To everything, there is a season. Not to get Biblical on you or anything, but on this show the Baseball Honeymooners focus on transitions, both seasonal and directional.
We kick things off with a Bagels and Boxscores segment that decries the extended length of this Spring Training. However, we decide that the very thing that is making it drag on, the World Baseball Classic, is vastly more entertaining than the usual exhibition season. We also discuss the Astros’ signing of Pudge; panic or planned brilliance?
Lisa springboards from the Pudge “audition” to her interview with Mets’ pitcher Nelson Figueroa (13:55). Nelson had a pretty impressive audition himself with Puerto Rico’s WBC team; he didn’t give up a run! They get into Nelson’s long, strange journey that has spanned the globe and the majors and minors.
At 24:47 we talk to legendary hurler and blogger Jimmy Scott, who is in recovery from a freak shoulder injury sustained while….well, we’ll just let him tell the story in his own inimitable manner! Where Nelson is doing everything possible to hang on, Jimmy is weighing the pros and cons of hanging them up.
36:06: Music- Diane Daly, “Four Seasons In One Day”.
It’s time for Listener Feedback at 36:43. Our listeners make fun of Wayne (OK, pile on why doncha?) and his lack of knowledge of a certain player of Mexican extraction. We also have feedback about our top 5 books list. Then it’s trivia time, where we have our 1st repeat winner…Lisa shuffle them cards, will ya?
Hey, “doncha”? “Will ya”? When did I start writing for Sarah Palin?
44:06: Music- Diane Daly, “Them There Eyes”.
At 45:08 Curly W returns after a brief hiatus (not his fault) with a fantastic soliloquy on baseball’s great broadcasters. Who knew Bill was the next Frank Caliendo? I take it back…he’s much funnier. But then again so is Ben Bernanke.
Lisa talks (at 51:00) to Sean Casey, widely revered as the nicest guy in the game, and Sean relates how easy it was for him to make the decision to retire from playing. He also talks about how he got his new job with MLB TV, and what that transition has been like. Gang, if you don’t like Sean Casey, then it’s time to see your local psycho-analyst!
It’s Top 5 time at 60:05, and staying with the Sean Casey mode, we name our favorite ex-players who are now broadcasters. There is a lot of cross-pollination as usual. Hey, when you’ve been married 25 years, your tastes start to merge (although that apparently doesn’t extend to The Coen Brothers for Lisa or “Toddlers and Tiaras” for Wayne). One name not on either list? It starts with a K and ends with an R. No, not Kramer, though he would make a hell of a color commentator. Plus, I hear he knows Keith Hernandez!
66:43: Out music- Diane Daly, “My Foolish Heart”.
The next BH will be our season previews. We’ve got USA Today’s Paul White to talk Majors and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo to talk minors. All 4 of us plan to hoist ourselves on our own petards and make bold predictions on the ’09 season. One thing’s for sure….we’ll do better than those CNBC/Bloomberg prognosticators did on the market!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Baseball Honeymoon # 5
Snuggle up next to a nice lamp, pour yourself some cocoa and try not to fall asleep two paragraphs in, because Baseball Honeymoon is all about reading….baseball books! For our 5th show, we talk about the best in baseball lit, and we got 3 great authors to interview for you. Get ready to expand your summer reading list, kids!
As always, we kick things off with Bagels and Boxscores. Lisa has printed out the rosters for the contending teams of the World Baseball Classic, and intimates that some pitching staffs might be a little thin thanks to their MLB teams protecting pitchers from the tournament. Wayne lets all know that his knuckler is ready for the call, if needed.
Our 1st interview of the show (at 16:00) is a highlight for both hosts; a major figure from their youth consented to be on the show (thankfully our reputation did not precede us). Ex-pitcher, sports anchor, actor and, of course, author Jim Bouton (of “Ball Four” fame) gives us about 15 minutes of fascinating talk. Lisa stifles the desire to blurt out “You’re my biggest fan!!!”. Jim talks about the incentive to write the book, the initial very negative reaction he got, and the ensuing accolades. He also talks about his process, and some of the other projects he has been involved with. He gets Wayne’s vote for best guest yet!
At 30:50 we apologize for our destruction of “The Sandlot”, and award a BH mug to one of the many contest entrants. Then Wayne presents the new contest. Good luck, and no cheating!
