Foul Ball Area

Will We Have a Summer Without Baseball?

Trey Lyle joins the podcast again this week as we discuss the latest on collegiate summer leagues. The Golden State Collegiate Baseball League announced last week that it is canceling its 2020 season, while the Northwoods League will have to move its Opening Day back due to Wisconsin's stay-at-home order. Plus, Minor League Baseball is prepared to accept MLB's plan to contract 40 MiLB franchises. What does that mean for those teams going forward. And we discuss Joe Mauer's Hall of Fame chances, which are pretty good. Tune in for all that and more!

Jackie Robinson Day

Trey Lyle returns to co-host a Jackie Robinson Day edition of Foul Ball Area. We discuss Jackie's career, whether he is an underrated second baseman and the movie 42. Plus we talk about Joey Votto's Hall of Fame case, the Chinese Professional Baseball League starting its season last weekend and the latest on MLB's Arizona plan. 

David Cunningham and Summer League Baseball

Summer baseball leagues are in jeopardy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Valley Baseball League has already canceled its season and more are sure to follow. I talk to David Cunningham , voice of the Peninsula Pilots, to get his take on the situation (6:25-23:18). Plus, the latest on what MLB is considering for its 2020 season and an RCBL update. 

Yelich's Injury, Mets Are Still Alive, and Blue Mountain Oktoberfest

Christian Yelich went down with a fractured kneecap in Tuesday's game against the Marlins, but there's hope for a return if the Brewers make it to the World Series. Plus, the Mets are somehow still alive in the hunt for a Wild Card spot after sweeping the Dbacks this week. And, the latest edition of our Ballpark Beer Segment features the Blue Mountain 13.5 Oktoberfest. 

Wild Card Races and Key Matchups This Week

The Wild Card races are shaping up to be exciting as we get into the last three weeks of the season. Today's episode of Foul Ball Area focuses on some of the teams that are still in the mix for the postseason and takes a look at some of the key series that are being played this week. Plus, the Red Sox fired Dave Dombrowski just one year after winning the World Series, which probably isn't a good move. 

Best Stories of 2019

There have been some great stories around Major League Baseball in 2019. In today's episode, Matthew Atkins takes a look at some of the best, including Albert Pujols' return to St. Louis and the Angels no-hitter. Plus, the second edition of the Ballpark Beer Segment and this week's Something to Say: It's still baseball season. 

Let the Kids Retire

I branch away from baseball a little bit in today's episode to talk about why Andrew Luck made the right decision to retire when he did. He doesn't deserve the criticism that he's gotten, especially when all-time great athletes such as Sandy Koufax have made similar decisions. Plus, Bryce Harper named his son Krew (???), Francisco Cervelli needs to learn how to slide, and we do the first ever Foul Ball Area beer review. Check it out on this week's edition of Foul Ball Area!

The Ronald Acuna Show

With the RCBL season over, I shift my focus back to Major League Baseball. I spend the first half of today's episode talking about the Braves and my love for Ronald Acuna, Jr. The 21-year-old superstar is having a superb season and belongs in the MVP conversation. I also touch on old timers giving their opinions about the modern game of baseball, and whether or not tanking is good for the competitiveness of the sport.

Clover Hill Wins the Championship

The Clover Hill Bucks won the 2019 RCBL Championship four games to two with an 8-2 victory over Bridgewater on Monday night. Tyler Bocock was named Series MVP after batting .571 with two home runs and 7 RBIs in the series. Hear from Bocock and Clover Hill head coach Chris Cofer following their win.

Finals: Bucks and Reds Tied up 2-2

Get caught up on all of the RCBL Finals action! Tune in to this week's episode to hear from Corey Armentrout (6:20), Blake Sipe (7:52) of Clover Hill, plus Derek Shifflett(12:13) of Bridgewater following game four.