Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Blue Jays weekend in Pittsburgh as they swept the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park; after getting swept themselves by the Red Sox. The guys examine Toronto’s division rivals in the latest installment of ‘In The East’ (29:47). David Samson discusses how the Cardinals are handling Willson Contreras (and his contract), Carlos Rodon’s chronic back injury, the state of the Blue Jays, and where he thinks the Yankees will finish in the AL East (49:40). Blair & Barker catch up with former Jays pitcher Jason Grilli to end the show and ask him about his foray into podcasting with his show ‘Mound Visit’ (01:17:13)

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look ahead to the Blue Jays weekend series in Pittsburgh after getting swept by the Boston Red Sox. Travis Sawchik of The Score discusses the Pirates early-season success, if they could be buyers as the trade deadline approaches, and how he viewed Jose Berrios’ first month of the season (23:49). The guys open up the ‘Back Leg Line’ before welcoming Jays Manager John Schneider on the show for his weekly hit who shared his thoughts on the Boston sweep, Daulton Varsho’s hitting adjustments, Guerrero Jr’s success hitting at Fenway Park, George Springer, and managing the bullpen (01:18:13).

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays latest loss to the Red Sox: Alek Manoah’s outing, staying in the game after getting hit by a comebacker, Toronto committing four errors, and the rough weather in Boston. Afterwards, they open up the ‘Back Leg Line’ with fan questions on George Springer, six-man rotations, and Charlie Montoyo. MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa shares his overall thoughts on the Blue Jays’ 2023 aspirations, Manoah’s start to the season, Bo Bichette’s elite hitting, and who’s for real in the AL East. MLB insider Jeff Passan talks about what the Red Sox are doing well, Matt Chapman’s early-season production, and how much faith he has in the Yankees (01:21:36).

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss Daulton Varsho’s new adjustment at the plate paying dividends, and George Springer’s struggles atop the order before looking ahead to Alek Manoah’s start against Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox. Sportsnet’s Joe Siddall comments on Springer’s slow start, how close he thinks we are to seeing Nate Pearson in high leverage situations, Matt Chapman winning AL player of the month and how sustainable his performance is (27:36). President of the Negro Leagues Museum, Bob Kendrick discusses the plans for the museum’s new state-of-the-art facility and how cool it is to have Negro Leagues’ involvement in the MLB The Show video game (50:33). Barker’s former teammate and current Red Sox analyst Darnell McDonald previews Game three of the TOR-BOS series and talks about Rafael Devers AKA “the left-handed Vladimir Guerrero Jr.” and what makes him such a dangerous hitter (01:15:49).

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap Toronto’s 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox as Alex Verdugo hit a game-winning walk-off home run off of Jordan Romano. The guys discuss Jose Berrios’ start, John Schneider’s bullpen usage, and Bo Bichette being locked in offensively before going to the Back Leg Line for a few questions. Caleb Joseph joins the show to assess the level of trust of the different relievers in the Blue Jays’ pen before commenting on Nate Pearson’s breaking ball, Daulton Varsho’s plate approach, and how Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk profile defensively (49:40). 

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker react to the Blue Jays taking two of three against the Seattle Mariners and share their thoughts on: the bullpen, Chris Bassitt showing emotion in the dugout, Alejandro Kirk behind the plate, and Alek Manoah battling on Friday night. Afterwards, the guys present the latest edition of ‘In the East’ an examine how the weekend went for the Rays, Yankees, Orioles, and Red Sox (25:07). The Athletic’s Jayson Stark discusses the first month of the MLB season, Jacob deGrom’s health, and Bryce Harper returning to the Phillies (49:53). Rob Bradford of WEEI previews the Red Sox-Blue Jays series and looks ahead to Manoah vs. Alex Verdugo after Verdugo made comments about the Jays’ starter on Rob’s “Baseball Isn’t Boring” Podcast (01:15:14)

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look ahead to this weekend’s series against the Seattle Mariners where Teoscar Hernandez will make his return to Rogers Centre. Hall of Famer and hitting consultant Chipper Jones joins the show to discuss what he did to break out of hitting slumps and how it relates to the current Blue Jays (28:19). Former Mariners All-Star and podcast host Bret Boone talks about how Hernandez has fit in with Seattle, losing Erik Swanson to Toronto, and his experiences as a hitter (49:25). Blue Jays Manager John Schneider re-visits his decision-making in last season’s postseason loss to Seattle and talks about the recent success of Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi in the rotation (01:12:40). 

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker break down the Blue Jays sweep of the White Sox and Yusei Kikuchi’s latest outing before opening up the ‘Back Leg Line’ for fan questions on the team’s off-day. Sportsnet’s Dan Shulman comments on the starting rotation’s recent success and Daulton Varsho contributing all over the diamond despite some inconsistencies at the dish (51:26). MLB Insider Jeff Passan discusses the competitiveness of the AL East, Alek Manoah impressing in his previous start at Yankee stadium, career minor-leaguer Drew Maggi getting called up by the Pirates and more from around the game (01:17:40).

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss the Blue Jays’ 7-0 win over the Chicago White Sox; particularly José Berríos’ strong start and Danny Jansen’s big game at the plate. Former White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham provides his thoughts on the series so far and what the Blue Jays can expect from Michael Kopech in the finale (26:21). Blue Jays pitcher Erik Swanson talks about his routine, role in the bullpen, and facing his former team this weekend when the Mariners come to town (49:42). White Sox pitcher and author of A Damn Near Perfect Game: Reclaiming America’s Past Time, Joe Kelly discusses why he chose to write a book while still playing, if Rob Manfred is the right person to be the commissioner of MLB, and interacting with Blue Jays’ fans in the new bullpens at Rogers Centre (01:15:48).

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap Toronto’s 5-2 win over the White Sox as Cavan Biggio provided the offense with a three-run HR in the fourth inning, before going to the ‘Back Leg Line’ to answer a few listener questions (32:48). MLB Network’s Jon Morosi discusses the Rays continuing their winning ways, who could be selling at the deadline, and the Pirates surprising the baseball world as they sit in first place (49:32).

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.