Unite The Bullpen is an interview podcast that bridges baseball culture with real, unfiltered conversations about adversity — anxiety, PTSD, depression, suicidal thoughts, perfectionism, and addiction. The show is built for baseball fans ages 25–60 who have lived experience with these challenges and are looking for inspiration, practical guidance, and the reassurance that they’re not alone.
"It's Not That Serious" — Emily Marr on Losing Her Mom, Losing the Game, and What She'd Tell Every Young Athlete
Send us Fan Mail Emily Marr has played softball since she was five. By 12 she was a pitcher only. She doesn't throw a fastball at all, and on a full count with the game on the line, she'll throw you a changeup and dare you to hit it. That took her to the University of North Dakota, where she spent three years riding team flights out of the snow, getting through 20-hour weeks with her teammates, and finding out that the bonds you form while suffering together can last a lifetime. Then, the sum...
23 Oct 2026
Five Prison Terms, Nine Months Pregnant in a Stolen U-Haul, and Ten Years Sober — Kelly Blitz
Send us Fan Mail Content note: This episode includes suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and drug use. I'd put a note at the top: "This episode includes discussion of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and addiction. If you're struggling, call or text 988 (US) any time."It started with one boy in the eighth grade who mooed at her every time she walked by. Kelly Blitz couldn't put the shame into words, so she turned it on herself. She was drinking at 13. Then came weed, then meth, and a world she didn't ...
16 Oct 2026
"Baseball Saved My Life” - Jason Larzelere on Injured in Service, 18 Surgeries, and Giving Before You Take
Send us Fan Mail Jason Larzelere comes from six generations of military service, going back to the Revolutionary War. He was an Air Force medic who felt untouchable. On the third morning of his second deployment, a mortar went off about 30 feet away. The next thing he remembers is being airlifted out. What followed was 18 surgeries: four on his shoulder, three on his forearm, two on his wrist, and more on his face. While he waited on a medical review, the Air Force put him on honor guard, whe...
9 Oct 2026
"You Are Not Alone" — Al Reano on Losing Everything He Believed In and Finding His "God's Army"
Send us Fan Mail "This episode includes discussion of a suicide attempt and suicide loss. If you're struggling, call or text 988 (US) any time to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline." Al Reano has spent 34 years in commercial lending, and he's turned down more loans than he's approved. He never tells anyone “Never", he tells them, "not now." It took him a long time to say that to himself. The episode starts light. Al met James Gass on a pickup basketball court, ended up as his unofficial ...
2 Oct 2026
420 to 170 — Mike Dickinson Bought Himself a Second Life, One Day at a Time
Send us Fan Mail In 2020, Mike Dickinson was sitting in a doctor's office in Asheville, North Carolina, when they told him to go to the hospital immediately — his blood sugar was dangerously high. He weighed around 420 pounds. He had diabetes, blood pressure medication, heart medication. A year or two earlier, his nieces and nephews wanted to walk a few blocks and he asked if they could call an Uber. So he picked a target most people would call ridiculous: Atlanta Braves Fantasy Camp. He need...
25 Sept 2026
"She Would Be Disappointed Right Now" — Nathan Marr on Losing His Mom and Finding His Way Back
Send us Fan Mail Nathan Marr came on as family. He's dating James Gass' daughter Madison — and James was there for the first date, watching her come home with a smile he says told him everything. It starts easy. Nathan's a bar back in Santa Clarita at a place whose old fashioned has won best cocktail two years running. He works out every single day, does jiu-jitsu two or three times a week, and has never played a sport in his life — unless you count a freshman golf tryout where he didn't know...
25 Sept 2026
Music Saved His Life — James Gass on Dark Clouds and Second Chances
Send us Fan Mail The roles flip. This time Brian Penn holds the mic, and co-founder James Gass tells the story behind the easy laugh. It starts light: a nervous softball guy getting talked into a wood-bat baseball tournament by their mutual friend Chuck, climbing out of the passenger seat, taking one look at Brian and thinking, "I can't win these guys over with my playing — I'll win them over with my kindness." Forty years of guitar. "Prince over everybody" . Dave Winfield, the Bl...
25 Sept 2026
A Voice, the Bullpen, and Eight Years He Can't Get Back_Interview with Brian Penn
Send us Fan Mail A cocktail waitress told a 21-year-old Brian Penn he had "a voice for radio." Decades later, that offhand comment became a podcast — but the story that gets told in Episode 1 is a much harder one. Co-founders Brian Penn and James Gass kick off Unite the Bullpen with the origin of the name, the friendship that started with a Houston men's-league baseball team, and a whole lot of love for Ken Griffey Jr. and Rickey Henderson. Then Brian goes somewhere most men never go on a mic...
24 Sept 2026
Unite the Bullpen Podcast_A Word from the Founder
Send us Fan Mail This episode is the first of the "Unite the Bullpen" podcast. The Founder formally introduces the podcast, describes the inspiration behind the "birth" of the podcast, and what the audience can expect. Enjoy and provide your honest opinion/feedback. Follow Us on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/unitethebullpen/
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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