101 life lessons from the dugout and a few extra from the CBA negotiation room

101 life lessons from the dugout and a few extra from the CBA negotiation room

Author: St. Louis Post-Dispatch June 5, 2026 Duration: 51:30

It's become book week at the Best Podcast in Baseball.

Long time baseball writer and columnist and former president of the Baseball Writers' Association of America Ken Davidoff joins the podcast to discuss with host Derrick Goold his new book, "101 Lessons from the Dugout." The book, written for young adults, is a merger of baseball, parenting, and life lessons that use the dugout, batter's box, basepaths, and mound to map how baseball is a window into larger affirmations and experiences.

One chapter discusses baserunning on a sacrfice fly and amplifies tagging up to a larger idea of pausing, gathering one self, survey the situation, and then charge headlong toward your goal with knowledge and without hesitation.

"Your mound (is your) high ground," the book describes as an image for standing tall with an opinion at the center of everything.

Davidoff spent decades covering baseball for the New York Post and Newsday, and on his final day on the beat a small group of writers, including Goold, stayed late into the night to cover CBA negotiations between the players' union and owners at the Cardinals' complex in Jupiter, Florida. The negotiations blew right past one of the deadlines, leading to Davidoff staying on the beat a few hours longer.

There are lessons from those events too, and the two baseball writers dive into what could be lost with a missing season, what the owners aim to gain with the salary cap, and if any of the 101 lessons from the dugout apply to the situation.

The book, "101 Lessons from the Dugout," is available wherever you prefer to shop for books, including here.

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In its 14th season as one of the first and most widely heard podcasts on baseball and the Cardinals, the Best Podcast in Baseball has reached a new season-high with 30 episodes. Each episode is sponsored weekly by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and lead baseball writer Derrick Goold. 


For anyone who lives and breathes the rhythm of a 162-game season, Best Podcast in Baseball is your regular, unfiltered dose of diamond discourse. Hosted by Derrick Goold, the lead baseball writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, this podcast digs into the stories that define the St. Louis Cardinals franchise and the wider world of Major League Baseball. The conversation goes beyond box scores, exploring the nuances of roster construction, the evolving strategies of the game, and the unique culture surrounding the national pastime in a city renowned for its passion. With a rotating lineup of insider guests, from beat reporters and former players to front-office minds, each episode offers perspective you won't find anywhere else. It’s a direct line to the analysis, debates, and narratives shaping the Cardinals' present and future, all while celebrating the history and idiosyncrasies that make baseball so compelling. Tune in for thoughtful, authoritative talk that feels like a conversation at the ballpark, capturing both the immediate stakes of a playoff race and the timeless threads that connect generations of fans. This is the essential audio companion for those who want their baseball coverage to be as deep and considered as their fandom.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

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