An all new baseball-fans podcast from Scotland that focuses on the experience of baseball rather than the stats and in-depth analysis. Four fans, three from Scotland and a proud Yorkshireman, share their experience of following America’s game at home and abroad. The football loving fans from across the pond get into America’s game and seek to understand, explain and enjoy it from a lifetimes experience of watching traditional British sports. The Bullpen bros are rooting for the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. During the 2023 season we’ll bring you a regular review to help you not just understand what’s happened but importantly help you understand the simple yet complex game. We’ll give you our Heroes, Villains, Highlights, Fantasy Baseball update and our Triple AAA, Ask About Anything to help us all learn. Plenty of laughs along the way and mascot Hamish the Highland Bull makes regular appearances!
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Want to know what to expect of the Seattle Mariners in 2021? The Bullpen Bros catch up with Matthew Roberson of the excellent Lookout Landing podcast.
Richard, our resident Mariners fan, leads the way in asking Matthew to talk us through what fans can realistically expect in terms of results. We also discuss what the pitching rotation will bring, rookies we can hope to see and check out on existing star players.
Matthew also gives us a potted history of his lifetime of supporting the Mariners, although sadly he never knew that in 2001 it wasn't (yet) going to get any better.
He reveals his favourite player as a youngster is also the dad of Bullpen Bro and Detroit Tigers fan Alan's current favourite player! Which ages him dramatically.
And for visitors to Seattle for a game Matthew gives us an insight into the city and surrounding area. From tourist spots, to the music scene and of course we check on the bars.
Follow The Highland Bullpen via your favourite podcast apps and on Twitter (@HBullpen) and other social media channels.
©Tartan Podcasts 2020
CREDITS
Take Me Out to the Ballgame Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Saturday Feb 13, 2021
Saturday Feb 13, 2021
We're counting down to the start of Spring training.
But before The Highland Bullpen shifts focus back to MLB baseball, your Bullpen bros complete our look back at the greatest Scotland football (soccer) matches of the past 50 years.
A magnifique double over mighty France features heavily. After all, thanks to James McFadden 'we'll always have Paris'!
We also shine the spotlight on some lesser known Tartan Army experiences from foot solider Dave Junior.
Next episode will see us back focusing on baseball and we reveal exciting plans to preview the upcoming season and a tie-up with another brilliant UK baseball podcast.
Enjoy, stay safe, subscribe and follow The Highland Bullpen on all your favourite social media and podcast platforms.
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
Wednesday Jan 27, 2021
The baseball close season continues and so our Highland Bullpen bros have turned their attention to football, 'soccer' to our friends across the Atlantic!
We debate the most memorable Scotland international games of the past 50 years. Few countries have experienced the highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies, that Scotland have encountered in the last half century.
Plenty of Tartan Army legends are discussed by the Bros, including Jock Stein, Ally McCoist, Kenny Dalglish, Davie Cooper, Archie Gemmell and more.
With so much to pack in, including unforgettable World Cup campaigns and qualifiers, this is part one of a two-part series.
Enjoy and look out for part two in the next week.
Tuesday Jan 19, 2021
Tuesday Jan 19, 2021
Alan and the "Two Daves" (sounds like a TV show or a 1980's band?) caught up recently to talk about their hopes for 2021 for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.
They also chat about their general hopes (or lack of?) for travelling to see a game this year. Covid plays its' part and the Bros' face the reality that if it's October we can travel will any of these teams still be slugging away?
We hope you enjoy the listen and more importantly we hope you have a great 2021!
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Friday Jan 08, 2021
Take me out to the oche.
Our baseball and football loving Bullpen Bros take a diversion from the old ball game to chat about the darts having enjoyed the recent PDC World Championships.
One time pub team player Dave Jnr talks us through his evenings chatting with the stars of the Darts Premier League we watch on Sky Sports. And tells us why Michael Smith ignored him in favour of a Mars Bar.
Dave Snr takes over and chats about the night he played, and was beating, 3 times World Champion Martin Adams which reminds Richard of the night he was asked to get in the ring with Kick Boxing Champion Pele Reid! He's a big lad, but really? Find out what happened next.
Alan closes the chat off with some guidance on enjoying a night at the darts (cheers!) and gives some guidance on visiting the Glasgow Premier League venue of the SSE Hydro.
Enjoy the show!
Thursday Dec 24, 2020
Thursday Dec 24, 2020
It's the off season, or the "bleak midwinter" but the Bullpen Bros still catch up for an odd chat, this week for some Christmas chat. How many horrific puns can they find related to Christmas in amongst the MLB? Which are the best Hymns for baseball fans? Who was the Mr Claus of the baseball world?
As always the conversation moves at a tangent and we acknowledge respect for American's geographic knowledge and consider some realistic expectations, we even talk about Shetland, the place and the TV show.
