The Journeyman Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dan Straily
Dan Straily (Oakland A's, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Lotte Giants) talks life, KBO, pitching and how baseball has made him the ultimate journeyman.
Dan and Ben, the OG squad, are back today. The boys discuss Dan signing a AAA contract with the Iowa Cubs, his hours long stint with the Long Island Ducks, and his mindset moving into this next chapter.
On half of the Quad, the OG pod – Dan and Ben – are back and chopping it up. The boys discuss the Professor’s wine cellar, The Masters, early season MLB, slow starts, closed door meetings, the practical role of MLB managers, Dan throwing this week in Arizona, as well as identity inside and outside of baseball.
¾ of the Quad get together to discuss Dan’s invite to the Dominican Winter League, MLB early season injuries, the MLB pitch clock, pitching velocity and the evolution of throwing, and some stories of “classic Ichiro.”
The Quad is back together to discuss opening day -- both for the MLB and the Professor's golf club. Everyone makes MLB predictions on devision winners, MVPs, Cy Youngs, and who goes to and wins the World Series.
*Note: Dan's audio on his NL MVP and Cy Young predictions was corrupted.
He will fill in the blanks next episode.
Only three points of the Quad are together to check in with Dan as he’s throwing his best sessions at Driveline, as well as discuss new pitches, ear wax, free agent holdouts, Scott Boras, online dating, and toxic fandom traits.
This week the Quad is joined by the inimitable Kyle Boddy of Driveline Baseball.
Together they discuss Kyle's journey through baseball and player development, how he and Dan met, work ethic, advanced analytics, axiological rhetorics of baseball, and the Magic the Gathering professional circuit. Kyle is the best in the business -- this is a real treat.
The Quad discusses the specifics of how Dan is utilizing the technology and data-driven analytics at Driveline Baseball, Netflix sports documentaries, Spring Training stadiums/player facilities, and what to look for as a fan during Spring Training games.
The Quad catches up with friend of the pod, Will Taylor, of the Baseball Bat Bros, to discuss his journey in becoming the top influencer in the baseball bat industry. They talk dealing with pressure, the bonds between brothers, and banging balls onto the roof of a Grocery Outlet, not to mention bat comparisons to Usher and Cardi B that only Will could offer. Check out the The Baseball Bat Bros channel on Youtube, TikTok, IG, X, etc...
https://baseballbatbros.com/
The boys welcome the newest and fourth member to the crew. As the “Quad-pod”, they discuss what it’s like not yet being there as pitchers and catchers report, what unites a team during spring training, Usher and the Super Bowl festivities, and they take listener questions.
The boys bring back the pod to talk about free agency, trusting in the process, and to welcome a new member to the mix.
Dan's third start of the season for the Lotte Giants doesn't go as expected. The boys dip their toe in the A's to Las Vegas conversation.
Dan settles into the new year with some insights on KBO Opening Day and his first two starts of the season.
The guys dig into the roster make up and identify some players that may make the biggest impact as Lotte charges toward the playoffs in the KBO.
Dan describes his experience at spring training with the Lotte Giants as they head into a year with the highest expectations in years.
Thanks for your patience! After a long layoff, Ben and Dan are stoked to be back hanging out together on the podcast. This episode (recorded in late August, 2022) chronicles Dan's trip back to the KBO after a year back in the United States.
Dan and Ben gush over Lee Dae-Ho's retirement tour and talk through a legendary comeback by the Lotte Giants.
Dan catches up with a close friend and fellow journeyman Asher Wojciechowski of the Seattle Mariners to talk about what it's like to compete for a spot in spring training. Dan gets mad about pitching and then happy again. Ben brags about his son.
Dan and Ben jump into the first day of Spring Training with the Diamondbacks in Scottsdale, Arizona. Alex Fast joins the show.
Dan and Ben catch up for the first time since the start of Arizona Diamondbacks mini-camp in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The Lotte Giants have filled their foreign roster and Dan Straily isn't in the mix. So what's next? Featuring special guest Jessica Kleinschmidt.
Ben start's his "Top 5 landing spots" list for Dan in spring training, and the guys jump into a random Orioles Twitter thread when they discover that a Straily jersey popped up in a "mystery box" jersey purchase.
We talk to investigative journalist Bradford William Davis about his recent piece in businessinsider.com chronicling MLB's secret use of two different baseballs during the 2021 season.
Bonus: We learn Bradford's drink of choice (we'll give you one guess).
With much of the baseball world in upheaval, Dan Straily is faced with the choice of KBO or MLB for the second time in as many years.
Lotte Giants coach and top-shelf journeyman Brandon Mann joins Ben and
Dan to talk about his journey through baseball including a stop in Japanese independent ball and his new coaching gig with Lotte.
Ben and Dan finally reconnect with only a couple weeks left in the KBO regular season and talk playoff push, the magic glove of Dixon Machado and a little bit of mental health.
Dan and Ben recap the All-Star season as KBO baseball makes way for the Olympics. One of the newest SSK Landers, Sam Gaviglio, joins the podcast.
Dan and Ben catch up on the KBO season and the guys discuss what "The Process" means for baseball and their lives.
The Lotte Giants find themselves at the bottom of the KBO standings, Dan has a few difficult outings and Dan and Ben discuss finding a bourbon garrison in South Korea.
Daniel Mengden of the Kia Tigers joins the show to talk about his adjustment to the KBO and his own journey through the Oakland A's organization.
Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News joins the show as Part 2 of our catch-up doubleheader to give us an early update on the KBO.
Think of this as another journal entry for the Journeyman. Barring any more life crisis' we should be more consistent after this. Thanks for listening!
Part 1 of our "catch up" doubleheader features David Buchanan of the Samsung Lions.
Thanks again for your patience with upload/scheduling. We're doing our best to keep on track with the season, but clearly we fell behind. Think of these episodes as journal entries catching you up with the Journeyman Dan Straily.
The Baseball BBQ goes BACK-to-BACK weeks with us as Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman join the show to talk about the wide, wide world of baseball.
Disclaimer
The interview with Dan, Jake and Jordan took place a couple days before the MLB Opening Day. If it feels like we left out some new storylines...we probably didn't know about them yet.
Three of our favorite KBO insiders, writers, observers, lovers join the show to give us their thoughts on the upcoming season. Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News, Dan Kurtz of mykbo.net and Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz of the Baseball BBQ Podcast help us wrap our minds around the biggest KBO storylines, the MVP and Golden Glove races, and Korean Series picks.
Dan gives us another update from KBO spring training and the guys give us their thoughts on all the Minor League Baseball changes coming to the 2021 season.
Dan's first spring start for the Lotte Giants goes as planned with 5 K's, 0 runs over 3 innings. Most of the credit seems to be going to his new pitch: The Cutter.
We also have a new segment "Dan Does Sports" in which Ben gets Dan to have a take on the biggest storylines in the world of sports.
Sarah Langs joins the show to tell us about what she's most looking forward to in the new baseball season and New York Mets fandom. Dan nerds out on Sarah's depth of knowledge in the baseball research world.
ESPN's Joon Lee joins the show to give us insight on the future of the game, the KBO and to make Ben mad with his Boston fandom.
John Boog Sciambi joins the show for the second time, but this time it's as the new voice of the Chicago Cubs. Dan talks about his new pitch at Lotte spring training and Ben forgets that this is a podcast.
AMANDA finally joins the show to talk about the crazy couple years her family has had, never meeting Ichiro and life on the road with at 3-year-old as the Straily's jump head-first into their first week of quarantine in Busan South Korea ahead of Lotte Giants' spring training.
Dan and Ben talk travel plans for the whole Straily family as they gear up for year No. 2 in the KBO with the Lotte Giants
So, the decision has been made, but what exactly does Dan's second contract look like with the Lotte Giants of the KBO? Well, there's a lot to it including breakfast and a new couch.
Dan is a member of the Lotte Giants again! How did that decision happen, who else was interested in Dan's services and what's next on this episode of The Journeyman.
Dan Straily finds himself up against the first big deadline of free agency. South Korea seems like a clear option, but interest from MLB teams muddies the waters. Listen in as Dan and Ben talk about hardball negotiations and Dan's wish list if he were to rejoin the Lotte Giants in the KBO.
Dan and Ben are back in the casita! Jump into this short episode to catch up on Dan's trip home and the early outlook of MLB and KBO free agency.
Dan Straily's season is finished with the Lotte Giants, but while he's waiting for his flight out we take a moment to talk about his 200 strikeouts, 2.5 ERA and ask him for his favorite moments/sights/eats during the 2020 KBO season.
Seattle Mariners broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith joins the show to talk about his journeyman route to the big leagues.
In Open the Box, Dan describes two more quality starts and gives insight into his pursuit of 200 strikeouts in the KBO.
Brandon Barnes of the Hanwha Eagles joins the show to give us an understanding of life as a hitter in the KBO and what it's like to run into Ichiro during spring training.
Dan gives us the scoop on the noisy neighbor dispute between the Lotte Giants and the KT Wiz before The Athletic's Eno Sarris joins the show to give us a deep dive into analytics and what MLB teams might be looking for when Dan hits the free agent market in the winter.
Ben gets to watch one of Dan's starts (!!!) and we go over all the observations from advertising to music selection in an offbeat edition of Open the Box. Dan Kurtz uses interesting vocabulary to describe gloves and Dan Straily talks about the early days of his slider.
KBO insider and KBO on ESPN contributor Daniel Kim joins the show to give us a sneak peek on who could be the next Korean MLB star and what the future holds for the KBO in this brave new baseball world.
We pick up where the story left off after Miami, with a short time in free agency, followed by a difficult season in Baltimore with the Orioles.
Agent and arbitration expert Rachel Luba joins the podcast to talk about finding a way into baseball as a female and a lawyer, building a brand and what the future of baseball could look like as Major League Baseball heads toward another Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Dan hits the lowest point of his major league career when he gets cut by Miami only two days before Opening Day. Dan's family spends the next few days trying to figure out what's next before signing a short-term deal with the Baltimore Orioles.
Fellow Lotte Giants pitcher (formerly Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers) and self-proclaimed "baby journeyman" joins the show to give us his take on the KBO, robot umps and fantasy football.
In addition to Open the Box we welcome back our first-ever guest, Dan Kurtz, to give us the scoop on the KBO as we make the playoff push in South Korea. In the interview section, we talk Driveline Baseball, baseball media and Trevor Bauer with Watch Momentum's Director of Content Taiki Green.
We make the stop in Miami, FL, which would prove to be the home of Dan Straily's best and most difficult moments. This episode features the birth of the Straily's son, Jaxson, Dan's first year with a loaded Marlins lineup, and DINNER WITH ICHIRO.
ESPN's Jessica Mendoza joins the show to talk about the Fernando Tatis Jr. saga, KBO broadcasts and the baseball/softball secret menu from all around the world.
The Journeyman heads east to the Cincinnati Reds after last week's three-day stop in San Diego. Dan experiences his most successful year yet as a big leaguer, going from long-relief to starter. Oh, and he collects his first major league hit.
Ben and Dan get no-showed for the first time! So, we fill the gaps with extended KBO talk and a discussion on young baseball player development.
The shortest of "The Journeyman" stops takes us to the San Diego for...three days. Dan shares stories about his brief stint with the Padres including a trade, a flight to Arizona, one exhibition start and one night in a San Diego hotel.
Dan takes the loss, but registers 10 strikeouts in another quality start for the KBO's Lotte Giants. Ben totally screws up a good five minutes of the podcast, and Baseballism's Travis Chock shares stories from his years in building one of baseball's most popular clothing/culture brands.
Dan gets traded in the offseason from the Chicago Cubs to the Houston Astros, and experiences some interesting interactions with managers AJ Hinch and Joe Maddon along the way. The bigger conversation: How to learn to trust again when it seems like everyone has a thought, opinion or agenda.
