The Good Man Show

Send us Fan Mail Father’s Day brings up the best memories and the sharpest grief, so we talk honestly about losing our dads and still feeling them in the way we coach and live. Baseball stays the thread through it all, from youth tournaments and tryouts to what we think the pro game is getting right and wrong.  • remembering our dads through church, coaching habits, and family time  • baseball fri...

Send us Fan Mail A humid day at the field turns into a full reset for how we think about coaching when a routine batting practice pitch slips and clips a kid. The player is okay, but the moment sticks, and we get honest about guilt, the “yips,” and the pressure of being the adult who has to stay calm even when you feel sick to your stomach. That leads into the bigger question we keep coming back t...

Send us Fan Mail A random ballpark heckler can be funny, but youth baseball drama is not. We start with a White Sox Cubs weekend, field access, and what it’s like meeting names like Harold Baines, then we pivot into the conversations that parents and coaches actually wrestle with: playing time, “daddy ball,” and how to keep a team culture from getting toxic when emotions run hot. From there we get...

Send us Fan Mail We dedicate the show to Cookie and share why she meant so much to our baseball family, then we shift into the realities of coaching, competing, and growing through a long spring. We break down tournament lessons, the playing time conversations parents get wrong, and the base running details that quietly decide close games.  • remembering Cookie’s impact and the standard she set  •...

Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to ruin a good team isn’t a bad swing, it’s a bad mindset. We start with a little real life color (blue jays, cardinals, and the kind of Monday mood that only baseball can create), then get honest about coaching, expectations, and why relationships matter more than any “magic” adjustment. When a talented player is in a slump, we talk through what actually works: bu...

Send us Fan Mail Baseball doesn’t care about your lead, your label, or your ego and that’s why it’s such a good teacher. We start with some clubhouse-style banter (songs stuck in your head, Yankees rules, and the comedy of modern fandom), then we get into the real meat: how teams fall apart when they relax, and how coaches can build a culture that doesn’t blink when momentum flips. We unpack youth...

Send us Fan Mail You can learn a lot about a team from what it does when the weather is awful and the calendar is messy. We start with pure life talk and food debates, then slide into the real question: why do some high school baseball programs jump on spring break trips while others stay home and hope the field dries out? For us, it keeps coming back to one thing. The head coach sets the experien...

Send us Fan Mail Spring baseball brings cold weather, big emotions, and a fresh push to build better players inside the dome and outside in the elements. We talk youth development, new training tools, and the mindset it takes to compete when conditions and distractions get loud.  • early season game stories and what really decides close losses  • what a director of youth baseball handles day to da...

Send us Fan Mail The best coaches talk about people before they talk about pitches. We sit down with Nazareth Academy legend and IHSA Hall of Famer Lee Milano alongside his son Dom Milano, the head baseball coach at Harper College, for a wide ranging conversation on baseball leadership, player development, and the habits that actually last when the season gets hard. Lee shares why opening day stil...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with IHSA Hall of Famer Don Erickson to trace a coaching life from a 23-year-old head coach to a field that now bears his name. Along the way we unpack culture, practice design, travel vs high school ball, and why memories beat medals. • starting at Revis at 21 and learning on the fly • mentors, AD dynamics, and evolving leadership • building empathy through parenting...

Send us Fan Mail We dig into how real team culture forms, why simple rules beat long manuals, and where leadership, assistants, and parent alignment make or break a season. A late drop-in from Ethan shows what buy-in sounds like from the players’ side, and we debate gold medal vs Stanley Cup. • setting tone with simple rules: be safe, have fun, get better • choosing assistants you trust to lead wh...

Send us Fan Mail We vent about rising prices from fruit to $40 cocktails, then get into coaching craft: how to handle umpires, when to take an ejection, and why culture and continuity beat raw talent. We close with WBC picks, MLB sleepers, and a dugout tale from Yankees camp. • grocery, gas, and event price shocks  • youth gear costs and smarter buying  • player development through clear standards...

Send us Fan Mail A hungry cold open turns into one of our most grounded conversations about performance, pressure, and the habits that actually hold under stress. We welcome Eric Steensma—former college pitcher, longtime friend, and now a professional working in law enforcement—who lays out a simple, tough blueprint for mental toughness: give yourself ten minutes to feel everything, then reset. Th...

Send us Fan Mail The Super Bowl fizzled, the commercials tried to save it, and we left asking a bigger question: what actually makes sports worth our time? We start with brutal honesty about a flat NFL season, then pivot to what keeps fans and players hooked—craft, clarity, and habits that win when the lights are off. That thread runs through everything we cover: a shoutout to Noah Delgado’s first...

Send us Fan Mail Stop letting youth rankings tell your story. We pull back the curtain on the travel baseball hype machine—how “algorithms” and anonymous lists chase clicks, not development—and lay out what actually moves players forward: reps under pressure, honest feedback, and routines that travel. From a shower-at-6:20 ritual to the same-seat Culver’s run after a win, we share how small, repea...

Send us Fan Mail The wind outside was brutal, but inside the dome we went straight to the real heat: how tough coaching, pressure, and honest expectations shape athletes who can actually perform. We welcomed senior catcher and 2026 Creighton commit Luka Stojakovic to trace a path from a tough first camp to a college commitment built on buy-in, consistency, and learning to love the hard stuff. We u...

Send us Fan Mail We press on approachability, respect, and the real work that earns trust, then pivot into a candid look at college sports, NIL, and why belief matters. Stories from camp, pro ball etiquette, and a charged Bears win tie the theme together: face the hard stuff head on. • coaches as approachable mentors and how to start in-person conversations • why face-to-face beats text for import...

Send us Fan Mail A new year is only as strong as the habits you’re willing to build in the dark. We kick off 2026 with laughs about late-night pizza, Book-It memories, and family traditions, then get brutally honest about what holiday breaks can do to structure, routines, and performance. When kids coast for two weeks, the game shows it. The fix isn’t fancy—it’s sleep, reps, and honest self-checks...

Send us Fan Mail Holiday cheer meets hard coaching truth as we invite two coaches back into the room to trade stories, laugh at our own mishaps (yes, including the missing cookie tin and a Fogo lunch without lemonade), and get serious about how players actually get better. We talk culture without buzzwords: why championships are built on routine plays, how to allow a little razzle dazzle without l...

Send us Fan Mail The winter dome is buzzing, the coffee’s hot, and the conversation with Marco D’Angelo goes straight to the core of what makes a team win: culture you can feel and standards you can see. We open with laughs and holiday chaos, then move into loyalty, mentorship, and why Marco chose to stay with Sparks North—because access to great coaches and better reps only matters if you turn it...

Send us Fan Mail Pressure reveals character, but smart pressure builds it. We brought in Jake Brewer—coach, big brother, and 20-year elementary PE teacher—to break down how care, standards, and thoughtfully designed chaos turn young players into tough, adaptable competitors. From Sparks North’s culture of shared knowledge to the drills that make athletes think at game speed, this conversation is a...

Send us Fan Mail We mix holiday cheer with hard truths about effort, culture, and how to build athletes who show up. Alumni pride, a Rickey Henderson legend, and a December football breakdown tie it together with clear calls to act and support. • bacon-wrapped turkey tips and pie talk • Christmas vibes and limited shirt sale • practice warriors recognized for consistency • don’t be background nois...

Send us Fan Mail We start with holiday cheer, then lock into player development, 2026 college commitments, and why junior college baseball is a smart, gritty path. Nicky C joins to talk coaching chemistry, road habits, and origin stories before we break down a surging Bears team and share a Black Friday bat deal. • standout practice warriors and what they did well • how we coach character alongsid...

Send us Fan Mail Dan and Josh talk about    of   practice   and   the dedication to the process of  .   They  share a few personal stories of their    lives   regarding  baseball and dating. Also they talk a little bit about Chicago sports and their opinions on the new look bears. Support the show