Episodes
-
Josh Engler will enter the 2022 Grip 'N Rip Baseball League season with a 2.91 career earned run average across 68 innings pitched. He's allowed 47 hits, and struck out 97 batters in two seasons. If all goes well, he'll become just the third pitcher in seven years of GRBL baseball to strike out the 100th batter of his career.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
"Fallen Kingdom"
Whitesand (Martynas Lau) - 2021
https://whitesandcomposer.com/
Support making these tracks - https://www.patreon.com/Whitesand
Buy Whitesand Music - https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
-
It's the M-V-Podcast. Josh Engler is the 2021 Most Valuable Player of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League. He struck out a single season record 69 batters in nine games with the Republic Locos, and he also got 12 hits.
Josh Engler is from Mount Vernon, Missouri, but now resides in Aurora with his wife, Ashlynn (nee Meredith) and daughter, Ivy. That's where we begin as we get to know the reigning MVP. We also explore the high school career that got him to the next level at Evangel University, and the factors that led to a mid-career move to Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Episodes manquant?
-
Lefty Trey Watson pitched for a team named in his honor in 2018, the Trey Watson Realty Closers. After growing up in Springfield, Missouri, and playing for the legendary coach Howard Bell's Glendale Falcons, Watson went on to play two years at Crowder College and then two years at Columbus State University in the Peach Belt Conference.
When his college baseball career came to an end, Watson came home to start a career and carry on his family tradition of being community-minded Springfieldians. He also found a second life in baseball, the second chance, ragtag, independent Grip 'N Rip Baseball League.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
-
Justin Skinner approaches entrepreneurship like he approached the baseball career that put him in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 — he's not afraid to try everything. April 5, 2022, Justin Skinner will release a book, "Professional Failure: Using the Gift of Failures to Better Not Only Yourself, But Those Around You." Learn more at http://professional-failure.com.
He also launched "The Professional Failure Podcast." https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-professional-failure-podcast/id1613170517
Somewhere under that entrepreneurship and budding career in content creation lurks Justin Skinner the baseball player. His influence still lingers in the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League, where he managed his men to back-to-back-to-back Howard Bell Trophy championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Skinner is also a member of the Drury University Sports Hall of Fame, where he was teammates with GRBL Commissioner Tony Lewis and a host of other athletes whose baseball careers found a second wind in the Grip 'N Rip.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
"Fallen Kingdom"
Whitesand (Martynas Lau) - 2021
https://whitesandcomposer.com/
Support making these tracks - https://www.patreon.com/Whitesand
Buy Whitesand Music - https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
-
There's a baseball league in Ozark, Missouri, and sometimes, it gets characterized as a league for old men. Some of the people who play in the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League self-identify as old men. Zach Ralph, Cole Haselhorst, Trevyn Batey, Chandler Maples and Kyle Carpenter are among the youngsters who lower the average age and raise the level of competition in #TheGRBL.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Here come the young lions. In a baseball league where some of the players self-identify as old men, these five guys are lowering the median age and raising the level of competition.
Nixa Suckers pitcher Kyle Carpenter, Springfield Mets outfielder Chandler Maples, Ozark Mountain Ducks catcher Trevyn Batey, Moon City Mavericks utility infielder Zach Ralph and catcher Cole Haselhorst sit down for a roundtable discussion of their 2021 seasons. We break down the friendships that have formed between the five of them, along with some rivalries.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
This episode is dedicated to former Sumit's Hot Yoga Yogis outfielder Daven Rozell. It's never too late for a comeback.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
With 40 hits, Jared Braschler ranks third all time in the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League. Now a resident of Ozark, Missouri, he lived out a modest dream of playing ball for the hometown team in 2021, when he started in center field for the Ozark Mountain Ducks. Unfortunately for the full time commercial pilot and part time pro baseball player, it also marked the fourth time in six years of the GRBL that Braschler played for the team that lost in the championship game at the end of a season.
"Burger Bites" is written and produced by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
"Satellites" by The Endless Summer
From "Daydream" 2012
Personnel: Nick Bacon, Tyler Long, Shay Johnson, Tommy Oerding and Adam Cross.
Produced by Andrew Goldstein
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
Photos courtesy of Jared Braschler.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
-
Ozark Mountain Ducks center fielder Jared Braschler ranks third all time in base hits across six seasons of Grip 'N Rip Baseball. When he isn't tracking fly balls and driving doubles, Braschler is flying airplanes.
