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Contrary to popular belief, HookSlide's well-published demise was not due to any sort of rage following the announcement that Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus would return in 2016. Instead, some sort of virus -- potentially the same one that sidetracked the 2015 Tigers -- got to our esteemed podcast host and sidelined him during one of the busiest weeks of the Tigers' season.
Luckily, this thing keeps on rolling come hell or high water. In this week's episode, Rob and HookSlide talk about the biggest news in Tigers-dom: Tom Gorzelanny's new arm angle and whether Neftali Feliz should be tendered a contract. Oh, and that whole thing about Ausmus returning next year, too. They also look east to discuss the feud that went down in our nation's capital between Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper, and point out the key differences between the still employed Brad Ausmus and newly-fired Matt Williams.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who has listened to and downloaded the new podcast, and everyone who has provided feedback along the way. We plan on recording throughout the offseason, but we need your input! What should we discuss? Are there features you would like to see/hear? What else can we do better as a site? We want to hear your thoughts.
Topics in this week's episode include:
- Pick protected!
- Why the No. 9 overall draft pick is a good thing
- J.D. Martinez didn't hit 40 homers, but that's OK
- Daniel Norris threw 54 pitches in an inning and everyone hated it
- Tom Gorzelanny, Neftali Feliz, and other players we don't want to see in 2016
- Guess who's back? Back again. Ausmus is back. Tell a friend...
- Does Al Avila need to Ausmus-proof the roster?
- Which teams will (not) win the World Series
- Jonathan Papelbon and workplace etiquette
- Listener questions!
- Rest in peace, Buck Farmer
- The Tigers' new direction
Contents
- 2:29 - Rounding the Bases: what was the best and worst part of the 2015 season?
- 21:49 - Warming in the Pen: why to avoid watching Tigers baseball in 2016
- 44:11 - High and Tight: when did baseball players become above the law?
- 59:32 - Into the Mob Scene at Home: the guy the Tigers need in 2016
- 1:15:49 - The 7th Inning Kvetch: why the Tigers are already behind the 8-ball in 2016
Click below to listen to the podcast. Click here to download the podcast as an .mp3 file.
Be sure to send us your thoughts, suggestions, and questions for next week's show. We're on Twitter at @blessyouboys, @BYBRob, and @HookSlideBYB, on Facebook at BYB.Tigers, and can also be reached at bybtigers@gmail.com!