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Fair question. I think we're seeing a tightening of the entertainment dollar because costs are rising elsewhere. Gas. Goods. Groceries. You know the list. And so that money has to come from somewhere for most households. Also, we're seeing more people spending on streaming services. That too reduces the entertainment dollar to spend on baseball. So, it's a bit of both. The pandemic has made some folks reluctant still to be in crowds, and that makes sense. It also has changed how we digest entertainment. It's been on-demand for awhile, and so many people have shown they're willing to pay for that. Baseball has got to meet its fans there, because if less are going to the ballpark, they'll need to get their eyes on the game somewhere. Yes, it's the pandemic. But, yes, it's also a trend that should an awareness that if the game does not respond to the fallout from the ongoing pandemic, then it will have a serious attendance problem.

Correct. Yes. Absolutely. It may not matter. And teams trying to deal know that.

Purely from a personal standpoint? Is London an option? How about Vancouver? No? OK. Well, I would like to see baseball back in Montreal. And then a new place like Nashville or Portland makes sense for the game. Portland would really change the travel schedule for a lot of teams because it would give a place that shortens some of those flights. Nashville has so much going for it as far as how ahead of other bids it appears to be.

Another place of interest to the leagues.

Agreed.

You can. But only this once.

Watchmen -- the graphic novel and the show it inspired -- are classics. Seriously, The Watchmen is not for everyone, and it certainly isn't a comic book for kids. It is a classic, right there with the top 100 or whatever greatest novels written in our lifetimes. But that's another chat.

Soto would bat second, though, right? Right. Has to.

It is maddening and needs to be fixed, absolutely. This past week was the clearest answer yet that MLB is aware that it's outdated and has to change, and soon.

Maybe. Cardinals would not pay it, though. Alcantara's extension at least makes such talk of huge prospect packages make sense.

They all could be. Don't have to be on the 40-man roster to be in the organization. Capel and Hurst could be off the roster and in the organization if they aren't taken by another team. And then there's room for the rest.

He didn't advance as a hitter and had a hard time adding to his frame, adding strength and maintaining it. He finally unlocked that swing over the past two years, then the pandemic hit and his playing time was curtailed. He's a good glove, has good instincts defensively, and may ultimately contribute as a utility player, but the bat did not advance as imagined and that has kept him from maintaining a rank that was based on his draft spot and high ceiling.

I'm not sure I follow the logic of how a skills competition would be related to big money. Do you mean they would be risking injury? Anymore so than they do already? The Derby is an injury risk -- the moment a star pulls an oblique there, goodness. But it could happen. And big money guys still do it. Every so often a skills contest gets kicked around for MLB. I just haven't heard a real complete plan as to what those skills would be. Big contracts do not come up as a deterrent, unless I'm totally missing your point.

Have not read it. Heard about it. I guess that proves the Doctor's point. I'm out of touch because I have not read one book. Probably read Daytripper that day instead. Incredible graphic novel.

I like the new format so, so, so, so, so, so much better. To me, it's better from a spectator perspective. It's better for the hitter, too. And, candidly, it's much much much better for the media to cover it -- making deadline or broadcasting it. Such a great format.

Matchups. He has not only addressed it, but we had a name for it all spring: Manager Marmol's Multiverse of Matchups. He said it was coming and warned fans it was coming and then has followed through on it. He's not going to bat a hitter second who has a hard time with elevated fastballs when they're facing a pitcher with an elevated fastball, but he is going to bat Edman leadoff and Bader higher against lefties because he wants more at-bats for them against the good matchup. Other teams are doing this. San Francisco won 100 games doing it last year. The Cardinals have long wanted to maximize their lineup by being more responsive to matchups.

Interesting. It's time for the Cardinals to be more than good. They need to make some October noise. It's been too quiet around the ballpark in late October. The brand demands better.