Eytan Saenger is a Red Sox fan currently living in the Bronx, NY. Originally from Boston, his family moved to Yankee country when he was 10 years old. Anna and Eytan discuss what it's like to be a Sox fan in the middle of Yankeeville, the Jewish connection to baseball, and how the younger generation feels about the game. They also chat about the ro…

Stan Cole is a life-long baseball fan from Buies Creek, NC who fell in love with the game as a kid thanks to AM radio broadcasts and NBC’s Game of The Week. He’s also the associate athletic director for community and alumni engagement at Anna’s school, Campbell University. Stan and Anna discuss the history of baseball at Campbell, including the sur…

Rohn Brown is a Washington Nationals fan from Mechanicsville, VA, whose love of baseball got started in the 1970s thanks to the Valley League. In the mid 80s he interned for the Richmond Braves, a team that featured a few names you may have heard of, including Tom Glavine. Rohn and Anna chat about the charming differences between collegiate wood ba…

Join Anna on the concourse of Globe Life Field for the 2024 MLB All-Star Week in Arlington, Texas. In this special episode Anna interviews passionate fans from all over the country, capturing their unforgettable stories and experiences at the midsummer classic. You'll also hear from ballpark personnel about what makes the Rangers' home park unique,…

Richard Sullivan is a Braves fan living in Louisville, Kentucky. From a young age, he had two loves in life: art and baseball. Throughout his life, he found ways to combine the two, culminating in a baseball career at one of the preeminent art schools in the country, Savannah College of Art and Design. Richard was drafted by the Atlanta Braves whil…

Mike Ritz is a Pirates fan living in New York City. Though he was born and raised on Long Island, he became a fan of the Pirates thanks to seeing Roberto Clemente play in a game at Shea Stadium back when Mike was a kid. We chat about how a marketing job once forced him to visit each ballpark several times over, what the adult softball scene is like…

Eugene McMahon is a Milwaukee Brewers fan from London, England. He found his love for baseball a little differently than many fans do, through a love of literature, thanks to a particularly captivating description of Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard Round the World” in a novel he was reading. As he continued to delve deeper into baseball journalism and…

Andrew Iden is an Orioles fan living in Atlanta, GA. Originally from the Washington, DC area, Andrew became an O’s fan at a young age, and has stayed a fan of the team even after moving out of the area. We discuss the shifting of the local fandom that took place when the Nationals came to town, Andrew’s ballpark travel, and what he finds appealing …

In this episode of Extra Innings, we welcome back father-son duo Matt and Tom Burns. We primarily discuss their 2023 summer baseball trip through the Mid Atlantic, where they saw 20 games in 21 days. You’ll hear from Matt and Tom how the pair makes sure to hit the cultural hot spots and local institutions of every town they pass through. They also …

Gio Fraraccio is a Rays fan from the Tampa Bay area. He got started with baseball as a kid, thanks to the 1980s Cardinal broadcast team of Jack Buck and Mike Shannon. After moving to Florida in the early 2000s, Gio became a Rays fan thanks to his kids falling in love with the local team. Gio recently completed his journey to 30 ballparks, wrapping …

Katie Woods is a life-long Dodgers fan currently living in Wichita, Kansas. She has worked in baseball her entire career and is currently the tournament director of the National Baseball Congress World Series. The NBC World Series is a national amateur baseball tournament for summer collegiate baseball, where champions of their respective leagues d…

Ken Smoller is a Chicago White Sox fan who now lives in the Boston area. His love for baseball started as a kid thanks to fond memories at Comiskey Park, like attending the team’s photo day with his Kodak camera. Ken has now photographed over 2,300 stadiums and ballparks and shares his photos and sports travel experiences on his website, Stadium Va…

Scott Yelle is a life-long Red Sox fan living in Cape Cod, MA who discovered his love for baseball early thanks to Little League. Scott is also the Secretary and Treasurer of the Jackson Yelle Family Foundation, which is a non-profit foundation started to honor the legacy of his son Jackson, who was tragically killed by a hit-and-run driver while i…

John Southard is a life-long Rangers fan living in Fort Worth, Texas. He works as a Brand Historian for an archival company called Heritage Werks, and works closely with the Rangers to curate exhibits and displays that highlight the team’s history. We chat about how he found what many people would consider to be a dream job, what the process of wor…

Eric Vickrey is a Cardinals fan living in Seattle who has also developed a soft spot for the Mariners. He fell in love with the game thanks to growing up in the St. Louis area and developing a penchant for collecting baseball cards as a kid. Eric is also the author of two baseball books, including his latest about post World War II baseball and the…

David Tinnes is a Mets fan from Rochester, New York who found the game in 2017 after he was asked to chaperone a school field trip to Citi Field. Since that trip, David has jumped in head-first with baseball, including taking on his own year of playing catch every single day. Anna and David discuss what hooked him on the Mets, some of the lessons h…

Since we last chatted with Matt Graifer, affectionately known as The Young Professor, he's embarked on an extraordinary journey from the classroom to the ballpark as the in-game host for none other than The Savannah Bananas. Just two summers ago, Matt juggled multiple roles as a full-time teacher, the on-field host for the Daytona Tortugas, and the…

