The K.P. Wee Podcast

Brett Hawn of Totally Goated Podcast joins this episode to chat Major League Baseball. Topics include the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Padres. Brett also shares his thoughts on the Mets' decision to not pitch Jacob deGrom against the Yankees in the two-game Subway Series (which was swept by the Bronx Bombers), as well as Aaron Judge's home-run exploits and the new MLB scheduling format for 2023 (in which all 30 teams will play one another in a season for the first time in major-league history).

Check out Brett's Totally Goated Podcast: https://anchor.fm/totallygoated/

Guest Host: Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio

Guest: K.P. Wee, Author and Podcast Host

SUMMARY: When looking for a job, remember that it's about a lot more than the title or description of responsibilities. On this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast, Guest Host Stan Markotich is prompting all kinds of reflections on the role our workplace cultures play, not only in our ability to succeed but also in defining our quality of life. Will you be going into a space that is safe, supportive and (ideally) fun? Or will it be lonely, toxic and ego-driven? Based on his personal experience in the realm of teaching, K.P. Wee shares red flags that are worth paying attention to, including whether your interview process (professional and courteous?) and the atmosphere (collegial and positive?). He and Stan have all kinds of practical tips and thoughts to bear in mind for jobseekers who are new to the market and eager to avoid some of the rookie mistakes so many of us frequently make! You'll hear about frontlines experiences of inappropriate break room behaviors, competitive (and unhelpful) colleagues as well as a big misunderstanding early on in his career that left K.P. panicked – followed by a sigh of relief and a laugh! Whatever line of work we choose to pursue, there are certain inevitable forks in the road that most all of us will encounter. Our outcomes are ultimately a lot likelier to be favorable if we're armed with the humor, clarity and framework for problem-solving that this lively discussion provides! Stay tuned for future chats in which Stan and K.P. will take up important topics such as how to cope with discrimination and manage through incompetent leadership.

Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you'd like to know more about the many books he has authored.

If you're a fan of this podcast's intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger

KEY TOPICS:

• About K.P.'s teaching perspective and the value in commiserating/sharing notes with others interested in the topic of workplace experience.
• K.P. explains why athletic coaching has never felt like the right fit for him, despite the fact that he has a depth of knowledge on the topic.
• Sports psychology is a great avenue for sharing expertise but further advanced studies would be necessary to master skills such as analytics or scouting techniques.
• Why wins, losses and championships are big – but not the defining element when it comes to cultivating team cultures and legendary achievement in the big picture.
• About red flags when it comes to workplace cultures:
• • Does the interviewer exhibit professionalism (preparation, timeliness, courtesy)?
  • Does the environment foster inappropriate or demeaning comments/interactions?
  • Are anger and raised voices part of the way people interact?
  • Are racist, sexist or otherwise derogatory "jokes" commonly accepted?
• Workplaces can vary tremendously based on the vibe – as K.P. and Stan have both noted in different circumstances. One school's insensitive jokes can be taken as camaraderie while another's limited socializing might simply be a function of scheduling.
• Reflecting on differing teaching cultures: Stan appreciates that there are times he needs to be mono-focused on his students, but he also finds it helpful to work in a collegial atmosphere where he feels free to bounce questions like:
• • Are student changing in any ways?
  • Do they respond to different kinds of lessons in different ways?
  • What strategies might there be for reaching a student who is failing?
• Different types of workplace environments produce (and require) differing dynamics – ranging from running jokes to studious silence.
• K.P. summarizes the overall ethic he most values in a healthy workplace culture: It supports learning, development and mutual growth. He also shares examples of what it looks like to experience the opposite of this kind of positive approach!
• The best teachers are willing to evolve and adapt. They're also inclined to share notes, teaching techniques and encouragement through whatever challenges.
• Stan Offers Sports as Metaphor: Teaching is not like a competitive individual athletic pursuit, but rather a forum for coaching and mentoring. It's not about being on the court or field scoring points. You are enabling team members to reach the top of their game.
• Back to the Future: Stan shares a colorful anecdote about how a substitute teaching experience reaffirmed that know-it-all teachers aren't necessarily the most effective!
• You've accepted a new job whose workplace environment is not what you expected. Perhaps it's toxic or alienating or sloppy. What to do now? K.P. offers advice:
• • Talk to someone in authority. Perhaps they are out of the loop or not conversational with the staff dynamic.
  • If you find that management principles simply don't align with your own, it may mean that remaining on the job will require tolerance and adjustment because making cultural change (or changing people) is extremely unlikely.
  • If it's an environment in which finding any joy is impossible, it may be imperative that you reconsider the job and go elsewhere.
• Stan echoes K.P.'s advice: If you find yourself in an unhappy work situation, discuss it with someone in charge, monitor for the possibility of change, then decide whether an accommodation is tenable or it's time to move on.
• The episode wraps up with a memorable story of K.P.'s very first teaching job – which he mistakenly thought he got under sketchy circumstances. Hilarity ensues!
• Stan closes the loop with a reflection that builds on K.P.'s point: The best workplace environments are open, communicative and collaborative.
• Two areas for future exploration: Discrimination (as separate from the hiring process) and what it's like to work for chronically incompetent owners or managers.

