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In this week’s episode of Slate’s sports podcast Hang Up and Listen, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mina Kimes discuss Bartolo Colon’s first career home run and why everyone loves the rotund pitcher. Next, Toronto Globe and Mail hockey writer James Mirtle joins to discuss the NHL playoffs. Finally, they discuss the state of the WNBA and the marketing of star players Skylar Diggins, Diana Taurasi, and Brittney Griner.
Here are links to some of the articles and other items mentioned on the show:
- Follow Mina Kimes on Twitter and read her stories in ESPN the Magazine.
- Bartolo Colon knocked his first career home run on Saturday.
- Colon’s trot was the 11th-slowest since 2010.
- Colon is “the GIF that keeps on giving.”
- MLB.com covered Colon’s home run in batting practice.
- According to Dan Barry of the New York Times, Colon is “defying time and space.”
- Many have forgotten Colon’s PED suspension.
- Dae-ho Lee of the Seattle Mariners had the nickname “big boy” in Korea.
- Topps made a baseball card of Colon’s historic home run.
- Follow James Mirtle on Twitter and and read his stories in the Toronto Globe and Mail.
- There are no Canadian teams in this year’s NHL playoffs.
- Three times as many Canadians tuned in for the NHL draft lottery as they did for first round of the playoffs.
- This is a great year for teams that have never won the Stanley Cup before.
- Pierre-Édouard Bellemare was only suspended one game for his hit from behind on Dmitry Orlov.
- The lengths of suspensions for illegal hits are determined in part by how severely the opposing player is injured.
- James wrote about the new 26-year-old analytics-friendly general manager of the Arizona Coyotes, John Chayka.
- Chayka is the youngest GM in any major sport.
- ESPN’s coverage of the 20th WNBA season. (Mina’s story on Skylar Diggins is not yet available online.)
- Diggins is represented by Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports.
- ESPN the Magazine’s Kate Fagan wrote about Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner maximizing their earnings by playing in Russia.
- Monica Abbott signed a $1 million contract to play fast-pitch softball.
Hang Up and Listen’s weekly Jumbo Browns:
Mina’s Jumbo Brown: Why are the U.S. Olympic team’s outfits always so terrible?
Stefan’s Jumbo Brown: There could be five single-digit pitcher jersey numbers in Major League Baseball this year.
Josh’s Jumbo Brown: NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock is a big fan of bubble butts.
On this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mina Kimes discuss J.R. Smith’s potential role in Space Jam 2. Visit slate.com/hangupplus and try it free for two weeks.
Podcast production and edit by Mickey Capper.
Our intern is Julia Karron.
You can email us at hangup@slate.com.
