Baseball and BBQ

Len & Jeff

Two guys just talking about our two favorite passions, Baseball and Barbecue

  1. 3D AGO

    New York Yankees Broadcaster, Suzyn Waldman and Pig Beach BBQ / Jeff Michner Foundation Barbecue Benefit’s Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride

    Suzyn Waldman is a sportscaster and former musical theater actress.  She was the first voice heard on WFAN, the first all sports, all the time (24/7) radio station in the United States.  She had various roles at the station, eventually becoming the New York Yankees beat reporter.  Since the 2005 season, she has been the color commentator for New York Yankees baseball, partnering with John Sterling and upon Sterling's retirement, teaming with former Baseball and BBQ, episode 162 guest, Dave Sims.  Suzyn acknowledges her role as a pioneer among women in sports media and the path to get to where she is now was not without its many obstacles.  She shares many stories, one of which is her role in bringing Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner together, ending a 14-year feud which resulted in Yogi Berra returning to Yankee Stadium after a long, self-imposed absence. Matt Abdoo and Shane McBride from Pig Beach BBQ join us to discuss the 6th Annual BBQ Benefit for the Jeff Michner Foundation taking place at Pig Beach BBQ, 35 - 37 36th Street, Queens, NY 11106 on Saturday afternoon, April 25, 2026.  The foundation was set up in honor of Jeff Michner who passed away at the age of 36, but although young, meaningfully touched so many lives.  The organization embraces the things he loved best: family, friends, and great food. The Jeff Michner Foundation creates scholarships for culinary students as well as supporting families managing loss and grief.  The Jeff Michner BBQ Benefit celebrates Jeff with an epic barbecue featuring some of the countries greatest pitmasters.  This event will be a dine-around, where each participating pitmaster will prepare a tasting portion of their dish for the guests to sample. Participating breweries & distilleries will be offering a beer or specialty cocktail. Go to https://jeffmichnerfoundation.com/jmf-bbq-2026 We recommend you go to Rogue Cookers website, https://roguecookers.com/ for award-winning rubs, Chef Ray Sheehan’s website, https://www.raysheehan.com/ for award-winning saucess, rubs, and cookbooks, Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com for special grilling tools and accessories, Magnechef https://magnechef.com/ for excellent and unique barbecue gloves, Cutting Edge Firewood High Quality Kiln Dried Firewood - Cutting Edge Firewood in Atlanta for high quality firewood and cooking wood, Mantis BBQ, https://mantisbbq.com/ to purchase their outstanding sauces with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Kidney Project, and for exceptional sauces, Elda's Kitchen https://eldaskitchen.com/ We conclude the show with the song, Baseball Always Brings You Home from the musician, Dave Dresser and the poet, Shel Krakofsky. We truly appreciate our listeners and hope that all of you are staying safe. If you would like to contact the show, we would love to hear from you. Call the show:  (516) 855-8214 Email:  baseballandbbq@gmail.com Twitter:  @baseballandbbq Instagram:  baseballandbarbecue YouTube:  baseball and bbq Website:  https//baseballandbbq.weebly.com Facebook:  baseball and bbq   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    2h 1m
  2. MAR 28

    Joe Davis: World Series Voice, Los Angeles Dodgers Announcer, and BBQ Fan

    Joe Davis is a television sportscaster and the lead play-by-play voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also calls national MLB and NFL games for FOX Sports, and since 2022 has served as FOX’s lead announcer for the World Series and MLB All-Star Game. In 2025 he won the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality/Play-by-Play.  We talk about his career journey, taking over for the legendary Vin Scully, life in the Dodgers booth, and some of his most memorable calls. Joe is also a huge BBQ fan and we surprise him with pitmaster Doug Scheiding, who joins us to help level up Joe’s brisket game. We recommend you go to Rogue Cookers website, https://roguecookers.com/ for award-winning rubs, Chef Ray Sheehan’s website, https://www.raysheehan.com/ for award-winning saucess, rubs, and cookbooks, Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com for special grilling tools and accessories, Magnechef https://magnechef.com/ for excellent and unique barbecue gloves, Cutting Edge Firewood High Quality Kiln Dried Firewood - Cutting Edge Firewood in Atlanta for high quality firewood and cooking wood, Mantis BBQ, https://mantisbbq.com/ to purchase their outstanding sauces with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Kidney Project, and for exceptional sauces, Elda's Kitchen https://eldaskitchen.com/ We conclude the show with the song, Baseball Always Brings You Home from the musician, Dave Dresser and the poet, Shel Krakofsky. We truly appreciate our listeners and hope that all of you are staying safe. If you would like to contact the show, we would love to hear from you. Call the show:  (516) 855-8214 Email:  baseballandbbq@gmail.com Twitter:  @baseballandbbq Instagram:  baseballandbarbecue YouTube:  baseball and bbq Website:  https//baseballandbbq.weebly.com Facebook:  baseball and bbq       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    54 min
  3. MAR 21