KEY QUOTES:

• "If you realize that somebody else can do a better job than you can, then focus on what you're more passionate and have more knowledge about." (K.P.)
• "It takes a lot to get to the top. There can only be one champion and, of course, injuries happen, contract disputes happen. You don't know what's going on behind the scenes." (K.P.)
• "If someone is willing to brag about something that is negative or toxic in one workplace, I'm pretty sure the odds would be high that they'd be bragging about similar things in other workplaces." (Stan)
• "I do like the idea of having a dynamic and exchanging ideas and that can lead to having fun with your colleagues as well, but there are times when the lesson plan calls for needing assignments and needing to really focus on my students and not be distracted by conversation. So ideally I like a balance." (Stan)
• "I'm not a robot. I'm a person, a human being. I always want to learn new things. If you feel like it's time to stop learning I think you're basically retiring or waiting for death." (K.P.)
• "Some teachers believe that as teachers we compete in the way that individual athletes compete against each other and I don't see any value in making that connection to sports." (Stan)
• "It's teamwork amongst the teachers to be on the same page, getting students to do their best; to get the most out of students." (K.P.)
• "You cannot change people if they are unwilling, so if it's a big enough problem and you're uncomfortable, you have to make a decision … If it's not something that drives you or makes you happy, then you might want to consider looking elsewhere." (K.P.)

About Guest Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master's degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.

Stan @LinkedIn

About K.P. Wee: K.P. is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club's media relations department.

You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.

Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter

Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.

Host: K.P. Wee

Guest: Rich Burk, Play-by-Play Broadcaster

SUMMARY: Sometimes nice guys finish first – as is the case with Rich Burk, one of the busiest and nicest sportscasters around. On this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast the veteran play-by-play announcer (ESPN, Pac12 Networks and NBC's Olympic coverage) is sharing insider tips for anyone who aspires to his success. In addition to having called more than 2,000 baseball games for major and minor league teams, Rich has also covered football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, diving, and wrestling. The one common thread? Prep. Prep. Prep. Rich spends as many as eight hours painstakingly compiling stats and other background related to each and every player (for both teams) going into a series. He does a similar amount of homework before conducting interviews, which is what makes him so nimble and able to elicit great conversation. You'll also learn why young sportscasters need to read, read, read—and why silence from the broadcast booth can be a gift. The show wraps with some colorful career highlights and parting thoughts for anyone who feels shy about seeking out a mentor. "Most people in this industry have been helped by mentors," says Rich, "and those same people are almost always happy to help younger people trying to break in." So don't be afraid to reach out!

Interested in checking out Rich's perennially popular Baseball Scorebook Model? It's available online here.

Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you'd like to know more about the many books he has authored.

