Blair & Barker

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker discuss the latest surrounding the Blue Jays: losing two of three to Texas, Alejandro Kirk hitting the IL, and changes to the batting order for their upcoming series against the Miami Marlins. Former MLB executive Jim Bowden joins the show with his latest thoughts on Alek Manoah after he was sent down to Florida, the conversations being had by GMs leading up to the trade deadline and if he would start selling if he was in charge of the Cardinals and Mets (28:56). Marlins (and Yankees) analyst Jeff Nelson previews the Toronto-Miami series, before discussing Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara’s struggles and the Yankees woes without Aaron Judge in the lineup (51:45).

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.
 

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker are joined in-studio by Sportsnet’s Caleb Joseph with his most recent thoughts on the Blue Jays after their series loss in Baltimore. Speaking of the Orioles, the guys call up Caleb’s old teammate, outfielder Adam Jones, to share stories from their playing days together (26:43). Rangers TV analyst Mark McLemore previews the Jays weekend series against Texas and discusses Bruce Bochy’s influence on the organization, and Jacob deGrom being lost for the season (52:40). 

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.

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker discuss the Blue Jays’ 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles as their record against AL East opponents falls to 7-17 this season. British Columbia’s own Rich Harden joins the show (26:12) to discuss his career and the honour of being inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend in St. Marys. MLB insider Jeff Passan makes his return to the show (49:40) and shares his thoughts on why he doesn’t think the Blue Jays will be sellers, Alek Manaoh being sent down to Florida, the A’s potential move to Las Vegas, and the Yankees winning despite their injuries.

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.

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker assess the Blue Jays’ latest loss to the Orioles in game one of their series in Baltimore, and discuss the interesting tweaks by Jays coaches to the batting order for game two. MLB analyst and former outfielder Doug Glanville checks-in with his thoughts on the Blue Jays, why Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is still dangerous despite his numbers being down, and more around the majors (28:07). Orioles EVP & GM Mike Elias discusses his club’s strong season so far, their deep prospect pool, and if they will make moves to add to their impressive roster (50:59). The Athletic’s Eno Sarris discusses his experience at the Oakland Coliseum as A’s fans boycotted against unpopular owner John Fisher last night (1:19:33).

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 & Kevin Barker discuss the tinted window of opportunity for the Baltimore Orioles, if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will continue his success against Dean Kremer and Bassitt's challenge ahead of his start at Camden Yards. Then, former Montreal Expo Denis Boucher joins Jeff and Kevin to chat about his upcoming Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction and a surprise from his former Expo teammate, Joe Siddall (34:23). Blue Jays manager John Schneider joins Jeff and Kevin from Baltimore to break down the Orioles threats, digging Vladdy Jr. out of his slump, Belt and Chapman’s up an downs, balancing decisions between reliability and in-game events and thoughts on emotional reactions from pitchers (56:21). Later, Tim Britton from The Athletic joins to discuss the upcoming Subway Series, which ball club has more at stake, and why Luis Severino can't get on track (1:18:00).

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 & Kevin Barker react to the Blue Jays avoiding the sweep to the Twins thanks to Cavan Biggio’s heroics in the final game. Afterwards, the guys examine how the weekend went for the Jays’ division rivals in the latest installment of ‘In The East’ (28:59). Orioles reporter Roch Kubatko discusses Toronto’s next opponent as they make their way to Camden Yards for a three-game series on Tuesday (56:45). MLB Network Radio host and former closer Brad Lidge shares his thoughts on the Jays and if he feels they’re playing up to expectations, the Orioles great season so far, and the teams that have his attention in the National League (1:16:29).

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 Toronto Blue Jays decision to designate Anthony Bass for assignment. Buffalo Bisons Manager Casey Candaele talks about Bowden Francis’s game, Mitch White’s return to the big leagues, and playing with robot umpires at the Triple-A level (31:15). Former Marlins and Expos executive David Samson comments on the Mets’ troubling play of late and the organization giving Buck Showalter a vote of confidence before going more in-depth on Canadian tax laws amidst the story that the CRA is looking to collect money from ex-Blue Jays players (52:11).

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 dissect Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins' media availability and his comments on Alek Manoah, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Bass. Sportsnet’s Dan Shulman checks-in from Rogers Centre ahead of the series finale against the Astros (30:43). MLB Network analyst Bill Ripken shares his views on the Blue Jays, their decision to send Manoah to Florida to work on his game,  Luis Arraez’s standout campaign with Miami, and Elly De La Cruz debuting with the Reds (51:30). Astros analyst and three-time World Series Champion Mike Stanton provides a scouting report on Framber Valdez and discusses what Mauricio Dubon brings to the Houston lineup (1:15:42).

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 latest thoughts on the Blue Jays after a 5-1 win and a standout 13-strikeout performance from Kevin Gausman. Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine discusses his process on the mound, how he adjusted out of season-long slumps, his thoughts on Alek Manoah and looking forward to sharing the broadcast booth with former Braves Chipper Jones, John Smoltz, and Jeff Francoeur (28:05). MLB Network’s Jon Morosi talks about poor air quality due to wildfires forcing the postponement of games, if a trade is on the horizon to help Toronto and the stiff competition in the American League (1:17:02).

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 big Blue Jays news of the day: starter Alek Manoah being sent down to the Florida Complex League. Sportsnet’s Buck Martinez comments on the club’s decision to send Manoah to Florida and compares it when he was Blue Jays manager and Roy Halladay was sent to the minors (29:42). MLB columnist Shi Davidi checks-in from field level with his thoughts on Manoah and how teammates reacted to the news before hearing audio from fellow starter Jose Berrios on the matter (52:40). Houston Astros General Manager and former member of the Blue Jays front office Dana Brown discusses his first season as GM after taking over the role in January (1:15:36).

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.