It's a new year and it's already bad but the show is good. Support the show at Patreon.com/BattingAround and get access to our bonus episodes, including our series on Heated Rivalry we just finished.

I really thought they'd like the Delco Pooper story more. Get bonus episodes at Patreon.com/BattingAround

(Reuploading this because it wasn't getting distributed to some platforms) Free agent signings, Mets fans meltdown, Stephen explains Big Brother, Jane explains the Hallmark Hunk reality show, another Phillies chud health solution, Matt Shaw at TPUSA's America Fest, then a little movie talk. Get access to our bonus episodes at Patreon.com/BattingAround including our recent episode on gay hockey show Heated Rivalry with Ami Li and Jeremy Koo.

Free agent signings, Mets fans meltdown, Stephen explains Big Brother, Jane explains the Hallmark Hunk reality show, another Phillies chud health solution, Matt Shaw at TPUSA's America Fest, then a little movie talk. Get access to our bonus episodes at Patreon.com/BattingAround including our recent episode on gay hockey show Heated Rivalry with Ami Li and Jeremy Koo.

Bryce Harper's latest quack shit, Yankees fans being normal, Freddie Freeman gets yelled at by Canadian children, the new gay hockey show, and Lauren's spreadsheet of culturally significant smoked sausages. Support the show at Patreon.com/BattingAround

They made me take out my impression of RFK and they were probably right. Support the show at Patreon.com/BattingAround

Jane and Lauren are garumpilled. Michael Baumann holds Lauren accountable for her lies. Bryce Harper's new look. We review the Darius Rucker Reds fashion line. Another Pope jersey has hit building two. Then a bunch of TV and movies talk. Support the show at Patreon.com/BattingAround

We finally get into the Emmanuel Clase gambling scandid you see this fuckin' emails? Jeffrey Epstein and Ken Starr? That shit is crazy, right? Then we talk about Cole Hamel's unfinished McMansion and they're gonna get enough signatures for a vote to release the files right? We issue a correction on the Dodgers mystery butt tattoo and oh fuck did you see the one where Michael Wolff is basically acting the PR guy for the most famous pedophile in US history? Scott Boras has a whole bunch of new puns and Peter Thiel was definitely on the island. Go to patreon.com/battingaround to get access to bonus episodes including this year's incredible Dumbest Things episode with Tipping Pitches.

We'll have a normal weekly episode out sometime this week but right now Stephen is in Airport Hell. For now here's the free portion of the annual Batting Around/Tipping Pitches collaboration where we talk about the dumbest things of the season. The first four rounds are free, but if you want the last two rounds, and you do, go to Patreon.com/BattingAround and sign up at the Slapdick Prospect level or higher.

An instant classic of a World Series is in the books and we're encouraging all the gloating and the saltiness that came from it. We also talk about everyone giving worse and worse sports jerseys to the pope and what to expect from us in the offseason. Support the show by going to Patreon.com/BattingAround and signing up at the Slapdick Prospect level.

We talk about the end of the ALCS, the first two games of the World Series, the geopolitical brawl over a commercial aired during the games, the weird Jonas Brothers performance in the middle of game two, racist and incestuous AI ads, and some Halloween stuff. We had some tech issues during this (not Jane's fault) so bear with us, please. Sign up for the patreon at the Slapdick Prospect tier to get access to our bonus episodes and World Series Watchalong. We'll be doing at least one more which is scheduled for game three on Monday night. Patreon.com/BattingAround

We check in on Meg Rowley of Fangraphs and Effectively Wild to make sure she's doing okay during this ALCS. We talk about all the other stuff going on with the postseason, its commercials, and checking players' instagram follows. Find us at patreon.com/battingaround and join to get access to bonus episodes and postseason watchalongs with the hosts of the show on our discord.

It's the DS series recap episode. We'll be doing a watchalong for patreon subscribers on Wednesday the 15th for the game three of Mariners/Jays. Sign up at patreon.com/battingaround at the slapdick prospect or higher and make sure your discord is connected to your patreon account if you'd like to join. A subscription will also give you access to bonus episodes and helps us keep doing the show.

Alex from the Haus of Decline comic and podcast is here to talk about the force of nature Toronto Blue Jays and all the other stuff that's happened since the start of the postseason. Support the show at Patreon.com/BattingAround and get access to bonus episodes and watch alongs with the host throughout the postseason.

