Our ongoing Ozarks Legends series gives us the perfect excuse to catch up with the icons who shaped our local sports landscape. This week, Ned Reynolds, Scott Puryear, and Art Haynes caught up with one of the ultimate standouts for the Missouri State University Baseball Bears: former Major League Baseball relief pitcher Brad Ziegler. From a rainout at Cooperstown to the upcoming NCAA Regional in Lawrence, we covered it all in today’s interview.

Brad was actually scheduled to play in the Military Classic up at Cooperstown this past week—a special military tribute celebrating the country’s 250th birthday featuring MLB veterans like Johnny Gomes, Josh Reddick, and Jonathan Lucroy. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, throwing a relentless downpour that washed out the game after just one sloppy inning.

While Brad was warming up to bring his signature submarine style to the second inning, the game was officially called. Disappointing? Absolutely. Especially for his kids who wanted to see him pitch. But Brad turned it into a masterclass in parenting: “I said, look, there’s some things in life you can control and some things you can’t. You have to accept the things that you can’t and move on.” The family pivoted, hit the Hall of Fame, took a trip to Niagara Falls, and made memories anyway.

The Magical 2003 CWS Run & The Lawrence Regional

With the current Missouri State Bears preparing to take on Arkansas in the NCAA Regional this Friday, we had to look back at Brad’s historic 2003 College World Series team. The contrast between then and now is wild. While today’s Bears enjoyed a team watch party to celebrate their at-large selection, the 2003 squad didn’t even bother.

“We didn’t have a watch party because everybody just kind of assumed we weren’t going to make it,” Brad told us. Instead, individual players were screaming in their own houses and frantically calling each other. That “second lease on life” freed them up to play with nothing to lose, eventually pulling off iconic moments like Dante Brinkley flipping over the Nebraska logo in the Lincoln regional to embrace the villain role. Brad plans to head out to Lawrence this Saturday to support Joey’s program as they continue the storied tradition.

The Submarine Switch & Grind of Pro Ball

Brad’s journey is a testament to absolute persistence. Drafted in the 31st round by the Phillies, cut, and forced through independent ball, his career completely shifted when Oakland A’s pitching coordinator Ron Romanic suggested an arm-slot change. Romanic told him he had the mind for the big leagues but needed something to differentiate his stuff.

The transition to submarine pitcher wasn’t an overnight success; Brad admitted it took three or four years into his MLB career to truly feel comfortable. In fact, he was still making mechanical adjustments into his final professional season, proving you never stop learning.

MLB Labor Battle: Reining in the Dodgers

As a loyal alumnus of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Brad gave us an insider’s view on the looming December 1st collective bargaining showdown. Owners are pushing a hardline stance for a salary cap, something the union is fully prepared to fight—even if it means sitting out a year or two.

According to Brad, the system isn’t entirely broken, save for one team. “If they can rein in the Dodgers… everybody else, I think, would be on board,” Brad noted, suggesting a 200% or 500% tax on multi-year repeat luxury tax offenders to stop teams from pretending the line doesn’t exist.