Baseball And Bbq

Kurt Smith is a staff writer for JerseyMan and MiamiMan magazines, an occasional contributor to Stadium Journey magazine/blog, and former NASCAR writer for the Charlotte Observer and the Frontstretch website.  He also writes web content for VisionLine Media, a website design team.  We spoke to him about his website, Ballpark E-Guides:  True Insider Fan Guides to MLB Ballparks, https://ballparkeguides.com/  The website is a great resource for ballpark information, including tips and money-saving hacks.  Kurt provides details on obtaining cheaper tickets, saving money on parking, and what to eat once in the stadium. Joel Fleetwood is part of the Meat Rushmore Barbecue competition team.  Meat Rushmore BBQ started as just a way for some friends to get together and have a good time.  They are an award-winning Kansas City barbecue team.  Winners of the 3rd Annual Made for KC BBQ Championship, with the grand prize including a residency at Kansas City International Airport.   They also have their award-winning Meat R

Marc Kestecher is the lead play-by-play voice for the NBA on ESPN Radio, as well as College Football on ESPN Radio.  He joined ESPN in 1999 as an ESPN Radio SportsCenter update anchor, also provides commentary for ESPN Radio’s NFL and college basketball broadcasts, and he is a fixture at major events such as NBA All Star Weekend, NBA Finals, NBA Draft, World Series, MLB All Star Game and the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.  In addition to his play-by-play duties, he hosts studio coverage of Major League Baseball, The College Football Playoff semifinals and National Championship game.  Prior to joining ESPN, Kestecher was an anchor, reporter and talk host at WKNR-AM in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to that, he served as Sports Director at WPTR/WROW in Albany, N.Y. while also serving as play-by-play announcer for the Albany Patroons (CBA), Albany Firebirds (Arena Football), University at Albany (football and basketball) and St. Rose basketball.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm

Ann Neale and Brian Neale are the husband and wife team behind the Smoke Freaks competition barbecue team.  Ann aka Ms. Freak and Brian aka Mr. Freak got hooked on competition BBQ at their first backyard contest in 2014.  As per their website, "After entering with the hastily conjured name “Smoking Freaks,” a couple of beat-up WSMs and expectations no greater than having a good time, they ended up taking 1st place in Ribs. At the awards ceremony, they were mistakenly identified as “Smoke Freaks,” and the name stuck.  Since then, Smoke Freaks have been on a mission to spread their love of BBQ and their passion for living life to the fullest with the world."  They are complete cooks, but ribs are an area of expertise and they provide us with excellent tips for cooking better ribs.  For more information on the Smoke Freaks go to https://www.smokefreaks.com/ Jack Fritz is a sports radio personality who is currently a co-host of the WIP Afternoon Show on 94.1 WIP.  He is also the host of High Hopes, a po

Suzyn Waldman is a sportscaster and former musical theater actress.  She was the first voice heard on WFAN, the first all sports, all the time (24/7) radio station in the United States.  She had various roles at the station, eventually becoming the New York Yankees beat reporter.  Since the 2005 season, she has been the color commentator for New York Yankees baseball, partnering with John Sterling and upon Sterling's retirement, teaming with former Baseball and BBQ, episode 162 guest, Dave Sims.  Suzyn acknowledges her role as a pioneer among women in sports media and the path to get to where she is now was not without its many obstacles.  She shares many stories, one of which is her role in bringing Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner together, ending a 14-year feud which resulted in Yogi Berra returning to Yankee Stadium after a long, self-imposed absence. Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride from Pig Beach BBQ join us to discuss the 6th Annual BBQ Benefit for the Jeff Michner Foundation taking place at Pig Beach BB

Bobby Gonzalez is a former college basketball head coach.  Bobby was head coach at Manhattan College and took the team to two NCAA tournaments.  A two-time MAAC Coach of the Year, he is well known for leading 12th-seeded Manhattan College to the second round of the NCAA after the team defeated the fifth-seeded Florida Gators in the first round which was the program's second ever NCAA Tournament win.  His latest honor is being a member of the 2026 Class of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame.  For more information on the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame go to  https://unyhof.com/     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Joe Davis is a television sportscaster and the lead play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also calls national MLB and NFL games for FOX Sports, and since 2022 has served as FOX’s lead announcer for the World Series and MLB All-Star Game. In 2025 he won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Play-by-Play.  We talk about his career journey, taking over for the legendary Vin Scully, life in the Dodgers booth, and some of his most memorable calls. Joe is also a huge BBQ fan and we surprise him with pitmaster Doug Scheiding, who joins us to help level up Joe’s brisket game. We recommend you go to Rogue Cookers website, https://roguecookers.com/ for award-winning rubs, Chef Ray Sheehan’s website, https://www.raysheehan.com/ for award-winning saucess, rubs, and cookbooks, Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com for special grilling tools and accessories, Magnechef https://magnechef.com/ for excellent and unique barbecue gloves, Cutting Edge Firewood High Quality Kiln Dried Firewood - Cutting Edg

Episode 335 features JD Paternoster from JD's Backyard Sauces, Lexi Hastings from the Women's Pro Baseball League, and Gary Looney, spring training correspondent, plus Perry Barber and John Vampatella join us in making this a rare overstuffed triple-header JD Paternoster is the founder of JD's Backyard Sauces.  The flavors are unique and distinctive and made from ingredients grown by JD, including figs and hot peppers.  In a very crowded space, JD has discovered a way to stand out from other sauces by adding figs to some of his sauces.  For more information on JD and to purchase his products go to https://www.jdsbackyardsauces.com/ Lexi Hastings  was an exceptional softball player during her time at the University of Connecticut (UConn), culminating in her being named the 2024 Big East Player of the Year.  She will be using those skills as she plays in the inaugural season of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) as a member of the team from Boston.  Lexi was chosen 20th by Boston as more than 600 players fr

Episode 334 features Ed Banos, the son of Les Banos, a World War II spy who saved more than 200 lives during the Holocaust and later became a sports photographer, and Aaron Huentelman, competition meat manager at Mr. Brisket Ed Banos serves as the President and CEO for University Health and was recognized as a Healthcare Hero by the San Antonio Business Journal.  However, it is not his story we are focused on, but rather the story of Ed's father, Les Banos.  The following are excerpted from online obituaries, "Raised in Budapest, Hungary, Les Banos hid countrymen from the Nazis during World War II and infiltrated German SS headquarters as an Allied spy. He helped hide and save the lives of hundreds of Hungarians.  After the war, he immigrated to the United States, attended the University of Pittsburgh and worked as a cameraman for local TV stations and as a  photographer for the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins.  Les Banos' favorite subject was his friend, Roberto Clemente, who died Dec. 31, 1972, in a pl

Episiode seven of the NYS Halls of Fame Podcast features Emmy Award-winning Nancy Newman, YES Network studio host and reporter, and emcee for the New York State Baseball and Hockey Hall of Fame dinners shares wonderful stories on the NYS Halls of Fame Podcast. Nancy Newman is an Emmy Award-winning journalist for the YES Network. She hosts the Major League Baseball pre-game show, Batting Practice Today on New York Yankees game days, as well as pre-and post-game shows for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets basketball team. Nancy earned an Emmy nomination for her role as host of the Stars and PinStripes program special, a show featuring country mega-star Garth Brooks two days before he performed in a concert at Yankee Stadium. She also hosts Yankees Magazine, the official year-round weekly magazine program which goes behind the scenes and in the community with the New York Yankees. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 333 features LC's Bar-B-Q owner, Tausha Hammett carries on her grandfather's legacy and New York State Baseball Hall of Fame member, Tony Morante provide exceptional barbecue and baseball talk Tausha Hammett is the owner of LC’s Bar-B-Q in Kansas City, Missouri and the granddaughter of the founder, LC Richardson.  At 12 years old she began learning the business and helping.  Per Tausha, "My grandfather was a pillar and BBQ legend in the Black community and my goal is to keep his legacy and brand strong."  She is doing just that as she does everything needed to run the restaurant, "If I have to come in here after a full day, I come in here and if I have to open, I open. If I have to close, I close."  She also said, "When I make decisions that affect his legacy, I always have him in the back of my mind.  I feel like he's always looking down on me."  Ray Sheehan was instrumental in introducing us to Tausha and joins us as guest co-host. Tony Morante is a member of the New Yo

Larry Berra was an attendee at the 2022 New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Dinner sporting a tie with his dad, National Baseball Hall of Fame member, Yogi Berra's number eight proudly displayed.  Two years later he was at the dinner again, but this time it was to be part of the ceremony posthumously inducting his father into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame.  There is no doubt that Yogi Berra may be the greatest baseball catcher of all time, but he is also one of the most beloved players ever, both on and off the field.  Larry shares many stories of his dad and what made him a true fan favorite who received many honors, including his life story being on display in the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair, New Jersey.  For more information on Yogi Berra and the museum go to https://yogiberramuseum.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 332 features the coauthor of Attorneys in the Baseball Hall of Fame:  A Collection of Biographical Essays, Louis H. Schiff and up-and-coming pitmaster and barbecue aficionado, Brayden Estrela, and Johnny Mags as guest co-host. Louis H. Schiff is a retired judge, attorney, professor, historian and author. During college, he interned with the New York Yankees Class A farm club, serving as public relations director.  He declined a public relations job offer from Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner to pursue law school.  His latest book, which he coauthored with Robert M. Jarvis is, Attorneys in the Baseball Hall of Fame:  A Collection of Biographical Essays which focuses on the 11 people, players, managers, executives, and commissioners, elected into Hall of Fame who were lawyers.  Each inductee is the subject of a detailed essay that recounts their legal education, admission to the bar, and legal career. Brayden Estrela is the pitmaster for the barbecue competition team, Meaty B's BBQ.  His love for barb

Episode 331 features current Major League Baseball content creator and former WFAN New York Yankees beat reporter, Sweeny Murti and granddaughter of Henry Perry, the father of Kansas City Barbecue, Bernetta McKindra Sweeny Murti is a prominent sports journalist, best known as the long-time New York Yankees beat reporter for WFAN radio.  After 30 years at WFAN, he joined Major League Baseball as a senior contributor for social media and content.  While with WFAN, Sweeny was known for his in-depth clubhouse access, extensive knowledge of baseball, and strong relationships with players.  Sports fans have greatly enjoyed and benefited from his coverage of the New York Yankees for many years and now get to benefit from his work with Major League Baseball.    Bernetta McKindra is the granddaughter of Henry Perry, known as the father of Kansas City barbecue.  She founded the Henry Perry Foundation which is committed to building onto the legacy of Henry Perry by investing in programs that strengthen families and buil

Bob Robinson, godfather of Pellet grills and Joel Bradley, author of Death By Data, plus guest co-host, Chef Ray Sheehan, and feelings are discussed Bob Robinson is the man credited as being the godfather of pellet grills. Born and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri, Bob found his barbecue roots early on and helped create the barrel lid that pellet grills are known for today. Bob won many barbecue competitions while helping raise national awareness for the pellet grill segment.  Bob stopped competing in the mid-1990s, but in 1998, he made a cameo appearance on a team with Fast Eddy for the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Competition. They were the only team using a pellet grill at that time.  Bob discusses his role in the barbeccue industry and more specifically his role in helping the pellet grill become the cooking force it is today. Joel Bradley is a long-time scout and high school coach of future major leaguers Anthony Rizzo, Mike Fiers, Andy Painter, and many others.  His latest book, Death By Data: How Ana

