Newsmakers

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, Richard Justice and Alyson Footer look back at award-winning 2017 seasons for Torey Lovullo and Paul Molitor, then discuss what 2018 could have in store for the D-backs and Twins. Subscribe to the MLB Newsmakers podcast feed for more insight and analysis all offseason long.

MLB.com's Bill Ladson sits down with former Major League pitcher and current broadcaster Jim Kaat to discuss how he won 16 Gold Gloves during his career, who he thinks will win the NL Cy Young Award and what parts of today's game he would like to see change.

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice talk about the unanimous Rookie of the Year Award winners Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger and look ahead to their sophomore seasons. Then, MLB.com columnist Mark Feinsand joins the guys and discusses the AL MVP race, Judge's phenomenal year and Carlos Beltran choosing to retire following a 20-year career.

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice make their award picks and then check in with Jon Paul Morosi for early updates on the frontrunners for Shohei Ohtani, Miami's asking price for Giancarlo Stanton and more simmering Hot Stove gossip. Subscribe to the MLB Newsmakers podcast for more insight and analysis from Anthony and Richard all offseason long.

MLB.com's Bill Ladson recently caught up with MLB.com columnist Richard Justice (:38), former MLB pitcher Scott Downs (12:44) and Phillies reporter Todd Zolecki (20:13) as they pay tribute to the late great Roy Halladay, who tragically passed away this week in a plane crash. Ladson also speaks with Astros pitcher Brad Peacock to find out how it feels to be a World Series champion. (32:00) The final guest on the show is MLB.com enterprise editor Mark Newman and he joins Ladson to talk about his new book Diamonds from the Dugout: 115 Baseball Legends Remember Their Greatest Hits. (39:10)

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice share memories of the late, great former Blue Jays and Phillies starter Roy Halladay, with help from some of those who knew him best.

Morning Lineup: It feels like just hours ago that Brian Dozier ushered in the 2017 postseason with a leadoff homer in the AL Wild Card Game, but World Series Game 7 is already in the rearview mirror so it's time for MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice to recap 10 of the most memorable moments from one of the wildest Octobers we've ever seen.

Morning Lineup: For the first time in franchise history, the Houston Astros are World Series champions. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice discuss George Springer's leadoff double, Charlie Morton's unlikely closer turn and every key moment in between from Wednesday's historic Game 7 at Dodger Stadium.

Morning Lineup: Everything set up perfectly for the Astros in Game 6, with Justin Verlander pitching for the first World Series title in franchise history, but Chris Taylor's clutch double and Dave Roberts' bullpen management were enough to force Game 7. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice break down how the series got here and what to expect in the finale of the 2017 World Series, including Lance McCullers' leash and the looming possibility of a Clayton Kershaw relief appearance.

Morning Lineup: There's no shortage of storylines heading into Game 6 of what has become an epic World Series: Can Justin Verlander check off a key box on his Hall of Fame resume? Will Dave Roberts loosen the reins on Rich Hill's workload? How do Jose Altuve and Cody Bellinger's hot bats change their respective lineups? MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice answer each of those questions on Tuesday's edition of the Morning Lineup podcast.

Morning Lineup: Game 5's Clayton Kershaw-Dallas Keuchel duel didn't unfold as expected, but the resulting 13-12 barnburner will go down as one of the most memorable World Series games in recent history. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice cover all the angles, including Dave Roberts' fateful decision to bring in Brandon Morrow and A.J. Hinch's successful gamble on the speedy Derek Fisher. Tune in to the Morning Lineup podcast daily during the World Series for more insight and analysis from Richard and Anthony.

Morning Lineup: The World Series is now a best-of-three. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice delve into all the key storylines from Game 4, including a compelling (if unexpected) duel between Alex Wood and Charlie Morton, the emergence of Cody Bellinger and the Astros' options to revive a struggling bullpen for Game 5. Tune in to the Morning Lineup podcast daily during the World Series for more insight and analysis from Richard and Anthony.

Morning Lineup: A.J. Hinch only needed to make one bullpen call in World Series Game 3, while Dave Roberts aggressively extended his relief corps when Yu Darvish faltered early. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice break down those decisions and take stock of the Astros' dominance at Minute Maid Park heading into Game 4. Tune in to the Morning Lineup podcast daily during the World Series for more insight and analysis from Richard and Anthony.

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice look ahead to a potentially pivotal Game 3 as the World Series shifts to Houston. Which team benefits more from an extra day of rest and the addition of the DH? How will Minute Maid Park impact momentum? And what does this Astros squad mean to the city of Houston after Hurricane Harvey? Tune in to the Morning Lineup podcast for insight and analysis every day during the World Series.

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice dissect Marwin Gonzalez's massive homer, A.J. Hinch's masterful bullpen management and all the other twists and turns from a wild World Series Game 2 at Dodger Stadium. Tune in to the Morning Lineup podcast daily during the World Series for more insight and analysis from Richard and Anthony.

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice break down the Dodgers' Game 1 win, then turn their attention to Justin Verlander and the Astros' chances in Game 2 with help from a special guest who knows something about must-win postseason starts. Tune in to the Morning Lineup podcast daily during the World Series for more insight and analysis from Richard and Anthony.

Morning Lineup: MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice run down the biggest storylines heading into Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, including Dallas Keuchel vs. Clayton Kershaw, the return of Corey Seager and the Astros' late-inning bullpen options. Tune into the Morning Lineup podcast daily during the World Series for more insight and analysis from Richard and Anthony.

On this week's episode, MLB.com's Bill Ladson talks to the man that orchestrated the last Dodgers' World Series Championship team in 1988, Fred Claire. He explains why he acquired Kirk Gibson back in '88 and why this year's team can win it all. (:48) Bill also caught up with Dallas Keuchel and George Springer of the Houston Astros to find out how the team moved from last place into a contender for a title in such a short time. (14:47) MLB.com's Richard Justice joins the show to discuss Alex Cora's chances to fill one of the Major's vacant manager jobs and if Joe Girardi will be back with the Yankees next season. (24:16) The next guest is Nationals radio play-by-play man Charlie Slowes and he breaks down what happened to the team during that NLDS Game 5 loss to the Cubs. (31:52) Finally, former Oriole slugger Boog Powell chats with Bill about his 1970 MVP season and his life after baseball. (44:26)

On this week's episode, MLB.com's Bill Ladson chats with Hall of Famer John Smoltz about the 2017 postseason and how he feels about the use of sabermetrics in today's game. MLB.com analyst Richard Justice joins Bill to talk about Boston making a change at manager and why Joe Girardi should be back in New York next season. (11:55) Former Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti, is the next guest on the show and he talks to Bill about his time in L.A. and his new book The Big Chair: The Smooth Hops and Bad Bounces from the Inside World of the Acclaimed Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager. (24:05) Athletics' slugger Khris Davis discusses with Bill why he loves the fans in Oakland and how he likes to spend his time away from the field. (42:21)

MLB.com's Bill Ladson recently caught up with MLB.com columnist Richard Justice to find out his take on the 2017 postseason matchups. Next, Bill talked to Yankee relievers Dellin Betances and Chad Green to find out how they feel about their performances on the mound this season. Ladson was also able to talk to Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson about playing with injuries and outfielder Jose Bautista about his time spent in Toronto. Finally, Ladson caught up with Twins radio commentator Dan Gladden to discuss why the team was able to surprise this season.