If you're a fan of this podcast's intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger

KEY TOPICS:

• Rich shares thoughts on the trajectory of his play-by-play career, including the priority he put on protecting stability and quality of life with his family in Oregon.
• Public speaking has always been in Rich's comfort zone largely because he starts with the assumption that people like him. Makes it easy to relax in front of the microphone!
• Some of Rich's earliest training was as a college student sent out by his baseball coaches to speak on their behalf at various service clubs in Southern California.
• Pro Tip: Be yourself and trust that everyone will like you.
• Not everyone comes out of the gate with a fully formed on-air persona. It took Rich time to cultivate his play-by-play style.
• Rich developed his baseball scorebooks to help him keep track of details while juggling other stadium roles early in his career. It was a great lesson in multi-tasking!
• Rich put together his Baseball Scorebook Model in 2007 and it has sold steadily ever since. The format provides room for flexibility. He counts broadcasters among his fans!
• Pro Tip: Be prepared! People assume Rich has everything memorized but in fact he is just very organized. It takes a considerable investment of time, but he always has at his fingertips copious notes/player facts (for his team and the teams they face), including:
• • Number of games played
  • Batting average
  • Double, triples, home runs, and RBIs
  • Stolen bases and stolen base attempts
  • Trends – notable activity out on the field
  • Basic Bios: Height, weight, hometown, college career, and other fun facts.
• Inputting data prior to a series can take Rich as many as eight hours! Updates are quicker.
• Pro Tip: Be prepared with background material, but always remember: It's about what's going on down on the field. The art is in knowing how much to use and when to use it.
• Letting things breathe: Rich believes the age of social media has conditioned broadcasters to "blather on and on and on." He's a fan of the old school approach, knowing when to let the crowd to tell the story.
• About the time Rich's old friend, golf sportscaster Peter Jacobsen, set him up to shadow broadcast legend Vince Scully. He spent two days watching the master do his thing! And took away two bits of advice: Be yourself (which he took) and Don't listen to other broadcasters (which he opted to ignore – he has studied other people's on-air styles).
• Pro Tip: Read! Vince Scully once told Rich (who wholeheartedly agrees) that aspiring broadcasters should devour written material in order to build facility with language.
• Pro Tip: When conducting an interview, do your homework, know your subject and have in mind a general map (keep it flexible!) of where you'd like to go.
• Pro Tip: Listen to cues from your interviewee. Sometimes an unanticipated twist in the conversation will come up. You've got to be ready to go with it!
• Listener Question: About Ron Tonkin, the late car dealership owner in Portland for whom the 4,500 spectator baseball park was named in 2014.
• Rich reflects on his most memorable broadcasts:
• • 1997 Portland Rockies league championship.
  • 2014, 2015, and 2019 championships for the Hillsboro Hops.
  • A memorable game-ending (and ultimately career-ending) grand slam by Tagg Bozied taught Rich a critical lesson: Always, always keep your eye on the field!
  • An all-out fight between Portland Beavers and Las Vegas 51s fans at an away game – a crazy scene in which once again Tagg Bozied figured.
• Closing Thoughts for Aspiring Broadcasters: Seek and reach out to as many mentors as possible. They were young once and remember what it feels like trying to break into the business!

KEY QUOTES:

• "I was able to work my way up the ladder without having to move. Luckiest guy in the world!" (Rich)
• "You can always assume that people are going to like you. And the other piece of advice I'd give is: Be yourself." (Rich)
• "You've done your homework! Well done, K.P. I appreciate that!" (Rich)
• "It's probably a total of three hours of work – more at the beginning of a series – because when we face a new team I have to input all that information … The art of it is knowing what to use and when."
• "I find myself sometimes with all this information but I have to know when not to use it because the game is the focus. If it's a tie game late in the game I don't want to be giving too much bio information. I don't want to look away from the field." (Rich)
• "It's a lost art just to let the crowd tell the story." (Rich)
• "Have a general map of where you want the interview to go, but at the same time be flexible on your feet so if the interviewee says something compelling you want to go down that path." (Rich)
• "Most people in this industry have been helped by mentors; have been helped along the way by a lot of people. And those same people are almost always happy to help younger people trying to break in." (Rich)

