baseball Archives • the Sports Rivals podcast

The Freethinkers | Walton & Spaceman | Ep 36

Posted on July 20, 2021 by zkutty

I can see clearly now the rain is gone.
I can see all obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind.
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day.
-Jimmy Cliff

The Freethinkers | There are exceptions to every rule, so our two guests aren’t rivals, but kindred spirits who are living for that “bright (bright) sunshiny day! Two great athletes as well as two of the most outspoken athletes of their time. They’re freethinkers who speak to everything in the world. Neither is shy to express themselves, they’ve been outspoken and even controversial at times.

The Freethinkers

Bill Walton

Bill Walton is a two-time NBA Champion and a two-time NCAA Champion. He played college basketball at UCLA for legendary coach John Wooden and was the National College Player of the Year three times, from 1972-1974. In addition to those two NCAA titles in 1972 and 1973, including an amazing 88-game winning streak, he was also the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in those years as well. He won the NBA title in 1977 with the Portland Trailblazers and in 1986 with the Boston Celtics. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 1977 and the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1978. These incredible accomplishments have landed him in both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as well as the College Basketball Hall of Fame. However, with all these feats, he might be best known as the biggest Grateful Dead fan on the planet.

Bill ‘Spaceman’ Lee

Speaking of planets, Bill “Spaceman” Lee had a 14-year major league baseball career with the Boston Red Sox and the Montreal Expos. He was an all-star in 1973 and in 2008 was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. Bill played college baseball at USC under legendary coach Rod Dedeaux when they won the 1968 College World Series. He then was drafted by the Red Sox in the 22^nd round of the 1968 draft. Bill began his career mostly as a relief pitcher, but then went on to become a starter in two games in the 1975 World Series. However, his career took a turn for the worse in May of 1976, as he got injured in a huge brawl with the Yankees and suffered a torn ligament in his left pitching shoulder. But Bill’s dynamic personality would not be curtailed and his tremendous popularity as the “Spaceman” continued even after his playing days in books and films.

So, fasten your seat belts as two planets are about to collide and hopefully you can see clearly again once you hear these freethinkers’ words of wisdom…

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Pinch Hitters | Sweeney vs Harris | Ep 35

Posted on July 2, 2021 by jskutlow

The pinch hitters | You’ve been sitting on the bench for the entire game and now your name is called by the manager to grab a bat and get to the plate in a key moment. Long one of baseball’s toughest jobs, the pinch hitter becomes the spotlight with just one chance to make good.

With the DH firmly in place in the AL, the job of the pinch hitter has been left largely to the NL. True pinch hitters have been replaced by versatile players signed for defensive work rather than just those precious moments at the plate.

Lenny Harris and Mark Sweeney sit atop MLB numbers for pinch hitters who made their living coming through when it mattered most.

Sweeney, 14 years in the majors, is second in pinch hits (175) and first in pinch hit rbi. They played in the majors at the same time for 10 years and were keenly aware of one another.

Harris, an 18-year MLB veteran, is the all-time MLB leader in pinch hits (212) and most pinch hit at-bats.

Here are the stories of their most memorable at-bats, their preparation secrets and their memories of watching each other perform. They both relate their respect and admiration for the man each passed at the top of the pinch hit list – Manny Mota.

Insights, laughs, haunting at-bats and a Mother who saw through it all, it’s all here.

Step up to the plate and enjoy.

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Dodgers vs Reds | Garvey vs Perez | Ep 34

Posted on June 1, 2021 by garygft

Dodgers vs Reds | His manager, Sparky Anderson, said he was the “heart and soul” of the team. No small matter since that team was Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine of the 1970’s.

Dodgers vs Reds | The Players

Tony Perez was that player and his plaque can be found in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Perez took home two World Series rings with the Reds in the four World Series appearances by that team. He put together an amazing seven seasons in which he drove in at least 100 runs.

During those years, the rivalry for the NL West’s top spot saw the Reds and Dodgers battle year after year.

