Passed Ball Show

2-17-2024 Passed Ball Show. John titles this show, "You never go full re-build!" as he explains why it does not make sense for MLB teams to completely shut competitive operations down, in spite of examples of success in Houston and Baltimore. John points out that full rebuilds are usually copouts by MLB owners that are trying to get away with paying their players less. He also points to the reason the Houston Astros have had sustained success after their rebuild- they have a payroll that is the highest in franchise history. The same can be said for the Tampa Bay Rays. No excuse in the era of 12 MLB playoff teams (40% of the league!) for any team to not give their players and fans the best shot of competing. John remembers the career of Lefty Driesell, the longtime College Basketball coach who passed away today. During today's #savingsportshistory segment, John honors some of the greatest to ever do it, Michael Jordan, Jim Brown, and Buddy Ryan, as they were all born on February 17th. He also talks about Richard Petty, Danny Hamlin, and what Masanori Murakami means for Major League Baseball.

2-1-2024 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by explaining how Bill Belichick will return to the NFL as a Head Coach using what just happened with Doc Rivers, Adrian Griffin, and the Milwaukee Bucks as a precursor to what is to come. John then talks about the remaining MLB free agents and suggests how both a team and a player can be happy with their next contract. John wonders why most teams don’t include a one year opt out provision in a multiyear deal instead of a straight one-year contract.

1-14-2024 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by getting to the point: The Chicago Bulls fans embarrassed themselves by booing the wife of former Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause. After summarizing everything that led to the whole deal, John talks about Michael Jordan's responsibility and what he could have done to keep the fans from booing Krause's wife. Phil Jackson could have prevented this too but chose not to. Both are responsible. John wonders what happened to the Cleveland Browns defense. He then suggests an addendum to the National Hockey League's overtime. During a brief verrsion of #savingsportshistory, John talks about John McGraw, Super Bowl's 2 and 7, Catfish Hunter, Billy WIlliams, Mark Eaton, Johnny Murphy, and Ray Kroc.

1-11-2024 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this version of the PBS talking about the College Football Championship, which Michigan defeated Washington. John’s claims were right, as it was a battle of Washington’s offense against Michigan’s defense, with the latter prevailing over the length of the game. After a historic day of three great coaches ending their tenures within 16 hours, John discusses the future of some NFL coaching vacancies and who might be the best fit to lead the University of Alabama. John talks a little bit about the value of a good Coach and the implications of a downgrade. On today's #savingsportshistory segment, John talks about Jacob Ruppert's purchase of the New York Yankees, Bert Bell, J Edgar Hoover, Billy Martin, Pat Lafontaine, Elmer Flick, Ben Crenshaw, Darryl Dawkins, Wally Pipp, Bob Lemon, Monte Irvin, and Heisman Trophy winner Charles White.

1-6-2024 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show with the following statement, "Trevor Bauer has the right to work." John states his interest in discussing this matter with others, especially those with differing points of view. He then explains why Trevor Bauer should be playing Major League Baseball for a Major League Baseball team right now. During today's #savingsportshistory segment, John talks about the first ever boxing match (it happened in 1681!), Bob Feller, Ted Turner, Nancy Lopez, Lenny Wilkens, Don Sutton, John Smoltz, Ban Johnson, Lou Holtz, Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding, Rabbit Maranville, and Johnny Keane.

12-26-2023 Passed Ball Show. John spends this show talking about the predicament New York Mets Owner Steve Cohen is. Players and Agents are taking his contract offers to other teams to match. John asks how much money would it have taken to get Yoshinobu Yamamato to come to the Mets? $350 million? 400 million? 434 million? And if he gave him that number, the press would have been critical. Ultimately, the pitcher went to the team he wanted to sign with, something he probably was conscious of all along. John then discusses the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the latter led by Baker Mayfield. John believes both teams will be dangerous in the NFC postseason and is keeping receipts. During today's #savingsportshistory segment, John spends some time talking about Jack Johnson and Tommy Burns, and the former becoming the first African American to win the World Heavyweight Championship, and then a little bit about Babe Ruth, some NFL and AFL Champions, Chuck Noll, Carlton Fisk, Ozzie Smith, NHL Hall of Famer Defenseman Doug Harvey, Allie Reynolds, Reggie White, and Phil Niekro.

