alek thomas

The Royals lock down Bobby Witt, Jr. for 11 years, and HOU says yes to Jose Altuve for another five. The arbitration scoreboard is currently tipped in the players’ direction at the halfway point, including a record-setting win for Vladdy. We wish Corey Kluber all the best in his retirement, Patti with much happier memories than those of Pottymouth. This week we look at Toronto, where Pottymouth selects Kevin Kiermaier with a really we haven’t picked him yet, and Patti highlights Davis Schnieder partly for getting to say “dirtbags” but mostly for the glove story. Happy birthday to ARI catcher and new Pottymouth pick Gabriel Moreno, and Patti’s aiming for the clouds outfielder, Alek Thomas. We discuss the comedy/tragedy possibilities with the new Netflix series following the Red Sox. Our police blotter features no work for Billy Eppler this  year for playing fast and loose  with  the IL, and teachers keep on poking at the public funding for the A’s Vegas ballpark. Mayors of both Oakland and Las Vegas gang up on A’s ownership. The Serie de Caribe set more attendance records, featured a no-hitter, lots of pod favorites on the field and in the stands, and a championship to Venezuela.

We say “my flame has been extinguished,” my polar bear no longer has bloat,” and “taking lemons and making limoncello.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

Recording right after Games 5 in the LDS, one would think we would be all postseason all the time.  You haven’t met Pottymouth. Prepare to be schooled on how being pro-Israel is not the same as standing up against anti-semitism,  and we’re not sure all the baseball players in that video understand that. Also that our supporting the right of athletes to speak out on issues that matter to them in no way extends to our agreeing with them.  We also dip back into how immigration policy is preventing families of Venezuelan baseball players from coming to the US to see them play. We come around to the “New England Parlor Game” of all the people declining interviews to head baseball ops for the Red Sox (Pottymouth plants a flag for Craig Breslow), and how Marlins ownership drove out Kim Ng, who was arguably the best thing to happen to that franchise in years. Why are baseball academies in the DR such targets for break-ins? And ah, yes, the postseason. Pottymouth was right about Kyle, Patti calls dibs on Alek while still throwing down for Nats North, and the Bryan Abreu kerfuffle gives is the bench clearing we didn’t know we needed. Patti wants to be the PitchCom librarian and is currently wondering where Austin Hedges’ “F*^& Yeah” track gets filed.

We say “We are not shut up and dribble people,” “Is it an isthmus?” and “I don’t speak Spanish but that sounds like National Chickens.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.

In the final hour, Bruce Levine and David Haugh were joined by Double-A Birmingham Barons play-by-play broadcaster Curt Bloom to discuss the organization's Project Birmingham. Later, Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder and Mt. Carmel product Alek Thomas joined the show to discuss his return to Chicago for this weekend series and what it's like to play an MLB game at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Howard Bender and Adam Ronis look at betting Game 2 of the Miami Heat/Boston Celtics NBA Playoff series as well as an updated look at the race for MLB Rookie of the Year.