Guardians Guardian more than they've ever Guardianed to get into the postseason. Astros eliminated. Mets and Reds still have to fight it out. A cycle denied. Cubs rookies bails on the team to go to a nazi rally. MVP debate is already annoying. The Rays bring back weird, transphobic hazing ritual and your wokest friend has the dumbest take on it. The Pohlads understand why Twins fans question their commitment to the team but also how dare they question their commitment to the team. Finally we talk about how rooting priorities for the postseason. This month we have a cross promotion with Gender Reveal podcast. Our patreon subscribers can get a free month of the Gender Reveal patreon for free! Find the post on our patreon page that has the link and get listening to some Gender Reveal premium bangers like the one where Tuck and friend of the show AK transvestigate every MLB mascot. If you're not a patreon subscriber already, now's a great time to go to Patreon.com/BattingAround and sign up!

Baseball talk but also Stephen gets into miniature wargaming and Woke 2 is coming. This month we have a cross promotion with Gender Reveal podcast. Our patreon subscribers can get a free month of the Gender Reveal patreon for free! Find the post on our patreon page that has the link and get listening to some Gender Reveal premium bangers like the one where Tuck and friend of the show AK transvestigate every MLB mascot. If you're not a patreon subscriber already, now's a great time to go to Patreon.com/BattingAround and sign up!

Defector's David Roth is here to talk about the mystery of his birth year and internet data scrapers, the Mets and Lauren's weekend trip to New York, etsy witches and their apparent powers, our appearance on the Remembering Some Guys stream, keeping politics out of sports, and the Defector blog about the Savanah Bananas charity. This month we have a cross promotion with Gender Reveal podcast. Our patreon subscribers can get a free month of the Gender Reveal patreon for free! Find the post on our patreon page that has the link and get listening to some Gender Reveal premium bangers like the one where Tuck and friend of the show AK transvestigate every MLB mascot. If you're not a patreon subscriber already, now's a great time to go to Patreon.com/BattingAround and sign up!

Tuck Woodstock of the Gender Reveal podcast joins us to talk about everyone in the league smoking weed instead of drinking these days, how much candy is major league dugouts, and Pat Murphy's pocket foods. We also talk about how nobody in Florida was normal about home runs this week. This month we have a cross promotion with Gender Reveal podcast. Our patreon subscribers can get a free month of the Gender Reveal patreon for free! Find the post on our patreon page that has the link and get listening to some Gender Reveal premium bangers like the one where Tuck and friend of the show AK transvestigate every MLB mascot. If you're not a patreon subscriber already, now's a great time to go to Patreon.com/BattingAround and sign up!

FanGraphs' Michael Baumann is back to discuss the results of the Fan Exchange Program we discussed earlier this summer. He crunched the numbers, synthesized, and analyzed so we could come to our own wild ass conclusion and slander cities we don't like. We also discussed his article about the playoff field being cemented earlier than recent years and how we should all be panicking and demanding changes to the playoff format. Then we discuss some Phillies rollercoaster stuff like them getting swept in New York, Schwarber's four-home run game, and JT getting his in the danglers yet again. We wrap up with some mailbag that gets into discussions about food safety when bringing in your own treats to the ballpark. Check out all of Baumann's recent articles: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/author/mbaumann/ Get ahold of us on discord or bluesky if you can go to the Royals game on the 17th and get us the Royals TTRPG giveaway. This month we have a cross promotion with Tuck Woodstock's Gender Reveal podcast! Our patreon subscribers can get a free month of the Gender Reveal patreon for free! Find the post on our patreon page that has the link and get listening to some Gender Reveal premium bangers like the one where Tuck and friend of the show AK transvestigate every MLB mascot. If you're not a patreon subscriber already, now's a great time to go to Patreon.com/BattingAround and sign up! Join the hosts of Batting Around on the Defector twitch stream with David Roth to Remember Some Guys to celebrate Defector's 5th birthday! The stream starts at 4pm eastern.

Stephen is finally back and we torture him with the most perfect realignment scenario ever devised. We also talk about the semi-formalization of the Vedder Cup, catch up with Kruk, and talk about the deals concerning future broadcasting rights and ESPN looking to buy MLB.TV. Go to Patreon.com/BattingAround to support the show, and if you sign up at the Slapdick Prospect tier or increase your existing subscription you can also send us a message with who you think is right about realignment: Jane and Lauren, Stephen, or They Both Make Some Good Points. The winner will be announced on the next episode.