Dodgers Nation: Blue Heaven Podcast

After a mostly uneventful but shocking trading deadline for the Dodgers, we mourn and breakdown the loss of one of our favorite friends of the show Ross Stripling who was sent to the Blue Jays on Monday. Meanwhile, the Padres made a huge splash that has their fanbase getting way ahead of itself while the Diamondbacks blew it all up. Clint and Brook assess the MLB trade deadline as a whole after a busy August 31st.  We also discuss the records set by the Dodgers in the last week and settle on how meaningful the new NL home run record for a month is in a season featuring the designated hitter. For this week's Jim Beam Hot Shot segment, the guys and the audience slam the playoff bubble proposed by MLB. Not to say the idea is bad, but the planning once again screws over the Dodgers... thanks, Rob Manfred. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first 30 games have come and gone for the Dodgers and that means there's only half a season left. Clint and Brook along with Gary making his return break down some key moments and stats from the first half of the 2020 campaign. Additionally, we touch on the trade deadline once again and put on our GM hats to fix a team that doesn't need much fixing. Next, in the inaugural Jim Beam Hot Shot segment, Clint, Brook, and Gary dig into the big unwritten rules debate stemming from Fernando Tatis Jr's 3-0 grand slam. Long story short, no one is overly happy with these decrepit ideologies from the old guard of baseball. All this and a whole lot more in this extended episode of Blue Heaven! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hashtag #SaltyDave made it's way around Twitter after Dave Roberts hit a boiling point with questions about his lineup decisions. After a tense Zoom call with local media, Doc finally caved and gave in to the pressure and let Mookie Betts hit leadoff full time. The Dodgers haven't lost since. With Dave out of his own way, Mookie found another way to help as Austin Barnes personal hitting coach. Sort of. We talk about the resurgent Real AB and the new catching conundrum the Dodgers are facing behind the plate with rookie Keibert Ruiz in the big leagues. We turn to Dodgers Nation's prospects expert SDDodger Tim Rogers to learn all about the new kid in town. And finally, with the trade deadline two weeks away, we wonder if the Dodgers have any real needs to fill from outside of the organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Previewing a week of games against the Padres and Angels, Clint and Brook talk about what needs to go right for the Dodgers in baseball's 4th week. Plus, once again the Astros play the victim... how long can this happen? And finally, we fix the Dodgers' lineup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Marlins and now the Cardinals have been ravaged by virus outbreak in each of their respective clubhouses. Commissioner Manfred played hardball with the league for all of about 24 hours, threatening to shutdown operations if teams continued to struggle with protocols. Then he remembered all that money the league would be leaving on the table and pulled back on that threat... The Blue Heaven boys slam the Cardinals and the rumored way they contracted the virus. Additionally, they commend the Dodgers for identifying and tightening up their relaxed attitude toward MLB's protocols. Next, we stay on the boys in blue and talk about the best things, and the most concerning things from the first week plus of the season. Finally, we break down part of our conversation with top prospect Josiah Gray who gave us the inside scoop on what's going on at that alternative minor league site at USC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After an extended offseason of failure and an otherwise flop of a tenure, the Blue Heaven Boys have seen enough of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. The coward and his cronies took it upon themselves to suspend national treasure Joe Kelly the equivalent of 22 games in a regular season. Clint and Brook are untethered and their rage knows no bounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baseball hits its first virus hurdle thanks to Don Mattingly and the Miami Marlins (because of course). The Blue Heaven boys react to MLB's response and go to the well one more time to point out that Rob Manfred is the worst. Next, we break down the up and down first series for the Dodgers and identify some of the good and some of the bad. With the Dodgers heading to Houston next, we bring in our most famous friend of the show from Texas (no, not Ross) Big Swing Podcast co-host Cooper Surles joins us to tell us where his allegiance lies these days. Plus we poked some fun at the ESPN nightmare broadcasts. Finally, we dive into part of our chat with Dr. Gregory Charlop about the mental toll players are facing playing long-term without fans in the stands. Real ones, not cardboard cutouts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's opening day but in true 2020 fashion, the Dodgers are dealt a blow after getting news about their scheduled starter Clayton Kershaw. Save for that, Dodger fans receive one of the best gifts they could have asked for... a Mookie Betts contract extension! We break down the contract plus LA's 30 man roster to start the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Opening day is THIS WEEK and Clint went way too hard booking guests for the occasion. Using parts of our conversations with Joe Davis and Joc Pederson, we added SNLA anchor John Hartung to the mix to talk about how good this Dodgers team is and can be in 2020. Plus we review the continually improving no fan experience at Dodger Stadium, and get some awards predictions from guests John and Joe. Finally, we wrap up a shutdown-long conversation about Brook's infamous mustache. