No, you’re not misremembering; the last episode was in July 2014.

This episode is brought to you by [YOUR BUSINESS HERE]! If you’d like to pay us to say nice things about you or your business, or simply not insult you on-air, or maybe to repeatedly insult someone else, let us know! I’m sure we can come to an agreement. Maybe you’ll even pay James to complain about Brett Lawrie, but let’s be honest, he’s doing that for free.

Okay, let’s get this one out of the way: this episode is very, very late. First off, Life Stuff(tm) kept the show from being recorded in the latter half of the 2014 season. Next, James & Cody just couldn’t get schedules together to record an episode at the beginning of the current 2015 season. As a result, that means there’s a lot of ground to cover, which means we might as well get to it!

First, the Moneyballa$ discuss the end of the 2014 season, with a focus on three teams: the A’s and their late-season collapse, the Kansas City Royals’ shocking run to the World Series and the San Francisco Giants’ eventual win.

Next, They discuss the offseason, including the big Josh Donaldson/Brett Lawrie trade. The focus, however, is on the large changes by the Chicago Cubs, and how the addition of a few key pieces combined with a farm system approaching maturation to create a high level of expectation.

Finally, they discuss how these expectations are playing out in the season, from the Cubs’ changes playing out to the A’s bullpen troubles to the beyond surprising rise of the New York Mets as one of the best teams in the league. And remember the Houston Astros’ long-term building plan during and after their shift to the American League? Well, it’s sure paying off now, unlike the rest of the AL West.

Super extra finally, the Mascot Minute makes its return!

Download the episode here or subscribe to the RSS feed on iTunes or just, you know, however else you want using the normal feed.

The Chicago Cubs: Still in contention for the 2015 World Series!