Talking Baseball With Ed Randall

Rafael Palmeiro spent 20 years in the Majors, becoming only the fifth player in the league to ever slug 500 home runs and obtain 3,000 hits. However, due to his positive test for performance-enhancing drugs in 2005, his age 40 season would be his last. Palmeiro though is hoping to make his way back in 2018. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall spends time talking with Palmeiro about why he's attempting a comeback and what motivates him to prove that at 53 years old, that age is just a number.

Ned Yost has been at the helm of the Kansas City Royals since 2010, including managing them to their first championship since 1985 in 2015. But with every season comes the offseason and this current one has left Ned thankful to still be alive. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall speaks with the Royals manager about the 20-foot fall he endured after a tree stand malfunctioned and how thanks to his cell phone and a speedy medical staff, he avoided death.

Most people who attend an Ivy League college aren't normally destined for the big leagues, but Doug Glanville had a different idea. After being drafted out of the University of Pennsylvania in the first round by the Chicago Cubs in the 1991 Draft, he became the first African American to play in the big leagues that attended an Ivy League school. With his playing days behind him, Doug is returning to his alma mater to teach communications. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall talks with Professor Glanville's about his return to UPenn and why teaching students about how athletes and celebrities use their public profile to share their thoughts on social and cultural issues is so important.

Former MLB outfielder Sam Fuld recently joined the Philadelphia Phillies as the Major League player information coordinator, a position that seemed destined for Sam long before his professional playing days. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall speaks with Sam about joining the Phillies in his new role and how being a kid who loved stats led him to his new career in his post-playing days. They also discuss Sam's legendary catch, playing for Team Israel in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and his historic performance in his first game at Fenway Park.

Tony Kubek has a baseball resume that many would love to replicate. From being named the 1957 American League Rookie of the Year, a four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees, to his broadcasting career in his post-playing days that led to him winning the Ford C. Frick Award. But perhaps it was what Tony did outside of baseball that has the most meaning to him. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall talks with Tony about his work in his home state of Wisconsin with Hmong immigrants and why that's become such an important part of his life.

After 16 professional seasons pitching out of the bullpen, Joe Nathan announced his retirement from the game of baseball in 2017. During his impressive career, Nathan amassed 377 saves during his MLB career, which is good for eighth on the all-time list, while appearing on six All-Star teams. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall talks with the now retired reliever about saying goodbye to his playing days. They also discuss his early transformation from shortstop to reliever and whether or not he'll appear in a different role in the game that treated him so well in the future.

The Seattle Mariners haven't been in the postseason since the 2001 season and if there's one person who is determined to end that spell in 2018, it's GM Jerry Dipoto. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall talks with Jerry about being one of the more active GM's in baseball, including acquiring Dee Gordon while flying in an airplane this offseason. They also discuss his playing days and if Edgar Martinez should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

When umpire Dale Scott retired this past season, his professional career resume was one to be admired. Calling 3,897 games, including 91 Postseason games, three World Series and three All-Star Games, there isn't much Dale hasn't done as an MLB umpire. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall takes some time to talk with Scott about his illustrious career and if it was hard to walk away from the game this past season. They also discuss some of Dale's most memorable ejections as well as him being the first openly gay umpire in MLB.

10 years ago this December, senator George Mitchell rocked the baseball world when he released his findings of steroid and performance-enhancing substances used in the game in The Mitchell Report. The document shed new light on the rampant use of PED's in baseball, as well as naming players who used steroids. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall talks with Christian Red, an investigative reporter for the New York Daily News, about the impact of the report and what effect it has had on the sport 10 years later.

When Dennis Bair was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the eighth round of the 1995 MLB Draft, it's safe to assume that he never thought he'd be responsible for helping to change lives after his playing days. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall spends time with Dennis discussing BairFind, the official home grown charity of Minor League Baseball that's dedicated in finding missing children. They discuss how Dennis went from watching a documentary on a missing child following shoulder surgery to creating a foundation that helped located 100 missing children just last year alone.