The commercial pilot takes us through an aviation career that began with humble airport baggage handling (and the unusual animal encounters that go with it) and carries on today in the cockpit of the Boeing 737.
Rance asks several years worth of pent up questions he has always wanted to ask an airline pilot but previously never had the opportunity to ask. Be warned, it gets a little bit weird, but Jared Braschler is a good sport.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
Audio clip of the 2012 National League wild card game taken from the original TBS television broadcast of the game from Oct. 5, 2012, and appears courtesy of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. No copyright infringement is intended.
Photo for episode cover art courtesy of Jared Braschler.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Moon City Mavericks third baseman Brandon Freeman takes us back to the buttersoaked glory of yesteryear, his days as a professional roll thrower at Lambert's Cafe in Ozark, Missouri.
Their motto is "Come Hungry, Leave Full, and Maybe Have a Laugh or Two," and the sign proudly designates it as the "Home of the Throwed Rolls."
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
"Man, what is Freeman doing?" is a phrase I have heard more than once on the playing field and in the press box at U.S. Baseball Park. In five years of Grip 'N Rip Baseball, professional civil engineer Brandon Freeman has proven himself to be knowledgeable, versatile and valuable to any team he lands on, as evidenced by back-to-back championship wins in 2020 and in 2021.
Freeman reflects on his season with the Moon City Mavericks, his humble beginnings in Spokane, Missouri, his college baseball tryout and his professional career designing and building wastewater treatment systems.
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
"Liberation"
Whitesand
From the album "Monsters," 2018
Composed by Martynas Lau (Whitesand)
Available for purchase: https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/album/monsters
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Evan Meagher walked away for surefire employment and salary in the financial sector to pursue some unfinished business... baseball. He put down his economics degree from Stanford and decided that maybe, if he trained hard enough, he could make it in Europe as a baseball ringer.
BUY "Have Bat, Will Travel: My Year in French Baseball" by Evan Meagher: https://www.amazon.com/Have-Bat-Will-Travel-Baseball/dp/1737417219/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1640989222&sr=1-1
"Have Bat, Will Travel," as blessed by Bill "Spaceman" Lee, is now available on Amazon, is Meagher's story of dropping the safety, security and a good bit of sense and going after a dream. Meagher found his calling as a pitcher, second baseman and manager of the Bois Guillaume Woodchucks, and we're all still salty with the Savigny Lions.
Evan now lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife Rebecca, his very adorable son Jude, and his very terrible dogs.
http://havebatwilltravel.com
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV.
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Evan Meagher is the author of "Have Bat, Will Travel: My Year in French Baseball." The book is available in hard copy and on the Amazon Kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0971QHXCZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
You might remember Evan Meagher the author, French baseball player/manager, financier, entrepreneur and vintage base ball star from episodes 40 and 41 of this very podcast.
In 2006, Evan Meagher quit his finance job, trained his tail off and flew to France to play for the Bois Gullaume Woodchucks, where he experienced the ups and downs of playing America's pastime in a foreign land. Released in 2021, "Have Bat, Will Travel" shares his story of the work, dedication, inspiration, hilarity and frustration of Meagher taking his talents to Normandy.
http://havebatwilltravel.com
SONGS:
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
It's been an uphill run for Caleb Cole, who battled through back, hamstring and ankle problems to put it all together in his 2021 Gold Glove Award-winning season with the Ozark Mountain Ducks. Caleb Cole became the first person inducted into the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League Hall of Fame on Oct. 24, 2021.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Special songs for this episode:
"Legends Anthem"
Whitesand
From the album "Monsters," 2018
Composed by Martynas Lau (Whitesand)
Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSAcPWYbwPI
"Only Way I Know"
Ethan Cole
From the album "Only Way Know," 2019
Personnel: Ethan Cole, Dylan Maloney, Dillon Gasca and Chris Haughey
Produced by: Ethan Cole, Dylan Moloney
"Only Way I Know" is used with the artist's permission.
More Ethan Cole music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/456UU8cjgLglqmrESFPH47
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Caleb Cole collects awards wherever he goes. In the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League, he's a two-time Gold Glove Award winning shortstop, the 2017 MVP, a 2019 Howard Bell Trophy championship winner, a multi-time all-star and the first player ever voted into the newly-established GRBL Hall of Fame, and that vote was unanimous by his fellow players.