    JD Paternoster from JD's Backyard Sauces, Lexi Hastings from the Women's Pro Baseball League, and Gary Looney, Spring Training Correspondent, Plus Perry Barber and John Vampatella Making This a Rare Overstuffed Triple-header

    Episode 335 features JD Paternoster from JD's Backyard Sauces, Lexi Hastings from the Women's Pro Baseball League, and Gary Looney, spring training correspondent, plus Perry Barber and John Vampatella join us in making this a rare overstuffed triple-header JD Paternoster is the founder of JD's Backyard Sauces.  The flavors are unique and distinctive and made from ingredients grown by JD, including figs and hot peppers.  In a very crowded space, JD has discovered a way to stand out from other sauces by adding figs to some of his sauces.  For more information on JD and to purchase his products go to https://www.jdsbackyardsauces.com/ Lexi Hastings  was an exceptional softball player during her time at the University of Connecticut (UConn), culminating in her being named the 2024 Big East Player of the Year.  She will be using those skills as she plays in the inaugural season of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) as a member of the team from Boston.  Lexi was chosen 20th by Boston as more than 600 players from 10 different countries tried out for the new league in August, 2025.  The WPBL will begin play with four teams.  Those teams are Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  We thank frequent show guest for acquainting us with Lexi and joining us.  We are also joined by another former guest, Perry Barber.  For more information on the WPBL go to https://www.womensprobaseballleague.com/ Gary Looney returns for his highly anticipated annual appearance which means the 2026 baseball season is about to begin.  Jeff first met Gary in 2020 at the Los Angeles Angels spring training camp complex in Arizona and a friendship quickly developed.  Gary has appeared with us on numerous episodes and provides a glimpse into the Los Angeles Angels spring training camp.  We are itching for the baseball season to commence and Gary helps to scratch that itch as we discuss the prospects for the team.  Having him on is an annual tradition and his baseball knowledge is a great addition to any episode. We recommend you go to Rogue Cookers website, https://roguecookers.com/ for award-winning rubs, Chef Ray Sheehan’s website, https://www.raysheehan.com/ for award-winning saucess, rubs, and cookbooks, Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com for special grilling tools and accessories, Magnechef https://magnechef.com/ for excellent and unique barbecue gloves, Cutting Edge Firewood High Quality Kiln Dried Firewood - Cutting Edge Firewood in Atlanta for high quality firewood and cooking wood, Mantis BBQ, https://mantisbbq.com/ to purchase their outstanding sauces with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Kidney Project, and for exceptional sauces, Elda's Kitchen https://eldaskitchen.com/ We conclude the show with the song, Baseball Always Brings You Home from the musician, Dave Dresser and the poet, Shel Krakofsky. We truly appreciate our listeners and hope that all of you are staying safe. If you would like to contact the show, we would love to hear from you. Call the show:  (516) 855-8214 Email:  baseballandbbq@gmail.com Twitter:  @baseballandbbq Instagram:  baseballandbarbecue YouTube:  baseball and bbq Website:  https//baseballandbbq.weebly.com Facebook:  baseball and bbq       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    2h 32m
  4. MAR 14

    Ed Banos, Son of Les Banos, World War II Spy Who Saved Over 200 Lives During the Holocaust and Later Became a Sports Photographer, and Aaron Huentelman, Competition Meat Manager at Mr. Brisket

    Episode 334 features Ed Banos, the son of Les Banos, a World War II spy who saved more than 200 lives during the Holocaust and later became a sports photographer, and Aaron Huentelman, competition meat manager at Mr. Brisket Ed Banos serves as the President and CEO for University Health and was recognized as a Healthcare Hero by the San Antonio Business Journal.  However, it is not his story we are focused on, but rather the story of Ed's father, Les Banos.  The following are excerpted from online obituaries, "Raised in Budapest, Hungary, Les Banos hid countrymen from the Nazis during World War II and infiltrated German SS headquarters as an Allied spy. He helped hide and save the lives of hundreds of Hungarians.  After the war, he immigrated to the United States, attended the University of Pittsburgh and worked as a cameraman for local TV stations and as a  photographer for the Pirates, Steelers, and Penguins.  Les Banos' favorite subject was his friend, Roberto Clemente, who died Dec. 31, 1972, in a plane crash during a relief mission to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.  Les Banos often said he should have been on that plane, but that was the day the Steelers, played Miami in the AFC championship. The game was made possible by the Steelers beating Oakland the previous week on the Immaculate Reception.  Les Banos captured Clemente's 3,000th hit in a frame-by-frame sequence, and many of his photos have been displayed in exhibitions through the years. A current collection can be seen at the Roberto Clemente Museum in Lawrenceville. Aaron Huentelman is the competition meat manager at Mr. Brisket, a premium quality butcher shop.  He has a degree in restaurant management, has worked in numerous kitchens over the years, and has also managed several restaurants.  His passion, however, is meat smoking. He has been a regular in competition barbecue for the last ten years, with numerous top ten finishes, including a Grand Championship at the Dayton BBQ Rodeo in 2017.  He is the owner of an award winning sauce and rub company, Go Big Or Go BBQ.  To learn more about Aaron's sauce company go to https://www.gobigorgobbq.com/ and to learn more about Mr. Brisket go to https://www.misterbrisket.com/ We recommend you go to Rogue Cookers website, https://roguecookers.com/ for award-winning rubs, Chef Ray Sheehan’s website, https://www.raysheehan.com/ for award-winning saucess, rubs, and cookbooks, Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com for special grilling tools and accessories, Magnechef https://magnechef.com/ for excellent and unique barbecue gloves, Cutting Edge Firewood High Quality Kiln Dried Firewood - Cutting Edge Firewood in Atlanta for high quality firewood and cooking wood, Mantis BBQ, https://mantisbbq.com/ to purchase their outstanding sauces with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Kidney Project, and for exceptional sauces, Elda's Kitchen https://eldaskitchen.com/ We conclude the show with the song, Baseball Always Brings You Home from the musician, Dave Dresser and the poet, Shel Krakofsky. We truly appreciate our listeners and hope that all of you are staying safe. If you would like to contact the show, we would love to hear from you. Call the show:  (516) 855-8214 Email:  baseballandbbq@gmail.com Twitter:  @baseballandbbq Instagram:  baseballandbarbecue YouTube:  baseball and bbq Website:  https//baseballandbbq.weebly.com Facebook:  baseball and bbq     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 54m
  5. MAR 7

    LC's Bar-B-Q Owner, Tausha Hammett and New York State Baseball Hall of Fame Member, Tony Morante Provide Exceptional Barbecue and Baseball Talk

    Episode 333 features LC's Bar-B-Q owner, Tausha Hammett carries on her grandfather's legacy and New York State Baseball Hall of Fame member, Tony Morante provide exceptional barbecue and baseball talk Tausha Hammett is the owner of LC’s Bar-B-Q in Kansas City, Missouri and the granddaughter of the founder, LC Richardson.  At 12 years old she began learning the business and helping.  Per Tausha, "My grandfather was a pillar and BBQ legend in the Black community and my goal is to keep his legacy and brand strong."  She is doing just that as she does everything needed to run the restaurant, "If I have to come in here after a full day, I come in here and if I have to open, I open. If I have to close, I close."  She also said, "When I make decisions that affect his legacy, I always have him in the back of my mind.  I feel like he's always looking down on me."  Ray Sheehan was instrumental in introducing us to Tausha and joins us as guest co-host. Tony Morante is a member of the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame and a Bronx, New York lifetime resident.  His father was a Yankee Stadium usher and Tony had the thrill of accompanying him to games and eventually working at the Stadium in 1958 also as an usher.  In 1973 Tony was offered a job in the New York Yankees Group and Season Sales Department.  In 1979 with the help of the Bronx County Historical Society, he began walking tours of the Stadium.  By 1998, George Steinbrenner helped Tony open a Tours Department.  Revenue accrued through the tours benefitted the Yankee Foundation, a charitable program that brought education and recreation programs to the inner-city youth.  Included among his many other accomplishments is that Tony is the author of the book, Baseball: The New York Game:  How the National Pastime Paralleled US History. We recommend you go to Rogue Cookers website, https://roguecookers.com/ for award-winning rubs, Chef Ray Sheehan’s website, https://www.raysheehan.com/ for award-winning saucess, rubs, and cookbooks, Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com for special grilling tools and accessories, Magnechef https://magnechef.com/ for excellent and unique barbecue gloves, Cutting Edge Firewood High Quality Kiln Dried Firewood - Cutting Edge Firewood in Atlanta for high quality firewood and cooking wood, Mantis BBQ, https://mantisbbq.com/ to purchase their outstanding sauces with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Kidney Project, and for exceptional sauces, Elda's Kitchen https://eldaskitchen.com/ We conclude the show with the song, Baseball Always Brings You Home from the musician, Dave Dresser and the poet, Shel Krakofsky. We truly appreciate our listeners and hope that all of you are staying safe. If you would like to contact the show, we would love to hear from you. Call the show:  (516) 855-8214 Email:  baseballandbbq@gmail.com Twitter:  @baseballandbbq Instagram:  baseballandbarbecue YouTube:  baseball and bbq Website:  https//baseballandbbq.weebly.com Facebook:  baseball and bbq       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 55m
5
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

Two guys just talking about our two favorite passions, Baseball and Barbecue

You Might Also Like