On the Dodger side, Steve Garvey was at first base as part of the longest running infield in history. With Ron Cey, Bill Russell and Davey Lopes, Garvey anchored first for a team that went head-to-head with the Reds for postseason honors.

Garvey is a 10-time All-Star with 4 Gold Gloves and a NL MVP award in 1974. In 55 postseason games he posted a .338 average, including hitting .319 in 28 World Series games.

Two outstanding MLB veterans, two high-powered teams and two sides to the story of the Dodgers/Reds race for the ring in an ongoing battle of the 70’s.

Here is the story of that rivalry in the words of two of baseball’s best – Tony Perez and Steve Garvey.

Further Listening:

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MLB Closers | Brantley & Shaw | Ep 29

Posted on December 29, 2020 by garygft

MLB Closers | “A closer is often considered the best relief pitcher that a club has in its bullpen. Closers are most often deployed for the final inning of a game when a narrow lead — three runs or less — needs to be protected. Closers almost always excel against both right- and left-handed batters and are more often than not capable of striking out batters at high rates.”
MLB Glossary

So you want to be a closer. We have two award-winning MLB closers today, and they say you better want the job or you’ll never excel at it.

How do you know who wants it? Jeff Brantley and Jeff Shaw have seen those who do and those who don’t – they’ll tell you the difference.

MLB Closers

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Jeff Brantley celebrates following the final out of game three of the National League divisional playoff against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday night, Oct. 6, 1995, at Riverfront Stadium, in Cincinnati. The Reds won the game 10-1 to sweep the series. (AP Photo/Mark Lyons)

Brantley was the NL relief pitcher of the year in 1996 and Shaw took that crown in 1997. Brantley was in the Majors for 14 seasons and Shaw for 12. They were both opponents and teammates during that stretch.

7 Jul 1998: National League member Jeff Shaw #41 of the Los Angeles Dodgers starts his wind up during the All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. The American League defeated the National League 13-8. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Who did they learn from? How do you maneuver through the middle of a line-up, game on the line, and you need three outs? They’ll describe a unique universe they inhabit when they take to the mound in the 9^th inning, a roaring crowd and a game with no room for error.

And all that time spent waiting – a couple of bullpen stories will be shared as well.

Jeff Shaw and Jeff Brantley take you into the world of the closer – then, now and tomorrow.

Enjoy.

Further Listening:

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2003 ALCS | Boone vs Walker | Ep 27

Posted on December 15, 2020 by garygft

2003 ALCS | You dream about it as a kid. Standing in the backyard, bat in hand. You take the swing that launches a ball out of the yard for a game winner. Not just any game winner, but a swing in a major league game in the playoffs of October against THE rival, in the deciding game, in extra innings.

Aaron Boone, now manager of the Yankees, lived that dream in the 2003 American League Championship Series while playing for the Bronx Bombers.

Boston Red Sox Todd Walker hits a solo home run against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the American League Championship Series in Boston, October 13, 2003. REUTERS/Mike Segar JR/GAC

As he headed to second base in his home run celebration, he passed a longtime friend, Todd Walker, who was playing for the opposing Red Sox. Walker had a tremendous series against the Yankees, hitting .370 and leading the Sox in runs scored. Now that series was over and the Yankees were moving on to the World Series.

The 2003 ALCS

Pedro Martinez trows Don Zimmer to the ground during a bench clearing brawl.

This 2003 series was heated. There was Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez. There was a lengthy bench-clearing brawl. There were managerial decision questions that will be argued about forever.
Here is the rivalry-the Red Sox and the Yankees-the 2003 ALCS. Here are two players in that series: Aaron Boone and Todd Walker. These are their stories from one of the most anticipated playoff series in baseball history. A series that lived up to all the hype.

The Brawl

Yankees tie it in the 8th

Aaron Boone walk off

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For Love of the Game | Lyons vs Hudler | Ep 25

Posted on November 10, 2020 by garygft

For the love of the game |The legend of golf, Ben Hogan, once said, “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.”

