug Fister was using a listening device that turned out to be a mouth guard, and much more. We also talk Carson Smith's return, Pablo Sandoval still sucking, your answers for Question of the Week and close with Down in the DM.

Episode 294 – Has A Little Bit Of The Joey Gallo-Itis The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live! In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Matthew Dewoskin discuss Mikie Mahtook’s bad weekend, the walk-off hit vs. the walk-off walk, pitchers who aren’t reliable this year but may be worth drafting next year, Matt trying to understand Doug Fister, being […]

Al Melchior discusses Doug Fister's latest run to turn back the clock for the Red Sox. Also, he discusses new faces in new places such as Dillon Peters, Justin Upton, and Brandon Phillips. Lastly, he discusses two-start pitchers for you to use! #FNTSYRadio #FNTSY #FantasyBaseball #MLB #Angels #JustinUpton #BrandonPhillips #DougFister #AdrianBeltre #DillonPeters Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

0:14 - Lou Merloni, Evan Drellich, and Rich Keefe discuss the career struggles from Chris Sale in the month of September, and if Doug Fister will be in the playoff rotation. 6:40 - It's been a tough 2nd half of the season for Mookie Betts. The guys on The Baseball Show debate if Betts is as good as the season he had last year, where he came in 2nd in the AL MVP voting. 11:04 - How will the lineup look during the postseason? Will Rafael Devers start at 3rd base? Merloni, Drellich, and Keefe break it down and also discuss Dustin Pedroia's health. 14:53 - David Price continues to rehab his injured elbow. Will he makes another start this season? Or could he be used in the bullpen?

Eduardo Nunez, Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez all crushed homers to back up seven frames of one-run ball by Doug Fister

Jake and Dave talk Doug Fister's renaissance, guys returning from the disabled list (7:00), the A.L. Cy Young race (23:00), the Pats' roster cuts (28:46), Thursday's opener (38:45), Kyrie and Hayward (47:20) and Pastrnak's contract woes (1:05:20).

SoSHCast is a weekly baseball podcast brought to you by www.sonsofsamhorn.com. We are a Sox-centric but not Sox-exclusive podcast. In this episode, Damian and Justin go over a lackluster week from the Red Sox that included Rick Porcello getting lit up by the Orioles and Eduardo Nunez getting banged up on a slide into second, examine whether Doug Fister is actually any good, break down the Yankees and Tigers brawl as well as the league's laughable punishments, look at the ridiculous season Mike Trout is having considering he missed 2 months, take a moment to appreciate the phenomenal home run pace Giancarlo Stanton is on and finish up by checking in with Bryan Mata and Michael Chavis. This is Justin's last episode on the show, and we at SoSH wish him the very best going forward! Music by Jonathan Dydyn. Email the show at SoSHCast@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/soshcast 00:17 - Intro 00:42 - Farewell to Justin! 02:06 - Red Sox recap: Rick Porcello and Eduardo Nunez 09:35 - Doug Fister... is he actually any good? 13:32 - Carson Smith 15:20 - Yankees Tigers brawl and the fallout 25;28 - Joey Votto: Is he a Hall of Famer? Will he be? 33:45 - Mike Trout is ridiculous. 36:30 - Giancarlo Stanton his straight ball very far. And every other ball. 38:38 - Prospect check-in

We open talking the sensation that has taken over Twitter. Yes, that's none other than #PeteyAnalytics. From here we get into Doug Fister's 1-hitter and how it snuck up on all of us, how bizarre it was that his only hit was a leadoff bomb, the Red Sox acquiring Rajai Davis and how this doesn't equal panic mode for JBJ, the Indians still being the Sox biggest threat in the AL, Rich Hill getting completely screwed out of a no-hitter by the Dodgers' offense, and close it out with your Down in the DMs.

Kyrie is a Celtic, and the Sox keep winning on this episode of Boston Sports Weekly! On this episode of Boston Sports Weekly, Nick is here with David Manners (@DavidManners) to discuss the Celtics’ acquisition of Kyrie Irving, how this changes things in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, and the stellar pitching of Boston’s Doug Fister.... The post The Celtics Acquire Kyrie Irving, and Doug Fister Dazzles! appeared first on Boston Sports Weekly.

