Show Notes: Rico Brogna Joins the Round Table

The crew is on the road this week, live at the round table with Angry Jay, Crocker, the Don Father (Mac Daddy) and studio engineer Kevin Ross pulling off a glitch-free remote. Title sponsor Joe Moriello, Senior Vice President of Capital Securities (“a life well planned”), joins us at the table.

The Yankees Postmortem Another October, another early exit. The guys unload on the leadoff decision, a historically cold postseason from Trent Grisham, baserunning blunders, and an organizational culture they say has gone soft. Plus: A-Rod, Big Papi and Jeter on “philosophical change,” the Hal McGrowth boycott push on X, and why the Rays and Brewers win with ground balls, hustle and fundamentals. Angry Jay takes a well-earned victory lap on his preseason picks.

Guest: Rico Brogna Watertown’s own Rico Brogna, Detroit Tigers first-round pick, Clemson quarterback recruit, and veteran of the Tigers, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox and Braves, now a pro scout with the Seattle Mariners. Rico covers:

• Choosing baseball over Clemson football (and Danny Ford flying in on Thanksgiving)
• Legion ball legends and Watertown rivalries
• His first big-league at-bat: working back from 0-2 against Dave Stieb for a double
• First home run off Melido Perez at Tiger Stadium
• Breaking in with the Mets and the Evan Roberts podcast named after him
• Philly years under Terry Francona with Scott Rolen and Bobby Abreu
• A walk-off grand slam at Fenway with the crowd chanting his name
• Golf trips with Maddux and Glavine in Atlanta
• Why analytics have gone overboard, and what the Rays do right

Full Count (presented by Skygazer Brewing) Rapid-fire picks: favorite park (Dodger Stadium), least favorite (Olympic Stadium), the guy he hit best (John Smoltz), hardest thrower (Billy Wagner), foxhole teammate (Scott Rolen), Pedroia over Cano, Pedro over Randy, Albert Belle over Juan Gonzalez, The Natural over Moneyball, and the original Bad News Bears. Rico promises to come back with his Nolan Ryan story.

La Cosa Trivia Steve Spurrier vs. Georgia and Alabama, Joe Burrow’s late-game turnovers, Ricky Williams’ first-year rushing mark, the ‘93 Cowboys and ‘01 Patriots, Testaverde vs. Bledsoe, Tony Gwynn’s three strikeouts against four Hall of Famers, and who hit the first home run at Coors Field. (Spoiler: our guest.)

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The Bristle Boys — September 2, 2026

Live from the Don Father's, on Instagram and X. Brought to you by Skygazer Brewing and Capital Securities — SVP Joe Moriello: a life well planned.

Panel: The Don Father (host), Angry Jay, Crocker, Mac. Studio engineer: Kevin Ross. Coming up: a possible Devin McCourty, Yale coach Brian Ham, and more.

(03:36) Down to the wire

Rays up four and a half in the East, White Sox two and a half clear in the Central, Astros two up on Texas. Wild cards today: Cleveland at Houston, Chicago in the Bronx, San Diego at Atlanta, Phillies at Chicago.

Yankees have 16 games before a seven-game home finale: four with Tampa, three with the surging Orioles.

The Judge question: Jones or Grisham in the third outfield spot? Should be Jones, will be Grisham — sub-.200 leadoff hitter, bad metrics, doesn't hustle it in. Postseason arms: Cole and Schlittler at 70 pitches apiece, Rodón to the bullpen with Hill, Schmidt and Warren.

(07:03) World Series picks

• Don Father: Yankees–Dodgers
• Crocker: Dodgers, Yankees
• Kevin Ross: Dodgers, Rays
• Angry Jay: Rays, Brewers
• Mac: Yankees–Phillies, and he insists it's a prediction

Also: Brewers best-run in baseball, Rays second.

(09:51) The Draft Day Consigliere

The stack nobody talks about: QB–RB, not QB–WR. Take a high-powered offense late and bank every touchdown, run or pass:

• Swift + Caleb Williams — late fourth and around the eighth
• Javonte Williams + Dak — nobody else in Dallas sees the goal line
• Stafford + Kyren Williams

Draft QBs off Vegas passing-TD lines: Burrow 32.5, Stafford 31.5 — a touchdown apart, 20 picks apart.

Other calls: Tee Higgins is not Burrow-proof, Ja'Marr Chase is. Kelce at TE12 is theft. Garrett Wilson over Breece Hall — the Jets won't score, so take the catches. Cool on Bucky Irving. Jeremiah Love is legit, but does a 2-12 Arizona bubble-wrap him in your playoffs? QBs: Allen, Lamar, then Burrow over Daniels; Hurts at QB7 is a gift.

(23:00) Around the sport

Rookies who miss NFL rosters going back to college — universally hated here. NFL's counter: declare once, that's your shot. Plus praise for Signetti's 90-minute practices.

