Baseball Isn’t Boring

The conversation about how baseball has changed in 2023 has been constant, coming from players, managers, general managers, fans and reporters. Now we look at this new world through the eyes of a third base coach. Gary DiSarcina of the Nationals joins Bradfo to give his take on the good, bad and just different when it comes to this version of the game he played in the major leagues for 12 seasons.

It's Power Rankings Time! The BIB Power Rankings return and it's safe to say that Producer Evan and Skiff are buying into the hype surrounding the Seattle Mariners and seemingly unbeatable Los Angeles Dodgers, while also pouring one out for the Yankees, Marlins, Reds, and Padres as it looks like they might be slowly headed down the pretender road instead of the contender road.

Exactly 22 years ago, Bret Boone's Mariners team already had 92 wins. They were a juggernaut. But in the end there was no World Series title celebration for Seattle. It's why Boone - the host of 'The Bret Boone Podcast' - has a great perspective on how teams are feeling heading down the home stretch. Boone joins Bradfo to see if anything can be learned by history, while taking a deep-dive into what is happening with the hottest team in baseball, those same Mariners. Boone also offers passionate analysis regarding his brother Aaron and his current plight with the Yankees. It's a perfect combination of podcast world's colliding.

With another round of negativity coming from owner John Angelos, Orioles fans need a pick-me-up. Eric Arditti of Barstool Sports supplies exactly that in his return to the podcast. Arditti paints the picture of positivity for a Baltimore team that should be feeling great as it heads toward October.

If you want a true example of baseball truly not being boring, watch a Little League game. Even better, go watch the Little League World Series. It's a pleasure that can be consumed this week thanks to the constant presence of ESPN in Williamsport. One of the voices who has been and will be delivering the awesomeness from the event is broadcaster Mike Monaco - also known as J. Michael 'Money' Monaco. Mike joins Bradfo to tell the tales of what has transpired and what to look forward to at the event, with the kind of stories that will remind you why so many love this great game of baseball.

There is no story in recent memory that shows how important it is to get hot at the right time than that of the 2021 Atlanta Braves. From a club that was three games under .500 to winning the World Series, the Braves offered the blueprint of making an out-of-nowhere run. An outfielder on that club - current Red Sox Adam Duvall - sat down with Bradfo to reflect and reveal when it came to the dynamic of being part of such a scenario.

One of best Draft Day stories of all-time belongs to Joe Kelly, who lost out on over $100K due to his 21st birthday/Draft party. The player who was the big winner from Kelly's turn: Patrick Corbin. Bradfo catches up with Corbin to talk about his perspective of that fateful day in 2009.

Very few players have been part of a huge blockbuster trade, nevermind two of them. Well, Nationals All-Star pitcher Josiah Gray has lived that life twice. And, as Gray points out in his conversation with Bradfo, there are usually some memorable stories that go with such deals. Two memorable trades. Two memorable stories.

 Nolan Schanuel. He is becoming a big leaguer just about a month after being taken with the 11th overall pick in the MLB Draft. The former Florida Atlantic star hasn't even got 100 minor league plate appearances, yet now he will be playing alongside the likes of Shohei Ohtani. The last player to make such a jump? Chris Sale. Bradfo caught up with Sale about the Draft dynamic - at that point focusing in on the possible promotion of No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes - and everything that went with Sale going from college to the Chicago White Sox big league team in just a couple of months.

All teams are trying to catch lightning in a bottle at just the perfect time, especially with just 1 1/2 months left in the regular season. The Dodgers are living that life so far this August, as are the Rangers. But the two best recent examples of coming out of nowhere to go on a World Series run are the 2019 Nationals and 2021 Braves. It's why Bradfo sits down with two people who lived that life - Washington manager Dave Martinez and former Atlanta outfielder Adam Duvall. And to top things off, Bradfo is joined by All-Star pitcher Josiah Gray to offer some fantastic stories about living the life as part of a blockbuster trade. It's a great way to punctuate your week.