Archive for Chin Music

Chin Music, Episode 54: You Found the Sewing Needle

There’s so much going on in the world that I screwed up the intro twice and even got the episode number wrong. Nonetheless, join me and FanGraphs’ very own Ben Clemens for a discussion about the long and ultimately frustrating week-plus of labor talks, the openly available financial records of the Atlanta Braves, the politicization of Derek Jeter’s surprising announcement, and, just because everyone else seems to be talking about it, Elden Ring.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 1:03:35.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 53: So Does Admiral Longenhagen

Nothing complicated this week, as Eric Longenhagen and I open up the FanGraphs Top 100 Prospects list and talk about prospects for a couple of hours. Sometimes it’s best to just keep it simple.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 1:56:30.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 52: Let My Mom Come to Arizona

Is baseball just a bummer these days? For the most part, yes. So let’s mope together with another episode of Chin Music. I’m joined by FanGraphs editor-in-chief managing editor Meg Rowley as we try to help you laugh through the pain. We begin by assessing where we stand in terms of the lockout (wobbly at best), then move on to the Eric Kay trial and what it means for baseball overall, before spending a small amount of time trying to find something positive to say about the current state of the game. Then it’s special guest time, as we are joined by Lincoln Mitchell, one of the preeminent experts on post-Soviet Russia. Lincoln explains what’s really going on in the Ukraine so we can all be a little smarter about world affairs and stop listening quite so much to the talking heads on network news. From there, it’s your emails on Rule 5 draft pick trades and high-altitude baseball, followed by some new television and music recommendations. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Music by Model Home.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 2:00:17.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 51: Poop Out a Lot More Gold

We’ve griped enough about the struggle to create baseball content in these troubling times, so the long-form show returns with over 150 minutes of baseball talk, good tunes, and other stuff. This week, I’m joined by Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. We begin by talking about opioids in baseball before getting into the Cubs and their roster plans for the next few years, as well as their goal to try to set up a streaming service against the wishes of Major League Baseball. Then it’s special guest time as I am joined by Joel Sherman of The New York Post for a 40-minute conversation on the state of the labor negotiations. From there, it’s your emails on evaluating coaches, projecting hit tools, and the best of ballpark food, followed by some talk on listening to movies and the memoir Good Talk by Mira Jacob. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Music by Rid Of Me.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 2:32:34.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 50: This Bloc of Morons

It’s a challenge to talk about baseball every week when nothing is really going on, but we at least have some laughs on this week’s episode of Chin Music. To help facilitate those laughs, I’m joined by Andy McCullough of The Athletic. In an episode that was recorded before Thursday afternoon’s news of MLB requesting federal mediation, we begin by talking about where we are (or rather, are not) in the labor negotiations. Then we return to Hall of Fame voting, with Andy explaining why he’s made a conscious decision not to participate. Then it’s your emails on whether team owners actually like baseball and vacationing in the Dominican Republic, followed by some talk of underground hip-hop and a Netflix series to avoid. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Music by Weakened Friends.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 1:28:25.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 49: The Hunky Hall

It’s another episode of Chin Music, the number one baseball podcast in Ecuador and Hungary! This week’s episode features the return Eric Longenhagen for plenty of prospect talk and other stuff. We begin by discussing this week’s mess of a Hall of Fame vote, which leads us into the mess of the labor negotiations, including why using public-facing statistics to calculate player compensation is a bad idea. From there we move into the meat of the show as we dive into the recently published prospect rankings of the Yankees, Phillies and Diamondbacks systems. Then it’s your emails on the inner workings of the CBA negotiations and arbitration, as well as players with weird first names, followed by some high-brow Moments Of Culture from the world of television and sports. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Music by Weakened Friends.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 2:08:49.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 48: There Is Only One Zero

This week’s Chin Music features the return of FanGraphs’ very own Ben Clemens, and despite the dearth of baseball news, we still find plenty to talk about. We begin by discussing what’s not happening in regards to the labor situation, then get into the biggest remaining free agent switching agents, the future of Seiya Suzuka and the past of Jon Lester, plus an extended sidetrack conversation on unique box score lines. Then it’s your emails on stadium changes, agents, and baseball stock investing, followed by some high-brow Moments Of Culture from the world of film and literature. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Music by Mirror Boxx.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 1:38:28.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 47: Lighten Up, Francis

This week’s Chin Music is a little bit late but it’s for a good reason, as we finally had baseball news on Thursday with Major League Baseball and the MLBPA meeting for the first time since the lockout began six weeks ago. To discuss said news, I’m joined by the inimitable Jeff Passan of ESPN. We begin by spending over an hour discussing what happened yesterday, how we got to this point, and where we go from here. Then it’s your emails on how the union works, teams trading away players they didn’t mean to, and diversity in baseball hiring, followed by some discussion of the HBO mini-series Station Eleven and the exceptionally pleasant video game experience that is Lake. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Music by Nervous Curtains.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 2:07:31.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


Chin Music, Episode 46: I’m Looking in My Drawers Right Now

Chin Music enters 2022 with more prospect talk, which means another co-hosting spot from the always entertaining Eric Longenhagen, as we ramble for two hours and don’t even need a guest to do it. We begin by talking about the current state of the pandemic and if professional baseball is even tenable given these circumstances. Then, after a brief chat about news from the world of media, Eric and I get into the weeds on prospects, with an in-depth discussion about the farm systems of the Blue Jays, Brewers and Tigers, whose prospect lists were published at FanGraphs since we last spoke. Then it’s your emails on failed (or not as failed as you think) top draft picks, prospect trades, and kitchen gadgets, followed by some video game and podcast recommendations. As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening.

Music by Strangelight.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 2:07:31


Chin Music, Episode 45: Stupid Old English Nonsense

It’s the holiday season. Maybe you are traveling (stay safe), maybe you just need a break from your family. Either way, the always wonderful Jon Tayler and I will try to help get you through it with a brief (for us, at least) holiday mailbag edition of Chin Music. We talk about Twitter weirdos, MLB mailing lists, the risks of tanking, the 2013 draft, the Angels, name mispellings [sic], space travel and oh so much more. As always, we hope you enjoy, and wish you all a safe and lovely holiday season.

Have a question you’d like answered on the show? Ask us anything at chinmusic@fangraphs.com.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Warning One: While ostensibly a podcast about baseball, these conversations often veer into other subjects.

Warning Two: There is explicit language.

Run Time: 1:13:46