Baseball's Last Frontier: Stories from the Pecos League
Join SABR Members Evan Katz and Bruce McClure as they get together to discuss Evan's experiences in the "entry level of baseball". You won't want to miss the tales from the road as the Pecos League season unfolds. The Pecos League is an independent baseball league which operates in cities in desert mountain regions throughout Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Evan Katz grew up in Brookline, two miles from Fenway Park, in the 1960s and quickly learned the emotional highs and lows of being a Red Sox fan. After a long career in public finance in Massachusetts, he shares his passion for baseball as a high-school coach and through his website, Baseball By The Sea Media. He is the pitching coach for the Roswell Invaders of the Pecos League. Bruce McClure is the chair of the Clyde Sukeforth Chapter (ME/NH) of SABR and is active within the organization on most social media channels @brucemcclurenh. When he's not watching a baseball game, he is an interior decorator based in Concord, New Hampshire.
Episodes
Our last episode of the year, we take stock of the North Platte 80s season, discuss all of our guests, and enjoy one last week in the Pecos League. It's not goodbye, just so long until 2026.
Mik Ebisu is our interview guest. He's the Blackwell Flycatchers manager. Mik was raised in Japan and graduated from high school there before attending the University of Houston. He’s worked as a Japanese interpreter/tran...
The two man umpire crew of Micah Scott and Scott Cotton are an indispensable and ever present part of the Pecos League's Mountain Division. Since opening day, they've travelled over 6,000 miles, stayed in a hotel every night and learned to cope with player and manager pleas and emotions for nine innings or more each game. An interesting look into a side of baseball that's not frequently discussed, in th...
Evan and Bruce get together to talk about all the latest action in the Pecos League, playoff implications and more. And keeping with the catchphrase, "Anything can happen in the Pecos League" we talk about impromptu laundry service and chess boards, too. All of that, and North Platte RF/PH/jack of all trades Ryan Lutinski joins Evan for this week's interview. Don't miss it!
Another action packed week in Pecos League baseball, including an acapella national anthem, big ears and what to do when a restaurant you really want to try is closing soon. Our interview this week is with all-star Pierce Salbego and his dad, David. Don't miss it!
There are fewer in game moments for a part time 2B, PH and PR, but Ivan Santos is always preparing. The Bronx, NY native shares how he gets game ready and evaluates his contributions in this week's episode. Join Evan and Bruce for an interesting conversation with a great Pecos League role player. And listen in for Evan's recap of last week...and the local train schedule, too.
It never rains in the Pecos League, does it? We discuss why Evan recently became an expert in using a sump pump. Pitcher Joe Barrons and Catcher Sean Bennett, two Pecos League veterans and longtime battery mates are also interviewed by Evan. We'll discuss game results and more. It's another great week for the league. Join us!
John Haimowitz Joins Evan and Bruce this week to discuss preparation in professional baseball. The North Platte 80s C talks about his notebooks and how they're vital to him when it comes to moving forward in this great sport. It's another fascinating interview with another great personality in this league. Don't miss it.
We're back with another episode of "where in the world is Evan Katz this week!" He's been on his 2100 mile road trip across the Midwest, and we check in to see how things are going. He'll even tell us a bit about the "no fly zone" the North Platte 80s have created. Evan also interviews our guest, Trinidad Triggers Founder and GM Kim Schultz. This one is a great listen into the behind...
We discuss all that is Pecos League happenings, complete with sunflower seeds, inadvertently pink uniforms, wins, losses and miles driven. And we have Derick Dominguez as our guest. He's the manager of the KC/Iola Hormigas. Join us as Evan interviews a Pecos League veteran that he calls the Odysseus of the league.
Episode #3 is live with Pat Jordan! Pat Jordan is an American sports writer. His work has been included in the Best American Sports Writing anthology series seven times. Pat is also the author of A False Spring, a bittersweet memoir about his minor league baseball career, which is ranked #37 on Sports Illustrated's Top 100 Sports Books of All Time and which Time called “one of the best and truest books about base...
We're back with episode two of our 2nd season. Guesting this week is Todd Everleth, manager of the North Platte 80s. He'll discuss this year's roster as well as how he built community connections in town in just a short time before last year's inaugural season. It's a master class in how to mentor these young men and how to help them sharpen their skills in order to advance to the next level. ...
Welcome back for season two of Baseball's Last Frontier! We begin with a recap of 2024, a preview of 2025 and a spotlight on co-host Evan Katz's plans for the season with the North Platte 80s! We'll be bringing you more stories and insight into "Baseball's Entry Level" each week. Join us for all the fun in 2025.
Watching the stories of the Pecos League was a lot of fun this year. In our wrap up episode, we talk about each of our guests and check in on what they'll be up to in 2025. Enjoy our last 2024 episode!
Our latest edition features Trinidad Triggers 1B Peter Bocchino. Peter gives us some great insight to the grind of minor league life, both on and off the field. And he relates a story or two about errant horses, diamondbacks and tarantulas, too!
We wish him luck in the Pecos League Playoffs!
Our guest this week is North Platte 80s PBP broadcaster Harmon Johnsen. He details for us what it's like to be an official scorer for the league, not to mention what it takes to give a quality broadcast of his team's games at pecosleague.tv. You'll get some insight on how baseball has become a family affair for him. It's just another great story that has emerged from the Pecos League this year, and...
This week, we chat with Kobe Head, Roswell pitcher. He talks about his journey to the Pecos League, the level of competition within the league and how his experience catapulted him to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the MLB Draft League. Join us for another fun look inside Baseball's Entry Level!
We had a wide ranging conversation with Alex Westman of the Austin Weirdos today. His background and insight in the league is long and deep, having played 106 games in the Pecos League with 4 different teams. Alex has great insight on bats, too. Hear his comments about his favorite bat company and why he loves them. He'll give you his thoughts on the long drives in the league and why they don't bother him, t...
Listen in as Jerry regales our listeners with stories from his time in Roswell and North Platte so far this year. Jerry goes about the game and on field experience in a unique way so listen in for his thoughts on his in game presence. His comments will give any listener a lot to think about. And just as we were wrapping it up, Jerry threw us a curve ball that had Evan asking, "are we still recording?" It was...
Evan and I had the pleasure of chatting with George & Patty Swenson this week. George and Patty are two of Roswell's biggest fans and have been hosting players for many years. They've got some great stories about their experiences in baseball, not to mention their years acting as General Manager for the club. Join us as we converse with two of the most wonderful and genuine baseball fans you'll ever...
Our latest episode discusses putting a team in baseball's entry level together in a matter of days. Todd Everleth is the head coach of the expansion North Platte 80s. Listen to his experiences in constructing a Pecos League ballclub for this year, his thoughts on how he runs his club and more. This was a great conversation about baseball philosophy and development. A talk that's surely not to be missed. Join...
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