Passed Ball Show

10-2-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up the program by promoting his live show, which are intended to engage the listener and summarizes his future shows (three points, twenty or so minutes). He talks about the ESPN 30 for 30 on the 1986 Mets and specifically about George Foster and his comments about race. John supports Foster's right to make the comments and explains why he may have not been wrong to discuss race as it had to do with NYC at that time. John describes the upcoming Bucs/ Pats game (Tom Brady's return to Foxboro) as a ratings champion, but warns the viewers about their upcoming disappointment. It will not be much of a game. To conclude, John sides with Ben Simmons and his right to choose to not play for the Philadelphia 76ers. John warns, however, that if Simmons were to not play this season, he may depreciate as a player in a similar manner to that of Le'Veon Bell after he sat out his last season in Pittsburgh with the Steelers.

8-24-2021 Passed Ball Show. John starts the program by describing some of the lazier baseball takes that fans have when they discuss baseball and their favorite baseball team. John talks about fans not understanding the role of the MLB manager, the overhyping of minor leaguers, and other reasons fans look juvenile. John asks some serious questions when it comes to booing players. He talks about reasons and times that may make more sense than others and then brings up other times when the fan embarrasses themself. He then speaks about the rights Trevor Bauer and/ or Marcell Ozuna have when it comes to their right to work. Mike Vick was convicted and served time in prison, then had a NFL job waiting for him when he was released. The same should be there for both Bauer and Ozuna, minus any suspension enforced by MLB. John finishes this program by explaining why Josh Rosen still has a chance to succeed as a NFL quarterback.

8-3-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by talking about the most vulnerable teams in MLB as we hit the final two months of the regular season. He feels that the New York Mets are in trouble and that it is time for the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies to make a push for a playoff berth. The Yankees won the trading deadline, do they have enough to catch up to the Red Sox, Rays, and Athletics? All it takes is a 9 out of 10 stretch. John talks about why it might have been best for the Seattle Mariners to not be aggressive at this year’s trading deadline. He also compares their projected offensive core to one of the greatest of all time. John compares the big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook to the greatest threesome in the history of the National Basketball Association. Then he makes the obvious point about Westbrook being judged as a winning player based off of what eventually happens in LA. Finally, John takes on the lazy discussion that is had each year when it comes to Super Bowl teams meeting in the Super Bowl the next season, something that has only happened how many times?

7-27-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by expression his excitement over what the next four days will bring with the MLB trade deadline approaching. He then jumps into discussion on why we as fans talk about everything else other than winning and losing when it comes to our favorite sports teams. Why does there always have to be a reason? Sometimes wins and losses are separated by the narrowest of margins. John questions why we do not see wins and losses being as powerful as they are. Sometimes it distorts is in believing a team is better or worse than we thought, but the record is still what it is. John then talks about Star quarterbacks in the National Football League and how the worst things teams do is try to develop a successor to the star QB while the star QB is still there. It creates resentment and the star QB wants to dictate how long they will be there. John talks about some dynamics with Aaron Rodgers, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and others and why it is not a good football move to have a star QB’s successor on the same roster as the star QB. John suggests the one way a team should move on from their star QB. Finally, he makes it clear that there is no way one could tell if the selection of Jordan Love with their first round choice two years back was a good or bad one. We will know once he plays.

7-8-2021 Passed Ball Show. John jumps right into his take on the excerpts of Scottie Pippen’s book “Unguarded.” John thinks Pippen comes up bitter and expresses his disappointment over a player he referred to as a “hero.” As the most underrated all time great in the history of the sport, it seems as if he uses the book to air dirty laundry about Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan. It is extremely unlikely that race was the reason that Toni Kukoc got the shot with 0.8 seconds against the Pacers. John then takes baseball to task for moving the All Star Game away from Atlanta. What a horrible way to disrespect Hank Aaron in the heels of his passing of last year! Chris Paul, similar to Pippen, is one of the most underrated all time greats. John talks about the path of a player that has won a ton of games and is now closing in on a championship. Finally, listen to John’s take on MLB teams as “independent contractors” and how the should not concede to the media’s categorizing them as either “buyers” or “sellers.”

6-19-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this baseball discussion by talking about the inexplicable decision by Ronald Acuna, Jr. to try to stretch a double into a triple with two outs in the ninth inning and the defending National League Most Valuable Player coming to bat. Yes, players make mistakes. But there has to be some sort of accountability when it comes to said mistake. That is why manager Brian Snitker was 100 percent in the right for his criticism of Acuna’s only self serving decision. The last person anybody should need to hear from is Acuna’s father. What is this, Little League?! John blasts Acuna’s father for potentially living vociferously through his child, ala LaVar Ball. John then takes the time to question what exactly a manager does in a game of baseball anymore. Managers do not write their own lineups, position their fielders, and John explains why they likely do not even control which pitchers come in games at given times. When it comes to cheating, John talks about the history of cheating and deviousness as it imply to baseball and it’s inception. John then spends a couple minutes questioning the 1914 World Series and whether it was on a level or not. John then explains how baseball is “tainted” and it is impossible to be a baseball fan and not root for some deviousness/ cheating in the game as it is played.

