Bats Left Throws Right

A UC Berkeley graduate, Shane Barclay President of Japan Ball was always drawn to the sport of baseball from a very young age. After graduating college, Shane started off his career working for the Arizona Diamondbacks.  Shane then started acquiring international experience when he worked for MLB Commissioner’s office for 9 years, 2 years in the Dominican Republic and 7 years in Manhattan.  In 2020 Shane combined his passion for baseball and traveling by assuming the operation and ownership of JapanBaseball from Bob Bavasi of Bavasi Sports Partners.  Shane talks about his vision for JapanBall, tourism in Japan, the culture, the baseball stadiums, the food and everything in between.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca.

Arkansas Razorback alumnus and newly signed Phillies player, Matt Goodheart joins the BLTR crew in a fantastic conversation that goes beyond baseball.  Born into a baseball family, Matt was always driven to play baseball competitively at the highest level.  After graduating High School, Matt played at San Jacinto Community College for one year putting up a .355/.464/.574 slash line before transferring to Arkansas University and becoming a Razorback.  In 3 seasons at Arkansas, Goodheart slugged his way to 20 HRs, 98 RBIs and sprayed the fields with 137 hits.  Matt talks about his upbringing, hitting philosophy, memorable moments at Arkansas, his love for his teammates and what he’s looking forward to next in professional baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies Organization.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca.

Dr. David Mann is a Sport Scientist with 20+ years in sport, academia, and clinical practice and
currently an Associate Professor at Vrije University in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Dr. Mann co-authored, “The Success of Sinister Right-Handers in Baseball”, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in October of 2017 whose research revealed that that players who throw right-handed and bat left enjoy a biomechanical advantage than those who bat and throw left or bat and throw right. Their study debunked a prior 1982 study by Mclean and Ciurczak, also published in the NEJM, which claimed that lefty hitters and lefty throwers had the biomechanical advantage.

Dr. Mann’s background includes a research fellow in the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences at Vrije University, a Research Assistant Professor in the Institute of Human Performance at the University of Hong Kong; Clinic Director and Senior Lecturer in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia); and Skill Acquisition Specialist at the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra, Australia).

Drafted in the MLB First-Year Player Draft in 3 consecutive years, Johnny Monell signed his first professional contract in 2007 after being drafted in the 30th round by the San Francisco Giants.  Playing professionally for 12 seasons, the game of baseball has allowed Johnny to play with the best of the best at the Major League level and see different parts of the world in Korea and the Caribbean to name a few.  Johhny tells the BLTR crew how catching came about for him, his experience catching some of the best pitchers in the world and what he is up to currently after retiring from professional baseball in 2018.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca.

Vern Gambetta, the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems joins BLTR in a great conversation about strength & conditioning and functional path movement in athletics.  Vern's incredible resume in sports strength and conditioning includes leadership positions with the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets organizations.  Vern also worked with several MLS teams and provided expert consultation for the U.S. Men's World Cup Soccer team.  Vern is an accomplished writer authoring numerous books and writing hundreds of articles on athletic conditioning.  The BLTR crew goes more into depth about Vern's experience in professional baseball and how the game has evolved over the years.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer, with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca. 

A turn of the tide, the BLTR crew invites special guest Zack Parker, a Lefty Throwing Righty Hitting retired professional baseball player.  Zack spent 11 years as a pitcher in pro ball reaching as high as Triple A, as well spending some time overseas.  In this interview we discuss the grind of a minor leaguer, the importance of continuing the conversation about mental health and Zack’s career/life after baseball.  Zack is currently a producer and plays many roles in the entertainment industry, with one of his most successful projects “Thunder Road”, a film that received multiple awards and nominations.  An incredibly powerful and introspective conversation with a talented, resilient and phenomenal individual.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca.

A College World Series Champion coming out of Vanderbilt University, Stephen Scott takes the BLTR crew through his journey in baseball and talks about what has propelled him to where he finds himself today.  At Vanderbilt, Scott was a key bat in the lineup posting impressive numbers and was a catalyst during their 2019 CWS championship run in Omaha.  Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th Round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Stephen talks about his experience with the Red Sox Organization and what he expects from himself as he resumes his professional baseball career after a pandemic hiatus.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer, with co-hosts Sal LoDuca and Peter LoDuca.

Shayamal Vallabhjee is a South African Sports Scientist & Performance Coach with 18 years of experience in High Performance Sporting environments.  He is the author of four books on Sports Science & Motivation, a TEDx speaker, recipient of the INK & Australia India Youth Dialogue Fellowship, Men's Health 'Trainer of the Year 2014', Global Fitness Advisory Board Member to Herbalife & Organizing Committee Member of the United Nations ChangeMakers Conference & Entrepreneur.  With two decades of on field experience with Olympians & Championship winning teams & three years of living as a monk, Shayamal has learned the art & science of work-life balance and how to starve our fears and feed our courage in the quest to cultivate excellence! Hosted by Jack Aylmer, with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca.

Tyson Gillies is an exceptional athlete and professional baseball player but there is more to Tyson than meets the eye.  Tyson began playing baseball around 11-12 years old and as he continued to play competitively he soon realizes his talents could take him far in this game.  A native and proud Canadian, Tyson was drafted in the 25h round of the MLB draft in 2006 and spent 9 years in the minors between the Seattle and Philadelphia organizations.  With the Canadian National Baseball team Tyson was apart of and made key contributions during the 2015 Pan-American Games capturing the Gold and helping his country seal a bid in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.  Tune in to hear about the adversity Tyson had to battle and overcome and what he is up to with his company Travail Development.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer, with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca 

Professional baseball player in the Seattle Mariners organization Bobby Honeyman joins the Bats Left Throws Right crew to discuss his journey and the road it took to realizing his dreams of becoming a pro.  A Long Island native hailing from Massapequa, Bobby was a 2x  All County selection and NY All State selection in 2014.  Bobby had a stellar career at Division 1 Stony Brook totaling 201 hits for the Wolverines in 4 years with the program capping it off with an All-America East First Team selection in 2018.  Drafted during the 29th round of the MLB Draft in 2018, Bobby is currently with the Arkansas Travelers the Double A Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.  Tune in for more on Bobby's hitting philosophies, pre-game preparation and approach to the game.  Hosted by Jack Aylmer, with co-hosts Sal and Peter LoDuca.