Joe Posnanski: Lord of Lists

[Bunt4aTriple]

I think Joe and Mike are filling the spiritual void left by Click and Clack, right down to disparaging their own show and never remembering last week's bits/puzzler. I know they sometimes read jokes that my aunt would find too corny to forward, but Tom and Ray were as comfortable as an old shoe. I don't know when they switched from a show my dad listened to to a show I listened to, but I miss those guys and was heartbroken reading Ray's note following Tom's illness and death.

I really like that Joe's writing is often sentimental without getting sappy and Mike is aggressively progressive on Twitter, but this show is neither of those: it's just silly and accessible to everyone (except Joe Morgan).

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Link?

 

[johnmd20]

Link?

It's the PosCast. The one where they draft Xmas songs. You can find it on any Podcast app.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Thanks. I was hoping it was written down somewhere

 

[HoyaSoxa]

Trans-Siberian Orchestra. That entire bit was incredible.

Spoiler: For those who still plan to listen to the Christmas songs show

I laughed embarrassingly hard on a quiet train, tried to stifle, and sent myself into a coughing fit, when Mike S. started listing off all of the other TSO songs toward the end.

 

[JimD]

Joe at his best again, writing about his (now teenaged) daughter:

http://joeposnanski.com/you-are-the-captain/

 

[JimD]

Also, the segment on old baseball cards on this week's Poscast had me alternately laughing out loud and smiling with nostalgia.

 

[Leather]

How does Joe not know that Fred McGriff's nickname (The Crime Dog) is based on McGruff?

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Looks like Posnanski's blog is going pay very soon.

I was thinking about this the other day and after awhile reading anyone every day gets tedious. I was a huge Bill Simmons fan, now I can barely stomach him. Drew Magary's writing is starting to get really stale too -- I get it, you're a dad in over your head and Boston sucks. It's the same thing with Joe Posnanski and I'm pretty much done with him. Ten or 15 years ago, I read everything that guy wrote but now, I skim some of his stuff. I think a lot of it has to do with him bouncing around and the Paterno stuff, I don't find his point of view all that fresh anymore.

I don't dislike the guy or anything, but I won't pay to read his blogs -- even though he's moving his Top 100 Baseball Player Rankings there. I actually did really enjoy those, but I don't think it will be worth it.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

Joe is the one guy I will pay for. It is uncanny how he puts in words so much of what I believe, about sports and family. I’m just a little bummed he is doing this a month after joining the Athletic, which forced me (finally) to get a membership there.

 

[Marceline]

I completely agree with JMOH. Used to read Pos and Magary religiously, but they've both gotten stale. It's tough to read the same take over and over for multiple years.

I still read Pos when someone links him here but I can't remember the last time I went to his site otherwise. I do still listen to all his podcasts with Schur... Hopefully that stays (he mentioned a members only one once a month or something).

Hard to imagine paying him a subscription unless it were ridiculously cheap or there was enough fresh content to justify it. The top 100 isn't that.

 

[Leather]

Looks like Posnanski's blog is going pay very soon.

I was thinking about this the other day and after awhile reading anyone every day gets tedious. I was a huge Bill Simmons fan, now I can barely stomach him. Drew Magary's writing is starting to get really stale too -- I get it, you're a dad in over your head and Boston sucks. It's the same thing with Joe Posnanski and I'm pretty much done with him. Ten or 15 years ago, I read everything that guy wrote but now, I skim some of his stuff. I think a lot of it has to do with him bouncing around and the Paterno stuff, I don't find his point of view all that fresh anymore.

I don't dislike the guy or anything, but I won't pay to read his blogs -- even though he's moving his Top 100 Baseball Player Rankings there. I actually did really enjoy those, but I don't think it will be worth it.

I feel the same way. On one hand, I think when he puts his mind to it he's capable of some really insightful things. But he's slowed down considerably over the past 5 or so years (really since the Paterno fiasco), and while I sympathize with most of his heartfelt takes on fatherhood and the like, and even though I'm a big Springsteen fan, I just can't really stomach that stuff much anymore. The Paterno ordeal took the shine off that because he obviously wants to see the best in everyone that is nice to him, even when they don't deserve it. So when he waxes poetic about his daughter, I have this nagging voice saying "What about the kids at Penn State? Where was this compassion for them."

I dunno. I'm cynical by nature so the wide-eyed "Wow! Isn't life grand!" stuff only works for me when it's tempered with a healthy dose of realism. Sometimes I think Pos has his head in the clouds.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Sometimes I think Pos has his head in the clouds.