Author Jane Heller discusses her newest book “Confessions of a She-Fan” at 33:21. It’s a very funny, very personal account of a season following her beloved Yankees around the country, husband in tow. Jane chats about her frustrations getting access to the Yanks, and about how a personal venting session morphed into a hugely entertaining work of non-fiction.
44:36- Music; “Black to Blue”, Jamieson Tobey.
The guests keep coming, as Lisa interviews author Howard Bryant at 46:40. Howard wrote about the history of racism within the Red Sox organization in his book “Shut Out; A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston”. Howard describes what it was like to grow up as a black man in Boston and how in his community, the Red Sox were ignored, while in others they were revered. He also gives us a preview of his forthcoming biography of Henry Aaron.
59:05- Music; “Everybody Feels The Same”, Jamieson Tobey.
At 59:45 we start our top 5 lists of baseball books. Lisa admits that she was stretching to find top 5 movies and songs, but had the opposite problem with books. She’s a writer, and we must give her some slack. Most of the crossover is on each of the hosts' honorable mention lists, but you KNOW a book discussed on this show would be in the top 2 for both. By the way, all 3 guests also chime in on their favorite baseball books, so have a pen and paper handy for some great recommendations.
We had to hold off on Curly W segment due to the length of this episode, but Bill will return on the next show with more pith and vinegar.
1:11:50- Music; “Smoke”, Jamieson Tobey.
For our next show, the theme will be transitions in baseball. Guests committed to taking part include newly retired Indians/Reds 1B Sean Casey, 300 game winner Jimmy Scott and Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa.
As always, we kick things off with Bagels and Boxscores. Lisa has printed out the rosters for the contending teams of the World Baseball Classic, and intimates that some pitching staffs might be a little thin thanks to their MLB teams protecting pitchers from the tournament. Wayne lets all know that his knuckler is ready for the call, if needed.
Our 1st interview of the show (at 16:00) is a highlight for both hosts; a major figure from their youth consented to be on the show (thankfully our reputation did not precede us). Ex-pitcher, sports anchor, actor and, of course, author Jim Bouton (of “Ball Four” fame) gives us about 15 minutes of fascinating talk. Lisa stifles the desire to blurt out “You’re my biggest fan!!!”. Jim talks about the incentive to write the book, the initial very negative reaction he got, and the ensuing accolades. He also talks about his process, and some of the other projects he has been involved with. He gets Wayne’s vote for best guest yet!
At 30:50 we apologize for our destruction of “The Sandlot”, and award a BH mug to one of the many contest entrants. Then Wayne presents the new contest. Good luck, and no cheating!
Author Jane Heller discusses her newest book “Confessions of a She-Fan” at 33:21. It’s a very funny, very personal account of a season following her beloved Yankees around the country, husband in tow. Jane chats about her frustrations getting access to the Yanks, and about how a personal venting session morphed into a hugely entertaining work of non-fiction.
44:36- Music; “Black to Blue”, Jamieson Tobey.
The guests keep coming, as Lisa interviews author Howard Bryant at 46:40. Howard wrote about the history of racism within the Red Sox organization in his book “Shut Out; A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston”. Howard describes what it was like to grow up as a black man in Boston and how in his community, the Red Sox were ignored, while in others they were revered. He also gives us a preview of his forthcoming biography of Henry Aaron.
59:05- Music; “Everybody Feels The Same”, Jamieson Tobey.
At 59:45 we start our top 5 lists of baseball books. Lisa admits that she was stretching to find top 5 movies and songs, but had the opposite problem with books. She’s a writer, and we must give her some slack. Most of the crossover is on each of the hosts' honorable mention lists, but you KNOW a book discussed on this show would be in the top 2 for both. By the way, all 3 guests also chime in on their favorite baseball books, so have a pen and paper handy for some great recommendations.
We had to hold off on Curly W segment due to the length of this episode, but Bill will return on the next show with more pith and vinegar.
1:11:50- Music; “Smoke”, Jamieson Tobey.
For our next show, the theme will be transitions in baseball. Guests committed to taking part include newly retired Indians/Reds 1B Sean Casey, 300 game winner Jimmy Scott and Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa.
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