Doug Fister tossed a dominant one-hit complete-game outing, while Eduardo Nunez drove in five to lead the Red Sox to a 9-1 win. Doug Fister discusses his complete-game win.

Episode 289 – The “Hold My Beer” White Sox The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live! In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Matthew Dewoskin discuss Jose Urena being just okay, streaming against the Giants, Rhys Hoskins, Kolten Wong being good again, Dominic Smith, Luis Castillo’s success, Alejandro De Aza’s return to MLB, Doug Fister still starting for Boston, […]

Rafael Devers belted two solo shots and Andrew Benintendi ripped one, but Doug Fister had a tough night. John Farrell talks about the loss following the game.

Dustin Pedroia got the Sox back in it with a three-run HR in the 7th, but they couldn't overcome Doug Fister's rough start.

Final Vote contender Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer but Doug Fister allowed six runs over 3 2/3 frames.

Jays Journal Podcast Exclusive: Arden Zwelling.On tonight's show, we're pleased to bring you a Jays Journal exclusive interview with Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) of Sportsnet. This highly lauded and critically respected baseball journalist offers us his opinions on the Blue Jays efforts against Baltimore and the team's upcoming series with the Red Sox, along with his candid thoughts on Roberto Osuna. So make yourself comfortable and join your host, Ari Shapiro, as we look at:Arden's conclusions on the Baltimore series (3:15); analyzing the daunting task of facing the Red Sox, Yankees, and Astros (4:10); How Boston differentiates themselves from other American League East pretenders (5:30); Doug Fister vs. Marco Estrada (7:45); Marco's future, his recent performance, and perceived trade value (9:20); Chris Sale vs. Francisco Liriano (11:30); Drew Pomeranz vs. Joe Biagini (13:45); thoughts on the Joe Biagini experiment and if it was out of the box thinking or an act of sheer desperation (14:50); on the value of player intangibles and his thoughts on athlete intellectualism (16:51); a look at Roberto Osuna and if MLB is doing enough to help their athletes with the challenge of sound mental health (20:10); on living in a clickbait, highly contrarian, scoop-oriented digital world of conflicting human interests (23:05); musings on the pitching culture and the gradual modernization of baseball (26:20); his modus operandi when it comes to being a successful sports journalist (32:45); and his advice to anyone interested in becoming a professional sportscaster (34:05).Be sure to check out the "At The Letters" podcast featuring Arden Zwelling & Ben Nicholson-Smith on Sportsnet. It's the best thing you'll do today.

This week the Red Sox didn't do so hot an we break it all down! From the bullpen blowup on Wednesday to Rick Porcello finally pitching well WITH run support we're covering it all!  We go on to cover the two signings by the Sox, Sonny Gray trade rumors and if the Sox should be interested (they are per reports).  Finally we wrap up the show with some sad news in baseball, and a SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT that you don't want to miss!  Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to us on iTunes as well as follow us on Twitter @Redsox_beat

Host R.J. Anderson (CBS Sports) is joined by guest-host Meg Rowley (BP) as they discuss the Atlanta Braves trade for Matt Adams, the Doug Fister signing, Jered Weaver, a trio of Mariners moves, and much more.

Episode 233 – I Had Like 87 Names The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live! In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Matthew Dewoskin discuss Jeff Mathis sadly not making the lineup, streaming picks performing well, Justin Bour’s return, Jason Hammel cooling off, Kennys Vargas smashing lefties, Brian Dozier still being insanely hot, Doug Fister’s weakness to lefties, A.J. Griffin’s […]

We discuss a bunch of the trades that went down. Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman… They are both good. We lament what could have been if Chapman was a starter. Oh, the things he would have done. Would it just be one 100 mph fastball after another? One of the great what-ifs in baseball. But yea, he makes the Cubs look like the (dare I say) favorites. Todd professes his love for David Price once again. Speaking of big name pitchers that are struggling, Jake Arrieta has been not his usual dominant self. Todd thinks Chris Archer would be a 300K guy in the NL. I wanted to say that we said the same thing about Doug Fister, but his name escaped me. Would Archer be a star on the Dodgers? We will probably never know. We also speculate on other trades, but since I’m releasing this a week late, I won’t pontificate about all of them here. We end with a calm discussion about Alex Bregman’s slow start. Yes, he did not light the world on fire, but he’s no Byron Buxton. As always, check us out on Twitter @2020AllStars, Instagram 2020AllStars, and iTunes. Season 4 Episode 16 (35:13)

