Sayonara Baseball

After watching the Olympics, in particular Women's Gymnastics, Kazuki and Brandon decided to rebroadcast our conversation with Skylar Brandt, a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre.  During the Olympics, Simone Biles, arguably one (if not THE) of the greatest athletes to ever compete for the United States, withdrew from competitors to focus on her mental health and well-being. ...

With the MLB Draft, Home Run Derby, and All-Star Game all complete, Kazuki and Brandon are here to share their analysis of each of these signature events.  Afterwards, our hosts spend some time to preview what might occur for this month's trade deadline.  Kazuki provides a long list of sellers, buyers, and players that could be moved in late July.  Of those possible sellers, Brandon...

July 2021 will have three major events in MLB in the first half of the month; and, Brandon and Kazuki preview all of them for you in this episode.  Of course, Brandon starts with some news.  Our hosts provide a quick update on the foreign substances guidelines.  Then, Brandon and Kazuki preview each of the Home Run Derby, All-and All-Star Game -- as of what is known on July 2, 2021....

Kazuki and Brandon are back with a look at the past two weeks in Major League Baseball.  After discussing the news, Kazuki shares another round of prospect watch with us.  Brandon leads us in a discussion about the new guidelines about foreign substances that went into effect on June 21.  "The Cycle" concludes with a look at the trade deadline approaching and a review of the Los Ang...

Kazuki and Brandon are back with an episode full of news, topics, music, and more.  Our hosts start off with several news stories from the past several days in MLB.  Kazuki begins the stories in 'The Cycle' and helps us learn more about Toronto Blue Jays' rookie Alex Manoah.  Brandon and Kazuki discuss the bamboozling play in the Cubs-Pirates game.  Brandon...

Kazuki and Brandon are back to discuss yet another no-hitter in Seattle.  However, the episode starts off with some optimism in Seattle (welcome Logan and Jarred!).  Later on, Brandon provides some news about the situation between the Athletics and the City of Oakland.  Kazuki helps provide some high hopes for the Toronto Blue Jays.  Kazuki also gives us an update on the s...

In today's episode, Kazuki and Brandon discuss what's going on with the Royals, Giants, Dodgers, and the teams of the AL East.  Brandon looks back at the month of April in the MLB to learn more about the "Three True Outcomes" discussion.  Kazuki 'tips his cap' to a special group of relievers in Pittsburgh.  The hosts try to figure out the mystery of Donnie Stevenson; and, whether or...

In this episode, Kazuki and Brandon discuss the past two weeks in Major League baseball.  They take a closer look at the Chicago White Sox after Rodon's no-hitter and the Brewers after Corbin Burnes' performance versus San Diego.  Also, which of several winning (or losing) streaks means the most right now?  The hosts travel to Southern California for a review of Padres versus Dodger...

Kazuki and Brandon recap Opening Week of the 2021 MLB Season in a new format with some news and even some music.  We discuss the hot starts for Akil Baddoo, Shohei Ohtani, and the Cincinnati Reds.  Brandon outlines the series of events regarding the 2021 All-Star Game and Amateur Draft.  Kazuki helps us learn what happened to Jed Lowrie.  Brandon and Kazuki also select their 'w...

Baseball is back! During the lead-up to this year’s Major League Baseball Season, we stumbled upon some rather earth-shattering news. Recently, MLB sent out a memo to all teams regarding the monitoring of possible “doctoring” of baseballs with substances to increase spin rate. Several questions have arisen - most notably, what are the possible causes for the increase in home runs over the past sev...

What does it take to become an elite athlete? The lifestyle of a professional athlete is often portrayed as glamorous on media, but what isn’t often shown is what it takes to make it to that level. Skylar Brandt, a renown principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, stops by to discuss the importance of grit and perseverance with Kazuki and Brandon as well as how her personal experience shaped...

Contract negotiations are a major part of Major League Baseball today. The negotiation between the league and MLB Player Association is crucial to professional athletes’ livelihoods. But because many athletes are brought up to big money at an early age, many face post-career money problems. Smith Brickner, Analyst of Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management division who has extensive experiences in a nu...

Cornell University, known worldwide for its powerhouse presence across sports, has a century worth of powerful ties with baseball. From Hughie Jennings to Jon Daniels, the university has produced more than its fair share of stars, from notable athletes to sports commissioners and executives. Corey Ryan Earle, well-known Cornell Historian and Lecturer, stops by to discuss the rich and fascinating h...

The 2020 COVID Pandemic put a major halt to the minor league. With no season to play, the collective bargaining agreement between the minors and the MLB office ceased, thus causing a massive change to the entire league. Todd Radom, a veteran graphic designer who's known for much of the branding across professional sports franchises and events as well as being a frequent guest on Buster Olney's Bas...

After 32 years, Dodgers have finally won the World Series!! Brandon Bycer, Business Intelligence Professional, Forbes Advisor Contributor, and "The Airline Guy" Blogger, stops by and breaks down the series with Kazuki and discusses on the art of "analytics" and how teams especially the Tampa Bays Rays are utilizing them today and how that can affect baseball in the future.  For more updates a...

After a long, strange 2020 season, World Series is here!  With the east to west matchup of Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers at Texas Ranger's Globe Life Field in Arlington. Will Dodgers finally end their long championship drought? Or will Tampa Bay finally win their first championship? Brandon Bycer, Business Intelligence Professional, Forbes Advisor Contributor, and "The Airline Guy" B...

League Championship Series is back!!. Now, four teams are playing in the usual format but in a "bubble"...Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros at San Diego's Petco Park and Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves at Texas Ranger's Globe Life Field in Arlington. How will the bubble affect the teams in the playoffs? Will playoff experience persevere over hot streaks? Brandon Bycer, Business Intelligence...

With the conclusion of the first ever Wild Card Series, the Division Series begins. Eight teams are back to playing in the usual format with a bit of a twist...at different league's ballpark...Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees at San Diego's Petco Park, Oakland A's and Houston Astros at Dodgers Stadium, Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins at Houston's Minute Maid Park, and Los Angeles Dodgers and S...

2020 has been a strange, pandemic-filled year around the world. Now with a shortened season, MLB has changed the format of this year's playoffs. This episode highlights the 16 teams in this postseason. Noah, Kazuki's long-time friend, stops by to provide his bold predictions. For more updates about the show, please check out: https://daylightinteractive.com/ --

Opening Day has been a significant tradition in MLB; it has impacted everywhere from small towns like Cincinnati to some of the biggest countries in the world. This episode highlights the origins of the Opening Day and the importance of it. Bobby from the popular YouTube Channel "Outta Here Baseball" , stops by to discuss with Kazuki and Taro the history of Opening Day and its impact on the league...

Creating a championship caliber team is a major dilemma that many teams haven't been able to replicate since the 90s Yankees Dynasty. This episode recaps and highlights the events of the MLB 2019 Postseason. Kazuki and Taro talk about the factors that are necessary to build a World Champion team along with how the Nationals withstood the battle enroute to their 1st championship.  For more upd...

The MLB Trade Deadline has a long and complicated history; it has impacted teams and players from Babe Ruth to some of today’s biggest names. Recently, there has been a rule change mandating that all trades be made by July 31st. How has this rule change affected the league? Chris Smith, writer for Forbes Magazine’s SportsMoney section, stops by to discuss with Kazuki this recent change to the MLB...

The MLB All-Star Game has been a huge event in mid-July for baseball fans around the world. This episode recaps and highlights the events of the MLB 2019 All-Star Game that took place in Cleveland this past week. Kazuki and Taro talk about the history of the MLB All-Star Game and how it has adapted to baseball's evolution into a cultural phenomenon. For more updates about the show, please check ou...

Small market teams like Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A's have been innovative in their approach to baseball games that usually shakes up the entire league. And how do they do it? By bringing in new, bold strategies that allow them to win games with their small payroll. We call this new movement, the Versatility Movement. Where did this movement come from and how did it start? Kazuki and Taro talk ab...

Major League Baseball is going through something called the tanking epidemic. Where did this movement come from and how did it start? Kazuki and Taro talk about the history of tanking along with current trends and team philosophies that are built and successful in tanking process including Astroball. For more updates about the show, please check out https://daylightinteractive.com/