Imagine loving a team so much, it consumes you. Now imagine that team provides you with more anguish than joy, to the point where you wish that you never loved it to begin with. A case can be made that nothing in baseball is harder than being a fan of the New York Mets. MLB Network Radio’s Casey Stern brings us into the struggles of lifelong Mets fandom. This podcast is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Audio Credits: YouTube.com/MLB;...

This year no one knew quite what to expect at the trade deadline, but it felt strangely… normal. Deals were made; contenders bulked up; the scene was set for the push to October. Dan and MLB Network’s JP Morosi break down the winners and losers.  This episode is produced and sound designed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Archival support for this episode was provided by Maria St. Aubin. Audio Credits: ESPN Radio, Fox Sports, KWFN, MLB Network, NBC, NESN, Sportsnet 590...

Cavan Biggio has a keen eye, both between the white lines and beyond. Whether it’s forcing a pitcher into the strike zone or having a great sense of what is right and wrong in the world, he has quickly become of the most important Blue Jays. Biggio joined Dan Friday afternoon, Jackie Robinson Day, to talk about the fight for social justice, where he got his plate discipline and Toronto’s chances going forward. This podcast is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by...

Jeff Dufine got the promotion of a lifetime over the winter when ESPN gave him the chance to produce Sunday Night Baseball. And then the pandemic shut everything down. When baseball started back up and it was time to get to work, nothing was like he thought it would be back in March. From the cozy confines of his backyard, Dufine offers a peek behind the curtain of a whole new type of broadcast for baseball’s biggest night. This podcast is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan,...

The Chicago White Sox are often overlooked — the “second team” in their own town. Now, they’re forcing people to take notice about what’s happening on the South Side. So, who is this team? And why is it having so much fun? Chicago local and TV voice of the White Sox Jason Benetti brings us up to speed. This podcast is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Audio Credits: Facebook.com/WhiteSox; MLB.com; MLB.tv The views and opinions...

Any other year, if player agents are fortunate enough to have a few major league clients, things go smoothly. They negotiate contracts, look for client endorsement opportunities — everybody’s happy. But in 2020, nothing is as it used to be. Many players are flat out worried about how to make it through, now and in the future. MLB agent Adam Katz takes us into this new reality. This podcast is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Audio...

The 2020 baseball season is unlike any we’ve ever seen before, for many obvious reasons. Not only at the Major League level, but perhaps even more so for young players trying to make it to the bigs. The same goes for Keith Law, prospect guru and senior baseball writer for the The Athletic, who tells us all about player development this year. This podcast is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Audio Credits: YouTube.com/MLB; The Keith Law...

Richard Deitsch is a sports reporter, and a big part of his job is covering sports media. Who’s calling which games for which network, the business of sports television, and so on. Of course, for a few months, there were no sports on television so there was nothing for him to cover. Now, they’re back — but with a lot of changes. From no fans on site to, in most cases, no broadcasters on site. Everything is different. It’s a brand new world, and it’s his job to write about...

Jamie Romak is a ballplayer. And he’s been around. Part of seven major league organizations with some time in the big leagues a few years back. Since then, he’s been in Japan and, for the past four years, South Korea. He loves playing there and was looking forward to his wife and two sons joining him this season… until a global pandemic got in the way. But baseball is what he does. So, he went, and stayed. This is what life overseas away from family for an entire season has been like. ...

For decades, segregation in the U.S. meant many of the best ballplayers in the world were forced to find their own league to play in, and thus, 100 years ago, the Negro Leagues were born. Bob Kendrick, the President of the Negro Leagues Museum, talks about the players who came before Jackie Robinson and the lasting legacies he helps champion. This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, hosted by Dan Shulman and recorded by Amil Delic. Audio Credits: MLB.com;...

All Ryan Borucki ever wanted was to be a big-league pitcher. As a skinny high-school kid, his chances didn’t look great — until a growth spurt took him to about 6-foot-3 and his velocity ticked up. He was drafted in the 15th round by the Toronto Blue Jays, but with three elbow surgeries and three years essentially lost to arm troubles, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride to The Show. Yet he’s persevered, he’s made it, and he’s been dealing so far in 2020. This podcast is produced and...

COVID-19 has made this a weird season for everyone in baseball, especially prospects. Simeon Woods Richardson, 19, is on the Toronto Blue Jays’ 60-man roster, honing his skills at their alternate training site. For 17-year old Los Angeles Angels pick David Calabrese, that’s not the case. This is how both are turning a negative into a positive while working to fulfill their big-league dreams. This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Jacob...

