Steve interviews Stephen J. Nesbitt (00:11:48) from The Athletic. Stephen is making his debut on the podcast, joining us to preview the Major League Baseball Season. Stephen explains his recent column that ranks all of the baseball teams from 1995-2023 and his column that details each fan base's optimism for the upcoming season. Stephen also talks about Ohtani (before the scandal), makes his pick for AL/NL MVP and explains why he thinks the (redacted) will win the World Series this year.

Also, Keith O'Brien debuts (01:00:50) to discuss his new book, Charlie Hustle. Keith explains why he decided to write a book about Pete Rose, tells us that Pete cooperated until he didn't, and goes over some of the ups and downs of Pete's surreal life. Keith also talks about gambling, the Hall of Fame, and autographs.

Last, Kevin Baker debuts (01:31:32) to talk about his new book, The New York Game. Kevin explains how baseball was influenced by New York City as the game developed in it's early stages. Kevin tells us why he decided to end the book after World War II and announces that a second book will be released next year to finish the story. Kevin also talks about Joe DiMaggio, Italian-Americans, and remembers some of his favorite moments from the old Yankees Stadium.

Steve starts the show with first things first and discusses the Azzurri's first game of 2024, the NCAA tournament, and the Ohtani scandal. The book club says goodbye to two books and shifts it's attention to one book (and how to say the author's last name. The show ends with one last thing about Steve and his family traveling to NY/NY for the Italian soccer match, why its so important, and what Steve will be thinking about during the match.

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