At Drury University, he made first team all-Great Lakes Valley Conference twice, and was the conference's baseball Freshman of the Year in 2010. We delve into Caleb Cole's career as a manager, coach and trainer at Redline Athletics in Springfield, Missouri, and his desire to continue playing baseball.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
Rueb Bats: http://www.facebook.com/RuebBats
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Dayne Shoff is not actually ageless. He's 60. He's a baseball player. He's also a fire captain in his hometown of Lamar, Missouri, an engineering and safety consultant, a bus driver, a coach, an advisor, a caring father, a loving husband, a public address announcer, a radio broadcaster, and probably a whole lot of other stuff that we don't even know about. Dayne Shoff truly is a renaissance man.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV.
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
Rueb Bats: http://www.facebook.com/RuebBats
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Roundtable discussion with five members of the 2021 Moon City Mavericks continues. Guests Daniel England, Tyler Jones, Clay Murphy, Matt Spangler and Devin Braswell share some highlights from Moon City's 8-1 run to the Howard Bell Trophy championship of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League.
Jerry Kelly, Zach Ralph, Matt Spangler, Devin Braswell, Cole Haselhorst, Nick Bacon, Jacob Smith, Clay Murphy, Tyler Jones, Jacob Karlson, B.J. Gates, Hunter Altic, Justin Lowden, Brandon Freeman, and Mr. 5-time Daniel England. These are the 2021 Grip 'N Rip Baseball League Champion Moon City Mavericks.
The Grip 'N Rip Baseball League (http://theGRBL.com) is a six-team amateur league that plays all of its games from U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri. The league offers players ages 21-and-older the opportunity to extend their baseball careers beyond what they thought is possible. It's a blend of Midwestern "town ball" and a minor league experience for players and fans alike. You can find out a whole lot more, and even watch entire games from Season 6 at http://facebook.com/TheGRBL.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV.
"Satellites" by The Endless Summer
From "Daydream" 2012
Personnel: Nick Bacon, Tyler Long, Shay Johnson, Tommy Oerding and Adam Cross.
Produced by Andrew Goldstein
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
The 2021 Moon City Mavericks celebrated a championship with a record of eight wins against a single defeat. They were the first team to ever win eight games in a single Grip 'N Rip Baseball League season, and they posted two shutouts along the way.
Moon City Mavericks roster: Clay Murphy, Cole Haselhorst, Jacob Karlson, Zach Ralph, Justin Lowden, Tyler Jones, Matt Spangler, Brandon Freeman, Nick Bacon, Devin Braswell, B.J. Gates, Jerry Kelley, Jacob Smith, Hunter Altic, and manager Daniel England.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV.
"Satellites" by The Endless Summer
From "Daydream" 2012
Personnel: Nick Bacon, Tyler Long, Shay Johnson, Tommy Oerding and Adam Cross.
Produced by Andrew Goldstein
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Dayne Shoff is 60 years old, and he still plays high-level baseball. To just talk about Dayne Shoff's age and the fact that he still plays baseball grossly undersells who Shoff is as a person. He's a firefighter, an assistant coach, a substitute teacher, a bus driver, an engineering and safety consultant. He's the top employee for his son Conner's small business. He's proud to be from Lamar, Missouri. He's a husband, a father... and yeah, a grandpa. And you know what else? Dayne Shoff is an athlete and an inspiration.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Chris Meza survived his childhood in a Chicago barrio and made it onto a junior college baseball team. His injury-riddled career at the College of DuPage left him feeling like it was time to hang up the glove and the spikes for good, but baseball had other plans. He ended up moving to Springfield, Missouri, and ended up staying in part for the teammates and friends he met playing club level baseball at Missouri State University.
Meza now serves as a junior varsity baseball coach at Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Missouri, and works full-time at a major food production plant. Meza is also the player/manager for the Republic Locos of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League, which operates from U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger.
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
-
Chris Meza grew up on the south side of Chicago in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. He grew up with two loving parents with the added bonus of his grandparents and aunts living in the same place. Like many Hispanic kids in Chicago, Chris was just as much raised by the barrio as he was by his family. Nothing, including baseball, came easy.
Meza now serves as a junior varsity baseball coach at Hillcrest High School in Springfield, Missouri, and works full-time at a major food production plant. Meza is also the player/manager for the Republic Locos of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League, which operates from U.S. Baseball Park in Ozark, Missouri.
"Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger.
Theme songs
"Mr. Burger" by Burger Man
Produced by Tay Muletti
Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger
"Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay
Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV
Additional voice work by Ashley Burger
More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com
Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger
- Montre plus
