Passed Ball Show

John Pielli previews the 2023 Oakland Athletics.

3-21-2023 Passed Ball Show. John spends this show talking about the once proud Men’s College Basketball programs at St. John’s and Georgetown and whether they could return to prominence with the respective hires of Rick Pitino and Ed Cooley. John believes that it was those programs success in the 1980’s that carried the Big East nationally, not the likes of Syracuse and Connecticut. After John makes it clear why Farleigh Dickenson should have not been in the NCAA Tournament. After giving them credit for their unprecedented victory over number one (1) seeded Purdue, John discusses what he believes are the biggest upsets in the history of sports. On "Saving Sports History!" John talks about Joe Louis, 106 fouls, Ron Tugnutt, Tommy Davis, Ducky Medwick, and Chuck Bednarik, among other historical sports topics.

3-14-2023 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by declaring the combined Perfect Game thrown by team Puerto Rico against Israel during the World Baseball Classic as official and should be considered the twenty-fourth (24th) of all time in the history of baseball. John explains why it does not matter that four (4) pitchers were needed to finish the job and why it does not matter that the self imposed mercy rule was used to limit the game to eight (8) innings. Also, John gives reasons why the World Baseball Classic is not an exhibition and what he compares it to. John then talks about the decision made by the Las Vegas Raiders and Head Coach Josh McDaniels to sign Jimmy Garoppolo to be the team’s starting quarterback. He explains why McDaniels has the right to put his stamp on the team he is ultimately going to take the blame for if they do not win over time. John then takes Tennessee Titans owner Amy Skunk Adams to task for her reasoning for firing General Manager Jon Robinson. She claimed the latter was fired because there is an expectation to win now. New GM Ran Carthon seems ready for a full blown rebuild, something completely contradictory to what caused Robinson his job. On today’s “Saving Sports History” segment, John talks about the Stanley Cup Champion Canadian teams, Kirby Puckett, and Stephen Curry before mentioning the 1992 rape allegations against former Mets players Dwight Gooden, Vince Coleman, and Darryl Boston. If that had happened today, all three would have been suspended without the opportunity to prove their own innocence, and probably released from their contracts and blackballed from the league the same way Trevor Bauer was. Bauer has the right to work and should have a job as a Major League Baseball pitcher.

3-9-2023 Passed Ball Show. John spends this program talking about the World Baseball Classic and the players preparing for it also while preparing for the upcoming baseball season. John compares it to the NHL players leaving during the middle of the season for the Olympics (though he believes that is a bigger deal). John believes baseball should try the WBC in November as opposed to March but it will not happen because of the national obsession with trying to find popular sports in the month of March. John separates the Lamar Jackson discussion between Race and 100% guarantee of his contract as he states this is an example of the latter, explaining the NFL simply is not ready to start guaranteeing contracts. Deshaun Watson’s Cleveland Browns deal is an outlier and will, for the foreseeable future, not become the NFL norm. In this program’s Saving Sports History, John talks about the Montreal Canadiens, Babe Ruth, Glenn Davis, Willie Davis, Bobby Fischer, and George Yardley, III.

3-6-2023 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by declaring it is a bullshit show. He talks about how the Eastern NBA Conference is very top heavy and most of the best talent and overall teams once again reside in the Western NBA Conference. John then compares teams like the Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies to the likes of the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, for a couple of reasons and questions whether the two latter teams can simply play their best basketball at the most opportune time. John then declares the six MLB teams who should be locks to make it to the postseason, not just in 2023, but for the distant future (ask him about one he conveniently left off). On Saving Sports History, John talks about Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Pete Gray, Willie Stargell, Kirby Puckett, and Shaquille O’Neal.

2-25-2023 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show talking about the Sacramento Kings 176-175 win over the Los Angeles Clippers and where it ranks in history among the highest scoring games ever. John talks about the highest scoring game in history, which was between the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets on December 13, 1983. After declaring that the National Football League is America’s Pastime and telling you why, John foreshadows some of the future mistakes NFL teams will continue to make when it comes to drafting Quarterbacks in the first round- no offense to Will Levis or Anthony Richardson. John uses the past decade plus to prove that teams are overlooking better talent at other positions to select inferior players at a more scare position. The dream of a great franchise quarterback has clouded the minds of some of the top football executives in the sport. John then puts some of the potential limbo/ moving NFL Quarterbacks in new homes before declaring that four (4) QB’s will reluctantly go in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. In today’s “Saving Sports History” segment, John talks about Marie Boyd’s 156 points in a game, Tom Yawkey, Muhammad Ali, Steve Carlton, Bert Bell, Pete Maravich, John McGraw, Monte Irvin, and James Brown.

2-21-2023 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program talking about why the play in the NBA All Star Game is so much different than it is during the regular season and why the ASG is difficult to watch. He reiterates why the selections itself are still important to the players and their resumes. He then defends (while completely flabbergasted that he even felt the need to defend) the Utah Jazz’ decision to center the all-star weekend around its two all-time greats, Karl Malone and John Stockton. There is nobody else in the history of the franchise more accomplished on the basketball court than either of the two, yet John believes the general public has the right to judge Malone anyway they wish. John then explains how a championship in the National Football League is on equal footing whether it comes from a Super Bowl, NFL or AFL Championship, AAFC or AFPL, as long as it is either the final/ championship game of a season or the champion is determined by the team with the best record. After explaining this, John reads off the NFL teams with the most total championships- Super Bowls+ NFL Championships+ AFL Championships+ AAFC Championships which determine the Green Bay Packers (13) have won the most, followed by the Chicago Bears (9), New York Giants (8), and Cleveland Browns (8). In his Saving Sports History segment, John talks about Denny Hamlin, Novak Djokovic, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Tom Yawkey, Tim Horton, Henry Jordon, and Steve Francis.

2-18-2023 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by explaining, in detail, why the Baseball Hall of Fame has failed both the players it has held out and the players that are being selected to enter. John claims that the essential ignorance of an entire generation of top baseball players has caused a ripple effect of campaigns for very good players to get in due to a resurgence of popularity. John also mentions the fact that the Baseball Hall of Fame can never be looked at as the place for the "elite of the elite" for two reasons: 1. being that all time greats like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Joe Jackson, Pete Rose, and Rafael Palmeiro are NOT in. and 2. being the fact that good players that needed strong contingents (either through the inside of MLB or through online campaigns) like Scott Rolen, Harold Baines, Tony Oliva are now in. He also points out that baseball thinks racism belongs in its Hall of Fame over steroids, which put that way, is a shitty stance to take. John mourns the passing of long time MLB catcher and even longer time broadcaster Tim McCarver, whom he considers a mentor. John describes what he learned from McCarver that has become part of him. Former MLB pitcher Brian BuBois, another former PBS guest, passed away this week as well. In this day's "Saving Sports History," John talks about the before mentioned racist MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and the day he resigned as a US Judge, a 33 year old just minted MLB Baseball Owner, a 15 year old baseball pitcher, seven (7) Daytona 500's, including the one responsible for the death of Dale Earnhardt, George Gipp, Enzo Ferrari, Joe Gordon, Manny Mota, Pat Bowlen, Andy Moog, Gary Reasons (PBS guest), Alexander Mogiliny, James J Corbett, Harry Caray, and Eddie Mathews.

PASSED BALL SHOW #137 6/18/2014 Part 2 WITH JAY JOHNSTONE; I start out by playing my interview with long time MLB OF Jay Johnstone. Jay talks about signing 11 letters of intent to go to college as well as his interest in sports as a kid. He also talks about some of his pranks he and his teammates pulled on each other. Jay also discusses his appearance in Naked Gun and what he learned from Leslie Nielsen. I then play an interview I was a part of on the MTR Morning Throwdown with Mike Sanfilippo about the legacy of Tony Gwynn

PASSED BALL SHOW #137 6/18/2014 Part 1 WITH TOM HERR; I start out by speaking with former Cardinals 2B Tom Herr. Tom talks about being a Giants fan, getting a scholarship offer from the University of Delaware and his interest in wanting to play a professional sport. He also talks about batting 3rd and Whitey Herzog's influence on his career. I then talk about the death of Tony Gwynn and what he should be remembered for. Also, what separates him from other players of this generation. I also spend a moment talking about the pitching career of the late Billy McCool, who also passed away this week. I also spend a little time talking about the seasons of Nelson Cruz and Michael Morse and the development of the Houston Astros franchise.