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guys jumped on the phone with Joc Pederson AND Joe Davis (not at the same time) talk about the upcoming season. Plus with Joc, we learn about how he got his swoll new look and make him choose between pizza or ice cream in This or That. Joe Davis is pumped to do something weird and historic in the booth at Dodger Stadium this year. And he makes some predictions for the 2020 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kenley returns after a battle with COVID and we wonder if it's the best move for a 32-year-old with a heart condition. Both Brook and Clint became SNLA famous and friend of the show Dodgers producer Erick V helps make it known. Additionally, using that fame, we pull Dave Roberts onto the show unofficially for the first time. There's a lot going on at summer camp for the boys in blue... Joc Pederson went to the "gun show" during the shutdown, Kershaw and Stripling look good, and young pitching are on full display. As is star left fielder Chico. Plus you can buy seats at Dodger Stadium this year. Sort of. Cody Bellinger is struggling a bit, and Mookie Betts is proving to be more valuable than advertised. And finally, season awards and leaders predictions! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dodgers "summer camp" officially started and a new, shortened season schedule dropped like it was hot... is baseball really coming back? Well, not if COVID has it's way. In this up and down emotional roller coaster, Clint and Brook talk about the schedule (which includes those Astros) and look at out of the box options to replace David Price in the starting rotation with prospects expert Tim Rogers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With baseball finally set to return, the Blue Heaven boys are excited for something they've been missing since October... real-life Dodger talk! The Dodgers are heading to "summer camp" this week and we wonder what we'll learn over the next 20 or so days. With a twist! Additionally, the Dodgers set their inaugural 60-man roster for the season but came up a few names short. While the list is currently set at only 51, one name glaringly missing is that of free-agent catcher Russell Martin. And we are not OK with it. In real-life human news, former LA outfielder Andrew Toles resurfaced in a less than ideal way. The guys talk about Tolesy and the support from the fan base that tugged at their heartstrings. Finally, in a loosely structured "this or that" segment, the Clint and Brook use Matt Kemp's recent release as a springboard to some great audience participation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's official! Baseball is coming back in less than a month and we get our Dodgers back in our lives. Clint and Brook break down the biggest new rules and important notes for the upcoming shortened 2020 season. Plus we react to some of those rules with 4-timer guest Ross Stripling! Included in the new rules for the season is the universal designated hitter, big extra innings alterations, and a big opportunity for pitchers to cheat with a to-be-implemented wet rag for moisture to mitigate going to the mouth. Strip shares his thoughts on the DH and how it affects teams on both sides of the ball.  On the talk of the new extra innings rule, the guys work to greatly refine what the changes should look like -- including adding to Justin Turner's home run derby idea. Playing Debbie Downer's, there are also real-world issues set to cause concerns for baseball's less-than-triumphant return. Nationwide COVID spikes all but guarantees a fair amount of players will likely test positive for the virus when officially checking into spring training 2.0. However, Brook says don't immediately panic. Finally, we discuss some fun or easy things that we'd like to see changed or added to the season. That plus too much Brook mustache talk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it real or are we getting yanked around once again? On Monday reports surfaced that club owners and MLB finally agreed to honor the original March 26 agreement signed by players. The Dodgers are coming back! ...but not so fast. Clint and Brook dig into some news hot off the presses surrounding baseball and what comes next. Plus things go brilliantly off the rails in an all-new segment, the Blue Heaven Top-10 List. In this inaugural edition, we list 10 things more reliable than baseball and Rob Manfred.  Also featured is the most important question of all: when can Brook shave his mustache? The audience sounds off. And hypothetical complaints 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices