Diamond Dreams Miami Up & In

Up & In brings you Episode 70 from El Carriel Colombian Restaurant in Miami.  Mike and Armando talk Super Bowl.  Is there a Taylor Swift conspiracy theory?  The latest from Diamond Dreams and MYBA, the Trevor Bauer situation - where will he end up?  He's saying he would take the league minimum.  Will he get signed soon?  Spring training is coming up.  Mike talks about his experience. That and much more on Episode 70.

Former Tampa Bay Rays player Shawn Riggans joins Mike and Armando for Episode 69 of Diamond Dreams Miami Up & In.  Shawn talks about his journey to the big leagues, and how he went from not getting a hit in high school, to reaching MLB.  He and Mike reminisce about being walk-ons at FIU, and knocking on Coach Danny Price's door for the first time.  Shawn also goes into detail about how he feels youth baseball should be approached, and about the mistakes he sees coaches and parents making with the younger generation.  We also circle back to the Baseball Hall of Fame voting, and the ridiculousness of some guys not getting in.

It's that time of year for the MLB Hall of Fame voting, and Armando has a few things to say regarding that.  Whatever happened to, "you're either a hall of famer, or you're not?"  A lot of gray areas when it comes to who gets in, and Mike thinks changes need to happen.  We also talk about meeting celebrities, and about the upcoming MYBA season.  Thank you to all who listen to us every single week.

Former Major Leaguer, Miami Hurricane, and current MLB Network Analyst, Yonder Alonso, joins Up & In for episode 67.  Yonder talks about his days as a player including great stories about Aroldis Chapman, Tony Gwynn, Dusty Baker, and much more.  He goes over the differences in Little League baseball from when he was a kid to how it is today.  Yonder also tells us how analytics should contribute in the bigs, Shohei Ohtani's contract, what he thinks has been the steal of free agency, and what to expect from the Miami Marlins.  Finally, some advice for little league parents.  Do not miss this episode.  

Mike and Armando talk a lot of football on Episode 66.  We share our thoughts on what was the Miami Dolphins' regular season, and we ask, how will they do against the Chiefs this Saturday?  A lot of coaching vacancies in the NFL, and a pretty big one in College Football.  Where will Bill Belichick coach next year?  Will Nick Saban get the itch again?  We analyze Jerod Mayo's hire by the Patriots.  Also, Marcus Stroman signs with the Yankees.  Is that enough for New York to contend for the title?  Will the Marlins sign anyone soon???? 

Happy New Year to our listeners! We talk about some goals for 2024 including working on health, and how to worry less to ease stress.  We recap what we did during the Christmas and New Year's break, how we're getting ready for the spring little league season, and talk about the amount of talent still available in MLB Free Agency.  Will Blake Snell sign with the Yankees?  Will the Marlins make a big trade for an infielder?  We also talk about the Miami Dolphins, and much more.

Diamond Dreams Miami Up & In wraps up 2023 with a can't miss episode talking about Shohei Ohtani's contract with the Dodgers.  The back loaded deal has allowed Los Angeles to sign other high profile free agents, including Yamamoto, and they may not be done.  Is this signing going to change baseball forever?  Will there be changes the next time they negotiate a CBA?  Also, some of the highlights of '23 and what's coming up in '24.  We wish you all a Happy New Year!

Episode 63 focuses on the Shohei Ohtani signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, what it means for baseball free agency moving forward, the way teams structure contracts, and could it cause an increase in two-way players.  Also, we talk about the way the story broke, and how many got it wrong.  What can be done in journalism to avoid that in the future?  We also go over the Dolphins loss to the Titans, and much more.

The first huge move of the MLB offseason happened, and it wasn't Shohei Ohtani signing with a new club.  Instead it's young superstar Juan Soto heading to the New York Yankees in a blockbuster trade.  Armando is ecstatic, and he breaks down the trade with Mike.  What does this mean for the lineup in the Bronx, and Giancarlo Stanton's future?  Predictions on where Ohtani ends up.  Armando tells us about a player he says will be a Miami Marlin, and other possible additions to the Fish roster.  We also talk about the end of the Little League fall season. How did it go for DD in the MYBA tournament, and how the academy is getting ready for spring.

Thanksgiving week is done, and we go over what we did during the week including eating, trips, eating, baseball practices, eating, Christmas decorating, and did we mention eating?  Also, the fall leagues are ending, and the spring leagues are just a few weeks away.  Mike talks about the short transition period from one to the other.  MLB free agency is under way.  Two big free agent pitchers are now signed, find out what we think, and Ohtani, when will he sign?