Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 76: Ben Lindbergh & the elusive Clay Bellinger autograph

It's been a couple weeks since the last Pinstripe Alley Podcast, mostly because there hasn't really been much exciting Yankees news to discuss. However, we have a treat for the newest episode, as Grantland writer Ben Lindbergh made a guest appearance to talk about the 2015 Yankees and other topics.

If you're reading this, then you probably read other baseball sites too, so Ben's name should not be a new one to you. He was previously the editor-in-chief at Baseball Prospectus, where he continues to co-host the awesome "Effectively Wild" podcast with current EIC Sam Miller. Tanya and I asked Ben ten different questions with some banter mixed in, so I've included the approximate timestamps of the interview from when they came up:

[0:00] Intro music: "Come Together" - The Beatles
[0:50] Reaction to the Yankees' offseason deals, which sent potentially useful assets Martin Prado and Shane Greene away for other players
[3:27] Since the Yankees previously had success with a shaky defender learning on the job in Robinson Cano, should they have been more willing to try Rob Refsnyder, or does at least trying Stephen Drew make more sense?
[7:17] Alex Rodriguez: The man, the mystery
[12:08] Envisioning the Yankees as a potential 2015 playoff team
[18:42] The Yankees' major league scouting abilities
[22:38] Public vs. private analytics
[27:38] Why do some teams focus more on defensive prowess compared to others?
[31:56] Can Brian McCann's defensive skills and pitch framing abilities make his contract worth it even with declining offense?
[35:31] Assorted thoughts on the Yankees retiring ALL THE NUMBERS, future attendance concerns, Ben's favorite Yankee growing up as a fan, and a very important Clay Bellinger anecdote at 42:03
[43:45] There's never a bad time to be excited about prospects... especially Greg Bird

Podcast link (Length: 50:22)

iTunes link

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