Advertise on podcast: Straight Lines

Coach Tim Neiman welcomes ESPN college baseball analyst Mike Rooney to Straight Lines — brought to you by Bluebook Sports, the game's trusted directory since 1909, connecting businesses directly with players, parents, and coaches. Download the app today. Mike traces his roots to a sports-obsessed childhood in suburban Philadelphia, where his father coached track and cross country at Monsignor Bonner before becoming a stockbroker, and where Little League glory was the dream of every twelve-year-old in town. He shares the story of walking on to Notre Dame's baseball team as an overmatched freshman under a young, deathly serious head coach named Pat Murphy — now the Milwaukee Brewers' manager — and playing all four years alongside future big leaguer Craig Counsell despite checking his locker every day certain he'd been cut. Mike opens up about the unseen preparation behind broadcasting the Road to Omaha, why college baseball coaches remain refreshingly open compared to football and basketball, and the parallel he draws between a manager's toughest in-game decision — when to pull a pitcher — and the hardest calls leaders face in business and personnel. He closes with a candid, vulnerable take on what "straight lines" means to him as a self-described chronic overthinker: not a perfect path, but keeping his eyes fixed down the field even when life knocks him backward. A must-listen for walk-ons and underdogs chasing a roster spot, leaders wrestling with tough personnel decisions, and any baseball fan curious what really goes on behind the ESPN broadcast desk.

On this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, host Tim Neiman welcomes Kate Corcoran, current Director of Athletics at Millersville University and a former standout student-athlete and champion at DeSales University. Kate traces her 26-year administrative career — from an early stint coaching at Neumann College and Cabrini College, to sports information and NCAA compliance work at Penn State Berks, to leadership roles at Rosemont College and Cabrini University (including a 2019 national championship run and Cabrini's eventual acquisition by Villanova), and finally to her current post navigating Division II scholarships and a unionized state system at Millersville. She breaks down her guiding leadership philosophy — "lead where you are" regardless of title, and become the expert of whatever room you're in — and reflects on how her formative years as a student-athlete at DeSales shaped the leader she is today, crediting mentors who saw potential in her before she saw it in herself. Kate closes with hard-won advice for young people stepping into leadership: find your voice and use it even when you doubt its value, stay a lifelong student of your profession, and always turn back to lift others up as you climb. A must-listen for young professionals finding their voice in the workplace, athletic administrators navigating a career across NCAA divisions, and anyone who believes real leadership means reaching back to bring others up with you.

Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Kevin Burrell to Straight Lines — brought to you by Bluebook Sports, the game's trusted directory since 1909, connecting businesses directly with players, parents, and coaches. Download the app today. Kevin was a first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox out of high school in 1981, spending eleven seasons in professional baseball before transitioning into scouting in 1992 — a career that's now spanned nearly four decades and included a hand in signing talents like Gordon Beckham and Justin Green. He reflects on what he didn't understand as an eighteen-year-old pro — the demands of managing his own time — and how baseball taught him patience and how to endure failure as a path to progress, not perfection. Kevin shares his simple framework for evaluating players and people, "F.A.T." — faithful, available, teachable — and speaks candidly about two of the hardest leadership lessons to learn with age: saying no to good things to make room for the best things, and truly listening to understand rather than just to respond. He closes with a powerful reflection on legacy, sharing that his deepest hope isn't to be remembered as a great scout, but as someone who cared more about the people he coached and scouted — their character and their soul — than their stats. A must-listen for young players learning to manage the demands of pro ball, coaches and scouts evaluating character over talent, and anyone thinking seriously about the legacy they want to leave behind.

On this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, host Tim Neiman welcomes Chad Bruckner — Army combat veteran, fifteen-year police officer currently serving at Lehigh University, author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. Chad traces his path from a childhood shaped by financial instability and a drive to care for others, to enlisting in the Army at seventeen, to leading an infantry squad in Iraq at just twenty-four — an experience he says exposed and amplified everything about his values, work ethic, and character. He opens up about the emotional weight of watching 9/11 unfold from his barracks in Fort Lewis and how it reignited his commitment to serve, ultimately shaping his transition into law enforcement. Chad speaks candidly about the politicization of policing today, the importance of listening to understand rather than simply responding, and the staggering fact that less than one percent of Americans work across police, fire, EMS, and corrections combined to keep society running. He closes with practical advice for anyone looking to break into law enforcement or criminal justice: there's no single pipeline, so be your own advocate, find a mentor, and put yourself in front of real people rather than waiting on an email. A must-listen for veterans navigating a transition into civilian service careers, young people considering law enforcement or criminal justice, and anyone who wants a first-person account of what it really takes to serve, in and out of uniform.

Coach Tim Neiman welcomes former big leaguer Erik Kratz to Straight Lines — brought to you by Bluebook Sports, the game's trusted directory since 1909, connecting businesses directly with players, parents, and coaches. Download the app today. A Christopher Dock High School and Eastern Mennonite University product, Erik didn't reach the majors until age 30 after grinding through the minors for a decade, ultimately suiting up for ten different big league organizations across an eleven-year MLB career that included a 2014 All-Star nod and a World Series run with the Royals. He opens up about the faith and partnership with his wife that carried him through years of uncertainty, the toll constant relocation took on his family — including the surreal night he learned mid-shower he'd been traded from the Blue Jays to Kansas City with just hours to pack up his household — and why family stability, not talent, ultimately ended his playing career. Erik also shares behind-the-scenes stories from the clubhouse, including watching a struggling Christian Yelich turn in one of the greatest second-half stretches he's ever seen, and makes the case for chronically underrated catcher Carlos Ruiz, who caught three no-hitters and a perfect game without ever making an All-Star team. He closes with a powerful message on patience for young players chasing instant results: every day is one step forward, even when it doesn't feel like it. A must-listen for players and parents navigating the grind of player development, anyone who's faced a sudden career upheaval, and fans who want the real story behind a decade-plus of bouncing between big league clubhouses.

On this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, host Tim Neiman sits down with veteran sports journalist Tom Housenick, senior writer for The Morning Call covering the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Phillies prospects, and regional high school sports for nearly two decades. Tom traces his own anything-but-straight path — a false start as a pre-pharmacy major, a switch to communications, and a career built almost entirely on being in the right place at the right time rather than chasing opportunities. He shares a formative childhood memory of inventing homemade dice-and-cards baseball games with a neighbor, a chance meeting as a teenager with a Lakers beat writer that shaped his approach to journalism, and the hard lesson of finding his own voice instead of imitating other writers' styles. Tom opens up about his unlikely rise to sports editor, how his wife Mandy finally pushed him to speak up for himself at The Morning Call — leading to his current beat covering IronPigs and Phillies prospects — and shares behind-the-scenes stories of watching young players like Mark Appel and Andrew Painter navigate the mental grind of professional baseball with maturity and professionalism, win or lose. A must-listen for aspiring journalists learning to find their authentic voice, baseball fans curious what really goes on behind the scenes with prospects, and anyone who's ever needed a reminder that the best opportunities rarely arrive on a straight path.

Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Brian Sackinsky to Straight Lines — brought to you by Bluebook Sports, the game's trusted directory since 1909, connecting businesses directly with players, parents, and coaches. Download the app today. Brian's path is anything but a straight line: a standout pitcher at Stanford under the legendary Mark Marquess, a second-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles who pitched in the big leagues, and later a sales and marketing executive at Nike, Foot Locker, Mizuno, and U.S. Sports Camps. He opens up about the lowest point of his playing career — a brutally honest phone call with his father after a demotion to rookie ball — and how redefining success on his own terms turned everything around. Brian shares hard-won lessons on resilience, short-term memory, and treating mistakes as part of the process, both on the mound and in the boardroom. He also talks about his newest venture, Pulse Check, a parent-coaching platform he built with his daughter to help sports parents navigate pressure, identity, and the car ride home. A wide-ranging conversation on leadership, reinvention, and what it really means to build trust — with your team, your customers, and your kids.

Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Matt Provence — Chief Operating Officer of the Lehigh Valley Zoo, former voice of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs for twelve seasons, and one of the most recognizable personalities in Lehigh Valley sports — to this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, brought to you by Bluebook Sports and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce — visit lehighvalleychamber.org to discover the power of connection and community on every main street. Matt's story is one of the most unexpected and entertaining career pivots the show has ever featured — from dreaming of a Major League broadcasting chair, to calling games at spring training with the Phillies, to chasing a startup football league all the way to San Diego, to stumbling across a zoo COO job posting on Indeed and never looking back. He and Coach Neiman dig into what running a world-class zoo actually looks like behind the scenes — the Lunar Light Spectacular, the daily operational chaos, the septic systems, the ladders, and the hammers — and why Matt's two non-negotiable hiring standards are loyalty and work ethic, full stop, degree or no degree. Matt also shares the broadcasting memory that made him realize he was good enough, why the Iron Pigs taught him everything he knows about entertaining families, and what he hopes people say about the mark he left when his time at the zoo is done. His straight lines definition — stay focused on the most important ball you're juggling, tackle what you keep putting off, and stack good days one at a time — is as practical and grounded as it gets. A must-listen for leaders, career changers, and anyone in the Lehigh Valley who has ever wondered what goes on behind the gates at lbzoo.org.

