Episode 40: Baseball Camp, Booeymonger, and Guantez the Dead Ferret

Jun30 by Jordan Shusterman

Welcome to Barbecast 40, Baseball Camp edition. This week’s special guest (at 24:15) is John McCarthy (Coach Mac), the founder of Home Run Baseball Camp and current employer of both members of the BBQ. We talked to Coach Mac about his brief career in pro ball as a knuckleballer (facing Derek Jeter in the GCL!!!!), his transition into becoming a coach, and how he maintains his insane level of optimism on a daily basis. We recorded in a Booeymonger, so we apologize for the semi-poor audio quality. You can and should read more about Coach Mac by clicking here. Our b-ref battle this week included a certain player that may or may not be the oldest living human being on Earth. Tales from Logdog with Lana Berry covered Lana’s surprise appearance on Mean Tweets: Dallas Cowboys edition. Our e-mail segment included some baseball camp stories, what we would do as the Padres GM, and a beautiful World Cup e-mail from OBP. At the end of the episode, you will hear a recording of the story that we, along with our co-counselor Jason, told a group of 100+ campers about the loss of our pet ferret, Guantez. Thanks for listening <3

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A Night With Daniel Bard

Jun19 by jakemintz

The night began just like any other. A gaggle of young talented athletes with hopeful futures took the field, while oversized 40-year-olds and their children pretended to watch them. Fleet-footed Dominican infielders gracefully roamed the grassy landscape like gazelles as monstrously large first baseman with hitches in their swings drop their back shoulders on hanging sliders. This is Low-A baseball, the first full-season step on a long Minor League journey towards The Show. It is a place where dreams are supposed to begin to actualize. But on this night, for Daniel Bard, it was an experiment in perseverance.

Daniel Bard threw the greatest pitch of all time. It was a 99 mile-per-hour two-seamer that broke like a reverse slider. Nick Swisher looked like a blind person because Daniel Bard wanted him to. For a two-year period Bard was one of the best relievers in all of baseball. With a fastball that sat in the high 90’s with sharp run and a slider that made babies cry, Bard could look absolutely unhittable at times. When the Red Sox tried to convert him to a starter to extract greater value from Bard’s studly arm, it all began to go downhill.

After two unsuccessful half-seasons with the Sox and then the Cubs, the Rangers scooped him up at the start of the year in a low-risk, possibly high-reward move. After spending some time in extended spring training rehabbing from an offseason rib surgery, Bard was sent to Low-A Hickory to begin his climb back up the ladder. In his first appearance, two days before we saw him, Bard faced four batters. He walked one, hit three, and exited the game before recording an out. Aware of his struggles two days prior we sat full of curiosity and anticipation amongst the otherwise mostly oblivious Hickory crowd.

On the very first pitch of the inning Bard nailed the West Virginia hitter in the back with a 95 MPH fastball. The next two batters each walked as Bard struggled to locate his fastball, slider, and past successes. He got behind 2-0 to the next hitter before throwing his first strike of the game, a 96 MPH cutter on the outer half that looked like it belonged in Arlington and not in Hickory. His next offering was an 80 MPH slider down the dick that the 20-something year old batter had no chance at. Another swing and a miss on a cutter under the hands and Bard had his first out of the year.

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Organizational Lineups: The Best Names In the Minor Leagues (AL West)

Jun16 by Jordan Shusterman

If it wasn’t obvious already, we absolutely love ridiculous names. For each 2014 team preview, we included a list of the best names in the organization. Because it’s summer, I’m gonna take it one step further. I have assembled a starting lineup and starting rotation of the most spectacular names for every team in baseball using solely players in their respective minor league systems. You will read some of these names and question their legitimacy but a quick Google search will confirm each and every one these as 100% real. As a rule, each position must be played by a player that is actually listed at that position. For example, the Giants have five different shortstops with unbelievable names but I could only choose two (SS and DH). Every team has a DH, and the DH could be any position player. Each team also has a five man rotation. Rotations were certainly difficult to determine because OH MY GOD THESE PITCHER NAMES ARE UNREAL. Okay. TO THE SQUADS.

Click here for Part 1 (NL East).

Click here for Part 2 (AL East).

Click here for Part 3 (NL Central).

Click here for Part 4 (AL Central).

Click here for Part 5 (NL West).

AL WEST

Houston Astros

C Jobduan Morales
1B Bobby Borchering
2B Parker Hipp
3B Arturo Michelena
SS Chan Moon
OF Ydarqui Marte
OF Brauly Mejia
OF Teoscar Hernandez
DH Kristian Trompiz

RHP Rayderson Chevelier
LHP Geronimo Franzua
RHP Yonquelys Martinez
LHP Starlyng Sanchez
LHP Pat Urckfitz

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

C Anthony Bemboom
1B Wade Hinkle
2B Kirby Pellant
3B Danny Richiez
SS Goldny Mills
OF Ranyelmy Mendoza
OF Michael Fish
OF Exicardo Cayones
DH Abel Baker

RHP Orangel Arenas
LHP Engerberg Rosales
RHP Spencer Trygg
LHP Eswarlin Jimines
RHP Crusito Mieses

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Episode 39: Stephen Bruno > Brüno

Jun13 by Jordan Shusterman

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Full Barbecasts are back! Now with 25% worse audio quality. Get pumped. Our special guest this week is Ryan Parker of Baseball Prospectus. We talked to Ryan about how he scouts Low-A baseball, Joey Gallo, and other prospect-related thingzzz. You should follow Ryan on Twitter @RA_Parker because he is really good at what he does. Our b-ref battle this week consisted of numerous strange sounds, moreso than actual names. Tales from Logdog with Lana Berry covered how Lana was surviving the sudden tornado in her area. The theme of the e-mail segment was WHAT THE HELL WAS IN CARLOS GONZALEZ’S FINGER with an eloquent backstory from Big Poop. The Barbecuers Update has good news regarding Barbecuer gear that is actually for sale. This isn’t our best Barbecast, but it probably isn’t our worst! Seriously, just go back and listen to Barbecast 38. Thanks for listening <3

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iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cespedes-family-barbecue-cespedes/id683535357

Link to all previous podcasts: https://cespedesfamilybarbecue.com/the-barbecast-cfb-podcast/

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