Woodpeckers Baseball Podcast

Peck the 'ole subscribe button before flying into the seventeenth installment of the Woodpeckers Baseball Podcast! After a quick MLB trade deadline round-up, Matt is joined by Astros prospect Austin Hansen, a right-hander rated by Baseball America as Houston's No. 27 prospect entering 2020. The former Sooner closer hops on for an interview to discuss how he's staying sharp with the help of other pro players in the Kansas City area, including a run in with a Major Leaguer (8:50), his transition from a relief role in college to starting pitcher as a pro (10:28), and how eye-opening data from the Astros gave him insight into his pitching repertoire (12:03). Hansen also chats about his performance during one of the most dominant stretches by an Astros minor leaguer in 2019 (14:14), his pitching philosophy on staying in attack mode (15:45), watching NBA 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein play wide receiver in high school (19:00), and how he uses his platform to bring attention to stigmas surrounding mental health (20:58). Next, accomplished groundskeeper and the Woodpeckers Director of Field Operations Alpha Jones joins the show. The baseball veteran discusses the day-to-day work that goes into maintaining the Segra Stadium playing surface (25:55), how the opportunity with the Woodpeckers (JUST WHEN I THINK I'M OUT...) pulled him back into baseball (29:58), and his unexpected role as a "Bull Durham" tour guide while working at the DAP (35:25). Alpha also touches on his unconventional route from engineering to landscaping to sports turf management (39:37), the glory days when he hit a home run at a pro tryout at Doak Field (47:37), and a chance encounter with one of his childhood heroes from the '79 Pirates (49:13).

6:03- Interview with Astros pitching prospect Austin Hansen

25:00- Interview with Woodpeckers Director of Field Ops Alpha Jones

51:09- Woodpeckers Rewind and Virtual Season Update