RICH BURK'S BIO: Rich Burk is a versatile sportscaster who serves as a play-by-play announcer for Pac-12 Networks. He has called football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, swimming and diving, and wrestling for the Pac-12 Networks in addition to calling games for Fox Sports Net NW, ROOT Sports, and ESPN2. Additionally, Burk has called many games on radio, from historic venues such as Pauley Pavilion, Madison Square Garden, and Cameron Indoor Stadium. On several occasions he has had fill-in stints in Major League Baseball, including time with the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos, and Toronto Blue Jays. His professional baseball resume of nearly 2000 games includes calling four no-hitters and two perfect games. He currently lives outside of Portland in Hillsboro, Oregon, where he coaches youth baseball and during recent summers has called play-by-play for the Hillsboro Hops, a minor-league affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also has two children with his wife of over 24 years.

FOLLOW RICH: WEBSITE | TWITTER | EMAIL | RICH BURK'S BASEBALL SCOREBOOK

About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club's media relations department.

You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.

Follow K.P. Wee: K.P. @Twitter

Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.

If you're a fan of Michael Unger's 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn't get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.

Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about regularly as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.

Players from the 1990 card set discussed in this episode include Greg Briley, Mark Portugal, Tim Teufel, Ivan Calderon, Donn Pall, Rob Ducey, Steve Lake (and his pet parrot), Rob Murphy (and his laptop), Rick Rhoden, Kirk McCaskill, Chip Hale, and Steve "Bye Bye" Balboni. Two other former players not in the 1990 Upper Deck card set, Glenn Burke and Rodney McCray, are also mentioned.

The conversation, though, doesn't center on baseball stats, as Michael shares quite a few fascinating non-baseball tidbits associated with each of these former players (or their names and/or nicknames), many of which he came across in his research in his amazing quest to tweet about all 800 cards from the 1990 Upper Deck set.

K.P. also shares a story involving Calderon and Pall, and he also remembers (foolishly) thinking Portugal was never going to lose another major-league game when the right-hander won 12 straight decisions to end the 1993 season.

When the name Glenn Burke comes up, Michael recommends the YA novel A High Five for Glenn Burke, written by Phil Bildner.

Check out A High Five for Glenn Burke, written by Phil Bildner: https://www.amazon.com/High-Five-Glenn-Burke/dp/0374312737

New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman joins this episode to talk sportswriting.

A former Sports Illustrated senior writer (as well as a former ESPN.com columnist and staff writer for Newsday and the [Nashville] Tennessean), Jeff is the New York Times best-selling author of 10 books, including his newest one about Bo Jackson, titled The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson, which comes out in October 2022.

In this conversation, Jeff discusses why his favorite word is "serendipity," his dream of becoming a sportswriter growing up, his book writing process, what he worries about when he's writing books, and how he believes members of the sports media shouldn't be rooting for teams, among other topics. Jeff also reminisces about his first story with Sports Illustrated—and the time when he grew tired of sports and left SI.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffpearlman

Website: https://jeffpearlman.com/

Two Writers Singing Yang Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-writers-slinging-yang/id1252080948?mt=2

The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Folk-Hero-Life-Jackson/dp/0358437679

In this episode, Vancouver (Canada)-based sports business consultant Jason Takefman chats Major League Baseball, including the Yankees, Mets, Tony La Russa, Joe Maddon, Tim Anderson, and other topics related to the sport. Takefman also talks about fandom in sports and there is even some reference made about the 1993 Montreal Canadiens in the context of how the Stanley Cup is one of the most difficult trophies to win in sports. At the end of the discussion, K.P. shares why, as a sports author, he does not enjoy seeing records being broken.