Jack LeRoux is a chip off the old block and joins his dad, Rene, plus Jeff and Leonard to discuss his experiences with the New York State Halls of Fame Jack LeRoux is quite intimate with the three New York State Halls of Fame as he has watched them grow from a mere idea formulated by his dad, Renee LeRoux, into the three powerhouses they are today.  Jack has many behind the scenes stories as well as his thoughts regarding the future for the three Halls of Fame, baseball, basketball, and hockey.  It is a great opportunity to learn more about what goes into making the New York State Halls of Fame forces to be reckoned with. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 329 features The Voices of Baseball author, Kirk McKnight and Museum of BBQ founder, Jonathan Bender with guest co-host, chef Ray Sheehan Kirk McKnight is a nationally published author specializing in sports journalism. He joined us on episode 201 to discuss this book and is back to discuss the updated version of The Voices of Baseball: The Game's Greatest Broadcasters Reflect On America's Pastime. Baseball broadcasters are the voice of the game. They know the intimate details of the team, the stadium, and the history of their club. This book covers every stadium in major league baseball, recounting the greatest moments to take place within their walls as told by the most renowned broadcasters in the game, past and present. Kirk has interviewed some of the best play by play broadcasters and the conversations are exceptional. Jonathan Bender is the founder of the Museum of BBQ in Kansas City, Missouri.  He has been a journalist for nearly two decades and, after moving to Kansas City, Missouri he launch

Episode 328 features food, drink, and barbecue author, Robert F. Moss and New York Mets podcaster, Mike Silva, and Doug Scheiding assumes co-hosting duties Robert F. Moss writes about food, drink, and travel.  He is the contributing barbecue editor for Southern Living, restaurant critic for the Post & Courier, and a frequent contributor to Epicurious, Charleston Magazine, Early American Life, Garden & Gun, and The Local Palate.  Robert is a prolific author with at least six books all dealing with different aspects of food and/or drink.  Barbecue books he has written include, Barbecue:  The History of an American Institution and Barbecue Lover's Carolinas. His list of the top 50 BBQ joints in the South is a highly anticipated list which we discuss as well as many other aspects of his life, career, and love of barbecue.  Go to https://www.robertfmoss.com/ for more information on Robert F. Moss. Mike Silva has been covering New York sports independently since 2007. His work has been featured on 1240 AM W

Kevin Kernan, member of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame, joins Rene, Jeff, and Leonard for exceptional baseball talk Kevin Kernan has spent more than 45 years writing sports, the last 23 years as a columnist at the NY Post prior to joining BallNine. He was elected to the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a contributor to ESPN’s First Take and Cold Pizza and is a frequent guest on radio shows and podcasts throughout the country. He has written seven books and has spent many years covering the NFL and NBA, but "telling baseball stories from stars like Thurman Munson (his first baseball interview) to Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso remain his first love."  Go to www.ballnine.com to read articles written by Kevin Kernan.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 327 features exceptional baseball and barbecue talk with Matt's Backyard BBQ's, Matthew Pereira and award-winning ghostwriter, Daniel Paisner Matthew Pereira describes himself as just a backyard cook who loves barbecue and is competitive.  He is a perfectionist when it come to the art of barbecue.  Matt, as are many other barbecue lovers, became a fan of barbecue and developed a desire to cook competitively from watching the show, BBQ Pitmasters.  Matt and his wife, Heidi got out to a fast start in barbecue competitions as they won a  qualifying competition which qualified them for the World Food Championships.  He was even tasked by his town to start a local barbecue competition.  Matt's passion for barbecue is on full display as we discuss all of this and more. Daniel Paisner is a journalist, author and podcaster, with more than 80 books to his credit, including 17 New York Times best-sellers. As taken from his website, "He is the “voice” of Serena Williams, Steve Aoki, John Kasich, Whoopi Gold

Episode 326 features scintillating baseball and barbecue talk with baseball savant, Brett Moore and Hey Grill Hey pitmaster, Susie Bulloch and guest co-host, Doug Scheiding Brett Moore is obsessed with baseball and has turned this life-long passion into a one man show and we welcome him back.  In 2018, Brett's wife, Erin helped him create a new game utilizing his encyclopedic baseball knowledge, which Brett then turned into the show, Batter Up!  This highly entertaining show has been nominated for numerous awards.  Brett, also an active blogger, is working on a book about overlooked Baseball Hall of Fame cases.  For more information on Brett and his show go to https://batterup.show/ Sussie Bulloch is a renowned barbecue expert, recipe developer, and founder of the popular food blog Hey Grill Hey at www.heygrillhey.com.  She has appeared on Food Network, participated in and helped set Guinness World Records for the longest team grilling marathon and largest grilling lesson, created successful product lines of