Russell Christian
40 episodes listed below
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Attorney and baseball fan extraordinaire Russell Christian discusses former Major League Baseball players and makes the case for or against their enshrinement in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Russell Christian turns Hall of Fame debate into evidence-led baseball argument, with room for history, memory, statistics, and informed disagreement.
Russell Christian treats Hall of Fame judgment as a case to be argued, testing a player's statistics, awards, postseason record, historical standing, and less measurable fame against one another.
Russell Christian argues the Cooperstown case, and your favorite borderline candidate had better bring receipts.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A ballot recap that keeps Hall arguments tied to real careers and vote totals.
The 2026 BBWAA ballot recap works as a grounded tour through Hall cases that are still being argued. It moves from Carlos Beltran and Andrew Jones into later names such as Cole Hamels, Dustin Pedroia, and Mark Burley, keeping the focus on career value, postseason impact, and…
A careful Orioles-era relief portrait that turns setup work into a real Hall case.
This episode makes a careful, well paced case for Darren O'Day. Russell Christian moves through the waiver claim, the Orioles years, and the postseason work without rushing, and the 2012 season comes through as the real hinge point.
A careful Hall case for an early two-way player.
The episode builds a measured Hall of Fame argument for George Van Haltren by leaning on his two-way seasons, his work on the mound, and the uneven baseball landscape of the 1880s and early 1890s.
A brief tribute that treats Parker as both ballplayer and mentor, with a lighter stat focus.
Russell frames this as a personal remembrance of Dave Parker, not a polished case for the record books. He steps away from the usual outline, keeps the stats to a minimum, and speaks more from feeling than from formula, which gives the episode a quieter, more intimate tone.
A compact Hall of Fame recap that pairs Jeff Kent's election with pointed questions about the voting process.
Russell Christian keeps this Hall of Fame update focused, centering on Jeff Kent's election to the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot and making a clear case for Kent as a worthy Hall of Famer.
A ballot-by-ballot Hall of Fame preview built on argument, memory, and baseball what-ifs.
Russell Christian spends the annual BBWAA ballot preview moving name by name through the 2026 slate, and the strongest part is how he keeps the case tied to both numbers and memory.
A thoughtful Lofton case that balances Cleveland, the Braves detour, and the return home.
Russell Christian makes a solid Kenny Lofton Hall of Fame case by threading together Lofton's Cleveland identity, the Braves trade, and the return to Cleveland after 1997.
A baseball interview that finds its best moments in songs, memory, and a curious Hall of Fame research trail.
This episode leaves the usual player-by-player Hall of Fame case behind and settles into a conversation with Chuck Brodsky about baseball, music, and the songs he has written about the game.
Cubs recaps with bleacher-level patience.
Daily Tigers tension, sorted fast.
Nebraska athletics, close up and week by week.
Russell Christian uses this 2026 BBWAA ballot preview to argue that none of the first-year names — including Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun, Alex Gordon, Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnacion, Howie Kendrick, Hunter Pence, Gio Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Daniel Murphy, Rick Porcello, and Nick Markakis — looks like a Hall of Famer.
The 29th episode of The Case For: A Baseball Hall of Fame Podcast examines Darren O'Day, a former Atlanta Braves pitcher and current Braves radio announcer on 680 The Fan.
Russell Christian pauses the usual Hall of Fame case for his third interview with Greg Kreindler.
Russell Christian steps away from his usual Hall of Fame argument.
Russell Christian marks the show's 40th episode and welcomes ABC News vice president and Washington bureau chief Rick Klein.
Russell Christian opens with a baseball memory and then turns the episode into a special interview with Chuck Brodsky.
Russell Christian opens with a joke about Pete Rose and Barry Bonds that sets the tone right away.
Russell Christian uses Episode 33 of The Caseboard to weigh Kenny Lofton’s Hall of Fame case, starting with Lofton’s East Chicago roots, Washington High School, and college years at Arizona.
Russell Christian uses George Von Haltren, known as Rip, to build a Hall of Fame case around 19th-century baseball context, including a 50-foot pitching mound and pre-1898 stolen-base rules.
Host Russell Christian recaps the 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot results, celebrating the election of Carlos Beltran (84.2%) and Andrew Jones (78.4%).
Russell Christian sits down with Cullen Chapron.
Russell Christian hands the show over to baseball historian Ted Knorr for a conversation about Rap Dixon.
Russell records a separate tribute to Dave Parker after hearing news of Parker's death on June 28, 2025, saying Parker mattered to baseball, to his podcast, and to him personally.
Russell Christian breaks down the 2025 contemporary era Hall of Fame ballot, which includes Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela.
Jeff Kent was elected to the Hall of Fame with 14 votes on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot, while Carlos Delgado received 9 and Dale Murphy and Don Mattingly each received 6.