The Yak Podcast – Game 1 of the That's Baseball World Classic Yug Off | 3-12-26

Date: March 12, 2026
Hosts/Participants: Kyle "KBNoSwag" Bauer, Big Cat, Nick, Brandon Walker, Rone, Lil Sas, Kate, Steven Cheah, Dana Beers
Special Guests: Home By Three team (Jordan Schmaltz, Rob Gucci), umpire Tom Yur, Cubs anthem singer John Vincent, the Yugomatic engineer, and more

Episode Overview

This episode of The Yak marks the highly-anticipated Game 1 of the “That’s Baseball World Classic Yug Off”, a uniquely Barstool event pitting the Barstool crew against the “Home By Three” podcast in a multi-game beer-chugging (yug) competition. Staged as a 7-game series with playoff dramatics, the show blends absurd sports pageantry, a custom-built “Yugomatic” scoring device, and classic Yak banter. The stakes: defending the right to the phrase “That’s Baseball.”

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Pre-Game Anticipation, Missing Rivals & Mind Games

Starts ~00:00

• The Home By Three team’s late arrival sparks rampant speculation of gamesmanship. Dana and Big Cat are especially rattled by their rivals’ social media activity from Chicago bars that morning.
  • Brandon: “Am I here? They’re not. I have not seen them yet... Is this gamesmanship?” (03:00)
  • Big Cat: “They’re playing mind games on a mindless man. There’s no need for it.” (06:30)
• Conversation about sports rituals, charcuterie spreads, and the general insanity of organizing such an event.

Notable Quote

• “They are playing a little gamesmanship...and it is working because Dana’s all up from it.” – Big Cat (05:00)

2. The Steven Cheah Batting Cage Challenge Debate

~08:00–22:00

• Heated discussion over Steven Cheah’s halftime batting challenge, testing if hitting a 100mph fastball is easier blindfolded or not.
• Cheah’s initial refusal to do any pitches sighted “to preserve the moment” causes visible frustration:
  • Big Cat: “His entire premise…is like, ‘what’s the point of me trying without the blindfold on?’” (12:20)
  • The crew insists he does both; they settle on 10 “eyes open” and 20 “blindfolded” swings for the stream.

Memorable Moment

• Big Cat admits Cheah’s yearly ability to infuriate him “once or twice.” (13:45)

3. Pregame Rituals & Announcements

~24:00–35:00

• Lineups Revealed: Dana selects Barstool Greg as his “Game 1” partner, framing the match strategically as a "bullpen game."
• Event Pageantry:
  • National anthem by Cubs’ John Vincent (01:25:00)
  • Ceremonial “first pitch” by snake-wielding local Ollie
  • Sizable charcuterie board, custom T-shirts, and “Cream Team” vendors with hot dogs and ice cream.

Quote

• “I think it’s genius to throw out Greg because now it’s a must win for them. If you lose the Greg game, the series is all but over.” – Big Cat (29:30)

4. The Yugomatic: The Science of Beer Chugging

~38:00–50:00

• The Yugomatic, custom-engineered over four sleepless nights, measures chug speed and beer volume left—the ultimate impartial yug judge.
• Demo video shown, device calibrated by Deutsch’s legendary “10,000” point chug.
• Speculation about its commercial potential and its inventor’s “four days with no sleep” backstory.
  • “I owned a pub, I’d buy that.” – Barstool Crew (46:20)

5. Opening Ceremony, Official Intros, and Trash Talk

01:15:00–01:35:00

• Satirical “MLB Opening Day” ceremonies: elaborate team intros, anthems, service recognition, and a World Series-level MC’d show.
• Dana delivers an impassioned, tongue-in-cheek monologue framing the origins and importance of the “That’s Baseball” rivalry.
  • “Above all else, baseball is about rivalry... Cubs-Cardinals... the sign stealing steroid-using pussies at Home By Three and Dana Beers.” — Dana (01:28:00)

6. The Yug Off: Game 1 Recap

01:35:00–02:10:00

Format

• Each team nominates a chugger; the higher Yugomatic score wins the round.
• Two rounds: if tied, goes to “overtime” with sudden death.
• Umpire Tom Yur enforces the rules.

First Half

• Home By Three: Rob Gucci – score: 3,904 (ease, solid pace)
• Barstool: Greg – score: 3,552 (slower, head-scratching strategy)
• Result: Home By Three leads 1-0

Second Half

• Barstool: Dana Beers – first try technical glitch, redoes and scores 5,559 (strong but nervous).
• Home By Three: Jordan Schmaltz – 4,650 (slight spillage, but close).
• Result: Dana forces overtime. Overtime score: Barstool wins game one with Dana outperforming Schmaltz 6,091 to 5,691.

Notable Quotes

• "That was clean, that was clean..." – Crew after Dana’s clutch chug (01:59:00)
• "We got walked off...we’re gonna promise. Adjust my belly." – Home By Three reacts to the pressure (02:03:20)

7. The Halftime Show: Steven Cheah’s Batting Cage Experiment

~01:50:00–01:55:00

• Cheah makes light contact on 3 of 10 pitches sighted.
• Blindfolded segment mired in confusion as the pitcher unconsciously gives verbal cues.
• Yak crew grows exasperated over lack of a true “blindfolded” challenge.

8. Post-Game Banter: Reflections, Excuses, and Strategy

~02:20:00–02:50:00

• Home By Three jokes about “jet lag, four-star hotels, and thyroid issues” for their narrow loss.

• Discussion of future lineup adjustments, possible ringers, the sanctity of the Yugomatic, and the potential for “That’s Porn” as the next rivalry phrase.

• Greg’s underperformance becomes a running joke.

  • “Greg is a piece of shit. Yeah. And I think we all agree with that. Greg is a piece of shit.” – Big Cat and crew (02:12:30)

• “If you lose a game, you can change your lineup, but if you win, you can’t.” – New proposed series rule.*

9. Extended Aftermath: Invention Geek-Out & Umpire Interview

02:55:00–03:10:00

• Deep dive with the Yugomatic engineer and Ump Tom Yur (who’s officiated 12 sports, including water polo, handball, and now “yugging”).
• Crew contemplates the need (or lack thereof) for such an intricate invention.
  • “I just want to say about Deutsch, never meet your heroes. Cuz that was...” (03:04:00)

10. Jokey Baseball Nerd Out & Obligatory Baseball Talk

03:15:00 onwards

• Attempts to name “underrated Marlins,” favorite closers, and assorted baseball trivia, lampooning Dana’s superficial baseball knowledge for laughs.
  • Dana: “I was really good in Little League. What do you mean kinda? ...I was very versatile.” (03:20:00)
• Conversation devolves into jet ski deaths and random nautical facts.

Standout Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Yugomatic:
  “People inventing products. Yes. He came in like red-eyed, talking about, I just made this in four days…” — Big Cat (48:10)
• Dana’s Opening Speech:
  “I’m here to take what’s rightfully mine, and that’s baseball.” — Dana Beers (01:29:00)
• On Greg’s Performance:
  “Greg let me down today...Greg, you were the same. I let the company down.” (02:35:00)
• Yak Philosophy:
  “The unfortunate part of all this is we’re all probably going to end up being best friends. That is unfortunate. That is gonna happen.” — Big Cat (03:39:00)
• On the Stakes:
  “I would like it to be known that I said it first. That’s what matters.” — Dana Beers, on “That’s Baseball” ownership (03:41:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Kick-off, Home By Three missing, gamesmanship speculation | | 08:00 | Steven Cheah batting cage debate | | 24:00 | Lineup reveals, pageantry, event set-up | | 38:00 | Yugomatic device: invention, testing, demo | | 01:15:00 | Opening ceremonies, humorous team/coach intros | | 01:28:00 | Dana’s monologue & official game kickoff | | 01:35:00 | Game One: First round chug-off begins | | 01:50:00 | Halftime: Cheah blindfold challenge at batting cage | | 02:10:00 | Game One overtime, post-game interviews | | 02:55:00 | Yugomatic engineer and umpire Tom Yur extended interviews | | 03:15:00 | Extra banter: baseball trivia, jet ski death debate | | 03:35:00 | Closing, reflections, setup for game two |

Tone & Style

• Loud, irreverent, inside-jokey, and self-deprecating.
• Sports meets absurd performance art, with commitment to the bit and affection for pageantry and manufactured rivalry.

Summary

This episode serves as both a parody and celebration of sports spectacle. The “That’s Baseball” Yug Off inaugurates with theatricality—anthems, ceremonial pitches, engineered gadgets—while the crew juggles actual (and imagined) competitive tension, elaborate mock-bureaucracy, and inside-baseball (literally and figuratively) banter.

Highlights:

• The arrival drama and mind games prove a false alarm, overshadowed by the genuine unpredictability of Greg’s chug.
• The Yugomatic machine garners as much fascination as the chuggers themselves.
• Steven Cheah’s halftime challenge becomes a saga of miscommunication and stubbornness.
• The Ump and engineer add oddball “characters” to the Yak extended universe.
• Game 1 ends with Dana’s redemption and plenty of set-up for Game 2—including the possibility for ringer substitutions and an evolving, reality-show-like meta-dialogue.
• The episode is a chaotic blend of sports, meta-commentary, and comedic performance—a uniquely “Yak” take on competition.

The series continues tomorrow, with Home By Three out for revenge and new rules in play. Get your shirts, tune in, and remember: “That’s Baseball.”