It’s the 20th episode of a super awesome podcast featuring me and Sahadev Sharma (and a guest!). You can listen to the podcast there below, or download it for later listening. You can also subscribe via iTunes. Here’s your iTunes link, and you can also find it by searching in the iTunes store. For those of you who use other feed-catching services, here’s the podcast feed. For those of you just tuning in who want to catch up on prior episodes, here’s the whole lot.
As always, you can send questions, comments, etc. to the official podcast email address (podcast AT bleachernation DOT com) if you want your thoughts included on a future show. On this one, we had to defer the emails until next week due to subject and time concerns. And after you hear this episode, you may have some hate mail to send us about my unfairly high opinion of myself, and Sahadev’s theological leanings.
This week we’ve got another fantastic guest: Baseball America‘s National Writer, and all-around scouting/prospecting/development guru Ben Badler.
If you follow Ben’s writing or Twitter feed (or see his name frequently mentioned around here), you can already anticipate the kinds of things we discussed: the World Baseball Classic, international scouting at the WBC, the next Yu Darvish/Yoenis Cespedes, the next international free agent class (and the Cubs’ huge money to spend), Ben’s thoughts on the CBA’s changes to the way teams accumulate international talent, the prospect of an international draft, the latest on Cuban shortstop Aledmys Diaz, and Ben’s take on Cubs big-time signee Juan Carlos Paniagua, as well as lesser-known signee Armando Rivero. Plus, frankly, much, much more. Ben is a knowledge machine, and we’re all just here to learn. Take advantage.
After Ben departs, Sahadev and I have some fun getting into the Cubs’ marketing/branding plans – logo, uniforms, JumboTron … and a mascot? – as well as the conclusion of the BUNT TOURNAMENT. I throw down a challenge to Sahadev regarding our respective bunting prowess. I’m also too hard on the White Sox, and Sahadev is too hard on Ohioans (not really).
Enjoy:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Wow, Ben Badler is a huge get. Nice work.
Thanks. He was pretty awesome and spent a lot of time with us.
Ted should be the new mascot. How about a TEDDY BREWSKI?!?
[...] who’ve listened seem to have really enjoyed Baseball America’s Ben Badler guesting on the BN Podcast, which means you would enjoy it, too. Thus, you should [...]
Brett: Just tuned into the most recent podcast. Do you know what Jenny McCarthy, you, and I share in common? We all have the same birthday! Jenny, November 1, 1972, me 1973, and you, I think, 1981? Great podcast! Keep up the good work. How about her as the next guest? She is from the Chicago area.
Ha, how about that? I’m not sure if we could get her, though, what with Sahadev saying she’s all crazy now.
What else could I dream of? A crazy older (although I’d prefer she’d be 20 years older than me) blond woman. Holla!
[...] America’s Ben Badler, who was on the BN Podcast last week and discussed Rivero, reported the $3.1 million bonus, according to sources. From Badler’s [...]
[...] the CBA have already effectively accomplished the goal of reining in spending (as Ben Badler argued on last week’s episode of the BN Podcast), and a draft is an unnecessary [...]