David Ostrowsky is a Red Sox fan and author from the Boston area. In this episode, Anna and David explore the nostalgic charm of Fenway Park and the early 2000 Red Sox, as well as David’s latest biography on Roberto Alomar. Alomar, a once celebrated Hall of Famer known for his remarkable career as a second baseman, has recently faced a downfall due…

Scott Bolohan grew up outside of Detroit and is a long-time Tigers fan, who also has a soft spot for the Yankees, thanks to his job as a Yankee Stadium Tour Guide. Scott played baseball his whole life, even after suffering a UCL tear in high school, and still travels to Italy each year to play a tournament with his grad school team the Oxford Kings…

Josh Rawitch is the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. A long-time baseball executive, he’s spent nearly three decades in the game, primarily with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks before being tapped to run the HOF in 2021. Josh and Anna disucss how he got started in the baseball world…

Sandro Prosperino is a New York Yankees fan who rediscovered his love for the game through a unique journey with his son, Kori. Sandro shares how their father-son tradition of attending baseball games across the country, particularly centered around All-Star Games, became a priceless vehicle for bonding. Visit the show notes page to read Kori’s ess…

We know there's lots to talk about TBS Nation, but we did just get out first In-N-Out and that's a big deal! We get to that eventually, but host Emeritus Cody Fitch and Matt first cover Shohei's contract (the other stuff will be on an episode coming soon!), The sorrow of the A's, and the Mariners Mariners-ing. Listen to this episode if you want to …

Michael Ortman is a Washington Nationals fan now living in Florida. He grew up a Senators fan and attended his first Opening Day in 1970. For the next 50 years, Michael was at every Opening Day. Even after his beloved Senators were relocated to Texas, he found a way to keep the streak alive – spanning three cities, six ballparks, and five different…

Ethan Bryan is the author of “A Year of Playing Catch” which chronicles his project of playing catch for 365 days straight. He originally appeared in Episode 40 where he shared his entire baseball story. In this episode we discuss some new research which highlights the importance of play, and how the perfect storm of Covid and an increase in screen…

Jason Skinner is a Cubs fan from Bourne, UK. Despite the geographical distance from the game, Jason and his family developed a deep connection to American baseball. Their household boasts a unique dynamic where each member supports a different team; his wife cheers for the Braves (and has a soft spot for the Cardinals), while their son is a Phillie…

Mark Zubizarreta is a life-long Texas Rangers fan and the founder of Friendly Baseball in North Texas. From his early days selling hot dogs at The Ballpark in Arlington to witnessing his Rangers clinch a World Series title, Mark shares his unique perspective on what makes baseball more than just a game. Join us as we explore the close-knit communit…

Karen Cordaway lives in Connecticut and found her love for baseball shortly after becoming a new mom. We discuss how Karen was captivated not by her town's favorite — The New York Yankees — but instead by the early 2000s Boston Red Sox. We dive into exactly what it was about the Sox that drew her in and explore the emotional rollercoaster of losing…

Andy Littleton grew up in Tucson, Arizona as a fan of the Oakland A’s. Despite being a fan of the Athletics as a kid, Andy now cheers for the Chicago Cubs - a change spurred by a poignant and personal story of loss and remembrance. Andy opens up about losing his best friend Sam, a massive Cubs fan, in a tragic accident, how baseball has played a cr…

Author Patrick Montgomery joins Anna for an episode of Extra Innings. Fans of the show might recall our fascinating conversation last year about his book The Baseball Miracle of The Splendid Six. Patrick left us eagerly anticipating his next work, hinting at a project that delves into one of baseball's most perplexing mysteries: why do some players…

Dixie Tourangeau was born and raised in Central Massachusetts. Despite living near the dividing line of the battleground between Red Sox and Yankees fans, Dixie's allegiance lies in an unexpected direction. We'll chat about how Dixie first fell in love with baseball, the method behind his team loyalty, and his extensive involvement with SABR (Socie…

Gary Livingston is a Chicago Cubs fan living near San Antonio, Texas. We dive into Gary's love for the game, rooted in his Chicago upbringing and fueled by memorable experiences like attending his first game at Wrigley Field on bat night. Gary shares his experiences working in minor league baseball, covering everything from college radio to interni…

Tomi Korkeamaki is a Miami Marlins fan from Vaasa, Finland. In 2016, with their October honeymoon planned for Miami, Tomi and his wife were rooting for the Marlins to make the postseason to have a chance to see live baseball while in America. That was of course the year of José Fernandez’s tragic death, which would happen just a few weeks before To…

Alex Goldberg is a long-time O’s fan who grew up in the DC area. After leaving DC, he moved to New York before eventually landing in California where he currently resides and works as a playwright, screenwriter, and director. We hear stories about three World Series games Alex has seen across three different decades, and about a less-than-dramatic …

Jeremy Bever is a life-long Cubs fan from Indiana. Several years ago while Christmas shopping on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, he stumbled across a "loud" Cubs suit and decided to pair it with a Cubs fedora and sneakers to create his game day outfit. Jeremy and his wife are also on the tail end of seeing the Cubs play at all 30 ballparks, with just 5…

Steve Acevedo is a long-time New York Yankees fan living in Los Angeles, California. We discuss how he became a fan of the Yankees mostly thanks to Derek Jeter and the rest of the Core Four, how he completed his ballpark journey of seeing all 30 MLB parks in just five years, and how after that he set his sites on traveling to see international base…

Jorge Diaz is a Mets fan currently living in Tampa, Florida. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, he grew up watching many Major League players train back home in the offseason, even sometimes at his very own little league practices! Jorge also owns and opperates a financial advisory firm that represents pro athletes, including several MLB players. We d…

Ted Weiner is a life-long Baltimore Orioles fan from Germantown, Maryland who recently began traveling to visit MLB ballparks outside of Camden Yards. We hear stories about learning to play baseball in a cow pasture, what it’s been like to be an O’s fan his whole life, and the differing levels of competitiveness he’s run across while playing and um…

Marc Cheatham, aka Cheats, is a life-long Baltimore Orioles fan from Richmond, Virginia. Cheats is the founder of The Black Baseball Mixtape, which is a platform and podcast that highlights black baseball at all levels of the game. We discuss how the lower levels of baseball from little league up through the minors have a unique ability to bring co…

Tyler Petersen is the Assistant General Manager of the Oakland Ballers. The B’s are a brand new Pioneer League team who will play their inaugural season in 2024. Tyler is also a life-long A’s fan who has has spent his entire life in the East Bay. He shares with us what the A’s Las Vegas relocation means to Bay Area residents, and how the Ballers ar…

Melissa Ludtke is a life-long Red Sox fan from Cambridge, Massachusetts and a former baseball reporter/researcher with Sports Illustrated in the 1970s. Her upcoming book: Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside will be released next summer and details her 1978 US court case vs MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Major League Baseball. The la…

Zach Beeson is an Angels fan currently living in Eastern Indiana. He’s visited over 180 ballparks and does a great job of documenting his journeys on social media and the Baseball Bucket List website. We discuss his most recent trip to the Arizona Fall League, how he uses the game to connect to local cultures, and how the season doesn’t really end …

Brad Balukjian is a life-long Phillies fan and the author of the LA Times Best Seller The Wax Pack. The premise behind the book is simple. Brad took a pack of Topps baseball cards from 1986 (the first year he remembered collecting cards as a kid), and set out on an epic adventure to find and talk to all of the players included in the pack. As Brad …

In this special Thanksgiving episode, hear directly from baseball fans why they are thankful for the game of baseball. In order of appearance: Charles Dennis: @51stubs Victor DiTommaso Derek Malinowski: @ChicagoDerek7 Spencer Schwartz: @Muzixndmd Donnie Wise: @wisedrjr Jason Bohn: @jasonbohn9 Gary Matthews James Christopher: @ballparknation Kelly R…

Bob Fontaine Jr. is a former MLB scout known for signing several big time players including Ozzie Smith, Randy Johnson, Tony Gwynn, Jim Abbott, Tim Salmon and many more. We discuss how he got his start as a scout by learning the ropes from his dad (former big league scout Bob Fontaine Sr.), the qualities he’d look for in a young ball player, and ho…

Taylor Robinson is a life-long Texas Rangers fan currently living in Keller, Texas. We chat about how she got started with game, disappointments of seasons past, and our separate experiences at Game One of this year’s World Series, which ended in a Walk-Off home run from Adolis Garcia. We also discuss Taylor’s time as social media manager with the …

Alan Mindell is a baseball lifer who started in little-league, played college ball at Cal. Berkley, and played a handful of games with the California Angels Rookie Ball team. We chat about how he found his love for the game, what it is like to attend a major league tryout, and about how baseball can act as the fabric that ties together relationship…

Greg Finch and Tom D’Agostonio are Orioles fans living in Rochester, NY who have been friends for over 45 years. This year, to celebrate their 60th birthdays, the duo saw 60 games over the course of the 2023 season. This is the third time they've celebrated milestone birthdays with baseball. Greg and Tom marked turning 50 with 50 ballgames, turning…

Tim Lillis is a Rays fan currently living in the Philadelphia area. He’s lived in many places across the country thanks to a former career in business sports management, working in just about every level of baseball imaginable. We chat about the differences between Double-A, Triple-A, Summer Collegiate ball, Independent ball, and MLB through the ey…

James Christopher is a life-long Astros fan from South Austin, Texas. He’s also a filmmaker and the creator behind Let’s Get Two, which was a video series focused on highlighting the best parts of minor league baseball from coast to coast. We chat about his upcoming project Ballpark Nation, favorite baseball memories, how each of us is trying to fo…

Jake Plocher currently lives in Philadephia, PA but is a life-long fan of the Detroit Tigers thanks to his dad. He’s lived in several different places across the country including the Tampa Bay area where he enjoyed the Reading with the Rays program as a kid. Jake is also a huge roller coaster enthusaist and shares a pretty cool way he combines his…