Episode 203 – Hella Lefties The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live! In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Matthew Dewoskin discuss recording “from the road,” Patrick Corbin’s considerable struggles with right-handed batters, a poor matchup for Andew Cashner, knuckleball pitchers potentially faring relatively better against elite hitters, Matt still not being excited about Doug Fister, Corey Seager’s […]

5/25/16 The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live! Follow us on Twitter @sporer @enosarris @jasoncollette Notable Transactions/Rumors/Articles/Game Play Nomar Mazara (4:05) Jeremy Hellickson (13:00) John Lackey (17:00) Rich Hill (21:50) Doug Fister (28:30) Aaron Sanchez update (33:33) Matt Harvey update (42:10) Nicholas Tropeano update (52:40) — As usual, don’t hesitate to […]

Paul Sporer (@sporer) and Todd Zola (@toddzola) discuss eight pitchers on which Todd differs from the market sharply, three he's higher on, five he's lower on. Names include: Sonny Gray, Doug Fister, Andrew Cashner, and James Shields.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Sporer (@sporer) and Todd Zola (@toddzola) discuss eight pitchers on which Todd differs from the market sharply, three he's higher on, five he's lower on. Names include: Sonny Gray, Doug Fister, Andrew Cashner, and James Shields.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live! Follow us on Twitter @sporer @enosarris Notable Transactions/Rumors Corey Dickerson – Jake McGee trade (2:20) Doug Fister to HOU (11:05) Strategy Section 2B Ranks Is Jose Altuve a first-rounder? (18:20) Can Matt Carpenter keep his power? (24:20) General thoughts on Joe Panik? (27:55) Josh […]

What kind of impact can Mets fans expect from Yoenis Cespedes during his first full year with the Mets? MLB.com's Matthew Leach and Fred Zinkie break down expectations for the Cuban slugger, implications of Doug Fister's move to Houston, which prospects to keep your eyes on this season and much more.

It's Thanksgiving week, but before you sit down to stuff your face, old Uncle Mort has a few burning questions. Namely, what are the Detroit Tigers doing? He also wants to know why Brad Ausmus is still around, but you haven't had enough gravy to answer that question yet. On this week's podcast, Rob and HookSlide break down the trades that brought Francisco Rodriguez and Cameron Maybin to Detroit, try to decipher general manager Al Avila's master plan, and decipher what big data baseball moves are coming to the Tigers organization. Rob also reveals his strategy for answering Tigers-related questions at Thanksgiving, and HookSlide explains why a Doug Fister reunion is a good thing. The overarching theme of the week, of course, is analytics. The Tigers are using them more and more, but Avila's jigsaw puzzle is far from finished. There are a few pieces still missing, and some over-sized pieces that tend to break easily. Still, there is a lot of time left in the offseason -- we're not even at the Winter Meetings yet! -- and a bit of cash to spare. Stay patient, Tigers fans. Topics in this week's episode include: K-Rod is not Joe NathanMontreal Robertson: baseball pitcher or TV detective?BLOCKBUSTER TRADES (involving Liam Hendriks)Marcell Ozuna may be on the moveIs this outfield finished?How to deal with old Uncle Mort at ThanksgivingWhere the Tigers fit in big data baseball Contents 2:29 - Rounding the Bases: Al Avila is the anti-Dombrowski 32:31 - Warming in the Pen: the Marlins are a merry-go-round of madness 46:39 - High and Tight: the Tigers aren't done upgrading the outfield, right? RIGHT?! 1:03:59 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: 5 topics to go with Thanksgiving dinner 1:27:47 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: bringing big data to Detroit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Washington Nationals dropped their fourth straight overall tonight in the nation's capital. The Arizona Diamondbacks took a 6-0 lead before the Nats rallied in the ninth in what ended up a 6-4 loss. But the rally was a lot of fun...

