Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. Riz and Jeff "Dawg" Healy did the show on Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondDiehards), and while they were able to work in baseball, they mostly talked about what September 11 meant to them, including stories of how they watched the terror, what they did and how they felt in the moment as New Yorkers. For what usually is a baseball podcast, the emotions of the hosts were clear, especially for Dawg, who served in the Army. The guys recounted from a baseball standpoint how important the famed Mike Piazza home run was in giving the Mets a tearful win over the archrival Braves in the return game. And the details of President George W. Bush's amazing ceremonial first pitch of the 2001 World Series at Yankee Stadium. They recalled the immediacy of the change in the American way of life and noted the galvanized unity of American citizens that commenced as they watched the Towers get attacked an eventually fall. Riz also left a gem to the end as a reward for those who hang around and listen all the way through (commercial-free).

The guys continue to do more shows live, and are looking to move forward to also get it on YouTube, Twitch and other outlets, so keep an eye out for that and give us feedback. We want to know what you prefer!

The Veteran of the Day was US Army Col. Rick Rescorla, who died inside the Word Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Rescorla first served in the British military before coming to America in the 1960s and making a career in the Army. He was director of security for Morgan Stanley, for whom he created and applied the evacuation process that helped most of the company's 2,687 employees in the buildings get out. He's the soldier pictured on the jacket cover of the book "We Were Soldiers Once… And Young," which was the basis for Mel Gibson's movie, "We Were Soldiers."

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondDiehards

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. Riz and Jeff "Dawg" Healy jumped on Facebook Live for the Yankees @ Mets game, while honoring the late Tom Seaver. Dawg once again got to celebrate a win by his Mets, who trailed 4-0 and 7-4, but rallied for a 9-7 wain on a walkoff two-run homer by Pete Alonso leading off the 10th inning (yes, a two-run homer leading off the inning, because of the extra-inning runner-on-second-to-start-the-inning rule).

As the game moved along, Riz & Dawg managed to interact with those in the chat on Facebook Live, and also recounted Seaver, who was known as The Franchise and Tom Terrific, and lived up to that billing. Dawg even wore his vintage Seaver #41 jersey, and told the story of how he got it and where the jersey had traveled (think: Gulf War). We also figured out that Tommy Hutton was the pedestrian player who made his career against Seaver (https://www.nytimes.com/1977/05/28/archives/mets-bow-as-hutton-drives-in-4-hutton-an-old-nemesis-routs-seaver.html).

The guys continue to do more shows live, and are looking to move forward to also get it on YouTube, Twitch and other outlets, so keep an eye out for that and give us feedback. We want to know what you prefer!

The Veteran of the Day was Seaver. According to the Marine Corps Times, "During the Vietnam War, Seaver served an eight-year commitment, including three months of boot camp, three months of active duty at Camp Pendleton outside of San Diego and 5½ years of reserve obligation." Full writeup: https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2020/09/03/marine-veteran-tom-seaver-heart-and-mighty-arm-of-miracle-mets-dies-at-75/

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondDiehards

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. Riz and Jeff "Dawg" Healy jumped on Facebook Live for the conclusion of the Mets-Orioles game. Dawg once again got to celebrate a win by his Mets, who were led by Michael Conforto's four hits and five RBI. For perspective, Conforto raised his average to .331 and his OPS to .960 by the end of this game. After the game ended, the guys addressed the suspensions coming from the Rays-Yankees game from the night before, in which Aroldis Chapman buzzed Mike Brosseau's head. In an unlikely turn, Dawg defending the Yankees. Meanwhile, Brosseau homered in the first inning while the discussion was happening, as the Rays jumped out to an early lead.

The guys continue to do more shows live, and are looking to move forward to also get it on YouTube, Twitch and other outlets, so keep an eye out for that and give us feedback. We want to know what you prefer!

The Veteran of the Day was none other than Uncle Paul. PFC Paul Laera served in the US Army from 1964-66, MOS 76-Y: Unit Supply Specialist. His primary unit was 1st Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment. He loves the Mets, but also likes the Yankees, and is a big baseball fan.

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiamondDiehards

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. Riz, Jeff "Dawg" Healy and Jerry Milani brought the show to Facebook Live for the first time ever, and the community got involved. If you want to check out the video, you can find it on the Facebook group below.

