Longtime baseball writer Scott Miller returns to the show to discuss his new book, “Skipper: Why Baseball Managers Matter and Always Will.” Miller’s book is a deep dive into the ongoing struggle for control that often takes place behind the scenes between Major League Baseball managers and the ownership groups, and now, their data analysts. Through stories about managers past and present, Miller explains what managers used to be and what they are in today’s baseball.

Scott Miller is an award-winning veteran national MLB writer who has been a contributor to the New York Times, the national baseball columnist at Bleacher Report and CBSSports.com, and covered baseball extensively for the Los Angeles Times and St. Paul Pioneer Press before that. He has been honored several times as one of the top baseball writers in the nation by the Associated Press Sports Editors.

Managers mentioned in this episode include but are not limited to Sparky Anderson, Dave Roberts, Lou Piniella, Jim Leyland, Dusty Baker, Earl Weaver, Bruce Bochy, Aaron Boone, Ned Yost, Bud Black, and countless others.

Buy Skipper here: https://amzn.to/3Zji9gC

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On May 3rd, 2025, the city of Denver, Colorado, saw two of their teams play Game 7 of their respective first-round playoff series… at the same time. The Denver Nuggets hosted the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA playoffs while the Colorado Avalanche (who share a home arena with the Nuggets) visited the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup Playoff first-round series. While the Nuggets were blowing out the Clippers to advance to the second round, the Avalanche were leading the Stars in the 3rd period. Then, the Avalanche stunningly blew the lead and fell to Dallas, ending their season.

Mike Evans has been a talk show host on Denver Sports, 104.3 The Fan in Denver since 1998. He joins the show to discuss both games, but also his viewing plan, and how he managed to follow both games. He currently hosts the morning show on the Fan with former Broncos Brandon Stokely and Marc Schlereth.

In this episode, Evans also discusses the four pro sports teams in Denver and ranks them in popularity. While the Denver Broncos are clearly the biggest team in town, the rest of the list may surprise you.

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Longtime football coach Jay Paterno joined the show. Originally, he was part of a pitch to discuss recent political implications of Title IX on college sports. He is the author of multiple books, including his most recent release titled “Blitzed! The All-Out Pressure of College Football’s New Era.”

Paterno is the son of the longtime Penn State coach Joe Paterno. The elder Paterno was the coach of Penn State during the scandal that ultimately led to his firing, in which Jerry Sandusky abused young boys. This episode addresses that scandal.

Jay agreed to come on the show with no restrictions on questioning.

The Penn State discussion begins at the 24:52 mark of this podcast.

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Sports with Friends has reached its 500th episode. Iconic play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough is our special guest. Sean is currently the voice of the NHL on ESPN and college football. He was the voice of Monday Night Football, the Big East Tournament, MLB on CBS, and countless others. He’s a 1984 Newhouse School at Syracuse University graduate and a WAER Radio Hall-of-Famer.

In this special episode, McDonough recounts his incredible career path. He talks about the unique set-up in the NHL broadcast where his partner Ray Ferraro calls the game from rink side. He also discusses the role of the national broadcast versus the local rights holder. He pontificates on how the political overtones of the Four Nations Face-Off don’t mean that politics and social issues should have a role in sports broadcasts.

Special thank you to Chris Horwedel of Underdog Podcasts for his continued support of this show through its first 500 episodes.

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Tim Kurkjian was the 2022 recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award presented annually by the Baseball Writers Association of America and is part of the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. His tenure at ESPN began in 1998 after stints at the Dallas Morning News, Baltimore Sun, and Sports Illustrated. He is a regular contributor to Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight as well as game coverage. He hosts a baseball podcast with his son Jeff entitled “Is This a Great Game, Or What?” In 2025, he was inducted into the Strat-O-Matic Hall of Fame.

In this episode, Kurkjian discusses how baseball has evolved throughout his illustrious career. He addresses recent rule changes as well as marketing challenges the sports faces. He also offers explains the stadium issues facing the A’s and Tampa Bay Rays.

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Len Elmore, former NBA player and Senior Lecturer in Sports Management at Columbia University School of Professional Studies, joined the show to discuss the evolving role of athlete activism and the stakes in today’s political and social climate. Elmore has served as a college basketball analyst for ESPN and Fox Sports and has served in the same capacity for CBS Sports' coverage of the NCAA Tournament and the NBA. He played in the NBA from 1974 to 1984 for various teams, including the Indiana Pacers, Kansas City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks.

In this episode, Elmore gives his take on the current NCAA sports climate regarding NIL money and the transfer portal process. He offered insight into the upcoming Final Four, which features four #1 seeds: Auburn, Florida, Duke, and Houston. He also discusses how players use social media for activism and whether today’s political moment is reaching a tipping point for athlete-led activism. He also commented on the unprecedented growth of women’s sports and what their future looks like amid DEI challenges.

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This episode focuses on Major League Baseball, as the traditional Opening Day is set for shortly after this show’s release. Despite having two games in Japan, most teams start now amidst a changing sports climate. The A’s and Rays are playing this season in minor league ballparks. 10 teams are having their games broadcast and produced by MLB. Payroll disparity is at an all-time high. Despite this, attendance was up last season, and the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees drew fantastic ratings.

Scott Miller has covered MLB for 30 years. For years, he wrote for CBS Sports and Bleacher Report. He is a frequent contributor to MLB Network Radio on Sirius/XM as well as San Diego Padres broadcasts.

In this episode, Miller discusses the pending labor contract expiration and the ramifications of that. He also talked about the Rays and A’s stadium dilemma,s offering potential solutions.

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