Gateway to Baseball Heaven: A St. Louis Cardinals Podcast

GTBH 4/9/17: Hey, We Weren't Ready To Start Yet!

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  However, this week Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds) are fairly flummoxed about all that's going on.  When you have a week that sees you drop four of six, including two shutouts against the Reds, perhaps the worst pitch Adam Wainwright has ever thrown, a ball sticking to Yadier Molina's chest protector, and a trip around the bases that got Stephen Piscotty not only on SportsCenter but on Jimmy Kimmell......well, you try to explain it.

Tara and Daniel tackle the biggest issue of the day, the seeming fascination with Matt Adams in the outfield.  That might have gotten the focus this week--with good reason--but there have been other woes.  The bullpen has been allowing home runs like they were facing the 2016 Cardinals.  Some major cogs in the lineup are well below the .200 mark.  Even the starting pitching took a hit at the end of the week with the Reds proving much tougher for Carlos Martinez to solve than the Cubs.

It was a wild, wild, wild, wild week and hopefully the next one will restore some order to the galaxy.  After all, they are just playing....the Nationals and the Yankees.  No problem!

Also, make sure you stick around for the first post-credits comments ever in a GTBH podcast!

GTBH 4/3/17: Opening Up the Debate

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  The 2017 season is finally underway and, as of right now, the standings are back to their rightful place with the Cards on top.  Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds) go through the highs and lows of the opener.  At which point did Mike Matheny make an egregious error?  How amazing was Carlos Martinez?  Has Randal Grichuk learned control?  Plus the two discuss the contract extensions for Yadier Molina and for Stephen Piscotty.  It's a cram-packed thirty minutes and it's worth every penny!  (Please remember it's free.)

GTBH 3/26/17: The roster, the Yadi, and Wong

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  It's been another successful week of spring training, but Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds) actually have a lot to talk about that wasn't on the field.  The Cardinals set their 25-man roster early this season--were there any surprises?  What does this mean for the future of Tommy Pham?  Yadier Molina is back from the WBC with a new lease on life and a new contract deadline.  Can the Cardinals sign him?  Should the Cardinals sign him?  What's causing this breakdown?  We finish up with a subject near and dear to Tara's heart, Kolten Wong.  Does this idea that he's going to be platooned indicate a breaking of the "you're our second baseman" pledge from this offseason?  Can Kolten ever get his head right?  All that and...well, that's pretty much it, but it's a lot of good stuff crammed into 45 minutes, so you should be good.

GTBH 3/19/17

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  This week, Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds) still don't have first-hand opinions for you, having seen little to none of the games over the past seven days, but that's never stopped them before!  The two discuss the pressures that Tommy Pham is playing, what Matt Adams in the outfield really means, and the nice spring of Lance Lynn.  Plus comments on Bengie Molina's comments and #CardsMadness!

Gateway To Baseball Heaven 3/12/17

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals. We're about halfway through the spring and we can start to get the feel about what this team might be. Success on the diamond isn't everything while you are in Jupiter, but it's nice and Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds) spend some time on what's going right, especially Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha, plus a resurgent Matt Adams. Not everything is working, though, and they talk about Jordan Schafer and his forearm stiffness. Plus, find out who Tara thinks would make the best figure skater!

Gateway to Baseball Heaven, 3/5/17

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and analysis you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  Nobody was hurt in the making of this podcast.  That's saying something given the injury issues that have plagued the Cardinals this week, with both Matt Carpenter and Trevor Rosenthal having issues, the severity of which is still kinda questionable.  There's been good news on the field, though, as the Cards have won all but three of their games so far this spring.  What does that mean going forward and who has done the most in the early going to get themselves a roster spot?  All that and more when Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds) have their weekly chat!

Gateway to Baseball Heaven, 2/28/17

Every week, two of the Best Fans in Baseball (TM) bring you all the news and information you need about the St. Louis Cardinals.  It's a new place and a little more freedom, but Daniel Shoptaw (C70 At The Bat) and Tara Wellman (Bird Seeds) are still bringing the heat when it comes to the Redbirds.  They talk about what Kolten Wong's shoulder means, why Tommy Pham might wind up with a crick in his neck, and the fact that baseball, glorious baseball, has returned to our lives.  Plus stay tuned to find out which player each host would want to be teamed up with in an escape room!