Lots to unpack here. It was Jackie Robinson Day in MLB so all players were wearing uniform number 42 in his honor. Late in the show, the stunning news broke of the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Robinson in the recent movie. Before that it was Dawg's chance to have his day, finally. Dawg's Mets have lost seemingly every time he has been doing a show while they played a game. With Yankees fans Riz & Jerry on the hook and the Mets already having taken the first game of their doubleheader, Dawg got to watch as Amed Rosario hit a two-run walkoff homer for the Mets in the bottom of the 7th inning. There was interaction with the viewers on Facebook, who posed some very solid discussion topics, including baseball in Canada, rules changes that might stay longer than 2020, and sports' place in society during a tumultuous year that has included the recent boycotting of some MLB games. Jerry also shared a story about Scottish actor Sam Heughan of Outlander, which has nothing to do with baseball but might cause someone to find this episode when searching his name. ;-)

The Veteran of the Day was Ct. Tom Healy, Dawg's father. He might end up being Veteran of the Day if the Mets keep winning.

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229752454881954/

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Jerry Milani Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBPackJerry

Jerry Milani Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GBPackJerry

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. Riz & Jeff "Dawg" Healy posed the question: Is this the best baseball season ever? There's a strong case for it if you listen closely. The guys also covered the plethora of doubleheaders and what they might mean to MLB in the future. Will we see 7-inning games for scheduled doubleheaders in 2021? Which of the other 202 rules will carry over? Is small-ball coming back, despite all the home runs being hit? Riz & Dawg check out teams like the Orioles, who are witnessing the arrival of a number of their young hitters that seem good at putting the ball in play but seem to share a low (for this day and age) walk rate. The torture for Dawg continued, as his Mets were shut out in the first game of a doubleheader with the Marlins while they were on the air, and were headed to a second shutout loss after the show ended.

The Veteran of the Day was LTC Mark Tallo, the Command Judge Advocate of Connecticut Army National Guard. He has 24 years of service and was deployed multiple times, including time served in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229752454881954/

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. Riz & Jerry Milani (pinch-hitting for Jeff "Dawg" Healy) got down to business about the Cardinals coming back online and having to play multiple doubleheaders per week for the rest of the season in order to catch up. But there is an angle here, and the guys were not ready to dismiss St. Louis like the rest of the baseball world. In fact, it's quite the opposite, and they explained why (hint: If you have been listening to previous episodes, you got a preview of how things are playing out for St. Louis in real life).

Riz then dove into Wizard World with Jerry, who is one of the hosts of their awesome online interactive panels. Wizard World is about pop culture and Jerry has helped sports -- especially baseball -- find its niche there. He recently moderated a panel with Tampa legends Wade Boggs and Doc Gooden, and another with members of the 1969 Miracle Mets. Riz said he got it on good authority that one of the members of the cast of the Vampire Diaries was a baseball fan, and he asked Jerry to assist in his diabolical plan to get her on Diamond Diehards, unbeknownst to the two big Vampire Diaries fans in his household.

The Veteran of the Day was the late Ronald DiBenedetto, Jerry's uncle, who served in the Marine Corps.

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229752454881954/

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Jerry Milani Twitter: https://twitter.com/GBPackJerry

Jerry Milani Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GBPackJerry

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

It's @WizardWorld on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, and @WizardWorldVirtual on TwitchTV

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball, this time on his birthday! Riz wanted to celebrate his birthday by bringing on longtime friend Dave Schultz, who is the program director and host of afternoon drive show The Game Plan on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile, Ala. Riz & Dave have flown in the same circles for nearly 30 years, starting at the Baseball Winter Meetings at the Fountainbleu Hotel in Miami Beach in 1991. That is where the minor league war stories began, and they were aplenty for the episode. Dave is originally from Syracuse, NY, and explained why the Blue Jays using Buffalo as their home city for the pandemic has extra meaning to him. It has a connection to his first job in Baseball, where he was in Wichita, Kan., in the Texas League. Riz had Dave recount his stops all through the minors and also his radio and career posts, where he has recorded a long history of success. In addition to being Riz's birthday, it also was the anniversary of Dave moving to WNSP, where you often can hear Riz do guest spots about MMA (and maybe some baseball ones sometime in the future).

For the Veteran of the Day, Riz asked Dave to choose. Thus, this show is for Judge Jack Schultz, who happens to be Dave's father. Judge Jack Schultz enlisted in the Army following high school graduation in January 1945. He was stationed at Fort Lewis outside of Seattle. Following an honorable discharge, he hitched-hiked back across the country.