As much as I hate to admit it, I think that this is the perfect description of Posnanski. And if that makes me a hypocrite, because I really hate the Tony Mazz and CHB outlook of "everything sucks and you're stupid for liking what you like", then I guess I'm a hypocrite. But there should be some sort of middle ground where you're able to look at something objectively and be able to say, "This isn't really good" or "This is really great" and then provide reasons for it. Mainly because if you go too far either way, then your opinion is sorta worthless.

Used to read Pos and Magary religiously, but they've both gotten stale. It's tough to read the same take over and over for multiple years.

I feel that in terms of Magary, he's outgrown his grown-up frat boy yelling guy character. He's a pretty decent writer and has some interesting takes on what it's like to be a middle-aged man in America in 2018 (more so than Simmons) but the constant Boston bashing is a bit much. And I get it, Boston fans are assholes and the city has a complicated racial past but so does literally every city in America. Maybe because it gets under so many people's skin that he continues to write it, but trolling just for the sake of trolling is lame too. I don't know, maybe I'm too sensitive about this stuff.

I just feel that Magary should be able to take his writing to the next level and I wonder if he will.

 

[coremiller]

I think he's stretched a little thin, and his blogging has suffered. HIs MLB.com stuff is boring and saccharine and very lowest-common-demoninator. He's working on the Houdini book. He's not putting as much time and effort into his other writing anymore.

I actually think Pos's best recent writing has been his Cleveland Browns stuff, precisely because he hasn't been head in the clouds but has been willing to rake them over the coals.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

I guess I like that he seems to be kind. I think he is appalled by what Trump is doing, but, unlike Schur, he’s not going to get into shouting matches over everything. He let’s Mike do that. I am an unapologetic fan of his. But I do tend to like the “saccharine” stuff like Katie the Prefect that many here gag at.

 

[B H Kim]

I'll probably be willing to pay at a reasonable level if it means that he and Mike Schur bring the Poscast back. I knew that I hadn't seen one in a while, but I was surprised to note recently that they haven't released an episode since March.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I guess I like that he seems to be kind. I think he is appalled by what Trump is doing, but, unlike Schur, he’s not going to get into shouting matches over everything. He let’s Mike do that. I am an unapologetic fan of his. But I do tend to like the “saccharine” stuff like Katie the Prefect that many here gag at.

I do get what you're saying and I like his sweet stuff too (I thought that Katie the Prefect was great and he wrote it around the time I was a first time father, so it really hit home), it's much better than the 98% of sportswriters who keep telling you that everything sucks, but to me, when everything's awesome, nothing is awesome*. I will say that I'm amazed that he's been able to be a professional sportswriter and keep a positive outlook on life.

* I'm using a Posterisk here, but to me, the best sports columnist that I've ever read is Bob Ryan. Unlike Shaughnessy, he's not negative for negativity's sake. When he's angry, he usually has a thought-out reason. For a person who just celebrated his 50th year as a pro (he and Gammons started at the Globe on the same day) he's still able to be surprised by events that occur. He still learns about new ways of looking at the games. He doesn't bury the new guys and elevate the old simply because the new guys "need to pay their dues" or some other bullshit. Bob Ryan is a sports fan that turned into a sportswriter who never lost that sports fan DNA.

I think that Posnanski fits into that mold too, but too much candy gives you a toothache.

 

[gryoung]

I do get what you're saying and I like his sweet stuff too (I thought that Katie the Prefect was great and he wrote it around the time I was a first time father, so it really hit home), it's much better than the 98% of sportswriters who keep telling you that everything sucks, but to me, when everything's awesome, nothing is awesome*. I will say that I'm amazed that he's been able to be a professional sportswriter and keep a positive outlook on life.

* I'm using a Posterisk here, but to me, the best sports columnist that I've ever read is Bob Ryan. Unlike Shaughnessy, he's not negative for negativity's sake. When he's angry, he usually has a thought-out reason. For a person who just celebrated his 50th year as a pro (he and Gammons started at the Globe on the same day) he's still able to be surprised by events that occur. He still learns about new ways of looking at the games. He doesn't bury the new guys and elevate the old simply because the new guys "need to pay their dues" or some other bullshit. Bob Ryan is a sports fan that turned into a sportswriter who never lost that sports fan DNA.

I think that Posnanski fits into that mold too, but too much candy gives you a toothache.

Did you ever read Leah Montville or Ray Fitzgerald? Ryan is good, and has been around for a long time, but those two were really, really good.

 

[joe dokes]

I do get what you're saying and I like his sweet stuff too (I thought that Katie the Prefect was great and he wrote it around the time I was a first time father, so it really hit home), it's much better than the 98% of sportswriters who keep telling you that everything sucks, but to me, when everything's awesome, nothing is awesome*. I will say that I'm amazed that he's been able to be a professional sportswriter and keep a positive outlook on life.

