Sources Tell Jeff Passan

Jeff and Richard Staff dive into the language of baseball. They explore their favorite terms, with help from Hall of Famer George Brett, Pete Fairbanks, and Tim Kurkjian along the way.
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Mariners All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh joins Sources Tell Jeff Passan for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on one of baseball’s toughest — and most misunderstood — positions.

From the craft of calling games and managing pitchers to the physical (and mental) toll behind the plate, Raleigh breaks down what it really takes to be an elite catcher. 

And yes, they get into it: the origin of “Big Dumper,” the chaos of foul tips off the mask, ABS challenges, and even the realities of living with one of baseball’s most iconic nicknames.

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Jeff sits down with Dave Roberts and John Schneider together to revisit the 2025 World Series, tracing the path from the early games to a dramatic Game 7—and the key decisions and moments that shaped it.
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It’s the inaugural episode of Sources Tell with Jeff Passan — and he’s starting big.
Jeff sits down with reigning Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes for an honest, inside-the-mind-of-an-ace conversation.

They break down the art of pitching, their go-to weapons, and how they know when they’re completely locked in.
Plus, they settle the debate: what’s harder — pitching or hitting in MLB?

(0:00) Welcome to the show!

(3:20) What’s harder, hitting or pitching?

(6:15) Easiest pitch to throw

(10:35) Velocity or control?

(12:35) When you know you have command

(15:25) Paul’s demeanor vs Tarik’s emotions

(18:45) College careers

(19:45) Pitchers developing later in career

(20:45) Me vs. me

(23:55) Spa days

(25:35) Tarik’s complete game

(29:25) Rounding up

(30:30) Paul’s complete game loss

(31:38) Failure

(34:10) Favorite mound visit

(35:10) Paul launching sweeper out of the stadium

(37:55) Best pitch in baseball

(40:25) Cutters are hard

(41:00) Future of pitching

(44:55) And the verdict is…
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Sources Tell Jeff Passan brings together the biggest names in baseball with the game's best reporter to tell the most important stories through the people that lived them. Just as accessible for the new fan as it is the one who has read Jeff Passan’s work for nearly a quarter-century, the show is a tour guide through the game’s vastness — the incredible individual accomplishments, the team successes, the inherent failures, the untold tales, the parallel joy and pain, and the love of the game all of it breeds. Baseball is a little weird, and this show is, too. If you want to understand the game — really understand it — this is the place.
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