Passed Ball Show

9-25-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up the program by reminding the listeners that both Mickey Callaway and Gabe Kapler will be back as the respective managers of the Mets and Phillies. John then talks about the sanctity of the Perfect Game in Major League Baseball and how there will never be a Perfect Game that is not first a complete game. It is great that the Mets will retire Jerry Koosman's number 36. Hopefully, it opens up the gateway for other numbers to be retired honoring the team's best players. After John gives his NFL picks for this week, he goes on a rant about people who cannot dispute a fact. Instead of stating a fact is a fact, they twist and turn parts of the fact to make a completely unrelated point. John gives two examples.

9-18-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by clearing up a flawed Instagram post where he did not include his mention of the talk show host who stated that Antonio Brown's actions were the most unprofessional in the history of sports. He also includes his mention of the seriousness of rape and his reference to how it changed the life of Mike Tyson. John then talks about his hope that the Wild Card races in Major League Baseball will come down to the wire and include as many teams as possible. Buffalo is considered no where near New York City, yet two New York City teams play football in another state. John then talks about how baseball history was changed when it was discovered that Ty Cobb had two less hits than he was originally credited. He then gives his list of the top 19 position player (hitters) in the history of baseball. Finally, week three of NFL picks

9-11-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by remembering all those that lost their lives during the tragic events of 9/11. This should be a time where the United States of America takes a break from all its infighting and embraces all of its differences and comes together as a nation. John then talks about Antonio Brown and the fact that Brown did nothing different than what Anthony Davis did to get out of New Orleans and to LA. Star players want to facilitate their next destination and even though their parent team is not obligated to listen, it is not the worst thing an athlete can do. To put it into proper perspective, think about what Tonya Harding did by hiring a hitman to break the leg of her opponent with a crowbar. The Miami Dolphins should face sanctions from the NFL if they are, in fact, losing games on purpose to get the number one overall pick in next year's NFL draft. That being said, the players that are asking to be traded are soft- a sign of what athletes have becoming in this generation. To hide being an "anonymous" report is cowardly and shows the athlete does not believe they can succeed in face of adversity. John then talks about the MLB manager and adds some points that lessens their power. A catcher and pitcher relationship is relative to what the pitcher prefers. Some pitchers allow the catcher to call the game, others would rather throw the pitch they want when they want. Most managers listen to what is in their ear now- information and suggestions and even decisions they get from their bench coach, pitching coach, algorithms, and other information from their analytics staff and front office. John hates the fact that catchers throw the ball around the horn after strike three for the third out. He then bases four of his Week Two NFL picks off the theory that teams that dominate in Week One are set up for a letdown and teams that struggle in Week One are due for a bounce back. God Bless America.

9-5-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by continuing to drive home his points on the castration of MLB managers. Out of touch fans (and some media types) still insist that the manager is responsible for every decision in every game and should be held accountable for every loss. MLB manager bullies should be compared to the third grader who picks on the fat kid, the ugly kid, or the person they claim is inferior. When you get into your thirties or forties, it is a complete embarrassment to conduct yourself like that. The same applies to bullying MLB managers. There is a narrative that states, "The manager is the one to blame." Those that continue to believe are equated to a flock of sheep. You will do whatever you are told, you lack the ability to form your own thoughts. John then talks about the top five fighters in the history of the National Hockey League. For the start of the 2019 NFL Football season, John does his postseason picks and his six bets for this week

8-28-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by talking about Andrew Luck's sudden retirement from the Indianapolis Colts just two weeks before the regular season. Anybody who thinks Luck stuck it to the Colts by handling it in this fashion should realize the Colts stuck it to Luck with the way they treated him over the course of his career. Their negligence led to his injuries and are the reason he is retiring. The Colts have nobody to blame but themselves. Billy Hatcher has some of the best postseason numbers in the history of the sport, albeit 52 at bats. He should have won the 1990 World Series MVP over Jose Rijo. Steve Young will forever be remembered as a Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback. John talks about how easily this may not have happened and the circumstances that led to him becoming the San Francisco 49ers starting QB. John finishes off by giving the single season home run records for each of the 30 MLB teams. CORRECTION: the Royals record belongs to Mike Moustakas, who hit 38 in 2017.