The 1990 Winter Meetings in Chicago featured a trade that would send shockwaves through the baseball world. The Toronto Blue Jays sent Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez to the Padres for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall speaks with Joe McIlvaine, who was the General Manager of the Padres and helped orchestrate that deal. They talk about the reaction the trade garnered and how impactful that move was for San Diego.

When Dick Groch wrote a scouting report about a high school senior named Derek Jeter, the Yankees scout said that the "five-tool player" would be a Major League All-Star and simply dubbed him "a Yankee." That exact scouting report was recently sold at auction for $102,000. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall discusses the scouting report with Dick, as well as it selling at auction and his reaction about the day that Derek was drafted by the Yankees.

The New York Yankees made a big splash at the Winter Meetings when they acquired the 2017 home run leader Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins. It was just the 12th time in MLB history when the reigning home run leader was traded the following season. Talking Baseball's Ed Randall talks with Rocky Colavito, who was traded by Cleveland to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn following his 1959 season when he led the league with 42 home runs.

What do you do when it's too dangerous to go home? Talkin' Baseball's Ed Randall recently caught up with 12-year MLB veteran Edgardo Alfonzo, to talk about the hazards of returning to his native country of Venezuela. On the show they discuss the deteriorating relationship between Venezuela and the United States, the huge shortages of basic necessities that the people of Venezuela are suffering from and how the country's MLB players are impacted by the current state of affairs.

Ryan Madson pitched in the big leagues from 2003-2011, in which he won a World Series in 2008 with the Phillies. After his age 30 season, he would require Tommy John Surgery and would have to try to recover from injury. Ryan wouldn't find the same success and later retired from the game. However, thanks to a former teammate and having nothing to lose, he tried a new method and it worked. Madson returned to baseball at age 34 with the Royals, winning another championship and is now in pursuit of another title with the Nationals. Talkin' Baseball's Ed Randall speaks with Ryan about his return to the bigs and his appreciation he has for the game after his brief retirement.

What happens to a professional athlete after they can no longer play the game? To assist in the transition from the pro ranks to a post baseball career, Major League Baseball has partnered with Game Theory Group International to provide Major and Minor leaguers with career transition services and resources via their "Game Plan" platform. Talkin' Baseball's Ed Randall recently caught up with Paul Mifsud, MLB's VP and deputy general counsel of labor relations and player programs as well as Game Theory Group International's founder and CEO, Vin McCaffrey to discuss the importance of this new deal and explain the benefits that will now be offered to individuals as they transition into new careers.

Former Major Leaguer Frank Tepedino has the distinction of being the only player in MLB history to be in uniform to witness teammate Mickey Mantle's 500th home run as a Yankee and teammate Hank Aaron's 715th home run as a member of the Braves. Talkin' Baseball's Ed Randall recently had the chance to talk to Tepedino about his unique experience of witnessing these two historic home runs firsthand, his life after baseball as a member of the New York City Fire Patrol and his actions during the tragic events of the September 11 attacks.

The Houston area continues to show their resiliency in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Resiliency is something that the natives of Texas are used to, just like current suburban Houston resident and former MLB manager Art Howe. Talkin' Baseball's Ed Randall takes some time and talks with Art about the storm's impact on the area. They also discuss 1992 when the Astros had to play 26 games in 28 days on the road due to the Astrodome being vacated for the Republican National Convention and how he managed his club through that rough stretch.

The Oakland A's were a force to be reckoned with in the early 70s, winning three championships in a row from 1972-1974. The man behind these teams was the mad genius and owner Charles Finley. Talkin' Baseball's Ed Randall spends some time talking with Nancy Finley, the daughter of Charles, about her new book Finley Ball: How Two Baseball Outsiders Turned the Oakland A's into a Dynasty and Changed the Game Forever and why this story was an important one to tell.

On August 25th, the Erie SeaWolves celebrated their 2016 Easten League Championship in front of what was an expected crowd of 1.2 million people. However, all those facts might not have been totally true considering it was Alternative Facts Night at the UPMC Park. Talkin' Baseball's Ed Randall spoke with the president of the SeaWolves, Greg Coleman, about this unique promotion and how they raised money all for a good cause, despite the alt-facts.