Podcast
Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner
Hosted by Toronto Star · EN
Longtime Toronto Blue Jays radio voice Mike Wilner hosts Deep Left Field, a baseball podcast from the Toronto Star. With great baseball coverage, opinion and analysis, Deep Left Field has everything you need to know about the Jays, specifically, and baseball in general.
37episodes
Episodes
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Kevin Gausman on the Jays' playoff push, plus Tim Mayza's return to Toronto
6d ago01:10:56Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, Philadelphia Phillies reliever Tim Mayza This week in Deep Left Field, we look into the latest Blue Jays news from a 4-3 week, including the returns of Dylan Cease (good) and Max Scherzer (less good) from the injured list and speculate about how the Jays might handle the impending return of Alejandro Kirk, given that Brandon Valenzuela has emerged as one of the team's best hitters so far this season. Kevin Gausman, the only Jays' pitcher to have not yet missed a start this season, joins us to share his thoughts about the team being under .500 but very much in the playoff race as the first day of summer approaches. Gausman also talks about some of his more lightning-rod-type teammates, including Jeff Hoffman, George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Tim Mayza was back in Toronto this week, but the one-time longest-tenured Blue Jay is now a Philadelphia Phillie. The left-hander reminisces about his Jays days and talks about the ups and downs of life as a reliever in the big leagues. All that, plus a deep dive into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →Blue Jays icons Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnación relive the glory days plus the mail bag
2w ago01:14:14Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays icons Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion; Jays pitchers Chad Dallas and Simeon Woods Richardson This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a bleak Week That Was for the Blue Jays, and then bring you back to happier times. You'll hear from Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, who discuss their glory days as running mates with the Jays in the 2010s, culminating with each of them hitting a massive post-season home run for the franchise in back-to-back seasons. You'll meet right-hander Chad Dallas, who is expected to make his major-league debut for the Jays on Thursday night in Atlanta, and we'll step into the wayback machine to bring you a conversation with the newly-reacquired Simeon Woods Richardson. We spoke to Richardson when he was a Jays' farmhand in 2021, about to pitch for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics and only weeks away from being traded to the Minnesota Twins in the Jose Berrios deal. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →Demarlo Hale on navigating adversity, plus Liam Hicks' Toronto homecoming and the mailbag
3w ago01:11:45Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays associate manager Demarlo Hale, up-and-coming infield prospect Charles McAdoo, Marlins catcher/first baseman and Toronto native Liam Hicks This week in Deep Left Field, we go over all the Blue Jays' roster machinations of the week, including Dylan Cease's first-ever trip to the injured list, and talk about a bunch of roster churn on the pitching side. On May 25, the Jays reached the one-third mark of the season, so we called upon associate manager Demarlo Hale to discuss what he's seen from the team, how they've done in dealing with a ton of adversity, and what he expects to see over the next 54 games. We'll share that conversation with you. We're joined by Toronto's own Liam Hicks, who is off to a terrific start in his sophomore season in the big leagues, to discuss his first-ever big-league experience in his own backyard. With the Jays' roster in constant flux, the next man up is likely to be infielder Charles McAdoo. We'll introduce you to the new guy. All this, plus a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →Kazuma Okamoto on dugout snacks, plus chats with Yohendrick Pinango and Joe Mantiply
4w ago00:58:23Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays home run and RBI leader Kazuma Okamoto, rookie outfielder Yohendrick Pinango, reliever Joe Mantiply This week in Deep Left Field, we rant about Blue Jays fans who for some reason want to declare the season over when it's not even summer yet and they're two games out of a playoff spot. We look back at a break-even"Week That Was" that featured five one-run games, then talk to a couple of rookies and a long-time veteran. Kazuma Okamoto joins us to discuss the up-and-down start to his big-league career and the transition to life in North America, as well as various and sundry dugout snacks. Yohendrick Pinango talks about his first month in the majors and his extremely eye-catching neck tattoo. And we check in with lefty Joe Mantiply, in his 15th season in professional baseball but first with the Jays, about his early-season success (now on hold thanks to a trip to the injured list) and about pitching to young catcher Daulton Varsho when they were both with the Arizona Diamondbacks. All that plus a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →A walk-off, grand slam episode with Blue Jay Ernie Clement, and old friends John Gibbons and Alek Manoah
