Burger Bites

This episode involves discussion of sensitive topics, may contain triggers for some persons and may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

The 2019 baseball season with the Henry's Towing High Rollers was wonderful for Nick Bacon. Finally, he was living out his boyhood dream, but then all the joy and wonder came crashing down in an instant.

Resources:

To Write Love on Her Arms: http://twloha.com

TWLOHA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TWLOHA

NAMI of Southwest Missouri: http://namiswmo.org

NAMI Warm Line available 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. CDT: (417) 864-3676

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

"Burger Bites" is written and produced by Rance Burger.

Episode 48 is dedicated to the memory of Adrienne Bacon.

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Satellites" by The Endless Summer

From "Daydream" 2012

Personnel: Nick Bacon, Tyler Long, Shay Johnson, Tommy Oerding and Adam Cross.

Produced by Andrew Goldstein

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

Photos courtesy of Nick Bacon.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

From the "Burger Bites" cutting room floor, Rance rescues some almost-lost audio of Nick Bacon living out his boyhood dream of owning and wearing authentic costumes from Gotham.

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Photo of Nick Bacon is his "bat cave" by Rance Burger, via Zoom.

Theme song

Music

"The Quest" by Whitesand

Arranged and performed by Martyn Laur

Copyright free: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNi0OX5fIxc

Whitesand on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MartynLaur

Batman is a trademark of DC Comics, Inc. created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger.

Rance Burger and/or "Burger Bites" hold no copyright claim to Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, or any other characters within the Batman franchise.

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

To Write Love on Her Arms: http://www.twloha.com

Nick Bacon electrified our car speakers and stole all of our girlfriends as the lead singer of The Endless Summer. The band made albums, toured, rocked concerts and rocked the internet. "Satellites" became a moderate hit in Japan.

What are the guys from The Endless Summer doing in 2021? We don't know, but we can at least tell you about Nick. He's a graduate of the kindergarten program at Joel E. Barber Elementary School who went on to graduate from Jefferson City High School and pursue a degree in classical Latin (yes, really).

He found love and started a family in Springfield, but insists his wife, Taylor, was not the Yoko Ono of The Endless Summer. He works for Apple and plays baseball in the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League. And that's just a taste of the conversation we have.

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Satellites" by The Endless Summer

From "Daydream" 2012

Personnel: Nick Bacon, Tyler Long, Shay Johnson, Tommy Oerding and Adam Cross.

Produced by Andrew Goldstein

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

To Write Love on Her Arms: http://twloha.com/

The Nixa Suckers debuted in 2020 and reached the semifinals of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League playoffs. Named for the fish that populates the James River, fries up deliciously and gives the Nixa Sucker Days festival its name, the Nixa Suckers are a serious baseball team with a funny name. Spitz opens up about his effort to crash through the glass ceiling and play for the Howard Bell Trophy in 2021. He also shares how his playing career at Drury University shapes the advice he gives to the young men he coaches at Springfield Catholic High School.

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Photo courtesy of Mike Hudgens Photography, the official game day photographer of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League.

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay

Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

More on Waters Cinema: http://waterscinema.com

Grip 'N Rip gear available at http://www.gripnripfanwear.com

Courtney Spitz is the head coach of the Springfield Catholic Fightin' Irish in Springfield, Missouri, where the high school baseball scene and the game have changed greatly since his playing days at Kickapoo High. Spitz opens up on coaching high school players with big time aspirations at the NCAA Division I and II levels, and shares how his own career as a catcher shaped his thoughts on recruiting and talent scouting.

And we have some some fun reminiscing about the time Chris Meza and Josh Engler cost Spitz a dozen chicken wings and a pitcher of suds in a Grip 'N Rip Baseball League game.

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Photo courtesy of Mike Hudgens Photography, the official game day photographer of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League.

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay

Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

Grip 'N Rip gear available at http://www.gripnripfanwear.com

Harrison Waters hit a solo home run still regarded as one of the most important hits in 14 years of Drury University baseball. 

His solo shot to right field in Sauget, Illinois came in the tenth inning of the 2007 Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship game, giving Drury a 2-1 win over the Bellarmine Knights. 

Waters made an interesting choice when he finished up his high school career in Republic, Missouri. He opted to join the inaugural recruiting class for Coach Mark Stratton, now a Missouri Sports Hall-of-Famer, and join a startup baseball program at NCAA Division-II Drury.

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Photo courtesy of Drury University Athletics, archive photo taken from 2008 Drury baseball media guide.

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay

Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

More on Waters Cinema: http://waterscinema.com

Grip 'N Rip gear available at http://www.gripnripfanwear.com

Harrison Waters loves to be in the batter's box or on the business end of a video camera. He made the unforgettable "welcome" video fans and players watched before every game in the fifth season of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League, and then he played left field for the 2020 champion Ozark Mountain Ducks. 

He was the 2005 Central Ozark Conference player of the year at Republic (Missouri) High School, setting school records in batting and in pitching. The left-hander went after a marketing degree at Drury University, a college that didn't have a baseball team until Harry arrived on campus in 2007.

Thirteen years later, he's still playing baseball and still pursuing his passion for film.

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Photo courtesy of Mike Hudgens Photography, the official game day photographer of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League.

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay

Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

More on Waters Cinema: http://waterscinema.com

Grip 'N Rip gear available at http://www.gripnripfanwear.com

Evan Meagher is working with an agent and shopping the book, "Have Bat, Will Travel," chronicling his adventures as an American playing pro baseball in France. 

Meagher returned to the United States and settled in San Francisco, where he found an old school version of his favorite sport, vintage base ball. And yes, "base ball" was two words in the 1880s. The vintage game delivered new friends, new rivals and new adventures.

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Photo courtesy of Evan Meagher.

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay

Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

Grip 'N Rip gear available at http://www.gripnripfanwear.com

Writer, investment banker, entrepreneur and ballplayer Evan Meagher walked away from his salary for one more chance at professional baseball dreams. With an internet connection, an intense workout regimen and the power of persuasion, he made it to the pros... in France. He chronicled his story on a blog, "Have Bat, Will Travel," that is in the process of becoming a book 15 years later.

Meagher played for the Lions de Savigny and the Bois Guillaume Woodchucks in the French Division Elite, the highest league for baseball in France. 

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Art courtesy of Evan Meagher, "Have Bat, Will Travel."

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay

Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

Brad Case is a rapidly rising prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system. He survived the Gulf Coast League to go on and shove for the Greensboro Grasshoppers and the Bradenton Marauders. When COVID-19 derailed what should have been a promotion to Double-A, Case launched "The Minor League Take," a show where pros candidly share their stories of hope and perseverance with younger players.

"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.

Photo courtesy of the Brad Case.

Find "The Minor League Take" on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0D099yQgckng88I69BU70y?si=2V25VUZgSmWNuQmlG9dskQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNTH4AS7rM9w3fAoL9t-rpA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MilbTake

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-minor-league-take/id1534595735

Theme songs

"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man

Produced by Tay Muletti

Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger

"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay

Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV

Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.

More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com