Inside the Foul

inside the foul

Our story didn’t start behind microphones or with big ideas about content and reach. It started on dirt fields under early evening skies, dragging fields with rakes in our hands and baseball on our minds. We were just two coaches, making sure our kids were learning baseball the right way: not just the mechanics, but the respect, the patience, the love for the game. In those hours between batting practice and chalking foul lines, between lineup cards and cleaning up sunflower seed shells, we went from being friends to something more like family. Baseball has a funny way of doing that. It ties people together through shared joy, heartbreak, teaching, learning, and the quiet moments when the field lights finally shut off and you’re still talking baseball in the parking lot. That closeness carried into our lives off the field, right up to Thanksgiving of 2024. We call it Friendsgiving, a simple gathering of the people who matter to us. And, of course, as the plates emptied and the laughter got louder, baseball once again took the front seat. The stories, the debates, the questions, the memories. At some point, someone at the table—half amused, half serious—asked, “Why don’t you guys have a podcast? It feels like we’re listening to one already.” We laughed it off at first. But the idea stayed, like a hanging curveball begging to be hit. Over the next few months, we imagineered the idea out loud: what it could be, how it could sound, what we would bring that was truly ours. By February 2025, we stopped imagining and stepped up to the plate. We recorded our first episodes—talking free agency drama, trivia that got a little too competitive, and friendly banter that never needed a script. And that was the moment Inside the Foul was born. Inside the Foul is more than a baseball podcast. It’s the dugout talk. The behind-the-scenes knowing nods. It’s big-league headlines mixed with the small moments that make baseball feel like home. We bring in players, coaches, and baseball minds who have lived the game, and we ask real questions—the kind that come from curiosity, research, and a genuine love for the sport. It’s storytelling. It’s analysis. It’s the joy of a clean double play and the sting of a strikeout looking. It’s baseball the way we’ve always known it: honest, passionate, and just a little salty. If you love the game, we think you’ll feel right at home here. Inside the Foul

  1. Oct 2

    Inside the foul: Behind the Bat

    The secret behind elite wooden bats is not just craftsmanship—it’s patience, obsession, and a willingness to learn the hard way. John Vullo of Vullo Bat Company shares how a backyard hobby became an MLB-certified bat business trusted by pros, including the Chicago Cubs, and why the torpedo bat conversation has put his shop right in the middle of baseball’s latest evolution. Inside the Foul hosts Chris and Ethan dig into John’s full journey—from watching his dad build a local softball community in Newport, Washington, to coaching his son, to realizing he needed a new way to stay connected to the game. That search led to a lathe, a dust collector, and a first bat he still keeps as a reminder of where it all began. You’ll discover how John taught himself the craft through pure trial and error, why tracking every billet, model, and ounce by hand has become part of his process, and how he built custom models like the VC 815 by turning performance into a numbering system that actually means something. He also breaks down the subtle differences that separate a 271 from a 116, what makes a torpedo bat work, and why the billet you choose at the very beginning can determine everything that follows. John also opens up about what changed when the company moved from hobby to full-time operation, how his wife Lori joined the business and helped scale production, and what it really takes to keep a two-person company personal while meeting pro-level demand. Despite MLB licensing, audits, and growing attention, he stays committed to one thing above all: making a bat that feels right in a hitter’s hands. This episode goes beyond bat specs and shop talk. It’s about family, legacy, and the emotional weight of building something with your name on it. If you love baseball, craftsmanship, or the kind of story where passion slowly becomes a life’s work, this one is essential listening. John Vullo is the founder of Vullo Bat Company, an MLB-certified wooden bat maker based in Newport, Washington. What began as a hobby grew into a family-run operation producing game bats, training bats, and custom models for professional players and organizations. Perfect for baseball fans, coaches, players, and anyone who loves stories about turning a lifelong obsession into a craft that matters. Turn this into a graphic with this logo make look professional and clean

