Blair & Barker

Sportsnet

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker talk all things Blue Jays and MLB. Airing live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN weekdays from 4-6 PM ET during the baseball season.

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603 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes603

Newest first

Oct 18, 2024 · 49 min
Big Christmas & Big Fry Take Game 3
Blair and Barker open the show discussing Jhonkensy Noel's game-tying homer and David Fry's walk-off home run to take hold of a thrilling Game 3 in the ALCS. ESPN's Jeff Passan (6:51) chats about the difficulties of closing in the post-season, if Game 4 is now a must-win game for the New York Yankees, and if Aaron Judge and Juan Soto is a better duo than Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Then, Blair and Barker check in on the Back-Leg Line, fielding listener's questions on what the Baltimore Oriol
Oct 17, 2024 · 49 min
Vintage Buehler, Trop's Future, and Judge is Back
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the show discussing Walker Buehler's return to form in the L.A. Dodgers' Game 3 win and how pitchers change mechanics from regular season starts to games that matter in the playoffs. Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin shares an update on the future of Tropicana Field's status for the 2025 season and beyond and where the Rays would play in the meantime. Then, MLB on TBS analyst Jeff Francoeur (31:45) joins the guys to preview Game 3 of the ALCS, how Cleveland Guardians
Oct 16, 2024 · 49 min
Judge Gets on the Board + NLCS Game 3 Preview
Blair and Barker look ahead to game 3 of the NLCS and debate whether the Dodgers should shuffle the top of their lineup. Then, over to the ALCS and Austin Wells' clean-up struggles, the Guardian's stingy offensive identity and Clase's usage in the series. ESPN analyst Tim Kurkjian (15:32) shares his thoughts on the Yankees' 6-3 win over the Guardians last night, Aaron Judge's maturity, Gleyber Torres stepping up at the top of the lineup and how Luke Weaver became the playoff's most dominant clos
Oct 15, 2024 · 49 min
New York State of Mind
Blair and Barker open the show with their reactions to the Yankees opening the ALCS with a 5-2 win over Cleveland and the Mets evening up the NLCS in L.A. The fellas also preview what to expect on Tuesday, when the ALCS resumes. Then, Chris Rose (28:37) of The Chris Rose Rotation Podcast & Baseball Today joins Jeff and Kevin to analyze the Championship Series so far, including Steven Kwan's continued excellence and the Guardians' need for Josh Naylor to step up. Next, they discuss Aaron Judge's
Oct 11, 2024 · 49 min
Yanking ALCS Ticket from the Royals + Game 5 Weekend
Blair and Barker look back at the New York Yankees clinching their spot in the ALCS, who the Bronx Bombers would rather face between the Detroit Tigers or Cleveland Guardians, how Aaron Boone has mastered his lineup and pitching staff in the postseason. Then, they look ahead to Game 5 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres and check in on listeners' questions on the Back-Leg Line. Afterwards, ESPN's Jeff Passan (33:40) joins the guys to discuss the overhaul of coaching staffs acros
Oct 10, 2024 · 50 min
Mets Magic Continues
Blair and Barker begin today's show by revisiting a big night for the NLCS-bound New York Mets, while the Yankees, Dodgers, and Tigers registered big wins of their own. Then, SNY analyst Zack Scott joins the show to discuss how the Mets have become such a tough out after recovering from an abysmal May. Scott also describes how the Mets won the Francisco Lindor sweepstakes, of which the Blue Jays were apart of (9:49). In the final segment of the show, Royals analyst Rex Hudler joins Jeff and Kevi
Oct 9, 2024 · 49 min
NLDS on The Brink + The Soto Situation
Blair and Barker look back at the New York Mets and San Diego Padres taking a 2-1 lead in their respective series, the Philadelphia Phillies' pitching matchups, the Padres' early attack on Walker Buehler and rumours around the Blue Jays' bid for Juan Soto's pending free agency. Then, former MLB catcher and Jays analyst Caleb Joseph (33:13) jumps on to share some stories of his playing days with Manny Machado, if the third baseman has embraced a "villain" role, how much pressure is on Aaron Judge
Oct 8, 2024 · 49 min
Carpenter's Heroics + Rivalry Heats Up in San Diego
Blair and Barker begin the show recapping the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers tying their respective series, then bring on Cleveland Guardians analyst Jensen Lewis (8:28) to chat about Emmanuel Clase giving up the game-winning homer, Tarik Skubal's plan of attack against KC and what it's like to pitch at your home stadium during the post-season. Then, Blair and Barker discuss Jazz Chisholm's post-game comments after their Game 2 loss, the Phillies' losing streak on the road and go behind t
Oct 7, 2024 · 49 min
Postseason Pressure, Rivalries and Who Is Mr. October?
Blair and Barker begin their Monday edition recapping the San Diego Padres' blowout win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles to tie the series, the Mets' bullpen collapse in Game 2 and A.J. Hinch's in-game adjustments. Then, they invite former MLB executive David Samson (28:27) on to chat about the importance of post-season messaging after a down year, who has the most pressure in the playoffs between Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, whether Bryce Harper is Mr. October and rivalries in baseball. The v
Oct 4, 2024 · 49 min
Division Series Preview
Blair and Barker share their reactions to the New York Mets punching their ticket to the NLDS with late-game heroics from Pete Alonso and Minnesota Twins long-time GM Thad Levine leaving the organization. Then, they preview each Division Series with their picks to win the round including how the Kansas City Royals can shut down the Yankees' big bats. Afterwards, they invite ESPN's Jeff Passan (35:47) on to get his thoughts on Terry Francona returning to the bench as the Cincinnati Red's manager
