Episode 115: Million-Dollar Mascot

Episode 115: Million Dollar Mascot
Battery Mates

Matthew and Toby meet for one last “regular” season check-in to discuss how our teams have fared and go Three Up, Three Down on the Cy Young Award going through Ohio, Sean Doolittle’s (maybe) final games with the Nats, the wonder that is Jose Ramirez, Washington getting another high draft pick, Joe West being awful (surprise!), and the only plausible way to get out of this dark timeline.

And now that it’s confirmed that Jeff Gabriel was wrong about this season, the boys finally discuss expanded playoffs.

Episode 113: An Item of Some Controversy

Episode 113: An Item of Some Controversy
Battery Mates

Matthew and Toby take a hard look at the Democratic ticket and the teams Joe and Kamala root for, and then go Three Up, Three Down on the A’s-Astros pandemic brawl, the Cleveland pitchers’ pandemic gall, incidents of maybe-accidental white supremacy, Tito’s TMI health issues, a troubling fantasy baseball pitcher profile, and criminal charges in Tyler Skaggs’ death.

Episode 109: Ready to Be Up All Night

Episode 109: Ready to Be Up Al Night
Battery Mates

Matthew and Toby touch base shortly before the abbreviated baseball season begins (and shortly before Matthew becomes a dad for the second time). Entries for the 2020 Preseason Prediction Contest are due by 3p ET on Wednesday, July 22nd. To enter, just fire up your Voice Memo app, and answer these six questions:

1. Who are you?
2. Who's your team?
3. How many games will your team win in 2020?
4. Will they make the postseason?
5. Which two teams will play in the World Series?
6. Which team will win it all?

Then, and this is important, send that audio file to thebatterymates@gmail.com by 3p ET on Wednesday, July 22. You’ll be entered to win and get your prediction featured in the annual Opening Day episode.

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The ad for this episode is about Kate Stayman-London’s brand-new novel, One to Watch, which you should buy right now.

Episode 108: The Please Leave Bell

Episode 108: The Please Leave Bell
Battery Mates

Matthew and Toby discuss the apparent return of the baseball season, and all the ways it’ll be a weird one. But more excitingly, Matthew is joined by the Hon. Alex Norris MP—an actual real-life Member of Parliament representing the seat of Nottingham North who also happens to be a huge Orioles fan—for a Half-Hearted Attempt at Empathy.

Episode 106: We Should Have Kept These Teams in Quarantine

Episode 106: We Should Have Kept These Teams in Quarantine
Battery Mates

This is not your typical Battery Mates episode. Matthew and Toby play a round of coin-toss baseball and invite you to listen in. So you really have to ask yourself: Are you really that desperate for baseball? Do you like listening to grown men flipping coins (which Toby is somehow very bad at)? If you answered yes twice, this one’s for you. In this simulated game, some very good pitchers get hit around, lots of runs are scored, and it’s a nail biter to the very end. You’ll have to listen to the episode to see how it turns out…

Episode 105: Any Punishments Handed Out for This Year Just Seem Sarcastic

Episode 105: Any Punishments Handed Out for This Year Just Seem Sarcastic
Battery Mates

Matthew and Toby somehow have quite a bit to talk about. The boys go around the horn on the Nationals book Matthew is featured in, the prize for last season’s preseason prediction contest winner, the fallout from the Red Sox cheating scandal, and MLB’s Operation: Restart.