Washington Nationals' right-hander Doug Fister has struggled to find consistency this season and he didn't find it tonight in a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he gave up nine hits and four runs in five innings of work on the mound in PNC Park. 

The Cincinnati Reds' fourth straight win over the NL East-leading Washington Nationals this season snapped a nine-game home win streak for the Nats. 3-2 final in the nation's capital tonight with Eugenio Suarez's eighth inning home run the difference in D.C.

Paul Sporer & Doug Thorburn cover injuries and call-ups in this Friday's episode before finishing up with some talk about recent hot performers: Doug Fister, Jason Heyward & Wilin Rosario Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Washington Nationals' right fielder Bryce Harper suffered what Nats' skipper Matt Williams said was a "mild left hamstring strain" on a throw to home from right in the sixth inning of the Nationals' 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in Nationals Park.

Doug Fister was up in the zone and the San Diego Padres hit him hard in what ended up an 8-3 loss to the San Diego Padres in Petco Park. Padres' catcher Derek Norris hit a three-run home run and a two-run triple against the team that drafted him.

Inside this edition of "Without a Curse," Alex talks about the implications of Max Scherzer signing with the Nationals. The Red Sox are still searching for a starting pitcher to place at the top of the rotation, and Jordan Zimmermann or Doug Fister would fit the bill. But the cost to acquire them could be steep, and the Red Sox might be better off waiting until they become free agents next offseason. In the "Around the League" segment, Alex talks about how much better Scherzer makes the Nationals. Is the improvement over Tanner Roark worth the additional cost the Nats have taken on? Alex also shares his thoughts on Bud Selig's tenure as MLB commissioner, as he's officially going to retire this weekend. Baseball is in much better shape today than it was when Selig took over. That's for sure. Follow Alex on Twitter, @AlexReimer1, and email him, ajreimer0@gmail.com.

In an episode all about the Benjamins, Al and Hookslide cover the fallout from the Tigers' historic contract extension with Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer's contract negotiations ending in futility, the acquisition of ancient shortstop Alex Gonzalez and Forbes estimating the team's worth at $680 million. Bless You Boys Podcast 105 has a running time of 1:03 and features Al Beaton and HookSlide. Kurt Mensching will be back next week. Topics: Tigers, Cabrera formally announce 8-year extension, commit to 10-years and $292 million overall. MLB execs disgusted over Miguel Cabrera extension. Fans of advanced metrics are calling the Cabrera extension the worst contract ever. What a surprise! But is it really that crazy of a contract in retrospect? $30 million may look like chump change in ten years. Tigers were between a rock and a hard place. Let Cabrera walk in free agency, the fans get upset. Sign the best hiotter in the game to a contract locking him up for the remainder of his career, the fans get upset. Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski contended it's better to extend a pending free agent early on the process, believing a player is more likely to leave the longer you wait. The Tigers may not be all that worried about the long-term ramifications of a contract extension thanks to the ridiculous amount of TV money MLB teams earn. Max Scherzer and the Tigers cease contract negotiations. Scherzer's agent Scott Boras claims it was the Tigers who rejected a deal. Tyler Collins makes the team as a left fielder. Tigers obtain shortstop Alex Gonzalez from the Orioles for utility man Steve Lombardozzi. Forbes values Tigers at $680 million, 15th overall in MLB. Anyone else think that figure sounds low? Doug Fister will start the season on the DL. The Tigers win the trade! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest. Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest. Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest. Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside this edition of "Without a Curse," Alex looks at the flurry moves that were made across baseball last week before the Winter Meetings. The Red Sox were active last week, as they added catcher A.J. Pierzynski and reliever Edward Mujica. Most notably, however, they resigned first baseman Mike Napoli to a two-year, $32 million contract. The Napoli contract illustrates the Red Sox's free agent strategy, which is to pay players more on an annual value basis in exchange for taking on fewer years. Napoli projects to make $45 million over three years with the Red Sox, and the team hasn't had to commit to long-term for two consecutive years. This partnership has been a win for both sides. Ben Cherington's deft maneuvering has been on display this winter, especially when one looks at the ludicrous contracts that the Yankees and Mariners handed out to Jacoby Ellsbury and Robinson Cano last week. The Red Sox don't have the involve themselves in bidding wars in which there's no winner, because they seemingly have a back-up plan for everything. Most importantly, however, it appears as if players want to play in Boston. Dustin Pedroia took $130 million less than Cano signed for in order to resign with the Red Sox last summer, and Napoli reportedly signed for significantly less to remain with the Red Sox last week. Maybe Jon Lester will be the next hometown star to take a discount. We'll see. Though Cherington says it's possible the Red Sox may have done most of their heavy lifting prior to the Winter Meetings, it seems as if the Red Sox will have to clear some salary this winter. According to calculations, the Red Sox are roughly $3 million from the $189 million luxury tax for 2014. They have the starting pitching surplus and organizational pitching depth to consider trading somebody in the rotation for a prospect, or an utility infielder. In the "Around the League" segment, Alex looks at the dysfunctional Mariners. Geoff Baker published a salacious expose on the inner-workings of the Mariners organization in The Seattle Times last weekend that makes the 2011 Red Sox look tame. The Cano signing indicates that the Mariners think they're ready to now, but they don't have the pieces to do. The organization appears to be a mess, and the roster isn't good enough. It's inevitable that the Cano contract is going to be an albatross in the long-term. The Mariners have to win while he's still in the prime of his career, and underpaid for the first few years of the deal. It's been a puzzling offseason for the Yankees, who signed Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran last week. The Yankees have seemingly replaced Nick Swisher, Curtis Grandeson and Russell Martin with Ellsbury, Beltran and Brian McCann over the past year. The latter group costs an additional $161 million in comparison with the former group, and isn't that much better. The Yankees don't have a long-term plan. Alex examines other hot stove news across baseball, including the Tigers' awful decision to trade Doug Fister for spare parts and how changes to the Japanese player bidding process could alter the future of star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Email Alex at areimer@bu.edu, and follow him on Twitter @AlexReimer1.