    Inside the foul: Behind the Bat
  2. Sep 4

    Willie Wilson The Racing Royal

    Willie Wilson was fast, but speed was never the whole story. The Royals legend and 1982 American League batting champion reveals the baseball IQ behind 668 stolen bases, 41 career homers, and a career built on reading pitchers, taking pressure off his team, and knowing exactly when to run, hit, or hold.He also opens up about the overlooked details that made his game work: the tiny lead-off steps that kept him from getting picked off, the chin and heel tells he watched from the dugout, and why base stealing is about timing and patterns far more than raw wheels. If you think speed alone makes a great runner, Willie makes the case for something much smarter.We also get the stories that only a 19-year veteran can tell. Willie breaks down what it was like playing with and against Ricky Henderson, Bo Jackson, George Brett, Amos Otis, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, and the Yankees teams he loved to beat. He shares the real difference between being quick and being fast, the prank that nearly got him in trouble with Bo, and how veteran leadership shaped championship baseball in Oakland, Chicago, and Kansas City.Willie also talks about the grind behind the glamour - moving from Alabama to New Jersey, learning the outfield after starting as a catcher, switching to switch-hitting in the minors, helping his mom with his first pro paycheck, and surviving the pressure of playoff baseball by refusing to let the moment own him. His perspective on today’s game is just as sharp, especially when he explains why hitters need to trust their eyes, shorten up, and let the ball come to them.

    Willie Wilson The Racing Royal
  3. Aug 21

    Brian Fletcher From The Diamond To The Mic

    Brian Fletcher’s story proves the best baseball journeys do not end when the uniform comes off. From being one of Georgia’s most exciting high school prospects to starring at Auburn, climbing all the way to Triple-A, and then reinventing himself as artist Fletch, this episode is about what it really takes to keep going when the dream changes.Inside the Foul goes beyond the box score with Brian as he breaks down the mindset that carried him from Stars Mill and East Cobb to Auburn, the Royals organization, and a first AAA at-bat that ended in a home run. He opens up about the lessons his father, former big leaguer Brian Fletcher Sr., drilled into him early - pride in your work, emotional balance, and never going through the motions.You’ll discover how he handled the pressure of elite travel ball, the surprise of college recruiting while pro scouts were still circling, and why Auburn felt like the right fit even with major league interest on the table. Brian also shares what separated that special Auburn team, how confidence shifts when you start proving you can compete against the best, and why the small window of college baseball taught him not to take a single day for granted.We break down the reality of the minor league grind too - the cold Midwest nights, the everyday wear-and-tear, the struggle to stay patient in Triple-A, and the mental discipline required to survive a game built around failure. Brian explains how success and failure both shaped him, why simplifying the game matters, and how the same resilience that helped him on the field now fuels his music.Then the conversation takes a sharp turn into the creative world of Fletch. Brian talks about writing songs since middle school, using music as an escape, and learning that songwriting can be even more vulnerable than stepping into the batter’s box. He connects baseball and music through flow state, authenticity, and the need to express the parts of himself fans never saw.This one is essential listening if you love baseball stories with real depth, athlete identity, and comeback energy - or if you’re curious how a former pro ballplayer turns pressure, doubt, and joy into a new creative lane.

    Brian Fletcher From The Diamond To The Mic

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Our story didn’t start behind microphones or with big ideas about content and reach. It started on dirt fields under early evening skies, dragging fields with rakes in our hands and baseball on our minds. We were just two coaches, making sure our kids were learning baseball the right way: not just the mechanics, but the respect, the patience, the love for the game. In those hours between batting practice and chalking foul lines, between lineup cards and cleaning up sunflower seed shells, we went from being friends to something more like family. Baseball has a funny way of doing that. It ties people together through shared joy, heartbreak, teaching, learning, and the quiet moments when the field lights finally shut off and you’re still talking baseball in the parking lot. That closeness carried into our lives off the field, right up to Thanksgiving of 2024. We call it Friendsgiving, a simple gathering of the people who matter to us. And, of course, as the plates emptied and the laughter got louder, baseball once again took the front seat. The stories, the debates, the questions, the memories. At some point, someone at the table—half amused, half serious—asked, “Why don’t you guys have a podcast? It feels like we’re listening to one already.” We laughed it off at first. But the idea stayed, like a hanging curveball begging to be hit. Over the next few months, we imagineered the idea out loud: what it could be, how it could sound, what we would bring that was truly ours. By February 2025, we stopped imagining and stepped up to the plate. We recorded our first episodes—talking free agency drama, trivia that got a little too competitive, and friendly banter that never needed a script. And that was the moment Inside the Foul was born. Inside the Foul is more than a baseball podcast. It’s the dugout talk. The behind-the-scenes knowing nods. It’s big-league headlines mixed with the small moments that make baseball feel like home. We bring in players, coaches, and baseball minds who have lived the game, and we ask real questions—the kind that come from curiosity, research, and a genuine love for the sport. It’s storytelling. It’s analysis. It’s the joy of a clean double play and the sting of a strikeout looking. It’s baseball the way we’ve always known it: honest, passionate, and just a little salty. If you love the game, we think you’ll feel right at home here. Inside the Foul