Passed Ball Show

11-23-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about what it is like to be a sports fan. It is okay to be critical, it is okay to want to see change- especially in situations when a fan(s)’ favorite team is losing often or if the particular season seems to be a losing one. A fan can want to see a new coach/ GM, and can even call for the star players to be traded, released, but...

11-19-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens this show by questioning those who use this time of year to make cases for marginal MLB players to get into Cooperstown. Comparing the players to others who barely made it is counterproductive when some of the game’s all time greats remain on the outside looking in. What other sport has the equivalent to its all time hits leader, all time home run leader, th...

11-14-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up the program talking about why it has been difficult to be a New York Mets fan. He relates it to what is probably like to be a fan of most other baseball teams. Those teams’ fans know what it is like to win. Only eight MLB teams can go back further than 1986 since their last World Series Championship. Mets fans still celebrate that team like it won last ye...

11-9-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about the huge drop off when it comes to quarterback play in the National Football League. John is wondering when the next backup or third string QB will prove they belong in this league. As it does not look good, he suggests a team giving Collin Kaepernick a workout. If that ship has sailed because of Kaepernick’s interest, or he i...

11-9-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about the huge drop off when it comes to quarterback play in the National Football League. John is wondering when the next backup or third string QB will prove they belong in this league. As it does not look good, he suggests a team giving Collin Kaepernick a workout. If that ship has sailed because of Kaepernick’s interest, or he i...

11-7-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by talking about the reasons some (including himself) have had against the idea of a universal designated hitter in MLB. It is time to have the DH in the National League because pitchers are not given the chance to hit anymore, they do not try to learn how to hit, and few NL pitchers even take regular batting practice anymore. If baseball does...

10-29-2020 Passed Ball Show. John starts this show by reminding the viewers that MLB managers do not make decisions. He then talks about the Moneyball Tampa Bay Rays and how they will never win a World Series with solely that type of mentality. Neither will the Oakland Athletics. The rest of MLB is catching up with the use of analytics and while other teams are going to use actual money to obtain/...

10/20/2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by continuing to blame MLB for its enabling its players’ use of steroids/ PED’s, then blaming the players who used. This all after profiting off of the 1998 home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. John reminds the listeners that baseball is the only sport that has the equivalent to its all time hits leader, all time home run leade...

10-14-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by talking about a go to topic- the role of a Major League Baseball Manager in the current game. It seems as if the playoffs bring out those that seem to bitch and complain about their favorite team’s manager. It is as if they are saying it with a disclaimer, “I don’t understand anything about baseball now!” There is nothing else to say outside...

10-1-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by reminding his listeners that his last show sucked. He then talks about the value of a Head Coach in the National Football League and how it contrasts with a Major League Baseball manager. He then gives three reasons a NFL Head Coach could reasonably be fired in season. He then talks about the Detroit Tigers decision to promote coach Lloyd McCl...

9-19-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens this program by talking about how Trevor Bauer has not only performed to a point where he is the favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award, he has become the prime to be sought after prize when it comes to free agency after the 2020 season. The media and general public shame players for saying their next home will be the team that pays them the most...

9-12-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show talking about the underrated baseball career of the late Hall of Famer Lou Brock. Besides being the one time all time stolen base leader, two time World Series Champion, and member of the 3,000 hit club, Brock is known for being on the right end of one of the most one-sided trades in the history of the sport. Sadly, the main reason that trade was...

9-5-2020 Passed Ball Show. John spends this show talking about the great career of the legendary Tom Seaver, who passed away this past week. Seaver will always be synonymous with the New York Mets, as his nickname describes. John tells about how the Braves did not do anything wrong by signing him after he was taken with the 20th overall pick of the June 1966 MLB draft. The Mets had a chance to tak...

8-30-2020 Passed Ball Show. John spends this version of the program talking about issues that need to be spoken about when it comes to the police treatment of people of color. John brings up shoot to kill, the possibility of a hate crime, and the police union backing every single officer. John then brings up the importance of establishing what the law is and how one is to act within the confines o...

8-22-2020 Passed Ball Show. In this abbreviated version of the PBS, John discusses NBC Hockey analyst Mike Milbury’s “distraction” comment and states whether it was inappropriate or another example of the general public trying to cancel a person in the spotlight by exaggerating a comment thrown under the microscope.

8-20-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up the program by reminding the viewers about his Top 100 Offensive Position Players of All Time project and an additional feature to the www.johnpielli.com website. He then makes fun of baseball’s unwritten rules and criticizes a whining team that is losing. John talks about how multiple games are played within MLB teams and even the worst teams beat the bes...

Listen back to @john_pielli's interview with former Yankees first round draft pick James Kaprielian. During this interview, James was pitching for the Staten Island Yankees.

8-13-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this version of the program by explaining why Oakland Athletics bench coach Ryan Christenson should not be shamed for his inappropriate gesture(s) during a game. There is no evidence that exists to prove that Christenson is a Nazi sympathizer. Yes, his gesture could be perceived as hurtful and for that he apologized, like he should have. But to make him ou...

8-1-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this version of the program by bringing up Joe Kelly’s decision to police the Houston Astros cheating scandal by throwing at Alex Bregman. John has made it clear that he has no problem with players policing the sport. It has been part of the game for years. When MLB did very little to Chase Utley for hurting Mets infielder Ruben Tejada in a playoff game in...

7-24-2020 Passed Ball Show. John starts the show by calling out the media for, once again, being hypocritical. The media says it supports Black Lives Matter, yet calls out everybody that wears a BLM shirt. The media says it supports athletes that kneel for the National Anthem, yet calls out every player that kneels. As it applies to sports, we need to be more like Pee Wee Reese was portrayed in th...

7-18-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this show by giving a couple of reasons he is not excited about the return of sports, especially with no fans. The compromised rules and shortened baseball season may lead to future changes. Baseball continues to want to appease a group of fans who don’t like baseball anyways. John also has his doubts of the bubble like settings in regards to the NBA, NHL,...

7-11-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up by talking about the fact the show has reached 500 episodes. He transitions into discussing exactly what he wants to be part of. Thinking of recent comments of Drew Brees and Desean Jackson, John brings up one of societies biggest failures, it’s inability to condemn those of their own group. Police officers refuse to condemn the actions of those who abused...

7-2-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this version of the program by talking about opportunity. A greater amount of opportunity exists for those who are known and popular within the general public. Will Ferrell gets to play spring training baseball because he is Will Ferrell, not a C or D list actor. Michael Jordan gets to play professional baseball because he is Michael Jordan, not an average...

6-27-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens up this program by reminding those to wear a mask in public. Those who are not wearing a mask are directly responsible for the outbreak in cases of the coronavirus in the states of Florida, Texas, and California. Major League Baseball is implementing a rule to start the tenth inning with a runner at second base as a means to speed up the game. Who had a say i...

6-20-2020 Passed Ball Show. John opens this program talking about the owners of Major League Baseball. In a nationwide pandemic, they have chosen to take advantage of it by attempting to reduce the players’ salaries. Basically, the owners are trying to reverse the Peter Seitz decision of 1975. It is not the time or place. There are owners (all health concerns aside) that would prefer to not have a...