Former Phillies teammates and National League MVPs Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard are back for a new season of ¡°The 6-1-1,¡± available now. Named after the numbers the players wore during their careers, the podcast¡¯s first episode of 2025 features a candid conversation with Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin as he discusses his fandom, his approach to business, the impact of Shohei Ohtani¡¯s global popularity and his work with the REFORM Alliance. The interview was recorded while Rubin, Rollins and Howard were in Japan for the Tokyo Series games between the Dodgers and the Cubs to start the 2025 MLB season.
¡°The 6-1-1¡± podcast is produced with the support of MLB¡¯s Player Engagement team and distributed across @MLB Social, MLB Network, MLB.TV, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. ¡°The 6-1-1¡± podcast released seven episodes in 2024 with notable guests including CC Sabathia, Joe Torre and Albert Pujols to critical acclaim and positive engagement. New episodes post every two weeks with the next episode scheduled to drop on April 22, featuring rapper and Atlanta native Waka Flocka Flame.
On ¡°The 6-1-1¡± podcast, Rollins and Howard explore baseball, culture and beyond with guests through unfiltered conversation spanning sports, business, music and entertainment. As former players still deeply involved to the game, they connect with guests and bring out lesser-known stories that take listeners from inside the clubhouse to inside the board room. Discussions on ¡°The 6-1-1¡± podcast offer insight into important topics and culturally relevant moments from the people and leaders making an impact.
On Ohtani¡¯s popularity and impact on baseball, Rubin offered: "When I see the numbers he's doing, what he's doing for the business. He is truly a unicorn. We work with 5,000 athletes individually at Fanatics. Just about every sport, every team globally. He's one of a kind."
Rollins is a 17-year veteran shortstop who played most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies. Over his career, he collected 2,455 hits, won the NL MVP in 2007, is a three-time All-Star and won four Gold Gloves. Howard played 13 seasons as a first baseman with Philadelphia where he hit 382 home runs. Howard was a three-time All-Star, the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year and 2006 NL Most Valuable Player. Both were members of the 2008 World Series champion Phillies.