Major League Podcast: Recent Episodes
Steve Hofstetter
Each episode, Steve Hofstetter sits down with players, managers, coaches, front office staff, writers, and broadcasters to bring you a fun look at the behind the scenes of baseball.
Billy Sample is a consummate entertainer. From ballplayer to broadcaster to movie producer, Sample understands that this game is more than just a game. It is a wonderful distraction.
Boof Bonser has one of the greatest names in baseball. He's also got a great story - from a team forcing weight loss on him to injuries taking three years off his career, Bonser took everything in stride.
CJ Nitkowski, Julie Stewart-Binks, and Steve Hofstetter host "Curving Foul", a show loosely based around baseball. If you enjoy it, let us know!
Former Met phenom Ryan Thompson talks about how young players dealt with the strike, what allows him to smile all the time, and the behind the scenes of the Vince Coleman firework incident.
When we talk about Giants pitcher John D'Acquisto going to the pen later in life, we're not talking about him pitching in relief, we're talking about the time he served in prison. A super honest look at his ups and downs on and off-the field, this episode is our first to go behind bars.
Ed Hearn was the backup catcher that filled in for an injured Gary Carter during the Mets' historic 1986 stretch run. He also battled injury after disease after injury after disease. And rocked two fabulous pairs of glasses. We looked at it all very carefully - pun intended.
Reliever Ed Vosberg joins the show to discuss resilience - and how failure in his twenties gave him a career in his thirties.
Cincinatti Reds great Sean Casey sat down with us to talk about the mental side of the game and share some amazing stories - including some crazy wonderful tales of all-star games past. We could have done two of these episodes.
Broadcaster Nick Green bounced around between a ton of teams - which he seemed perfectly fine with. He really enjoyed being a bench guy, something you don't hear from players often. And now he enjoys a second life in the broadcast booth.
Robb Quinlan was one of the best players to ever come out of the Big Ten. He was such a natural leader that he held the respect of his teammates even as a utility man. The conversation bounces between leadership, smarts, and college seniors being drafted vs becoming free agents.
Speedster Brent Lillibridge shares some super fun stuff - like the time the Yankees cut him via hotel fax, and the theory that you have to be a dumb SOB to be good at baseball.
Clayton Andrews pitched just 8 times in the Major Leagues. And despite one appearance with 4 perfect innings and a win, he ended his major league career with an ERA over 10.00. Andrews looks back at his journey fondly as he explores what he did right and what he did wrong, and has an honest discussion of steroids in the game.
Bob Boone is a baseball lifer. Currently the assistant general manager of the Nationals, Boone ranks 3rd all-time on games caught - and is the son of Ray Boone and the father of Brett and Aaron Boone. Bob talks about his and his family's impact on the game, how he transitioned from player to manager to the front office, and he answers some tough questions about his kids.
In a special non-player episode, Steve sits down with comedian Josh Wolf to talk fandom. Josh takes us through growing up the heir to a non-existent baseball glove dynasty and his lifelong devotion to the Boston Red Sox.
Jon Ratliff is the real life Moonlight Graham. He threw 12 pitches in Major League Baseball. And amazingly retired all three batters he faced. So why didn't he get to stay?
Marlins president David Samson sits down for a hilarious episode that runs the gamut from New York basketball to building a stadium to being booted off Survivor. Samson challenges Steve to a difficult bet and Steve gives Samson a brand new nickname. Also, the conversation gets a little sexual.
Rick Cerone talks about accomplishing his dream of playing for the New York Yankees, representing New Jersey, and growing older. He also gives some insight into poor decisions made as a broadcaster and great decisions made as a minor league owner.
Paul Spoljaric grew up in British Columbia, played for the Blue Jays, represented his nation in the Olympics, and left affiliated baseball to play for an independent league in Canada. So if you’re Canadian and you don’t enjoy this episode, we’re not sure what else you’re looking for. We also talked about whether or not […]
For the last 20 years, Jim Gosger has worked for the city of Port Huron, Michigan. But before that, he had a baseball resume that included being one of the 53 people to ever play for the Seattle Pilots, a member of the 1969 World Series Mets, a contributor to the earliest Expos teams, and […]
Coming into baseball as a top college prospect, catcher Barry Lyons was drafted by a party-hard Mets team that already had Gary Carter behind the plate. Alcoholism, depression, and a natural disaster later, Lyons finally found the redemption he’d been looking for in his home of Biloxi, Mississippi.
All-star, Cy Young candidate, and Angels broadcaster Mark Gubicza discusses what’s in a name (or a nickname), passing time between starts, the 1985 post-season, staying a Phillies fan despite being in the Royals Hall of Fame, and a behind-the-scenes view of the arbitration process. Gubicza also reveals some surprising advice from Tom Seaver and talks […]
The starting shortstop for the mid-nineties Phillies, Kevin Stocker played in a World Series in his first year in the big leagues. He later found out that Tampa isn’t quite the baseball city that Philly is, and how hard it is to find a passion for something after baseball.
Drafted by the Yankees in the 3rd round, Tim Battle got a rude awakening when he reported for work: cancer. After beating it and returning to the team, Battle found himself struggling to make a major league roster – and sometimes even a minor league one. This is his inspirational (and cautionary) story.
Former All-Star and four-time MVP candidate Gary Matthews talks about the rude awakening of being sent to the minors in the south in the 1960s, being part of the very first free-agent class, how sometimes things just don’t work out with certain teams, and the immense pride of having a son follow in his big […]
Current broadcaster and former lefty specialist CJ Nitkowski talks about what it’s like to go in the first round of the draft, the odd situation of being traded for a player to be named later, and what Alex Rodriguez might be like on a camping trip. Most importantly, CJ gives us a behind the scenes […]