Before we discuss festive sport from Dave Snr's trip in 1994 to see the Ashes at the MCC to Dave Jnr's love of darts and the PDC Championship over the holiday period. But he also tells the story of when Michael Smith of darting fame blanked him in favour of a critical Mars Bar.....
We hope you enjoy a wee listen and more importanly have a great Christmas and New Year!
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
The Highland Bullpen Baseball Podcast from Scotland lands the legendary MMA promoter and Hollywood producer Campbell McLaren for Episode 13!
The UFC co-creator and founder of hit Hispanic MMA promotion Combate Americas left his native Scotland almost 60 years ago but he retains a huge soft spot for the land of his birth.
The man whose marketing genius propelled UFC into becoming a sports phenomenon shares some incredible stories from his extraordinary life, featuring a galaxy of stars from the fight world, Hollywood and, of course, baseball.
Part One focuses on his journey from a small town near Stirling to the heart of Manhattan, via some tough schooldays in Philadelphia and some 'highs' during his college days at Berkeley in California.
Campbell's love of baseball, and its place at the heart of the American experience, shines through as he talks great ballparks, legendary players and his own impressive collection of signed baseballs from many of the game's greats.
And we round off the episode with Dave Jr profiling the Philadelphia Phillies, in honour of the first America city that Campbell and his family called home.
Follow The Highland Bullpen via your favourite podcast apps and on Twitter (@HBullpen) and other social media channels.
©Tartan Podcasts 2020
CREDITS
Take Me Out to the Ballgame Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
Wednesday Oct 21, 2020
The Highland Bullpen Baseball Podcast from Scotland sees the Bullpen Bro's move to the annual Home Run Derby Quiz!
Following the success of Dave Jr in winning the season long quiz we have end of season banter with a Home Run Derby.
Dave senior asks the Bullpen Bros Alan (Detroit Tigers), Richard (Seattle Mariners) and Dave Junior (Chicago White Sox) quick fire questions on their team and city, who can hit most questions out of the park?
Alan continues the stats explanations as he unravels how a pitcher becomes a winning or losing pitcher or indeed the occasions they don't get a credit or debit either way!
And we round of the episode with Dave Jr starting an "off beat" look at the 30 MLB teams and this week stepping up to the plate with San Diego Padres.
Follow The Highland Bullpen via your favourite podcast apps and on Twitter (@HBullpen) and other social media channels.
CREDITS
Take Me Out to the Ballgame Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Wednesday Oct 14, 2020
Wednesday Oct 14, 2020
The Highland Bullpen Episode 11 - A baseball and football podcast from Scotland
The Bullpen Bro’s get together and after a quick reflection on Dave Jr’s White Sox ultimate play offs demise they discuss the various roles a pitcher can undertake and ponder what makes one pitcher end up with his “chosen” role.
Moving onto development of young talent in the game the Bro’s acknowledge Hamilton Accies, Scottish football Premiership club, excellent work in developing young stars. But any chat on the Academicals can only lead to a random discussion of football team names (Dave Snr has an inspired moment in recognising Accies don’t have a unique name even in the Scottish game).
The conversation progresses to sporting annuals and the shocking discovery that both baseball and Scottish football have a revered annual of the same name! Off podcast research even suggests they started around the same year…..
Dave Snr rounds the episode off with a review of the Rays defeating the Yankees in a dramatic 5th and final series game.
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
The Highland Bullpen Baseball Podcast from Scotland goes wild for wildcards in Episode 10!
Bullpen bros Alan, Dave Ince and Dave Junior run the rule over the wild cards. The season's over for our Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox all coming up short, only Dave Junior is still in the World Series running. Find out what this rookier reckoned of his doomed Chicago White Sox shot at baseball’s biggest prize.
Alan and Dave Sr can only look on in envy as the Tigers and Red Sox ultimately were nowhere near the play offs although perhaps the level of frustration with that existed more in Boston?
Bases Loaded
Alan, the lonely statto, starts a series looking at the world of stats in baseball. It's a mini segment but with the potential to run a while in this game that measures everything! His "first pitch" looks at the teams winning percentage, its' significance and uniqueness.
Follow The Highland Bullpen on Social Media
Alan invites you to like and recommend the podcast and shares detail of the Highland Bullpen on social channels so get in touch with feedback, suggestions and see if you can strike out quizmaster Dave Senior with a baseball trivia question.
We'd also encourage our listeners to check out https://www.dugoutclassics.com/nlbmart and support a recent guest of ours Jason Derr, as he hosts a raffle for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Tickets sales end on the 10th October.
Follow The Highland Bullpen via your favourite podcast apps and on Twitter (@HBullpen) and other social media channels.
CREDITS
Take Me Out to the Ballgame Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/