Podcast: Dirk Hayhurst talks about Italy, the reality of the big leagues and his new book

Jay Busbee and I have been doing the "Why Is This News?" podcast for quite some time now, but I don't think we've ever been stumped by a word used by one of our guests.

Well, until Wednesday's interview, that is. The word was "filiopietistic" — pertaining to reverence of forebears or tradition, especially if carried to excess — and pitcher Dirk Hayhurst was using it to talk about the way clubhouse culture stays the same from one generation to the next.

The word drop caught us off guard, but the man who used it did not. Hayhurst, author of the best-selling "The Bullpen Gospels" and the upcoming "Out Of My League," is one of the most intelligent ballplayers around. With an uncanny knack for being introspective about his long minor-league career and brief big league stint, Hayhurst made for a great 45-minute podcast and our first baseball-themed show of 2012.

You can download the show here (right-click and save the file to your desktop) or just listen to it through the Yahoo! media player located on the left side of the page. (We're having some uploading issues with iTunes, but are working to fix that soon.)

Among the topics we discuss with Dirk: • His upcoming adventure to Italy, where he'll spend 2012 playing pro ball. (Note: Dirk spent most of the discussion talking in his version of an Italian accent, just in case you were on the fence about investing 45 minutes into this show.)

• What it's really like to try and get to sleep the night before your first big league game.

• The process of writing "Out of My League," which focuses on his big-league promotion to the San Diego Padres in 2008.

• What it's like to watch Trevor Hoffman work up close.

• The controversial topic of Hayhurst's third book.

All in all, it was a total blast. We thank Hayhurst for both his time and for teaching us a new word. Follow him on Twitter at @TheGarfoose and keep tabs on him at dirkhayhurst.com.

More sports news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:

Pitchers and catchers report soon, so don't miss a beat ...
Follow @bigleaguestew, @KevinKaduk and the BLS Facebook page!