Today on my Major League Baseball show, Minors and Majors, I was joined by Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star outfielder Jason Bay, Oklahmoa State assistant coach Billy Jones, and UC Riverside starting-pitcher James Simmons.

Bay, the 2004 National League Rookie of the Year, is a two-time all-star. We talked about his health in the wake of the minor-knee surgery he had back in November, and I talked to him abou the birth of his first-child, a daughter named Addison. We also discussed the Pittsburgh Pirates’ chances in 2007, and Bay explained to me what he’d like to improve upon as a player.

Jones is a college baseball wealth-of-knowledge who joined me from Texas, where his team is currently playing in a tournament. We talked about his team, Oklahoma State, and also touched upon some of the bigger weekend-matchups around the counrty in college baseball. Jones also explained to me why it is that the popularity of college baseball has grown so much, and determined the difference between being a great college player and a pro-prospect.

Simmons was my prospect-of-the-week. He is a right-handed starter at UC Riverside in California, where he’s forged quite a resume as a starter over the past two seasons. He’s led his team in ERA in each of the last two season, and last year finished seventh in the Big-West conference in strikeout’s with 97. I talked with Simmons about his road to the major leagues, his team, and about what makes him such a highly-regarded prospect. 

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Minors and Majors is a 2-hour show which broadcasts live every Saturday morning from 10am to Noon eastern. It can be heard nationally on XM Satellite Radio’s “MLB Home Plate” (XM channel 175). The show re-airs at 10a.m. and 5p.m. eastern on XM Sports Nation (XM 144).