* I'm using a Posterisk here, but to me, the best sports columnist that I've ever read is Bob Ryan. Unlike Shaughnessy, he's not negative for negativity's sake. When he's angry, he usually has a thought-out reason. For a person who just celebrated his 50th year as a pro (he and Gammons started at the Globe on the same day) he's still able to be surprised by events that occur. He still learns about new ways of looking at the games. He doesn't bury the new guys and elevate the old simply because the new guys "need to pay their dues" or some other bullshit. Bob Ryan is a sports fan that turned into a sportswriter who never lost that sports fan DNA.

I think that Posnanski fits into that mold too, but too much candy gives you a toothache.

Shaughnessy will say that Ryan is the best for that reason.

 

[jon abbey]

I'm usually super tough on media people but I still like reading Pos a lot, I even thought that to myself once or twice this week when reading columns of his. That being said, I likely won't pay for this although it makes sense for him to do it.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Did you ever read Leah Montville or Ray Fitzgerald? Ryan is good, and has been around for a long time, but those two were really, really good.

Leigh Montville's biography of Ted Williams is one of the best books--not just sports books--that I've ever read. I used to read his stuff in Sports Illustrated a lot but I missed his and Fitzgerald's golden age of column writing.

 

[JimD]

I find it curious that Joe sounds like he is doing the blog and podcast separate from his regular MLB and Athletic gigs and thus having to pay for an editor himself. Maybe he is truly too nice of a guy, because how the heck did he not get MLB to bankroll an expanded feature showcasing the top 100 baseball players of all time?

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I find it curious that Joe sounds like he is doing the blog and podcast separate from his regular MLB and Athletic gigs and thus having to pay for an editor himself. Maybe he is truly too nice of a guy, because how the heck did he not get MLB to bankroll an expanded feature showcasing the top 100 baseball players of all time?

I don't know, but I was wondering that too. Especially since he has a really hard time following through with this project--and he seems bummed out about that--that I would think that he'd like to have some sort of editor (MLB.com) standing over him and making him hit deadlines, etc. Today he answered some questions and someone asked whether he was going to collect the Top 100 MLBers into a book (which is the reason I thought that he was going to write it on his personal blog) and he said that he didn't think so.

He definitely could use an editor on his blog stuff, but I didn't think that his pieces were that full of errors that he needed to shell money out of his own pocket.

 

[shlincoln]

I'll probably be willing to pay at a reasonable level if it means that he and Mike Schur bring the Poscast back. I knew that I hadn't seen one in a while, but I was surprised to note recently that they haven't released an episode since March.

They already announced the Poscast is coming back next month. I'm also convinced they released one since opening day, but it's not in my feed so I must be going crazy.

 

[jungleboy]

I'm also convinced they released one since opening day, but it's not in my feed so I must be going crazy.

They did but something weird happened to it. I first saw it in my feed a few days ago and listened to it, but it was recorded in mid-May. Now it's gone.

 

[Vandalman]

The most recent one is from May 17 (Picking the 2018 PosCast Player). It still shows up on my feed. The one before that was March 28.

 

[JimD]

Not crazy that they're trying to turn the Poscast into a 'season' and going months between episodes.

Has Schur been a guest on any other podcasts lately? I know he's a busy guy but he is great in this format and I'd love to see him do his own podcast.

 

[B H Kim]

The most recent one is from May 17 (Picking the 2018 PosCast Player). It still shows up on my feed. The one before that was March 28.

Interesting that the most recent episode that shows up in my podcast app (Overcast) is from March 28. I downloaded the Apple Podcast app, to see if it was an Overcast issue, and it shows the same thing.

EDIT: And I just found the May 17 episode on Stitcher, but it doesn't have the March 28 episode. They need to figure out what they're doing with their podcast feed.

 

[SirPsychoSquints]

Not crazy that they're trying to turn the Poscast into a 'season' and going months between episodes.

Has Schur been a guest on any other podcasts lately? I know he's a busy guy but he is great in this format and I'd love to see him do his own podcast.

I think he's working on a new show.

 

[shlincoln]

Has Schur been a guest on any other podcasts lately? I know he's a busy guy but he is great in this format and I'd love to see him do his own podcast.

He was the first guest on The Good Place: The Podcast, which if you like The Good Place you should listen to. Marc Evan Jackson hosts, the episodes are broadly based around each episode of the show, but it's not like a recap/commentary thing. The most recent one came out today and the guests are Manny Jacinto and Joe Mande.

