The first female coach of a professional men's baseball team, JUSTINE SIEGAL, joins Rhea to talk growing up playing the sport everyone told her she couldn't play, inspiring the next generation of girls to play baseball, and breaking down every barrier that stood between her and a day at the ballpark. Check out Justine Siegal's BASEBALL FOR ALL, a nonprofit organization that works toward gender equity in youth baseball by strongly encouraging and providing opportunities for girls to participate i...
May 02, 2018•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 11
Rhea and baseball texting buddy PAUL F. TOMPKINS (clad in a throwback Philadelphia Phillies cap, check @threeswingspod for the evidence) get LOUD about hometown announcers, 90s Phillies dirtbags, gum chewing, outfield pools, the limits of sabermetrics, and so so much more. Plus Rhea talks a few things that make the MLB pretty wonderful right now, including Francisco Lindor homering for the hometown crowd in Puerto Rico, the Royals and Tigers figuring it out with nothing on the line, Brandon Belt...
Apr 25, 2018•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 10
In their third and final Spring 2018 tour diary, Rhea returns home, battles a cold, and dispenses some simple but profound baseball-themed life advice about the importance of getting on base. Plus Rhea recounts their visit to the incredible Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, talks black representation (or the continued lack thereof) in the MLB, and tosses out some fantasy updates, wondering aloud, "Did I purposely draft badly in my fantasy league this year just to have something to go...
Apr 18, 2018•45 min•Ep. 9
Recorded from their dad's house in Akron, OH, Rhea recounts their firsthand memories of the A League of their Own reunion game that took place at the 2016 Bentonville Film Festival-- seeing former AAGPBL player Gina Casey make the most of an extra pitch, interviewing Geena Davis and the cast, witnessing the movie that changed their life come to life-- you might want to grab some tissues for this one because yes, there IS crying in baseball. If you can, check out MLB's Trailblazer Series, a baseb...
Apr 11, 2018•51 min•Ep. 8
Recorded in Baltimore, Central Pennsylvania, and stops in between, Rhea kicks off the first of three tour diary episodes with a rundown of Opening Day headlines, including the underperforming Dodgers, the (perennially) promising Nationals, and the mismanaged Phillies. Plus a recap of the Women's Final Four (anybody want to talk about women's basketball being boring now???) and thoughts on Daniel Murphy, empathy, and eye contact. And Rhea has a lovely chat with comedian, friend, and Baltimore (vi...
Apr 04, 2018•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 7
"I literally have a megaphone." Rhea talks to baseball teammate and fellow comedian Alice Wetterlund ( Treks and the City podcast) about playing together and not apologizing for being competitive. Plus mean coaches, Minnesota, and Joc Pederson. And a new edition of ROSIN BAG! Rhea answers your Twitter questions on gendered hats, team names, advanced metrics, favorite ballparks, rounders, and more! And for your reading pleasure, Rhea recommends a revelatory article from the MLB.com vault, Chris L...
Mar 28, 2018•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 6
Rhea talks to baseball statistician Jen Mac Ramos (Hardball Times, Baseball Prospectus) about falling in love with the numbers without losing sight of the bigger picture-- the relationship between stats and representation, measuring the intangibles (SCRAP!), Tim Lincecum, the Trailblazer Series, the impediments to equal access and treatment for women and non-binary players, and much more! Check out Jen's tremendous article on Tim Lincecum and being Filipino: https://www.fangraphs.com/tht/connect...
Mar 21, 2018•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 5
Rhea is joined by her favorite comedian on the planet, her wife CAMERON ESPOSITO (!), to talk about the importance of playing catch in your marriage, Title IX, Chicago softball, pride nights, Kiké Hernández, and the best and worst of Wrigley Field. Rhea also weighs in on the Astros visiting the White House ("Yuli Gurriel behind the podium is peak 2017") and Josh Donaldson fighting the bad fight on Twitter. PLUS a recap of the latest Hot Stove moves from a very long (and fairly depressing) offsea...
Mar 14, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 4
Rhea revisits the poetic (for better or worse) 2016 World Series with KENDRA JAMES (Twitter @kendrajames_, Shondaland.com) who talks Cubs fandom, surviving the drought years, and the emotional shock of finally coming out on top. Plus new segments! ROSIN BAG, Rhea's deep dive into your Twitter questions! And SCOUTING REPORT, Rhea's recommendations for books, movies, and more... In this installment of Scouting Report, Rhea recommends Jackie Robinson's autobiography I NEVER HAD IT MADE, Stacey May ...
Mar 07, 2018•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 3
Rhea talks to the comedy world's premiere baseball mind, GREG PROOPS, about the mental side of baseball, including genius and not-so-genius managerial moves, playing angry, and why Willie Mays may be the smartest ball player of all time. Greg also tells some truly unforgettable baseball stories... postseason memories, meeting Joe Madden at the breakfast table... too many stories to count. PLUS Rhea talks about women in baseball (and the lack thereof), female umpires, the Sonoma Stompers, and the...
