Passed Ball Show

11-6-2019 Passed Ball Show- John opens up this show by talking about the possibility of Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker conspiring to throw a game in 1919. After wishing his mother, Nancy, well as she recovers from her hip replacement, he talks about the fact that the Atlantic League, an independent baseball league which once had a lot of pride, has clearly shamed itself by becoming a guinea pig for any rule baseball is considering changing. The latest involves the use of a robotic or computerized strike zone. This will take effect next year and will already start in the Arizona Fall League. While many in the general public that a computerized strike zone will come at the expense of the umpires, few understand that analytics have come at the expense of the MLB manager. John talks about how well LeBron James has played and how it has impacted the Los Angeles Lakers and their strong start. Is it sustainable? Can LeBron maximize himself on both ends of the court for an entire 82 game regular season and potential 20 plus game playoff schedule? If he can, he is Superman. It is a lot to ask. It is insane that reports still come out that the Los Angeles Chargers are moving to London after the owner categorically denies it through a profane laced tirade. People will make a story out of whatever they want.

11-1-2019 Passed Ball Show. John makes the case that postseason baseball teams have gone too far with the use of their relievers. Over the course of a seven game series, the more a particular reliever faces the same hitters on the same team, the advantage goes to the hitters. We saw that in this year's World Series with Will Harris. It happened with the Yankees in the ALCS against the Astros and it also has derailed the Los Angeles Dodgers the past three seasons. The last three World Series Champions have one thing in common- they relied on their starting pitchers. Not just to give them length throughout the postseason, but most importantly to piggy back off of each other. It is amazing the Astros decided to move away from something that already worked in winning a World Series title. It is interesting to see if teams view the failure of the repetitive use of relievers in the same series as a means to adapt and rely more on starting pitchers. Perhaps the use of starters as relievers (on their throw day, etc.) can make up from what was lost when their role as 8-9 inning pitchers changed to be just 5-6 or 6-7. John uses more lemans terms (for those who have a hard time understanding) to describe the role of a MLB manager in 2019. If you think a good manager can win your team an extra ___ games, John says "with all due respect"- that your baseball acumen is currently in concussion protocol. He then reminds the listeners what exactly a manager is responsible for. Finally, John talks about Jimmy Garoppolo's current 16-2 record as a starting quarterback and its means in rating his performance.

10-26-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by talking about the silly insinuation that Tom Brady considered giving his number 12 to Mohammad Sanu. It sounds like a nice gesture, but it was never serious. There was no way Brady was going to concede his number. Brandon Taubman deserved to lose his job as assistant GM of the Houston Astros for his inappropriate comments regarding domestic violence. However, the player should not be blackballed from ever having employment. John then talks about the now expected fire sale with the Boston Red Sox and what owner John Henry is finally getting his wish as it was portrayed in the movie “Moneyball.” John compares the Brooklyn Nets of this season to last season (assuming Kevin Durant is not playing this year) and asks if they are better now with Kyrie Irving or we’re better last year with DeAngelo Russell. John gives his NBA predictions (posted on www.johnpielli.com) and his Week 8 NFL picks.

10-30-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up by talking about the importance of clarifying what the rules are in major sports. There is a distinction between what the officials (in pro football) and umpires (in baseball) pull directly out of the rule book and what the athletes believe the rules are. Clarity will make it known without a doubt whether a player is within the confines of the games' rules. John then talks about some of the greatest World Series games in the history of the Fall Classic. Unlike other compilations, John ranks games from 1912, 1924, 1926, and 1932 and properly places these games among the greatest of all time. John then talks about the status of black head coaches in the NFL and NBA and why one seems to get it. Finally, the program is finished with John letting off some stream by talking about those that make a big deal about the NFL trading deadline.

10-21-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by recapping the finish of a weird game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans that was oddly on CBS as the AFC Game of the Week. John talks about the fourth and one that the Titans failed to convert, the non-challenge of the spot, and finally, the odd sequence that finished the game when it seemed as if the Chargers had scored the go-ahead touchdown twice only to have the first one overturned and the second one changed to a lost fumble. John then makes some bizarre comps to the 1919 White Sox World Series team with this the 100th year anniversary of the infamous series. The 2019 Astros are the favorites after winning two years ago against a team appearing in the Fall Classic for the first time. John talks about how mighty New York Yankees were once an underdog. They were once a team that could not win the big game (World Series). John talks about that first World Series Championship for the Yankees- in 1923. He finishes off the program by talking about the defensive centerfielder in baseball. Is defense in CF overrated now? Or have teams in some ways disregarded its importance? John talks about some of the top pure centerfielders that can be had in trades this offseason.

