Is This A Great Game, Or What?

On the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we reflect on how baseball helped this country heal. Tim Kurkjian has some incredible stories and perspective on what the game meant to a very scared America in September of 2001.

The Yankees have done something for 34 straight years, meaning Jeff has never known any differently as a 33-year-old. That streak has only been topped by THE YANKEES, of course. Plus, Kyle Schwarber loves saving the day in a 1-0 win. And then there's Nate Lavender, who is the inspiration behind our Team Tim this week.

On This Date in Baseball History, we hear about the Alou brothers and their improbable inning. Lou Brock gets a SECOND mention on the show. And you know Tim has the best stories, including one that may be as hot as lightning. (You will get it when you hear it.)

Alphabest brings us to the best last-name players beginning with "Y" in Major League Baseball history. Would we say these are obvious? Maybe! But nonetheless, they could stack up as one of the best combos we've seen all season on Alphabest!

Three Cards brings us some fascinating stories, including one about Mickey Mantle. Plus, the Tim Hudson games that Tim Kurkjian has attended have a chance of going a LONG time, that's for sure.

We wrap up with the aforementioned Team Tim for another great episode.

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Thanks so much for listening and watching, and as always, thanks for being a part of our family!

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A big Labor Day Weekend celebration for everyone, including the Kurkjian family! A Team Tim of the All-Labor variety will most likely make you stretch, laugh, and smile just a bit.

PCA continues to lead our Takeaways, mostly because his year has been absolutely insane. In the 155-year history of the Cubs, he is the FIRST player to do WHAT? Seriously… he’s insane.

Plus, Chris Sale and Paul Skenes are pitching out of their minds right now, but where does it rank historically? Tim Kurkjian makes a great point about the length of starts and how the game has changed. Adley Rutschman has done something no other player has ever done in a single season — and it may NEVER happen again. Kyle Schwarber strikes out a lot, yes, but where does this season rank among the most strikeout-heavy seasons in baseball history?

On This Date, we talk Campy, Babe, and Gerrit Cole. What an interesting combination! You never know what you’re going to get On This Date.

And the same goes for The Wheel of Kurkjian, featuring a very special guest wheel spinner: Jeff’s daughter, McKinley! Thank you so much for listening, and as always, thank you for being a part of our family!

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Karl Ravech has been a friend of the Kurkjian family for a very long time. After more than 30 years at ESPN, Ravech reflects on his incredible run at the famed sports media giant — including many of those years and countless shows alongside our very own Tim Kurkjian.

One by one, Karl shares fantastic stories about Buck Showalter, Harold Reynolds, Peter Gammons, John Kruk, Terry Francona, Eduardo Pérez, and so many others. The stories this man has collected over the years might be unmatched!

And, as you might imagine, Tim’s infamous travel woes are very much at the forefront this week.

Karl also takes us inside his final year covering the Little League World Series, which just wrapped up in Williamsport. The incredible people there honored him before the championship game, and, without a doubt, there were plenty of tears shed.

Ravech has also launched a new project called Dirt From the Dugout, part of the Foul Territory Network. Be sure to listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube!

Thanks for listening, and as always, thanks for being a part of our family!

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Colton Cowser’s catch just blew us all away, but in the grand scheme of things, how does it rank according to Tim Kurkjian? And wait until you hear who was in the golf group after Tim! Celebrity sightings galore!

Big news for the Angels organization with an ownership changeover. Tim Kurkjian weighs in on the impact to the team and the league as a whole. The Cubbies have been the subject of quite a few Quirkjians this season, and today is no different. In fact, the kind of dominance they’ve shown is something to behold!

On This Date in Baseball History, we hear about The Count once again, two different Gonzalezes, and a Ty Cobb debate. Since there are no X-last-name players, we go to the first name, including a CURRENT player, for Alphabest.

Three Cards In The Bathroom actually brings us two current players and a Hall of Famer. Quite a collection, including a burn from one player to another that had Jeff on the floor!

Finally, we wrap with Team Tim (as is tradition), all about weddings. Jeff and Tim have a family wedding this weekend, and boy, did Tim hit the nail on the head for this one!

Thanks for being a part of our family!

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He was only hit by one pitch in his entire career, but Tom Candiotti still got yelled at for it by Larry Walker! What a great story among so many others during this hour-long interview.

Tom Candiotti is a former MLB pitcher turned broadcaster, and he has plenty of incredible stories to tell. Little did we know that his birth year had been wrong from the very beginning of his career—thank goodness Tim Kurkjian noticed!

The pitcher-turned-knuckleballer also talks about his days playing catch with Phil Niekro and how that experience changed his life. He even shares stories about helping other players hone their craft on the mound while in disguise.

And his Albert Belle stories? Some of the best!

We cannot thank Tom enough for being our guest this week. But most importantly, thanks for watching or listening, and as always, thanks for being a part of our family.

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Tim Kurkjian begins the show with a heartfelt message for the legendary Karl Ravech. Tim’s longtime teammate at ESPN recently called his final game for the network, fittingly, at the Little League World Series. We know Karl will be picking up a new gig soon, and of course, we have a feeling he’ll be joining us as a guest again very soon! 

