Blair & Barker

On the final show of the season, Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by ESPN's MLB insider and host of Sources Tell Jeff Passan (3:45) to discuss what he discovered from covering and watching the 2026 World Series, why Pat Murphy is the ideal manager for an MLB club, Tampa Bay Rays' offseason outlook, expectations for this year's free agency class headed by NPB's Teruaki Sato and Tarik Skubal, how the Blue Jays could navigate their offseason signings, and if Ketel Marte would be a fit. Then, The Athletic's Jayson Stark (21:10) looks back at the Milwaukee Brewers' first World Series win, the success from Jacob Misiorowski and the rest of their pitching staff, if we will see other team replicate their style of play, how Milwaukee could be poised to be early favourites to repeat, and William Contreras entering free agency following the 2027 season. To wrap up the year, Blue Jays reporter and author of 'Before I Let You Go: My Life in Broadcasting, Baseball & Beyond,' Hazel Mae stops by (37:45) to chat about her takeaways from covering the Fall Classic, the chemistry of the Brewers players and what people can look forward to in her upcoming book. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Milwaukee Brewers winning their first World Series title in franchise history in a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5, what went wrong for the Rays roster, manager Pat Murphy's comments about the New York Yankees, if the Brewers' roster construction philosophy can be replicated on other teams, Jacob Misiorowski's postseason performances, and the personalities on the Brew Crew. Then, the guys briefly touch on the upcoming free agency class, the Blue Jays' outgoing free agents and potential targets before bringing on former MLB pitcher and Brewers TV analyst Tim Dillard (32:49) to chat about how Murphy has allowed his players to be themselves, Cooper Pratt's comfortability on both sides of the field, if Misiorowski can replicate a Cy Young-type season next year, which players have exceeded his expectations during the playoffs, what makes Murphy a unique manager, and how William Contreras earned his World Series MVP trophy. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Tampa Bay Rays' 4-3 walk-off win in Game 4 of the World Series to avoid a sweep and force a Game 5 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Can the Rays actually stage a full comeback in the series without their big bats producing? They get into Pat Murphy's decision not to throw Jacob Misiorowski late in the game and save him for Game 5 tonight, the long relief options for the Rays looking shaky, and the Brewers simply looking like the team of destiny. Plus, they're joined by Sportsnet's Madison Shipman (11:39) who reacts live to the Drew Rasmussen starter choice for Game 5, the terrific play of Cooper Pratt as a rookie, and whether or not the Brewers can close the deal in Florida, Afterwards, they chat with Brewers special advisor and former MLB GM Thad Levine (35:50), who gets into his previous experiences being so close to a World Series win, what the ceilings for players like Jackson Chourio and Junior Caminero could be, and what former NL MVP Christian Yelich can still bring to the table.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Milwaukee Brewers dominating 10-1 win in Tampa Bay in Game 3 of the World Series, where this year's Brewers roster ranks amongst the best teams, and if we will look at the Rays organization differently if they get swept. Then, Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi joins the guys (11:20) to chat about which player on Milwaukee has exceeded his expectations and how former Canadian pitcher Jim Henderson has changed the outlook of the Brew Crew's pitching staff. Afterwards, host of Nothing Personal David Samson joins the show (29:07) to discuss why the Rays don't have a bad roster, Brewers' path to leading 3-0 in the World Series, the front office personnel experience watching their team compete in the Fall Classic, what it could mean to the city of Milwaukee winning it all, if Aaron Ashby will change the future of a bullpen pitcher, and his pick for MVP. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the first two games of the World Series, Junior Caminero airing his frustrations in the Tampa Bay Rays' dugout, Milwaukee Brewers' rally in Game 2 from an early 4–0 deficit, Yandy Díaz's game-ending check swing, and the quality baseball in the first two matches of the Fall Classic. Then, MLB on TBS analyst and 12-year MLB veteran Jeff Francoeur joins the guys (31:29) to discuss the Rays' decisions on the base paths, Caminero's outburst on Chandler Simpson, Brewers' resilience, Kevin Cash's bullpen management to extend the series, William Contreras' hitting abilities, if the Rays can use homefield advantage for the next three games, and if there should be a 'check swing' challenge. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker get set for Game 1 of the World Series. They share their picks for the series before welcoming in ESPN insider and host of 'Sources Tell' Jeff Passan (2:17) from Milwaukee to help dive deeper into the matchup. They discuss each team's biggest strengths and weaknesses, the Rays' decision to start Nick Martinez in Game 1, the series' x-factors, and how a Fall Classic between two small-market teams impacts labour negotiations. Later, former MLB catcher Jonathan Lucroy (28:49) shares a player's POV of playing at American Family Field, the pressure on Rays catcher Liam Hicks, and William Contreras' ABS challenges.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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World Series Champion with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and co-host of The Book of Joe, Joe Maddon (9:45) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to take us through his experience 24 hours before Game 1 as a manager, how the Milwaukee Brewers balance the work vs. rest, how he would gameplan against the Tampa Bay Rays, using analytics in the World Series, ABS' debut, if Kevin Cash and the Rays will embrace the 'underdog' role, and why he doesn't believe there is home field advantage anymore. Then, TV play-by-play voice for the Brewers and TNT Sports, Brian Anderson (31:07) joins the guys to discuss the differences in calling the local team and national broadcasts, if there's concerns with Jacob Misiorowski's velocity late in the season, if the team expected the performance from Aaron Ashby, and if there's one Rays hitter to pay attention to during the series. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by former MLB pitcher, World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox and co-host of Intentional Talk on MLB Network Ryan Dempster (6:33) to discuss which of the World Series participants have an edge between the Tampa Bay Rays' pitching vs. Milwaukee Brewers' bats, having home field advantage, if Jacob Misiorowski can maintain his location, how Kevin Cash manages his bullpen around the Brewers' lefties, the strength of the Rays' pitching staff, and why Junior Caminero needs to make the biggest impact. Then, Yankees reporter for USA Today Pete Caldera (28:35) stops by to weigh in on the team announcing both Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman will both return next season, Cashman agreeing to a new contract, Boone entering his 10th season with New York, how the organization can construct a World Series roster again, fixing their infield defensive woes, and if Aaron Judge could play everyday at DH. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker react to the Tampa Bay Rays punching their ticket to the World Series after their 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 before bringing in Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Topkin (9:00) to chat about the organization's road back to the Fall Classic, the change in ownership, navigating through Hurricane Milton, if the Milwaukee Brewers will have difficulties playing at the Trop, Kevin Cash's bullpen usage, how they reinvented ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta's pitching, Taylor Walls' defence at shortstop, and Liam Hicks' pitch calling. Then, Sportsnet's MLB insider Ben Nicholson-Smith stops by (31:35) to chat about how the Brewers stack up against the Rays, if Jacob Misiorowski can continue pitching at a high level for the World Series, and William Contreras' hitting abilities. After, they shift their attention to the free agent market specifically the Toronto Blue Jays' interest in Hanshin Tigers' Teruaki Sato and Shane Bieber's potential return. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the week recapping the Tampa Bay Rays taking a 3-2 series lead after winning 3-1 in Game 5 against the Guardians in Cleveland before bringing on MLB Network's Jon Morosi (9:35) to weigh in on which of the ALCS teams the Milwaukee Brewers would rather face in the World Series, who has the edge if called for one game between Drew Rasmussen or Gavin Williams, José Ramírez's performance against the Rays, pitching in the postseason, Yandy Díaz's confidence in declaring winning Game 6, and potential pitching matchups in the World Series. Then, Jeff and Kevin discuss the Baltimore Orioles hiring former Chicago Cubs assistant Jared Banner as their new general manager, his expected approach to a potential lockout during the offseason, the future of the AL East, Tarik Skubal's free agency, and the 2027 projections for the Blue Jays shortstop and second base positions. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.