(27:22) NEW: The MacScarade Numbers

Players who made two numbers famous. Kobe 8/24. Nolan Ryan 30/34. Jordan 23/45 — and 12, one night in Orlando after his jersey was stolen. Reggie 9/44. Bourque 7/77. LeBron 23/6. Boggs 26/12. Ortiz 27 then 34. Durant 35/7. Messi 30/19/10. Deion 21, 37, 2 at FSU. Shaq 32/34/33.

(37:37) NEW: Pass or Cement Shoes

• Only player to win NFL MVP in his third season — Walter Payton
• Youngest to lead the league in sacks since 1982 — Shawne Merriman
• Active leader in sacks vs. MVPs — Cam Jordan, 42 (Von Miller next, 22)
• Most Vikings TD catches between Moss and Jefferson — Kyle Rudolph, 47
• Youngest QB to start a Giants playoff game — Danny Kanell
• Second to Ruth in outright MLB home run titles — Mike Schmidt

(44:47) Pick Your Poison with Angry Jay

Damon over Lofton, unanimous. Verlander over Scherzer. Wedding Crashers over Borat. Utley over Cano. Doc over Coney. Mussina over Schilling on character. Halladay over Glavine. Kuechly over Brooks. Henry over Riggins. Willis over Urlacher. Platoon over Private Ryan. Reacher the series over the movie. Draymond the bigger douchebag. Herb Brooks over Rocky, over loud objection.

Enjoy your drafts.

Episode Notes — August 11, 2026

Guest: Coach Kevin Kalat, Bristol 12U Little League All-Star Softball In studio: Bobby, Don Father, Crockett, Mac, engineer Kevin Ross. Out: Angry Jay (car and back trouble). Sponsors: Capital Securities — Joe Morello, SVP, "a life well planned" — and Skygazer Brewing.

Summary

Callett on three years with the Bristol Gators: 10U state and New England titles, an 11U East Regional crown, and a 2026 run to the Little League Softball World Series in Greenville, NC — a first for a Bristol 12U girls team. Then: NFC East over/unders, trivia, the red-hot Red Sox, the Dodgers' latest heist, a GOAT bracket, and a new segment — Foul Lines.

Chapters

• 01:12 Guest intro
• 02:00 The three-year run
• 04:40 Year-round ball, burnout, "tough but fair"
• 08:00 Pregame rituals
• 09:45 The regional final comeback
• 13:20 Relief pitching and the ESPN No. 1 catch
• 18:35 The town parade
• 20:25 What's next: 14U
• 22:40 NFC East over/unders
• 29:30 Football trivia
• 32:15 Red Sox red hot
• 37:50 Yanks: long ball or bust
• 43:00 Dodgers add another ace
• 56:00 GOAT bracket
• 1:01:10 Foul Lines
• 1:13:20 Week 1 is stacked

Softball takeaways

• Entered 10U with 8- and 9-year-olds and missed districts on purpose — the plan was experience.
• Staff: Adam Whitlock (manager), Mike Bastianz, Anthony LaFerge, Jay Thompson, Pat Tisha. Pitching with Kim Bogan in Watertown.
• On burnout: "The number one reason why kids quit sports is they're not having fun anymore."
• Rituals: Dakota Green's drum-roll cheer, Whitlock's roll call, and Callett pinching Green's cheeks every game.
• Whitlock's superpower is coaching from behind — he predicts the score and gets it right.
• Lucy's inside-the-park homer flipped the regional final; the winning run slid home an inning later.
• Best team seen: Kentucky. But Milford, East Lyme, and Fairfield are the real gauntlet.
• Not top-heavy — Juliana Pavlak grinding eight-pitch at-bats from the bottom of the order.
• Next: 14U, then Wilkes-Barre for regionals and Washington for the World Series.

Over/unders

Eagles 10.5 — unanimous over. Cowboys 9.5 — mostly over. Commanders 7.5 — mostly under (Tunsil's tricep). Giants 7.5 — split: Harbaugh optimism vs. Dart and Skattebo durability worries.

Trivia answers

1. Most receiving TDs from Heisman winners, active — Mike Evans, 58.
2. Most receiving yards per season, min. 10 seasons — Torry Holt.
3. Highest career PPG in Celtics history — Isaiah Thomas, 24.7.
4. Longest gap between NFC title game trips — Washington, 32 seasons.
5. Active non-QB with most Monday night TDs — 13, AFC, playing Week 1.

Baseball

Boston went from 14 under to right in the mix on streaks of 15 and 9 — they'll take the walk, hit it to right, steal the bag. It hinges on Crochet. The Yanks are 30-31 since peaking and it's long ball or bust. The Dodgers added Skubal to Yamamoto and Snell. Cardinals CF Nathan Church on facing Misiorowski: guess wrong out of the hand and you have zero chance.

NBA

Two best teams still in the West, but the East has closed on depth. LeBron to Philly is about the Jordan conversation. The Blazers at +8000 are quietly loaded. GOAT bracket final: Jordan over Bird — after the bracket fell apart on air.

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