Happy Hour with John Gaskins

A year ago, Augustana baseball luminary Jordan Barth was in the midst of an All-Star season for Sioux Falls Canaries when he joined Happy Hour for a chat.
 
The Birds eventually played for the American Association championship, with Barth playing a major role. The day after the season ended, he was already talking to manager Mike Meyer about returning for the 2026 season.
 
Then, a phone call a couple months later in November changed everything.
 
Things are a bit different now. Like, mind-blowingly, life-changingly different.
 
Barth has joined the $500 million traveling baseball circus known as "Banana Ball," a barnstorming exhibition professional league similar to the Harlem Globetrotters and WWE.
 
Like those other two operations, Banana Ball has scripted and choreographed entertainment moments that the athletes rehearse before their performances. 
 
But the baseball is real, and so is Barth's emergence as one of his league's best players... again.
 
The shortstop known for his dazzling "web gem" fielding plays and "Barth Bomb" home runs is also top five hitter in the six-team league.
 
But there is way more to this gig than playing ball.
 
Barth hit a home run in front of over 102,000 fans in Texas A&M's football stadium, sang a Kendrick Lamar tune after hitting a walk-off home run in El Paso, and serenaded a full Chris Brown song to his wife on their four-year anniversary in Nashville. 
 
So, what is it like becoming a baseball celebrity in a skyrocketing league that has swept America by barnstorm?
 
Barth takes us into that wacky world in a 28-minute Happy Hour reunion.
 
Before the Barth chat, the Happy Hour host recaps a wild weekend of local and regional sports in the sweltering summer heat:
 
* USD's all-time leading Div. I rusher Travis Theis is turning it up in Canada
 
* USD's all-time track and field icon Chris Nilson won his seventh USA outdoors national championship. Why was this one special?
 
* The entire SDSU football team took a trip to a Canaries game last week, with Dan Jackson throwing out two first pitches and an offensive lineman belting out "Sweet Caroline"
 
* The Canaries and Twins heated up at home. How?
 
* The world's No. 1 golfer gave the PGA Tour stop in the Twin Cities a much-needed shot in the arm, but a rookie phenom stole the show.
 
* Oh, and perhaps you heard... LeBron James is not going to be a Minnesota Timberwolf. The Happy Hour host and video producer Cordell Wright break down The King's decision to take his talents to Philadelphia and if the Wolves can still win a title without him

The King is taking is talents to Philadelphia even though our biased host and his video producer, both Timberwolves fans, feel he would have a better shot at a title in Minneapolis.
Are the Wolves still in the running to reach a first-ever NBA Finals without the No. 2 player of all time?

A year ago, Augustana baseball luminary Jordan Barth was in the midst of an All-Star season for Sioux Falls Canaries when he joined Happy Hour for a chat.
 
The Birds eventually played for the American Association championship, with Barth playing a major role. The day after the season ended, he was already talking to manager Mike Meyer about returning for the 2026 season.
 
Then, a phone call a couple months later in November changed everything.
 
Things are a bit different now. Like, mind-blowingly, life-changingly different.
 
Barth has joined the $500 million traveling baseball circus known as "Banana Ball," a barnstorming exhibition professional league similar to the Harlem Globetrotters and WWE.
 
Like those other two operations, Banana Ball has scripted and choreographed entertainment moments that the athletes rehearse before their performances. 
 
But the baseball is real, and so is Barth's emergence as one of his league's best players... again.
 
The shortstop known for his dazzling "web gem" fielding plays and "Barth Bomb" home runs is also top five hitter in the six-team league.
 
But there is way more to this gig than playing ball.
 
Barth hit a home run in front of over 102,000 fans in Texas A&M's football stadium, sang a Kendrick Lamar tune after hitting a walk-off home run in El Paso, and serenaded a full Chris Brown song to his wife on their four-year anniversary in Nashville. 
 
So, what is it like becoming a baseball celebrity in a skyrocketing league that has swept America by barnstorm?
 
Barth takes us into that wacky world in a 28-minute Happy Hour reunion.

Behold, the "John-o-logue' for Monday, July 27. What a red-hot weekend it was in so many ways — outside and in local sports!
* USD's all-time leading Div. I rusher Travis Theis is turning it up in Canada
 
* USD's all-time track and field icon Chris Nilson won his seventh USA outdoors national championship. Why was this one special?
 
* The entire SDSU football team took a trip to a Canaries game last week, with Dan Jackson throwing out two first pitches and an offensive lineman belting out "Sweet Caroline"
 
* The Canaries and Twins heated up at home. How?
 
* The world's No. 1 golfer gave the PGA Tour stop in the Twin Cities a much-needed shot in the arm, but a rookie phenom stole the show.
 
* Oh, and perhaps you heard... LeBron James is not going to be a Minnesota Timberwolf. The Happy Hour host and video producer Cordell Wright break down The King's decision to take his talents to Philadelphia and if the Wolves can still win a title without him

Tis the season for not just anticipating the upcoming football season, but enjoying the lighter side of the personalities we'll be watching on the gridiron and sidelines.
 
Few personas shine brighter than former South Dakota State offensive coordinator Jason Eck, a rising head coaching star in the profession who has ignited an instant revival at New Mexico.

A former offensive lineman and OL coach, Eck's larger-than-life yet every man vibe can be felt in his 1-on-1 chat during Mountain West Conference Media Days on "Hot Mic with Dom Izzo" last week. The Lobos are picked to finish second in the league that now includes North Dakota State.

Yes, Eck has a colorful past with the Bison from his days in Brookings, when he displayed a precursor of viral moments to come in tweets directed at NDSU... and Izzo, a fixture in Fargo for 20 years, was more than happy to bring that up.

That enjoyable and engaging chat is part of this week's "South Dakota Sports Lounge," a weekly show providing some of the best conversations on Forum Communications' daily shows in South Dakota and North Dakota.
 
Also this week:
 
* South Dakota State legendary receiver Cade Johnson joined Happy Hour with John Gaskins to tell stories about his three decorated seasons (2017-19) around other SDSU icons like John Stiegelmeier, Taryn Christion, Dallas Goedert, and Jake Weineke. 
 
* Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard, the reigning Walter Payton Award winner as the FCS' most outstanding player, describes his childhood as the son of the only YSU quarterback to lead the Penguins to two national championships.
 
* The dean of MVFC coaches Brock Spack is well-liked and universally respected by other conference coaches... and so is his mustache. Midwest Sports+ correspondent Zach Borg focuses in on an uber-ballyhooed upper lip.