Dan registers another scoreless outing in the KBO while MLB begins over in the United States. We take a week break from our normal interview format to talk about the podcast so far and explore Dan's personality outside of baseball.
Dan gets the September call-up to the Chicago Cubs, and...well...the results weren't ideal, but this bump in the road sets him up for his biggest baseball success yet.
We started this podcast because Dan Straily is a classic baseball journeyman, but he's about to get dwarfed by our newest guest, Travis Blackley. Join the journeymen as the share stories about KBO, MLB, independent league and Olympic competition.
Following his trade from the A's to the Cubs, Dan is sent to the AAA Iowa Cubs in Des Moines, Iowa - home of new food concoctions and Manny Ramirez stories.
Mina Kimes helps us understand what all the KBO attention has mean to Koreans and she takes us behind her 2016 article "The Art of Letting Go" - a study in the origin of the Korean bat-flip. Dan locks in another quality start for the Lotte Giants - allowing only four hits and no runs over seven innings pitched.
We pick up the journeyman story in Game 4 of the A's/Tigers 2013 ALDS with Dan's matchup against Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and...Johnny Peralta. Then Dan gets traded for the first time.
Dan sees an early exit from his start against the NC Dinos and Alex Fast joins the show to discuss making his way from fantasy baseball player to baseball influencer. Other topics: the psychology of acting (and pitching), the magic of baseball and bourbon hunting.
It's call-up day! Dan finally makes the jump to the big leagues and shares about pitching in a playoff race, skipping the postgame spread and striking out the first batter he faced in Brett Lawrie.
Dan takes the mound for the Lotte Giants one time this last week with mixed results. David Samson (former Miami Marlins President, former Montreal Expos executive VP, Survivor Season 28 "Brains, Brawn Beauty" contestant, podcaster (Nothing Personal podcast) and marathon runner joins the show to talk about...well...just about everything.
Dan gets the midseason call-up to AAA Sacramento right smack in the middle of his best stretch of pitching so far in his professional career.
Jon Sciambi joins us for the interview portion of the pod and shares about four stories you don't want to miss. Dan gets one start this last week and strikes out 12 over eight innings.
Dan shares stories from his stellar half season with the AA Midland Rockhounds -- a midseason all-star performance that would show his big-league potential, and inspire a call-up to AAA at the all-star break.
Dan registers another quality start in the KBO and we talk draft and elite training with the with the New York Yankees' Director of Player Health and Performance, Eric Cressey.
Dan heads back out west for a season in Stockton, CA, gets engaged, eats In-N-Out and starts to see a career in the big leagues.
The Lotte Giants sweep the KT Wiz and Dan has won his last three starts. Jake Mintz and Jordan Schusterman of the Céspedes Family BBQ join the show (32:10) to talk trash, KBO quirks and greatest journeyman of al time.
Dan gets the call-up to "A" ball with the Kane County Cougars in 2010 and talks about life on the road in the minor leagues, and one of the biggest pitching lessons he ever learned.
Dan takes us through allowing only one run in two starts for the Lotte Giants this last week and then we ask the Baseball Brit why he decided to travel the baseball world in 2019 and how he got clubhouse access to try to get to know Chris Sale.
This is the first in a series of shows chronicling the baseball life of journeyman Dan Straily. The first stop for Dan after being drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 24th round of the 2009 draft is Vancouver, British Columbia - home of the Canadians.
Dan talks about a rough road trip, the difference between a bad start and a good start, and gives us a sneak peek into his next two starts (both on ESPN). Sung Min Kim (Lotte research and development) talks about Chan Ho Park and the history of the Lotte Giants.
Dan takes us through the process of leaving Major League Baseball for the unknown of the Korea Baseball Organization, pitching to a 19-year-old and ordering chicken when he should have ordered pork. Dan Kurtz of myKBO.net (@mykbo) gives us a crash course on waking up at 2:30am and building the website that connects english speakers to the KBO.