Feb 28, 2018•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 2
PLAY BALL! Rhea Butcher (@rheabutcher) kicks off her new weekly baseball podcast with a brief history of life as a baseball fan (and a Cleveland baseball fan at that), including plenty of TBS and heartbreak. Rhea recaps some of the major moves from the MLB OFFSEASON (aka THE HOT STOVE), including the Giancarlo Stanton trade and the Shohei Ohtani signing, and the respective futures of the Yankees and Angels in the American League. Rhea then takes a swing at the saga of CLEVELAND'S (at long last d...
Feb 21, 2018•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 1
Check out what you can expect from Rhea Butcher's new podcast, THREE SWINGS, an unconventional look at America's pastime with radically sensible thoughts on baseball, history, culture, gender, race, and more. MLB news. Forgotten chapters of baseball history. In-depth interviews with comedians, baseball insiders, and hometown fans. And even some fantasy tips! NEW EPISODES EVERY WEDNESDAY STARTING 2/21/18! SUBSCRIBE NOW!!! LISTEN TO THREE SWINGS AD FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodca...
Feb 05, 2018•7 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT8 Another season down. Rhea reflects on the 2017 World Series and the Astros' first championship in franchise history. She opens up about what the Dodgers and the sport of baseball have meant to her over the years and how difficult it is to keep watching your team come so close, only to walk away with nothing. Please enjoy this honest, moving, and beautiful end to Rhea Butcher's World Series diary, and let us know what you think on Twitter and Instagram @...
Nov 03, 2017•54 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT7 "Like watching two twins arm wrestle for a week..." Of course this Series is going seven games. Did you expect anything less? Rhea records her thoughts on Game 6 from a terminal in LAX. Plus an ode to Rich Hill, more anxiety about Dave Roberts' decision making, and one (just one) prediction for Game 7. LISTEN TO THREE SWINGS AD FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plus FOLLOW RHEA ON TWITTER & INSTAGRAM @rheabutcher PLEASE SUBSCR...
Nov 01, 2017•32 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT6 "I myself am on the brink..." This series. Oh man, this series. Just relentless, gut punch baseball over and over and over. Not to mention the ongoing Yuri Gurriel debacle, two Bushes throwing out the first pitch, the Halliburton ad in Minute Maid park, the maybe-a-silver-lining Mueller indictments looming in the background, and, what's this, gloomy weather all of a sudden in LA... No matter who you're rooting for, no matter where you're from, RHEA IS T...
Oct 30, 2017•46 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT5 "Conventional wisdom is losing the World Series right now." Rhea breaks down the managerial miscues and poor at-bats that led to a 5-3 Houston victory in Game 3 and a 2-1 series lead. Plus GM4 predictions. Rhea also discusses Yuri Gurriel's racist gesture and the fallacy of assuming that playing/living in a country makes you more empathetic towards the people of that country. And because there's more to life than baseball, Rhea offers a strong recommend...
Oct 28, 2017•36 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT4 Rhea's back in LA with special guest Paul F. Tompkins talking baseball superstitions, the 90s Phillies, rooting for two different teams and why it's totally fine, and why this baseball season was one of the best ever. Plus, a World Series recap and predictions for Game 3 and beyond. Recommendations: the documentary No No (available on Netflix). Anddddd Rhea tells a wild story about being accosted on the street about the legitimacy of her fandom. What?! ...
Oct 27, 2017•55 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT3 Wow. And just like that, everything changes. Rhea recaps the wild, four hour slugfest that saw the Dodgers pitching strategy crumble and the Astros eek out a 7-6 win in the 11th and take control of the Series as it heads back to Houston. Rhea also gives an impassioned critique of the dog whistles and coded language that still somehow persist in "Jackie Robinson's League," exposing the double standards applied to dynamic black athletes like Yasiel Puig w...
Oct 26, 2017•33 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY BONUS INTERVIEW Rhea visited the MLB.com headquarters in NYC today and got a chance to talk with Crystal Peterson, Assoc. Producer for MLB Entertainment, about Australian sports, the arbitrary gendering of softball, A League of Their Own, working as a woman at the MLB, and much more! Plus, Rhea almost stumps the MLB.com staff on baseball movie quotes. LISTEN TO THREE SWINGS AD FREE ON FOREVER DOG PLUS: https://foreverdogpodcasts.com/plus SUPPORT THREE SWING...
Oct 25, 2017•20 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT2 Rhea brings you her Game 1 recap from a New York hotel room in the wee hours of the night after a day spent battling delayed flights, bad wifi, and airplane farts. It was the hottest World Series game on record AND the shortest in recent memory (stretching back to the 92 Series) and the Dodgers came out on top after a fierce pitching duel between Clayton Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel. Rhea gives a killer history lesson on the dead ball era and considers th...
Oct 25, 2017•45 min
RHEA BUTCHER'S 2017 WORLD SERIES DIARY PT1 Rhea Butcher kicks off her limited series World Series diary by recapping a wild 2017 postseason and recounting the Dodgers and Astros respective paths to the Fall Classic. Rhea explains why Clayton Kershaw deserves to pitch in the World Series and breaks down the not so brilliant managerial moves that doomed the Indians, Yankees, and Cubs. Rhea also digs into her complicated history with her hometown team, the Cleveland Indians, and considers the limit...
Oct 24, 2017•47 min
