Episode Archive
Sam and Alan report live from their rental car as they crisscross the highways and byways of South (East? North?) Florida.
The episode kicks off with a special edition of the Marco Rubio Florida Report, to give you the proper context about the state in which Orioles camp takes place. Then, we delve into some intense analysis of the prospects on display during our visit, complete with the drawing of largely pointless small sample-size conclusions!
Mac Montandon (@maccabeem) has written a book on jetpacks, edited one on Tom Waits, and works as an editor for Fast Company and Mental Floss. Not bad for a native son of Baltimore, who flopped, hard, in his brief tryout for the Orioles. He stops by Hootenanny Studios to tell us about that fateful day (and preceding evening), and receives a complimentary psychological evaluation in the process.
Meanwhile, the Tito Landrum Franchise Report inhales the latest aromas from Orioles camp in Sarasota, and also provides a powerful reminder of Tito's brief, yet beautiful moment of glory.
Read the full story of Mac & Dusty's Oriole adventure here, and check out the full-length version of our conversation with him on our SoundCloud page.
Eddie Murray, pictured w/ Mac Montandon
The Bugle’s Andy Zaltzman joins us for a spirited rumination on the nature of tyranny, why sports are preferable to real life, and the potential for Derek Jeter to find a second career as a cricket player. Plus: Alan takes the “Terminator” series of films to task, the Todd Frohwirth Franchise Report looks at the Johan Santana signing and its accompanying ethical issues, and the we announce the winners of the 2013 Hot Stove Oscars.
We welcome 2013 MLB Fan Cave Dweller April Whitzman, who dishes on life in the Cave and provides words of caution for O’s fans who think we’re simply going to Cruz into October.
Speaking of Nelly, The Larry Harlow Franchise Report examines the implications of his presence in a vocally anti-PED clubhouse. Alan marvels at the onset of late-winter insanity across the globe, and Sam provides a much-needed reminder about the secret strength of Orioles fans, which is, of course, puns.
We apologize profusely to special guest Dan Duquette, who provides a harrowing inside peek at the reality of doing business at the Warehouse. Plus, Alan reveals some little-known facts about the history of baseball as we know it, and Sam shares a personal essay about eating donuts and reading the sports page.
The Morons welcome Baseball Prospectus Editor in Chief Ben Lindbergh for an in-depth look at the Orioles’ approach to the free agent market, as well as the evolution of the role of advanced statistical metrics in team strategy. They also sing a song, pay tribute to the proud legacy of Wayne Krenchiki, and remember a curious historical incident involving the Sioux Falls Jackanapes and a sandwich board.
You probably already read Baseball Prospectus, but do you listen to their daily podcast Effectively Wild? You should! Ben hosts it, and it’s excellent.
A jam-packed show this week, featuring an exciting experiment in community organizing for Orioles fans, a fond farewell to Chris Jakubauskas, the complicated legacy of Madonna, and our loving tribute to the brilliant Welcome to Night Vale podcast.
Make sure to follow Operation Hagy on Twitter - it’s a really exciting project which reminds us, yet again, that we are idiots for living so far from Charm City.
MASN’s Roch Kubatko joins us for a much-needed reality check about the State of Moron Nation, and the Whitey Lockman Franchise Report covers AJ Burnettt, the troubling realities of WAR, and unionized college athletes.
Plus: an exclusive preview of the upcoming film “Unmasked Justice,” starring Matt Wieters.
Alan ponders the cultural legacy of Elvis Presley, the Al Pardo Franchise Report examines a curious aspect of the US tax code, Joelle Gamble talks about politics with an intelligence not befitting the program’s proud tradition, and we listen to a broadcast of a game between the Phantom City Muskellunges and the Winnetonka Spacemen.
The Ed Barnowski Franchise Report looks at internet sleuthing and Delmon Young; Alan expresses mild opinions about the recently-announced film adaptation of “1984,” Ben Masten tries to pretend it’s a rough time to be a Yankee fan, and J. Wellington Scrimshire presents “Hotstove Theatre.”