6-12-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up the program by defending his take about Bob Brenly’s reference to Marcus Stroman’s DuRag. While the reference itself is not racist, and the mere mention of it is not worthy of cancellation or one losing their job over it, the way it was said downgraded Stroman’s classification because he was wearing the DuRag. The insinuation that Tom Seaver would never wear a DuRag implied that Seaver was from a higher class of people. Brenly’s apology and decision to undergo sensitivity training is proof that Brenly understands he was wrong, or at the very least is admitting wrong because he wants to keep his employment. If the latter is true, it means Brenly’s employer is admitting he was wrong. John then talks about the changing of the nicknames of sports franchises and how he has evolved from his original point of view. In acknowledgment of the Tennessee Titans trade for Wide Receiver Julio Jones, John constructed a list of the top 15 Wide Receivers to ever play for the Houston Oilers/ Tennessee Titans. Finally, he reconstructs and reorders the top ten players taken in the 2018 NBA Draft and explains why the Phoenix Suns would have not taken DeAndre Ayton if they had the number one overall pick if they had it to do over again.

6-2-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about the terrible comment Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenly made about Marcus Stroman’s head covering. There should be repercussions for it, yet John stands by the fact that a firing should not come with a life sentence. Assuming Brenly is contrite, he should be allowed to work in baseball again. That being said, a terrible look for Brenly and the entire Diamondbacks organization. John then talks about why both the Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants could not be good this year, in fact, he explains why one had to be good and one had to be bad. He then spends a little time talking about the impact of former MLB relief pitcher Mike Marshall on baseball and what he did that we will never see again. John then talks about why there needs to be a limit to how many pitchers a team can have on a staff at a given time. He then expounds to why there needs to be some reform in regards to the usage of pitchers to increase the amount of contract and balls put into play. He finishes off this show by talking about the Los Angeles Lakers and why, in spite of a very deep roster, they are doomed if Anthony Davis does not return to full health.

5-29-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show expressing his comfort with the decision MLB made to deem former MLB Coach and Manager Mickey Callaway ineligible through the end of the 2022 season. John felt that it was not fair for him to not get the equivalent of a trial after being accused by women of lewd conduct. Should he never work in baseball again? John believes sports have picked and chosen which athletes/ coaches get additional chances after screwing up. Of course, it is assumed that the violator was contrite and are not going to do the same thing again. John mentions the former manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, Tim Johnson, and the fact that he has been blackballed from the sport because he fabricated his military experience. Leo Durocher, AJ Hinch, and Alex Cora all continued to work after their suspensions. John also cites Plaxico Burress and Michael Vick and wonders aloud whether what they did, particularly Vick, was worse that what Callaway or former Mets GM Jared Porter did. John then mentions the potential comeback of Brandon Jacobs, who is apparently thinking about coming back as a defensive end after a nine year career as a running back. John equates it to Tim Tebow or Tiki Barber, reiterating that nobody will make it into the NFL based solely off of name recognition. If a player cannot play at the highest level, they will get cut. Finally, John talks about a couple destinations for Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Julio Jones amid the terrible job Shannon Sharpe did by calling him during a live television show.

5-22-2021 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by previewing the upcoming NBA Playoffs while stating the 7th and 8th seeds should have to earn their respective playoff berths. He picks a couple upsets. He then breaks down four major points in the media/ Chicago White Sox players/ Tony LaRussa saga. First, he mentions the fact that the fans and media wanted him gone since the day he was hired. Then, he brings up the fact that LaRussa screwed up by airing the dirty laundry to the media, something Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil did not do and something Joe Girardi refused to do. When it comes to the 3-0 take sign LaRussa gave to Yermin Mercedes, there is no excuse for the player to ignore the sign- insubordination should not be tolerated at any job at any level. Finally, John refuses to exonerate the Minnesota Twins, who quit competing in the game by throwing a random position player on the mound. The Twins do not have the right to dictate to their opponent whether their opponent should compete or not. He then compares LaRussa’s situation with the White Sox to the 2012 Red Sox and Bobby Valentine and the 1965-1966 Yankees and Johnny Keane. John finishes off the program by knocking Jim McMahon for taking a shot at Bill Belichick, something he never earned the right to do. He compares McMahon to Jimmy Garappolo in regards to his inability to stay healthy.