Fausto Carmona is long gone, but the midges are back. Sandy Alomar won’t be hitting a game-tying home run that sends Paul O’Neill into a tantrum on the warning track, but he will be managing the Tribe. It’s the Indians and the Yankees meeting in the first round of the MLB postseason again, and Waiting For Next Year’s Mitchell Krall joins The Nail to give us a crash course. Topics covered: Presumed Cy Young winner-to-be Shane Bieber and the Indians pitching staff, potential AL MVP Jose Ramirez and whether the Tribe can generate enough offense, what role having Alomar manage in place of Terry Francona will play, and what we need to know about the team from the Bronx and the new postseason format.
The major sports leagues in the U.S. are throwing out a lot of radical ideas to drive up interest these days. MLB is proposing a new postseason with seven teams per league and the top clubs choosing their first-round opponents. The NBA wants to let four teams fight it out for the final two playoff berths in each conference. Meanwhile, as the NFL keeps trying to figure out ways to make flex scheduling possible for Monday Night Football and also get a 17th game on the schedule, a new spring league with an old name has launched with some intriguing innovations that could someday show up on Sundays in the fall.
This week, the guys discuss the surprisingly entertaining debut for the reborn XFL and the aforementioned wild proposals trending in pro sports. Plus: Being out of the country during the Super Bowl, and how the legacy of David Stern has shaped the way national NBA media cover non-glamour market teams like the Cavs.
Follow us on Twitter: @TheNailPodcast Email us: thenailpodcast [at] gmail.com Intro/outro music: "The 3rd" by Anitek Photo from USA Today Sports | Photo illustration by The Nail in the Coffin
A few days removed from the Indians’ ALDS debacle, the guys air their remaining grievances about the Tribe’s all-too-short postseason run, and then discuss some of the fallout this week since the series ended and what, if anything, there will be to get excited about in the regular season next year. (It’s not an upbeat first 20 minutes, folks!)
Plus: Bakermania and the cult of personality that is driving a real change in the Browns’ culture and finally making NFL Sundays exciting in Cleveland again.
Let’s be honest, the Indians knew they would be playing in the postseason when they took the field on Opening Day. After six long months, October has finally arrived and the defending World Series champion Astros await in the ALDS. Joel Hammond spent five years as the Indians' assistant director of communications, a tenure that included three postseason trips. He’s back on The Nail to share some perspectives on the mood inside the organization at this time of the year.
The guys also dive into the biggest storylines that will be playing out on the field, including: how the Indians are setting up their pitching staff, whether Andrew Miller can show any flashes of his overpowering 2016 form, postseason redemption for Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Corey Kluber, and the looming uncertainty for a lot of key players who could be suiting up for their final games with the Indians.
It’s the day after the Indians’ ALDS disaster, and the guys are still bummed out. What happened to the bats at the top of the order? Was Corey Kluber in worse shape than we knew? How long before an automated strike zone becomes a reality in Major League Baseball? The guys sift through a lot of questions about what went wrong and where things go now. ... Plus, an extended discussion on one more question for the offseason: Have we seen Chief Wahoo on a major league uniform for the final time?
The MLB postseason — and all the anxiety that comes with it — is here. The Indians are loaded, and they ended September scorching hot. But October brings unpredictability — and a tough New York Yankees team in the ALDS. The guys discuss the curious setup for the Tribe’s pitching staff, their faith in Terry Francona, the Indians’ myriad lineup options and what to expect from the new Bronx Bombers.
The 2016 World Series had almost everything—except a fourth win for the Indians. A night removed from one of the most historic games ever for Major League Baseball, the guys pour one out for the Tribe’s gritty postseason run, deal with the Cubs fans' takeover of Progressive Field and life as the Other Team during a broadcast of a championship series, and look ahead to what’s next for the Indians and baseball in Cleveland.
A year after The Nail in the Coffin debuted as a weekly Cleveland sports podcast, our city has become the center of sports universe. The Cavs will raise their NBA championship banner as the Indians look to carry the torch, opening up the World Series vs. the Cubs next door. The guys welcome Chicago’s North Siders to town, try to figure out who could be the hero for the Indians and…offer a few less-than-friendly thoughts on the friendly confines of Wrigley Field? Yeah, it’s on. … Plus: Buying postseason merchandise and a weekend in Not-So-Happy Valley for Ohio State.
From drone-related injuries to rookie pitchers who were supposed to be “shaking in their boots,” the ALCS certainly packed plenty of drama into five games. But in the end, the Indians prevailed over the Blue Jays and are headed to the World Series. The guys look back on a historic performance by the Tribe pitching staff (hey now, Andrew Miller!), Francisco Lindor’s emergence as a star on the national stage and the unflappable mentality that propelled the Indians to their first pennant in 19 years. ... Plus: How Ohio State survived an early knockdown on Saturday night at Wisconsin to remain undefeated.
The guys reflect on an impressive performance by the Tribe in the AL Division Series against the Red Sox and look ahead to what is shaping up to be a tremendous matchup with the Blue Jays in the ALCS. To the chagrin of many, though, TBS and its lackluster coverage of the postseason will still be along for the ride, too.
On the eve of the Indians making their first appearance in the AL Division Series since 2007, the guys look back on the long road that got them here, starting with the hiring of Terry Francona. Tito has pushed all the right buttons this year, and he’ll have to keep it going against a formidable Red Sox team. … Plus: It’s been a tremendous first five weeks for the college football season, and the guys put together their short list of teams with a shot at the national title.
Craig Lyndall, a longtime writer and podcast host at Waiting for Next Year, joins the show to look back on an eventful Indians regular season that has culminated in an AL Central Division title. Plus: Browns chatter, including why it’s way too early to say the team lost its draft day trade when it had the opportunity to take Carson Wentz, and some shop talk on coverage of Cleveland’s teams at WFNY.
