Baseball Isn’t Boring

We've given you the rosters but now it's time to evaluate each Pool. Shawn jumps into the first Pool, Pool A, in Taiwan when the tournament kicks off to see who has the strongest lineups and pitching staffs. Italy, Panama, Taipei, China, and the Netherlands will have an uphill battle against pool juggernauts, Cuba.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is ready to build off a memorable 2022 season, and he is willing to use the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast with Bradfo has his catapult. Dipoto dives into the Julio Rodriguez extension, the difference in constructing this Mariners club and how he views former top prospect Jarred Kelenic. There is also the great ketchup-flavored potato chip debate while reminiscing about his three-month stint with the Red Sox in 2015. It's one of the most exciting podcasts you can listen to about one of the MLB's most exciting teams.

It was the Twins' turn to talk baseball on the latest Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, with Bradfo catching up with three interesting members of the Minnesota club - Joey Gallo, Alex Kirilloff and Joe Ryan. The group talks about different facets of the current game, with Gallo diving into how 2023 might look different for him and the rest of MLB, Kirilloff offering perspective on players being willing to show their personalities a bit more, and Ryan taking us inside the art of a modern day pitcher trying to evolve. Take our word for it, you don't have to be a Twins fan to appreciate these conversations.

The rosters for the World Baseball Classic are starting to take their final form as last-minute injury concerns knock off high-profile players as they enter Spring Training. To get you more intimate with each team before the tournament kicks off. Shawn rattles through each team and some of their key players along with each player he believes deserves your undivided attention when the first pitch is thrown.

The MVP of the Dominican Winter League World Series - and man who is nicknamed 'Aquaman' - Jorge Alfaro joins Bradfo to talk about becoming a celebrity this offseason, his decision to join the Red Sox and play in the World Baseball Classic, along with his quest to meet the actor who portrayed Aquaman, Jason Momoa. He was, after all, Baseball Isn't Boring's adopted free agent pick-to-click (thanks in part to free agent correspondent Ed Hand).

One year ago, baseball was supposed to be on its deathbed. The sport was in the heart of a lockout, with sports fans ready to turn their back on the great game. But here were are, with spring training not only ready to kick off with as much enthusiasm as ever, but also with MLB feeling like the last 365 days may have allowed for its biggest step forward perception-wise in years. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and FoxSports joins Bradfo to reflect on how baseball pushed aside that uncomfortable narrative from last February to finally start showing the personality and foresight it had been lacking for years.

All of a sudden, older pitchers are being accepted more than every in the world of Major League Baseball. Case in point: Yu Darvish signing a six-year deal at the age of 36 years old. Bradfo sits down with San Francisco Giants Director of Pitching Brian Bannister to explore why teams are all of a sudden valuing guys in their late 30's and early 40's, and when this shift actually happened. Bannister goes on to explain where we are in the evolution of pitching, and how throwing hard isn't the be-all, end-all anymore. He also offers an absolute classic David Ortiz story. If you like pitching, this is the podcast you should listen to.

Shawn hosts Team Israel's young buck, Josh Wolf, to talk about how he ended up playing for the country and what it means to be competing against some of the game's biggest names so early in his career. Israel has a deep resource pool as far as coaching and personnel go, but the real question is how they will survive pool play.

Once again, Jonathan Papelbon and Bradfo are out to prove that not only isn't baseball boring, but betting on baseball isn't boring. It's why the two teamed up one again, this time to go through which teams are the best bets in each division. Along the way they formulate the 'Pitch of Destiny' where Papelbon sets the over/under on throwing a fastball at 89.9 mph. We also get to the bottom of exactly what percentage of players are in the best shapes of their lives.

Shawn has some good news and some bad news. With Pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training this week, some big-name players have dropped out of the WBC. The good news is that it means a new batch of professional ballplayers with an opportunity of representing their country on the world stage.