#534: Resolutions; Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas

January 9, 2026·1 hr 11 min·5 clips

Sophia reveals why frozen iguanas fall from trees in Florida and how it inspired a new baseball team identity.

This episode of The Show Before the Show, the official Minor League Baseball podcast, features hosts Benjamin Hill, Sam Dykstra, and Tyler Maher discussing New Year's resolutions and a new team identity. Benjamin Hill shares his annual list of notable Minor League bobbleheads from the previous season, highlighting creative examples like the Brooklyn Cyclones' Kodai Senga ghost bobblehead and the Nashville Sounds' Rick Sweet "bobble-stache." Sam Dykstra recounts a personal story about a broken Trot Nixon bobblehead from a Pawtucket Red Sox game, while Tyler Maher mentions his favorite, a Todd Helton figure featuring the Colorado Rockies' black vest with purple sleeves. The hosts discuss their professional and personal resolutions for 2026, with Benjamin aiming to host another live podcast event at a ballpark and diversify his writing topics beyond baseball. Sam resolves to better identify breakout prospects during the season and feature more West Coast teams in MLB Pipeline showcases. Tyler's goals include finishing his book on the World Baseball Classic and potentially returning to fostering dogs. The episode's featured guest is Sophia Monteleone, Media Relations Coordinator for the Palm Beach Cardinals, who explains the team's new alternate identity, the Frozen Iguanas. This identity references a Florida phenomenon where invasive iguanas become stiff and fall from trees during rare cold snaps below 50 degrees. The Frozen Iguanas will debut on 12 Saturday home games during the 2026 season, marking the first alternate identity for a team playing at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Sophia Monteleone, a Pennsylvania native, notes the immediate recognition of the concept within Florida and clarifies the iguanas are not dead but in a temporary stunned state. The conversation is casual and humorous, filled with personal anecdotes and lighthearted banter about aging, pop culture references, and podcast inside jokes. Listeners who enjoy the quirky, promotional side of Minor League Baseball and the hosts' conversational dynamic will appreciate this episode. Those seeking in-depth baseball analysis or prospect news might find the extensive non-baseball tangents less engaging.

As heard by us

A loose New Year reset that folds baseball resolutions into steady prospect talk.

The Show Before the Show starts 2026 as a loose New Year reset, with haircut talk, self-checks, and three hosts talking through what they want to improve.

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Why you'd press play

A good first listen if you want a first-of-the-year baseball conversation with real prospect substance.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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