Cardinals biggest showdown isn't vs. Cubs, it's with themselves: Annual Flag Day episode

Cardinals biggest showdown isn't vs. Cubs, it's with themselves: Annual Flag Day episode

Author: St. Louis Post-Dispatch June 19, 2025 Duration: 33:55

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CHICAGO -- Two showdowns loom for the Cardinals in the coming weeks. First, they face the division-leading Chicago Cubs for the first time with a four-game series at Busch Stadium..

Second, they face themselves at the trade deadline.

Hall of Fame broadcaster and fixture on Cardinals' radio Mike Claiborne joins the Best Podcast in Baseball for his annual appearance around Flag Day. Claiborne has long argued that Flag Day is the first day to check the standings are start making plans on what kind of team the Cardinals are going to be. This year's time might take a little longer, but Claiborne tells baseball writer and BPIB host Derrick Goold what he already knows about the 2025 'transition' club.

Claiborne and Goold also discuss what the Cardinal can aim to get in return at the trade deadline if the upcoming series against the Cubs point them in the direction of selling.

That is if they can fight their tendency for straddling the fence -- never all-in and hesitant to drop out.

The podcast was recorded on the South Side of Chicago at Rate Field before another postponed game due to rain forced the Cardinals into their sixth doubleheader of the season.

In its 13th season as one of the most-popular and longest-running Cardinals-centric podcasts, the Best Podcast in Baseball is sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis. BPIB is a production of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, StlToday.com, and 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: 50

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