This episode features parts of two separate interviews with J.P. Hoornstra, who covers Major League Baseball as a sportswriter for the Southern California New Group, as part of K.P.'s research for the book So You Want to Work in Sports (which is expected to be released in September 2022).

One of these interviews was recorded during the 2020 baseball off-season.

J.P. has covered Los Angeles Dodgers baseball since 2012 and is the author of the 2015 book The 50 Greatest Dodger Games of All Time. He even hosts a weekly Dodger podcast on the Bleav Network titled "Bleav in Dodgers."

Topics include:

• J.P.'s thoughts about the current state of the newspaper industry
• His words of wisdom for students interested in being a sportswriter
• The process of writing and publishing articles, along with covering a breaking news event vs. covering an actual baseball game
• J.P.'s approach when dealing with athletes who refuse to cooperate

Much, much more of J.P.'s Hoornstra's insights into what it's like being a sports writer can be found in K.P.'s book So You Want to Work in Sports, which is aimed for students interested in working in sports-related jobs and is expected to be released in September 2022.

Guest Host: Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio

A Very Special Episode: How to Get Hired!

Guest: K.P. Wee, Author and Podcast Host

SUMMARY:

You're in the process of nailing down a promising job and feeling excited with good reason, but there can still be red flags and bumps in the road worth noting. This episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast welcomes back Stan Markotich, former News Director at CJIV Radio, who along with K.P. shares anecdotes and advice about shady hiring situations. You'll learn about real-life scenarios from which these two veterans of the workforce have learned lessons – some of which they recognized immediately and others that they figured out after the fact.

Whatever mistakes they've made, K.P. and Stan are sharing their hard-earned experience so that you can avoid some common pitfalls and know when to speak up. They offer practical tips and scenarios for which any job candidate should be prepared. There can be ethical dilemmas, mis-representations, even exploitation. This podcast is all about giving listeners the tools to ensure a fair deal and healthy workplace situation. The pair are touching on areas that require some defensive strategy and wariness, but getting hired of course mostly has many upsides and positives, which they plan to highlight in a future episode. So stay tuned and, in the meanwhile, work on being at the top of your game in the current employee-friendly economy!

Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast.

If you're a fan of this podcast's intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger

KEY TOPICS:

• (1:00) Stan introduces himself and the episode's special focus: How to Get Hired!
• (2:00) K.P. joins in to kick off the conversation by sharing an instructional anecdote from an interview he went through a few years back.
• (3:25) Tip #1: Try always to show up a little early for interviews.
• (5:48) Tip #2: If you're being mistreated in an interview, don't be afraid to speak up on your own behalf.
• (9:39) K.P. reflects on the discriminatory nature of his interaction with an interviewer who was in fact herself Asian (as is K.P.). Needless to say, it was unprofessional and distasteful.
• (11:09) Stan weighs in with thoughts about the fact that bad interview experiences can go both ways, leaving either side of the desk stuck navigating as best as possible.
• (12:18) Stan shares two pieces of basic advice for interviewers:
• • Never slam the competition.
  • Never be late for an interview.
• (17:40) Tip #3: Don't badmouth your employer or any other organization.
• (18:09) About K.P.'s growing involvement with the local sports community, including his contributions writing weekly recaps for a team in the BC Major Midget League. In a total breach of journalism ethics, K.P. had to call out a local reporter who plagiarized his work. The response was unsatisfactory.
• (26:50) Tip #4: Be impeccable with your etiquette around communications and follow-up.
• (30:52) K.P. shares a story from a research job some years back that demonstrates the potential for lack of transparency and manipulation around compensation. Be alert!
• (34:14) When an interviewer asks about the salary your current or former employee has paid, do you lie to inflate it? This is a tactic common in an employer's market. Not great, but a reality not worthy of compromising your integrity.
• (37:09) If demand for employees is high, you're far less likely to be asked about your current salary because the market for talented hires is tight and competitive.
• (37:48) Training new hires, K.P. found himself in a quandary after he discovered a delta between what an employee thought he should be paid and what in fact he would be paid. Should K.P. reveal the truth? Is it his role or responsibility?
• (41:47) Stan takes a look at the apparent bait-and-switch on salary requirements that K.P. witnessed from the employer perspective. What was this employee's true value?
• (46:54) Requiring full transparency from employers about compensation and related issues is your right, as Stan points out based on a personal experience.
• (48:11) What do you do when you show up for a job, as Stan did once in a short-term opportunity, and the terms have suddenly been changed to broaden the scope of work required? It's not okay to alter a job description after the salary or contract has been negotiated.
• (50:30) Tip #5: Beware mission creep. Employers should not be allowed to exploit you by demanding additional work without additional compensation.
• (51:11) Tip #6: Beware toxic environments. When a boss started bad-mouthing the friend who had helped K.P. get a job, he was done. He wanted no part of it.

