First Jobs and St. Louis Park Rituals

Father’s Day Reflections and Baseball Chatter: From Park Bench Perspectives to Square Box Baseball

Send Comments and Feedback [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/fan_mail/new] Mike and Carlos Figueroa talk on Father’s Day from their “park bench” perspective, reflecting on Carlos’s late father and how youth baseball has changed from inexpensive local leagues to costly, professionalized travel ball. They reminisce about St. Louis Park Little League memories, including injuries from hit batters, a city championship run, pitching limits, and the importance of catchers and infield communication. Their conversation explores baseball’s sounds and language (including the origin of “can of corn”), dugout and field chatter, taunting rules, and how pitchers and catchers call games, contrasting past intuition with modern analytics. They discuss parent behavior as a major problem in youth sports, and relate perseverance to being “on the one-yard line.” They plan to record at the old ballpark, revisit St. Louis Park in 2026, and launch a baseball-focused spinoff podcast, “Square Box Baseball,” based on a Latin American saying about baseball’s unpredictability. 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:36 Fathers Day Talk 01:42 Remembering Dads 01:55 Kids Sports Then Now 02:49 Little Gophers Memories 03:42 Baseball Sounds Origins 04:56 Chants Taunts Rules 05:58 Voices From The Stands 06:48 Scary Hit By Pitch 08:19 City Champs Glory Days 10:33 Pitch Counts Big Games 14:21 Cinderella Man Lesson 16:52 New Baseball Spinoff 17:56 Square Box Baseball 19:21 Can Of Corn Explained 20:49 Dugout Chatter Deep Dive 21:39 Dugout Chatter Jokes 22:50 Calling Pitches Debate 23:56 Catcher Trust And Gameplan 24:49 Reading Hitters Then Now 27:00 Hitting And Guessing 30:02 Look Alive Field Talk 32:48 Taunting And First Base Stories 34:29 Parents Ruin Youth Ball 39:01 Town Ball Home Run Tale 41:04 Wrap Up And Podcast Plans Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/support]

Park Bench Perspectives - Beek's Pizza, Babe Ruth Baseball, and The White Shadow

Send Comments and Feedback [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/fan_mail/new] Park Bench Perspectives - Episode 16: Beek's Pizza, Babe Ruth Baseball, and The White Shadow Episode Summary: In this episode of Park Bench Perspectives, hosts Carlos Figueroa and Mike Hammer welcome a very special guest to the bench: their lifelong friend from St. Louis Park, Joe Riley. Take a trip down memory lane as the trio swaps hilarious and heartwarming stories about growing up in the 1970s and 80s, the drama of youth sports, and the enduring camaraderie of childhood friendships. Key Topics Discussed: The St. Louis Park Bubble: Joe shares his memories of shifting between grade schools (Park Knoll to Aquilla) and his eventual, reluctant transfer to Benilde High School, which ultimately opened his eyes to a wider world beyond their hometown. Growing Pains & Pizza: The guys laugh about their early days as "giant" kids bonding over all-you-can-eat 99-cent deals at Beek's Pizza, and the hilarious revelation that both Carlos and Hammer dated the same girl several years apart. Babe Ruth Baseball Drama: A deep dive into the highs and lows of their youth baseball all-star team. They recall the coaching tension between Brian Hartman and Carlos's  dad, the agony of a championship loss to Edina where Joe made the final out at third base, and the lasting connections born in the dugout. Life Lessons on the Diamond: Carlos shares the funny, unconventional advice his dad gave him to calm his nerves during high-pressure games: "Remember Lee Trevino". Pop Culture Nostalgia: The guys discuss which TV shows and movies best capture their youth, drawing comparisons to Dazed and Confused, That '70s Show, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and Stranger Things. They also shout out Steve Rushin's nostalgic book about 1970s Bloomington, Stingray Afternoons. Be sure to stick around to the end to hear a teaser for Joe and Carlos's other podcast, Forgotten Television, where Hammer might just make a future guest appearance as his childhood moniker, "The White Shadow"! 00:00 Podcast Introduction 01:02 Meeting Joe Reilly 01:51 Growing Up in St Louis Park 02:40 School Transitions and Friendships 04:14 The Pizza Eating Contest 05:27 First Party Memories 06:31 The Shelly R Story 07:48 Coach Mikey Gavron 08:39 Going to Benilde 09:28 Eighth Grade Geography Class 10:46 The Benilde Decision 11:58 Babe Ruth Baseball Finals 13:09 Home Run Memories 15:10 Brian Hartman's Hockey Story 15:42 Coaching Dynamics and Dad Managers 16:38 Mike's Coaching Experience 17:38 NBA Playoffs Discussion 17:57 Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Talk 19:25 NBA Salaries and Contracts 19:56 Babe Ruth Baseball Memories 20:37 Sports Building Character 21:20 Dad's Coaching Philosophy 21:49 Lee Trevino Pep Talk 22:33 Lasting Friendships from Sports 24:19 Random Airport Encounter 26:08 Benilde School Experience 27:39 Embarrassing Basketball Game 28:29 Steve Rushin's Books 29:29 Movies That Captured Youth 31:38 Wrapping Up the Bench Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/support]

Park Bench Perspectives - The Older Sister Perspective: Tom Petty, Twins, and a Broken Tibia

