Episode 22: Those Other Leagues

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Seeing a major-league game is always a thrill. Sure, the team might not be that great, but there’s no denying that the players on the field are some of the best in the world. But there’s those other leagues, too. Where the beer is cheaper and the seats are closer and the atmosphere is just a little more … fun.

And those are the leagues we’re dealing with on this episode of Stealing Home.

Ben Hill runs the Ben’s Biz blog and writes at milb.com. He covers anything and everything dealing with minor league baseball. We’ll talk about how he got started on the beat, and some of the most memorable things he’s seen in his travels.

If you haven’t subscribed to Netflix by now, here’s your reason. The Battered Bastards of Baseball is a documentary about the upstart Portland Mavericks, an independent baseball team founded by a movie star that fought both on the field and off to prove that they belonged.

The Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks are a member of the Alaska Baseball League, and host an impressive list of future major-leaguers that passed through their ranks. Henry Cole is a Fairbanks native, and we talk about the unique world of the short-lived baseball season in Alaska.

And Marty Brennaman makes a slightly morbid case for the MVP of My Heart.

(All original music by David Temple.)