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My parents told me choosing a college was my decision. Then an Oklahoma State recruiting visit took an unexpected turn over a piece of chocolate cake.

In this Time Capsule episode, Emily joins me as we pull out my original college recruiting letters and revisit the conversations, visits, and family moments behind my decision to play baseball at Texas A&M.

From telling the Texas head coach I still wanted to visit A&M to the home visit that ended with my mom saying, “Well, you aren’t going there!”—these are the stories you won’t find in a recruiting announcement.

It’s a personal look back at a big decision, the people who helped shape it, and the memories those old letters bring back.

This episode is the audio portion of our Ball5 Clubhouse YouTube video. To see the recruiting letters, catch the reactions, and enjoy the back-and-forth between Emily and me, watch the full video here:
https://www.youtube.com/@Ball5Clubhouse

Subscribe while you’re there—it’s completely free! Explore our earlier Time Capsule episodes and other baseball videos, with plenty more stories coming.

Follow the Ball5 Podcast wherever you listen, and visit https://www.ball5clubhouse.com for more from the Clubhouse.

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Being prepared. Observing. Executing. Sometimes staying ready starts with watching closely.

In this episode of Ball5 Clubhouse, Scott Livingstone shares how watching pitchers for a “tell” helped him stay engaged and ready throughout his eight-year MLB career. In his experience, tipping pitches was rare—but looking for tendencies kept him mentally in the game, even when he wasn’t at the plate.

Scott explains why he considers picking up a pitcher’s tell through observation part of competing, and draws the line at cheating methods such as corked bats or putting Vaseline on the baseball.

Even when a pitcher gives you nothing, paying attention still has value. And when you do spot something, you still have to execute.

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Former Texas A&M standout and Major League outfielder Tyler Naquin joins the Ball5 Podcast to talk about his Aggie career, his journey through professional baseball and what it means to be inducted into the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame.

Tyler also shares stories from his playing days and talks about life away from the ballpark—including his love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors. It’s a conversation about baseball, the Aggie family and an honor that recognizes one of the program’s all-time great outfielders.

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UPDATE:::  The Ball5 Podcast isn’t going anywhere. We’ll continue producing the audio episodes you’ve been listening to, but now we’re giving you another way to experience Ball5.

On the Ball5 Clubhouse YouTube channel, you can actually see what we’re talking about—the swings, at-bats, scouting reports, memorabilia, old photographs and stories that are difficult to fully appreciate through audio alone.

In this episode, Scott explains how the podcast and the Clubhouse will work together, what you can already find on YouTube and what’s coming next. You can continue listening right here, then visit Ball5 Clubhouse when you want to see the game, the stories and the details come to life.

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Moving from Single-A to Double-A means a player is one step closer to the Big Leagues—but it also brings an entirely new set of challenges.

In this episode, I talk about the Aggies who have made the jump to Double-A and what that promotion really means. The talent is better, the game moves faster, pitchers have more command, hitters make quicker adjustments, and weaknesses are exposed in a hurry.

I also break down the nuances of moving up another level, the physical and mental adjustments players must make, and why success isn’t always reflected in the numbers right away.

Then we look ahead to Triple-A. Is it simply the final step before the Major Leagues, or does it serve a different purpose? I explain the mix of top prospects, experienced veterans, organizational depth players, and Major Leaguers working their way back—and why Triple-A can sometimes be an even more complicated level to navigate.

The closer players get to the Big Leagues, the smaller the margin for error becomes. This episode is about what it takes to keep climbing.

The full video version of this conversation will be coming very soon to the Ball5 Clubhouse YouTube channel.

Production note: We experienced a minor microphone issue during part of this episode. The conversation is still clear, and we appreciate you sticking with us as we continue improving the Ball5 Podcast.

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What’s it like to be drafted four different times by four different Major League organizations—and turn down the first three?

In this special Ball5 episode, Emily takes over the questions as Scott shares the stories behind each of his four MLB Draft experiences: the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984, the New York Yankees in 1986, the Oakland A’s in 1987, and finally the Detroit Tigers in 1988.

Scott explains how players found out they had been drafted before cell phones, social media, and live draft coverage—through Western Union mailgrams delivered to the house. He also shares the offers, the negotiations, why he chose Texas A&M over professional baseball three different times, and what ultimately made Detroit the right decision.

Scott and Emily also compare the draft process then to the way players experience it today, while sharing plenty of laughs, memories, and good-natured husband-and-wife banter along the way.

Four drafts. Four organizations. Three times saying no—and one decision that launched Scott’s eight-year Major League career.

Pull up a chair and join us in the Ball5 Clubhouse!

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In this episode of the Ball5 Podcast, I check in on the 39 Aggies currently playing professional baseball—from the big leagues through every level of the minor leagues. We’ll talk about where they are, how they’re performing, and which Aggies are making their mark in pro ball.

I also break down how evaluating hitters has changed since my playing days. Batting average used to carry a lot more weight, but today the focus is increasingly on overall production: getting on base, slugging, driving the baseball, and creating runs.

Aggies in the pros, baseball analytics, and real perspective from someone who played the game at the highest level—it’s all inside this episode of the Ball5 Podcast.

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Scott breaks down the latest Texas A&M baseball offseason developments, including the Aggies selected in the MLB Draft, Clayton Freshcorn’s decision to return, the key additions from the transfer portal, and the biggest roster questions heading into fall practice.

He also discusses Nico Partida’s opportunity with USA Baseball, what summer baseball means for player development, and how the Aggies may replace the production, leadership and pitching innings lost from last season...Enjoy

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Tune in as Scott visits with Former Major Leaguer, remote hitting instructor and mental performance specialist Brandon Barnes, for one of the most important conversations we've had on Ball5 Podcasts as well as a look into Brandon's work with Aggie 1B/3B Gavin Grahovac.

We dive into why success shouldn't be measured by how many hits you get in a game—and why discipline, preparation, consistency and controlling what you can control can lead to long-term success.

Whether you're a player, parent, coach or simply someone striving to perform at a higher level, this conversation is full of practical advice that extends well beyond baseball.

Topics include:

• Handling success and failure
 • Building a consistent daily process
 • Mental performance strategies
 • Why preparation creates confidence
 • Controlling what you can control
 • Developing discipline over emotion
 • Creating sustainable success

If you enjoy conversations that mix baseball, mindset and performance, be sure to subscribe to Ball5 Clubhouse for more interviews, film room breakdowns, hitting instruction and stories from my journey through professional baseball.

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Listen in as Scott talks about the upcoming MLB Draft Combine which includes 6 draft eligible Aggies and the benefits of attending the combine as a players as well as benefits to all the MLB representatives and their organizations. Furthermore, be on the lookout in the coming days for Scott's interview with former MLB player and mental performance coach, Brandon Barnes and his work with Aggie All-American, Gavin Grahovac. Enjoy!!