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Seattle Mariners’ Play-By-Play Broadcaster Dave Sims Talks Mariners, Astros, AL West, Mob Movies

Longtime play-by-play broadcaster Dave Sims visits the Jack Vita Show for the first time!
 
Since 2007, Dave has served as the Seattle Mariners' lead television play-by-play broadcaster, while also calling some of the team's games on the radio. He contributes to MLB Network as an analyst, and cohosts the Sirius XM radio program Basketball and Beyond with Coach K. Dave has called NFL, college football, NBA and college basketball games, while hosting various studio shows and radio shows, throughout the years.
 
In this episode of the Jack Vita Show, Dave and Jack have a conversation about the Mariners' slow start to the season. Should fans be concerned about reigning American League Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez (slashing just .211/.278/.664 through 41 games)? How good can the Mariners be if Julio and Jarred Kelenic can play at peak performance at the same time? Has George Kirby overtaken Luis Castillo and become the team's ace? With the Houston Astros also off to a relatively slow start, is the American League West division in play for the Mariners this season? What is Dave's read on the Astros, Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers?
 
Dave tells fun stories about his career in sports. Which athlete was he the most star-struck by? And which current major league players will make great broadcasters, upon the conclusion of their playing careers?
 
Dave grew up in Philadelphia around Italians, a fan of Italian food and mob movies. What is Dave's all-time favorite mob movie? All this, and plenty more, in the latest episode of the Jack Vita Show!

Survivor’s Danni Boatwright Talks Youth Sports, Baseball and the Transfer Portal

'Survivor: Guatemala' winner Danni Boatwright returns to the Jack Vita Show, two weeks removed from her first appearance.
Last time, Danni answered questions about her time on Survivor: Guatemala and Survivor: Winners at War, discussing her time on reality television and her sports media and hosting career. This time around, Danni and Jack talk sports!
First things first, Danni has some stories from the weekend, as does Jack. Danni had an eventful weekend at her son's youth baseball tournament, including a confrontation with an opposing coach. Jack enjoyed watching friend of the show and Houston Astros starting pitcher JP France pick up his first career victory in his second Major League start, Friday night in Chicago. Danni and Jack exchange stories from the weekend (0:00 - 25:50).
Then, Danni and Jack talk Ben Zobrist, position players pitching, an uptick in injuries to pitchers this season, the NFL Draft, the Draft combine, favorite baseball players, best baseball movies, the Kansas Jayhawks' latest get from the transfer portal, and much more (25:50 - END)!

Orestes Destrade Talks Rays, Willson Contreras, Astros’ Pitching Injuries, World Baseball Classic

Jack welcomes back MLB analyst and former Major League first baseman Orestes Destrade and Survivor: South Pacific second runner-up and college baseball player Albert Destrade to the show, to discuss the week's baseball news.
 
It is Orestes' first appearance on the Jack Vita Show since October 2021. Orestes played four Major League seasons for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Florida Marlins. As a member of the Marlins' inaugural team in 1993, Orestes led the Marlins in home runs (20) and RBI (87). He held the single-season franchise records for both categories, before Gary Sheffield broke his home run record in 1994 and Jeff Conine broke his RBI record in 1995. Orestes also played five seasons in Japan, where he led the Pacific League in home runs three times and RBI twice. In 1990, he was the MVP of the Japan Series.
 
Since retiring from playing, Orestes has established himself as one of baseball's top broadcasters and analysts. From 2006 through 2009, Orestes worked at ESPN, appearing on Baseball Tonight and providing color commentary for the Little League World Series and World Baseball Classic.
 
17 years after the first ever World Baseball Classic, the 2023 WBC was a smashing success. O weighs in on his thoughts after being on the field for the championship game in March. Is there a way that the WBC can be improved upon in the future? Jack has some suggestions (0:00 - 18:00).
 
O has a working theory as to why the Rays are off to their best start in franchise history. Is he on to (18:00 - 31:25). April 2023 saw an uptick in home runs over April of last year. Where are all these home runs coming from, and what are Albert, Orestes and Jack's thoughts on the sport's new rules thus far (31:25 - 42:05)?
 
The Houston Astros have a losing record on May 9 for the first time since 2016, the last year the club missed the postseason. Starting pitchers Jose Urquidy and Luis Garcia each sustained injuries on back-to-back days. Garcia will require Tommy John surgery and Urquidy could be out for a while too. In place of both pitchers, the Astros recalled Brandon Bielak and friend of the show, JP France! France made his Major League debut Saturday, throwing five scoreless innings in a loss to the Seattle Mariners. Given their slow start and injuries, should Astros fans be concerned about their club? Could the Chicago White Sox be major sellers at the trade deadline?
 
Months after signing him to a five-year contract, the St. Louis Cardinals will no longer be playing Willson Contreras at catcher for the time being. He will instead be DH-ing and playing the outfield. The Cardinals also enter Wednesday in last place in the National League Central. Orestes, Albert and Jack break it all down.
 
With the Astros off to a cold start, is the American League West up for grabs? O is a big time believer in the Texas Rangers. All this and much more, on the latest edition of the Jack Vita Show (42:05 - END)!
 
Follow Albert on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to his podcast, It's Not Polite to Ask with Albert Destrade. Tune in to hear Orestes' weekly radio program, the O Zone!

Danni Boatwright Talks 'Survivor: Guatemala’, 'Winners at War’, Sports Radio Career, Christian Faith

'Survivor' winner, longtime Kansas City sports radio host and NFL wife Danni Boatwright visits the Jack Vita Show for the first time!
 
Danni is someone that Jack has wanted to have on his show, since before he ever had a podcast! After five years, Jack has finally hunted down the white whale.
 
In the year 2005, Danni won the 11th season of Survivor, Survivor: Guatemala. She is the first Survivor winner to appear on the Jack Vita Show! Danni defeated our very own Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick in the final two to claim the million dollar prize. 15 years later, Danni appeared on Survivor's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War.
 
Danni grew up a huge sports fan and has worked in sports radio for a number of years. She was a sportscaster when she appeared on Survivor for the first time. Less than two years after winning the title of sole Survivor, Danni married her husband, NFL Pro Bowl center Casey Wiegmann. Wiegmann enjoyed a 16-year NFL career, playing for the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. While on Survivor: Guatemala, Danni recognized that her tribemate wasn't who he claimed to be. Former NFL quarterback Gary Hogeboom told his fellow castaways that he was Gary Hawkins, a landscaper, withholding that he played 11 years of professional football. Danni recognized her tribemate was actually a former NFL quarterback.
 
Danni also appeared on The Fantasy Show alongside Ron Jaworsky and Antonio Freeman on ESPN 2, before becoming a host for CelebTV.com, where she interviewed a large collection of celebrities.
 
In 1996, Danni won the Miss Kansas USA crown. She finished second place in the Miss USA pageant. Sometime after, she began a career in sports radio, as an on-air host for KCSP 610 in Kansas City.
 
In this episode of the Jack Vita Show, Danni discusses her time on both of her Survivor seasons, providing a peak behind the curtain to her strategy and sharing some behind-the-scenes stories that never made the air. She also talks about her love for sports, her media career, and her Christian faith.
 
Purchase clothes from Sideline Chic, Danni's clothing line!

4.28.23 (Feat. Bob Nightengale) Chicago White Sox’ Window Closing? Cardinals in Danger? Pirates Legit?

One of Major League Baseball's top insiders, USA Today's Bob Nightengale, makes his first appearance of the 2023 season on the Jack Vita Show, to discuss the latest news and stories from the world of baseball.
 
Through their first 26 games, the Chicago White Sox are off to a terrible start. Under new manager Pedro Grifol, the club enters play Friday at 7-19, having lost eight straight games, in fourth place in a weak American League Central division. After wildly underperforming in 2022, the White Sox had a relatively quiet offseason. The club signed outfielder Andrew Benintendi to a five-year, $75 million contract, the richest free agent deal in franchise history. The Sox also added former Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres pitcher Mike Clevinger. The White Sox switched managers and added a pair of veterans, hoping that the team would bounce back in 2023. Instead, the White Sox are trending in the opposite direction and are now in serious danger of falling out of contention before the start of May. Bob and Jack check the pulse of the White Sox and discuss if the team has any signs of life.
 
Bob and Jack discuss the biggest surprises from the first month of the MLB season. The St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies all made the postseason last year, but are off to slow starts to begin the new season. Should we be concerned about any of these teams?
 
Similarly, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles have exceeded expectations in the early part of the season. Are these teams legit? The Pirates have the best record in the National League. Are they in it for the long haul, and can they compete for the National League Central crown, or are they still another year away from being a serious player in the division?
 
Bob also reported earlier in the week that the Padres have growing concerns for their highly priced slugger Juan Soto, who has struggled since the club acquired him from the Washington Nationals at last year's trade deadline. Bob discusses why Soto could be traded upon the conclusion of the 2023 season.
 
All this, and much more from around the league, this week on the Jack Vita Show!
 
You can follow Bob on Twitter (@BNightengale) and read his work at USA Today's website!

(Belated) 2023 MLB Season Preview + Early Season Surprises

After seven weeks away, Jack is FINALLY back to finish off his MLB Season Preview for the 2023 season. Initially slated to record a division preview for each of the six MLB divisions, Jack, however was unable to record while in Arizona for spring training. Thus, he was unable to finish the division preview series after dropping just one episode (American League West).
 
