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Josh Engler will enter the 2022 Grip 'N Rip Baseball League season with a 2.91 career earned run average across 68 innings pitched. He's allowed 47 hits, and struck out 97 batters in two seasons. If all goes well, he'll become just the third pitcher in seven years of GRBL baseball to strike out the 100th batter of his career. "Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV "Fallen Kingdom" Whitesand (Martynas Lau) - 2021 https://whitesandcomposer.com/ Support making these tracks - https://www.patreon.com/Whitesand Buy Whitesand Music - https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/ Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

It's the M-V-Podcast. Josh Engler is the 2021 Most Valuable Player of the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League. He struck out a single season record 69 batters in nine games with the Republic Locos, and he also got 12 hits. Josh Engler is from Mount Vernon, Missouri, but now resides in Aurora with his wife, Ashlynn (nee Meredith) and daughter, Ivy. That's where we begin as we get to know the reigning MVP. We also explore the high school career that got him to the next level at Evangel University, and the factors that led to a mid-career move to Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. "Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger

Lefty Trey Watson pitched for a team named in his honor in 2018, the Trey Watson Realty Closers. After growing up in Springfield, Missouri, and playing for the legendary coach Howard Bell's Glendale Falcons, Watson went on to play two years at Crowder College and then two years at Columbus State University in the Peach Belt Conference. When his college baseball career came to an end, Watson came home to start a career and carry on his family tradition of being community-minded Springfieldians. He also found a second life in baseball, the second chance, ragtag, independent Grip 'N Rip Baseball League. "Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

Justin Skinner approaches entrepreneurship like he approached the baseball career that put him in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 — he's not afraid to try everything. April 5, 2022, Justin Skinner will release a book, "Professional Failure: Using the Gift of Failures to Better Not Only Yourself, But Those Around You." Learn more at http://professional-failure.com. He also launched "The Professional Failure Podcast." https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-professional-failure-podcast/id1613170517 Somewhere under that entrepreneurship and budding career in content creation lurks Justin Skinner the baseball player. His influence still lingers in the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League, where he managed his men to back-to-back-to-back Howard Bell Trophy championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Skinner is also a member of the Drury University Sports Hall of Fame, where he was teammates with GRBL Commissioner Tony Lewis and a host of other athletes whose baseball careers found a second wind in the Grip 'N Rip. "Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV "Fallen Kingdom" Whitesand (Martynas Lau) - 2021 https://whitesandcomposer.com/ Support making these tracks - https://www.patreon.com/Whitesand Buy Whitesand Music - https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/ Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

There's a baseball league in Ozark, Missouri, and sometimes, it gets characterized as a league for old men. Some of the people who play in the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League self-identify as old men. Zach Ralph, Cole Haselhorst, Trevyn Batey, Chandler Maples and Kyle Carpenter are among the youngsters who lower the average age and raise the level of competition in #TheGRBL. "Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger

Here come the young lions. In a baseball league where some of the players self-identify as old men, these five guys are lowering the median age and raising the level of competition. Nixa Suckers pitcher Kyle Carpenter, Springfield Mets outfielder Chandler Maples, Ozark Mountain Ducks catcher Trevyn Batey, Moon City Mavericks utility infielder Zach Ralph and catcher Cole Haselhorst sit down for a roundtable discussion of their 2021 seasons. We break down the friendships that have formed between the five of them, along with some rivalries.  "Burger Bites" is written, produced and edited by Rance Burger. This episode is dedicated to former Sumit's Hot Yoga Yogis outfielder Daven Rozell. It's never too late for a comeback. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger

With 40 hits, Jared Braschler ranks third all time in the Grip 'N Rip Baseball League. Now a resident of Ozark, Missouri, he lived out a modest dream of playing ball for the hometown team in 2021, when he started in center field for the Ozark Mountain Ducks. Unfortunately for the full time commercial pilot and part time pro baseball player, it also marked the fourth time in six years of the GRBL that Braschler played for the team that lost in the championship game at the end of a season. "Burger Bites" is written and produced by Rance Burger. Theme songs "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV  "Satellites" by The Endless Summer From "Daydream" 2012 Personnel: Nick Bacon, Tyler Long, Shay Johnson, Tommy Oerding and Adam Cross. Produced by Andrew Goldstein Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. Photos courtesy of Jared Braschler. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com