The 2020 baseball season is unlike any we’ve ever seen before. From health and safety protocols, to the season being just 60 games, to rule changes — you name it. So many things are different, for obvious reasons. Let’s find out what ESPN’s Buster Olney, one of the best observers in the business, thinks of all of this. Audio Credits: YouTube.com/ESPN The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of...

David Ross was as respected and beloved a player as there was in the game — his leadership helped propel the Red Sox and Cubs to World Series championships. Following his playing career, he settled into calling games on ESPN, and then his competitive itch returned. Now he manages Cubs players who were his teammates, and makes it look easy. This is how. This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Special thanks to ESPN’s Robert Kelly for...

The St. Louis Cardinals are respected throughout the industry and pride themselves on doing things “the Cardinal Way.” But none of that matters one bit to COVID-19. The Cardinals began dealing with an outbreak on their first road trip of the season and haven’t played since. Can their season be salvaged? Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discusses. Audio Credits: YouTube.com/MLB, YouTube.com/KSDK News The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the...

The Blue Jays’ long journey to finding a home has reached its end — in Buffalo, at Sahlen Field, which is not your typical minor league park. It is, in some ways, the common ancestor of the beautiful retro facilities now seen across Major League Baseball. Mike Buczkowski has been with the Buffalo Bisons for 33 seasons and is now the President of Rich Baseball Operations. He joins the show to tell listeners about the unique ballpark, how it plays and what’s been done to get it ready for the...

So you’re trying to put together a baseball team for a season in which you think your team has a chance to compete; really make some noise. Just one problem… you don’t have a place to play. COVID-19 border restrictions have forced the Blue Jays out of Canada, so their temporary home will be their AAA affiliate’s field in Buffalo. How well can it work out? And can you turn it into a competitive advantage? Jays GM Ross Atkins joins the show to discuss. This episode is produced...

Minor league baseball has been around since the 1880s, allowing players to develop and pursue their dreams of making it to the big leagues while also providing endless entertainment for baseball fans in those towns. Currently there 162 teams, but the system as we know it appears to be on the verge of seismic change, which may include up to 42 losing their affiliate status. Why is this happening? Should it happen? J.J. Cooper, Executive Editor of Baseball America, weighs in. This...

Alex Anthopoulos is the President of Baseball Operations for Atlanta. That means everything, whether it’s between the white lines, or COVID-related, falls under his jurisdiction. Because of the virus, he is dealing with endless new challenges, while still trying to do the traditional part of his job – build a team which could win it all. How does he do it? This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Audio Credits: YouTube.com/MLB;...

With four World Series titles in the past 16 seasons, no team has won more than the Boston Red Sox. But in the past year or so, their fortunes have taken a noticeable turn for the worse. Mookie Betts – traded. Chris Sale – injured. Alex Cora – relieved of his duties. And Boston looks nothing like a contender early on this season. Is this a blip, or the beginning of a lengthy rebuild? Play-by-play man Dave O’Brien discuses. This episode is produced and sound designed by...

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon was the second overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. He was climbing through the minors when he felt a pop in his elbow…Tommy John surgery, which cost him all of the 2014 season. He came back in 2015, only to suffer a sports hernia and miss all of that season as well. By 2017 Taillon had become a full-time starter in the big leagues, when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Remarkably, he returned in less than a month and completed the...

As we are now rediscovering within the context of a baseball season, there is no such thing as zero risk when it comes to COVID-19. The Philadelphia Phillies found that out the hard way. By last Sunday, the Miami Marlins had learned of four positive tests. Yet a game was played. Monday, it was reported that nearly a dozen more Marlins had tested positive. Two days after that, the virus hit the Phillies. First their visiting clubhouse attendant and then a coach and one other staff...

The Tampa Bay Rays are both respected and overlooked. Year after year, they have one of the smallest payrolls in baseball. And year after year, with just the odd exception, they’re one of the better teams in baseball. So how do they do it? And is the truncated 2020 season exactly the kind of campaign in which they can thrive? No one knows better than their longest-serving player, Kevin Kiermaier. This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman....

Who doesn’t love a Major League debut? Players spend years pursuing their dreams and working their way to the sport’s biggest stage. Sometimes it goes well… but sometimes it doesn’t. Fortunately for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Thomas Hatch, his recent debut is one worth talking about. This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Dan Shulman. Braden Connolly provided archival support. Audio Credits: Sportsnet The views and opinions expressed...

Mike Matheny took every precaution to avoid testing positive for COVID-19… but it wasn’t enough. The Kansas City Royals manager contracted it, fortunately without serious symptoms. He’s recovered, and now he’s resumed his baseball duties and is trying to convince 60 players how seriously they have to take the virus — which he can do, because he’s the one manager in the game who has first-hand experience with it. This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted...