The Baseball Bucket List Podcast

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 of the British Baseball Federation. 

Scott and Anna discuss the importance of the fundamentals, arm health, and the current state of youth baseball in America. They also chat about Th...

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, how his love for the game has changed over the years, and what it’s like to go to work at your dream job everyday. They also discuss how the Hall of Fame plays a huge role in co...

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 essay about how he came to realize these trips were about way more than baseball.

Anna and Sandro also discuss how the All-Star tradition came to be, the absurd amount of walk-off wins Sandro has witnessed, what’s next for the duo...

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 home teams. His half-century streak is chronicled in his book Opening Day: 50-for-50. 

Michael and Anna discuss how the streak came to be, what it was like to lose and gain a team 33 years apart, and how the...

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 time have led to a new epidemic of isolation and loneliness, and how a simple game of catch can combat those effects.  

We also touch on some exciting things Ethan has planned for the year, including a visi...

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 Phillies fan.

 We discuss the family's baseball adventures across the United States. Having visited 39 states and numerous ballparks, they've experienced more of America than many natives. We also delve into what drew Jason to baseball, how the Cubs c...

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 community of ballpark staff and season ticket holders, reminisce about the glory days at the old park, and discuss the transition to Globe Life Field. Mark also takes us behind the scenes of Friendly Baseball, a grassroots initiative...

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 connection with the team as players moved on. She also gives a first-hand account of what it was like to be at Fenway Park the day of the Boston City Marathon bombing, and how the city rallied toge...

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 crucial role in his grieving process, and the touching way Andy plans to honor Sam's memory through their shared love for baseball.

 Andy also recounts an entrepreneurial ticket scheme fro...

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, despite high expectations, simply fizzle out?

Patrick's new book, Baseball’s Great Expectations, set to hit shelves on March 5th, tackles this very question. For anyone who's ever been puzzled by a player's unmet potential, Patrick's latest offering promises to be...