Our guests today have taken time to smell the roses and their walk down the fairway has been filled with life: a life in sports where each day was to be treasured.

The Major Leaguers

Steve Lyons spent nine seasons in MLB, playing for four teams in an 852-game career. He played every position, doing so once in the same game. He said, “I was never a great athlete or a great hitter. I was never supposed to make it to the big leagues.” He did and made the most of every moment.

Rex Hudler played 14 seasons in the majors for six teams. His 774 games played required the grit and no quit attitude just as was true for Lyons.

For the Love of the Game

There is a sheer joy that radiates from Hudler and Lyons as they relate their experiences as rivals and survivors in the majors. Around the game, one is known as “Psycho” and the other as “Bug Eater.” They earned the monikers and will tell you why.

They were referred to as “utility players.” What did that mean then and now to each of them?

There is much to smile about here, and much to admire.

They would both move on to share their joy of the game as broadcasters, but first they shared that joy with teammates and fans while in uniform. Here is their story.

Further Listening:

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1988 NLCS | Dodgers vs Mets | Ep 10 | RE-AIR

Posted on October 27, 2020 by garygft

1988 NLCS

The 1988 NLCS was a tumultuous series between the LA Dodgers and NY Mets.

It went 7 games in the rain, sleet and hail and featured the likes of KIRK GIBSON, STEVE SAX, DOC GOODEN AND GARY CARTER.

This series also pitted the to be 1988 Cy Young Award winner, NLCS MVP and World Series MVP- Orel Hershiser– against a former NL MVP, two-time World Series Champion and arguably the game’s finest defensive first baseman ever-Keith Hernandez.

They are the guests on this podcast.

We are treated here to an inside look at this series the likes of which you will find nowhere else.

The Players

Hershiser will speak to the adrenaline gained for himself and the Dodgers from public comments made by Mets players during the series.

Hernandez will speak to one of those occasions on comments made by teammate pitcher David Cone and how he and the Mets felt when they read what Cone said.

Both players access what facing one another was like. Hershiser talks about his plan in pitching to one of the games toughest outs. Hernandez reflects on what he sat on as a hitter when facing Hershiser.

Orel and Keith will lead you through the unfolding of this series: the roller coaster ride, the turning points, a game 4 that turned a potential Mets win into an extra inning game on Dodger Mike Scioscia’s 9th inning home run off Gooden and a game winning 12th inning home run by Dodger Kirk Gibson.

Keith will describe what he calls the worst defensive play he ever made that occurred in this series and that he lives with today.

Orel describes what it took to pitch nearly half of the total innings thrown by Dodger pitchers in this series, including sneaking off to the bullpen, without manager Tommy Lasorda knowing, to earn a save.

The story of that series is magic enough, but the insight both of these players provide on what their mind sets were in this series and competing at the Major League level for their careers is beyond words.

The openness and honesty you will hear is so rare as to perhaps be unique. Enjoy.

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1984 College World Series | Ep 23

Posted on October 20, 2020 by garygft

1984 College World Series | In all of baseball, the College World Series, which began in 1947, is one of the pinnacle events for the sport.

Only eight Division 1 teams survive a grueling playoff process to make it to Omaha to crown a national champion.

The Players

Jose Mota and Louie Medina made that journey in 1984, among a star-studded cast of players from around the country.

Mota played for Cal State Fullerton and would leave Omaha as part of a national championship team.

Louie Medina played for Arizona State, a highly favored team, with the likes of Barry Bonds and Oddibe McDowell as teammates.

1984 College World Series | The Semi Final Match Up

These two players faced each other in a semifinal game that saw Cal State Fullerton eliminate Arizona State 6-1. Fullerton would then go on to beat Texas for the title.

What was the experience for Mota and Medina in Omaha? How did Cal State Fullerton prepare itself in a tournament where they were not favored to win? There were two different mental states for these teams entering the semifinal game and Mota and Medina lay that out for you.

