Sox Pop on the Farm Podcast 54 — Breaking down the first-place Barons

Brett Ballantini travels back to Birmingham to talk with Jonathan Nelson about his best-in-Southern League ballclub

It’s Brett Ballantini’s favorite week of the month, when he gets to again call on president and GM of the first-place Birmingham Barons, Jonathan Nelson. Even after a tightly-fought series in Pensacola didn’t go Birmingham’s way, the club is still tops in the Southern League.

• Despite losing five of six to the Blue Wahoos, the Barons have won five of their last 10 and remain a half-game better than their fellow division-leading counterparts, Pensacola
• How manager Sergio Santos has handled the first tough turn of the season
• Inside baseball: How Jonathan works hand-in-hand with this field manager
• A preview of this week’s home series hosting the Chattanooga Lookouts, worst in the Southern League
• Bryan Ramos’ call-up and delightful character
• Will Brooks Baldwin ever stop hitting
• The phenom, Wilfred Veras
• The most terrifying offensive weapon in Birmingham? It could very well be a healthy Duke Ellis and his speed demonry
• How is catcher Edgar Quero shaping up as a leader and game-caller?
• Three quick speed-round questions with Jonathan off-the-field
• Is Mason Adams the surprise ace of the Barons?
• Eric Adler arrives in town to give Birmingham another late-inning killer
• The southpaw starting pair of Jake Eder and Ky Bush
• How the Barons brass on the ground in Birmingham plays into any promotion/demotion decisions
• Do these podcasts provide the good luck for the team, meaning that soon Brett may need to be packing his bags for Birmingham?

Follow Jonathan Nelson on Twitter @JonathanN_Bham, the Barons @BhamBarons, and find tickets to an upcoming Barons game by clicking this link.

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