In the latest episode of the Jack Vita Show, Jack reveals the rest of his division winners and wild card picks. Jack welcomes Sports Spectrum writer and US News reporter Cole Claybourn to the show for the first time, as the two not only share their outlooks for each division, but share some thoughts on the first three weeks of the regular season. Are the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs legit? Should St. Louis Cardinals fans be concerned about their team after their rough start to the season? Who do Jack and Cole have winning the World Series in 2023? The two tackle all of these questions, and much, much more on the latest episode of the Jack Vita Show!
 
American League East (0:00 - 15:20)
American League Central (15:20 - 25:55)
American League West (25:55 - 36:25)
National League East (36:25 - 43:10)
National League Central (43:10 - 1:09:55)
National League West (1:09:55 - END)
 
Subscribe to Cole's podcast, In No Hurry with Cole Douglas Claybourn and follow him on Twitter @ColeClaybourn!

2023 MLB Preview Series: The AL West

The first edition of our six-part 2023 MLB Preview Series is out now! Join chief meteorologist of Newswest 9 in Odessa, Texas Anthony Franze and Jack Vita rousing discussion on the American League West, as we approach Opening Day.
 
They share their projected win totals for all five AL West teams.First, Anthony and Jack discuss the new rules and changes coming to Major League Baseball in 2023, such as the pitch clock, restrictions on defensive shifts, and the 'ghost runner' extra innings rule that is now here to stay permanently. Anthony and Jack share their thoughts on the new rules (0:00 - 11:00).
 
Then, they put Anthony's beloved Texas Rangers under the microscope. The Rangers had a very active offseason in which they entirely made over their pitching staff, signing Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney and Jake Odorizzi. The Rangers finished 68-94 in 2022, after spending big on free agents Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Jon Gray. Will they turn a corner and return to the postseason in 2023? (11:00 - 33:15).
 
Next up, the Oakland Athletics. The A's finished 60-102 in 2022. It was the first time the A's lost 100 games since 1979. Jack and Anthony provide an outlook for the A's, after the club traded away star catcher Sean Murphy (33:15 - 46:50).
 
The Los Angeles Angels have greatly disappointed in recent years, failing to finish above .500 in each of their last seven seasons. Can 2023 be different, after the club added Tyler Anderson, Hunter Renfroe, Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury? (46:50 - 1:01:30).
 
The Houston Astros are the reigning 2022 World Series champions. The Astros have won the AL West in every full, 162-game season, since the start of 2017. After Justin Verlander departed as a free agent, and the Astros signed Jose Abreu, will the Astros continue to reign supreme in the West? (1:01:30 - 1:10:15).
 
Finally, the Seattle Mariners, on paper, appear to present the greatest challenge to the Astros in the division. The Mariners led the Astros in Game 1 and Game 2 of the ALDS last October, and took the Astros to 18 innings in Game 3, but still were swept by the Astros. The Mariners appear to be closing the gap. Will they win their first division title since 2001, in 2023? Anthony and Jack discuss (1:10:15 - 1:29:15).
 
Then, The Funny 115's Mario Lanza shares his Mariners outlook for 2023. Mario, our unofficial Seattle sports guy, has submitted a Mariners preview for the AL West preview show for three straight years now. Find out where Mario projects the M's to finish this season (1:29:15 - END).
 
You can follow Anthony (@AnthonyFranzeWX) and Mario (@MarioJLanza) on Twitter.

Survivor Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick on The Traitors, Return to Reality TV After 13 Years Away

Our very own Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick returned to reality television in 2022 on USA Network's Snake in the Grass, after 13 years away from competing! Now she's out of retirement, and back with her first multi-episode show since Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. Stephenie competed on Peacock's new hit reality show, The Traitors. Stephenie visits the Jack Vita Show for the SEVENTH time, to discuss her time competing in Scotland on The Traitors.
 
Stephenie first appeared on reality television in the year 2005, when she competed on Survivor's tenth season, Survivor: Palau. After outlasting her entire Ulong tribe, she quickly became a fan favorite, and was immediately invited back to play again on the show's eleventh season, Survivor: Guatemala. Five years later, she returned for Survivor's 20th season, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.
 
Stephenie did extremely well on The Traitors, reaching the show's penultimate episode. She was 'murdered' by the traitors, as the traitors feared she was onto them. Stephenie was the final contestant murdered, just as she was the final remaining member of the Ulong tribe on Survivor: Palau.
 
Stephenie discusses her return to reality television after over a decade away from competing. How did she come to the decision to return to competition shows? Stephenie tells the story of how she came out of retirement, and discusses what it was like playing a new competition show that had never aired in the United States before. Is there anything she could have done differently in order to obtain a victory? We take a deep dive into Stephenie's time on The Traitors, and hear all about the show from her perspective.
 
You can follow Stephenie on Instagram @Steph_LaGrossa_Kendrick.
 
If you've missed any of our previous episodes with Stephenie, you can check them out to hear her discuss her time on Survivor and Snake in the Grass, her life as a baseball wife, and hear her interview her nephew Philipp, who is a star second baseman on the Toms River Little League Team that played on ESPN last summer.