On this episode of the Back It Up Binge Podcast, we sit down with former MLB catcher Kirt Manwaring for a conversation that takes us from a small town in upstate New York all the way to the biggest stages in baseball.

Kirt grew up in Horseheads, NY, playing baseball, football and lacrosse before being selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 12th round of the 1983 draft. Instead of signing, he chose the college route, eventually landing at Coastal Carolina, where he hit .400, and earned a place in the Coastal Carolina Hall of Fame.

A second-round pick of the San Francisco Giants in 1986, Kirt made his major league debut just one year later and walked into a Giants clubhouse loaded with talent; Will Clark, Chili Davis, Matt Williams, Kevin Mitchell and more.

We talk about what it was like entering that clubhouse, playing for Roger Craig and Dusty Baker, getting his first major league hit off Rick Mahler, and experiencing the unforgettable 1989 World Series against the Oakland A’s in the “Earthquake Series.”

Kirt also takes us inside the craft of catching: controlling the running game, the mental side of the position, and eventually winning a Gold Glove in 1993 while leading the National League in caught-stealing percentage.

We also talk about his years with the Giants, Astros and Rockies, and what it was like playing for managers including Terry Collins, Don Baylor and Jim Leyland.

From small-town New York to the major leagues, from his first hit to the World Series, from the clubhouse to life after baseball, this is a great conversation with a catcher who saw the game from one of the most demanding positions on the field.

And, of course, we finish with a Binge Burner Round of rapid-fire questions!

00:00 Intro

00:28 Growing up in Horseheads NY

00:58 Kirt’s Favorite Baseball Team Growing Up

01:20 Kirt’s Favorite Sport to Play in High School

02:18 Drafted by the Red Sox Out of High School But Decided to Go to College Instead

02:53 Path to Coastal Carolina College

03:33 Position Played in High School

03:42 Batting in .400 in Coastal Carolina

04:33 Draft Day Experience

05:13 Moving Through the Minors

06:16 Walking Into the Giants Clubhouse for the First Time

06:55 The Clubhouse Leader

07:47 First Major League Hit

08:47 Playing for Roger Craig and Dusty Baker

10:10 1989 World Series Experience

11:03 1993 Gold Glove Season

12:08 What Happened to the Pitchout in Baseball?

12:55 Toughest Base Stealers

14:17 The Grind of Playing Catcher

15:49 The Art of Pitching Inside

17:04 Playing for Houston and Colorado

18:37 Playing for Terry Collins, Don Baylor and Jim Leyland

20:00 Pitcher’s Most Liked/Least Liked to Call a Game For

21:37 Mound Visits

24:04 New Baseball Rules

31:01 The Art of Hitting – Tony Gwynn

32:54 The Art of Hitting – Keith Hernandez

33:56 Batters Talking in the Box

34:53 Having a Son That Followed the Same Baseball Path

36:34 Post Career Happenings

38:20 Binger Burner Round (Bonds, Dravecky, Helton, Walker, Drabek, Hampton, Bagwell, Biggio, Hampton)

48:07 Outro

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