The Bless You Boys Podcast is broadcasting live this week in order to recap all the news coming out of MLB's Winter Meetings. Detroit Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski has already made splashy moves in trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister while signing Joe Nathan, but the organization is still looking for bullpen arms and possibly a new left fielder over the next four days. As Dombrowski himself said during Nathan's introductory press conference, he "won't be bored" during MLB's annual transcastion-fest. Kurt, Al and Hookslide will be live at 3PM Monday through Thursday, taking your questions and comments via phone and Twitter.  Call in at  (914) 338-1798 or use the Twitter hashtag #bybpod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bless You Boys Podcast 95 has a running time of 61 minutes and features Al Beaton, HookSlide, and of course, Kurt Mensching. The gang covers the past week of Detroit Tigers baseball, dominated by the controversial trade of Doug Fister and the signing of Joe Nathan. Fister was traded to the Washington Nationals for either spare parts and a prospect or spare parts and Robbie Ray. Taken in a vacuum, was the Fister deal a good trade or bad trade? But when looked at in a larger context, does the trade start to make more sense? Many are playing the "In Dave Dombrowski we trust" card, saying he must know something others don't. Is it possible owner Mike Ilitch has told Dombrowski the Tigers have reached the upper limits of a self-imposed team salary cap? Is asking Drew Smyly or Rick Porcello to replicate Fister's numbers too much to ask? Could Steve Lombardozzi be the next dividing line in the war between Detroit's traditional fans and those who believe in advanced metrics? The Tigers have their closer, inking 39-year-old Joe Nathan to a two-year, $19M contract, with a club option third year worth $10M with a $1M buyout. Are there concerns in giving an aging Nathan huge money? From all accounts, the Tigers' first choice as closer was Brian Wilson, but talks broke down.  Wilson re-signed with the Dodgers for one-year at $10 million, with the second year a player option at $10M. Did the Tigers end up with the right closer? Are the Tigers are at or near a self-imposed payroll cap? Don't expect Shin-Shoo Choo to come to the rescue in left field. Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury have agreed to what are sure to end up as albatross long-term contracts. ARE MLB GMs NUTS? Speaking of possible albatross contracts, are the Tigers now set up to give long-term extensions to Miguel Cabrera and Max Scherzer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben and Sam try to puzzle out the Tigers’ motivation for making the Doug Fister trade.