KEY QUOTES:

• (9:11) "When you walk into an interview, if you feel that you are being mistreated or insulted you should stand up for yourself." (K.P.)
• (13:00) "If an interviewer is late for an interview, that's generally a signal that the person has already lined up a candidate and what's happening is just going through the motions." (Stan)
• (29:40) "Getting hired does mean in many cases that there will be a reality that involves issues of ethics and ethical considerations." (Stan)
• (36:42) "People in charge may want to take advantage of you if you have certain skills. That's how the game works (sometimes)." (K.P.)
• (47:44) "My position (if compensation is unclear) would be, 'Until you can tell me, I won't be doing anything.' " (Stan)
• (52:45) "In life it's never one way. It's never all great. It's never all bad. And you've got to be aware of both sides." (Stan)

About Guest Host Stan Markotich:

Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master's degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.

About K.P. Wee:

K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club's media relations department.

You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.

Follow K.P. Wee:

K.P. @Twitter

Additional episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.

If you're a fan of Michael Unger's 1990 Upper Deck baseball card project, then it doesn't get better than this episode of The K.P. Wee Podcast—which features a non-stop stream of sports history, trivia, game deconstructions, and remembrances. Enjoy this return visit from a fan favorite known to baseball card collectors through his social media handles udeck1990@Twitter or upperdeck1990@Insta.

Michael and K.P. do a deep dive into some of the exciting (if sometimes forgotten or obscure) players that Michael has been posting about daily as he works his way systematically through each of his 1990 Upper Deck baseball cards. His social media posts have created a community through which he and K.P. initially connected and became friends.

Highlights from this episode:

