Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

The Star
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Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

Longtime Toronto Blue Jays radio voice Mike Wilner hosts Deep Left Field, a baseball podcast from the Toronto Star. With great baseball coverage, opinion and analysis, Deep Left Field has everything you need to know about the Jays, specifically, and baseball in general.

  1. 6D AGO

    Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer dives deep into his red hot season so far and Rangers manager Jeff Banister talks Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip and more on today's show

    Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer, former Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister   This week in Deep Left Field, we present two in-depth, long form, incredible conversations. First, we get to know left-hander Eric Lauer, who emerged seemingly out of nowhere to be arguably the Jays' best pitcher over the past couple of months, and inarguably the one they would be lost without at this point in the season. Then, we get a fresh perspective on the biggest Blue Jays moment of the 21st century. Current Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister was managing the Texas Rangers when Jose Bautista hit his iconic BatFlip home run. He looks back on that moment - and shares the incredible story that led to him getting to the major leagues - and tries to convince us that Rougned Odor is a good guy.

    1h 16m

  2. JUN 19

    Blue Jays are two games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East; on the show this week, Diamondback Randal Grichuk and Jay Braydon Fisher

    Guests: Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk, Blue Jays pitcher Braydon Fisher       This week in Deep Left Field, we catch up with an old pal Randal Grichuk, who played four seasons for the Jays, is back in Toronto for the first time since being traded to the Colorado Rockies in spring training of 2022. We look back at his time here, at the Jays' great 2021 team, Grichuk helping to break in a 20-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr and, of course, we get the story on his nickname, Handsome Randal. Then we introduce you to rookie Braydon Fisher, who has yet to allow a run in 14 appearances out of the Jays' bullpen this season. Also, a tribute to longtime Jays team doctor Ron Taylor, who passed away this week at the age of 87.

    50 min

  3. JUN 12

    Jordan Romano, Don Mattingly and son, Phillies GM Preston Mattingly

    Guests: Phillies closer Jordan Romano, Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly and his son, Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly   The Blue Jays chose not to tender a contract to homegrown closer Jordan Romano, who is third on their all-time saves list, this winter, and he was snapped up by Philadelphia pretty quickly. He came back to Toronto and got walked off by old buddy Alejandro Kirk. We talked to Romano after that game.   And with fathers' day weekend upon us, we talk to father-son Mattinglys - Blue Jays bench coach Don and his son Preston, who grew up to run the Phillies.

    56 min

  4. JUN 8

    Inside the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame banquet with Jose Bautista, Greg Hamilton, Larry Walker, Ernie Whitt, Denis Boucher and more

    Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

    1h 7m

  5. JUN 5

    Blue Jays associate manager DeMarlo Hale, plus A's outfielder Denzel Clarke

    DeMarlo Hale, Athletics/Baseball Canada outfielder Denzel Clarke   This week in Deep Left Field, we sit down with DeMarlo Hale for his thoughts on the Blue Jays season so far. Hale thinks a season is best looked over after each third, so we look back at the first third and forward to what he thinks the team can accomplish over the next couple of months. We also introduce you to Denzel Clarke, a Pickering native who had his coming out party at Rogers Centre on the weekend. While the Jays were sweeping his A's in four straight games, Clarke belted his first big-league home run, had his first career multi-hit game and dazzled on defence, including going up and over the center field wall to take a home run away from Alejandro Kirk.

    1 hr

  6. MAY 29

    Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Chair Jeremy Diamond on Jose Bautista and other inductees, plus Padre Tim Leiper and ump Steven Jaschinski

    Guests: Former Blue Jays/current San Diego Padres coach Tim Leiper, major-league umpire Steven Jaschinski, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Board Chair Jeremy Diamond   This week in Deep Left Field is all about the true north strong and free! Tim Leiper joins us to reminisce about his Jays days and talk about Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Jose Bautista and Greg Hamilton. Leiper, a southern California native who now makes his home in Huntsville, Ont., was coaching first base when Bautista flipped his bat in 2015 and has coached third base for Canada's senior men's national team for more than two decades. Jaschinski made his major-league debut as an umpire on May 16 when the Jays hosted Detroit and the Burlington, Ont. native tells us how he got to the bigs all the way from Aldershot School. And with the CBHOF induction weekend coming up, Jeremy Diamond checks in to tell us what to expect in St. Marys.

    1h 18m

  7. MAY 22

    Blue Jays centerfielder Daulton Varsho, third baseman Addison Barger, Buffalo Bisons manager Casey Candaele and more

    Guests: Blue Jays centerfielder Daulton Varsho, third baseman Addison Barger, Buffalo Bisons manager Casey Candaele   This week, we talk to two of the players most consequential to the Jays' recent turnaround that has seen them win eight out of 12 games going into their May 22 series finale against the San Diego Padres.   Daulton Varsho leads the team with seven home runs despite only having been active since the end of April. He joins us to talk about his power prowess, his ongoing recovery from shoulder surgery and his advice to his teammates who had been struggling offensively when he arrived.    Addison Barger got a chance to play every day when Andres Gimenez got hurt and been one of the Jays' best hitters since then. He talks about his time on the shuttle back and forth from Buffalo, his power potential and his record-setting day in right field back in April.   Also, we get the word on the Jays' to minor-league affiliate and the players down there who are on the verge of helping the big club from Bisons skipper Casey Candaele.

    1h 1m

  8. MAY 15

    Rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty, pitching coach Pete Walker and our very own Gregor Chisholm

    Guests: Blue Jays reliever Mason Fluharty, pitching coach Pete Walker, Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm   This week in Deep Left Field, we introduce you to rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty, who came within six outs of throwing a "perfect game" out of the bullpen. As the Jays hit the one-quarter mark of the season, we catch up with pitching coach Pete Walker for his thoughts on how the pitching has held up so far, with a focus on the starting rotation, and Gregor Chisholm and I share our thoughts about the controversial MLB decision to remove all deceased players - including and especially Pete Rose - from baseball's Permanently Ineligible list.

    1h 10m
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Longtime Toronto Blue Jays radio voice Mike Wilner hosts Deep Left Field, a baseball podcast from the Toronto Star. With great baseball coverage, opinion and analysis, Deep Left Field has everything you need to know about the Jays, specifically, and baseball in general.

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