Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Blue Jays' series win over the New York Yankees as starters Yusei Kikuchi, Alek Manoah, and Kevin Gausman were all on their game; especially Gausman who pitched seven shutout innings with 11 strikeouts. Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi joins the show to discuss Manoah's bounce-back start and the starting rotation settling in (28:36). Following Shi, the guys examine how the Blue Jays’ division rivals fared over the weekend in the latest edition of ‘In The East’ (49:31). White Sox TV voice Jason Benetti previews the upcoming Chicago-Toronto series, provides a scouting report on the team’s starters, and discusses Liam Hendriks' journey working his way back after announcing that he is cancer-free (01:18:40).
 

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 are joined by 30-year MLB umpire Brian Gorman who discussed Max Scherzer’s suspension after the Mets’ ace decided not to appeal (25:30). MLB Network reporter Mark Feinsand looks ahead to the Yankees-Blue Jays series, before discussing if this is Gerrit Cole’s best run as a Yankee and Shohei Ohtani’s visit to New York when the Angels were in town earlier in the week (50:00). Blue Jays Manager John Schneider breaks some news about Matt Chapman hitting cleanup against Domingo German tonight, and looks ahead to this weekend against the Yankees (01:17:11).

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 go over the Blue Jays-Astros series finale where Houston prevailed with a 8-1 win. The guys discuss the Jays' inability to score with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, a solid start from José Berríos, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting called out on a pitch clock violation. Speaking of violations, the guys react to post-game comments from Mets pitcher Max Scherzer and manager Buck Showalter after Scherzer was ejected by umpire Phil Cuzzi following a foreign substance check against the Dodgers (28:34). Foul Territory co-host & YES Network analyst Todd Frazier shares his thoughts on the Scherzer situation and the umpires’ role in the incident, before discussing Toronto’s next opponent: the New York Yankees (49:33). MLB Insider Jeff Passan comments on the umpires vs. Scherzer, if Mad Max could be suspended, and if the Oakland A’s will be moving to Las Vegas anytime soon (01:19:23).

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' 4-2 road win over the Houston Astros where Chris Bassitt shut down Houston’s offence and both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Matt Chapman went yard! Astros analyst and former third baseman Geoff Blum comments on the Astros-Jays series so far, Alex Bregman’s slow start offensively, and Houston’s starting rotation without ace Justin Verlander this season (28:00). Jeff and Kevin share their thoughts on another batch of new rules that Major League Baseball is testing out in the Atlantic League, before answering listeners’ questions on the “Back Leg Line’ (49:33). To end off the show, World Series-winning Manager Dusty Baker joins the show to talk about his friendship with Cito Gaston, managing Barker with the Cincinnati Reds, where Yordan Alvarez ranks amongst the best left-handed hitters he’s managed, and why he decided to take the Astros job in the first place (01:15:21).

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 go over Toronto’s 9-2 loss to the Houston Astros, highlighted by if the pitch clock affected Kevin Gausman’s performance and if tweaks should be made with the team’s batting order. The guys then answer a few calls on the ‘Back Leg Line’ (29:04), before speaking to Blue Jays analyst Caleb Joseph about if Bo Bichette should be moved to the cleanup spot, Alejandro Kirk and Danny Jansen behind the plate, and what he needs to see from top prospect Ricky Tiedemann to show he’s ready for the Majors (49:41). Speaking of Tiedemann, the man himself joins Jeff and Kevin to discuss what he learned from his first spring with the big club, what he's been working on in the minors, and whether he's been given any timelines for his promotion (01:15:52).

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 the Toronto Blue Jays' weekend which saw them win two of three games against the previously undefeated Tampa Bay Rays; notably the starting pitching and Alek Manoah struggling again in his latest appearance. Afterwards, the guys examine the Blue Jays’ other division rivals in the latest installment of ‘In The East’ (29:57). Jayson Stark of The Athletic comments on what we’ve learned from the Rays' winning streak, the bizarre substance check on Yankees’ starter Domingo German, and more from the weekend in Major League Baseball (49:33). We wrap up with Astros radio analyst Steve Sparks, who previews the upcoming Houston-Toronto series at Minute Maid Park (01:14:45).

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 the Blue Jays' 3-1 loss to the Tigers and discuss Ricky Tiedemann’s nine strikeouts through three innings in his season debut with AA New Hampshire, before looking ahead to this weekend’s big series against the 13-0 Tampa Bay Rays! Rays GM Peter Bendix talks about what’s behind the team’s exceptional start, key contributors like Brandon Lowe being healthy, and the new MLB rules encouraging athleticism and working well with his team’s skillset (26:10). Former Rays outfielder and current studio analyst Matt Joyce shares his view on the 13-0 streak and being teammates with Kevin Kiermaier (49:28). MLB insider Jeff Passan sends us into the weekend with his assessment of tonight’s starter José Berríos, and share why the Mets and Dodgers could be front runners if Shohei Ohtani hits free agency (01:19:24).

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’ 4-3 win in extra innings over the Detroit Tigers, notably Kevin Gausman’s strong outing and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s defence. Blue Jays Manager John Schneider joins the show with his club having won seven of their last eight games to discuss the positive signs he’s seen from José Berríos, Alek Manoah gradually building up his velocity, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. becoming a gold glover at first-base, and the current platoon situation at second base (28:11). Tigers Manager A.J. Hinch looks ahead to the final game of the Jays-Tigers series and talks about managing a developing young team and the new bullpen configurations at Rogers Centre for opposing teams (49:33). We wrap up with Blue Jays play-by-play voice Dan Shulman, who comments on Matt Chapman’s hot start and how the new rules can effect the team on the base paths (01:14:13).

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 share their takeaways from the Blue Jays’ 9-3 win over the Tigers on a night where Kevin Kiermaier stole the show with an incredible highlight reel catch and home run! The guys discuss what they saw from Alek Manoah’s 4.1 innings of work, the bullpen pitching scoreless innings the rest of the way, and Brandon Belt who had three hits in the win. Blue Jays radio play-by-play voice Ben Wagner weighs in on the home opener, nobably Manaoh’s velocity from start to start, the Jays’ platoon at second base, and Kiermaier’s big game (30:48). Later on, MLB executive Morgan Sword discusses how excited they are that the league has transitioned and adjusted to the new rules so smoothly, and why they'll keep letting fans lead them for any future rule adjustments down the road (49:28). Jeff and Kevin end the show with questions on the ‘Back Leg Line’, before examining Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s contract status, and looking ahead to Kevin Gausman’s start in game two of the series (01:14:20).

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.

The final home opener of the 2023 season takes place tonight at Rogers Centre as the Blue Jays host the Tigers! Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss what they’re looking for from Alek Manoah tonight, the run differential of the American League East teams, Matt Chapman winning AL Player of the week, and the Orioles' new home run celebration. Later on, the fellas head to the phonelines to answer some of your questions on the 'Back Leg Line' (27:15). Next up, Chris Rose, host of The Chris Rose Rotation, weighs in on the Blue Jays and José Berríos’ start to the season, before projecting if Aaron Judge can repeat his MVP-performance (47:37). We wrap up with Tigers analyst Craig Monroe, who previews the upcoming series from a Detroit perspective and takes us through the mix of youngsters and veterans on the roster (01:16:05).

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.