• (2:44): Michael shares the story of former baseball manager Rene Lachemann being pranked by pitcher Larry "Mr. Jello" Andersen in 1982 when the two were with the Mariners.
• (6:07): K.P. relives the story about Rene Lachemann cursing out Tom Candiotti during spring training in 1984 with the Brewers—for throwing the knuckleball. The irony? Lachemann went on to be the manager of the first-year expansion Florida Marlins in 1993, and the Marlins' Opening Day starter was none other than Charlie Hough, a knuckleballer.
• (13:17): Michael talks about the evolution of the teams that he followed and why, going from the Mets to the Dodgers (a team he used to dislike) to the Blue Jays to the Yankees. He reminisces on his two favorite "biggest comebacks" in baseball, one with the 1986 Mets and the other with the 1992 Blue Jays. He mentions why he had conflicting emotions about the comeback with the Mets.
• (18:17): K.P. explains why he thinks Terry Pendleton (who played for Rene Lachemann in 1995 and whose card Michael recently tweeted) wasn't "unlucky" to have gone 0-for-5 in five World Series appearances as a player (1985, 1987, 1991, 1992, 1996), pointing out sometimes "it's a player's own doing" (and bringing up Chris Paul and the 2022 Phoenix Suns, who were blown out in Game Seven of their second-round series vs. Dallas). With regard to Pendleton, K.P. refers specifically to key at-bats in the 1992 World Series against Toronto (vs. Tom Henke in Game Two and David Cone in Game Six) and the 1996 Fall Classic vs. the Yankees (vs. Jimmy Key in Game Six). During this part, K.P. also wonders how Atlanta pitcher Pete Smith could bunt foul for strike three in 1992 Game Six even though this (bunting) was something that pitchers always worked on during spring training!
• (28:39): Michael mentions Darryl Strawberry and how he became conflicted when the Straw Man joined the Yankees (since Michael started out as a Mets fan).
• (30:01): Michael talks about his time being a writer for a sports/NHL betting site in 2011 and how the riots in downtown Vancouver (the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot) made him stop writing about sports and dedicate his life to science communication.
• (32:11): K.P. talks about his love for the Boston Bruins and the disappointments along the way. He also admits being happy that the Bruins beat the Canucks in 2011 (even though K.P. lives in Vancouver).
• (35:35): Michael talks about his love for the Edmonton Oilers and how he felt as a kid when Wayne Gretzky was traded—before steering the conversation back to baseball and discussing Reds star Joey Votto.
• (38:28): And in response to Michael's comments about Strawberry's changing teams, K.P. brings up Ray Bourque going from the Boston Bruins to the Colorado Avalanche and what he thought about goalies Ron Tugnutt (signing with Columbus instead of returning to Pittsburgh) and Ed Belfour (signing with Dallas instead of returning to San Jose).
• (39:30): Finally, after all the hockey chatter, K.P. switches back to baseball, saying he believes that the rules concerning rookie statuses in baseball and hockey (hockey again) need to be changed to how the NFL does it: a player's first year (regardless of how many games he appeared in) should be counted as his rookie year, and that's it. K.P. brings up Todd Worrell, whose card Michael posted recently on Twitter. Worrell was on the mound in the 1985 World Series for the Cardinals, trying to close out a championship in Game Six—before being named the 1986 NL Rookie of the Year the following year. K.P. also brings up hockey's Ed Belfour (4-12-3 in 23 regular-season games in 1988-89 and played in the 1990 playoffs before winning the Calder Trophy in 1990-91) and Ken Dryden (who was the 1971 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP before winning the Rookie of the Year award the next season). He mentions the NFL rookie rule—which made Tom Brady (2001) and Kurt Warner (1999) not classified as rookies even though they were in their first years as starters in 2001 and 1999, respectively.
• (42:30): Michael mentions how he doesn't think a rookie card should be the most valuable card for an athlete. He discusses how voters viewed closers and looks back at the 1986 NL rookie class, rattling off the names of prominent first-year players from that year.
• (46:45): K.P. brings up Pittsburgh's winning a game despite going hitless against Cincinnati from the day before, which leads to a discussion about Kevin Gross's 1992 no-hitter vs. the Giants. Michael shares an old story about Gross.
• (49:12): K.P. talks about seeing the Carlos Quintana card that Michael had tweeted (and talking about how he cared about Quintana or Joe Hesketh or Greg Harris or Jeff Reardon because they were all Red Sox players), which leads into a discussion about Michael's favorite baseball cards just based on the cards themselves: 1983 Topps Mike Norris and 1984 Topps Scott McGregor. Michael also shares his thoughts on Quintana.

And if you're interested in learning more about two of the online reference sites Michael regularly consults, visit the Society for American Baseball Research or the Baseball Reference website.

Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of The K.P. Wee Podcast.

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Totally Goated Podcast host Brett Hawn, a Rutgers University (New Jersey) journalism student and a huge New York Mets and Jets fan, makes a return to The K.P. Wee Podcast for some sports chatter. In this episode, Brett shares his thoughts on the Jets' selections in the 2022 NFL draft and the Mets' combined no-hitter from April 29, 2022. The two sports fans also discuss some of the more dubious and controversial decisions up to this point in the current baseball season as well as Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.

Check out Brett's Totally Goated Podcast: https://anchor.fm/totallygoated/