Good Seats Still Available

411: "Make Me Commissioner" - With Jane Leavy


Listen Later

Few writers have illuminated baseball's legends with the depth, rigor, and heart of renowned sports journalist and author Jane Leavy. From Sandy Koufax to Mickey Mantle to Babe Ruth, her biographies of the game's greatest figures don't just recount their lives — they reveal the eras each helped to define.

Now, with her new book Make Me Commissioner: I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It, Leavy turns her sharp eye and seasoned reporting toward the sport itself, asking what's broken, what's worth preserving, and how its lost magic might be restored.

In this episode, we sit down with Leavy for a wide-ranging conversation that blends her unparalleled knowledge of baseball history with a candid assessment of its present challenges — analytics overload, youth development crises, dwindling diversity, and the struggle to balance spectacle with spontaneity. She also shares her imaginative, sometimes provocative, ideas for how the game could evolve in the years ahead.

For longtime fans, casual observers, and anyone who cares about the soul of America's pastime, this episode delivers a masterclass in baseball storytelling — and a glimpse into the possible futures of the game from one of its finest chroniclers.

PLUS: Your chance to win a copy of "Make Me Commissioner"!

+ + + SUPPORT THE SHOW:
  • Buy Us a Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/goodseatsstillavailable
  • The "Good Seats" Store: https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=35106
BUY THE BOOK (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!):
  • "Make Me Commissioner: I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It": https://amzn.to/4paR6iX
SPONSOR THANKS (AND SUPPORT THE SHOW!):
  • Royal Retros (10% off promo code: SEATS): https://www.503-sports.com?aff=2
  • Old School Shirts.com (10% off promo code: GOODSEATS): https://oldschoolshirts.com/goodseats
FIND AND FOLLOW:
  • Linktree: https://linktr.ee/GoodSeatsStillAvailable
  • Web: https://goodseatsstillavailable.com/
  • Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/goodseatsstillavailable.com
  • X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoodSeatsStill
  • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodseatsstillavailable
  • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@goodseatsstillavailable
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodseatsstillavailable/
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodSeatsStillAvailable/
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-seats-still-available/
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Good Seats Still AvailableBy Tim Hanlon

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

102 ratings


More shows like Good Seats Still Available

View all
Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

Stuff You Should Know

78,321 Listeners

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast by Marc Maron

WTF with Marc Maron Podcast

29,506 Listeners

The Bill Simmons Podcast by The Ringer

The Bill Simmons Podcast

30,228 Listeners

Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast by Ben Lindbergh, Meg Rowley

Effectively Wild: A FanGraphs Baseball Podcast

2,592 Listeners

Hang Up and Listen by Slate Podcasts

Hang Up and Listen

998 Listeners

The Press Box by The Ringer

The Press Box

3,123 Listeners

Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review by Shat on Entertainment

Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

1,435 Listeners

Sports' Forgotten Heroes by Warren Rogan

Sports' Forgotten Heroes

28 Listeners

The Rewatchables by The Ringer

The Rewatchables

13,919 Listeners

Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast by FOX Sports

Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union Podcast

1,124 Listeners

Sports Media with Richard Deitsch by Audacy

Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

749 Listeners

Everything 80s by Jamie Logie | 1980s Pop Culture & Nostalgia

Everything 80s

361 Listeners

60 Songs That Explain the '90s by The Ringer

60 Songs That Explain the '90s

1,043 Listeners

Men in Blazers: Early Kick Off by Men in Blazers Media Network

Men in Blazers: Early Kick Off

396 Listeners

Is This A Great Game, Or What? by Tim Kurkjian, Jeff Kurkjian

Is This A Great Game, Or What?

271 Listeners