The Book of Joe: Back to Bunting, Counting Pitches, and Observatory Warning!

The Rays have the best record in baseball but are close to the bottom of the league in home runs?  Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci examine the differences in the AL East and the resurgence of the 'bunt'. Joe explains when he had players swing away on a 3-0 count.  How many pitches does a pitcher really…

The Book of Joe: Quarter pole surprises, Shohei Slump? and Bobby Cox Legacy

The baseball season is at the quarter pole and hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci point out the surprises we've seen.  What will sort itself out and what is a real issue?  Tom points out a possible hitting 'slump' for Shohei Ohtani and how it affects the Dodgers.  Plus, we honor the legacy of 2x Wor…

The Book of Joe: Tigers Troubles, Ohtani Plan, and 2nd Place in History!

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci highlight Joe's road trip from Tampa to PA before diving into some May baseball!  The Tigers are facing some hurdles with the suspensions of AJ Hinch and Framber Valdez and surgery for Tarik Skubal.  Tom explains the Dodgers' plan for Shohei Ohtani and the impact i…

The Book of Joe: Changes in the dugout

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci begin with the Red Sox parting ways with Alex Cora.  Tom explains what led to the decision and the moves that played a big part.  What are Cora's options moving forward with a couple other teams possibly looking for change? Tom notes a growing trend in the league t…

The Book of Joe: Fixing slow starts and Remembering a friend

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci begin with a look at the turnaround of the Rays and their stadium improvements.  Tom points out the slow starts from the biggest spending teams, while the lowest payrolls are doing well!  Hitting has been off and Joe explains the adjustments that need to be made.  …

The Book of Joe: Mets slow start and Flipping the Spread!

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci look at the slow start of the Mets and wonder if there are bigger issues at play.  Joe points out how time together can help smooth out a lot of issues.  Twins manager Derek Shelton talked about what he learned from a year being in the media that he now uses in the…

The Book of Joe: Dark Side of the Moon, Urgency in April, and the Dark Horse!

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci know it's early in the season, but how many 'good' teams have ever had terrible starts?  The Red Sox stumbled out of the gate, but can they turn it around? Tom notes the incident with Wilson Contreras and the Brewers and what happens next. Tropicana Field is open o…

The Book of Joe: ABS overload, Yankees Streaking, and Ohtani on the mound!

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci dive into the use of the ABS system, which has already had a tremendous impact.  How does Joe think the use of the system changes as the game moves forward?  Tom reveals where the most success comes from with challenges.  How does this affect catchers and their inf…

The Book of Joe: 2026 Opening Day and World Series picks!

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci discuss Opening Day and the need for teams to get off to a good start!  What is the biggest thing a team will see in the first few weeks of the season?  Joe reveals the team he thinks can most challenge the Dodgers in the NL.  Tom talks about the players who will b…

The Book of Joe: Venezuela's historic WBC victory!

Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci discuss Venezuela's win over USA in the World Baseball Classic.  Joe points out the passion from Venezuela and the huge role baseball plays in their country and culture.  Tom asks about USA's hitting and what happened through the tournament. We offer kudos for the …