Passed Ball Show #712 12-16-2023. This program is centered around John talking about the advantage the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have over the other teams in Major League Baseball when it comes to signing free agents. Even if the competing teams (the non Yankees and Dodgers) are willing to pay the cost of a perspective free agent, the fact that the Yankees and Dodgers want the player plays out to the advantage of the latter two teams. But just getting a seat at the table is not enough to get an equal chance as the others. The other team will have to pay more for the player because the player will go to the Yankees or Dodgers if the money is similar or equal. During today's #Savingsportshistory segment, John talks about Jack Dempsey, the Canton Bulldogs, Providence Steam Roller, Joe Louis, NFL Champions, OJ Simpson, the Miami Dolphins, Tom Brookshier, Refrigerator Perry, Sliding Billy Hamilton, and Ernie Terrell.

12-14-2023 Passed Ball Show. John spends this program explaining why Major League Baseball went out of its way to implement a soft salary cap in the form of a luxury tax and the reasons the league insisted it needed to be done. John then calls to task the same sport for allowing for the most clear manipulation of the very thing it seemed insistent on preventing. Catchers' framing is cheating, just cheating that is legal and not frowned upon. So apparently is deferring a player's agreed to salary for no other reason than to manipulate the luxury tax number. Another example of selected crimes that are okay. John makes a case of why Draymond Green continues to find himself in trouble with the NBA. Maybe he really does not want to play anymore. During today's #savingsportshistory segment, John talks about Jack Dempsey, Marcel Dionne, the Miami Heat, Mike Gartner, Steph Curry, Ernie Davis, George Gipp, Elston Howard, and Roger Maris.

12-9-2023 Passed Ball Show. John spends this program laughing at the baseball writers for their meltdowns over their attempt to cover the free agency of Shohei Ohtani. John breaks down the simplicity of what the writers are trying to do (be the first to report it). Is it really important? And John thinks it would be even more hilarious if Ohtani decided to return to play professional baseball in Japan. John brings up the first round of the MLB draft of 2014 and the NBA draft of 2020 and points out the similarity before spending a couple of minutes talking about the NBA In Season Tournament- why it is good for the sport and when teams should start putting up banners (if at all). During today's #savingsportshistory segment, John talks about the National League (Baseball) prohibiting uniform numbers, the Heisman Trophy, the All American Football Conference and the Cleveland Browns, Frank Robinson, Old Hoss Radbourn, Dick Butkus, Kurt Angle, the fact that Rube Foster and Branch Rickey were equal baseball pioneers, Archie Moore, Al Unser, and Demaryius Thomas.

12-4-2023 Passed Ball Show. John spends this program talking about the College Football Playoff and how the selection committee got the right four teams to play for the National Championship. John gives his reasons why, including the precescdent that has been set for teams that lose a game early in the season. John understands the frustration from Florida State fans over their team not making the top four in spite of being undefeated. He blames Georgia for that happening; a Georgia victory would have all but assured a FS top four spot. John then talks about the Baseball WInter Meetings and reiterates his belief that more MLB teams are willing to spend near the top tier for an individual player than ever before and why he would be surprised if the Atlanta Braves signed Shohei Ohtani. During today's #SavingSportsHistory segment, John talks about the first Grey Cup, the birth of the Montreal Canadiens, the first (forced) pro football Championship game, Kenesaw Mountain Landis allowing black players to be signed, Floyd Patterson, Masanori Murakami, Jesse Burkett, Lee Smith, and Shannon Briggs.