5.15.24

Episode 8

Bridging Cultures Through Baseball With Co-Owner Ryan Howard

In this episode of the Baseball United podcast, host Liam Skiffington sits down with co-owner of Baseball United, Ryan Howard. They discuss Ryan's extensive MLB career, his involvement with Baseball United, and his children's book series. Ryan shares his enthusiasm for expanding professional baseball to the Middle East and South Asia, emphasizing the sport's potential to unite countries. He also highlights the importance of investing in passionate leaders and the necessity of transparency and hard work in building a successful league. Reflecting on his MLB days, Ryan talks about his rookie year, his MVP season, and insights from interactions with mentors like Charlie Manuel and Jim Thome. He also expresses his love for Philadelphia, the significance of playing his entire career with the Phillies, and his experiences playing in Japan and thoughts on the designated hitter in the National League. He envisions Baseball United becoming one of the premier professional leagues and expresses his excitement for bridging cultural gaps and advancing the game of baseball. The episode concludes with Ryan encouraging young athletes to watch and practice the game while offering advice for those looking to enter the game of baseball.

What We Discuss

• 0:30 Introduction & Background
• 4:00 Ryan's initial thoughts on Baseball United
• 5:25 Aspects of BU’s mission that resonated with Ryan
• 6:43 Reaching out to Kash Shaikh and John Miedreich regarding the league
• 7:40 The critical role of people in investment decisions
• 9:40 Leadership's role in propelling Baseball United forward
• 10:57 Factors Ryan believes will make the league successful
• 12:23 Reaction to the All-Star showcase in Dubai
• 13:24 Lessons learned from longtime manager Charlie Manuel
• 14:48 Winning Rookie of the Year in 2005
• 19:11 The story behind Ryan's iconic batting stance
• 20:02 Learning from Hall of Famer Jim Thome
• 21:06 Reflecting on the 2006 National League MVP season
• 23:30 The 2008 World Series
• 26:22 Ryan on facing his toughest competitors
• 28:10 Loyalty to one team throughout a career
• 29:05 Participating in the MLB/Japan All-Star series
• 30:47 Great first basemen of his era, through Ryan's eyes
• 32:29 Thoughts on the designated hitter in the National League
• 34:36 Ryan's involvement with the Player’s Alliance
• 35:22 Memories of playing with Hall of Famer Roy Halladay
• 36:12 Deciding to retire
• 41:12 Ryan's message to fans worldwide