Baseball Isn’t Boring

Producer Evan and Bradfo get you ready for the next round of postseason games, which includes, of course, the Phillies against the Braves. The guys pick their winners in the four series, while analyzing if Jonathan Papelbon will be making $150,000 from his wager on Philadelphia to win the whole thing. We also have a contest!

Rich Hill gives his perspective on the downfalls of analytics used in the Postseason (i.e. Blake Snell and Jose Berrios) and which pitchers he would want on his team when entering a crucial game in the 2023 Postseason

Bradfo caught up with Phillies GM and Red Sox GM/POBO candidate Sam Fuld during the Phillies celebration last night to discuss building a winning culture, watching the games as an executive as compared to a player, and what he has learned working under Dave Dombrowski

The Phillies are certainly a unique group, perhaps representing the hottest team in baseball heading into the second round of baseball. Bradfo caught up with President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, owner John Middleton and GM Sam Fuld in the midst of the Phillies' celebration to discuss the building of this collection of players. Also included is Jake Cave proclaiming that the Phillies celebrate better than any team in baseball.

It's another offseason which means Rich Hill is back on Baseball Isn't Boring and this time he has some news to reveal regarding his future. After breaking out his plans for 2024, Hill goes on to offer some insight into what happened in his two months with the Padres. Also in the conversation with Bradfo, the lefty offers his take on team-building and where managers are going right and wrong when it comes to the postseason. There is also an innovative suggestion regarding team dinners. On the day four teams punched their tickets to the next round of the postseason, Rich is a great guy to get perspective from.

Bradfo is joined by Phillies Ace and Wild Card Game 1 Starter Zack Wheeler to discuss what it's like to pitch in the postseason, how Phillies fans and the Citizens Bank Park playoff environment compares to other places he's pitched, and most importantly, a Phillies 2022 playoff moment that made him go "WOW!"

With Zach Eflin trying to save the Rays' season, it is timely to listen to Bradfo's conversations with Tampa Bay pitching coach Kyle Snyder and Eflin about the idea of the starter serving as a postseason ace. Snyder goes deep into the reasons why he believes Eflin is the right guy at the right time, while Eflin offers insight into lessons he learned in the playoffs with the Phillies as a reliever a year ago.

The celebration of the postseason after Day 1 easily went to Phillies' Nick Castellanos, who sprung up from his double to flash his own dugout his ring finger. It was organic and symbolic. After the Phils' win Bradfo caught up with Brandon Marsh to get the what's what when it came to the moment, while dissecting the entire scene at Citizens Bank Park in Game 1 of Philly's series against the Marlins. We also give you Castellanos' take on the entire night, from the ring finger to Rhys Hoskins' first pitch.

There is nobody better to bring on the podcast after the first wave of postseason games than former major league Nick Punto, who went to the playoffs with both the Twins and Cardinals. Punto explains why it took Minnesota 19 years to crack the code in the postseason, while pointing to his time in St. Louis as the proper path to success. The familiarity for Punto didn't stop with Minnesota's involvement, as is evident by his admittance that he was torn between his best friend (Marlins manager Skip Schumaker) and the team he was playing, Punto's former club in Philadelphia. It's the postseason perspective you need.

Phillies Slugger Kyle Schwarber joins Bradfo to talk about the incomparable environment that comes with the postseason crowds he experienced in Philly, Boston, and Chicago that bring out such a euphoric feeling for him and his teammates on the big stage