Al, Kurt and HookSlide cover the past week of Detroit Tigers baseball, including awards season domination, sabermatrician war mongering, trade rumors involving nearly the entire starting rotation, the team's interest in free agent closers and Baseball America dissing the farm system.  Bless You Boys Podcast 93 has a running time of 46 minutes and features Al Beaton, HookSlide and of course, Kurt Mensching. Topics: Miguel Cabrera is named 2013 AL MVP by the BBWAA for a second straight season. Brian Kenny, Keith Law and other bully pulpit owning sabermatriciians declare war, insulting anyone who believed Cabrera was a more deserving winner than Mike Trout. Max Scherzer is your 2013 AL Cy Young winner, no backlash ensues. Should we be celebrating individual awards while the Tigers keep coming up short of winning a World Series title? Depending on the rumor, Scherzer, Doug Fister, Rick Porcello and/or  Prince Fielder are all on the trading block. The Tigers have reportedly been linked to free agent closers Joe Nathan and Brian Wilson. Baseball America ranks the Tigers' farm system as the second worse in all of baseball, 29th overall.  So what else is new? And does it really make a difference? HookSlide is still in baseball post season rehab, Kurt is infuriated by a trashy tweet and Al teases upcoming podcast hijinks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct. 13, 2013 will forever be known as the day in which Boston sports flashed back to 2004. Tom Brady led a 70-yard drive to propel the Patriots to victory in the afternoon, and David Ortiz hit a grand slam that defied all of the odds to lead the Red Sox to victory on Sunday night. This is the Golden Age of Boston Sports. Fans should appreciate what they get to see on a weekly basis, because it isn2019t going to last forever. The Red Sox had been no-hit through five innings for the second consecutive game on Sunday. Anibal Sanchez struck out 12 batters in Game 1, and Max Scherzer fanned 13 men in Game 2. It looked bleak, especially with Justin Verlander scheduled to start in Game 3. But then the Red Sox exposed the soft underbelly of the Tigers middle relief core. They loaded the bases in the eighth inning, and set the table for Ortiz to smash a game-tying grand slam off closer Joaquin Benoit. Defensive miscues cost the Tigers in the bottom of the ninth, as Jose Iglesias airmailed a through the first base (HAHAHA), which allowed Jonny Gomes to advance to second base. Gomes scored on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia ground ball that advanced past the outstretched Iglesias on the left side of the infield (HAHAHA). Red Sox relievers combined to throw three and one-third scoreless innings in relief of Clay Buchholz on Sunday, and didn2019t let the game get out of hand. Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa haven2019t allowed a run this postseason, as the bridge to Koji Uehara no longer appears to be a concern. Tigers starting pitchers have only allowed one run over the past 23 innings. Verlander will be opposed by John Lackey in Game 3, who has a 3.83 career ERA at Comerica Park. It will be a tall task for the Red Sox in Game 3, but it is no longer a must-win contest thanks to their heroics in Game 2. The Red Sox have a favorable pitching match-up in Game 4, as Jake Peavy will take on Doug Fister. Though Sanchez and Scherzer were dominant in Games 1 and 2, neither pitcher reached the eighth inning. This relentless Red Sox lineup grinds pitchers down, and will almost always reach a team2019s bullpen. Even if Verlander is terrific in Game 3, it is unlikely he2019ll pitch into the eighth or ninth inning. If the game is close, the Red Sox will have a chance. In the 201CAround the League201D segment, Alex talks about the NLCS, and explains why the Cardinals continue to show why they2019re one of the best organizations in baseball. Alex also tells you why Carlos Beltran is a better postseason hitter than Babe Ruth was. Emil Alex at areimer@bu.edu, and follow him on Twitter @AlexReimer1.

Ben and Sam discuss all the notable events from World Series Game Two, including Madison Bumgarner’s impressive outing, the line drive off of Doug Fister’s head, and Jim Leyland’s decision to play the infield back in the seventh, then assess the odds of a comeback by the Tigers.