Ozark Mountain Ducks center fielder Jared Braschler ranks third all time in base hits across six seasons of Grip 'N Rip Baseball. When he isn't tracking fly balls and driving doubles, Braschler is flying airplanes. The commercial pilot takes us through an aviation career that began with humble airport baggage handling (and the unusual animal encounters that go with it) and carries on today in the cockpit of the Boeing 737. Rance asks several years worth of pent up questions he has always wanted to ask an airline pilot but previously never had the opportunity to ask. Be warned, it gets a little bit weird, but Jared Braschler is a good sport. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. Audio clip of the 2012 National League wild card game taken from the original TBS television broadcast of the game from Oct. 5, 2012, and appears courtesy of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. No copyright infringement is intended. Photo for episode cover art courtesy of Jared Braschler. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger

Moon City Mavericks third baseman Brandon Freeman takes us back to the buttersoaked glory of yesteryear, his days as a professional roll thrower at Lambert's Cafe in Ozark, Missouri. Their motto is "Come Hungry, Leave Full, and Maybe Have a Laugh or Two," and the sign proudly designates it as the "Home of the Throwed Rolls." SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger

"Man, what is Freeman doing?" is a phrase I have heard more than once on the playing field and in the press box at U.S. Baseball Park. In five years of Grip 'N Rip Baseball, professional civil engineer Brandon Freeman has proven himself to be knowledgeable, versatile and valuable to any team he lands on, as evidenced by back-to-back championship wins in 2020 and in 2021. Freeman reflects on his season with the Moon City Mavericks, his humble beginnings in Spokane, Missouri, his college baseball tryout and his professional career designing and building wastewater treatment systems. SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV "Liberation" Whitesand From the album "Monsters," 2018 Composed by Martynas Lau (Whitesand) Available for purchase: https://whitesand.bandcamp.com/album/monsters Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger

Evan Meagher walked away for surefire employment and salary in the financial sector to pursue some unfinished business... baseball. He put down his economics degree from Stanford and decided that maybe, if he trained hard enough, he could make it in Europe as a baseball ringer. BUY "Have Bat, Will Travel: My Year in French Baseball" by Evan Meagher: https://www.amazon.com/Have-Bat-Will-Travel-Baseball/dp/1737417219/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1640989222&sr=1-1 "Have Bat, Will Travel," as blessed by Bill "Spaceman" Lee, is now available on Amazon, is Meagher's story of dropping the safety, security and a good bit of sense and going after a dream. Meagher found his calling as a pitcher, second baseman and manager of the Bois Guillaume Woodchucks, and we're all still salty with the Savigny Lions. Evan now lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife Rebecca, his very adorable son Jude, and his very terrible dogs. http://havebatwilltravel.com SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: https://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV. Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger

Evan Meagher is the author of "Have Bat, Will Travel: My Year in French Baseball." The book is available in hard copy and on the Amazon Kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0971QHXCZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 You might remember Evan Meagher the author, French baseball player/manager, financier, entrepreneur and vintage base ball star from episodes 40 and 41 of this very podcast. In 2006, Evan Meagher quit his finance job, trained his tail off and flew to France to play for the Bois Gullaume Woodchucks, where he experienced the ups and downs of playing America's pastime in a foreign land. Released in 2021, "Have Bat, Will Travel" shares his story of the work, dedication, inspiration, hilarity and frustration of Meagher taking his talents to Normandy. http://havebatwilltravel.com SONGS: "Mr. Burger" by Burger Man Produced by Tay Muletti Buy/Stream: http://smarturl.it/BugerMan-MrBurger "Champion" by SeriouzBeats, music provided by Rujay Channel: http://YouTube.com/user/RujayTV Additional voice work by Ashley Burger. More on Grip 'N Rip Baseball: http://thegrbl.com Find Burger Bites on Facebook by searching "Burger Bites Podcast," or get after me on Twitter @RanceBurger