May 1401:19:01Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Alek Manoah and bench coach John Gibbons This week in Deep Left Field, we take you through a Blue Jays week that ended with a bang - the first grand slam of the season and a walk-off, at that! Then Ernie Clement joins us to talk about the team's rough start to the season, his ever-increasing popularity (and visibility on your television between innings!), and how last season's late-May rebound weighs into the Jays' feelings about this season's issues. With the Angels having been in town, we catch up with a couple of old friends. Two-time Jays skipper John Gibbons sits down for a trip down memory lane and we chat with Alek Manoah about his return to the big leagues in his old home ballpark, as well as his meteoric rise with the Jays and the fall that sees him with his third different team in eight months. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →Another rough week for the Jays, plus we continue celebrating the Jay's 50th season and the mailbag
May 701:18:43Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays alumnus Shannon Stewart, Jays catching coach Drew Butera, Cleveland Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski This week in Deep Left Field, we force ourselves to look back at a rough Blue Jays Week That Was, in which they got to within one game of the .500 mark then lost four in a row, including a three-game sweep at the House of Horrors that is Tropicana Field. Continuing the celebration of the Jays' 50th season, we talk to Shannon Stewart, one of the greatest pure hitters in the history of the team, and hear his memories of those mid-'90s to early 2000s teams for which he played such a big part. We introduce you to Drew Butera, the Jays' new catching coach, and discuss his role on the team that he helped knock out of the playoffs as a member of the 2015 Kansas City Royals. Young Canadian Erik Sabrowski joins us as well. The Edmonton, AB native has posted a sparkling 1.55 ERA through the first 59 appearances of his big-league career. All that, plus the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →The Jays had a winning week, plus they get some help with players returning from injury
Apr 3001:13:02Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, Boston Red Sox infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a winning Blue Jays Week That Was. With the injured players starting to return, the Jays went into Thursday's action just half a game out of a playoff spot in the American League. Dylan Cease has had a strong start to his Jays' career, posting a 2.87 ERA through six starts, leading the American League in strikeouts and not having allowed a home run yet. He joins us to talk about the first month of his seven years as a Blue Jay, how he feels he's performing, what he's seen from his new team and why he always looks over at third base before releasing the ball. Brandon Valenzuela has been a big-leaguer for just about a month now, and we check in with the rookie catcher to talk about the work he's doing in the batters' box, filling the shoes of Alejandro Kirk and just how much he likes the ABS system. Also, we catch up with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who had a rough final outing as a Blue Jay in Game 7 of the World Series. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →Listen: Brendon Little and Trey Yesavage down on the farm, plus closer controversy as the Jays start winning
Apr 2301:07:10Tap to summarizeGuests: Rehabbing Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage, Reliever Brendon Little, Team Canada/Buffalo Bisons pitcher Adam Macko This week in Deep Left Field, we look back at a Blue Jays week that included a three-game winning streak but also saw the closer controversy take another step forward, likely with Jeff Hoffman losing his job, at least for a while. Then we go down to the farm in Buffalo to hear from Trey Yesavage after a truncated rehab start, check in with Brendon Little to see how he's dealing with life away from big-league pressure, and catch up with lefty Adam Macko after a strong World Baseball Classic for Canada and terrific start to the minor-league season. All that, plus a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
Transcribe →Another rough week for the Blue Jays, a chat with Jeff Hoffman, plus the curious trade for infielder Lenyn Sosa
Apr 1601:06:08Tap to summarizeNo description available
Transcribe →It was a rough week for the Blue Jays
Apr 901:13:16Tap to summarizeGuests: Blue Jays starter Eric Lauer and reliever Joe Mantiply, Dodgers 1B coach Chris Woodward This week in Deep Left Field, we go over what was nearly a winless Week That Was for your Toronto Blue Jays, with two key players hitting the injured list and another set for regular-season- ending knee surgery. It was a rough week both on and off the field for the Jays, many of whom have been struggling with a bug that's tearing through the clubhouse. Eric Lauer believes he may have been Patient Zero for what he calls the "Flu Jays," and he joins us to talk about the team's rough start as they suffer through illness and injury. We meet the new guy, 35-year-old Joe Mantiply, who is here to help stabilize the bullpen with Brendon Little having been shipped out to Buffalo. Former Jay Chris Woodward, now first-base coach of the L.A. Dodgers, stops by to talk about winning the World Series at his former home and to reminisce about the early-2000s Jays teams he was a part of. All that plus the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!
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