Tater Tots

"Burn, Baby Burn."  The now infamous words uttered by 24-year-old shock jock Steve Dahl upon witnessing his famous disco inferno in 1979 live in infamy, marking the night when everyone got really mad about disco for some reason. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

If you don't have a local library card, you're just robbing yourself of a tremendous community resource. Even if your library isn't open, I strongly encourage you to check out their broad selection of ebooks and audiobooks. They will make you regret ever trying to read a physical book made of paper! Listen, this is just a public service announcement. I don't really have much to say about baseball. On today's episode of Table Cloth, we discuss Dodgers uh catcher Austin Barnes. Links: Barnes's August 13 home run,  Barnes hits a safety squeeze and a three run Tater in the same World Series game,  statcorner.com/mlb/catcher-report Whee Snaw,  The Lake Elsinore Storm's spooky hat,  Dale Thayer's notable mustache,  Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

I have tremendous news:  my beloved NC Dinos won the Korean Series this morning. This development comes with several important benefits: A sense of pride and exhalation that they have done it, A fitting reward for an excellent season turned in by Koo Chang-Mo, Park Min-Woo, Sung Bum-Na, Yang Eui-Ji, Park Suk-Min, and all of the strong and talented boys comprising the Dinos team, An end to 4:30am alarms, A happy November 24th, A line of new NC Dinos championship merchandise, A gargantuan sword. There is a portion of this podcast in which we discuss whether out listeners may be able to watch at least one game of Korean baseball in the waning days of the 2020 season, and this provides a conclusive "no," so at minimum, we have closure. Today's pod focuses on the magnificent Willians Astudillo, god of contact and slayer of three true outcomes. Links: Astudillo's September 12th home run,  Y101: The Tri-State's Biggest Variety: Where Did the Baseball Saying 'A Can of Corn' Come From?  MLB's glossary of idioms,  The no-look pickoff,  The hidden ball trick,  MLB's clips package (including Astudillo falling flat on his face and riding on Chris Gimenez's back),  The wonderful, WONDERFUL home run in the Venezuelan Winter League (please watch this),  Travis Sawchik's breakdown of Astudllio's prodigious 2018,  The New York Times feature on La Tortuga,  Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

Come take a mystical voyage with us back to Monday night. To a time when the result of the World Series was still up in the air and no MLB players had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the middle of the game and then game back onto the field at the end and took their mask off and kissed their wife on the face and breathed all over cancer survivor Dave Roberts. A simpler time :) We engage in our usual Monday night tradition of discussing the life and career of Vida Blue at some length. If you're so inclined, you may be interested to see this portrait of him adorning the cover of Time Magazine's August 28, 1971 issue. You may also wish to ogle at the accumulated career statistics of Keith Hernandez's mustache. Perhaps you might even enjoy listening to to the prog rock/electronica/funk band Vida Blue's rendition of Most Events Aren't Planned. If you are uninterested in those things, perhaps you'd like to instead donate to Baseball For All. You can also listen to our theme music: Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Or maybe appreciate the other work of our the author of our cover art Shelby Criswell. Or maybe send us a nice email at tatertotspod@gmail.com . Or maybe check out our bustling Facebook page at facebook.com/tatertotspod. Otherwise just catch us on Twitter at twitter.com/tatertotspod. See you next time!

Can you believe this year is the 46th anniversary of Orlando Cepeda's final season in the major leagues? Personally, it is impossible for me to believe or accept that. Regardless, on this episode, we discuss what it sounds like to rewind, the lack of commemorative plaques where old baseball stadiums used to be, and how Catfish Hunter got his nickname. Links: What are you gonna' do? Stab me?  This cool Malayan Green Whip Snake! People Discussed Pedro Cepeda Orlando Cepeda Roberto Clemente Willie McCovey Alvin Dark Ray Sadecki Willie Mays Joe Torre Denny McLain Luis Aparacio Luke Walker Bruce Kison Annie Pino Nydia Fernandez Mirian Ortiz Mike Schmidt Jeff Burroughs Catfish Hunter Mike Hargrove Steve Garvey Mike Marshall Bake McBride Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

