Ringer Baseball

Latest Episodes:

MLB Is Back. What Is That Like? Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

We take you inside the world of the MLB return by talking with Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams (26:21), Yankees beat reporter Lindsey Adler (43:19), and Marlins pitcher Sterling Sharp (64:49). We know 2020 is different, but how different? How are players and reporters preparing for one of the strangest seasons in baseball history?

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guests: Lindsey Adler, Trevor Williams, and Sterling Sharp

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An Ode to Minor League Baseball. Plus: We’re Not Sure the 2020 Season Is Really Going to Happen. Jul 08, 2020

Show notes

Even though summer training has begun, it's hard to believe the 2020 MLB season is really going to come to fruition without a major improvement in COVID-19-testing protocol. Will MLB figure it out? Next, we pour out a metaphorical cheap beer now that the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season has been finalized and share the things we miss most about the minor leagues—and why Rob Manfred would do well to reverse course on downsizing it.

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guest: Ben Hill

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What Will the MLB Rule Changes Actually Change? Plus: ‘Koshien’ Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

Universal designated hitter, a runner on second base to start extra innings, and expanded active rosters—what will all this mean for the on-field product in 2020? We discuss those changes, their effect on our beloved Yoenis Céspedes, and where Yasiel Puig will end up (0:00). Then, we are joined by documentary filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki to discuss her film ‘Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams’—an engrossing, humanistic exploration of Japan’s national high school baseball tournament and the players and coaches that compete in it (0:00).

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guest: Ema Ryan Yamazaki

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How Are We Supposed to Feel About MLB Coming Back? Plus: Preston Wilson on Baseball’s Racial Inequities and Lucas Giolito on Allyship. Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

Major League Baseball finally has a plan to return. We bring on Michael Baumann to make sense of the coming 60-day season, the convoluted negotiations that led to this point, and our place in the sport as fans and media (2:55). Then we talk to retired outfielder Preston Wilson about his life and career, how biases in player development contribute to racial inequities in the majors, and the concrete steps the baseball community can take to start unlearning biases (23:48). Lastly, White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito joins to discuss what white allyship looks like in MLB, why this generation of players seems willing to speak out on issues of social justice, and whether demands for systemic change will persist once games resume (59:08).

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guests: Michael Baumann, Preston Wilson, and Lucas Giolito

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Will MLB Really Cancel the 2020 Season? Plus: Renel Brooks-Moon on Her Incredible Career and Activism in Baseball Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

The baseball news cycle is as confusing as it is frustrating—we bring on Ben Lindbergh to parse all the facts that you need to know about the likelihood of MLB playing this summer (2:13). Then, Giants PA announcer Renel Brooks-Moon joins to talk about her wonderful journey into baseball media, how this player activism movement compares to others she’s seen and participated in, and how the baseball world can better address its race and gender inequities (26:31).

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guest: Ben Lindbergh and Renel Brooks-Moon

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‘Long Gone Summer’ Director AJ Schnack on the Summer Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa Changed Baseball Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

We’re back early this week with a bonus podcast: It’s an interview with the director of ‘Long Gone Summer,’ the newest ESPN Films documentary on Mark McGwire's and Sammy Sosa’s battle for the single-season home run record in the summer of 1998. We ask AJ what made him want to make a film about this moment, the most difficult part of recounting this story, and why these two figures made that home run chase so compelling.

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guest: AJ Schnack

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How Will Baseball Address Its Shortcomings With Race and Accessibility? Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

As the nation continues to protest police brutality after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, calls for change and accountability have spread to the baseball world. How can the sport—at all levels—grow more diverse and improve the experience of Black players? In this episode, we speak to Royals minor leaguer Nick Heath and Johns Hopkins third baseman Matt Ritchie to gain their perspective.

To donate to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, click here.

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guests: Nick Heath and Matt Ritchie

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Will We Ever See a Two-Sport Superstar Again? May 27, 2020

Show notes

From the headliner to the sideshow, we’re giving you everything you need to know about two-sport baseball stars. Will we see one in the future, or was Kyler Murray our last shot? Settle the debate: Bo or Prime Time? Plus, Brian Jordan on what it was like to play in the NFL and MLB, protecting Mark McGwire in the lineup as he chased 70 home runs in a single season, and why he ended up choosing baseball over football (29:54).

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guest: Brian Jordan

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The Strange Origins and Glorious Evolution of the Home Run Derby May 20, 2020

Show notes

For our second episode, it’s all about the long ball, baby. We break down everything we love about the Home Run Derby, the only purely joyful event on the baseball calendar. Who are the five greatest to ever do it? What is the derby’s ideal format? And which derby pitchers are the best at giving up dingers? Plus: a conversation with Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins.

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guest: Rhys Hoskins

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Your Definitive Guide to Baseball Brawls | Baseball BBQ May 13, 2020

Show notes

Jake and Jordan bring you everything you need to know about baseball brawls and then some, from ranking the top five in MLB history to examining what makes a good (and not so good) brawl. Plus, Reds reliever Amir Garrett explains what it was like to start the biggest brawl of the 2019 season. Hold on to your helmets and sunglasses—we’re coming out swinging.

Hosts: Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman

Guest: Amir Garrett

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