Hour 2: Evan’s “Banned” Manfred Question, MLB Realignment and How Well Does Tiki Know Tiki?
Hour 2: Evan’s “Banned” Manfred Question, MLB Realignment and How Well Does Tiki Know Tiki?  
Podcast: Evan & Tiki
Published On: Fri Jan 09 2026
Description: Hour 2 starts with the mystery of Evan’s pre-recorded question for MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred that never made air, and the behind-the-scenes explanation from Craig Carton on why it got spiked. The guys finally reveal the question, argue whether it was fair or “too much,” and debate Manfred’s obsession with a salary cap and the financial gap between big and small markets. Then the conversation turns into full MLB confusion as Manfred talks realignment, geography, and keeping the Mets and Yankees separate, and nobody can quite agree on what he actually meant. Calls roll in to interpret it, while Evan vents about owners crying “unable” instead of “unwilling” to spend. Plus, the show pivots to Wild Card weekend storylines, including how often teams win rematches, and a fun deep dive into Tiki Barber’s playoff games where he faced an opponent for the third time in the same season. The hour also touches on the Giants coaching search optics, Evan’s choice between banishing Woody Johnson or Rob Manfred, and a Yankees offseason debate about Cody Bellinger’s market and whether Brian Cashman should pivot to Bo Bichette.