While Matt Batten aspired to be a pro baseball player, many were still shocked to see him make his MLB debut in the summer of 2022.  Now two years in to his MLB service, Batten put together a strong finish to his 2023 campaign as a utility infielder for the San Diego Padres.  Matt joins the show to take us through his journey of youth baseball to the pros - from repping Shelton, Connecticut in the 2008 Little League World Series, to setting the all-time hits record at Quinnipiac University.  We discuss the grind of the minor leagues, playing for 7 different MiLB teams through 7 seasons, and finally earning the call to the bigs.  We also discuss some of the advice and lessons learned from his teammates Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Juan Soto.

In a little reverse action today, we start with the Balls segment, discussing all the crazy times in the football world with both the Patriots and the Giants on the struggle bus.  Are the Giants better off for winning the games they have in recent weeks? Are the Patriots going to have any glimmer of hope for the future as the tank continues to manifest?  We discuss the ESPN Bet initiative coming to life and what it could mean for journalism.  Meanwhile, in business, Tree House Brewing Company is under major fire after a minority shareholder sued the two founders; how will this affect their product and their lovable nature?  Jake reviews Smile My Guy by Bronx Brewery, and Will reviews Lion's Fountain Pilsner from the best college bar on the face of the earth in Florence, Italy.

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