Baseball Isn’t Boring

Shawn Spradling jumps on a live stream for the World Baseball Classic's roster announcement to give his thoughts on how each team is shaping up. Along the way, he brings on other voices covering the tournament and a few players to get their thoughts and gauge their excitement as the WBC draws near.

In the heart of football's biggest week, leading into the big game, Baseball Isn't Boring took over in Phoenix. BIB Ambassador Joe Kelly - with Coop by his side - dove head-first into Radio Row to talk about the great game of baseball and the soon-to-be-released book "A Damn Near Perfect Game: Reclaiming America's Pastime". Equipped with a brand new Baseball Isn't Boring red t-shirt, a book and pl...

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington is the latest executive to jump aboard the Baseball Isn't Boring express, joining Bradfo to reflect on key parts of his path while offering insight into such current issues as the Bryan Reynolds and Ji-Man Choi situations. It's the kind of perspective that will make you appreciate where Cherington came from and where he and his Pittsburgh organization is goin...

Shawn dives into the weekend's roster transaction whirlwind. MLB players have been entering the WBC at a record clip, but as spring training draws near some have decided to decommit. Shawn has you locked in with the biggest names that have dropped out and what that means for their home country's odds of winning the title.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic joins Bradfo to conduct one of his first interviews talking about his new book, 'Winning Fixes Everything: How Baseball's Brightest Minds Created Sports' Biggest Mess'. Drellich explains the process that went into constructing the book on the path to what led to the Astros' cheating scandal, what he learned while authoring the project, and what it all means for baseba...

Of all the winter fan celebrations, one stood out over all the others: The Padres' party. Bradfo is joined by Ben Fadden of 'Talking Friars' @talkingfriars, who was Baseball Isn't Boring's boots on the ground for the FanFest in San Diego over the weekend. It has gotten baseball crazy in San Diego, and Ben expertly paints that picture on the podcast.

With the current crop of free agents thinned out with spring training almost upon us, we turn to the big ticket items of next offseason. And there is no better ticket than Shohei Ohtani. Bradfo is joined by free agent correspondent Ed Hand to discuss where Ohtani might find himself a year from now, while also taking a look at what next offseason's free agent class - beyond Ohtani - is looking like...

With the release of his new book - A Damn Near Perfect Game: Reclaiming America's Pastime - taking place on Feb. 28, White Sox pitcher Joe Kelly calls in with Bradfo and Coop to announce some of his plans in the coming week, which will include a pass through the Super Bowl's Radio Row. Kelly also offers a fascinating passage from the book that offers insight into the 2018 Red Sox's reaction to the...

In Episode 2 of WBC Central, Shawn Spradling (@shawn_spradling) not only offers a flurry of updates regarding all things World Baseball Classic, but does an extensive question and answer session ... and there are some really good questions and some really good answers. With the rosters officially set to be announced next week, the anticipation is building. That's why WBC Central is becoming more i...

The oldest active player in any of the four major professional sports, Rich Hill of the Pirates, joins Bradfo once again, this time to reflect on how Tom Brady made it as far as he did before retiring, whether or not Hill is eyeing playing as long as Brady, and what it takes to play into your 40's. It's the kind of insight nobody else in baseball can currently give.

Bradfo is joined by actor Ellen Adair and Courtney Finnicum to offer the the ultimate springboard into February, with the trio passionately talking about the great game of baseball just a few weeks before spring training kicks off. Ellen - who has made her mark not only in the acting world, but also as an astute follower of baseball (and Phillies fan) - joins Baseball Isn't Boring regular Courtney...

Two players who have dove head-first into the world of chess - while they aren't playing baseball - are Reds star Joey Votto and Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock. Both recently joined Bradfo on the podcast to talk about how the two games can intertwine and how they came to finding a passion in playing the game of chess. It's a fascinating conversation about two fascinating games. For the full podc...

In his latest Baseball Isn't Boring appearance, Pirates pitcher Rich Hill - who struck out Mike Trout in their only showdown - defined who he thought was the best hitter currently in baseball. His choice? New Marlin Luis Arraez. Hill goes on to explain why his former Twins teammate was the choice, and who else he would put on the short list of best hitters. For the complete episode, click here.

Former Red Sox pitcher Rich Hill, who has taken his talents to Pittsburgh for 2023, has a very real problem with what went down with the baseballs last season. With it coming out that Major League Baseball used three different kinds of baseballs in 2022, Hill takes MLB to task heading into the new season. To listen to the entire podcast with Hill, click here.

The highly-anticipated WBC Central podcast is officially here, with World Baseball Classic expert Shawn Spradling (@shawn_spradling) getting behind the mic to kick off what will be fascinating conversation, debate and endless entertainment all the way through to the tournament's final game. Shawn offers insight you can't find anywhere else, with the podcast serving as his latest springboard to a w...

Bradfo, Coop and MassLive's Chris Cotillo are joined by the newest member of the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast family, Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling). Shawn is the host of 'WBC Central' a podcast under the BIB umbrella that dominates all World Baseball Classic conversation. He calls in to talk how the WBC is going to offer an update on all the what's what when it comes to the tournament before...

Rich Hill has faced hundreds upon hundreds of major league hitters over his career. But there is one - who is currently still playing - the lefty pitcher identifies as the best he has ever come across. And, spoiler, it isn't Mike Trout (who he struck out the one time he faced him). Hill joins Bradfo to talk about why some hitters are tougher to get out than others, which hitters present the bigges...

It's one thing to run down the baseline, sprint over to cover first or even try and steal a base, but when it comes to using your legs as a baseball player usually 26.2 miles don't enter into the equation. Well, Ryan Dempster and Brock Holt are attempting to break the mold by running this year's Boston Marathon. Dempster and Holt joined Bradfo to offer their motivations behind taking on such a cha...

He has mesmerized David Letterman, Major League Baseball players, and virtually anybody who grew up loving to imitate their baseball-playing heroes. He is Gar Ryness, known to those in baseball circles as "Batting Stance Guy". Gar is routinely called upon by big league clubs to entertain both the players and their fans. This time he is bringing smiles to the faces of podcast listeners everywhere t...

Chess. It's a game that some would suggest requires the same kind of patience, discipline and strategy as baseball. If any two people knew how much that might be true it would be Joey Votto and Garrett Whitlock. The Reds star and Red Sox pitcher join Bradfo for a fascinating discussion on the game both players have dove head-first into, with Votto taking his experiences with his own chess communit...

Both David Ortiz and Billy Wagner join Bradfo to reflect on the importance of the Baseball Hall of Fame. For Ortiz, it is a conversation on what has happened. For Wagner, it's the dreaming of what might be. It is a perfect way to get ready for the big announcement.

Christian Arroyo was a first-round pick. He made the majors at the age of 22 years old. A year later he though he had his big chance with his hometown team in Tampa. That didn't work out. Next up was Cleveland. That didn't work out. Next up was the Red Sox. He still hasn't got his big opportunity to start ... until now. Arroyo is currently slotted as the Red Sox second baseman due in part to Trevo...

Bradfo caught up with Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez to discuss the challenges these new MLB rules are going to present for those in the dugout, and the players trying to learn the ways of this new world in spring training. (Can you believe they aren't using them in the WBC?) Vazquez presents some previously not-talked-about issues the new rules might present. It's all part of Monday morning's...

The upcoming 2023 season is going to be unlike any that we have seen, thanks in large part to a flurry of significant rule changes that has impacted how MLB teams are doing things both in the front office and in the dugout. Offering unique perspective on how things are changing are Red Sox general manager Brian O'Halloran and his team's new bench coach Ramon Vazquez. Are teams looking at players d...

You think you knew social media and Major League Baseball? Forget about it. The dynamic with how teams and players approach the likes of Instagram and TikTok has changed significantly over the past few years, landing in a place that demands more creativity and participation. Nobody has done a better job with social media this offseason than the Pittsburgh Pirates, which is why Bradfo sat down with...