Fridays With Larry July 17, 2026

Larry Lannan talks with Connor Smith, an 18-year-old from Fishers, Indiana, who plays professional wiffle ball for the Atlanta Ballers — a team owned in part by former NFL star Julio Jones and musician Nelly. Connor shares how backyard games during COVID led to being drafted 10th overall, why wiffle ball became his "happy place" after the pressures of organized baseball, and his plans to become an elementary school teacher. Larry also reflects on the decline of unstructured, kid-organized outdoor play, examines why American worker productivity is growing at its fastest pace in over 20 years (hint: it's not AI), and shares the story of 600-plus trombonists in Australia breaking a Guinness World Record with "76 Trombones." Sponsored by Citizens State Bank.