Is This A Great Game, Or What?

Eric Nadel is a National Baseball Hall of Fame broadcaster, and along with Tim Kurkjian, that gives us TWO Hall of Famers on this episode (plus, Jeff is here too).

Eric has covered the Texas Rangers for almost 50 years, and the stories he shared are incredible. We laughed so hard our cheeks hurt afterward.

From taking Mike Emrick’s job to Municipal Field being better known as “Iowjima,” my gosh, we couldn’t stop laughing with him. Little-known fact: Eric helped Tim find his first house in Dallas, where both of his kids were born.

These two have an incredible amount of history together, and this interview is long overdue. We couldn’t be happier to bring it to you.

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Tim is back from Detroit after calling a very exciting Tigers game. Plus, Jeff purchased a bit of a surprise for his dad for the next time he visits to record the podcast.

The Takeaways explain just how good the Braves are — and why. Plus, we discuss the importance of the utility infielder, a role that’s more valuable now than ever.

Aaron Ashby could do something that would make us absolutely lose our minds. Michael King cannot be stopped. Chase Burns faced James Wood, which got the Kurkjians feeling some sort of way. And is it Davis Kane or Kane Davis?

On This Date in Baseball History: Reggie Jackson and Brooks Robinson’s birthdays bring two very different stories surrounding those Hall of Famers. Jim Sundberg gives us maybe one of our favorite Nolan Ryan stories. Randy Johnson is perfect, and one last story leads us to our Team Tim!

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We follow up on the tallest outfield ever — consisting of Cody Bellinger, Spencer Jones, and Aaron Judge — and with a little insight, it seems we may finally have confirmation. Thanks to some serious research and people-searching, Tim Kurkjian may have figured it out.

Paul Skenes got things back under 2.00, which, are we really surprised? After that tough start to the season, he was able to settle right back in. And Cal Raleigh finally broke a streak no player ever wants to see happen. Meanwhile, Munetaka Murakami and his true outcomes couldn’t be truer.

On This Date, we talk Tony Perez, Dwight Gooden, and Willie Mays as a New York Met. Plus, it wouldn’t be an episode without Walter Johnson coming up more than once. You’ll see him again in Three Cards in the Bathroom, surprisingly.

The Alphabest “H” hitter and pitcher create a stir, but not as much as the same-name Team Tim. Tim seems relieved when he finally gets the entire team out. HE CAN REST now that he’s done with this list. As always, check out our website for more details on how to send Tim messages at any time. And of course, thanks for being a part of our family.

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Former Cubs star Ben Zobrist joins us to talk about thriving under pressure: on the field and in life. From faith and family to leadership and his coaching work, this conversation dives into what it really takes to show up when it matters most. 

We talk about playing for Joe Maddon for two different teams, multiple World Series runs (including the historic one with the Cubs) and about his final game. Even Tim was taken back by Jeff's question, doesn't happen too often that Jeff catches him off guard! 

His new book, Prepare for the Pressure, releases July 7 and is available for pre-order wherever books are sold (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more). In it, Ben shares nine transformative principles to help you rise to any occasion, on or off the field. Visit https://www.championforward.org/ for more information on about Ben Zobrist. 

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Today we celebrate moms, and we also remember one of the greatest managers of all time, Bobby Cox, who recently passed away. We’re throwing it back to Jeff Francoeur joining the show two years ago and sharing one of the all-time great stories about his former manager. Our thoughts are with Bobby’s family, and we thank him for all the incredible memories.

Team Tim is all about Mother’s Day this week, but you’ll have to wait until the end for that conversation. Both Tim and Jeff take time to give credit to the amazing mothers in their lives, which leads to some legendary mom stories along the way.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is historically struggling right now — something that definitely can’t be said about Mason Miller. Is Miller already making a Cy Young case? Tim Kurkjian weighs in. Plus: the Cubs’ winning streak, the Red Sox pitching staff, and the Rays continuing to pile up runs.

Cal Raleigh makes another appearance in the Quirkjians, though he probably won’t love the reason why. Plus, don’t bet on the Padres in the first inning, but oddly enough, the Nationals might help you win some money. And are the Yankees putting together the tallest outfield ever assembled? They may actually have a record on their hands.

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Our GameChanger of the Week is a man who changed the way we watch baseball, just like GameChanger has changed the way we watch our kids play, it’s kind of perfect.

Plus, Bruce Hornsby on the piano, Jackson Chourio at the plate, Bartolo Colon on this date, and Lou Gehrig every single day.

Tim also presented a hypothetical about the fastest baserunners going up against the fastest sprinter, we’d love to hear your thoughts! And of course, a Team Tim all about the best nicknames in the game.

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Buck Showalter returns to the show and, as always, delivers sharp insight on today’s game—along with a pointed critique of a pitching rule that might surprise you. A legendary manager known for building disciplined, competitive teams across the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Orioles, and Mets, Showalter brings decades of perspective to the conversation.

We also dive into his response to Max Scherzer’s recent comments, revisit his unlikely start as a basketball referee, and hear how his long friendship with Tim leads to a candid list of ideas to improve the game.

It’s a deep but accessible baseball conversation for fans of all levels—thanks for listening, and be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, thanks for being a part of our family! 

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Tim Kurkjian almost put money on the Kentucky Derby? We dive into that and bring you a Team Tim all about it, but you’ll have to wait until the end of the show for it.

The White Sox seem to have turned a corner. Who is the greatest “Matt” in baseball history, and could it eventually be Matt Olson? Justin Crawford’s first MLB RBIs come with a fun fact about every single one.

Are you surprised we’re talking about strikeouts? We always are. James Wood, Kyle Schwarber, and Jakob Marsee all come up during this chat. Plus, Dustin May made our quirky brains happy on Sunday.

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Elly De La Cruz is a star and just pulled off something incredible, but what we didn’t know is what he was doing when Terry Francona was first hired, and it says a lot about his character. A true class act.

Our GameChanger of the Week focuses on managers, especially with all the wild news that broke this week. Alex Cora is out, Rob Thomson is out—so what does that mean for the game? Tim Kurkjian weighs in, and Jeff brings it all the way back around to Little League.

Nick Kurtz keeps getting on base, but he’s still short of the record for most consecutive games with a walk. The current leader might surprise you, and no, it’s not Barry Bonds. Plus, Drew Romo has done something that caught all of us off guard. He’s off to a really fun start, no debating that.

On This Date in baseball history, Bob Feller comes up, along with a great story involving one of our favorite guests, Steve Sparks. We share some laughs looking back at that interview, and don’t worry, Feller comes back into the conversation later in Alphabest.

We wrap things up with Wheel of Kurkjian, Three Cards in the Bathroom, and a Team Tim that highlights some of the best sitcoms of all time, at least according to Tim. Trust me, Jeff had plenty to say about the one major omission, but hey, it’s not called Team Jeff.

Thanks so much for listening or watching and for spending time with us. Be sure to subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening, it’s free, and thanke you being part of our family.

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Joe Buck joins Tim and Jeff Kurkjian and, as always, he doesn’t disappoint. The legendary play-by-play announcer has done it all, so we’ll spare you the long list of accomplishments—but trust us, it’s impressive.

What we will tell you is that he’s just been announced as the new host of ESPN’s Jeopardy!, and we’ve got the inside scoop. Joe shares what he knows so far and how soon filming is set to begin.

We also dive into his relationship with his father, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck, and the remarkable career that helped shape Joe’s path. In fact, they’ll become the first father-son duo enshrined in Cooperstown as broadcasters—pretty cool.

Then we take a trip down memory lane to the days of Brockmire, where both Tim and Joe appeared (Joe a bit more prominently) alongside the incredibly talented Hank Azaria. The behind-the-scenes stories are priceless.

Joe also gives us a great look into what it was like growing up around the St. Louis Cardinals. Whether you’re a Cards fan or just a baseball fan in general, you’re going to love these stories.

Big thanks to Joe for joining us—and as always, thank you for listening. Be sure to subscribe or follow wherever you’re tuning in.

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