Sandlot Social Club

This is the story of F.U.M.B.L. (the Formerly Unemployed Musicians Baseball League), a group of New York City ballplayers that's been meeting up in Brooklyn for weekly pickup games since the height of the pandemic lockdown as a way to keep their community connected.

Adam chats with Jared Menane, founder of the Brooklyn Bad Stars, about starting a team in a city of 8 million people, baseball culture in New York, and that special feeling you get when the spell of a ballgame sets in. Part 1 of 2 episodes recorded in Brooklyn, NY.

River Butcher, a founding member of the Los Angeles Baseball Federation (LABF), joins Adam to talk about starting the league, the history of his team, the L.A. Death, and his love of baseball. Part 2 of 2 episodes recorded at Ralph Foy Park in Los Angeles with members of the LABF.

Adam chats with Dylan, Ryan & Arek, ballplayers in the Los Angeles Baseball Federation (LABF), about the league, their teams, and sandlot community. Part 1 of 2 episodes recorded at Ralph Foy Park in Los Angeles with members of the LABF.

We head to Hot Springs, Arkansas, home of professional baseball's first spring trainings, to talk with Rob, Zack, Alexis, and Brook of the Flaming Majestics about their team, their town, and the meaning of "Happy Baseball!".

Adam chats with Christi Nissen, manager of the Crete Street Riot, about her journey to managing, lineup construction, different styles of play, and the mental aspects of participating in sports as an adult.

In the season two premiere, Matt and Lacie, founders of the Port City Pickles, join Adam for a conversation at the church of baseball - Historic Durham Athletic Park.

This special offseason episode of Sandlot Social Club features Jonathan Williams and Steven Lefebvre, of the Nashville Blue Jean Baseball Club, sharing the origins of the team and their respective approaches to running a sandlot ballclub. Show notes: Dense with sage advice for ballplayers of all ages and persuasions. A full(er) season of Sandlot Social Club is in the works for 2024, featuring new voices from sandlot cities across the United States. Follow here to get notified when it's released or look me up on instagram @sandlotsocialclubpodcast for updates from the road. Until then, see you out on the diamond. - Adam

In the season finale, Adam sits down with teammate Callie Collins during the Cobras' last home game of 2022 to reflect on the podcast and talk about his relationship to baseball. Show Notes: The Green Fields of the Mind

Adam travels to New Orleans to talk with Nick Schmidt, the commissioner of the People's Baseball League, about what it means to say baseball is for human beings. Show Notes: People's Baseball League Ian Mackaye on water NY Times parenting newsletter (subscription-only, unfortunately): Why Have We Allowed Money to Ruin Youth Sports?

Adam and Cap City Cobras teammate Thomas Slanker post up at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to recap the 2nd Annual Sandlot Bash at Field of Dreams and reflect on their first experiences playing sandlot ball with the Cobras.

Adam chats with Jack Sanders, founder of the Texas Playboys and creator of The Long Time, a baseball field and event space on the outskirts of Austin, about some of his influences in the areas of design and architecture, what he loves about the game of baseball, and his approach to captaining the Playboys and taking the field himself. Show Notes: Newbern Baseball Club Rural Studio Texas Playboys The Long Time

Adam chats with the mysterious creative duo behind Northwoods Baseball Sleep Radio, a podcast of full-length fake baseball games from a dreamy league where the players, teams, and surrounding businesses have been completely invented, and the sonic mood has been crafted to produce a calming vibe conducive to relaxation.

Adam and Bret Marshall Spears, of the Tulsa Rumblers, take in games at Govalle Park and The Long Time while talking about why they play baseball.

Jackie Monical and Jennifer Sherburn, of the East Austin Ramblers, meet up with Adam at Gourmands to talk about how their team got started, why "rambly" matters, and a sandlot phenomenon they call desert confusion.

Adam has a conversation with Luke Epplin, the author of Our Team, a book that transports you to baseball stadiums and sandlots in the 1930s and 40s to tell the story of how Larry Doby, Bob Veeck, Satchel Paige, and Bob Feller came together in the era of integration to propel the Cleveland Indians to the 1948 World Series. Grab a copy of the book and dive into the full story: https://bit.ly/ourteambook

Adam chats with Dr. Matt Bowers of the Cap City Cobras. Dr. Bowers, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas, shares how he developed an interest in studying sports and what draws him to playing sandlot baseball.

J.W. Galloway, of the Austin Senators, meets up with Adam at King Bee to chat about his team's story, getting back to playing baseball, and why he loves the game so much.

Tamara Deike introduces Adam to the Lockhart Hawks. They talk about the team's origins, what it feels like to return to sports as an adult, and battling the heat to play baseball. This episode was recorded at Soundwaves, a gallery and foundation in Lockhart that collaborates with musicians to create one of a kind works of art out of sound waves, with 100% of the proceeds going to charitable causes. Show notes: Soundwaves: https://bit.ly/sandlotsocialsoundwaves Lockhart Hawks: https://www.lockharthawks.com/ Chaparral Coffee: https://chaparralcoffee.com/ Old Pal: https://oldpalbartx.com/ Sunflower and Friends: https://www.sunflowerandfriends.com/ Little Trouble: https://www.littletroublelockhart.com/

Adam has a conversation with Greg Larson, the author of Clubbie , a minor league baseball memoir, about the sometimes tragic, sometimes funny dynamics of minor league baseball teams. Check out Greg's website to learn more about the book, grab a copy, and download free deleted scenes from the clubhouse: https://bit.ly/clubbiebook