Is This A Great Game, Or What?

The Red Sox are red hot, the Tigers are one of the most fun teams in baseball, and Pete Crow-Armstrong left us completely baffled with his latest hot take. We cover all of it in this episode of Is This A Great Game, Or What? But first, Tim shares his latest travel woes, Jeff celebrates an impending birthday, and we answer the question: What exactly is an "Alfonseca?" It couldn't be more perfect for this show.
Our Quirkjians feature plenty of Q's—not questions, but names. Winns and Wynns? That's exactly the kind of baseball quirk we love. Then we compare the Phillies' newest addition, Luis Arraez, with Nick Kurtz, and the contrast between the two is absolutely wild.
On This Date in Baseball History, Tim revisits perhaps the one number that still haunts him to this day—a moment he'll never live down. We also look back at the legendary Tony Gwynn, whose incredible ability to make contact and get on base feels even more remarkable in today's strikeout-heavy era.
For our Alphabest, the letter "T" belongs to a current position player who is a first-ballot Hall of Famer without question. And in 3 Cards In The (Wherever We Find Them), we actually pulled a manager card—a rarity that made for a fun surprise.
Happy early birthday to Jeff and his daughter, McKinley! Thanks for listening, thanks for watching, and as always, thanks for being a part of our family.
Use our code for 10% off your next order of MLB tickets on SeatGeek*: seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/TERRITORY10 Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount
See how K12 Powered Schools can help unlock your child’s full potential. Enroll online today at K12.com/foul
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've got Tim Kurkjian's immediate reactions to one of the wildest trade deadlines in recent memory. The Tarik Skubal news may be a few days old, but it was easily the biggest story of the weekend. Plus, the Red Sox somehow landed Adley Rutschman from their division rival, the Orioles—still hard to believe. We break down all the biggest moves, including the Cubs, Guardians, Rays, and more.
Tim joins us from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, squeezing us in between appearances on Baseball Tonight, SportsCenter, and Buster Olney's podcast. The fact that he still finds time for our little show is something we never take for granted.
With so much trade deadline buzz, don't forget to go back and check out our conversation with Jim Bowden. His perspective as a former general manager provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at what the trade deadline is really like.
We also want to invite you to a very special event on August 22 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. We'll be hosting an afternoon of great baseball conversation to benefit Michael Brown, a young father living with ALS who has become a close friend of our family. Our goal is to help Michael and his family get the support they need, and we'd love to see you there. If you're in the Philadelphia area—or just looking for a great reason to make a summer trip—join us at the SunnyBrook Ballroom. Get your tickets here: souljoels.com/shop/tickets/anightwithtimkurkjian/
Thanks so much for listening and watching. As always, thank you for being a part of our family!
To explore coverage, visit aspcapetinsurance.com/FOUL. The ASPCA® is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance.
To get your new wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to MintMobile.com/Territory. That’s it there’s no catch.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HAPPY TRADE DEADLINE! We are celebrating by bringing in Jim Bowden, friend and former General Manager of the Reds and Nationals. He is also the host of GM Territory with HIS son. I mean, come on, how perfect is it to interview him about that given what our show is all about!
His best stories come out including Ken Griffey Jr., Deion Sanders, Ryan Zimmerman and more. His very first year as a GM, well let’s not talk about it, but he has many years of amazing deadlines to talk about!
What ended up being a highlight was the chat about Frank Robinson. What an amazing man. What he had to say about Andruw Jones, now a Hall of Famer, will give you chills. Again, hopefully you laughed and learned in this episode. Our goal is to always tap into something going on in the game and nothing is more exciting than August 3rd, THE TRADE DEADLINE!
We appreciate you watching/listening and as always, thanks for being a part of our family!
Use our code for 10% off your next order of MLB tickets on SeatGeek*: seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/TERRITORY10 Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount
To explore coverage, visit aspcapetinsurance.com/FOUL. The ASPCA® is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to "Is This A Great Game, Or What?" hosted by Hall of Famer Tim Kurkjian, with everything else handled by his son, Jeff Kurkjian.
The MLB Trade Deadline is looming, so you know we're diving into plenty of speculation and discussion. But first, Tim has a question about a walk-off automatic double that has us scratching our heads, and we'd love to hear your thoughts.
We all know what an Immaculate Inning is, but what do you call it when a pitcher throws just three pitches and records three outs? Tim may have come up with the perfect name.
In Takeaways, we discuss the Marlins' slump, the Angels' continued struggles, and somehow... The Miz. Plus, Max Muncy has officially cemented his place in Dodgers history.
The Quirkjians feature Shane Bieber and Jacob Young with some of the best quirky baseball stats you'll find anywhere. Then, On This Date in Baseball History takes an unexpected turn involving Adrian Beltre and Bud Selig.
Alphabest continues as Tim tries to name the greatest pitcher and position player for every letter of the alphabet. This week, the letter "S" might have given him his toughest challenge yet.
We wrap things up with Three Cards and Team Tim to close out another fun episode.
As always, thank you for listening. Without you, there is no show, and we truly appreciate all of your support. Be sure to follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and thanks for being part of our family!
Use our code for 10% off your next order of MLB tickets on SeatGeek*: seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/TERRITORY10 Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Benetti returns to Is This A Great Game, Or What?, and this time he has another impressive title to add to his résumé: host of Sunday Night Baseball on NBC. Alongside his role as the Detroit Tigers' play-by-play broadcaster, Jason is now taking his talents to a national audience every week, and we couldn't be happier for one of the best in the business.
That said... we don't spend much time talking baseball.
Instead, we dive into Jason's marching band days (yes, he played the tuba), his love of trivia and game shows, and how those passions helped shape him into the broadcaster he is today. Then, somehow, Yellowcard enters the conversation—and if you know this podcast, you know things go off the rails in all the right ways.
Former guest Kevin Brown joins the conversation as we look back on their days together in Minor League Baseball. We also swap stories about Bill Walton, Roger Clemens, and John Kruk, making for another unforgettable conversation with this future (one-day) Hall of Fame broadcaster.
Thanks for watching or listening, and as always, thanks for being a part of our family!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.