Episode #17
EP 17: Michael McKenry on the Jerry Meals Call, Catcher Secrets & Pirates Stories
Michael McKenry joins Robby and Uncle Paulie for Episode 17 of Sacred Grounds. The former Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Colorado Rockies catcher, now a Pirates analyst on SportsNet Pittsburgh, sits down for a conversation about life behind the plate, the mental grind of being a backup catcher, and what it really takes to stay ready in the big leagues. Michael talks about losing his everyday role, learning how to own the backup catcher job, working with pitchers, calling games, reading hitters, catcher tells, PitchCom, replay challenges, and why the catcher-pitcher relationship is one of the most important in baseball. The conversation also dives into the infamous Jerry Meals call in Atlanta, the clubhouse reaction afterward, how that Pirates team eventually grew into the 2013 playoff group, and what it was like returning to Pittsburgh as an opponent and homering against his former team. Robby and Michael also look back on the knee injury that helped open the door to his TV career, his transition from player to analyst, some unbelievable mic'd-up stories, fantasy camp trash talk, and plenty of laughs from their years together around Pirates baseball. From the grind of catching to the chaos of live TV, this episode is full of baseball insight, behind-the-scenes stories, and classic Pittsburgh memories.