Send Comments and Feedback [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Park Bench Perspectives, hosts Mike and Carlos welcome a special guest to the bench: Mike’s older sister, Michelle. Bringing her "older sister female perspective" to the show, Michelle joins the conversation while recovering from a broken tibia after slipping in the shower, an injury that currently has her miserably confined to a straight-leg boot for six weeks. The trio swaps hilarious and intense stories about dealing with unruly crowds at live events. Michelle shares a memorable post-divorce anecdote where she pinned a harassing "troll" against a column at a Tom Petty concert at the Target Center and threatened to have her brother put a hit on him. Not to be outdone, Mike recounts his own near-brawls with shushing audience members at a Simon & Garfunkel concert and a performance of The Lion King. They also discuss the varying intensity of sports fans across different NFL stadiums. The conversation then takes a nostalgic turn into Minnesota Twins baseball. Michelle shares her deep love for the game, describing baseball as a "romantic sport" defined by the smell of the grass and the crack of the bat. She also expresses her lingering frustration that her father made her pitch in softball instead of letting her play Little League because she was a girl. The group reminisces about the magical 1987 and 1991 World Series championships and the shared pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. Finally, they revisit their high school years in St. Louis Park, discussing the awkwardness of prom dates, Sadie Hawkins dances, and the stark differences between how teenage boys and girls communicate and process relationships due to their developing frontal lobes. The episode concludes with an exciting tease for next week: the hosts plan to take the show on the road and record from a physical park bench somewhere in St. Louis Park. 00:00 Welcome to the Bench 01:22 Special Guest Michelle Hammer 01:48 The Shower Incident 02:45 Setting the Record Straight 05:12 Tom Petty Concert Confrontation 08:46 Simon and Garfunkel Rumble 09:54 Lion King Theater Drama 12:00 Sports Fan Encounters 15:04 Growing Up Baseball 17:27 Women in Baseball 18:09 The Romance of Baseball 20:23 Minnesota Sports Heartbreak 21:47 Building Championship Teams 22:56 High School Prom Memories 25:58 School Dance Traditions 27:08 Gender Differences Growing Up 29:18 Summer Recovery Plans 33:13 Future Show Plans Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/support]

Memorial Day Bench Talk: Dad Jokes, Raccoons in the Attic, Fireworks, and Barter

Send Comments and Feedback [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/fan_mail/new] Memorial Day Bench Talk: Dad Jokes, Raccoons in the Attic, Fireworks, and Barter On a Memorial Day in Minnesota, Carlos and Mike Hammer record “Park Bench Perspectives,” starting with a dad joke from Brady about “paranormal jeans.” They trade stories about critters in attics, including Mike’s suspected squirrels that turn out to be raccoons, a late-night raccoon at his daughter’s window, and using lights and loud music (AC/DC) to drive them out, plus a teen memory of using pellet guns on squirrels. Carlos shares a childhood incident where a squirrel fell into the shower. They reminisce about changing local wildlife, Westwood Nature Center, Dayton’s Memorial Day/Jubilee Sale ads, and Fourth of July fireworks, including large personal displays in Wisconsin. The conversation shifts to barter economics, estimates vs. bids in handyman work, coincidences in repairs and health, and frustration with vaccine misinformation.  They close by promoting footpainauthority.com and announcing a growing podcast network, including “Forgotten Television” and a new show, “Role Reversal,” about caring for aging parents. 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:39 Memorial Day Banter 00:43 Dad Joke Detour 01:30 Critters in the Attic 03:51 Wizard of Oz Surprise 04:42 Raccoon at the Window 06:21 Blasting Music to Evict 07:08 Pellet Gun Flashback 07:27 Shower Squirrel Chaos 08:35 Wildlife Then and Now 08:55 Westwood Nature Center 09:23 What Memorial Day Meant 10:16 Dayton’s Sale Nostalgia 11:10 Fourth of July Memories 11:42 Fireworks Then vs Now 12:37 Backyard Fireworks Tales 13:52 Cleanup and Getting Older 14:25 Barter Economy Dreams 16:52 Handyman Deals and Estimates 19:10 Coincidence and Vaccine Rants 21:24 Workplace Shots and Meeting Culture 22:39 Plugging Businesses and Podcasts 23:45 New Show Role Reversal 24:35 Next Episodes and Sign Off Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/support]

First Jobs and St. Louis Park Rituals

Send Comments and Feedback [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/fan_mail/new] From their “Park Bench Perspective,” Carlos and Mike Hammer reminisce about growing up in St. Louis Park and early work experiences, starting with a childhood paper route and frustrations with school fundraisers, including a story about Melissa McCarthy opting to write a check rather than sell magazines. They compare fundraisers like paper drives and Girl Scout cookies and joke about shrinkflation. The conversation shifts to first jobs: Hammer dishwashing at the Ambassador Motor Hotel (union breaks, heavy pots and pans) and briefly working at Jolly Troll before quitting due to a creepy manager; Carlos describes working at TGI Fridays as a teen, cutting his thumb and receiving a disability payout, then being fired over an earring, and quitting Plums after 17 straight days. They mention other jobs (Shakey’s, Snyder Drug, Tom Thumb, Domino’s) and discuss restaurant theft, service, and management lessons. Carlos announces a new podcast with Joe Reilly, “Forgotten Television,” debuting with The White Shadow, teases another podcast with Hammer, and they plan “Jobs Part Two,” while plugging Hammer’s handyman/construction work and Carlos’s writing project “The Ghost of Lake Osseo.” 00:00 Park Bench Intro 00:31 First Money Jobs 01:03 Fundraiser Rants 04:03 Girl Scout Shrinkflation 05:24 First Real Restaurant Jobs 09:04 TGI Fridays Thumb Story 11:55 More Teen Jobs List 13:12 Dominos Before GPS 15:26 Restaurant Theft Wisdom 20:26 New Podcasts Announcement 21:29 Jobs Part Two Tease 24:11 Wrap Up and Contact Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2604835/support]