Lefty Specialists

Alas, it is time to talk about 2004….

In Chapter 4 of The A-Rod Chronicles, we dive deep into how the Yankees built their dynasty, their rivalry with the Red Sox, and the end of the Curse of the Bambino. This is also, admittedly, our least objective episode, as it deals with a major personal trauma for both of us: the 2004 ALCS.

Listen, enjoy, like, subscribe, review, tell your friends, etc.!

Consider sharing The A-Rod Chronicles with a friend or loved one….

Here’s an excerpt:

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

So you’ve signed a $252 million contract…. now what?

In Chapter 3 of The A-Rod Chronicles, John and James dive into Alex’s time in Texas, including the massive backlash to baseball’s biggest contract, MLB’s labor disputes in 2002, and A-Rod’s fallout with his friend Derek Jeter. Check it out, like, subscribe, leave a review, all that stuff…

Here’s a little preview:

Thank you for reading Undrafted! Consider sharing this free post…

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

It’s time to talk about late ‘90s shortstops!

In Chapter Two of The A-Rod Chronicles, the Lefty Specialists talk about the shortstop renaissance of the 1990s, the massive influx Latin American players into the game, and a brief history of MLB free agency. Check it out!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

The Lefty Specialists are back with Chapter 1 of a new mini-series, The A-Rod Chronicles. As you can possibly guess, it’s about Alex Rodriguez. But, more than that, it’s about what his story can teach us about the last three decades of baseball. Check it out!

Stay tuned and subscribe for all the upcoming episodes of The A-Rod Chronicles!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

It’s college basketball week, and the Lefty Specialists have returned (both of us this time!) to preview the men’s NCAA Tournament and tell you who the left ought to be rooting for this week! In our third annual March Madness podcast, we discuss Fran McCaffery’s death stare, how the Starbucks Union feels about Bobby Hurley, and whether San Diego State deserves travel pay.

Thanks for reading Undrafted! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

We are back! Or, half back, as it’s a John solo episode. Today he’s breaking down the Dan Snyder situation in Washington. In addition to summing the Snyder Files, this episode also delves into larger questions like, Who is Dan Snyder? Where did he come from? Why does he suck so much? And how are the ways he sucks indicative of the larger ways that capitalism sucks? Listen! Comment! Review! Enjoy!

Thanks for reading Undrafted! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

It’s Baseball Week here at Undrafted! In honor of the postseason, we’re doing a week of all baseball content, with a new post dropping (hopefully) every day. Starting today with an UNPRECENDENTED version of the Lefty Specialists…

It’s a James solo episode! Only one Lefty Specialist today, as James dives deep into the history of Black Brooklyn, white flight, and the story of how the Dodgers conquered New York and fled to California. It’s a baseball story, but also a story about American cities, redlining, broken housing policy, displacement, car culture, and so much more. Check it out!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

The Lefty Specialist are back! After mostly taking the summer off, James and John are back and they’re joined by a very special guest: Miguel Garcia, host of the Sports as a Weapon podcast (@SportsAsAWeapon)! Together they discuss how to discuss leftism with sports fans, how to discuss sports with leftists, and the ethical contradictions of rooting for the Dodgers. If you don’t already listen to the Sports as a Weapon podcast, check it out!

If you like listening to the Lefty Specialists, subscribe to Undrafted for free!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

It’s been nearly six years since Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem, and in doing so sparked a wave of protests that spread across the nation. Today, the Lefty Specialists are thrilled to be joined by the great political sportswriter Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) to discuss his most recent book, The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World, about the young athletes who carried the torch after Kaepernick, what they can teach us about activism and sports, and the legacy of those protests in 2022. It’s a great a discussion, so enjoy!

Check out the rest of Dave’s work here, and make sure to subscribe to the Lefty Specialists wherever you get your podcasts!

Thanks for reading Undrafted! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com

With just a few days left in June, the Lefty Specialists look at how the sports world has celebrated Pride. Specifically, James and John look at the controversy surrounding how the Tampa Bay Rays handled their Pride Night earlier this month. Then (@18:10) they’re joined by Frankie de la Cretaz to talk about not only that incident, but the larger context of celebrating Pride in sports amidst a rising tide of attacks on the queer community.

Special thanks to Frankie for joining us! Check out their work here or on Twitter (@thefrankiedlc).

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit undrafted.substack.com