Episode 342 - Mitch: Bullish on Mariners' Playoff Chances

RUNDOWN

 

Music history in honor of Tommy Mottola’s July 14 birthday—Mitch details how Mottola signed Hall & Oates and running through each of their six No. 1 hits. The “audio clip of the week” spotlights former Cubs manager Lee Elia’s legendary profanity-laden tirade at Wrigley Field after a 5–14 start in 1983. Mitch and Hotshot celebrate Seattle’s sweep of first-place Detroit and reviewing the Mariners’ 51–45 first-half record, good enough for a wild-card spot if the season ended today. Mitch explains why he’s optimistic—his rotation is poised to string together quality starts, and an offense buoyed by hot streaks from Randy Arozarena, strong on-base work from JP Crawford, and newfound production from lower-order hitters means the club doesn’t need Cal Raleigh to carry the load alone.

Mariners bounce back from a blown five-run lead and near no-hitter loss in New York to sweep the AL’s best Tigers, cementing a wild-card spot at the All-Star break. Mariners No-Table (Brady Farkas) unpack the unexpected selection of LSU lefty Cade Anderson (saved under slot, with a high floor) as a near-MLB-ready arm, dissect Julio Rodríguez’s decision to skip the ASG before homering in each Detroit game, and express outrage that Gino Suárez (31 HRs) wasn’t invited to the Home Run Derby.

Mitch and Puck chat KJRn'ts Chapter 8 by commiserating over their sudden need for reading glasses and sharing a wild family dare in which Mitch finally ate an entire bowl of mushrooms after his son aced the SAT. They then catch up on life—Jason’s youth baseball woes, Mitch’s freshman at Arizona—and take playful shots at Jim Moore’s “top sports radio hosts” rankings.

In this throwback to Ep. 197 (July 5, 2022), Mitch sits down with Rhonda Smith Banchero to revisit her own collegiate battles—most memorably guarding Cheryl Swoopes—and to explore how her “tough-love” coaching shaped Paolo’s rise to the No. 1 NBA draft pick. Rhonda shares the moment she bowed out of one-on-one after seventh grade, her deliberate accountability style at home, and the family’s bittersweet pride as Paolo chose Duke over UW. Now that he’s secured a record-setting $239 million extension, her insights on nurturing a champion feel more poignant than ever.

From the news that Michael Jordan’s Highland Park estate is now an Airbnb (no parties allowed) to celebrity-boxing matchups, LeBron’s Beverly Hills compound, Wimbledon winners, and even the exit of Pearl Jam’s longtime drummer Matt Cameron, Mitch and Hotshot pack a whirlwind of sports and pop-culture headlines into one rapid-fire segment.

 

GUESTS

 

• Brady Farkas | Host, Refuse to Lose Podcast (Mariners on SI)
• Jason Puckett | Sports Broadcaster & Co-Host of the Refuse to Lose Podcast
• Rhonda Smith Banchero | UW Women’s Basketball Legend & Mother of Paolo Banchero

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

0:00 | Celebrating Tommy Mottola’s Birthday by Tracing His Early Role in Launching Hall & Oates and Featuring Lee Elia’s Infamous Cubs Rant

23:58 | Mariners Enter All-Star Break Thick in the Wild Card Hunt on the Back of Emerging Rotation and Depth-Built Offense

42:07 | GUEST: Mariners No-Table, Brady Farkas, Resilient Road Swing, College Ace Picked at No. 1, Julio’s ASG Opt-Out & Gino’s Derby Snub

1:07:30 | GUEST: Jason Puckett & Mitch on Presbyopia, Mushroom Dares and Getting Snubbed in the Top-10 Radio Hosts List

1:48:05 | GUEST: Rhonda Smith Banchero, Seattle’s No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero Lands $239 M Deal—Mom Rhonda Smith on Raising an NBA Star, Facing Cheryl Swoopes, and the Duke Decision

1:54:07 | Other Stuff Segment: Golf course fight involving NHL player Nick Tarnaski at Alberta Springs, Jeopardy-style home run question and Gino Suarez’s All-Star Derby snub, Adrian Peterson celebrity boxing bout vs. Joe Castaneda, Cal Raleigh’s special Home Run Derby bats (including Seattle Supersonics tribute), Airbnb listing for Michael Jordan’s former Highland Park home, return of John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock” NBA theme on NBC, John Elway cart accident clearance, LeBron James’s Beverly Hills mansion construction update, Wimbledon champions Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner comebacks, Ben Shelton’s match and Trinity Rodman misidentification, Auburn’s DeAngelo Barber marijuana arrest and drug law commentary, speculation about Tom Brady’s next girlfriend, Matt Cameron departing Pearl Jam after 27 years, Lorenzo Lamas filing for sixth divorce, Alan G. Hassenfeld and Hasbro legacy, NFL left tackle Luis Sharpe profile, Utah Jazz coach/GM Frank Layden profile, global debt hitting a record $324 trillion, Texas judge vs. defendant’s “World’s best farter” shirt, TSA “swamp crotch” alarm warnings, dispersal of flies to combat flesh-eating maggots, and Hall & Oates mention with Darryl’s House show.