Is This A Great Game, Or What?

Former Cubs star Ben Zobrist joins us to talk about thriving under pressure: on the field and in life. From faith and family to leadership and his coaching work, this conversation dives into what it really takes to show up when it matters most.  We talk about playing for Joe Maddon for two different teams, multiple World Series runs (including the historic one with the Cubs) and about his fin...

Today we celebrate moms, and we also remember one of the greatest managers of all time, Bobby Cox, who recently passed away. We’re throwing it back to Jeff Francoeur joining the show two years ago and sharing one of the all-time great stories about his former manager. Our thoughts are with Bobby’s family, and we thank him for all the incredible memories. Team Tim is all about Mother&rs...

Our GameChanger of the Week is a man who changed the way we watch baseball, just like GameChanger has changed the way we watch our kids play, it’s kind of perfect. Plus, Bruce Hornsby on the piano, Jackson Chourio at the plate, Bartolo Colon on this date, and Lou Gehrig every single day. Tim also presented a hypothetical about the fastest baserunners going up against the fastest sprinter, we...

Buck Showalter returns to the show and, as always, delivers sharp insight on today’s game—along with a pointed critique of a pitching rule that might surprise you. A legendary manager known for building disciplined, competitive teams across the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Orioles, and Mets, Showalter brings decades of perspective to the conversation. We also dive into his response...

Tim Kurkjian almost put money on the Kentucky Derby? We dive into that and bring you a Team Tim all about it, but you’ll have to wait until the end of the show for it. The White Sox seem to have turned a corner. Who is the greatest “Matt” in baseball history, and could it eventually be Matt Olson? Justin Crawford’s first MLB RBIs come with a fun fact about every single one....

Elly De La Cruz is a star and just pulled off something incredible, but what we didn’t know is what he was doing when Terry Francona was first hired, and it says a lot about his character. A true class act. Our GameChanger of the Week focuses on managers, especially with all the wild news that broke this week. Alex Cora is out, Rob Thomson is out—so what does that mean for the game? Ti...

Joe Buck joins Tim and Jeff Kurkjian and, as always, he doesn’t disappoint. The legendary play-by-play announcer has done it all, so we’ll spare you the long list of accomplishments—but trust us, it’s impressive. What we will tell you is that he’s just been announced as the new host of ESPN’s Jeopardy! , and we’ve got the inside scoop. Joe shares what he k...

Coming to you from Tim Kurkjian’s office, just before the sprinkle for Baby Bodie Bell Kurkjian, arriving June 5. We squeezed this episode in not to dodge party setup duties, but with the understanding that we’re fully on teardown after, so don’t worry. Shohei’s streak has finally come to an end, and we break down what it means and how it stacks up against Ted Williams. The...

Brand new look—who dis? For those listening on the audio stream, thank you! But we highly recommend checking out our new YouTube look. Just search “Is This A Great Game, Or What” on YouTube to see the upgraded vibe. Alright, onto the episode. We’ve got another GameChanger of the Week to keep you entertained—this one tied to our friend Max Scherzer and something he sai...

Max Scherzer is a future Hall of Famer—and we were lucky enough to have him join our show on an off day. The two-time World Series champion covers everything from his college career to life as a dad. Scherzer even shares a bold idea for increasing the value of starting pitchers. It might sound a little crazy—but we want to hear what you think. We also dive into his wife’s incredi...

Tim Kurkjian in a cowboy hat? Yeah… we can’t picture it either. But apparently, it happened—and we’ve got the story behind the last time he wore one. Jeff also took his family out to a ballgame that featured a special postgame concert, and we break that down too. Plus, Tim shares the tale of losing his car at an airport and unveils his latest “All-Clothing Team Tim.&...

This week in Major League Baseball, we celebrate Jackie Robinson. He’s our GameChanger of the Week—but truly, he’s the GameChanger of the game. What he did for baseball cannot be overstated, and we’re proud to honor his legacy. Both Tim and Jeff moved mountains to bring you this episode. Jeff is still in Disney World with his family, while Tim is covering the Dodgers series...

Steve Rushin, a repeat guest for good reason, joins Tim and Jeff once again. It’s almost nerve-racking to write this episode description given how talented our guest is—but we’ll give it a shot. From helmet nachos to helicoptering into The Masters, we somehow managed to cover all the important topics. Rushin and Kurkjian have been friends for years, dating back to playing 2-on-2...

Jeff is in Disney World? Yep—and because of that, we bring you Team Tim Disney… and it’s perfection. Huge thank you to everyone who sent in their Team Tim Disney submissions—they were absolutely incredible. Well done! Plenty of takeaways this episode, including a big game from Max Muncy and the unlikely heroics that got him there. We also say goodbye to one of baseball&rsq...

We say goodbye today to one of the greatest baserunners ever on Is This A Great Game, or What? But baseball never stops—especially for the incredibly young players getting locked up for the future, something Tim Kurkjian quite frankly hasn’t seen before. Catch that in our “GameChanger of the Week.” Jeff attempts a Quirkjian and falls a bit flat, creating a hilarious moment...

Hall of Famer Jim Palmer joins us this week for a riveting interview. The greatest Orioles pitcher ever turned broadcaster has stories you won’t believe—and a memory that is second to none. What did his signing bonus look like 60 years ago? A lot different than today’s players, that’s for sure. He retells a conversation with Barry Bonds that had us stunned. And he was roomm...

Filming on Easter Sunday, Tim Kurkjian brings us the All-Easter Team that everyone has been asking for—including a favorite of our former guest, Dan Patrick. Dylan Cease (a pitcher, of course) is the last to do something at the plate—man, do we miss pitchers hitting, don’t you? Tim also dives deeper into the difficulty of an umpire’s job, sharing a story that might just kno...

Pitching across baseball is absolutely electric right now—and we’re loving every second of it. Tim and Jeff Kurkjian are back together in person and debut a brand-new segment, “The Wheel of Kurkjian,” inspired by your suggestions. After one full week of baseball, the show is packed with highlights. Quirkjians and On This Date in Baseball History lead the way—but not b...

John Baker is a former Major Leaguer turned coach who is wiser than both of us—that’s for sure. He is well-studied in the minds of individuals, which he applies to the mindset of ballplayers. Visit www.baker-hq.com for more details and see how your ballplayer can benefit from his life’s work. We talk all things big leagues, including something we never knew about John Lackey and...

First full weekend of baseball and Tim and Jeff Kurkjian have you ready for a ton of Takeaways and Quirkjians. Don't forget to submit yours at GreatGameOrWhat.com , it's that easy! The 2026 season is underway with a whole lot of strikeouts—are we surprised? But it’s the star power behind those strikeouts that’s really driving us crazy! Plus, we have ABS in full swing. Tim and Jef...

We’re celebrating Opening Day this year with our friends at GameChanger. They’ve been an incredible partner for the past couple of years, and nothing captures the spirit of Opening Day quite like family—which is exactly what they’re all about. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Opening Day should honestly be a holiday. Maybe next season we make that ha...

As tradition continues, we welcome Eduardo Perez back for our first interview of the regular season—for the third straight year since the podcast began. And as always, he delivers. We dive into Opening Day and the memories that come with it—not just from his time as a player, but from his childhood. As the son of a Hall of Famer, Eduardo brings a truly unique perspective on growing up...

Tim Kurkjian had an absolute monster of a day, sitting down with Nolan Ryan and Dwight Gooden separately—on the same day. Even after all his years covering the game, he says there have been few days outside of Cooperstown inductions as story-filled as this one. He recaps both conversations for us. Who made their ball club? We break down the end of Spring Training, an exciting time for player...

We had an absolute blast chopping it up with Kevin Pillar—former MLB standout turned broadcaster and podcaster! Catch him on Foul Territory and Blue Bird Territory where he’s been absolutely crushing it. Huge thanks to Kevin for taking the time to talk WBC with us. Sure, it wasn’t the finish Team USA fans were hoping for, but it doesn’t take away from how electric...

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s also the World Baseball Classic Championship tonight, and with the regular season starting in just eight days, this is an incredible week for baseball. Tim Kurkjian jumps right in to discuss the Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena drama surrounding the handshake that never happened. After the WBC, we’ll be joined by   Foul Territory and Blue Bird Te...