Coach Tim Neiman sits down with Mike Sarbaugh, a true baseball lifer with 40 years in the professional game. A former All-Southland Conference shortstop at Lamar University, Sarbaugh spent six seasons in Cleveland's minor league system before becoming one of the winningest managers in the organization's history — five league championships, seven playoff appearances in nine seasons, and back-to-back Manager of the Year honors. From there he moved into the big leagues, coaching first base, then third base and infield for a decade with the Indians/Guardians, stepping in as bench coach during Terry Francona's health absence, and later coaching third for the New York Mets. Today he's the minor league infield coordinator for the San Francisco Giants. Mike opens up about the leadership lessons that carried him from the dugout to the front office: staying consistent no matter the score, checking in on the guy who had a rough night instead of the one riding high, and teaching young players to walk in with a plan instead of getting swallowed by clubhouse distractions. He shares two pivotal conversations from his own playing days — one from a coach, one from a pitching coach — that changed his mindset and, ultimately, his career. Plus a fun rapid-fire round covering the best and worst ballparks he's coached in, rowdiest fans, and unforgettable moments like Rajai Davis's Game 7 home run and Pete Alonso's walk-off blast. A must-listen for anyone chasing longevity in a tough business, coaches looking to sharpen how they communicate with their teams, and baseball fans who want the inside story from a guy who's seen it all — from A-ball to the World Series.

Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes his friend and chiropractor Dr. Kurt Schichtl, co-owner of First Choice Chiropractic and Neurology in the Lehigh Valley, to this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, brought to you by Bluebook Sports and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce — visit lehighvalleychamber.org to discover the power of connection and community on every main street. Dr. Schichtl and his wife Dr. Karen Carpenter built one of the region's most trusted chiropractic practices from the ground up, and he joins Coach Neiman for a candid and eye-opening conversation about what chiropractic care actually is, what it isn't, and why so many people are missing out on one of the most effective tools for long-term health and performance. He breaks down the biggest misconceptions — from the myth that once you start you can never stop, to the unfounded fears about neck adjustments — and explains how adding a neurological certification opened doors to helping patients no other chiropractor in the region could reach. Dr. Schichtl also shares the business lessons that took the longest to learn, why communication is the skill that separates good practices from great ones, and why the best piece of advice he ever received came not from a colleague or a textbook, but from his father on a broken foot the night before his senior basketball season. He closes with a straight lines definition built around big dreams, daily disciplines, accountability, and the one thing that supersedes all of it — faith. A must-listen for anyone in the Lehigh Valley curious about chiropractic care, and for any leader who believes the path to success is built one disciplined day at a time.

Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Brian Barren, President of Business Operations for the Cleveland Guardians, to this exceptional episode of Straight Lines, brought to you by Bluebook Sports — download the Bluebook Sports app today on Apple or Google Play to connect directly with players, parents, and coaches. Brian's path to one of the most respected front offices in Major League Baseball runs through Princeton football, an Army ROTC scholarship, a tour as a U.S. Army tank commander, and twenty-four years at Procter & Gamble — where he eventually helped broker one of the most unusual knowledge-sharing partnerships in sports business history between P&G and the Cleveland organization. He and Coach Neiman dig into the three leadership principles that translate from corporate America to the baseball world: embracing constant change, figuring out a way forward under any resource constraint, and always betting on people. Brian also breaks down his framework for the three types of people inside every organization — the leaders who make things happen, the followers who execute with excellence, and the laggards who pitch tents and chirp from the sidelines — and why identifying and removing toxic people is one of the most important things any leader can do. Brian shares what it was really like to navigate a franchise name change, a ballpark renovation, and sustained on-field success all at once, and closes with one of the sharpest straight lines definitions the show has heard — built around the hard ninety, touching the line when no one is looking, and doing the right things the right way, all the time. A must-listen for coaches, business leaders, and anyone who believes that winning culture is built in the moments nobody sees.

Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Lina Barbieri, Vice President of Communications and Chief Philanthropy Officer at Miller Keystone Blood Center, to this life-affirming episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, brought to you by Bluebook Sports and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce — visit lehighvalleychamber.org to discover the power of connection and community on every main street. Miller Keystone is the only community blood center serving the region — supplying over 100,000 blood products annually to hospitals across 21 counties in Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey — and Lina is one of its most passionate storytellers. She shares the deeply personal journey that brought her to Miller Keystone, including watching her father receive life-saving blood transfusions during his final years, and why that experience confirmed what she already knew: that blood donation is one of the most direct and powerful ways a person can impact the life of someone they will never meet. Lina and Coach Neiman also dig into what it takes to sustain a half-century-old brand built entirely on community trust, how Miller Keystone is working to bring younger donors into the fold, and why walking out with that blue band around your arm carries more street cred than most people realize. Lina closes with a challenge to every listener: visit giveapint.org, learn what you need to do to prepare, and make your appointment today. A must-listen for anyone in Eastern Pennsylvania who wants to do something meaningful — and discovers it only takes about an hour.

Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Jeff Fisher — founder and publisher of High School Football America, veteran broadcaster, and one of the most respected voices in prep football — to this episode of Straight Lines, brought to you by Bluebook Sports — download the Bluebook Sports app today on Apple or Google Play to connect directly with players, parents, and coaches. Jeff's journey started at fourteen years old in the broadcast booth in Easton, Pennsylvania, and has spanned more than five decades of storytelling — from a local TV show at WFMZ that beat Texas to the national stage by years, to Fox Sportsnet in Chicago, to building High School Football America into a nationally recognized platform covering the game from coast to coast. He and Coach Neiman dig into what makes Friday night football unlike anything else in American sports, why the Lehigh Valley was the training ground that shaped everything Jeff became, and what he found himself missing when he left for the big city — a feeling that eventually brought him back to the prep game for good. Jeff also shares unforgettable stories from five decades on the sidelines — from Joe DiMaggio's golf tournament rules to the first great recruiting flip in college football history — and names the coaches he would put on his personal Mount Rushmore of high school football. He closes with one of the sharpest straight lines definitions the show has heard: stay within your guardrails, keep your eyes on the goal, and never wander outside what you know is true. A must-listen for coaches, football fans, and anyone who believes the most important games are still played on Friday nights. Follow the full national coverage at highschoolfootballamerica.com.

Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Mike Mittman — legendary Lehigh Valley media personality, ringside announcer, music promoter, and wrestling insider — to this wildly entertaining episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, brought to you by Bluebook Sports and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce — visit lehighvalleychamber.org to discover the power of connection and community on every main street. Mike has spent a career wearing three hats — boxing, music, and pro wrestling — and the stories that come with them are unlike anything you'll hear anywhere else. He shares what it was like to sit down for an exclusive interview with Joe DiMaggio at a celebrity golf tournament, serve as the lead announcer for a Larry Holmes heavyweight championship fight broadcast live on worldwide television, and spend years behind the scenes with the biggest names in professional wrestling — from Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant to the Iron Sheik, the Wild Samoans, and a young Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose father Rocky Johnson Mike used to babysit for ringside. Mike also pulls back the curtain on how WWE television was really made in the early days, why dark matches kept the crowd in their seats, and what it was actually like to hang out with Andre the Giant after the show. A one-of-a-kind conversation packed with nostalgia, humor, and enough name drops to fill a Hall of Fame. A must-listen for anyone who grew up watching wrestling, following boxing, or just loves a great story told by someone who was really there.

Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Sara Corckran — Penn State lacrosse athlete, twenty-year educator, Pilates instructor, positive psychology coach, cancer survivor, and author of Grit and Grace — to this deeply moving episode of Straight Lines, brought to you by Bluebook Sports — download the Bluebook Sports app today on Apple or Google Play to connect directly with players, parents, and coaches. Sara's story is not just about surviving cancer — it's about what happens when a lifelong overachiever, people pleaser, and hyperachiever is forced to slow down long enough to hear what her body has been trying to tell her for years. She and Coach Neiman dig into life before the diagnosis — the tight insides, the inability to rest, the picture of health that wasn't the whole picture — and what it felt like to face a disease she had already watched take her sister-in-law. Sara opens up about the role mindset played in her treatment, how movement became her lifeline, and why accepting the moment — not fixing it — is the most powerful thing any of us can do in the middle of the hardest season of our lives. She also shares her philosophy on caregiving, the way her experience reshaped how she teaches and coaches others, and why she believes your body already has every answer you need — if you slow down long enough to listen. Her definition of straight lines — that resilience isn't staying on the path, it's how quickly you get back to your baseline of peace and ease — is one of the best the show has ever heard. A must-listen for coaches, athletes, parents, and anyone navigating adversity and looking for a reminder that they are more resilient than they realize. Pick up Grit and Grace wherever books are sold.