Jake Eisenberg and Tony Boone welcome Storm Chasers manager Brian Poldberg (4:00) to the podcast! While there wasn't a 2020 Minor League season for Brian Poldberg to manage, he still found himself working with Kansas City Royals minor leaguers and high-profile prospects at the Royals' Alternate Training Site in Kansas City, Kansas.
Our conversation includes:
- what Poldberg did during unexpected time off in April and May (5:38)
- what he was most excited about ahead of the 2020 season (6:17)
- when he got the call to run the Royals' Alternate Training Site (8:34) and what the day-to-day operations were like
- his excitement about high-profile pitching prospects like Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar (11:29)
- comparing the current Royals prospects to previous periods of success (12:54)
- what makes Bobby Witt Jr. so impressive and where he could start the 2021 season (13:26)
- under-the-radar players at the Alternate Training Site (16:53)
- impact of the lack of actual game competition in 2020 (21:15)
- getting to know players and building a rapport (24:06)
- watching former players like Whit Merrifield have success (29:01)
- memories of watching games at Rosenblatt Stadium as a kid (30:20)
- what it's like managing his hometown team (32:04)
- reminiscing on the Storm Chasers 2014 Triple-A title run (36:12)
- facing Randy Johnson in the minor leagues (37:25)
- favorite road cities in the Pacific Coast League (38:41)
- best place for a meal in Omaha (39:29)
Following the conversation, Tony answers last episode's trivia question
(47:45) before wrapping up the show with a new trivia question (50:24).
Trivia question: In what organization did Brian Poldberg make his professional debut as a player?
Be sure to stay up to date with the Storm Chasers on social media by following the team on Twitter (@OMAStormChasers), Instagram (@omahastormchasers) and Facebook (Omaha Storm Chasers). Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show! Share any comments or questions via email to podcast@omahastormchasers.com.
