Gateway to Baseball Heaven: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

GTBH 3/21/21: Getting That Much Closer

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Less than two weeks separate us and the Cardinals from Opening Day, so Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) talk about a few things from camp.  Carlos Martinez still is having trouble getting out of the first inning.  Is that a major issue?  Jordan Hicks is still hitting 100-plus.  Is he guaranteed the ninth?  Can John Nogowski make his way onto the 26-man roster and, if he doesn't, is that Matt Carpenter's fault?  All that and more on this week's show!

GTBH 3/14/21: Testing the Depth of the Pool

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Starting pitchers seem to be dropping like flies and Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) discuss the concerns that go along with that.  Should the Cards reconsider their plan for Alex Reyes?  Are there any other options besides Daniel Ponce de Leon and John Gant?  How adaptable is this pitching staff anyway?  Plus they talk about Jordan Hicks's return to the mound, which didn't exactly go as scripted.

GTBH 3/7/21: Teaching the Young Pups

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  After some talk about the weirdness of the new spring training rules, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) talk about what's been going on with the Redbirds down in Jupiter.  Is the struggling starting pitching becoming a concern?  What about Matt Carpenter's 0-11?  Who would you want to see as the fifth starter if Miles Mikolas isn't ready to go?  Plus they spend some time on the legend of Yadier Molina after he added to it with a confrontation with Houston's Jose Siri.  Come in and enjoy the baseball talk!

GTBH 2/28/21: Spring Games Have Sprung

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  With the first spring game in the books, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) give some Way Too Early thoughts about the lineup and Jack Flaherty's performance.  (Spoiler: neither one really matter.)  Also, they discuss whether there should be more than just concern about Miles Mikolas being pushed back and the quirky look to the spring schedule.

GTBH 2/14/21: Getting Ready for the Season

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Since the last time Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) got together, the Cardinals have said goodbye to two mainstays from the past half-decade.  How sad is Tara about Kolten Wong going to Milwaukee?  How disappointing was the Dexter Fowler era, not necessarily because of the player but all that surrounded him?  Spring training is coming and it's time to get warmed up!

GTBH 1/31/21:That's a Home Run for Johnny Mo

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  And boy, did this week provide plenty of content.  Cardinal legend Adam Wainwright returned for another one year deal, all indications are that fellow Cardinal legend Yadier Molina will also be back, but that's just warmup pitches before the main event.

Nolan Arenado is, barring some technical snafu, a St. Louis Cardinal.  Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) talk about many aspects of the deal, from what it does to the lineup to what buttons you have to push to get John Mozeliak's finishing move of destroying a trade partner.  Plus Tara talks about high school jackets.  So much goodness to get into so come along!

GTBH 1/17/21: The Loyalty and Business of Baseball

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  While there's still nothing brewing on the hot stove, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) chat about a few Cardinals-related things.  Winter Warmup is not what we've been used to and as such there's not much going on there to hype anyone up for the 2021 season.  The Cards settled three of their arbitration cases, but what about Jack Flaherty?  Is this an ominous sign?  Yadier Molina might retire if he can't find a good contract.  Is that actually the best case scenario for fans?  Mike Shannon looks to call it quits after this upcoming season, which gets our intrepid pair talking about what his possible replacement means for the state of the Cardinals.  Finally, as Shelby Miller goes to the Cubs, they ponder if any former Cardinal has done better in front of the ivy.  A little longer this time but it hopefully is worth it!

GTBH 1/3/21: New Year, Old Problems

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Well, obviously not EVERY week because it's been two months since Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) have gotten together to talk ball.  Unfortunately, that's because nothing has happened relating to the Cardinals, something that still hasn't changed.  The pair talk about why that is, why the pandemic may be giving the organization cover for a lack of activity that was coming anyway, and then make a few predictions for 2021.  Come on in and get reacquainted!

GTBH 11/1/20: Fighting Apathy

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  With the decision this week to not pick up the option on Kolten Wong, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) struggle to find the positives in what looks to be a bleak winter.  How does the team adjust to the loss of Wong's glove?  Will he be the only long-time Redbird taking flight or will Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright follow him out of town?  How can the Cardinals legitimately make 2021 exciting, or is it even possible?  Plenty to discuss in what will be the last show for a while!

GTBH 10/26/20: Sustained Success

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  With the World Series going on, Daniel (C70 At The Bat, @C70) and Tara (Birds on the Black, @tarawellman) talk about the action on the field before using the Dodgers as a jumping off point to talk about the Cardinals, comparing and contrasting the two organizations.  Does St. Louis need to reevaluate how they do business?  Is being good enough actually good enough?  Would you rather terrible years followed by greatness and then back down or the chance every year to make a difference?  Some good baseball talk as we get ready for the hot (or likely cool) stove!