From Phenom To The Farm: Recent Episodes
Baseball America
"From Phenom to the Farm" is a bi-weekly series presented by Baseball America featuring interviews with former & current professional players that made the jump from high school directly to pro ball, and whose experiences vary across the professional baseball spectrum. Players will chronicle their personal experiences in transitioning from high school graduation directly into the life of a professional baseball player.
The competition jump, adjusting to life on their own for the first time, handling money, learning professionalism, and other various aspects that a player encounters on their journey through the farm system. They’ll look back and provide insight on what they could’ve done, if anything, to be more prepared for life as a teenage professional athlete, and their opinions on what organizations should be doing to get the most out of their high school signees.
On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former all-star closer Danny Graves joins to walk through his career in baseball.
Time Stamps
- (4:30) Watching 90s Miami Football
- (11:15) Recruitment and Early Years at Miami
- (18:10) 90s College Baseball Postseason
- (23:15) All American Junior Season
- (27:00) Being Drafted, Then Tearing ACL
- (32:20) Life of a MiLB Closer
- (38:40) How to Get MLB Hitters Out
- (49:20) Pitching in a Pennant Race
- (52:15) Being Teammates with Ken Griffey Jr
- (58:25) Pitching in the 2000 ASG
- (1:01:20) Failed Conversion to Starting
- (1:07:50) Finding Joy in Broadcasting After Retirement
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On the latest ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former reliever Joba Chamberlain discusses his high-profile career as a Yankees phenom and more.
TIME STAMPS
- (5:30) Man vs. Food & Gossip Girl Appearances
- (13:00) Parenting a Baseball Player
- (23:30) Going from D2 Afterthought to Nebraska Star
- (34:00) Pitching in the CWS
- (40:00) Draft Day Slide
- (50:00) The Notoriety of Pitching for the Yankees
- (1:00:00) Joba's 2007 Debut
- (1:03:00)"The Joba Rules"
- (1:09:00)The Midges Incident
- (1:18:00) Parenting in Pro Baseball
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former Brewers righthander and CFP Jonathan Perrin joins to break down the financial changes of college baseball.
Time Stamps
- (3:30) A Breakdown of the New Changes in College Baseball
- (7:10) Winners & Losers of the Revenue Sharing Era
- (11:20) Impact on HS Draft Prospects
- (18:40) Impact on Draft-Eligible Sophomores/Juniors
- (27:00) Recipe for Success for Mid-Majors
- (35:00) Where Does Compensation End?
- (42:55) Impact on MiLB
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ 2008 CWS star Tommy Mendonca walks us through his career and Fresno State’s Cinderella run.
Time Stamps
- (4:20) Being recruited by Fresno State (and as a punter)
- (10:00) Slow Start to the '08 Season
- (18:35) '08 Postseason Run
- (26:00) '08 CWS + Winning Most Outstanding Player
- (44:00) Playing with Strasburg on Team USA
- (48:20) Draft Day
- (58:20) Why He Loved Indy Ball
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On this episode of From Phenom To The Farm, former MLB pitcher Brandon Finnegan discusses his historic path to becoming the first player to ever pitch in both the College World Series and World Series in the same year, plus lots more.
Time Stamps
- (4:00) Being recruited by TCU
- (26:00) Junior year as a 1st round pick and pitching in the CWS
- (42:00) Pitching in the World Series the same year as the CWS
- ( 58:00) Being part of a deadline deal
- (1:13:00) Trying to recapture velocity
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former MLB reliever Nick Goody discusses his humble beginnings as a failed junior college shortstop and the road to making it on the mound in the big leagues.
Time Stamps
- (5:00) Learning to fly in retirement
- (9:20) Transitioning from SS to Pitcher in Juco
- (29:00) Winning LSU Closer Job
- (36:00) Adjustment to Pro Baseball
- (53:00) Call to the Big Leagues
- (1:08:00) Riding the "Scranton Express"
- (1:18:00) Playing for Terry Francona in Cleveland
- (1:41:00) Mexican League Experience
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ Ian Miller joins to talk his journey from speedy college walk-on to big league outfielder.
(9:50) Walking On at Wagner College
(18:10) Breaking Out in the Alaska League
(22:40) Draft Day 2013
(29:10) The Art of the Steal
(48:40) Call-Up to the Big Leagues
(57:40) Playing During the Pandemic Season
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Former MLB reliever Drew Storen joins From Phenom To The Farm to discuss a career spent fighting for a closing role in the ninth inning.
(3:30) Playing With Future Big Leaguers in Little League
(6:55) Experience Playing at Stanford
(24:00) Being Drafted & Stephen Strasburg
(36:30) The Ups and Downs of a MLB Closer
( 56:00) Founding His Whiskey Brand
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Phenom To The Farm returns with former MLB pitcher Tyson Ross, who discusses getting drafted by his hometown team, the up-and-down nature of Triple-A life, Team USA, dealing with injury and more.
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Former MLB pitcher Matt Wisler joins the podcast to discuss his life in baseball. After achieving success coming out of the 2011 draft, Wisler bounced around the big leagues as a journeyman reliever before settling into key bullpen roles with the Twins and Rays.
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Few players follow Jimmy Serrano's path to the majors. A short righthander, Serrano walked on at Mesa Community College after graduating high school with exactly zero scholarship offers. Yet 10 years (and one position change) later, he reached the big leagues with the Royals. Today's show covers all of that, including...
- Going from a juco walk-on to a big leaguer
- Things that are different about pitching in Korea
- The unusual conversion from reliever to starter in the majors
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Former college pitcher and Iowa State Representative J.D. Scholten joins the podcast to discuss his career in politics and improbable return to the mound for the Sioux City Explorers.
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Justin Masterson joins the podcast to discuss his path to the big leagues, including how an untimely bout of food poisoning altered his career path forever.
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Derrick Loop joins the podcast to discuss the long and winding road through professional baseball that led the 40-year-old to finding a successful career in Mexico.
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Travis Snider joins the podcast to discuss his rapid ascent to the big leagues and subsequent struggles, big league food culture, his thoughts on the word "bust" and his post-career journey working to change youth sports.
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On this episode, Pat Venditte discusses becoming the first switch pitcher of the 21st century, the extra work involved with using both arms, deciding how to face switch hitters and "The Pat Venditte Rule."
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Former UVA closer Stephen Schoch joins the pod to discuss having one D1 offer out of high school, his experience in the transfer portal, his viral 2021 regional postgame interview, odd summer jobs, weird guys in bullpens and why the Cape Cod League is kind of like Gilmore Girls.
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Longtime Phillies backstop Mike Lieberthal joins the pod to discuss surviving as an undersized catcher in the minor leagues, sitting behind Darren Daulton and Benito Santiago, facing Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux, having a front row seat to the 1999 Fenway Park ASG, seeing the rise of steroids in baseball and playing under Larry Bowa and Terry Francona.
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Former UVA and Brewers lefthander Nathan Kirby joins the pod to discuss pulling his name out of the 2012 draft, throwing a no-hitter in college, closing out the 2015 CWS and dealing with multiple surgeries as a professional.
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Kevin Cron joins the podcast and discusses setting the Arizona high school record for home runs, turning down the Mariners as a third-round pick, playing in the 2014 CWS at TCU, going from the big leagues to playing in Japan and more.
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Former MLB Agent Josh Kusnick joins the latest episode of 'From Phenom to the Farm' to discuss becoming an agent as a college student, signing future big leaguers out of junior college and why he doesn't like the draft.
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Longtime Lansing Lugnuts broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler joins the podcast to discuss his two decades working in all levels of pro baseball, crafting a broadcasting style, his 2022 big league call-up and seeing great players like Bo Bichette, Vlad Jr. and Mike Trout come through the Midwest League.
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Trigger warning for drug abuse
Former Blue Jays farmhand Clinton Hollon joins the podcast to discuss going from second-round pick to life as a drug addict, and how he’s working his way back to life and baseball.
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Former Giants LHP Jeremy Affeldt joins the podcast to discuss struggling to find a big league role, how to pitch in Colorado, Giants World Series runs and facing star hitters in the postseason.
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Dominic Cotroneo currently handles stats & research on the Brewers broadcast and hosts their postgame call-in show. On this episode, he discusses starting in broadcasting as a high schooler, how calling pickleball or water polo can help calling baseball, advice he received from his dad (A's broadcaster Vince Cotroneo) and talks a little golf broadcasting as well.
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Brian Reinke is the head baseball coach at Galveston College. He talks sports parenting in the upper levels of amateur baseball, the mental preparedness needed to succeed in college and how parents can help, the dos and don'ts for parents during recruiting and how a parent's behavior can reflect on their child when it comes to collegiate evaluations.
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Former A's righthander Aiden McIntyre is a pitching instructor and content creator. He discusses how parents can help their kid in-between lessons, the importance of developing a player's own work ethic, how to make the car ride home a positive experience and why parents should avoid circumventing a coach.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former big league outfielder Lane Adams joins to talk all things sports parenting, including red flags, dealing with failure and how to handle the car ride home.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ Chuckie Fick returns to talk over some dos and don’ts of sports parenting.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ Ryan Lavarnway discusses his journey from the Ivy League to the big leagues. He talks finding motivation from coaching, working to stick behind the plate as a professional, and the joys of playing for Team Israel.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former MiLB righthanded pitcher Bryce Fehmel joins to discuss his career.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ Richmond Flying Squirrels broadcaster Trey Wilson joins to walk through his journey through MiLB from the play-by-play booth.
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On the latest episode of From Phenom to the Farm, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy and podcast host Kyle Bandujo took a look at the first time eligible players on the 2024 Hall of Fame ballot, how they stacked up as prospects, and their chances of making it to Cooperstown.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ Richie Shaffer returns to talk mentally elite hitting and his new book, ‘The Slugger Journal.’
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former Florida infielder and new A’s draftee Colby Halter joins to talk through his college career and expectations for life as a professional.
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Hall of Fame Miami and Georgia Tech coach Jim Morris walks through his storied college baseball coaching career. He talks recruiting future big league All Stars, his thoughts on the transfer portal and NIL, and how he pitched A-Rod on helping Miami build a new baseball stadium.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ former A’s farmhand Aiden McIntyre joins to walk through his journey in going from junior college walk-on to firing 95mph fastballs.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ Ryan Ripken joins to walk through his career in pro baseball. Growing up the son of a legend, rediscovering his love for baseball in junior college, and filling us in on where the best place to eat crabs in Baltimore is.
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Jake Lindgren on turning down a tempting offer from the Cubs to go to Mississippi State, making it to the show less than a year after being drafted, mentally dealing with two TJ surgeries and much more.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ Padres lefthander Jared Koenig joins to walk through his career from the Pecos League to the big leagues, getting drafted but not being offered a contract and much more.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ San Antonio Missions president Burl Yarbrough joins to walk through is career in a MiLB front office.
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ESPN senior writer Ryan McGee joins the podcast to discuss his life as a MiLB intern, and a trip down memory lane in covering the 2008 College World Series.
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Jonathan Perrin touches on what Opening Day and the first few weeks of breaking camp are like for minor leaguers, how the new CBA will help players and much more.
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This week's guest is long-time MiLB catcher Chris Betts. Chris discusses draft uncertainty, things you can work on while rehabbing from an injury, and what you can't work on. He explains what it feels like winning a minor league home run derby, the importance of having a good agent.
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Kevin Pucetas on going from 17th round Division 2 pitcher to a Futures Game participant, the importance of sticking to your identity on the mound, being the last cut of Spring Training and more.
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Minnesota Twins scout John Manuel and Baseball America Editor in Chief JJ Cooper join for a stroll down BA memory lane. They talk about the 2005 draft, being very wrong on Justin Verlander, and their favorite draft pop-up guys.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ former big league outfielder and current NESN Red Sox analyst Darnell McDonald joins to walk through his career.
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On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ Cubs associate pitching coach Daniel Moskos joins to discuss his playing career and future in coaching.
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Zack Kelly joins to walk through his career from undrafted free agent to big leaguer.
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Georgia Tech Associate Head Coach James Ramsey joins to walk through his stellar college career, becoming a rare senior 1st round pick, his time in pro ball, philosophies on leadership as a player and coach and much more!
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Tyler Ladendorf on making it back to the big leagues after five years, junior college stardom and being named a "hitting fellow" for the Cubs.
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Preston Morrison on going from four-time All-American to an 8th-round senior sign, winning Mountain West Pitcher of the Year as a freshman and pitching in Omaha in back to back seasons.
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Daniel Herrera on having one Division 1 offer out of high school, learning a screwball in college, going from pro baseball player to pro artist and more.
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Former Orioles farmhand and the director of "Bull Durham" and "Tin Cup" Ron Shelton joins the podcast.
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The latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ is a compilation of previous guests, including Dontrelle Willis, Chad Durbin and Chris Colabell , discussing their experiences competing under the bright lights and intensity of postseason baseball.
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Donate to help with Hurricane Ian relief here: volunteerflorida.org.
Simon Rosenblum-Larson on pitching at Harvard, the enhanced importance of every Ivy League conference game, working conditions in the minor leagues and much more.
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Trevor Hildenberger on struggling with finances in the minors, life in the big league bullpen and how improved conditions in the minors will help the sport of baseball.
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Trevor Hildenberger on struggling with finances in the minors, life in the big league bullpen and how improved conditions in the minors will help the sport of baseball.
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Sam Demel on adjusting from a college bullpen to a professional bullpen, preparing for life after baseball while still playing, being traded and called up to the show on the same day and more.
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Sam Demel on adjusting from a college bullpen to a professional bullpen, preparing for life after baseball while still playing, being traded and called up to the show on the same day and more.
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Kiki Garcia on playing in the Little League World Series, playing on Team USA at 14-year-old and his decision to step away from baseball after college.
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Kiki Garcia on playing in the Little League World Series, playing on Team USA at 14-year-old and his decision to step away from baseball after college.
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Devin Mesoraco on playing in the Futures Game, dealing with injuries and catching peak Jacob DeGrom.
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Devin Mesoraco on playing in the Futures Game, dealing with injuries and catching peak Jacob DeGrom.
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Kayla Lombardo on her experience playing in the Little League Softball World Series, bouncing around the diamond during college and her long-term hopes for the sport of softball.
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Kayla Lombardo on her experience playing in the Little League Softball World Series, bouncing around the diamond during college and her long-term hopes for the sport of softball.
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Chris Colabello on witnessing the Jose Bautista playoff bat flip first hand, the disappointment of going undrafted & fighting to clear his name and save his reputation.
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Chris Colabello on witnessing the Jose Bautista playoff bat flip first hand, the disappointment of going undrafted & fighting to clear his name and save his reputation.
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Past guests detail their experiences playing in Omaha at the College World Series.
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Past guests detail their experiences playing in Omaha at the College World Series.
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Blake Allemand on earning a preferred walk-on spot at his dream school, his favorite road SEC crowds to play against, life as a utility guy in the minors and more.
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Blake Allemand on earning a preferred walk-on spot at his dream school, his favorite road SEC crowds to play against, life as a utility guy in the minors and more.
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Sam Wolff on getting recruited from South Dakota, growing as a pitcher at each of his three college stops, finding the right time to hang it up & much more.
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Sam Wolff on getting recruited from South Dakota, growing as a pitcher at each of his three college stops, finding the right time to hang it up & much more.
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Danny Black on playing in the final CWS at Rosenblatt Stadium, how having speed changes your approach at the plate, nearly quitting baseball after his senior year of HS & much more.
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Danny Black on playing in the final CWS at Rosenblatt Stadium, how having speed changes your approach at the plate, nearly quitting baseball after his senior year of HS & much more.
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Ryan Dempster joins the latest episode to discuss his 16-year MLB career, being traded during his first professional season, lessons learned from picking the brain of Greg Maddux and much more.
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Past guests discuss their first year of pro ball—dealing with the adjustment in level of competition, game intensity, being away from home for the first time, and sometimes struggling on a baseball field for the first time in their life.
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Back to back episodes with pitchers who threw perfect games. Dallas Braden joins the latest episode to discuss playing pro ball in his hometown, tossing the 19th perfect game in MLB history, how much personality you can show as a MiLB player and much more.
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Philip Humber on playing for legendary Rice coach Wayne Graham, being apart of a rotation full of first round picks, struggling with coming back after Tommy John surgery and much more.
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Alan Zinter on spending 19 years in pro ball, working with Joey Votto and Paul Goldschmidt as a hitting coach, how reading changed his career and much more.
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Jordan Pacheco on playing college ball in his hometown, winning Mountain West Player of the Year in 2007 and much more.
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Ben Grieve on growing up the son of a general manager, the expectation that comes with being BA's #1 overall prospect and much more.
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Jake Lowery on life in the minor leagues as both a prospect and non-prospect, learning the ropes of managing towards the end of his playing career and more.
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Jeff Malm on his decade in professional baseball, sharing the field with elite talent as a prep, transitioning to pitching as a pro & more.
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Jacob Turner was one of the top draft prospects in his class and made his big league debut at the age of 20. Yet his ascension to the majors came at a time when the game -- especially pitching development -- changed quickly. Turner joins the podcast to discuss his career, what he learned and more. Other topics include...
- Signing a big league deal and starting his clock at 18.
- Making his big league debut at 20.
- Pitcher development changing (and not to his strengths) during his pro career.
- Lessons learned during a season spent in Korea.
- Working on his degree while still playing professionally.
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Dontrelle Willis is the latest guest on 'From Phenom to the Farm.' He joins Kyle Bandujo to discuss his rise to the forefront of baseball as an all-star, Rookie of the Year and MLB world champion, as well as how he fought to regain his love for baseball at the end of his career. They also discuss...
- His famous leg kick
- Dealing with instant popularity as a rookie
- Pitching in the World Series
- Fighting injuries, the yips
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In our over 40 episodes of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ we’ve talked to former pro ballplayers about the ups and downs of their career, including what can be great, or not-so-great, offseasons.
On today’s episode we relay clips from a few past interviews of players breaking down their wait for the next Spring Training:
- Lane Adams on how his agent’s assistant led him to making the best decision of his career in free agency.
- Billy Butler on the difficulty of leaving his longtime team Kansas City.
- Chad Durbin on the experience of getting non-tendered early in his career, and free agency disappointment later in his career.
- AJ Achter on what playing in the Arizona Fall League does for a player’s confidence.
- Barry Enright on spending his winter playing in the Mexican Winter League, and how that restored his love for baseball.
- Cody Decker on getting oversold in free agency, and telling a crushing Spring Training story.
- Will Venable on hitting free agency perhaps a few years too late.
- Yonder Alonso on the excruciating wait to find the right team in his first go at free agency.
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Our latest guest is Gene Larkin, who tells the story of his pinch-hit walk-off single in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. They also talk...
- College baseball in the Ivy League in the 80's
- MiLB lifestyle in the 80's
- Winning a World Series as a rookie
- Learning how to be a pinch hitter
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Today's guest is Randall Thompson, the founder of bat mugs company Dugout Mugs. Thompson joins to discuss his career, which included a stint in the Blue Jays organization, and how it led him to found his startup. Other highlights include...
- Going from being a 3 year JV player to throwing in the 90s
- Life in the GCL and signing as a NDFA
- Being his college's mascot and having an odd job of being Spiderman at birthday parties
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Jack Cleary's only year as a starter in high school was his senior season. But he parlayed it into the final scholarship spot at Maryland, where he went on to become a four-year starter in the ACC. On today's episode, Cleary talks...
- Getting cut from his middle school JV team
- Catching on as a walk-on following his senior year of high school
- Discussing how a program turns into a winning program
- -Indy ball being "the most fun year of his career"
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Our latest guest is George Iskenderian, a former Brewers minor leaguer who is now a MLBPA agent. George and Kyle discuss both his playing career and current job, including...
- Transferring from a top tier program (South Carolina) to junior college
- How academics factored into where he wanted to play college baseball
- When do you know your team can actually make it to Omaha
- Life on the "Phantom IL" and when to walk away from playing
- What a good agent brings to the table
Growing up in the Seager family, you might think Justin Seager had no choice but to be a baseball player. But that wasn't always the case. On our latest pod, Justin talks his path through baseball, his relationship with brothers Kyle and Corey, and so much more. Highlights include...
- Growing up in a house with two future big league brothers
- Earning playing time as a walk-on freshman
- Sitting through NCAA Baseball Selection Sunday
- Going from walk-on to conference player of the year
- Tinkering with your swing in pro ball
- Who the most competitive Seager brother is
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On today’s episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm,’ ESPN college baseball analyst Mike Rooney joins to discuss his long career in baseball. He talks how to survive as a walk-on under Pat Murphy, recruiting battles at Arizona State, and what the essentials are for anyone visiting the College World Series. Other discussions include...
- Coaching first-rounders as a high school coach
- Competing for conference titles and recruiting battles at Arizona State
- Finding the right fits for his program as a Juco head coach
- Calling college baseball for ESPN
- The essentials for any CWS trip and his pick to win in 2022
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This week's guest is Josh Sale, the 2010 first-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays. Sale is in the midst of a career comeback, currently playing in the Atlantic League six years after he was out of baseball entirely. On this episode, Sale discusses...
- Becoming a first-round pick
- How he developed his work ethic
- How addiction and off-field issues derailed his pro career
- His path to finding sobriety
- What he hopes to accomplish in his return to baseball
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Chris Shelton could always hit. But the opportunity to do so, as he learned, was far from guaranteed. Shelton is the latest guest on 'From Phenom To The Farm,' discussing his career to professional baseball, which includes time as a Rule 5 pick and a torrid stretch in April 2006 that momentarily put him among the best in the game. Chris and Kyle also talk...
- Switching from hockey to baseball in high school.
- How junior college prepared him for pro ball
- Hanging on the big league roster as a Rule 5 pick despite minimal playing time.
Chuckie Fick is the latest guest on 'From Phenom to the Farm!' He talks his path through baseball, which includes...
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Growing up the son of a scout and nephew of an All-Star.
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Transferring out of Fresno State to find a better fit.
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Dealing with accusations of nepotism after being drafted.
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How to improve as a pitcher at each step up the ladder.
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A rollercoaster big league debut season
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Why he liked MiLB bus rides.
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On today’s episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’, former South Carolina ace Michael Roth joins to discuss his career. He talks his unlikely rise as an ace pitcher, the mentality a team needs to repeat as College World Series champions and how NIL might help players like himself, who graduated with student loan debt.
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Today's pod is a bit of a changeup from previous episodes. Kyle compiles some of the best 'bad bus ride' stories from various interviews, to give you insight into what travel is like in the minors.
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Former Oklahoma State right hander Jonathan Perrin breaks down the financial side of baseball, from amateur ball to pro ball. Jonathan is an investment advisor, and he takes us through the finances of the game along with his career.
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Costs of travel ball in high school
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Walking on to OSU and trying each year to earn a baseball scholarship
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Matching up against aces every Friday night in the Big 12
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The three worst things to spend your bonus money on
Hindsight may suggest Karsten Whitson was wrong to turn down a $2 million bonus out of high school, instead opting to pitch for Florida. But he doesn't necessarily see it that way. On today's episode, Karsen and Kyle talk...
- Turning down $2million as a 1st round pick
- Entering college with 1st round pick expectations
- Pitching in Omaha as a freshman
- Having shoulder surgery during draft year
- How to contribute to a team when you can't be on the field
- Passing on career lessons via his coaching career.
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On this week's episode, Kyle is joined by Eric Sim, the self-proclaimed king of JUCO ball and someone who has a ton of fun doing what so many players are trying now: Hit and throw with more velocity. Eric details his path through professional baseball, his goals & more in a fun conversation. Talking points include...
- Assimilating to Canadian baseball culture while speaking no English.
- Life playing junior college baseball.
- Catching in AZL games so hot that your catcher's gear melts
- How he made training a ton of fun
Zach Von Rosenberg was a sixth-round draft pick by the Pirates in 2009. Now, more than a decade later, he has signed with the Minnesota Vikings to chase a career as an NFL punter. He joins the show to discuss his athletic career, including...
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Winning four consecutive high school state championship games.
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Being signed away from his dream school.
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Adjusting to the pro ball priority of development over winning.
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Struggling with injuries and fluctuating velocity.
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Ranking the days in-between a start.
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How professional baseball helped his college football career.
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How long could he last in the octagon with Ed Orgeron.
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2002 Cubs first-rounder Luke Hagerty joins the pod to discuss his career, including his 2019 comeback in which he returned to organized ball as a 37-year-older touching 99 mph, more than a decade after the yips derailed his professional career. The guys also talk...
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Taking his only Division I offer as a "project"
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Sharing a rotation with the 1st overall pick his junior year of college at Ball State
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Struggling with pain during TJ rehab
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Former minor league LHP Tyler Watson is today's guest. The guys talk...
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The value of playing junior college baseball.
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Struggling bouncing between arm angles and battling injuries.
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The importance of the conversation around mental health in baseball.
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Thinking about your future after baseball during your career.
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Yonder Alonso left the University of Miami an All-American, two-time participant in the College World Series, and first-round pick who’d go on to sign a $4.55 million contract with the Reds. Without some wise foresight and guidance from his parents, he might’ve left the school a week into his freshman year, or not even attended at all.
Alonso is the latest guest on From Phenom To The Farm. They talk...
- Baseball helping him adapt to life in America after defecting from Cuba as a child.
- Being persuaded by parents to attend Miami instead of sign.
- Playing in the College World Series twice
- Trying to learn the outfield while being blocked by Joey Votto at 1st.
- Playing in his only ASG in his hometown of Miami.
Former big leaguer Barry Enright is the latest guest on From Phenom To The Farm. Kyle and Barry talk...
- Having success as a freshman at Pepperdine.
- Facing Tulo and Longoria in an NCAA regional.
- The importance in having borderline-outsized confidence in yourself.
- The benefits of playing in foreign leagues.
- A good story about golfing with Kevin Na.
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Marcus Nidiffer has seen a lot of different types of baseball. On today's episode, he talks...
- Facing aces and tough crowds every weekend in the SEC.
- Life in the Cape Cod league.
- Trying to stick as an undrafted free agent.
- The pros and cons to playing Indy ball.
- What makes a guy catch for 7 years in Indy ball.
Dan Straily discusses his path from small town Oregon to the big leagues and talks about the ups and downs of his journeyman career through professional baseball. Talking points include...
- Going from high school benchwarmer to the big leagues.
- Starting a playoff game as a rookie.
- Being a part of a big mid-season trade.
- The benefits to being a journeyman.
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As data filters throughout all levels of the game, some can forget the it's still a game played by human beings. Bob Tewksbury joins to talk the nerves, insecurities and anxieties facing pro baseball players today. Talking points include...
- 80's minor league lifestyle stories.
- Trying to fit in as a rookie on the 1986 Yankees with future HOFers and Lou Pinella managing.
- Pitching against future HOFers in the All Star Game.
- Pitching in a year with a labor strike.
- The job of a veteran on a bad team.
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Thanks to Gift Ngoepe for joining the show! Discussion points include...
- Growing up quite literally living at a baseball field in South Africa
- Being beaten down by the heat and workload of the GCL in his first pro season
- Frustration of his glove being big-league ready but his bat struggling to catch up
- Losing his mother during his first AA season
- Becoming the first player from the continent of Africa to reach the show.
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Ty Kelly is our latest guest! Among the talking points...
- The art of being a utilityman
- Making a good decision to transfer after his freshman year
- Tough living and eating conditions in the minors
- Getting the call after a long wait in the minors
- Playing in the WBC for Team Israel
- His work with Advocates for Minor Leaguers
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Today's episode features Brandon Wood, the one-time mega-prospect with the Angels whose career fizzled in the majors. Our wide-ranging conversation talks...
- Coming to terms with the word 'bust'
- Coping with anxiety
- Finding his love for baseball again
- Being recruited by Augie Garrido
- Passing on tough lessons learned to a younger generation
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A.J. Achter was a cold-weather school 46th-rounder with a dream. That dream, making it to the big leagues, was eventually realized, but the road traveled wasn't easy. In our latest episode, Achter talks...
- How to succeed in cold-weather baseball.
- His mentality to make it to the bigs as a 46th round pick
- Valuable Arizona Fall League experience
- The day-to-day life of a MLB reliever
- Life on the fringe of a big league roster
- Relating his experiences to his college coaching
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One of Minor League Baseball's best personalities, Tim Dillard, is the latest guest on From Phenom To The Farm. Among the talking points...
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Life as a draft-and-follow in junior college
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Facing childhood heroes (Mike Piazza and Chipper Jones) as a minor leaguer
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Dealing with the shuffle between AAA and the big leagues
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The mental hurdle of switching to sidearming
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The secret to being a great clubhouse guy
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Playing baseball in front of fans in 2020 for the Milwaukee Milkmen
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Longtime big league righthander Russ Ortiz joins to discuss the mental approach to working on throwing strikes, battling through injuries, and what it’s like to share a clubhouse with Barry Bonds. Among the other talking points...
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Experience pitching in the College World Series
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The best parts of All Star Weekend
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Best food city in MLB
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Over the past few months, we've asked guests of the pod to share their World Series and postseason experiences. We've pieced together the highlights, including fun answers from Brandon Guyer, Billy Butler, Chad Durbin, Russ Ortiz & more.
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Current Cubs 3B coach and former big league outfielder Will Venable joins the pod to discuss his career. Among the topics...
- Balancing baseball and basketball with an Ivy League course workload at Princeton
- Having your dad as your coach in MiLB
- Can thank his mom for giving baseball a shot
- Playing in March Madness against two future NBA players (TJ Ford & PJ Tucker)
- Importance of figuring out what kind of player you are at each level
- How he learned the art of the stolen base
- Which Cubs player he'd want to take on in a game of one-on-one basketball
Billy Butler carved out a 10-year MLB career in a relatively short amount of time, rocketing through the minors to Kansas City. He talks his big league career, the joys of competing for a World Series juxtaposed to several years spent playing for losing teams, & more. Among the other highlights...
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A run-in with George Steinbrenner at a pre-draft workout
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Hitting his way to the big leagues at 21
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Experience as Futures Game MVP
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How he incorporated video into working on his hitting
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Receiving no free agent offers after his 10th season
On the latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’, former big leaguer Cody Decker joins to discuss his career, from UCLA to retirement. He will walk us through how he embraced the fun in baseball throughout the highs and lows of the minor leagues. He’ll talk bad paychecks, waiting for a call that might never come, and perhaps the greatest prank of all-time.
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Brett Lorin walked onto an Arizona team with College World Series dreams and bountiful talent. Yet he eventually came to the tough conclusion his future -- especially to help his professional aspirations -- would need to be in another program's rotation.
The righty talks navigating the transfer market in college, his seven-year pro career, the frustrations of repeating A-ball, what it's like to be a Rule 5 Draft pick and so much more.
Brandon Guyer joins the pod to discuss his career arc, which began as a two-sport star in high school. He details his initial struggles at Virginia before blossoming into a UVA Hall of Famer, a winding path through the minors, his penchant for getting hit by pitches as a big leaguer, and what it's like to play in a World Series. Thanks to Brandon for spending the time! You can follow him on Twitter here.
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Fire-balling Carter Capps is mostly known for his unusual hop-step delivery that was later outlawed by MLB. But what's less discussed is his path to pro ball, which began as a Division II catcher before a pitching change unlocked an ascension to the majors. Capps discusses his path, how he became a pitcher, betting on himself in the Cape Cod League, dealing with Tommy John surgery, his funky delivery and so much more.
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Richie Shaffer has experienced the highs. He was a first-round pick, appeared in the Futures Game and played in the College World Series. His first big league hit was a homer. But he's also dealt with the lows -- wrecked confidence in the minors, a roundabout trip to indy ball to rediscover his passion for baseball.
Shaffer joins the pod to talk his journey, plus his newfound pursuits outside of baseball, where he is an avid Twitch streamer and also a sci-fi writer.
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Zack Dodson's 10-year pro career has spanned five countries on three continents. He takes us through the winding journey, beginning with a draft night surprise that landed him in Pittsburgh, how he was conned out of $75,000, coming back to baseball after multiple suspensions and so much more.
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In our latest episode of ‘From Phenom to the Farm’ current Twins outfielder Lane Adams joins to discuss not wanting to give up basketball, steady improvements in short-season, and how things can move quickly in professional baseball. He’ll talk finding the right fit in an organization, life as a big league bench player, and what it’s like to face off against “Mad” Max Scherzer.
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Nearly every player we've interviewed for this podcast so far has shared a unique draft day story of their own. We’ve compiled a few of their draft day memories to enjoy, as we approach the 2020 MLB Draft.
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The second part of our conversation with Chad Durbin focuses on the struggle of sticking in the big leagues and bouncing from organization to organization. He also discusses how some tough love from his wife led to a much-needed attitude adjustment, what it was like to play on a World Series team, and how he knew it was time to walk away from the game.
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Chad Durbin pitched parts of 14 seasons in the big leagues. But before that, he was a relatively unknown third rounder who jumped directly into professional baseball from high school. Part one of our conversation with Durbin discusses how he was recruited to LSU -- including an impressive recruiting tactic by legendary LSU coach Skip Bertman -- and ultimately chose to go professional right away. We also talk his rise through Kansas City's system, some humorous stories from his time in the lower minors, and his path to becoming a big leaguer.
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How does a once-heralded prospect rebuild body and mind? That's the focus of part two of our in-depth conversation with RHP Robby Rowland. We discuss how he rebuild his body and training methods after he was released, put himself back on the prospect radar, reaching unemployment, clawing back from indy ball to affiliated ball, and his ongoing quest to reach the big leagues after shoulder surgery.
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Robby Rowland is a professional pitcher, the son of a big leaguer and a third round pick out of high school. He has also, as he points out on his website, been labeled a bust, was traded less than two years into his big league career, released by the age of 22 and is currently a free agent. He discusses processing all that, including reclaiming his athletic identity and his desire to now help others who choose to forge a similar path to his, jumping directly into the deep waters of pro baseball as an 18-year-old high schooler.
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Luke Bailey knows the ebbs and flows of the draft cycle better than most. A high school catcher in the same draft class as Mike Trout, Bailey once had first-round potential and a commitment to Auburn. But Tommy John surgery hurt his draft stock. He fell to the fourth round, where the Rays nabbed him and signed him to an over-slot bonus. But the grind of the lower levels coupled with persistent injuries took their toll on Bailey. He discusses all of it, including his journey to pro ball and how he fell back in love with the game playing indy ball, in our latest episode.
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The pressures on most top-tier prep baseball prospects are immense. But when they're also seemingly destined to be a star quarterback, too? It's almost unthinkable. We talked with Josh Booty about life as a two-sport star -- first as a first-round MLB Draft pick, then an NFL pick as a QB -- about life as a big time prospect in both sports. Among the discussion points:
- Setting the draft bonus record
- His first ABs with wood bat were in pro ball
- Missing out on playing in Tiger Stadium (LSU) while playing in front of 0 people in instructs
- Starting Opening Day for the World Series champs
- Comparing the life of an MLB 1st rounder vs NFL 6th rounder
- Reality TV (The Next Knuckler) and the difference in Spring Training 20 years apart
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How quickly can a phone call change a prospect's life? Just ask J.P. Ramirez. We talked with the former Nats farmhand about how a last-minute pitch from the Nationals ultimately swayed Ramirez toward pro ball -- and out of his commitment to Tulane -- and jumpstarted his pro career. He’ll further detail the signing deadline that changed his life, dealing with front office upheaval when you’re a low-level prospect, speaking up about injuries, and life in non-affiliated professional baseball. Other talking points include...
- A story about a Friday night game starting after 1a.m.
- Parents/family pulling him in both directions about the college or pro decision
- Being afraid to speak up for himself as a young prospect about an injury
- Being released at 23
- Life in Indy ball/Mexico
Our first guest is Eric O'Flaherty, who spent parts of 12 years in the big leagues. He candidly discusses his rocky transition to pro ball, detailing how he slowly learned how to be a professional after initially arriving as a self-described immature sixth rounder, his path to pro ball, what it was like to be drafted, dealing with a sudden influx of money, surprising things he learned about the journey and so much more. 'From Phenom To The Farm' chronicles the experience of high school draft picks, detailing the highs and lows, do's and don't's, and memorable stories from their time in the minors.
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Every year, MLB teams dish out bonuses -- sometimes multi-million dollar bonuses -- and entice high schoolers, some just days removed from graduating, to embark on professional careers. It begins a professional odyssey unlike any other among the major American sports, and rarely is the progression through the minors a smooth one. Our new series, 'From Phenom To The Farm,' hosted by Kyle Bandujo, speaks to both current and former professional baseball players about their journey through pro ball. They discuss adjusting to life on their own for the first time, handling money, learning professionalism, and other various aspects that a player encounters on their journey through the farm system. They’ll look back and provide insight on what they could’ve done, if anything, to be more prepared for life as a teenage professional athlete, and their opinions on what organizations should be doing to get the most out of their high school signees. Our first episode features lefty Eric O'Flaherty, who has logged nearly 500 innings across 12 big league seasons. Here's sneak peak of the episode.
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