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229752454881954/

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Dave Schultz Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveWNSP

Listen to WNSP: http://wnsp.com/wordpress/

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. The season is in full swing despite COVID-19, so Riz & Jeff "Dawg" Healy are stepping it up to bring you more episodes. No need to wait for the usual Friday night Mets debacle when we have one on a Monday! The guys kicked it off talking about the Mets-Nationals game, which already was 12-0 for the World Series champs before they hit the record button. There was an analysis of Marcus Stroman's opt-out, Steven Matz's horrendous outing, and Yoenis Cespedes' golf game, which transitioned to a review of the Cardinals' potential schedule, which could call for a doubleheader every fourth day. Does that mean they should throw in the towel? Riz & Dawg think there is a chance St. Louis could make the schedule work in their favor. Information about what is happening on a daily basis is at a low point for the Internet era, thanks to the scant amount of reporters actually attending games, and the guys analyzed why that is, while giving props to pal Mike Puma, the Mets' beat writer for the NY Post who was the only reporter to travel on their recent trip to Atlanta. Puma also had a tweet about the Mercy Rule in MLB, which prompted a lively back-and-forth exchange. The Angels' Jo Adell made the podcast for his efforts in the outfield over the weekend, and the NHL and its Draft Lottery also brought some discussion, in that it might be a preview to some of Baseball's potential administrative decisions. The guys also came up with a potential trivia question in Jeopardy fashion, with their old Fordham pal Miguel Jimenez being the answer, but the question being unclear.

The Veteran of the Day was World War II Purple Heart recipient George Kitcher, who died March 20, 1945, five days after taking wounds. The 63rd ID, 254th Regimen, 1st Battalion, A Company was taking Einscheim, possibly punching toward the Sigfried Line.

The Chatter Links:

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229752454881954/

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. In what seemingly has become a Friday night ritual, Riz and Dawg ended up watching the Mets, and once again they ended up with a disappointing loss, this time to the surprising Miami Marlins. The Marlins moved to 7-1 with the win, and Riz & Dawg broke down how they got there, where they will go from here, and what they need to do to make the playoffs under manager Don Mattingly. They also were critical of a move Mets manager Luis Rojas could have made that might have changed the outcome of the game (and the season). The guys also broke down the Cardinals and how they have fallen behind in the schedule. What is the disadvantage? Well, not so fast -- maybe it could actually play to St. Louis' advantage, and Riz & Dawg explained how it could happen (hint: The Cardinal Way, coupled with forward-thinking management and execution, plus a bit of sorcery, dark arts and Adam Wainright).

The Veteran of the Day was Sgt. Elijah Churchill of the 2d Continental Dragoons, from Enfield, Conn. He was the first Purple Heart recipient, from Gen. George Washington himself, and this episode was dropped on Purple Heart Day!

The Chatter Links

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229752454881954/

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Joe Rizzo brings you baseball. Riz guided Jeff "Dawg" Healy through the agonizing blown lead in the Mets' 11-10 loss to the Braves, as it happened while they were on air. Dawg could not stomach Dellin Betances and Seth Lugo blowing a 10-6 lead in the 8th after New York held an 8-2 lead in the top of the 5th. Dawg and his gin & tonics lamented about the pain of being a fan of the Metropolitans, while Riz and his Yankees cruised to a 5-1 win over the Red Sox. The guys also addressed the surprising 5-3 start for the Tigers, and assessed their chances of making the playoffs, although it's still early. There was a lot of talk about the COIVD breakout that sidelined a few teams, namely the Marlins and Cardinals, and what that could mean in terms of the trade deadline and the playoff hopes for all teams down the line. Dawg talked about how he would kick Joe Kelly's ass, but the guys also broke down the unfair 8-game suspension of the Dodgers' reliever and the scenario between Los Angeles and the Astros. There was plenty of talk about the effects of COVID-19 on the MLB season, a deep dive into the Cano-Diaz trade the Mets made with the Mariners (Riz called it, Dawg did not), and love for the fact this episode was recorded when the Padres were at the Rockies in a real Major League baseball game.

The Veteran of the Day was Riz's old buddy Elias Ibay, and there was a special shoutout to Riz & Dawg's beloved college friend, Dr. Chickee.

The Chatter Links

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229752454881954/

DD Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiamondDiehards

DD Instagram: https://instagram.com/DiamondDiehards

Riz Twitter: https://twitter.com/RearNakedChoke

Riz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joerizzomma/

Dawg Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffHealy8

Strat-O-Matic 2020 Simulation: http://www.strat-o-matic.com/2020-season-simulation/