I Ambushed My Mom — Linda Saarloos: The Woman Behind Our Family | Part 1 Episode 58
Chopping It Up with Keith Saarloos · Released August 05, 2026 · Santa Ynez Valley, California
About this conversation
Keith Saarloos welcomes the most important guest he has ever had on Choppin’ It Up: his mother, Linda Saarloos.
There was only one way to get her into the studio.
He ambushed her.
Keith bought his mom a cup of coffee, told her they were going somewhere fun and walked her directly into the Krazy Country 105.9 studio. What follows is Part 1 of a funny, deeply personal conversation about the woman behind the Saarloos family.
Linda shares stories about growing up as the youngest of six children, moving from Pipestone, Minnesota, to Southern California, competing in nearly every sport available to girls before Title IX and meeting Keith’s father, Larry “Big Lar” Saarloos, when she was sixteen.
Keith and Linda also talk about surviving colon and breast cancer, her continuing fight against bone cancer, the family nickname “The Wolverine,” the Saarloos baseball legacy and Linda’s unofficial position as the most dedicated sports fan at Texas Christian University.
Then there is the story of the living-room furniture money, the Model A and the freshly painted car parts stored throughout Linda’s house.
This is a conversation about motherhood, marriage, sacrifice, resilience, baseball and the importance of recording the stories of the people we love while we still can.
Episode 58 is Part 1 of 2.
Choppin’ It Up with Keith Saarloos is recorded in the Santa Ynez Valley and broadcast on Krazy Country 105.9.
#LindaSaarloos #SaarloosAndSons #ChoppinItUp #SaarloosFamily #TCUBaseball #SantaYnezValley #FamilyHistory
From Keith’s original Valley archive
The following material is preserved from the original episode post. Existing transcript text is an archive copy and may contain transcription errors.
Episode 58 of Choppin’ It Up with Keith Saarloos features the most important guest Keith has ever brought into the studio: his mother, Linda Saarloos.
Without Linda, there is no Keith Saarloos. There is no Kirk Saarloos. There is no version of the Saarloos family story as we know it today.
The only problem was that Linda had absolutely no intention of becoming a podcast guest.
Keith got her into the car, bought her a cup of coffee, told her they were going somewhere fun and walked her directly into the Krazy Country 105.9 studio. It was an ambush carried out with love—and the beginning of a conversation Keith had wanted to record for years.
Linda was born in Pipestone, Minnesota, as the youngest of six children. When she was seven, her family packed everything they owned into a truck and car and moved to Southern California. Linda made the cross-country journey lying on a pillow in the rear window of a coupe—something that seemed perfectly normal at the time.
Her father, a farmer turned carpenter, helped construct dairy homes throughout the Bellflower and Paramount area. He was a remarkably strong, quiet man who could climb church beams without a harness, pull nails from his own hand and return immediately to work. Her parents raised six children in a two-bedroom home and somehow found enough room for several televisions, a satellite dish and every baseball game they could possibly watch.
That love of sports became part of Linda’s DNA.
Before the passage of Title IX transformed athletic opportunities for girls and women, Linda participated in nearly every sport her school offered. She played volleyball, basketball and softball, ran track and served as a cheerleader through the Girls Athletic Association. Had she been born into a later generation, Keith believes she would have competed as a Division I athlete.
That competitive spirit never went away.
Today, Linda divides her time between California’s Santa Ynez Valley and Fort Worth, Texas, where her son Kirk Saarloos serves as head baseball coach at Texas Christian University and her granddaughter Brielle attends school. Armed with a TCU golf cart and seemingly unlimited access, Linda has become a fixture across the university’s athletic programs.
Football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, track and field, equestrian and beach volleyball—Linda attends nearly everything. She has better seats than the coaches, knows the athletes and has built an entire community around simply showing up.
Behind the humor is a woman of extraordinary resilience.
Linda survived colon cancer while Keith was in high school, later fought breast cancer and is now battling bone cancer. She still walks three miles, supports her children and grandchildren and continues moving forward with the determination that earned her the family nickname “The Wolverine.”
Keith and Linda also revisit the beginning of the Saarloos family love story.
Linda met Keith’s father, Larry “Big Lar” Saarloos, when she was sixteen. Larry asked her on a date, only to discover that she was booked for the next six Friday nights. He waited. Their first date was a trip to see MAS*H, and Larry returned home convinced that Linda was the woman he would marry.
Their life together would eventually connect family, farming, baseball and the Santa Ynez Valley—but it began with a teenage love story, an orange Mustang Mach 1 and a young hairdresser who saved enough money to buy their first home while Larry finished college.
Part 1 ends with one of the earliest tests of their marriage: Linda saved money for new living-room furniture, and Larry used it to buy a Model A. Once the car was dismantled and painted, every piece was stored inside Linda’s furniture-free living room.
It is a funny story, but it also reveals something essential about Linda Saarloos: she has spent her life making room for the dreams of the people she loves.
This is more than an interview with Keith’s mother. It is a living family history and a tribute to the woman whose strength, sacrifice, humor and unconditional support helped prepare the way for every Saarloos generation that followed.
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Who is LInda Saarloos
Linda Saarloos is the mother of Keith Saarloos and TCU Baseball head coach Kirk Saarloos, the widow of Larry “Big Lar” Saarloos and one of the foundational figures behind the Saarloos family story.
Born in Pipestone, Minnesota, Linda moved to Southern California at seven years old as the youngest of six children. She grew up in a hardworking family, became a multi-sport athlete before Title IX and later worked as a hairdresser while helping build the foundation for her own young family.
Linda survived colon cancer and breast cancer and continues to fight bone cancer with the determination, humor and toughness that led her family to nickname her “The Wolverine.”
Today, Linda divides her time between the Saarloos family in California’s Santa Ynez Valley and Fort Worth, Texas. In Fort Worth, she is a beloved and highly visible supporter of TCU athletics, attending everything from baseball and football to basketball, tennis, equestrian, track, soccer and beach volleyball.
More than anything, Linda Saarloos is a mother and grandmother who has spent her life showing up. Her strength, sacrifices and belief in her family helped shape everything the Saarloos family has built.
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The Story Behind the Episode
Keith Saarloos wanted to record his mother’s story while he still had the opportunity.
His father, Larry “Big Lar” Saarloos, passed away before Keith began Choppin’ It Up. Keith knows Big Lar would have loved being a guest and probably would have talked for the entire hour without needing to be asked a single question.
Keith did not want to make the same mistake twice.
Linda, however, hates being the center of attention and would never have voluntarily agreed to an interview. Keith therefore invited her to do something “fun,” took her for coffee and drove her directly to the Krazy Country 105.9 studio.
This two-part conversation preserves stories about Linda’s parents, her childhood, women’s athletics before Title IX, her marriage to Big Lar, the Saarloos baseball legacy, TCU, cancer, motherhood and the experiences that helped form the Saarloos family.
It is funny, deeply personal and occasionally emotional. Most importantly, it gives Linda Saarloos the opportunity to tell her story in her own voice.
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Topics Covered
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Kirk Saarloos
Additional topics covered:
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The Saarloos family history
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Linda and Larry “Big Lar” Saarloos
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Mothers and sons
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Family storytelling
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Preserving family history
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Cancer resilience
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Women athletes before Title IX
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Girls Athletic Association
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Southern California baseball history
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Wally Kincaid
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Small-ball baseball
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College baseball coaching
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The Saarloos baseball legacy
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TCU football
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TCU basketball
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TCU women’s basketball
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TCU beach volleyball
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TCU equestrian
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TCU track and field
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TCU tennis
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TCU soccer
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Fort Worth, Texas
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California farming families
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Marriage and sacrifice
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Family legacy
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Motherhood
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Grandmotherhood
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The Saarloos family creed
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Honoring those who came before us
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Preparing the way for those yet to come
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FAQ
WHO IS LINDA SAARLOOS?
Linda Saarloos is the mother of Keith Saarloos and TCU Baseball head coach Kirk Saarloos. She is the widow of Larry “Big Lar” Saarloos and one of the foundational members of the Saarloos family. Linda divides her time between California’s Santa Ynez Valley and Fort Worth, Texas.
WHERE WAS LINDA SAARLOOS BORN?
Linda Saarloos was born in Pipestone, Minnesota. She was the youngest of six children. Her family moved from Minnesota to Southern California when she was seven years old.
WHAT SPORTS DID LINDA SAARLOOS PLAY?
Linda played volleyball, basketball and softball, ran track and served as a cheerleader. She competed before the expansion of athletic opportunities created by Title IX, when many girls’ sports were organized through the Girls Athletic Association.
HOW MANY TIMES HAS LINDA SAARLOOS HAD CANCER?
Linda survived colon cancer and breast cancer and is continuing to fight bone cancer. Her strength and determination led her family to nickname her “The Wolverine.”
WHO WAS LARRY “BIG LAR” SAARLOOS?
Larry “Big Lar” Saarloos was Linda’s husband and the father of Keith and Kirk Saarloos. He loved Linda, baseball and farming. His dream of becoming a farmer ultimately helped lead the Saarloos family to California’s Santa Ynez Valley.
HOW DID LINDA AND LARRY SAARLOOS MEET?
Linda and Larry met as teenagers in Southern California. Larry asked Linda on a date, but she was already booked for the next six Friday nights. He waited six weeks, and their first date was a trip to see the movie MAS*H.
WHAT CAR DID LARRY SAARLOOS DRIVE WHEN HE AND LINDA WERE DATING?
Larry drove an orange Ford Mustang Mach 1. Keith describes it in the episode as one of the memorable details from the beginning of his parents’ relationship.
WHAT DID LINDA SAARLOOS DO FOR A LIVING?
Linda worked as a hairdresser. While Larry was finishing college, Linda saved enough money to help purchase their first home.
WHY DID LARRY SAARLOOS PUT CAR PARTS IN THEIR LIVING ROOM?
Linda had saved money to buy living-room furniture. Larry used the money to purchase a Model A instead. After the car was dismantled and painted, the pieces were stored inside their living room so the new paint would not be scratched.
WHO IS KIRK SAARLOOS?
Kirk Saarloos is Linda and Larry Saarloos’ son and Keith Saarloos’ brother. He played Major League Baseball and later became the head baseball coach at Texas Christian University.
WHY IS LINDA SAARLOOS SO WELL KNOWN AT TCU?
Linda lives near the TCU campus and attends an extraordinary number of university sporting events. She supports baseball, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, track and field, equestrian and beach volleyball. She often travels around campus in a TCU baseball golf cart and has become a familiar member of the TCU community.
IS THIS THE COMPLETE LINDA SAARLOOS INTERVIEW?
No. Episode 58 is Part 1 of a two-part conversation between Keith and Linda Saarloos. Their conversation continues in Episode 59.
WHERE IS CHOPPIN’ IT UP RECORDED?
Choppin’ It Up with Keith Saarloos is recorded in California’s Santa Ynez Valley and broadcast on Krazy Country 105.9, one of California’s remaining independent radio stations.
WHAT IS CHOPPIN’ IT UP WITH KEITH SAARLOOS?
Choppin’ It Up is a radio show and podcast hosted by farmer, winemaker and storyteller Keith Saarloos. The show features long-form conversations with the people whose lives, work and stories help shape the Santa Ynez Valley and beyond.
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Photograph reused from the original Saarloos + Sons episode post.