8-22-2019 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about the "replacement" Yankees and the injured players they have that are returning. John gives a postseason 25 man roster that includes all of the injured players (assuming they are all ready to return) and most of the players who have thrived while filling in. John then talks about what he perceives as the biggest achilles heel of the National League Wild Card race- bullpens. He ranks the six legitimate (at this point) contenders based off who has the worst bullpen in typical PBS worst to first fashion. The Cleveland Browns are the most lovable losers- maybe in all of professional sports. John talks about the history of this old NFL franchise and the success it had prior to the Super Bowl era. In the Nobody's Listening segment of the show, John talks about a distinct difference between God's Law and law created by man.

8-15-2019 Passed Ball Show. John talks about why fans fully support their team only when they win. It is not that fans stop rooting for a team that is not performing, they simply do not show up at the ballpark, stadium, or arena. John explains why the crowds at Madison Square Garden are manufactured and exist separate from fans showing up thick and thin and why MSG is the attraction, not the NY Knicks or Rangers. John asks Yankees fans where they were in 1992, the last losing season the team had where attendance ranked 11th out of 14 American League teams. The same for the Chicago Cubs in 2012 and 2013. John also questions why professional athletes seem to never take responsibility for what goes into their body, especially when have a performance enhancing substance in their body. And a tribute to former MLB infielder Ernie Bowman, who recently passed away.

8-9-2019 Passed Ball Show- John opens up this brief filibuster with a little historical perspective about the history of the New York Mets franchise. As awful as the bad is, the franchise has a history of great runs in August and September. Any questions, refer to the seasons of 1969, 1973, 2015, and 2016. The perception exists that the Mets owners, Fred and Jeff Wilpon, are cheap. While they operate the team more like a business than one would like, John does not necessarily agree with the perception. Oakland Raiders Wide Receiver Antonio Brown thinks he is more powerful than the National Football League. The league will continue to prosper long after he is gone. If the NFL was smart, they would call his bluff and see if he has the balls to quit the sport that has given him his livelihood.

7-31-2019 Passed Ball Show- John opens this show by talking about his excitement over the July 31st trading deadline in major league baseball. While a lot could be expected before 4 pm, there may not be as many high profile trades as expected. Greed has kicked in and teams are not willing to part with players from their major league roster and top prospects. The days of a fair trade could be over. John makes it clear how he feels about all of this. The media tells teams that have a bad record they have to be "sellers" and teams that have a good record they have to be "buyers." Yet MLB General Managers and their front office staff are the ones held accountable if their teams do not win. If my job was on the line, I would do what I think is necessary, not what the media tells me to do. More on the buyer/ seller garbage and the media telling teams what they should do. John finishes up this program by doing a ten player quiz on who will be traded by 4 pm eastern today and who will not.

7-26-2019 Passed Ball Show- John opens up this version of the program by talking about the difference between entertainment and life. While entertainers should understand their opinions are relevant, they should take time to identify their audience. Athletes (and entertainers) have gained their audience through their talents. That is what their fans come to see and hear. Angel Hernandez is known as one of the worst umpires in baseball history. However, he did a good job of overseeing the Rays/ Red Sox confusion the other day. A voluntary choice by a team to take its designated hitter results in the pitcher having to hit for the remainder of the game. Adam Kolarek, a pitcher, moved to first base, abolishing the DH and leaving him in the lineup as the first baseman. Chaz Roe came in to pitch and replaced first baseman Ji-Man Choi in the lineup. Baseball's Hall of Fame is responsible for the watering down of its own honor and until its best players and contributors are put in, there will be more examples of questionable candidates getting in. The acknowledgment of the WBO heavyweight champion was one of the factors that led to the destruction of its very sport. Around since 1989, the organization failed to acknowledge champions such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, and Lennox Lewis.