It's back to basics week here on Tater Tots as we return with an episode on a player who hit just one home run in a season. However, we've got a special treat for you, because Don Kessinger was a Tater Tot not once, not twice, not five times, not six times. Seven times? No! Eight times a tot! That's right, we're bringing the life and career of the co-king of Tater Tots under our unrelenting microscope to try to suss out why and how he remained such a mainstay in in the 1970s. If you are worried that our return to tots would mean we are returning to our format from episode one, then you would be mistaken! In fact, Tim continues to leap, and both of us continue to math. We also consider the return of the baseball season, and all the accompanying news. It's worth noting, though, that we recorded this on Sunday, and with the season in question, our conversation already seems wildly out of date! Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Twitch (Live on Thursdays at 7pm EST / 4pm PST): twitch.tv/tatertotspod Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

Happy 100th birthday to the Negro Leagues. We’re celebrating this week by discussing Jackie Robinson’s autobiography I Never Had It Made, as told to Alfred Duckett. We also commit to an unannounced discussion of The Jackie Robinson Story, the 1950 biopic starring Jackie Robinson as himself. The film features a short baseball player known only as “Shorty”, as well as disconcerting amounts of racism, and some strikingly composed shots. This week also marks the formal introduction of our new and tenuous segment “Add Some Integers to your Integral” in which Tim and I discuss our various fascinations and frustrations with the world of mathematics. There was finally some Tot Stove news this week with the announcement of a 60 game baseball season, but all is not well in Mudville, as coronavirus cases are spiking throughout America, including among MLB players and staff. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Twitch (Live on Thursdays at 7pm EST / 4pm PST): twitch.tv/tatertotspod Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT THE ONGOING PROTESTS Who could have guessed a book called the "The Resisters" would feel so timely? Our next book will be Summerland by Michael Chabon. Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Twitch (Live on Thursdays at 7pm EST / 4pm PST): twitch.tv/tatertotspod Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

In 2016, Evan Ungar from Canada set the highest vertical jump Guinness World Record at 63.5 inches. Will Tim surpass that milestone? If this week's results are any indicator, I would say yes, definitely. He need only add 35 and a quarter inches, which, to me, is child's play. If I wanted to set the vertical jump record I could also do it, but I have more pressing concerns to attend to. For example, watching Claire Saffitz make gourmet Tater Tots. I was also busy reading Robert Coover's 1968 novel The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. It's lucky that I did that because on this episode of the podcast, we discuss the book in full, and even go so far as to discuss the themes of the book including: The power of fiction/ the role of the author Postmodern metafiction Reflection on age/time passing The nature of God & the development of religion obsession/addiction Yep, another light-hearted romp through he world of the Tater Tot 🤠 Programming note: next week we will discuss the Tater Tots currently plying their trade in Korea. On the following episode, we will discuss Gish Jen's  new novel The Resisters. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Twitch (Live on Thursdays at 7pm EST / 4pm PST): twitch.tv/tatertotspod Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

Personally, I haven't listened to a podcast in a month. I usually crack open the podcatcher and throw back my earbuds on my commute or during a walk around the neighborhood, but to listen to a podcast at home? Well, it requires a certain level of intention I'm not used to. That's to say that if you're even reading this, you've come to Tater Tots purposefully—and for that, let me offer you a nice smile : ) Thanks for being a devotee, you shiny diamond! We're back at the book club this week, and chapters 4-6 of The Cactus League offer even more intrigue than chapters 1-3. Who could have guessed? Next week's concluding chapters may offer even more of said intrigue, although it is possible they will offer the same amount, or possibly less. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Twitch (Live on Thursdays at 7pm EST / 4pm PST): twitch.tv/tatertotspod Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

On this traditional, normal, and regularly scheduled episode of Tater Tots, we consider the Tater Tot™: the deep fried, shredded potato product that took Ore-Ida from a rinky dink frozen corn joint to a series of letters on vaunted to New York Stock Exchange. We also take the time to appreciate the fine work of the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, and the strange tradition of the tater tot casserole. Links: Jeff Daniels' dinger,  History of the Tater Tot,  Anonymous South Carolina man leaves $1000 tip. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

This is just a quick announcement in lieu of a full episode this month. Catch us on Twitch at twitch.tv/tatertotspod tomorrow, March 23rd at 6pm EST/3pm PST. Next week, we'll be starting the Tater Tots Book Club with the first three innings of Emily Nemens' The Cactus League. Stay safe! DONATE to Baseball for All FOLLOW us on Twitter LIKE us on Facebook E-MAIL us sometime! Our theme song is "The Littlest League Possible" by Guided By Voices, artwork by Shelby Criswell

I finally figured out why my sound has been so weird the past few weeks! Please tune in next week to hear my sound go back to normal. I’m excited. This weeks, Tim regales us with Stories From The Gym® and we discuss what exactly makes a baseball player interesting to us. Obviously this week’s episode was recorded before baseball was cancelled. We’ll have our takes on that next week, but spoilers: we are sad. Today’s Tater Tot: Steven Brault. Links: Brault’s dinger (September 1st, 2019), Daniel Brault’s Twitter account, “Baseball and Chill” with Amy Brault, Preorder “A Pitch At Broadway”, Details on Brault’s K-less streak, Brault’s interview on Effectively Wild, Brault’s first career strikeout at the plate, Brault’s first anthem performance in the majors, Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

This week, we debut our world-shaking new segment “add a few inches to your vertical.” Please do not stop clicking next until we tell you to. Thanks. Today’s Tater Tot: Steve Pearce Links: Pearce’s dinger, Pearce’s ultimate grand slam, Putting Pearce’s age-31 season in context, Foolish Baseball’s Jef Mathis video, Chart Party: We decided to erase the three-pointer, Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

When you Google “bird puns” the first thing that comes up is a meme of a toucan that says “toucan play at that game.” One thing that “toucan” play at is hosting an episode of Tater Tots. The two people in question are me and Tim and the episode of Tater Tots is dedicated to erstwhile Yankees first base-person Greg Bird. You see, his name is bird. On this episode of the podcast we discuss the Mookie Betts trade that did then didn’t then did then didn’t go through. (After we ended the recording it went through again.) We also briefly touch on the morality of gambling, the efficacy of extra bones, the miraculous ostrich pillow, and hairless cats. Today’s Tater Tot: Greg Bird Links: Bird’s bomb (March 28, 2019), Donald Trump loves cheaters (except when he doesn’t), Matt Kemp finally sold his house for an insultingly low price, Greg Bird’s boat of solitude, The ostrich pillow, “A Sphynx cat wearing commercially available clothes” Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

Whether you call it Spit-take Season or Sad Season, there’s no question you are reading the episode description for season 2 episode 11 of Tater Tots. On this one, we discuss further fallout from the Astros cheating—the LA City Council’s attempt to retroactively change the results of the world series, and the Met’s replacement for the erstwhile manger Carlos Beltran. We also go deep on some two-way players. We consider three separate tater tots, all with the potential to make a big impact as a two-way player. Please give me your word for the opposite of nostalgia. Send me an email with your word and I’ll try to use it in a sentence on our next episode. Our tots this week are last year's two-way players: Jared Walsh, Brendan McKay, and Michael Lorenzen Links: The LA City Council demands MLB award 2 World Series to the Dodgers, New Orleans attorneys demand the NFL send the Saints to last year’s Super Bowl, Larry Walker’s Spongebob jacket, Everyone in Colorado is mad at Jeff Bridich again, Check out the transaction section on Rene Rivera’s Baseball Reference page, The Pirates slick new unis, Jared Walsh’s sweeet donger (September 10th), Brendan McKay’s taaaaasty tater (September 22nd), Michael Lorenzen’s Ruthian feat, Fangraph’s article on the history of two-way players. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

This week on Tater Tots, we're breaking down the sun, its powerful rays, and their strange effect on Madison Bumgarner. We wonder about how to stop the rise of the machines, the White Sox's chances in 2020 with the signing of Dallas Keuchel and about whether Scott Boras is a billionaire yet. We discover that there is still a baseball team in Miami and that there is still life in Erik Kratz's baseball-playing lungs. Our Tot of the Week is the White Sox's own Nicky Delmonico, who overcame an Adderall addiction to become a fan favorite on Chicago's South Side. Adderall is a tricky subject in the discourse surrounding PEDs and we tried our best to navigate it.  Delmonico's 3-run walk-off dinger (and the CHW rally that preceded it) Lars Anderson's article about Adderall in MLB Our theme song is "The Littlest League Possible" by Guided By Voices Artwork by Shelby Criswell DONATE to Baseball for All FOLLOW us on Twitter LIKE us on Facebook SEND us a dang e-mail

"Fair is foul and foul is fair”—The witches from Macbeth, who were the first MLB play-by-play commentators The Winter of Our Discontent: the disheartening news that Madison Bumgarner is set to join the loathsome Diamondbacks in Phoenix is perhaps tempered slightly by the knowledge that he will play alongside this week’s Tater Tot Tim Locastro. Hopefully this episode finally answers the question “2B or not 2B.” The answer, as we see it, is “not 2B,” because a home run is much better :) Links: The dinger (July 31st), Foolish Baseball’s breakdown of why Tim Locastro is his favorite weird baseball player, Black Water Reptiles’ scorpions for sale, Bob Lozinak named 2019/2020 King of Baseball, An Auburn Citizen reader wonders if the Tims Locastro have made local history, An Auburn Citizen photographer recounts seeing Locastro’s home run. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod

This episode contains discussion of domestic violence. As the MLB Winter Meetings kick off in sunny San Diego, Tater Tots podcast kicks off in Brooklyn New York, for a rare in-person recording. Unlike the Winter Meetings, there will be no trades made or big free agents signed during this episode. But, like the Winter Meetings, this podcast features a fair bit of inane conversation between white men, much of it about baseball. We consider the issue of bipartisanship—whether there’s hay to be made of Kevin McCarthy and Bernie Sanders singing the same baseball-letter, along with a vulgar word* uttered by Rays pitcher Blake Snell upon learning of a trade involving his teammate. Tim loses his whole mind thinking about statistics, and we celebrate the major and minor signings from the hot stove. Finally, we discuss the case of Odubel Herrera, and the role of domestic violence in major league baseball. Links: Unity on congress cause of baseball, Sam Miller’s divisive article on statistics, Odubel Herrera’s home run (April 9), Phillies management comments on Herrera. Donate to Baseball For All Donate to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod *The word is “slapdick”

As we often do on a weekly basis, we’re releasing a new episode of Tater Tots today. The subject of this week’s episode? Free agent lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu. On this one, we dive deep into the misfortune emanating from within and around the game of baseball, reflecting on the Giants’ hiring of Gabe Kapler, the Astros cheating scandal, and Erik Gonzalez’s continuing miserable fortunes. To dig us out of the smelly trenches, we consider the alluring ambitions of the US olympic baseball squadron, more of super-agent Scott Boras’ amusing analogies, and Hyun-Jin Ryu’s captivating career. Links: Ryu’s dinger (English) (Korean), LA Times Profile of Ryu. Jomboy Media’s video demonstration of the Astro’s scheme. Donate to Baseball For All Our theme music is Littlest League Possible by Guided By Voices. Our artwork is by Shelby Criswell Email: tatertotspod@gmail.com  Facebook: facebook.com/tatertotspod Twitter: twitter.com/tatertotspod