Damn, Bianca

The Red Sox hire Bianca Smith, the first Black woman coach in the MLB, who could not be more impressive. We may have to come up with a new boyfriend category. Smith played college softball, club baseball, and has degrees in sports law and sports management, preparing for when she’ll be a GM. Crosstraining with women’s hockey, the way we do, not only will the NWHL season be officiated by an all-female crew, the season will be played at Lake Placid’s historic Herb Brooks Arena and NBCSN will broadcast the February playoffs -- the first time the games will be carried nationally. San Diego is throwing down with the Dodgers for sure -- signing Blake Snell and Yu Darvish in quick succession. Anticipate arm wrestling between your hosts for who gets the Padres pitching squad for the season. MLB promises not to jump the line for COVID vaccines, bringing up parallels to the testing questions from last season. Pottymouth leans toward the 30 year-old dads for her boyfriend picks, while Patti atones for last week by going all in for young players giving back in big ways. For the Mets, Pottymouth chooses newly signed Heart-and-hustle-y catcher James McCann, and Patti picks Dominic Smith, part of the Mets embarrassment of riches at first base. Angels SS, and former Cuban National team player, Jose Iglesias, newly acquired from the Os, finally catches Pottymouth’s attention. Young and motivated Angels outfielder Jo Adell, with a disappointing 2020 season and an amazing gift for community-building, is Patti’s pick. Please visit Baseball Generations, Smith’s LA-based organization, and the Jo Adell Foundation, to learn more about bringing baseball opportunities to underserved communities. It’s playoff time in winter ball. Throw some money to Cespedes Family BBQ and they’ll tell you everything you need to know about LIDOM and then pass that cash right along to the Nelson Cruz’ Boomstick Foundation and The Paloma Project. That’s way more useful than spending money on Australian Baseball, where the Blue Sox aren’t even playing due to COVID, but Manny and Rachel continue to have a good time. Your hosts will be hiding in the bunker this week as the wingnuts come to your Nation’s Capital. Wash your hands, wear your masks, watch your distance, and fight the man. Find us on Twitter @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. Say goodnight, Pottymouth.