10/14/2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by stating the exact reasons why a manager in Major League Baseball does not have the responsibilities fans think they do. John does into depth to describe the exact responsibilities a manager in baseball has in 2019. He reminds the viewers that 50% of all baseball fans still think the manager has a bigger role than he has. John's job is to convince you this is not the case. John then talks about the fact that there are still eleven teams (really twelve including the San Diego Padres) that have still never hired a black manager. Three of them, have managerial vacancies. How come this is not spoken about? John makes a case the quarterback is more important than the Head Coach. He uses some results from this past Sunday to back his point. Finally, he talks about he "Rage Room" in the Wells Fargo Center and how it may be quite innovative. It has at least earned a trip from him to see how it works.

10-12-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by reminding all of the viewers that share the birthday of October 12 of the handful of current and former MLB players that have the same birthday. He then makes his rock solid World Series prediction of the Yankees/ Cardinals- teams with a combined 58 League Pennants and 38 World Series Championships. He also talks about the combined twenty (20) World Series losses between the two of them (1921, 1922, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1968, 1976, 1981, 1985, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2013), not to mention the (CORRECTION: The Yankees and Cardinals have met in the World Series five times {1926, 1928, 1942, 1943, 1968}, not three as John incorrectly stated) times the Yankees and Cardinals have played each other in the fall classic. John then plays a game of musical chairs with the eight managerial vacancies in Major League Baseball. He names eight legitimate candidates and gives each of whom a home. After John's five NFL picks for Week Six, he finishes with a "Nobody's Listening" topic. He gives some attention to the father who did not want his kid to be taught hockey by a darker skinned, Muslim hockey coach.

10-7-2019 Passed Ball Show. John starts this version of the program by talking about the American League Division series between the Twins and the Yankees. The Twins are overmatched, maybe they knew that coming in to the series. The decision to go to a human interest story to start game two gave everybody following the series exactly what they needed to know- the Twins could have cared less about whether they won the series. John also brings up how the teams that are in the postseason are a little top heavy. Maybe it is time to scale back the amount of teams that are in the postseason each season. The "David vs Goliath" dream exists, but it clearly does not reward the best regular season teams. Teams make the playoffs in baseball solely because other teams can care less about winning during a given season. Speaking of tanking, is there any sport that can less handle (from the players standpoint) not trying to win? You mean to tell me that players that put their lives on the line and risk their futures with the possibility of getting CTE, are okay doing so when their owner/ GM/ Team President does not want them to win this year. Finally, the roasting of Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey is silly and shows the issues we have in this country over stupid political opinions. Stop rooting for your political beliefs like it is your favorite sports team. Being that you are, maybe you should understand why somebody else may root for a different team.

10-4-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by wishing his mother Nancy Pielli a very happy 64th birthday by recapping the 1955 World Series game seven. A game in which the Brooklyn Dodgers clinched their first (and only) World Series Championship in Brooklyn on that very day. John talks about how Ronald Acuna's choice to stare and watch a ball hit the fence is not just an embarrassment to him, but to his teammates and they may be growing tired of the act. As for Cardinals' pitcher Carlos Martinez, he doesn't deserve "respect" for being a veteran player. He would earn this respect by simply getting Acuna out, not throwing batting practice in the ninth inning. As a pitcher, he has the right to handle his gripe in the mound. John recaps the fines and suspensions that led to the NFL suspending Oakland Raiders LB Vontaze Burfict for the remainder of the NFL season and opines

over whether the season long suspension was too harsh a penalty. John talks about the battle over whether the new guard of MLB managers will prevail over the old school. Finally, a NBA season preview of the 2019-20 Utah Jazz.

10-2-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this version of the show by talking about the possibility of College Athletes getting paid for their namesake. The Governor of California passed a law allowing athletes to be compensated for their namesake, for jersey sales, and even for giving lessons within the confines of the college or university. We tend to look at students and athletes as one and the same. Unfortunately, they are not. The reason colleges and universities exist is for one thing and one thing only, for the students to get an education. Sports are nothing but an extracurricular activity. This makes compensating the athletes a difficult concept. Especially when the top athletes are making the school so much money. John talks about the record sales of Chris Webber's number four Michigan jersey and states that is borderline criminal that he did not receive any royalties for the likeness of his name, though it was not on the back of the jersey. The NCAA should remove its mandates that basketball players have to play a year in college to be eligible for the NBA draft. Why force somebody to go to college that may not want to? John then talks about the recent MLB managers that have lost their job, a little bit about how the job description has changed and whether or not experienced MLB managers would even want to take another job with the changed role. A MLB manager is nothing more than a guidance counselor. His job is to implement the game plan set forth by above. The manager in baseball has nowhere near the amount of control of a game plan as any other coach in any other sport. John then gives his MLB postseason predictions and talks about why teams with the better bullpens may actually be in trouble. He finishes off by giving his weekly NFL picks and a tiny preview of the upcoming NHL season.