FanGraphs Audio: Ross Atkins Feels Fortunate

Episode 918

This week on FanGraphs Audio, we speak to an award-winning broadcaster and an major league GM while also looking back fondly on Fernandomania.

• To begin the program, David Laurila is joined by Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, broadcaster for the Lansing Lugnuts and author of The Baseball Thesaurus. Jesse talks about his experiences calling live games that he was unable to see with his own eyes, what it was like to grow up a Tigers fan, meeting Ernie Harwell, and some of his favorite prospects to play for the Lugnuts. Finally, David and Jesse share some of their favorite baseballisms [3:32].
• Following that, Jason Martinez and Jay Jaffe get together to recall the legacy of Fernando Valenzuela. Jay recently wrote about Fernandomania, and the pair discuss what it was like to be young baseball fans at such an exciting time in the sport. Valenzuela was incredibly successful while not exactly looking like most other major leaguers, and Jason and Jay discuss the impact that had on the sport and their own fandom. [30:30]
• Finally, David returns to welcome Toronto Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins to the show. The pair talk about the last time they spoke, Atkins’ recent extension, what it’s like to work with Charlie Montoyo, and what the day-to-day life of a GM is like. Atkins also discusses some current Blue Jays players, including Julian Merryweather, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, and Nate Pearson, before David asks him about his college thesis on baseball. [56:30]

To purchase a FanGraphs membership for yourself or as a gift, click here.

To donate to FanGraphs and help us keep things running, click here.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @dhhiggins on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximate 1 hour 19 minute play time.)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS