The Jonah Keri Podcast

Jonah Keri heads to the penalty box with VICE Sports hockey writer Dave Lozo on who to root for in the NHL playoffs; Alex Ovechkin's undeserved bad rap; the resurrection of Marc-Andre Fleury; the U.S.-Canada hockey rivalry; League of Leagues trash talk; being in a fantasy league with a WWE superstar; the fascinating but also scary world of sports journalism, and much more!

Jonah Keri fires high heat with Billy Wagner on becoming an MLB All-Star as an undersized lefty from a small town; the thrill of battling Barry Bonds with the game on the line; his love of teaching baseball as a high school coach in Virginia, and much more!

Jonah Keri spreads the gospel with Reverend Rob Lee (MTV VMAs, The View) on his book Stained Glass Millennials and the disconnect between young people and religion; how to inject empathy into church; reversing the legacy of his great-great uncle Robert E. Lee; why Confederate monuments should be taken down; the Reverend's charitable work with The King Center; and much more.

Jonah Keri turns two with 19-year MLB veteran and three-time All-Star Chris Speier on how semi-pro ball in a small Canadian town helped him on his way to the big leagues; being in awe of Willie Mays and Willie McCovey; the lessons you can learn from superstars; the great Expos teams of the late-70s and early 80s; the Bay Bridge World Series and its frightening earthquake; living and dying with every pitch thrown by his former big leaguer son Justin; the importance of letting players learn on their own, and much more!

Jonah Keri toes the rubber with former major league All-Star pitcher Ken Hill on the moment he felt he could succeed in the big leagues; the delightful arrogance of the '94 Expos; the colorful and fearsome '95 Cleveland team; the ecstasy and agony of being the father of a world-class athlete, and more!

Jonah Keri takes a bite out of the Big Apple with New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio on his love of the Red Sox and animus toward the Yankees; using Moneyball-like strategies to govern; the legacy of Rusty Staub; running the equivalent of football's two-minute drill as mayor; affordable housing; pre-kindergarten education; fixing the subway; his thoughts on a potential Presidential run, and more!

Jonah Keri tests the rocket arm and generous spirit of Ellis Valentine on life growing up in South Central L.A. in the 60s; how talent can be a blessing but also a curse; the temptations of life in the big leagues; the need for non-white faces as mentors in sports; finding salvation by learning how to feel; getting sober; helping others for the past 30 years; that time at the end of his career when he worked to work for a rental car company for four bucks an hour; Ellis's life tip, and much more!

Jonah Keri covers the hot corner with 15-year MLB veteran Larry Parrish on being too shy as a kid to ask Mickey Mantle for an autograph; the huge influence (and incredible Louisiana accent) of superscout Mel Didier; Gene Mauch's vote of confidence; the role of leadership and chemistry in baseball; the culture shock and frightening disciplinary style of Japanese baseball; Larry's life tip, and much more!

Jonah Keri circles the bases with future Hall of Famer David Ortiz on baseball culture in the Dominican Republic; his childhood ambition of playing a sport other than baseball; his friendship with Pedro Martinez; Manny Ramirez's rope-a-dope approach to media relations; Ortiz's surprising feeling during the 2004 ALCS; the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, and much more!

Jonah Keri journeys to the edge of sports with The Nation sports editor Dave Zirin on his new co-authored book with NFL defensive lineman Michael Bennett, Things That Make White People Uncomfortable; his upcoming political biography of Jim Brown, Last Man Standing; the legacy of Colin Kaepernick; the absence of healthy and nutritious food in lower-income communities; the importance of STEM education, especially for girls and people of color; concussions in football; the NCAA cartel; Dave's life tip, and much more!