Dirt From The Dugout

29:37

Part 1 | Adam Ottavino on Mentors, Mistakes & Making...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/10/06

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil welcome former big-league reliever Adam Ottavino, who pitched for the Rockies, Yankees, Mets, and more over a 15-year career. Ottavino breaks down just how unhittable modern pitching has become, pointing to the explosion in repertoire size, pitch design, and sheer volume of arms hitters now face. He traces his own path from a Brooklyn kid obsessed with emulating big leaguers in Wiffle ball games to a late physical bloomer who got

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48:12

MLB Postseason Preview: Wild Card Picks & Predictions

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/10/02

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil break down the wild card round as the 2026 postseason kicks off, naming their teams and players of the year before diving series by series. Musil goes with the Brewers as team of the year for their relentless, never-say-die style, while Ravech makes the case for the Rays and their similarly pesky, pressure-everyone approach, floating a Brewers-Rays World Series as the season's ultimate underdog story. The two debate player of the

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28:18

Part 2 | Erik Neander's Unpaid Internship Story Will...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/30

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil wrap up their conversation with Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander, digging into the unglamorous grind behind his rise. Neander tells the story of his unpaid internship with Baseball Info Solutions, the four months he spent sleeping on a twin bed crammed into a coworker's walk-in closet, and the winter-break scramble to enroll at a random community college just to qualify for the internship stipend. He

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33:40

Part 1 | Rays President Erik Neander on Leading...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/29

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil sit down with Erik Neander, president of baseball operations for the Tampa Bay Rays, on the eve of the playoffs with Tampa Bay sitting atop the American League. Neander traces his path from a Cal Ripken-loving kid growing up 20 minutes from Cooperstown to landing a Rays internship on his third or fourth attempt, and shares the leadership philosophy that's driven the organization's success: staying grounded, leading with humility,

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20:39

Part 2 | Aaron Boone on Social Media, Pressure & His...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/24

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil close out their conversation with Yankees manager Aaron Boone, diving into how he handles the pressure of New York and the social media noise that comes with it, including the annual talk he gives his team every spring training about protecting themselves from it, and the lesson Giancarlo Stanton once shared with the clubhouse. Boone also revisits one of the most iconic moments in Yankees history: his walk-off home run off Tim

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34:21

Aaron Boone: Baseball, Brotherhood, & Building...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/22

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil welcome Yankees manager Aaron Boone, drawing on Ravech's decades covering Boone's playing career at ESPN and their long friendship since. Boone opens up about growing up in a baseball dynasty with his grandfather, father, and brothers all in the game, and how his family gave him room to make the journey his own rather than pushing him into it. He talks through the balance parents need to strike between support and helicoptering,

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26:17

Jesse Cole Gets Real: $30 a Week, Foster Care &...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/21

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil close out their conversation with Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole, and it gets personal. Jesse breaks down the rule he thinks is Banana Ball's real secret weapon, the one-point-per-inning scoring system born from a phone call with his dad after a blowout loss on the night he proposed to his wife, Emily. He opens up about the couple's near-collapse in 2016, selling their house and living off $30 a week to keep the team alive,

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35:06

Jesse Cole Shares the Secrets Behind Banana Ball's...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/18

Ravvy and Justin are joined this episode by Jesse Cole, the creator of "Banana Ball" and founder of Fans First Entertainment. He's best known as the owner of the viral baseball sensation, the Savannah Bananas. Starting out as a minor league baseball general manager who wanted to make the game more exciting and engaging for fans, he created a faster-paced, highly choreographed version of baseball that now regularly sells out major stadiums across the country. In this first part of the interview, Cole

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36:04

September Sports Talk with Karl Ravech & Justin Musil

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/11

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Karl Ravech and Justin Musil talk all things September. From the food to the weather, to the sports, and of course, the baseball. Nothing beats September, and this conversation captures exactly why American sports fans love this time of year. Hear Ravvy and Justin's World Series Favorite, their favorite teams to watch as the regular season comes to a close, and even which NFL teams the boys are rooting for this season! Join our growing community

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34:58

Michael King Shares Which Pitches to Master as An MLB...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/10

Karl Ravech and Justin Musil welcome San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King to the show. A Rochester, New York native and Boston College product, King was a 12th-round pick who developed into a full-time starter with the Yankees before headlining the trade that sent Juan Soto to New York, and has since become one of the Padres' most reliable arms. Ravvy and Justin talk with King about his winding path to a big-league rotation, what it takes to reinvent yourself as a pitcher, and the mindset

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25:09

What Boston College Meant to Padres Ace Michael King

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/09

Karl Ravech and Justin Musil welcome San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King to the show. A Rochester, New York native and Boston College product, King was a 12th-round pick who developed into a full-time starter with the Yankees before headlining the trade that sent Juan Soto to New York, and has since become one of the Padres' most reliable arms. Ravvy and Justin talk with King about his winding path to a big-league rotation, what it takes to reinvent yourself as a pitcher, and the mindset

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62:05

Karl Ravech Reflects On His Career at ESPN

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/05

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Justin turns the mic around on his co-host, sitting down with Karl for a rare look back at his nearly three-decade run at ESPN. Ravvy has been one of the defining voices of baseball broadcasting since joining the network in 1996, anchoring Baseball Tonight as its longtime primary host and, most recently, calling games as the lead announcer for Sunday Night Baseball from 2022 to 2026. A Needham, Massachusetts native and Ithaca College grad, Karl got his start

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33:05

How Shohei Ohtani Has Changed Dave Roberts' Managing...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/03

Ravvy and Justin are joined this episode by Dave Roberts, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's best known as the steady hand behind one of the most dominant runs in modern baseball, guiding the Dodgers to World Series titles in 2020, 2024, and 2025. Roberts began his career as an outfielder, playing for the Cleveland Indians, Dodgers, Red Sox, Padres, and Giants, and famously stole a pivotal base in the 2004 ALCS that sparked Boston's historic comeback. In the second part of our exclusive

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30:03

Dave Roberts Talks Managing Accomplished MLB Superstars

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/09/02

Ravvy and Justin are joined this episode by Dave Roberts, manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's best known as the steady hand behind one of the most dominant runs in modern baseball, guiding the Dodgers to World Series titles in 2020, 2024, and 2025. Roberts began his career as an outfielder, playing for the Cleveland Indians, Dodgers, Red Sox, Padres, and Giants, and famously stole a pivotal base in the 2004 ALCS that sparked Boston's historic comeback. In this first part of our exclusive

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59:58

Dave Belisle Shares What Makes the LLWS So Special

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/08/18

Ravvy & Justin are joined this week by the legendary Little League World Series Manager for Cumberland, Rhode Island, Dave Belisle. His teams, which made two appearances in 2011 and 2014 at Williamsport, were both New England Champions. For 39 years (1980-2019), Dave also coached hockey alongside his father at Mount Saint Charles Academy and won 30 Rhode Island State Championships together. Dave discusses the impact his legendary 2014 speech had on his life, what his father meant to him, and the

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65:40

Alex Cora Shares His Baseball Future & Best Memories

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/08/11

On this episode, Justin & Ravvy are joined by former Red Sox manager and 14-Year MLB vet Alex Cora! After retiring as a player, Cora served as the bench coach for the Houston Astros when they won their first World Series title in 2017. Cora was named Boston's manager the following season, winning a franchise-best 108 games and leading the team to victory in the 2018 World Series. He is the fifth MLB manager to win the World Series in his first season and the first Puerto Rican manager of a World

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49:57

4x Gold Glover & World Series Champion Eric Hosmer...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/08/09

This week, Justin & Ravvy are joined by 2015 World Series Champion and 2016 All-Star Game MVP Eric Hosmer! He played for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he helped win Team USA's first gold medal in a WBC tournament and was named to the All-World Baseball Classic Team. Use our code for 10% off your next order of MLB tickets on SeatGeek*: seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/TERRITORY10 Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply

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60:19

All-Time Great Manager Buck Showalter Shares His Best...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/07/29

Ravvy and Justin are joined this episode by longtime manager and baseball legend Buck Showalter. Showalter has earned a reputation for building baseball teams into postseason contenders in short periods of time.He helped the Yankees rise from the bottom half of the AL East to first place before a players' strike prematurely ended the 1994 campaign. Under his watch, the Diamondbacks made their first-ever playoff appearance in only the second year of the team's existence. Showalter shares hilarious

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52:39

Cardinals Legend Adam Wainwright Shares Stories and...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/07/22

This week, Ravvy and Justin are joined by all-time Cardinals great, Team USA medal winner, and renaissance man, Adam Wainwright! In his career, Wainwright won 200 games, received three All-Star selections and two Gold Glove Awards, and finished in the top three in the Cy Young Award balloting four times. With 2,202 career strikeouts, Wainwright is second to Bob Gibson (3,117) in Cardinals franchise history. Listen to "Waino" talk about his pitching tips for youth players, what his greatest baseball

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58:58

Tim Kurkjian Dives Into Decades of Baseball Stories...

Dirt From The Dugout ·

2026/07/16

On this episode of Dirt From the Dugout, Ravvy and Justin are joined by one of the greatest personalities in baseball, Tim Kurkjian! Kurkjian is an MLB analyst on Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter while also contributing to ESPN's website and magazine. On December 7, 2021, Kurkjian was named the recipient of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award for 2022, presented annually by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and officially awarded during induction ceremonies for the Baseball Hall of Fame

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