Baseball and BBQ

Episode 325 features Road Gang Radio's, Jimmy Mac and former Major League Baseball pitcher and current motivational speaker, Dave Dravecky

Jimmy Mac is a native New Orleanian who has visited all 50 states.  Having worked in law enforcement, education, contracting, and the entertainment industry, he is now proud to be a member of the RadioNemo family. Jimmy loves that he gets paid to talk infrastructure, transportation, movies, books, and destinations on Road Gang Radio with people he adores.  Road Gang Radio is the destination for anyone who makes their living or lifestyle on the highways and byways.  Jimmy is wel...

Episode 324 features our annual National Baseball Hall of Fame discussion for the Class of 2026 with journalist, Bill Chuck, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Executive, Scott Crawford, writer and performer, Brett Moore, and pitmaster, Doug Scheiding

Ask a journalist, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame executive, a writer/performer, and a pitmaster  for their thoughts on the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and you get a rousing, educational, controversial, and entertaining discussion.

Bill Chuck, Scott Crawford, Brett Moore, and Doug Scheiding know their baseball and each has their own opinions which you m...

Episode two of the NYS Halls of Fame Podcast features New York State Baseball Hall of Fame members, Dom Scala and Mike Pagliarulo with hall of fame worthy stories and hosts Rene LeRoux, Jeff Cohen, and Leonard Aberman

Dom Scala played in the minor leagues before making the decision to become a coach and in 1978 Dom earned a World Series Championship with the New York Yankees while working as their bullpen coach.  As Head Coach of the Adelphi University Panthers from 2003-2021, Dom has seen dozens of his former players drafted or signed to professional c...

Former Major League Baseball pitcher, Steve Trachsel and Chef Jason Morse with help from pitmaster, Doug Scheiding, sling a heaping helping of baseball and barbecue talk on episode 323

Steve Trachsel was a Major League pitcher for 16 years.  Known primarily for his time with the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets, he also played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the Baltimore Orioles.  He first joined us on episode 127 and then again on episode 143 during which he discussed a masterful gem he threw against the Boston Red Sox as he out...

Episode 322 features Big Green Egghead, Captain Ron and former Major League Baseball player and current college baseball coach Frank Catalanotto

Ron Dimpflmaier aka Captain Ron is taking the adage, "If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life" and incorporating it into his career path.  As a representative for the Big Green Egg, Ron travels, cooks barbecue on his favorite cookers, and meets people who want to talk food.  His endearing personality makes him a perfect representative for the cooker which has developed a devoted fanbase.  We met Captain Ron at the N...

NYS Halls of Fame Podcast's Inaugural Episode With Former MLB Pitcher, David Palmer

Welcome to the first episode of the NYS Halls of Fame Podcast as your hosts, Rene LeRoux, Jeff Cohen, and Leonard Aberman present interviews with members of the New York State Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey Halls of Fame.  We thank you for joining us.

David Palmer was inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.  He is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Detroit Tigers.  David played with exc...

Celebrating our eight year anniversary with umpire Frank Pallone and Smoke 'n Magic's Bre Via and Brad Colter

Frank Pallone started umpiring at the age of 13 and has been at it ever since.  Frank is a Connecticut State Certified Baseball Umpire and has spent more than 30 years with the Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association.  In 2024 Frank received the Gassira Umpire Award.  It is awarded annually to a local umpire who exhibits the passion, sportsmanship and teachings of Andrew Gassira.  Gassira was a lifelong resident of the New Haven area, who passed away in October, 1979 and dedicated hims...

Episode 320 is a grand slam as we welcome Barbecue Hall of Fame member, Ardie Davis and newly inducted member of the Order of the Magic Mop, Chef Ray Sheehan, plus author David Krell brings Bo Belinsky to life in his book, Bo Belinsky:  The Rise, Fall and Rebound of a Playboy Pitcher and Dan Lloyd Discusses Big Dog Sauce Company's newest venture.

Ardie Davis aka Remus Powers, Ph.B. is a 2016 Barbecue Hall of Fame member in the celebrity/humanitarian category.  Ardie is a founder of the American Royal Barbecue Sauce Contest which is the wo...

Episode 319 features Chef Ray Sheehan as he presents his Annual Holiday Gift Giving Guide and author, Robert Elias discusses, Dangerous Danny Gardella: Baseball's Neglected Trailblazer for Today's Millionaire Athletes

Ray Sheehan also known as Chef Ray is an award winning maker of barbecue sauces and rubs as well as an award winning cookbook author.  We continue with our yearly tradition as he presents his annual holiday gift giving guide.  Links for the gift guide follow:  Bear Mountain BBQ  www.bearmountainbbq.com; The Briner www.thebriner.com;  Big Green Egg www.biggreenegg.com; Drip EZ www.bbqdri...

Episode 318 features Grammy-winning country music superstar, Brad Paisley and Emmy-winning writer extraordinaire, David Wild as we discuss our mutual love for baseball, barbecue, music, and so much more.

Brad Paisley is a country music superstar and has won three Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards and 15 Academy of Country Music Awards.  Brad has 24 number one hits and, in 2008 became the first artist to achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay number one singles and in 2010 he was named the CMA Entertainer of the Year.  He and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are co-founders of the nonprofit org...

Episode 317 features Frank Santopadre, Emmy-winning writer and baseball pop culture savant and Tom and Natalie Painter from The Briner with products designed to improve your cooking skills

Frank Santopadre is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and producer for television, radio, and live events, currently working as a staff writer on ABC Television's, The View. He was also the co-producer and co-host of Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast.  The show was known for its deep dives into classic Hollywood, interviewing entertainers, actors, directors, writers, and other show business figures.  Frank has contributed to many shows, including The View, The Howa...

Episode 316 features legendary Hall of Fame pitcher, Walter Johnson's grandson, Henry Thomas and the Seattle Mariners kitchen supervisor and smoker of meats, Chef Dillon Scott

Henry W. "Hank" Thomas is the grandson of the legendary Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Walter Johnson.  He is the author of the biography Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train, and has dedicated himself to preserving his grandfather's legacy after Walter Johnson passed away when Henry was only eight months old.  Hank does an excellent job of preserving his grandfather's memory and offers us a unique look at one of the first five me...

Episode 315 features Andre Ceballos of Screamin' Eagle BBQ and Jeffrey Orens, author of Selling Baseball: How Superstars George Wright and Albert Spalding Impacted Sports In America

Andre Ceballos is a member of the veteran-based barbecue team, Screamin’ Eagle BBQ.  The team has four members: Andre (founder and USMC combat veteran), Clint (Army combat veteran), Shane, and Josh.  They compete in SCA and RCA events, along with multiple local events and charity drives. They hope to change the face of barbecue with a few goals, bring people together, make people smile, bring men’s mental health issues forward, have f...

Episode 314 features the founder and executive director of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, Rene LeRoux and the creator of Kick Ash Basket, Chad Romzek

Rene LeRoux is the founder and executive director of the New York State Hall of Fame’s for baseball, basketball, and hockey.  Rene returns to the show to discuss the outstanding 2025 baseball class which will be inducted during the November dinner in Troy, New York.  The inductees are Mike Turo, Joe Panik, Gary Carter, Brian Cashman, Frank Catalonotto, Brian Cogan, Chris Dedrick, Jim Kaat, Brother Robert Kent, Marc Levin...

To honor his memory we are rereleasing episode 93 featuring former NFL Pro Bowler, Nick Mangold who joined us to talk barbecue and football. On the same episode we had former MLB pitcher, Jerry Reuss who pitched in the Major Leagues for 22 years.

Nick Mangold played center in the National Football League for 11 years as a member of the New York Jets, was a seven time Pro Bowl selection and considered by many to be one of the best at his position.  He also makes one heck of a BBQ sauce and is determined to have h...

Episode 314 features the founder and executive director of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, Rene LeRoux and the creator of Kick Ash Basket, Chad Romzek

Rene LeRoux is the founder and executive director of the New York State Hall of Fame’s for baseball, basketball, and hockey.  Rene returns to the show to discuss the outstanding 2025 baseball class which will be inducted during the November dinner in Troy, New York.  The inductees are Mike Turo, Joe Panik, Gary Carter, Brian Cashman, Frank Catalonotto, Brian Cogan, Chris Dedrick, Jim Kaat, Brother Robert Kent, Marc Levi...

Episode 313 features country music singer and professional baseball player, Bryce Hensley and pitmaster for the Generation Q Barbecue competition team, Kevin Tatgenhorst

Bryce Hensley was destined to perform in front of a crowd whether as a baseball player or a singer.  In the 2018 MLB draft he was chosen by the Kansas City Royals.  If it had not been for the pandemic he may still be pitching, but when the players were sent home at the start of the pandemic, Bryce made the decision to pursue his other passion as a country music singer.  Bryce received his first guit...

Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster and International Boxing Hall of Fame member, Steve Albert discusses his new book, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Broadcast Booth and Bullhorn BBQ's champion pitmaster, Rob Arocha discusses his winning team, his podcast, and baseball.

Steve Albert is an Emmy Award winning sportscaster, providing play-by-play for the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, New York Mets, Phoenix Suns, New York Arrows, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Cleveland Crusaders, and New York Jets.  He has worked as the sports anchor at WCBS-TV, WNBC-TV, WWOR-TV, and di...

Episode 311features Kris Benson, former Major League Baseball pitcher and National College Baseball Hall of Fame member and Rick Manzi, pitmaster from the Anonymous Q cooking team

Kris Benson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who was drafted first overall in 1996 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  In addition to playing for the Pirates, he also played for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks.  Kris was an outstanding college player with Clemson University and this has earned him induction into the 2025 class of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.  Kris was...

Episode 310 features The Barbeque Princess, Leslie Roark Scott who is from a family with an important deep-rooted barbecue history and Jim Leeke the author of Big Loosh: The Unruly Life of Umpire Ron Luciano

Leslie Roark Scott is known as The Barbeque Princess.  She is the owner and pitmaster of Ubons Restaurant in Yazoo City, MS, and is the chief pitmaster of Ubons Competition BBQ Team. Leslie was a featured chef at the James Beard House and she and her crew can be seen on the Food Network shows Chopped, SmokeMasters, Beat Bobby Flay, BBQ USA, as we...

Episode 309 is a rare triple play as New York Times bestselling author, Jane Leavy discusses her newest tome, Make Me Commissioner, Brian and Larry Paris of Smokin' Bliss BBQ are joined by guest co-host, Doug Scheiding to discuss barbecue, and Gary Mack of Mets Musings Reflects on Davey Johnson.

Jane Leavy is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, The Big Fella:  Babe Ruth and the World He Created, The Last Boy:  Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood, and Sandy Koufax:  A Lefty's Legacy.  She joins us to discuss her newest book, Make Me Commis...

Episode 308 features B.T. Leigh's Sauces & Rubs founder, Brian Leigh and author of The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays: A Curated History of the Jays, Keegan Matheson

Brian Leigh is the founder of B.T. Leigh's Sauces & Rubs.  He is a PBS cooking competition show alum and was a contestant on The Great American Recipe.  As stated on the B.T. Leigh's website for their award-winning sauces and rubs, "We're serious about creating unique flavor combinations that will keep you coming back for more. Our sauces and spice blends combine familiar and unfamiliar ingredients to create tas...

Episode 307 features the author of L.A. Story:  Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a Season for the Ages, Bill Plunkett and the founder of TD's Brew & BBQ, Tearl Dunlap

Bill Plunkett is an award-winning sportswriter who covers the Los Angeles Dodgers beat for the Orange County Register, and has written about baseball in Southern California for nearly 25 years, including a separate stint on the Los Angeles Angels beat. He is a Hall of Fame voter whose work has appeared in Baseball America and Baseball Digest and he is a frequent guest on the MLB Network, E...

Episode 306 features the Baseball Hall of Fame sportswriter,  Bill Madden and the inventor of the FlipGrill, Andrew Barnhart

Bill Madden has been an active baseball writer since 1970 and was the New York Yankees beat writer for the New York Daily News from 1980 to 1988 before being promoted to national baseball columnist.  He is the author of many baseball books and is with us to discuss his latest book, Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown:  A Baseball Memoir.  In 2010 he received the Hall of Fame's J.G. Taylor Spink Award, the highest honor of the Baseball Writers Association of A...

Episode 305 features pitmaster, podcaster, and teacher, Andy Groneman and San Francisco Giants superfan, Norm Coleman

Andy Groneman is the head cook of the Smoke On Wheels BBQ team and has amassed hundreds of awards.  Beyond competitions, Andy has spent many years teaching barbecue classes and, at the time of our discussion, had taught more than 60,000 students.  He also developed and sells a barbecue sauce, injection, and marinade, under the Smoke On Wheels label.  In addition to all of that Andy has been a fixture on television and media, with his latest as co-host with Todd John...

Episode 304 features former Major League Baseball player, Jim Gosger with guest co-host, Anthony Marasco and the Seattle Butcher's Wife, Misty Banchero with guest co-host, Doug Scheiding

Jim Gosger played in the major leagues for 10 seasons between 1963 and 1974, for five different teams primarily as an outfielder.  The teams included the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Seattle Pilots, New York Mets, and Montreal Expos.  Jim played baseball in a fascinating Era with some teams which have either moved or changed names, as well as with some outstanding players.  His stories from 10 major league seasons are both...

Episode 303 features a discussion on the Major League Baseball career of the legendary Hall of Fame pitcher, Waite Hoyt.  Jimmy Carbone and Sean Ludwig talk about whole hog cooking and the upcoming barbecue event, Pig Island NYC.  Hunter Breshears of Plainville Farms and Leidy's Premium Meats takes us to a New York Mets game.

Tim Manners is a writer, communications consultant and baseball fan.  He is a former FM-radio disc jockey, publicist and magazine publisher. His latest project is Schoolboy: The Untold Journey of a Yankees Hero which he co-wrote with baseball great Waite Hoyt, even th...

Episode 302 features Girls With Guts author and barbecue fiend, Debbie Gonzales and Talking Baseball With Major League Stars author, Wayne Stewart

Debbie Gonzales is an author and a self-described barbecue fiend.  She joins us to discuss her latest book, Girls with Guts:  The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records.  It is a childrens book with a very strong message as it highlights the achievements of women athletes.  The story celebrates strength, endurance, and athleticism of women and girls throughout history.  In addition to discussing her book, we talk about Debbie's love of barbecue.  She loves m...

Episode 301 features Donna Muscarella, President of the Elysian Fields SABR Chapter and Steven Chase, founder of Steve's Original Sauces   
 
Donna Muscarella is a baseball enthusiast, photographer, and mixed-media artist.  Hinchliffe Stadium, one of the few Negro Leagues ballparks still standing, is a repeat subject of Donna’s creative compositions.  In 2021, she released her debut trading card set, which used her photography of the historic ballpark on the card fronts.  The card backs featured information about Hinchliffe’s Negro Leagues ties.  Donna’s Hinchliffe photography appeared on Forbes.com, in the third editi...

Celebrating our 300th episode with Emmy winner, David Wild, writer for the Grammy Awards and Rolling Stone magazine and barbecue pitmaster legends, Moe Cason and Bob Trudnak, plus special congratulatory messages

David Wild  is an award-winning writer, producer, and longtime Rolling Stone magazine contributing editor.  Prior to Rolling Stone he wrote for Esquire magazine.  He has written or produced scores of major specials including the Grammy Awards, Oscars, Emmys, and the Academy of Country Music Awards.  Additionally, he has written books on the television shows, Friends and Seinfeld.  He now co-hosts the podcast, Naked Lunch with P...

Episode 299 features former Major League Baseball pitcher and a member of the 2000 World Series Champion New York Yankees, Denny Neagle and the inventor of the barbecue Grill Fighter cleaning tool, Marvin Weinberger.

Denny Neagle is former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six teams over a 13-year career, including the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.  He earned a World Series ring as a member of the 2000 World Series Champion New York Yankees.  Denny regales us with stories from his stellar playing day...

Episode 298 features Don Drysdale Up and In Author, Mark Whicker and Twisted D Cookers, Donnie Howard as we explore a Baseball Hall of Famers' career and a barbecue pitmaster's journey
Mark Whicker worked for 49 years in the newspaper business and spent 34 of those years as a columnist for the Orange County Register.  Before that he was a columnist and beat writer for the Philadelphia Bulletin and a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.  He is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame.  His latest project is the book, Don Drysdale Up and In: The L...

Episode 297 features former Major League Baseball player and executive, Ed Lynch, inventor of the BBQ Hooker, John Garcia with his son, Gabriel, and winner of Netflix's season two Barbecue Showdown, Thyron Mathews

Ed Lynch was drafted by the Texas Rangers and after three years in their minor league system he was traded to the New York Mets and had the opportunity to play with several outstanding players, including Dwight "Doc" Gooden and The Franchise, Tom Seaver.  Ed was  eventually traded to the Chicago Cubs, which is where he ended his playing career.  Ed then made the...

Episode 296 features Babe Ruth's great-grandson, Brent Stevens and author, Kelly Bennett discussing Out of the Mouth of Babe, while National BBQ Festival participants, Alex Fei of Roto-Q 360, Hunter Breshears of Plainville Farms, and Stefan Nicodemou of Saucy Rascals discuss their products

Kelly Bennett is the author of many award-winning books for children.  She first joined us on episode 243 to discuss her book, The House That Ruth Built.  She is back to introduce her newest book, Out of the Mouth of Babe which she worked on with Brent Stevens, Babe Ruth’s great-grandson, and Stu Dressler, a long...

Episode 295 features baseball gaijin, Tony Barnette and an encore presentation of Barbecue Hall of Fame member, Lee Ann Whippen

Tony Barnette is a former professional baseball pitcher and the main subject of the book, A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back written by our previous guest, Aaron Fischman.  Tony played in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.  Tony took a nontraditional route to the Major Leagues.  He started in the MLB's minor leagues, spent six years pitching in Japan...

Episode 294 is filled with members of their respective Hall of Fame's as we welcome Barbecue Hall of Fame member, Meathead and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member, Ryan Dempster. Plus we are joined by guest co-host Scott Crawford, Director of Operations for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Meathead is the founder and publisher of the immensely popular BBQ and grilling website AmazingRibs.com.  He is a   member of the Barbecue Hall of Fame and the author of Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling, a New York Times Best Seller and named one of the...

Hang up the disco ball, put on the bell-bottom pants, tube tops, halter tops, leisure suits, and platform shoes as we step back in time to 1978 with author, David Krell and then come back to 2025 as we chat with the cofounder of Big Dog Sauce Company, Dan Lloyd.

David Krell is an author, baseball historian, and a reoccurring guest.  His latest work is, 1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era.  It is a fascinating look at a year which not only featured an exciting baseball season, but also included great music, wonderful movies, events that gre...

Episode 292 features Chef Ray's highly anticipated annual Father's Day Gift Guide and Brett Moore dazzles us with his encyclopedic baseball knowledge as Gary Looney joins us as guest co-host.

Ray Sheehan also known as Chef Ray is an award winning maker of barbecue sauces and rubs as well as an award winning cookbook author.  We continue with our annual tradition as he presents his Annual Holiday Gift Giving Guide.   Links for the gift guide follow:

Big Green Egg  https://biggreenegg.com/  Mammoth Cutting Boards  https://mammothcuttingboards.com/  Flipgrill  https://flipgrill.shop/  Turbo Trusser  http...

Episode 291 features Will Bardenwerper, author of Homestand:  Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America and Nate Corbitt, founder of Nate's Smokehouse BBQ Blends

Will Bardenwerper has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Harper's Magazine.  He served as an Airborne Ranger-qualified infantry officer in Iraq and was awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge and Bronze Star. Homestand:  Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America reflects the time Will spent in Batavia, New York, as he got to know the community and experience their love of baseb...

Episode 290 features former Major League Baseball player, Carlos Baerga and World Food Championships finalist, Michelle O'Guin

Carlos Baerga is a former Major League Baseball player, who spent most of his playing career with the Cleveland Indians.  It was during his time with Cleveland that he earned three All-Star appearances, two Silver Slugger Awards, and made major contributions to their 1995 postseason run.  The preceding was impressive enough to earn Carlos a spot among the elite in 2013 with an induction into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.  Carlos has also played for the New York Mets, San Diego...

Episode 289 features HQ Trivia and ChangeUp's, Scott Rogowsky and King Louie's Meat Apostles, Michael Goff and a recap of the Jeff Michner Foundation BBQ Benefit at Pig Beach.

Scott Rogowsky is a comedian and television personality. He is well known for his time hosting HQ Trivia, a mobile game show.  Scott also co-hosted ChangeUp, a baseball program broadcast on the subscription video streaming network, DAZN.  HQ Trivia was a huge hit and it is what put him on the map, but Scott has been performing and hosting many other shows and we discuss a lot of them, i...

Episode 288 features Danny Torres discussing his career as well as his love, respect, and admiration for the legendary Major League Baseball Hall of Fame member and humanitarian, Roberto Clemente.  Plus we talk barbecue with pitmaster, Daddy Dutch who has a dedicated YouTube channel with plenty of food related videos.    
 
Danny Torres is a freelance sports journalist and podcast host.  Danny has been a contributing writer to the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s official magazine, Memories and Dreams. Danny’s work also appeared on mlb.com and in the New York Mets official publication...

Episode 287 features the author of A Baseball Gaijin:  Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back, Aaron Fischman and Champion Pitmaster Fred Robles, With Guest Co-host, Doug Scheiding
 

Aaron Fischman is a sports writer, author, editor and multimedia journalist, who currently hosts the On the NBA Beat podcast, a weekly interview show he helped co-found with Loren Lee Chen and his brother, Joshua Fischman.  His first book, A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back is a very entertaining and informative look at the life and baseball career of Tony Barnette, who took a nontradi...

Episode 286 features Pig Beach BBQ's, Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride Promoting the 5th Annual BBQ Benefit for the Jeff Michner Foundation and Author, Chris Jensen Discussing Baseball's Two-Way Greats 

Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride from Pig Beach BBQ join us to discuss the 5th Annual BBQ Benefit for the Jeff Michner Foundation taking place at Pig Beach BBQ, 35 - 37 36th Street, Queens, NY 11106 on Saturday afternoon, April 26, 2025.  The foundation was set up in honor of Jeff Michner who passed away at the age of 36, but although young, meaningfully touched so many lives.  The organiza...

Episode 285 features inspiring stories from athlete, Dave Stevens, a seven-time Emmy Award winner and congenital amputee, while Jimmy Carbone and Sean Ludwig promote upcoming barbecue events and barbecue's enormous growth. 

Dave Stevens is an athlete and a seven-time Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster.  Dave is a congenital amputee and has wrestled, played football, and played baseball, all without legs.  Dave played college football and had a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys.  Dave was featured on the television show, That’s Incredible along with a very young and future golf pro, Tiger Woods.  Dave had baseball tryouts...

Episode 284 features Butcher BBQ's, David Bouska and Former Major League Baseball player, Ryan Thompson, plus guest co-host, Gary Mack.

David Bouska is an award-winning pitmaster and the owner of Butcher BBQ.  He has won numerous awards, including titles at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational BBQ and American Royal World Series of Barbecue.  He was featured on seasons four and five of Food Network’s, BBQ Pitmasters and BBQ Pitmasters All Stars.  David is a member of the Oklahoma BBQ Hall of Fame and will soon be inducted into the Kansas City BBQ Society Hall of Fa...

Episode 283 features four-time Major League Baseball Manager of the Year and New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Member, Buck Showalter and Chicken Fried BBQ's champion pitmaster, Bill Purvis, plus guest co-host, Doug Scheiding

Buck Showalter has earned a reputation for building baseball teams into postseason contenders in short periods of time.  The teams he has managed include, the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets.  Along the way he has won four Manager of the Year Awards, three in the American League and one in the National League.  He i...

Episode 282 is a rare triple play with Art Shamsky, a member of the 1969 World Series Champion Miracle Mets, Kell Phelps and Mike McCarthy, organizers of the National BBQ Festival, and Gary Looney, reporting from Los Angeles Angels spring training.

Art Shamsky will forever have the honor of being a member of the 1969 World Series Champion Miracle Mets as that was a huge highlight of his Major League Baseball career.  But there is so much more to his story and legacy.  Since his playing days, he has worked as a radio and television sports broadcaster in the...

Episode 281 features outstanding stories from Barbecue Hall of Fame inductee, Famous Dave Anderson and New York State Baseball Hall of Fame member, Dom Scala.

Dave Anderson known worldwide as Famous Dave Anderson is dedicated to making outstanding barbecue.  In 1994 he opened The Original Famous Dave’s in a small Wisconsin town where he was serving as many as 6000 people a week in a place where only 2000 people lived.  The sucess of that first restaurant lead to the opening of over 180 restaurants nationwide and over $500 Million in sales and the creation of over 20,000 jobs.  How Famous Dave ach...

Episode 280 features former Major League Baseball Umpire, Al Clark and barbecue aficionado, Big Rome sharing wonderfully entertaining stories and bringing the heat.

Al Clark was a Major League Baseball umpire for 30 years, working more than 3,000 games, including two All-Star Games, ten playoff series, and two World Series.  We discuss his book, Called Out But Safe:  A Baseball Umpire's Journey.  The book was first published more than 10 years ago, but the stories are timeless and extremely entertaining.  Al has been on the field for many historic games, including Nolan Ryan's 300th win, Cal Ripken's record breaker, and t...

Episode 279 is filled with baseball and barbecue as Talking Baseball's, Ed Randall regales us with baseball stories and Tailgate Guys BBQ's, Lyndal Scranton discusses barbecue and throws in some baseball talk, plus Jeff rants.

Ed Randall is in the upper echelon when one mentions anything related to baseball media and storytelling. He previously joined us in our shows infancy on episode 34.  He currently hosts Remember When with former Red Sox manager, Kevin Kennedy on Sirius XM as well as working on camera for the MLB Network.  For many years he could be found talking baseball on...

Episode 278 features Wally Backman, member of the 1986 World Series Champion New York Mets and a baseball lifer and Jonathan Lathrop and James Moore from the Grab'em in the Brisket podcast, plus guest co-host, Doug Scheiding.

Wally Backman was an integral member of the 1986 World Series Champion New York Mets.  After his time with the Mets, Wally played for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Seattle Mariners.  Following his playing career, Wally used his teaching skills, as well as his abilities to get the most from his players and nurture their talent, as manag...

Episode 277 features Loot N' Booty BBQ's, Sterling Smith and Baseball Writer and Researcher, Bill Chuck as they remind us why they are among the best at what they do.

Sterling Smith AKA Smitty is a World Barbecue Champion, US Navy Veteran, barbecue teacher, cookbook author, and owner/pitmaster of Loot N' Booty BBQ.  In addition to all of that, Loot N' Booty BBQ has created an award-winning selection of rubs and sauces.  Smitty tells us about his humble barbecue beginning and where his love of barbecue has taken him as well as what is coming up...

Episode 276 features author, Tom Hoffarth discussing his book, Perfect Eloquence:  An Appreciation of Vin Scully and pitmaster, Brad Vollmer from the Meat's My Mistress Barbeque Team 
 
Tom Hoffarth is an Associated Press award-winning journalist.  He has written for the Southern California News Group, the Los Angeles Times, Hollywood Reporter, Angelus News, National Catholic Reporter, Los Angeles Business Journal, and Sports Business Journal.  His latest project is Perfect Eloquence:  An Appreciation of Vin Scully which is a collection of 67 essays, one representing each season of his career calling games for the Los Angeles Dodgers, from 1950 through 2016.  Written by...

Episode 275 features the Kansas City Royals pitching coach, Brian Sweeney and the host of the Pit Life BBQ podcast, Johnny Mags.  Plus, we discuss the possibility of a Los Angeles Dodgers dynasty. 

 
Brian Sweeney is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who has transitioned quite nicely into the role of pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals.  He played in the Major Leagues for the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres and then played in Japan for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.  After his playing career ended, Brian coached in the minor league...

In episode 274 we learn about environmentally friendly charcoal with Ben Jablonski from The Good Charcoal and we go back in time to 1959 with author, Phil Coffin as we discuss his books, When Baseball Was Still Topps and A Baseball Book of Days. Plus Chef Ray Sheehan assumes guest co-hosting duties.
Ben Jablonski is the co-founder of The Good Charcoal.  The company's mission is good charcoal, good for the environment, good for the community.  Ben grew up in Australia where grilling was central to celebrations or gatherings.  In 2020, Ben wanted to give consumers a healthy charcoal alternative.  The Goo...

Episode 273 is full of passion as we welcome New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Member, Kevin Graber and Queen of the Grill and Cookbook Author, Paula Stachyra
 
Kevin Graber loves baseball and wearing a baseball uniform makes him happy.  His baseball journey has been inspirational, not just because of what he has had to overcome, but also for why he has stuck with baseball which is clearly one of his passions.  Kevin talks about his humble beginnings as well as his time as a coach and coordinator in the Chicago Cubs organization.  Kevin...

Ask a pitmaster, an author, and a Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame executive for their thoughts on the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and you get a rousing, educational, controversial, and entertaining discussion.  Episode 272 features our annual Baseball Hall of Fame discussion for the class of 2025 with pitmaster, Doug Scheiding, author, John Vampatella, and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame executive, Scott Crawford. 

Doug Scheiding, John Vampatella, and Scott Crawford know their baseball and each has their own opinions which you may or may not agree with, but we hope all...

Episode 271 features peace, love, and baseball with Kelsey Burd and what did dad do with My Dad's BBQ's, Danny Wilk, plus a tribute to legendary leadoff hitter, Rickey Henderson

Kelsey Burd is the host and creative force behind the Peace, Love, and Baseball podcast.  This is in addition to her other podcast, Bourbon and Baseball which she co-hosts with Suzy Fulton. Kelsey’s love of performing in musical theatre combined with her passion for baseball makes Peace, Love, and Baseball unique in the various ways she views baseball.  Kelsey is a huge baseball fan, but the te...

Episode 270 features barbecue you can’t refuse with The Hogfathers, Mal Schexneider and Scott Dudek and author, Steve Wiegand on The Uncommon Life of Danny O'Connell, plus Jeff and Leonard's brilliant observations.

The Hogfathers BBQ is barbecue you can't refuse and per their website, "was started with brother-in-laws Scott Dudek and Malton Schexneider cooking for their family. Fast and easy burgers and dogs on a gas grill were replaced with low and slow barbecue.  It started out as a backyard hobby on a vertical electric smoker and Weber Kettle, which was quickly replaced by a Traeg...

Episode 269 features former Major League Baseball pitcher, Bill Pulsipher, telling his story to help others, Bubb'n Mutha's founder, John Fuhrman dishing out barbecue and baseball talk, Leonard rants, and we celebrate our show's seven year anniversary.

Bill Pulsipher is one third of what New York Mets fans once knew as "Generation K."  It was a moniker he shared with his two other teammates, Jason Isringhausen and Paul Wilson.  The media dubbed them as the members and the fans, desperate for players to help their team, bought into the hype.  The amount of pressure this placed on B...

Episode 268 features a candid interview with Greg Rempe, host of the BBQ Central Show and we explore 3,000: Baseball's Elite Clubs for Hits and Strikeouts with Author, Douglas J. Jordan, plus we discuss the possibility of the Golden At-Bat Rule
 

Greg Rempe is the creator and host of the longest running and most listened to show dealing with live fire cooking, The BBQ Central Show.  He has been extremely supportive of our show with advice, support, and encouragement.  We wanted Greg back to learn more about him, his show, what it takes to produce a succ...

Episode 268 features A Candid Interview with Greg Rempe, Host of the BBQ Central Show and We Explore Baseball's Elite 3000 Club with Author, Douglas Jordan
 

Greg Rempe is the creator and host of the longest running and most listened to shows dealing with live fire cooking, The BBQ Central Show.  He he has been extremely supportive of our show with advice, support, and encouragement.  We wanted Greg back to learn more about him, his show, what it takes to produce a successful podcast, his opinions on barbecue and baseball and much more.  His show can be he...

Episode 267 features Chef Ray Sheehan presenting his Annual Holiday Gift Giving Guide and Author, Lynn Ames discussing her award-winning biography, Out at the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story

Ray Sheehan also known as Chef Ray is an award winning maker of barbecue sauces and rubs as well as an award winning cookbook author.  We continue with our yearly tradition as he presents his annual holiday gift giving guide.  Links for the gift guide follow:
Big Green Egg https://biggreenegg.com/  The Good Charcoal Company https://www.thegoodcharcoal.com/  Thermoworks https://www.thermoworks.com/  Amazingribs.com https...

Episode 266 features Brett Mandel, co-founder of Baseballbbq.com and Keith O'Brien, author of Charlie Hustle. Plus we discuss two Major League teams who will be playing on minor league fields.

Brett Mandel from the company, Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com/ is back to apprise us on the great things the company is doing and remind us of all their terrific products.  Anyone who loves baseball and barbecue will thoroughly enjoy the wide range of grilling tools and accessories they offer.  It's an extensive list, but includes spatula's, forks, grill scrapers, pigtail hooks, bottle openers, and tongs...

Episode 265 features fireballing former MLB Pitcher, Jim Kern and Trompo King inventor, Noam Weiss treating us to  amazing stories and we have a New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Dinner Report

Jim Kern is a former professional baseball pitcher.  With three All-Star appearances from 1977-1979, Kern went went 13–5 with a 1.57 ERA and 29 saves out of the Texas Rangers bullpen in 1979 to finish fourth in American League Cy Young Award balloting.  Over a 12 year Major League career, Jim played for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers.  Jim is...

Episode 264 features Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Director of Operations, Scott Crawford and Charcoal and BBQ owners, Jason and Paula Mathews

Scott Crawford is the Director of Operations for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada.  Scott provides a wonderful description of Canada's Baseball Hall of Fame including how it got started, the way inductees are chosen, and stories about some of its honorees.  Baseball has thrived and continues to do so in Canada and the museum is dedicated to preserving its heritage.  You may be surprised to lea...

We celebrate founders as episode 263 features Carolyn Wells, co-founder of the Kansas City Barbeque Society and Rene LeRoux, founder of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame.    

Carolyn Wells is co-founder of the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) which she founded with her late husband, Gary Wells.  She has won over 150 awards in barbecue cooking contests.  She is a member of the prestigious KCBS Hall of Flame, and has earned her Ph.B. (Doctor of Barbecue Philosophy).  Carolyn is an author, including as the chief essayist for The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook.  Carolyn has promot...

Episode 262 features unique barbecue and baseball stories with the president of AmazingRibs.com, Clint Cantwell and co-host of the National League Town podcast, Jeff Hysen while Chef Ray Sheehan assumes guest co-hosting duties.

Clint Cantwell is president of AmazingRibs.com which is a leading online resource for barbecue and grilling information.  As president, Clint performs day-to-day operations, creates recipes, writes articles, shoots photos, and does whatever else is needed to help run the heavily heavily trafficked website.  He is also a champion pitmaster and an outdoor cooking content creator.  Clint was named one of the "10 Faces o...

Episode 261 features Bill Mikita, Hollywood writer and film producer and Mike McCloud, creator of the World Food Championships.

Bill Mikita is the writer and producer of the movie, Chasing 3000.  The movie is based on the true story of Bill and his brother's cross country trip to see Roberto Clemente get his 3,000th base hit.  The story of how this career lawyer became a Hollywood writer and film producer and was able to get Ray Liotta, among other celebrities to star in the movie is fascinating.  Some of those other celebrities include, Lauren Holly, M. Emmet Wals...

Episode 260 features Mark Anderson, one half of the Grill Dad's discussing all things barbecue and grilling while Doug Scheiding joins us for additional "grilling" and Doug Kurkul discusses his latest book, It's a Beautiful Day for Baseball which explores the game and players from the 1960's.

Mark Anderson is one half of the Grill Dad's.  He previously joined us on episode 143 with the other Grill Dad, Ryan Fey.  This time he is flying solo and he provides an update on the exciting things the Grill Dads have been up to as well as discussing many oth...

Episode 259 features Fred Claire, general manager of the 1988 World Series Champion, Los Angeles Dodgers and Phil Breeden, award-winning pitmaster and founder of LC BBQ.

Fred Claire  is a former Major League Baseball executive who served in numerous roles for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1969 to 1998 including the role of general manager.  Prior to his GM role, Fred was the VP of Public Relations and was instrumental in creating the branding that came to be known as "Dodger Blue."  However, it was an unfortunate night on April 6, 1987 when Dodgers General Manager Al Campanis appeared on the televi...

Episode 258 features New York Times bestselling author, Erik Sherman discussing his book on Boston Red Sox legend, Dwight Evans and Shaticka Robinson tells us all about winning season 3 of Netflix's Barbecue Showdown.

Erik Sherman is a baseball historian and author.  This is his fourth Baseball and BBQ appearance and this time he is discussing his latest book, Dewey:  Behind the Gold Glove.  The book explores the on the field career and off the field life of Dwight "Dewey" Evans who, for 20 years was a legendary player in Boston for his potent bat and sterling defense.  Yet for...

Episode 257 features author, Joseph R. Haynes discussing his book on barbecue history and Josh Schaub, Commissioner of the American Association of Professional Baseball providing baseball fans with alternatives to the MLB.  Plus Jeff tells about his special weekend in Philadelphia
 
Joseph R. Haynes is an award winning barbecue cook, a Kansas City Barbeque Society Master Certified Barbecue Judge, and an author.  He also authored the Virginia Barbecue Proclamation that was unanimously passed by the Virginia State Legislature in 2016.  His latest tome, From Barbycu to Barbecue: The Untold History of an American Tradition offers a fresh...

Episode 256 features former MLB player, Butch Huskey and Rib Cook Off Association originators, Dirk Mullins and Jody Harris.  Plus we pay tribute to the late Ed Kranepool and discuss Pig Island NYC 2024. 

Butch Huskey is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an outfielder in 1993 and from 1995 to 2000.  Butch played for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, and the Colorado Rockies.  Butch was the last New York Met to wear #42 which was retired by all of Major League Baseball to honor Jackie Robinson on April...

Mike Donlin Book Co-author, Steve Steinberg and Uncle Steve's Shake Creator, Steve Brown Make This Episode a Tale of Two Steves

Steve Steinberg is a baseball historian and the author of several baseball books, many of which he has co-authored with Lyle Spatz, including his latest tome, Mike Donlin:  A Rough And Rowdy Life From New York Baseball Idol To Stage And Screen.  This is the story of a brash and controversial baseball star who walked away from the game at the height of his career to join his famous actress wife on stage. Their lo...

John P. Lopez, Sports Radio Host and OG Barbecue Sauce Creator Does Double Duty as Both Baseball and BBQ Guest

John P. Lopez is the co-host of In the Loop on Sports Radio 610 in Houston, Texas.  For 17 years prior to that he was a columnist for the Houston Chronicle.  John has been a long-time lover of cooking and eating barbecue and he makes a really good sauce; so good that he was encouraged to sell it.  John is an avid fisherman and the host of a podcast called, Bite Me, a Texas saltwater fishing podcast.  He ha...

Roger Ratzenberger Discusses Doc Adams and Vintage Base Ball and Hayley Chavers Illustrates Her BBQ Journey from Disney to Traeger With Guest Co-host, Doug Scheiding

Roger Ratzenberger is a huge fan of modern day baseball as well as a lover of the game from the 1800's when, in its infancy it was called base ball.  Part of his baseball obsession is to one day see Daniel Lucius "Doc" Adams, M.D. enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame which is where Roger and so many other baseball historians know Doc belongs.  Roger discusses his bri...

Radio Hosts Abound with WFAN Sports Radio's, Evan Roberts, Author of My Mets Bible and BBQ Nation's, Jeff Tracy AKA The Cowboy Cook

Evan Roberts is a sports radio host from WFAN Radio.  He currently co-hosts with former NFL player, Tiki Barber, WFAN Radio's top-rated afternoon show, Evan & Tiki.  Evan started with WFAN in 2004 and in 2007 he was paired up with Joe Benigno to co-host their long-running WFAN Radio show, Benigno & Roberts.  The team was on-air together for 14 years until Benigno retired from full-time work.  There is no doubt that Evan bleeds blue and orange as he...

Food Events Extraordinaire, Jimmy Carbone and 1986 World Series Champion and 1989 NL MVP, Kevin Mitchell and Guest Co-host, Chef Ray Sheehan Keep the Hits Coming

Jimmy Carbone joined us on episode 201 and is back as he continues organizing extremely successful food events.  Jimmy is a New York City-based restaurateur, event producer, and radio host.  Jimmy  produces several craft food and drink events in New York City, including Rib King NYC and Pig Island NYC.  Jimmy has also hosted more than 500 episodes of Beer Sessions Radio and co-authored the I Like Pig cookbook.  In all of his endeav...

Lance Parrish, Former MLB Player and World Series Champion and Jacob Lubbers From Full Boar BBQ With Guest Co-host, Doug Scheiding Make Episode 250 Enchanted

Lance Parrish is a former Major League Baseball player and an eight-time All-Star who won the World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1984 as the Tigers started the season with 35 wins and five losses, stayed in first place the entire season which culminated in their beating the San Diego Padres for the World Championship.  Nicknamed, Big Wheel, Lance joins us to discuss his book, The Enchanted Season which gives an in-depth v...

Former MLB Player and Coach, Dave Magadan and Eric Hodson from Boars Night Out, Award-Winning BBQ Team and Rubs Maker

Dave Magadan is a former Major League Baseball player and coach.  His playing career ended upon his retirement after 16 years and time spent with the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Oakland A's, and San Diego Padres.  After his retirement, Dave stayed active in baseball as a hiting instructor and it was in this capacity with the Boston Red Sox in 2007 in which he helped the team win the World Ser...

Author, Andy McCullough Discusses His Book on Clayton Kershaw and Ryan Higgins Carries On His Family's Business, J & R Manufacturing’s Legacy
Andy McCullough is a senior writer at The Athletic. He has previously covered Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Times, the Kansas City Star, and The Star-Ledger.  His work has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors on seven occasions for beat writing, explanatory reporting, and feature writing.  He joins us to discuss his new book, The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness.  The book is per various...

Baseball and Barbecue Talk Abounds With Bill Donohue of WGBB Sports Talk New York and Greg Taylor from Grilledjawn.com and thephandemickrew.com

Bill Donohue is an on-air host, producer, and writer for the WGBB Sports Talk New York show.  The show is heard live on Sunday nights and is then released as a podcast by the same name.  Bill is modest as we discuss his interview style and how witnessing certain sporting events makes him a rare find among today's sports journalists.  How Bill gets his amazing guests, how he prepares for an interview and...

Author, Kevin Baker Discusses His Book, The New York Game and Todd Koch is the Creator of Dad's Seasonings, Maker of Premium Rubs

Kevin Baker is a novelist, historian, and journalist.  He is a contributing editor to Harper's Magazine. He was formerly a columnist for American Heritage magazine and the New York Observer, and is a regular contributor to The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Military History, and many other periodicals. His latest book is, The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City. New York has played a...

Author, Andy Martino discusses his latest book, The Yankee Way and Kristopher French from GirlDadBBQ talks barbecue with a smattering of baseball talk

Andy Martino has written about sports, culture and entertainment, and has covered Major League Baseball for more than a decade.  He is currently a reporter and analyst covering the MLB for the SNY network in New York.  His latest project is the book, The Yankee Way:  The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era.  The book is described on the internet as follows, "With rare access to the inner sanctum of the Ne...

Discussing Memphis In May and Smokeslam With Doug Scheiding and Ray Sheehan and Author of The Fenway Effect, David Krell

Doug Scheiding and Ray Sheehan are well known to Baseball and BBQ listeners and return to the show, not as guest co-hosts, but as guests.  Doug was at Memphis In May where he conducted demonstrations for Home Depot, cooking on a Traeger grill and Ray was at Smokeslam presenting cooking demonstrations as well.  Doug has a new lineup of rubs and they can be ordered by going to  https://roguecookers.com/  and Ray has his...

Author of The House That Ruth Built, Kelly Bennett and Big Unc's, Nick Wilson, Maker of Premium Sauces and Rubs

Kelly Bennett is the author of many award-winning books for children.  However, her latest book, The House That Ruth Built can be enjoyed by children as well as adults.  Illustrated by Susanna Covelli, it is as stated quite eloquently on her website, a "historical non-fiction picture book celebrating baseball, Babe Ruth & the first baseball stadium in the world.  The House That Ruth Built recreates the excitement—on and off the field—of that 1923 opening day game in Yank...

Barbecue Renaissance Man, Carey Bringle AKA The Peg Leg Porker and Prolific Best-Selling Author, Peter Golenbock, Writer of Some of Sports Biggest Works

Carey Bringle developed a love of barbecue when he was young and he still remembers family gatherings at iconic barbecue places.  At age 17, he lost a leg to cancer, but recovered from the disease, and after success for years on the competition BBQ circuit, celebrated his second chance at life by naming his restaurant Peg Leg Porker when it opened in Nashville in 2013. His Peg Leg Porker sauces and rubs, a new li...

Author, Mitchell Nathanson Discusses His Newest Book, Under Jackie's Shadow and Chef Ray Sheehan Presents A Special Father's Day Gift Guide

Mitchell Nathanson is a Professor of Law at Villanova University and the author of numerous books and articles on baseball. He is a two-time winner of the McFarland-SABR Award, presented in recognition of the best historical or biographical baseball articles of the year.  He returns to the show to discuss his newest book, Under Jackie's Shadow:  Voices of Black Minor Leaguers Baseball Left Behind.  "Under Jackie’s Shadow is a portal to the hidden world o...

Tyler Kepner, Baseball Writer for The Athletic and Byron Chism, Barbecue Hall of Fame Member and Creator of Bad Byron's Butt Rub

Tyler Kepner is a senior writer for The Athletic covering Major League Baseball.  He previously worked for The New York Times, first covering the Mets, then the Yankees, and finally serving as national baseball columnist.  He has covered the Angels for the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Mariners for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and began his career with a homemade baseball magazine in his home town Philadelphia in the early 1990s. Tyler is the author of the...

Moe Cason, Award-Winning Pitmaster, Discusses His Barbecue Journey Which Now Includes His New Big Cookbook and Noah Gittell, Author and Film Critic, Discusses His Ultimate Book On Baseball Movies

Moe Cason is an award winning pitmaster who has toiled for many years creating his well respected brand, Moe Cason Barbeque and his instantly recognizable, Big Moe persona.  His journey was not easy, but all of his hard work as well as the sacrifices his family made have allowed him to realize his dream of becoming a distinguished award-winning pitmaster.  Moe's  barbecue journey includes competing in hund...

Author, Brett Topel Talks About New York Mets Firsts and Dansons, Julie Day Discusses Pit Boss Heroes while Chef Ray Sheehan Guest Co-hosts

Brett Topel is a prolific author whose passion for his subjects comes through in all of his projects.  He returns to the show to discuss his latest book, New York Mets Firsts:  The Players, Moments, and Records That Were First in Team History.  In the more than sixty-year history of the New York Mets, there are many firsts, some more well known than others.  For example, the first Met pitcher to record a win...

Sam Gadziak from RIP Baseball and Homero Gonzalez from Harmacy Hot Sauce Co. with Guest Co-host, Chef Ray Sheehan Make This a Hot Episode to Die For

Sam Gadziak created RIP Baseball, https://ripbaseball.com/ a website where, they "celebrate baseball history, one life at a time." Sam finds gravesites of baseball players, executives, announcers and others associated with the game and researches and writes their stories, as well as those of recently deceased baseball figures. As we said in the interview the website should come with a warning as baseball fans who love the game's history...

Traeger Game Day 2023 Winner, Jeremy Wayland with Guest Co-host, Doug Scheiding and Richard Wachtel from Grilling With Rich and The Nats Report

Jeremy Wayland is an Emmy winning cinematographer who tells others stories through a camera lens, but Jeremy has many stories of his own to tell.  Some of Jeremy's personal stories involve his love of cooking which combined with his skills and creativity made him the winner of Traeger Game Day 2023 College Football edition.  With the addition of our guest co-host, Doug Scheiding we learn about Jeremy and where he has been and possibly wher...

Patrick Montgomery, Author of Baseball's Great Expectations and Barbecue Hall of Famer, Ray Lampe AKA Dr. BBQ, Plus Guest Co-host, Doug Scheiding

Patrick Montgomery is an award-winning writer. His latest book is Baseball's Great Expectations: Candid Stories of Ballplayers Who Didn't Live Up to the Hype. The book examines nine players who were once poised for greatness, but as the title clearly states, for whatever reason, their playing careers never reached the levels predicted.  Revealed ls an often-overlooked side of professional baseball;  the struggles with injury, mental exhaustion, pressure, temptations, and sometimes just being in the w...

Matt Abdoo from Pig Beach BBQ, Ray Negron from the New York Yankees, and John Fuhrman, founder of Bubb'n Mutha's makes this another huge triple episode.

Matt Abdoo is the executive chef and partner of Pig Beach BBQ and he joins us to discuss the 4th annual Jeff Michner Foundation BBQ Benefit taking place at Pig Beach in Queens, New York on Saturday, April 27, 2024.  Jeff Michner was Matt's brother-in-law and he passed away at the age of 36, leaving behind his wife Sara, and his 16-month-old daughter Hayes. A foundation was created in Jeff's honor to keep...

David Sweeten Shares Baseball Stories, Matthew Brown from The Black Garlic Market, and Rene LeRoux, New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Executive Director, Plus Doug Scheiding and Ray Sheehan Make This a Huge Triple Play Episode

David J. Sweeten loves baseball and his life has been greatly impacted by bats, baseballs, and gloves.  David has many wonderful  stories as he was a CPA who worked with many well known players such as Joe Morgan, Rusty Staub, Larry Dierker, and Jerry Royce.  He became friends with Joe Morgan and attended 1975 and 1976 World Series games in Cinc...

John Markus, BBQ Pitmasters Television Series Creator and Eric C. Gray, Author of Backyards to Ballparks

John Markus may not have invented competition barbecue, but the television series he created, BBQ Pitmasters is responsible for what many cooks say made them take up competitive barbecue and helped lead to this latest barbecue craze.  John's career includes writing a revival of the animated "Mighty Mouse,” staff writer on Working Stiffs, writing an episode of Taxi, and he then joined the original writing staff of The Cosby Show.  There is much more, but being a barbecue podcast, we inv...

Slap Yo' Daddy BBQ's, Harry Soo Spreads Barbecue Love, Sports Radio's, Angelo Cataldi Gets Loud, and Spring Training Correspondent, Gary Looney Helps Usher In the 2024 MLB Season

Harry Soo is back and wants to spread barbecue love.  Harry has retired from his 9 to 5 job and is now a full-time pitmaster with lots of projects.  He became a champion pitmaster purely by chance.  It was on his "bucket list" to enter a barbecue competition and with the nudging of a fellow co-worker he did and the rest as they say is history.  Harry has more than 100 first...