And the Pitch

Thanks for listening to this podcast and thanks to the guests for joining! It made the back half of the season (which was wild as hell for Giants and Dodgers fans and a bunch of teams in the AL east) extra great. Feel free to hit me up at @routinelayup or [email protected]. Later! 

Walk-off music: Dimed Out by Titus Andronicus

It talked to comedian Sean Keane about Bernie Night, a Weekend at Bernie’s II themed Oakland A’s event that took place in 2012. We also talked about Terry Kiser’s IMDB page (he played Bernie), the ballsiness of a Weekend at Bernie's sequel, voodoo, hip hop’s apparent love for the film, organic marketing, $2 tickets, Salisbury Steak, bunting in a no-hitter, remembering some guys, off-field injuries, the 2021 Giants, and making Weekend at Bernie’s III.

Sean: twitter.com/seankeane

I talked to Ruhee Dewji about being a semi-new but devoted Blue Jays fan, Wildcard games, going down 0-2 against the Rangers, not knowing what’s happening when you’re at the stadium, "OK Blue Jays," Bautista’s HR, Bautista’s bat flip, policing fun in baseball, tortured Toronto sports, her David Price nickname generator, the Rougned Odor punch, the hectic AL East Wildcard and Jays Covid journey.

Ruhee: twitter.com/ruhee_

Song: Son the Father, by Fucked Up

Aaron Anderson is an electrical foreman and friend of mine of a couple of decades. We talk about a balk we saw in Seattle, what is and is not a balk, when umps should “swallow the whistle" and not be narcs, summer wildfires, doing an escape room while color blind, tufted puffin research, a Seattle crime scene, Justin’s $5 shorts, Justin Duchsherer’s 14th inning balk in 2004, the 2021 Giants, hellish Wild Card play-in games, fantasy baseball ethics, adding a balk category to our fantasy league, Dodger fandom in Northern California, and The Distillers.

Ryan Page is a musician (Bad Dads) and podcaster (Beatles vs. Stones) among his fatherly and professional pursuits. (Facts: I’m a member of both that band and that podcast). We talk about sad fans in heroic moments, Ray Allen’s Three, a dummy guide to Rangers' history, Pudge’s coolness, clutch David Freese, watching sports with the kinds of people who say stuff like “sportsball,” whether Nelson Cruz should have caught that ball, Josh Hamilton’s story, hating Lance Berkman, loving Albert Pujols, Nolan’s blank face, nerd GMs, RIP Charlies Watts, holy moly Bill Wyman.

The Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies. Tom Burgoyne is his best friend. We talk about Brad Lidge’s final pitch of the 2008 World Series, parades, two-day rain delays, monitoring weather with Bud Selig, mascot job interviews, the Galapagos Islands, being a mascot in the pandemic, Elton John, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Springsteen, and Jackson Browne.

Justin: https://twitter.com/routinelayup

Eric Nusbaum is the author of the book Stealing Home and the co-creator of the Substack newsletter Sports Stories. We talk about the first pitch at Dodger Stadium in 1962 and the tangled story of how it all came to be. We also talk about baseball’s westward expansion, public housing, communism, the Red Scare, the communities that formerly sat in Chavez Ravine, the LA Times, ignoring history, Disneyland, Frank Wilkinson, gentrification, killer whales, power, To Kill a Mockingbird and the lasting impact of those communities and the families who lived there.

Justin: https://twitter.com/routinelayup

Stealing Home: https://bookshop.org/books/stealing-home-los-angeles-the-dodgers-and-the-lives-caught-in-between-9781541742222/9781541742215

Email podcast ideas: [email protected]

Joey Devine is a comedian, writer and host of the Roundball Rock podcast. We talk about a nasty sinker (two of them actually) from Derek Lowe, closing a game against the A’s in the 2003 playoffs. A sad moment in Joey’s life. Also discussed: Stevie Nicks, Josh Reddick’s attention span, the truly wild 2003 playoffs, the uncancellable Pedro Martinez, Johnny Damon’s concussion, cancelling Ken Macha, striking out looking (to end the All Star Game (in a tie!)), Moneyball, Mark Ellis, Steph Curry, Robert Horry, and Billy Beane. Lowe’s 9th inning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTTcgyHwk2o

Joey: https://twitter.com/JoeyDevine

Zach Buchanan is the Diamondback reporter for The Athletic. We talk about Randy Johnson annihilating a mourning dove in 2001, oral histories, bonkers baseball moments, Randy’s aura, the guy who filmed it, twisted Jeff Kent, German metal, and bad walk-up music. Pitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BT4N17cTY

Zach: https://twitter.com/ZHBuchanan

Walk-up music: Where this Flower Blooms, by Tyler the Creator.

Rick Paulas is the author of Eastern Span, a neo-noir set in Oakland circa 2013. We talk about AJ Perzynski's run to 1st, White Sox ‘05 pitching, booing in Angels Stadium, Ozzie Guillen as Donald Trump, Jay Marioitti, punchable faces, self-publishing and, of course, posting.

Rick: twitter.com/RickPaulas