Check Out Joshua Kusnick’s Hot Takes on Head Games Podcast
MLBPA agent Josh Kusnick has never been afraid to speak out about social issues in baseball. Topics that might make some fans uncomfortable, Kusnick brings to light in discussions with players, in his writing, and in the press.
Earlier this month Kusnick sat down with Head Games Podcast to give his hot takes on the happenings in professional baseball. Head Games, hosted by Dr. Bret Levine and Dr. Ben Rosenberg, is a show all about the intersections of sports and psychology. Each week the podcast delivers fresh topics of discussion with new guests. Whether that guest is a former Olympian, a college basketball coach, or a female CEO in the sports industry, they always stimulate interesting conversations for all kinds of sports fans.
Of course the trio touched on Barry Bonds and the Hall of Fame, as well as other Hall of Famers, stats, and league news, but they also touched on social issues in the sport that are often overlooked.
Baseball fan or not, it would have been pretty difficult to miss the headlines announcing Kim Ng as the new Marlins GM. This means that not only is Ng the first female GM in baseball history, but she’s also the first Asian-American GM as well.
Naturally, Drs. Rosenberg and Levine had to give their own take on such a timely piece of news. In their article published in Psychology Today, they describe this move by the marlins as having broken the stiff-necked conformity that drives baseball’s front offices. Similarly, Kusnick, who knows Ng, believes that the glass ceiling is finally broken for other women who aspire to be GMs in the league. He also thinks that the attitude toward women working in professional baseball in any capacity will change too.
“For a woman to go into an executive position in baseball, start from nothing and crawl her way up to GM… you have to have a crazy kind of resolve to go and do that,” Kusnick told Head Games.
While Kusnick points out that Ng’s hire is a great sign of progress for baseball, he also touches on some of the rumors surrounding it and his personal opinions on the Marlins’ intentions behind it.
Beyond the latest headlines, the Head Games gang also talks to Kusnick about race relations in baseball and how the sport can do a better job with inclusivity and supporting its players of color.
“I believe Baseball has an inherent race problem when it comes to scouting,” Kusnick says. “There hasn’t been an everyday black catcher since 2003.”
While Kusnick admits that there are plenty of people who care, and plenty of players using their platform for change, it will take a lot of incremental change to improve race relations within the sport in years to come.
Just another part of Kusnick’s wild career is his latest venture, Power, Game On. Power, Game On is an online platform where sports fans can play popular video games with their favorite professional athletes, the perfect crossroads for sports and video game lovers. From GTA to Madden, sports fans can battle and trash talk their favorite pro athletes.
With limited access to stadiums and arenas this year, Power, Game On couldn’t have come to us at a better time. It has been hard for die-hard fans to feel connected to the sports and players they love. Sure they can watch them on TV, but nothing beats the roar of the crowd, the camaraderie of complete strangers, and those ballpark hot dogs. Meeting up for a quick game of Fortnite with a member of your team can definitely help close the gap that some of us are feeling from our teams.
Ben Rosenberg is a social-health psychologist who earned his Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. Bret Levine is a behavioral psychologist who earned his Ph.D. in Applied Research Methodology also from Claremont Graduate University. For more sports content follow Ben and Bret on Twitter @BDRosenbergPhD and @DrBretLevine and checkout Head Games Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