Both players would go on to play professional baseball and stay involved in the game after their playing days: Mota in the broadcast booth and Medina in the front office of the KC Royals. Both are forever conscious of the impact that 1984 College World Series had on their lives and they share those feelings here.

The game may have been played in 1984, but the memories are vivid and emotionally charged.

1984 College World Series highlights

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HOF Pitchers | Palmer vs Eckersley | Ep 20

Posted on July 6, 2020 by garygft

Ah, the joy of it all, listening to this conversation between two of MLB’s most renowned HOF pitchers, former rivals and good friends: Jim Palmer and Dennis Eckersley.

These two-faced one another in opposing uniforms between 1975 and 1984. Both would enter Baseball’s Hall of Fame and the competitiveness that got them there can be heard in this edition of the SPORTS RIVALS.

The HOF Pitchers

Palmer pitched for the Orioles, and only the Orioles, from 1965-1984. His extraordinary career includes three Cy Young Awards, six World Series appearances, three World Series rings and a record of 268-152.

To say he was a dominating pitcher would be an understatement. For an amazing eight seasons, he was a 20-game winner, simply unheard of in the modern baseball era.

Jim finished with a 268-152 record, a 2.86 career ERA and entered the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Eckersley spent 24 years pitching in the majors. He began his career as a starter with the Indians, Red Sox and Cubs before becoming a preeminent closer with Oakland. He is the only pitcher in MLB history with 100 complete games and 100 saves.

His final career numbers include 197 wins and 390 saves, averaging 44 saves per season between 1988 and 1992.

As a closer in 1992, he was both the Cy Young Award winner and the league MVP with a 7-1 record, 51 saves and a 1.91 ERA. He was a control master who in the last 10 years of his career walked just 86 in 600+ innings.

Dennis entered the Hall of Fame in 2004.

These are two gregarious masters of pitching. They are friends who love to talk the game, their careers and their relationship.

Here is the story of how they first became aware of one another as opposing pitchers, their memories of head-to-head games on the mound and their appreciation for one another as pitchers and friends.

You get to drop in on this conversation right now.

Enjoy.

Further Listening:

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Public Relations | Horwitz vs Swanson | Ep 15

Posted on June 1, 2020 by garygft

All sports public relations departments take great pride in their work and are forever comparing their efforts with their counterparts. That rivalry is supplemented with an understanding that PR departments often need the assistance of one another for information gathering purposes and interview arrangements.

Our two guests today are as good as it gets in PR work.

Public Relations Rivals

Jay Horwitz has been with the New York Mets since 1980. He was head of media relations for 39 years before becoming VP for Alumni Relations and Historian for the Mets.

Few in the business have ever had that kind of longevity with one team.

Oh, the baseball history he has seen. Jay has covered double-digit World Series and All-Star Games for MLB as a Public Relations representative. The Mets’ games he has missed since 1980 can be counted on one hand.

Some of that history and so many stories are part of his new book, “Mr. Met.” There is no one better to tell those tales and no better title for the book.

How much has he meant to Mets’ players? Well, in 1986 when the Mets won the World Series, the players voted him a full playoff share- $93,000.

Mike Swanson is the VP of Communications and Broadcasting for the Kansas City Royals, a position he has held since 2007. He held similar jobs with the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Rockies.

Mike also is one of the nation’s best television statisticians, assisting broadcasters in the booth at major sporting events including numerous Super Bowls, Final Fours, the 2007 BCS Title Game, and Bowl Games. In addition, he’s done statistics for countless college basketball and football games, including work for ESPN.

One needs a strong sense of humor in the PR positions our two guests hold, and these two have just that as you will hear when the storytelling begins.

We begin our podcast with a look at how MLB PR departments think of one another and work to present broadcasters and fans with information about their teams.

What is the relationship with players? Ownership? Fans?

And, oh yes, we have the stories from two who have seen a lot of baseball-on and off the field.

Smile on.

Further Listening:

Be sure to subscribe to the Sports Rivals podcast to listen to this rivalry on your favorite podcast app:

If you loved this episode, check out our others: