Almost Cooperstown

Gordon Kolier & Mark Kolier

We're a father & son who love to talk and argue about baseball!  Baseball is the professional sport that has the longest history so there is a lot to talk about.  We launched Almost Cooperstown noting that baseball contains a long history of players that, for whatever reasons, have been shunned by the electors of the Hall of Fame.  Consequently here are many 'Almost' players still waiting their turn for induction. With less than 1.5% of the now more than 23,000 players in the HOF, we feel there should be more players included. In these podcasts we also discuss current seasons & trends. Please send any messages to almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  Baseball articles can be found here: https://almostcooperstown.substack.com/publish/posts

  1. 5 hr ago

    Can Anyone Beat the Dodgers? 2026 MLB Trade Deadline Winners, Losers & the Salary Cap Debate

    Episode 719 - With the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline complete, Mark and Gordon break down every major move and ask the biggest question in baseball: Did any contender actually improve enough to beat the Dodgers? The discussion begins with the hypothetical blockbuster acquisition of Tarik Skubal, leading into a broader conversation about the Dodgers' financial advantage, deferred contracts, and whether Major League Baseball is moving closer to a salary cap and salary floor during the next collective bargaining negotiations. The hosts evaluate which organizations improved their World Series chances the most, why the Yankees, Phillies, Cubs and Red Sox may have positioned themselves best, and why several contenders chose much smaller moves despite an aggressive deadline. Topics include:  Dodgers' overwhelming World Series outlook  The Tarik Skubal domino effect  Deferred contracts and MLB economics  Whether a salary cap is becoming inevitable  Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies deadline grades  Padres' aggressive strategy  Brewers' quiet deadline  Cardinals, Blue Jays and Mets choosing clear organizational directions  American League playoff race  National League contenders  Aaron Judge's injury impact  Spencer Strider's uncertain return  Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and many other notable moves The episode also highlights the exciting launch of the Women's Professional Baseball League, discussing why women's professional baseball deserves far greater attention and how today's players are building upon the legacy of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Almost Cooperstown is a weekly baseball podcast featuring thoughtful conversations about the Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball history, current MLB topics, player comparisons, statistics and the stories that connect today's game with its rich history. Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Visit AlmostCooperstown.com for original baseball articles, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow Almost Cooperstown on YouTube.

    Can Anyone Beat the Dodgers? 2026 MLB Trade Deadline Winners, Losers & the Salary Cap Debate
  2. 27 Jul

    2026 Baseball Hall of Fame: Carlos Beltrán, Jeff Kent & Andruw Jones + MLB Trade Deadline Preview

    Carlos Beltrán, Jeff Kent and Andruw Jones are the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In Episode 718 of Almost Cooperstown, Mark and Gordon discuss the 2026 Hall of Fame class, what each player accomplished during his career, and why each ultimately earned a plaque in Cooperstown. The conversation examines Beltrán's remarkable combination of power, speed and defense, Jeff Kent's legacy as one of baseball's greatest offensive second basemen, and Andruw Jones' extraordinary defensive brilliance in center field. The episode also explores what this Hall of Fame class may say about the evolving standards used to evaluate baseball's greatest players. The discussion then turns to the 2026 Major League Baseball season with the trade deadline approaching. Which teams should be buyers? Which clubs should become sellers? Which players could be on the move, and which potential trades could have the greatest impact on the postseason races during the final third of the season? Almost Cooperstown is a weekly baseball podcast featuring thoughtful conversations about the Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball history, current MLB topics, player comparisons, statistics and the stories that connect today's game with its rich history. Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Visit AlmostCooperstown.com for original baseball articles, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow Almost Cooperstown on YouTube.

    2026 Baseball Hall of Fame: Carlos Beltrán, Jeff Kent & Andruw Jones + MLB Trade Deadline Preview

About

We're a father & son who love to talk and argue about baseball!  Baseball is the professional sport that has the longest history so there is a lot to talk about.  We launched Almost Cooperstown noting that baseball contains a long history of players that, for whatever reasons, have been shunned by the electors of the Hall of Fame.  Consequently here are many 'Almost' players still waiting their turn for induction. With less than 1.5% of the now more than 23,000 players in the HOF, we feel there should be more players included. In these podcasts we also discuss current seasons & trends. Please send any messages to almostcooperstown@gmail.com.  Baseball articles can be found here: https://almostcooperstown.substack.com/publish/posts

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