Buck Showalter returns to the show and, as always, delivers sharp insight on today’s game—along with a pointed critique of a pitching rule that might surprise you. A legendary manager known for building disciplined, competitive teams across the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Orioles, and Mets, Showalter brings decades of perspective to the conversation.

We also dive into his response to Max Scherzer’s recent comments, revisit his unlikely start as a basketball referee, and hear how his long friendship with Tim leads to a candid list of ideas to improve the game.

It’s a deep but accessible baseball conversation for fans of all levels—thanks for listening, and be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, thanks for being a part of our family!

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Tim Kurkjian almost put money on the Kentucky Derby? We dive into that and bring you a Team Tim all about it, but you’ll have to wait until the end of the show for it.

The White Sox seem to have turned a corner. Who is the greatest “Matt” in baseball history, and could it eventually be Matt Olson? Justin Crawford’s first MLB RBIs come with a fun fact about every single one.

Are you surprised we’re talking about strikeouts? We always are. James Wood, Kyle Schwarber, and Jakob Marsee all come up during this chat. Plus, Dustin May made our quirky brains happy on Sunday.

Did you know that taking the time to follow or subscribe does a LOT for our show? Why not do it now? Share the show with a friend as well. Maybe even leave a comment or a rating, it would mean a lot! Thanks for being a part of our family!

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Elly De La Cruz is a star and just pulled off something incredible, but what we didn’t know is what he was doing when Terry Francona was first hired, and it says a lot about his character. A true class act.

Our GameChanger of the Week focuses on managers, especially with all the wild news that broke this week. Alex Cora is out, Rob Thomson is out—so what does that mean for the game? Tim Kurkjian weighs in, and Jeff brings it all the way back around to Little League.

Nick Kurtz keeps getting on base, but he’s still short of the record for most consecutive games with a walk. The current leader might surprise you, and no, it’s not Barry Bonds. Plus, Drew Romo has done something that caught all of us off guard. He’s off to a really fun start, no debating that.

On This Date in baseball history, Bob Feller comes up, along with a great story involving one of our favorite guests, Steve Sparks. We share some laughs looking back at that interview, and don’t worry, Feller comes back into the conversation later in Alphabest.

We wrap things up with Wheel of Kurkjian, Three Cards in the Bathroom, and a Team Tim that highlights some of the best sitcoms of all time, at least according to Tim. Trust me, Jeff had plenty to say about the one major omission, but hey, it’s not called Team Jeff.

Thanks so much for listening or watching and for spending time with us. Be sure to subscribe or follow wherever you’re listening, it’s free, and thanke you being part of our family.

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Joe Buck joins Tim and Jeff Kurkjian and, as always, he doesn’t disappoint. The legendary play-by-play announcer has done it all, so we’ll spare you the long list of accomplishments—but trust us, it’s impressive.

What we will tell you is that he’s just been announced as the new host of ESPN’s Jeopardy!, and we’ve got the inside scoop. Joe shares what he knows so far and how soon filming is set to begin.

We also dive into his relationship with his father, Hall of Fame broadcaster Jack Buck, and the remarkable career that helped shape Joe’s path. In fact, they’ll become the first father-son duo enshrined in Cooperstown as broadcasters—pretty cool.

Then we take a trip down memory lane to the days of Brockmire, where both Tim and Joe appeared (Joe a bit more prominently) alongside the incredibly talented Hank Azaria. The behind-the-scenes stories are priceless.

Joe also gives us a great look into what it was like growing up around the St. Louis Cardinals. Whether you’re a Cards fan or just a baseball fan in general, you’re going to love these stories.

Big thanks to Joe for joining us—and as always, thank you for listening. Be sure to subscribe or follow wherever you’re tuning in.

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Coming to you from Tim Kurkjian’s office, just before the sprinkle for Baby Bodie Bell Kurkjian, arriving June 5. We squeezed this episode in not to dodge party setup duties, but with the understanding that we’re fully on teardown after, so don’t worry.

Shohei’s streak has finally come to an end, and we break down what it means and how it stacks up against Ted Williams. The Braves are rolling, and the Phillies, at long last, have snapped their skid. But when the two teams met, something strange happened, and we had to dig into it. Let’s just say we’ve become a little obsessed with extra-base hits.

Four players reached a milestone on Thursday, though it might not be one worth celebrating. On This Date brings up legends like Hank Aaron and Walter Johnson, and being in Tim’s office gave us the chance to pull out a few Walter Johnson artifacts, which didn’t exactly go as planned.

And finally, a special Team Tim in honor of our guest tomorrow, Joe Buck. Yes, that Joe Buck. Make sure you’re subscribed and following wherever you get your podcasts, this is one you won’t want to miss.

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Brand new look—who dis?

For those listening on the audio stream, thank you! But we highly recommend checking out our new YouTube look. Just search “Is This A Great Game, Or What” on YouTube to see the upgraded vibe.

Alright, onto the episode. We’ve got another GameChanger of the Week to keep you entertained—this one tied to our friend Max Scherzer and something he said during our interview earlier this week. If you missed it, go back and listen. Seriously, it’s worth it.

The Boston Marathon has Tim Kurkjian thinking about the speed of the game we love. Plus, we debate the greatest last-name “E” hitter and pitcher—who’ve you got?

We also rifle through three more cards featuring incredible stories, including Joey Meneses—one we didn’t know we needed in our lives.

And to wrap things up, it’s a Team Tim edition in celebration of the NFL Draft kicking off tonight.

It’s a packed show, with a tease for next week’s amazing guest.

Thanks for watching and listening!

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Max Scherzer is a future Hall of Famer—and we were lucky enough to have him join our show on an off day. The two-time World Series champion covers everything from his college career to life as a dad.

Scherzer even shares a bold idea for increasing the value of starting pitchers. It might sound a little crazy—but we want to hear what you think.

We also dive into his wife’s incredible athletic background and their shared love of pitching, plus a touching story about his daughter’s letter to the Toronto Blue Jays that might just bring you to tears.

We can’t thank Max enough for taking the time to join our show. Don’t miss his stories about Buck and the many legendary managers he’s played for—there are some great ones in here.

If you’re new, be sure to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. Thanks for being part of the family!

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Tim Kurkjian in a cowboy hat? Yeah… we can’t picture it either. But apparently, it happened—and we’ve got the story behind the last time he wore one.

Jeff also took his family out to a ballgame that featured a special postgame concert, and we break that down too. Plus, Tim shares the tale of losing his car at an airport and unveils his latest “All-Clothing Team Tim.”

Got an idea for the next Team Tim? Submit your suggestions at GreatGameOrWhat.com—we’d love to hear them.

On the field, the 3-4-5 hitters combined to go 0-for-12 with 11 strikeouts. Naturally, we had to ask: has that ever happened before? We dig into the numbers.

We’ve also got plenty of “On This Dates” and “Quirkjians”—the kind of segments only this podcast can deliver.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to share with a friend, and don’t forget to follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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