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A metal ring on a bat and a lefty with a screwball don’t sound like they belong in the same story, but they do and both changed how baseball feels. We start with a piece of baseball history you’ve seen a thousand times: the batting donut in the on-deck circle. Who invented it, how it spreads through Major League Baseball, and why the “heavier warm-up makes you faster” idea might be more myth than measurable truth. We also get into the psychology: if a hitter feels locked in, does the donut still do its job even when the stopwatch disagrees?

From there, we bring back our friend of the show, Edwin Noland, for a timely MLB playoffs 2026 check-in. We talk matchups, momentum, and why some teams win October by simply refusing to beat themselves. Edwin makes his World Series picks, and we lay out what we’re watching as the field narrows.

Then we go deep on Fernando Valenzuela, Fernandomania, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. We walk through the Chavez Ravine backstory, the scouting moment that lands Fernando in LA, and the breakout 1981 rookie season that turns him into a national phenomenon. It’s not just stats and highlights. It’s culture, identity, and how one player helps reshape a fan base for generations.

If you’re into baseball trivia, Dodgers history, and the real stories behind the sport’s rituals, hit subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a review. What’s one baseball tradition you love even if it “doesn’t work”?

Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

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October baseball has us on edge, so we take the best possible detour: a trip to Japan to see how the same sport can feel completely different. We start with “Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams,” a baseball documentary that captures Japan’s national high school baseball championship and the intense pressure teenagers carry when a single-elimination tournament becomes a whole town’s pride. The rituals hit as hard as the game itself: bowing to opponents and fans, relentless team-first discipline, and that unforgettable tradition of scooping up infield dirt as a personal keepsake.

Then we lay down a clear, practical intro to Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB): the Central League and Pacific League setup, a 143-game season, the Climax Series, and the Japan Series. We also get into the rule differences that make NPB its own ecosystem, including ties after 12 innings and the absence of the MLB-style ghost runner. If you’ve ever wondered why Japanese baseball development produces such polished talent, this structure is part of the answer.

We close with a deep dive on Sadaharu Oh, the Yomiuri Giants legend who holds the world record with 868 career home runs. We talk about the flamingo leg kick, the martial-arts-driven rebuild of his swing, the prejudice he faced because of his Chinese heritage, and his friendship with Hank Aaron. We also tackle the debate around how his stats translate across leagues, without losing sight of what his consistency and dominance actually mean. Subscribe, share this with your favorite baseball fan, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com

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A reliever’s job isn’t just throwing hard, it’s living on the edge of “maybe you’re in” for nine straight innings. We bring you inside that world with college bullpen arm Josh Gregoire, who shares what it actually feels like to train, wait, warm up, and perform when the timing is never fully yours.

We talk through the routines fans rarely see: how a college relief pitcher balances strength training with recovery, why Josh likes throwing almost every day at different intensity levels, and what bullpen preparation looks like when you can’t always get a catcher. Then we get tactical with scouting reports, including the “circle guy,” the hitter you refuse to let beat you, and how that changes pitch selection and risk tolerance in high leverage moments.

From there we go deep on modern pitching details: wristband signals versus PitchCom, what happens when tech fails with the clock running, and why wrist position matters as much as grip when you’re shaping pitches. Josh also opens up about elbow injuries, including Tommy John surgery, the long rehab road back, and the mental battle after a rough outing when your brain wants to replay every pitch at 2 a.m.

If you love baseball strategy, pitching mechanics, college baseball stories, and the hidden psychology of the bullpen, hit play now. Subscribe, share this with a baseball friend, and leave us a review so more listeners can find Fungos and Fastballs.

Email us at fungosandfastballs@gmail.com