The Fire Pit Podcast

Tony Gwynn played 20 seasons for the San Diego Padres, ending his career with 3,141 hits, eight batting titles and five Gold Gloves. In episode one of this tribute series on the life and legacy of “Mr. Padre,” and with the help of with the help of a panel of Hall of Fame pitchers and hitters, we reflected on some incredible stats and anecdotes that made Gwynn's career so memorable. Throughout his two decades in San Diego, Gwynn passed up more lucrative offers to play for teams in bigger markets that might’ve had a better chance at winning a World Series. But as much as Gwynn loved his city and his team, when his son prevented the Padres from clinching a playoff spot with a timely triple, Gwynn celebrated like a man who always put family first. In episode two of this tribute series, we spend time with Tony Gwynn, Jr. and get his reflections on what it was like growing up as the son of a legend. "Little T" also talks movingly about the role his mom played in his father’s success and the responsibility of representing the family name. And we hear in vivid detail about the day in which Junior's worlds collided, creating a defining memory for the Gwynn family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing up in Santa Rosa, Calif., Matt Ginella would fall asleep to baseball games on the radio. And although he lived an hour north of San Francisco, his favorite team was the San Diego Padres. His favorite player: Tony Gwynn. Now Ginella lives in San Diego, and, along with his son, listens to Padres games on the radio in which Tony Gwynn Jr. is the analyst. So, to get a chance to produce a three-part tribute podcast on the life and legacy of “Mr. Padre,” is a little boy’s dream come true. In episode one, the emphasis is on Gwynn’s athleticism, mind, preparation, consistency, dedication, humility and his secret weapon: his wife. The interviews include Gwynn Jr., Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Ryne Sandberg, Trevor Hoffman, Ken Griffey Jr., and Tom Verducci. This collection of Hall of Famers reflects on some of Gwynn’s outlandish stats, what Griffey refers to as “Bugs Bunny Numbers.” Smoltz says Gwynn “hunted hits” and tells the story of Gwynn breaking up one of his bids for a no-hitter. And Maddux explains why he’s actually pleased that Gwynn only hit .415 against him. “It was up to .485 [laughs], so I actually don’t feel too bad about the .415 to be honest with you.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new Michael Bamberger book is always cause for celebration! "The Ball in the Air" is his ode to the way golf connects us all. In this exclusive podcast, he introduces the book's protagonists, shares his writing process, and reflects on his enduring love of "the game for a lifetime." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Fire Drill Podcast, Michael Bamberger interviews Alan Shipnuck about his enlightening reporting from LIV Tucson. They also touch on Jordan Spieth's vexing play in Tampa, larger trends in golf media, and their forever enduring love of a tangible book. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geoff Ogilvy, Michael Bamberger, Alan Shipnuck and Matt Ginella all have different perspectives on the USGA’s proposed golf ball rollback so we convened a Fire Drill podcast to hash out all the talking points and help guide fans through a complex issue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Fire Drill Podcast: Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger break down Scottie Scheffler's simple, boring, and incredibly effective approach towards golf. They dive into Jay Monahan's Oscar worthy press conference performance and discuss why there isn't a single good golf movie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bobby Weed is an accomplished golf course architect who will leave behind a lasting legacy through his work. But the Weed who’s out to change the world, one letter at a time, is Lanier, his 24-year-old non-verbal autistic daughter. “She has a lot of things she wants to achieve,” Bobby says. “She’s just a beautiful young lady, inside and out.” Lanier Weed’s story, in both video and words, can be found on firepitcollective.com. Lanier's life changed when, at 14, she was introduced to facilitated communications, which involves an autistic person spelling out words on a keyboard or similar device while their hand or wrist is physically supported by another person. Lanier Weed was 14 when she got in front of her first keyboard. Her opening salvo?  “Thank you for releasing my voice.” This podcast, featuring an interview with Bobby Weed and his wife Leslie, is a follow-up to that video feature on the Fire Pit Collective’s website and YouTube channel. We hear about where Lanier Weed is now, ten years after typing her first sentence. We hear about the foundation the Weeds founded 20 years ago, HEAL (Helping Enrich Autistic Lives), and its ongoing impact. The Weeds talk about Arnold Palmer, Dean Beman and Jay Monahan, just some of the people who have helped them along the way. Bobby and Leslie also reflect on Pete and Alice Dye and what Players Championship week means to them and their community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the latest Fire Drill podcast, Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger praise Kurt Kitayama on his gritty victory, discuss the state of Jordan Spieth's game and go deep on changes to the Tour's "product."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Fire Drill podcast, PGA Tour Player Director Peter Malnati explains the new structural changes to the schedule and how, as the appointed voice of the Everyman, he changed his thinking as the Tour embraces small fields and no cuts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hale Irwin is an all-time badass: A division one football star in college, a 3-time U.S. Open champ and now a dispenser of hard truths. In this Need A Fourth, he goes deep with another Winged Foot conquerer, Geoff Ogilvy, while Shipnuck & Bamberger ride shotgun.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.