 

[Spelunker]

Not crazy that they're trying to turn the Poscast into a 'season' and going months between episodes.

Has Schur been a guest on any other podcasts lately? I know he's a busy guy but he is great in this format and I'd love to see him do his own podcast.

Even with the Poscast he wasn't really on it the last month. He'd be there for the beginning/end, but the meat was an interview with a guest. I'd assume it was Schur's schedule that has then on hiatus.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

The most recent one is from May 17 (Picking the 2018 PosCast Player). It still shows up on my feed. The one before that was March 28.

I realize that Posnanski’s and Schur’s shtick is how incompetent they are, but what the fuck? Posted a podcast in mid May, previewed a season, gave a schedule... and disappeared? If they changed their mind, shouldn’t they have announced that somewhere?

It’s ridiculous that I’m upset about not getting something that was offered to me for free by people I admire and enjoy...but I really miss it. I’d rather be broken up with than ghosted. What’s going on? #KenTremendous.

 

[jungleboy]

Pos announced ages ago that the PosCast would return on July 17th.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

Pos announced ages ago that the PosCast would return on July 17th.

Ah... where was it announced? Listeners of the Poscast (the intended audience, right?) would have no idea.

At least stupid ones like me.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Ah... where was it announced? Listeners of the Poscast (the intended audience, right?) would have no idea.

At least stupid ones like me.

Pos has tweeted this on a few occasions.





Considering that the Poscast is neither guy's primary gig, it seems a bit silly to get too upset when their regular lives get in the way of doing a pod on a set schedule.

 

[Spelunker]

Pos has tweeted this on a few occasions.





Considering that the Poscast is neither guy's primary gig, it seems a bit silly to get too upset when their regular lives get in the way of doing a pod on a set schedule.

I'll be silly and get upset, because I want to hear them giddily geeking out about this season the Sox are having.

 

[JimD]

New Poscast is up now.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

New Poscast is up now.

Not their best effort (which, of course, is kind of perfect). I was hoping for at least 20 minutes of Mookie ball-washing and was disappointed by all the diversions (Joe's diet, their player of the year contest, the all-star game). The draft wasn't even a draft, but a list of ideas about how to improve the All-Star Game.

Seemed rusty. I worry the every-other-week schedule won't help matters.

 

[Vandalman]

Mike is taking a Twitter timeout:

Ken Tremendous‏Verified account @KenTremendous
I’ve taken periodic breaks from this website, and I’m doing it again. What follows, ironically, is a thread explaining why, if anyone’s interested.

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Good for him. Twitter is horrendous in so many ways.

 

[JimD]

So, apparently you have to pay $3 on Patreon to read Joe's latest blog post about his daughter. I don't have any problem with online content providers attempting to monetize their output, but $3 an article seems a little steep to me.

 

[johnmd20]

So, apparently you have to pay $3 on Patreon to read Joe's latest blog post about his daughter. I don't have any problem with online content providers attempting to monetize their output, but $3 an article seems a little steep to me.

I assumed it meant if you pay 3 bucks a month, you get everything, not just the one article.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

I assumed it meant if you pay 3 bucks a month, you get everything, not just the one article.

Yes, there are three levels of membership. You get most everything he does for $3/month.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Honestly, I’m not paying any money to read about someone’s kid. I’m just not.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

Honestly, I’m not paying any money to read about someone’s kid. I’m just not.

To each his own. His stuff on his children and other aspects of his personal life are some of my favorite pieces.

 

[Marceline]

I really like when he writes about his family, and 5 years ago I would have immediately signed up for his $3/month subscription. His writing lately has just been too inconsistent though so I don't see myself going for it.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

To each his own. His stuff on his children and other aspects of his personal life are some of my favorite pieces.

Katie the Prefect, which I thoroughly enjoyed, was written in 2011. I feel like he’s been chasing that dragon in ensuing family columns since then to diminishing returns.

I don’t care who writes them, I think that most family columns are completely self indulgent. Charging someone $3 to read about your kid isn’t great.

As for Pos, he writes for the Athletic, MLB.com, his Houdini book, his podcast and he has a life. Add to the fact that he seems to get bored of things rather quickly and I’m not so keen on investing any cash in a JoePos joint.

 

[Merkle's Boner]

Keep in mind the main reason he’s doing this subscription thing, and the main reason I’m signing up, is because he is resurrecting the Baseball 100, which I loved when he started it and was sad to see it stop.

 

[JimD]

He's leaving MLB.com for a new project (although he'll still be writing for The Athletic):

http://joeposnanski.com/a-break-for-these-messages/

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Guy can't keep a job!