Oct 3, 2024 · 49 min
American League Sweeps
Blair and Barker begin the show recapping both series sweeps in the AL Wild Card games before bringing on former Orioles outfielder Adam Jones (12:23) to get his thoughts on Baltimore's lack lustered second half and falling out of the postseason yet again, what will be the front office's focus heading into the offseason and the importance of having clubhouse confidence during the playoffs. Then, World Series champion and Astros analyst Geoff Blum (33:02) jumps on to discuss Houston's season endi
Oct 2, 2024 · 49 min
Defining Generational Talent & Roster Construction
Blair and Barker are joined by Sportsnet's Shi Davidi (10:55) to get his takeaways from Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro's end-of-season press conferences, if he thinks the front office will pay Vladdy Jr.'s asking price for a contract extension, what roster changes he expects Atkins to go for, the reasons behind the coaching changes, and what are the positives of heading into the offseason and 2025. Afterwards, the guys check into the Back Leg Line to hear what fans think of Atkins and Shapiro's pr
Oct 2, 2024 · 1 hr 31 min
Atkins and Shapiro Take the Podium
Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker take us through the Blue Jays end-of-season press conference featuring General Manager Ross Atkins and President and CEO Mark Shapiro (37:26). Later on, Jeff and Kevin share their takeaways including the team’s payroll moving forward, the security of the front office and coaching staff, the disconnect between the franchise and fanbase, steps to improve the roster heading into 2025, and what’s ahead for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette (1:28:29). The views and op
Oct 1, 2024 · 49 min
Wild Card Stages & Blue Jays' Staff Changes
Blair and Barker begin the show discussing the Blue Jays' plethora of moves within their coaching staff including letting go of their hitting coach Guillermo Martínez. Then, Padres radio play-by-play voice Jesse Agler (11:45) previews the NL Wild Card between San Diego and Atlanta, what fueled the Padres' second-half push and which player will be an X factor in this series. Afterwards, Blue Jays analyst Buck Martinez (28:55) jumps on to chat about what he wants to hear from GM Ross Atkins and Pr
Sep 30, 2024 · 49 min
2024 Playoff Preview & Predictions
The Athletic's Jayson Stark (4:24) joins Blair and Barker to discuss the dramatic doubleheader finale between the Braves and Mets, the Tigers' uphill battle against the Astros, Buster Posey taking over baseball ops duties in San Francisco and the Jays' offseason direction. Later, Jeff & Kevin review their regular season picks, make their predictions for MLB's 2024 postseason and discuss the Jays' front office's top priority as they enter the offseason. The views and opinions expressed in this p
Sep 30, 2024 · 49 min
Putting a Bow on the '24 Blue Jays
Blair and Barker begin the show summing up the Blue Jays' 2024 season, what they want to hear from general manager Ross Atkins and president Mark Shapiro in their end-of-year press conferences and which of the players acquired and called up since the trade deadline will be starting on opening day in 2025. Then, Blue Jays analyst Caleb Joseph (31:05) jumps on to discuss if there should be a limit on Alejandro Kirk's usage next year, what improvements he'd like to see from Yariel Rodriguez's pitch
Sep 27, 2024 · 49 min
Olympic Stadium's Final Out
Following yesterday's final outs in Oakland Coliseum, Blair and Barker are joined by former Expos & Marlins infielder Mike Mordecai (3:06), who caught the final out at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. He shares the story of what happened to the final ball put in play and his thoughts on how the final game in Oakland was handled. Finally, the guys dip into the Back Leg Line to answer your questions for the last time this regular season! The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of t
Sep 27, 2024 · 49 min
Yankees Clinch, Hinch's Tigers and Season Reflection with John Schneider
MLB Network's Jon Morosi (6:45) joins Blair and Barker to chat about where he ranks the Detroit Tigers' 2024 season among the franchise's history, how A.J. Hinch extracted the best out of his players and who will have the most pressure heading into the postseason between Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge. Afterwards, Blue Jays manager John Schneider (28:16) stops by for his final interview of the season with the guys to share his message to fans on the team's underwhelming year and what he hopes for
Sep 26, 2024 · 49 min
Jays' Last Series of 2024 + Schneider's Closeout Chat
Ahead of the Blue Jays' final home series of the season against the Marlins, Blair and Barker are joined by former MLB pitcher and Marlins analyst Jeff Nelson (4:36) to discuss the Marlins' identity and a playoff outlook for his former team, the Yankees. Then, a chat about John Schneider's future following Shi Davidi's season-closing conversation with him. Finally, Jeff & Kevin review the returns of the 'new' Jays and discuss who the organization needs to prioritize in 2025. The views and opini
Sep 26, 2024 · 49 min
A Lens Through Ohtani's Coach + Doubleheader Implications
Blair and Barker briefly share their thoughts on the Blue Jays' series-ending win over the Red Sox and Kevin Gausman's final start of the season. They are joined by Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel (8:58) to discuss who Shohei Ohtani is as a person and player, his mentality approaching the 50-50 mark and his evolution since entering the MLB. Afterwards, Atlanta Braves TV analyst C.J. Nitkowski (28:15) chats about the upcoming doubleheader against the New York Mets with massive post