And Now Up To B.A.T.And Now Up To B.A.T.
Addict II Athlete Podcast
Coach Blu Robinson talks with former pitcher and therapist Tim McDowell about addiction, recovery and life in professional baseball, highlighting the role of the Baseball Assistance Team. Their conversation focuses on stigma, identity, family impact and the power of connection in staying sober.
46:12•6 Jul 2020
From Pitcher’s Mound to Recovery Team: Tim McDowell on Addiction, Baseball and B.A.T.
Episode Overview
- Addiction is framed as a disease, and understanding the brain chemistry behind it can relieve shame and confusion.
- Professional athletes often struggle to ask for help; pride, ego and public scrutiny make that first call for support feel impossibly heavy.
- Identity and purpose need to stretch beyond "ballplayer" or "addict"; recovery includes building a fuller sense of self.
- The Baseball Assistance Team offers confidential, structured help to members of the wider baseball family, with support tied to genuine treatment and change.
- Connection to others in recovery is presented as crucial, especially during times of isolation and heightened anxiety such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
“"I was told the opposite of addiction isn't recovery. The opposite of addiction is connection."”
What drives someone to seek a life beyond addiction while still holding on to their love of sport? This conversation between host Coach Blu Robinson and guest Tim McDowell walks right into that space, blending baseball stories with raw honesty about addiction, recovery and purpose.
Tim, a former Pittsburgh Pirates minor league pitcher and now a masters-level therapist, shares how growing up with a father who was both a Major League star and a "pretty raging alcoholic" shaped his fascination with addiction. He talks about watching his dad control a packed Yankee Stadium but having "none" when it came to alcohol – and how treatment transformed not just his father, but their whole family.
You'll hear Tim explain his work with the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.), a confidential support organisation helping members of the "baseball family" – from players to umpires – with addiction, mental health and financial crises. He stresses how hard it is for elite athletes to ask for help: that first phone call "must weigh about 900 pounds" thanks to pride, ego and stigma.
The chat widens out into themes anyone in recovery will recognise: the power of connection, the importance of purpose beyond a single identity (whether "ballplayer" or "addict"), and the brutal impact of Covid-19 on mental health and relapse risk. Tim highlights kids growing up in addicted homes, the silent burdens they carry, and the relief they feel when they realise "they're not the only kid" in class struggling.
Throughout, there’s a steady thread of hope: recovery as something to stand tall in, not hide from. As Tim puts it, some of the "most brilliant courageous people" he’s met are in AA and NA rooms, fighting the same fight together. If you’re an athlete, a loved one, or just someone trying to make sense of addiction, this chat might leave you asking: who are you beyond the jersey, and who’s on your recovery team?
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