Pete Crow-Armstrong just did something no Cub has ever done at his age, while Chris Sale continues to show us that age is truly just a number! The Angels continue to struggle when holding a lead, and honestly, it’s getting a little sad. Plus, Buck Martinez gets honored by the Blue Jays, and Tim follows it up with one of the funniest stories you’ll hear. Plus Greg Maddux baffled us ALL! 

George Lombard is struggling a bit at shortstop for the Yankees — no pressure, right? And Drake Baldwin hitting bombs to start a game has officially become a Quirkjian.

On This Date in Baseball History, we talk about Bob Gibson, including a hilarious Johnny Bench story about him, as well as Rico Carty. Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon also get some mentions along the way.

We dive into the Wheel of Kurkjian and need your suggestions! Head over to our website and send them our way. We also talk Wrigley Field, bullpen catchers, and one legendary manager.

Of course, Team Tim wraps things up today.

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Welcome to the podcast! If it’s your first time here, don’t forget to subscribe or follow wherever you watch or listen. Tim Kurkjian and his son, Jeff, are here to make you laugh, smile, and hopefully learn a thing or two about baseball.

We kick things off with the first day of school for Tim’s grandkids and the passing of a legendary country star, which had Jeff—a full-time country music morning show host—very busy on the day of the recording.

Our Takeaways include praise for the White Sox and their incredible walk-off wins. Plus, the Brewers are the best team in Major League Baseball, and Tim explains how they’re doing it. Mason Miller finally showed some weakness, while the Royals have accomplished something not many teams 20 games under .500 have done. And, believe it or not, there’s historical precedent suggesting the Red Sox could win it all!

The Quirkjians feature a Cal Raleigh and Babe Ruth comparison for the ages. We had no idea Ruth did this at the end of his career! We’re still in shock over games from Randy Arozarena and Pete Crow-Armstrong that have NEVER happened before. And then there’s Young Junk, which Jeff couldn’t get enough of.

On This Date in Baseball History, we celebrate Jim Thome’s birthday and a record he holds that Jeff was actually able to guess! Plus, it’s Mike Maddux’s birthday, too. We remember Joe Morgan for what he did back in 1978, and then it’s time for Alphabest! We’re on to the letter W, searching for the best position player and pitcher with a last name beginning with W. Is it Ted Williams or Honus Wagner? Early Wynn or Rube Waddell?

Three Cards in the Bathroom takes a look back at some amazing players, with stories that only Tim Kurkjian could come up with. And we wrap things up with Team Tim, focusing on back-to-school season for our kids, parents, and teachers.

Thanks so much for watching or listening, and as always, thank you for being a part of our family!

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Every once in a while, you come across a human being who changes your life. For the Kurkjian family, that was Michael Brown. The former college baseball catcher, former Secret Service member, was diagnosed with ALS. He's a young dad who would never ask for help, so we helped him. We appreciate everyone who took the time to come to the show or donate on behalf of the Brown family.

We discussed quite a bit on stage, everything from country music to Ted Williams. It was a special afternoon. Keep in mind, this was recorded live, we apologize of the audio but hey, the show must go on!

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Thanks to all who came out to our live event in honor of our friend Michael Brown! More to come on that during tomorrow’s episode! Tim makes a case for Jacob deGrom in the Hall of Fame, do you agree with it? Plus on the other end, we’ve got newbie Kade Anderson just brought up amid a playoff race for the Mariners. Mason Miller is insane still and the Phillies are hot!

Jordan Walker leads our Quirkjians but little we know, he’s not the only one with quirky homer stats! Randy Arozarena said “I see you PCA, how about THIS?” We had no clue this could happen twice in a decade yet alone twice in a month! And On This Date, we got Bill Freehan, Ted Williams and Ernie Banks! And a little family love for a McKinley in the building!

The Wheel of Kurkjian is in need of your help! Go to our website GreatGameOrWhat.com to submit your entries. But today’s Team Tim doesn’t need any help at all because it’s all about Cal Ripken Jr and his unbreakable streak, mostly because, today is Cal’s birthday!

Thank you so much for watching or listening, remember subscribing or following is the easiest way to support the show so take some time to do that now! If you already do, share it with a friend or family member. And as always, thanks for being a part of our family!

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Tim Kurkjian is in awe of Pete Crow-Armstrong’s season this year—and tells us why we all should be. Plus, we celebrate the retirement of one of baseball’s strongest players, dive into Logan Henderson’s insane pitching for the Brewers, and highlight defensive legend JJ Weatherholt.

We have to discuss the Brewers’ 22–0 win over the Mariners, with so many things to unpack. A 3–6–1 double play twice in one game—when was the last time that happened? We also call Frank from Elias for an update, catch up with Joshua Baez after his huge debut, and find out when the last time Carson Benge was this busy during a game.

On This Date in Baseball, we hear about Nolan Ryan’s power, DeWayne Buice’s impressions, and Mark Langston’s slider. Alphabest gives us the best pitcher and batter with the last name “V”—and one of them is actually a current player.

We also explore three cards from the bathroom of Tim Kurkjian’s basement, each with a fun story attached.

We wrap things up with Team Tim: The All-Michael Team, in honor of Michael Brown. We’re holding a charity event for him on August 22nd in Pottstown, PA. If you can join us or would like to donate, click the following link. souljoels.com/shop/tickets/anightwithtimkurkjian/

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Thanks for watching, listening, and being a part of our family!

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