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Speaker 1: From the Berkshars to the sound from wherever you live

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Speaker 1: in MLB America. This is Inside the Parker. You give

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Speaker 1: us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop

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Speaker 1: on major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame

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Speaker 1: voter number seventy, Rob Parker.

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Speaker 2: Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. What

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Speaker 2: a great show we have for you today. Marland first

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Speaker 2: base slugger or Josh Bell I'll drop the by.

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Speaker 3: I can't wait to talk with him.

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Speaker 2: Also from the Athletic Andy McCullough, who covers Major League

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Speaker 2: Baseball and he also has a new book about playing Kershaw.

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Speaker 3: We'll dive into that. Plus foul affair. Let's go.

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Speaker 1: Better to lead off, it's getting robbed to keep him out.

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Speaker 1: Rob's hot take, and the three biggest stories in Major

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Speaker 1: League Baseball.

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Speaker 2: Number one, it is official. I mean Chris Sale is back.

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Speaker 2: Chris Sale was a tremendous picture for the Red Sox.

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Speaker 2: Injuries derailed him. Now the lank he lefty is back

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Speaker 2: on the top of his game, and we saw that

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Speaker 2: in a five to nothing victory over his former team,

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Speaker 2: the Red Sox on Wednesday in Atlanta and guess what.

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Speaker 2: Chris Sale is now five and one with a two

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Speaker 2: point nine to five r ray, and he's been tremendous.

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Speaker 2: I mean easily. That was his best start as a Brave.

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Speaker 2: He fired six shutout innings in which he scattered six hits,

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Speaker 2: he only walked one, and he struck out a season

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Speaker 2: high ten and get this generated twenty whiffs from the

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Speaker 2: forty nine swings that Boston took against them.

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Speaker 3: So he's throwing the ball by people.

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Speaker 2: He's was a tremendous picture before all these injuries kind

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Speaker 2: of sidelined him. And Chris said, I mean, the Braves

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Speaker 2: need him with their injuries that they have. But man,

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Speaker 2: what a fine to be able to add him to

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Speaker 2: the Braves rotation. And the Braves will be in the mix,

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Speaker 2: and a big reason will be Chris Sale. Because five

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Speaker 2: and one and an era under three. Here we are

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Speaker 2: in May, the Braves have to be a static and

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Speaker 2: that was an impressive start against the Boston Red Sox.

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Speaker 2: Number two, the Paul Skeens Era, is about to start

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Speaker 2: in Pittsburgh and Pirates fans have every right to be excited.

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Speaker 2: Skeens is currently considered the number three prospect in Major

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Speaker 2: League Baseball top pitcher in the game, and he was

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Speaker 2: an overall number one pick by the Pirates last year,

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Speaker 2: and here he is making his major league debut, or

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Speaker 2: at least scheduled to make that major league debut on

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Speaker 2: Saturday at PNC Park against the Cubs. He's a six

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Speaker 2: foot six fireball. This guy has heat and people are

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Speaker 2: talking about he could be another Stephen Strasburg. He can

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Speaker 2: be a Justin Verlander. He could be a Dwight Gooden

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Speaker 2: like somebody of that ilk. And if you're a Pirates fan,

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Speaker 2: you know he could change the fortunes of a franchise

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Speaker 2: when you put him out on the mound and he

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Speaker 2: lives up to the billing. He could be that guy

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Speaker 2: you won't have long losing streaks. He gives you a

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Speaker 2: chance every time he goes out there. He dominated in

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Speaker 2: the minor leagues, where had an eer ray of zero

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Speaker 2: point ninety nine with forty five strikeouts in twenty seven

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Speaker 2: in the third innings in Triple A Indianapolis.

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Speaker 3: I mean that's dominant. So he's the number one.

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Speaker 2: Pirates prospect and all of Pittsburgh and Baseball America will

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Speaker 2: have their eyes planted on Paul's Skeens.

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Speaker 3: Remember that name, Paul Skeins.

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Speaker 2: I know there's a long way to go before the

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Speaker 2: season's over, but right now here we are in mid May,

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Speaker 2: the Oakland A's are the best story in baseball right now.

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Speaker 2: I know that sounds like hyperbole, ridiculous, rob they're eighteen

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Speaker 2: and twenty one, but just think about this. Last year,

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Speaker 2: when they got their seventeenth win, their record was seventeen

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Speaker 2: and fifty five zero, not seventeen and fifteen, seventeen and fifty.

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Speaker 2: This year, when they got their seventeenth win, they were

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Speaker 2: seventeen and seventeen.

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Speaker 3: That's remarkable. Is it fair to say that.

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Speaker 2: The A's have more wins than they have fans? I mean,

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Speaker 2: think about what they're going through. People not showing up

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Speaker 2: at the ballpark. They're gonna move to Sacramento next year.

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Speaker 2: Everything is in flux. The team is gutted, but guess what,

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Speaker 2: They're still playing eighteen and twent twenty one to start

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Speaker 2: the season. Is tremendous for the Oakland A's. Bravo to

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Speaker 2: the players, the manager, and the front office. Because they

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Speaker 2: haven't given up. They have every reason to throw in

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Speaker 2: the towel and the Oakland A's just have not done it.

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Speaker 1: Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.

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Speaker 4: It's so good.

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Speaker 2: Let's welcome in now Josh Bell Sluggard for the Miami Marlins.

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Speaker 3: Josh, welcome to the podcast.

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Speaker 4: Appreciate you. Yeah, good to be here. Yep.

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Speaker 2: Let's talk about the Marlins as a whole before we

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Speaker 2: get to you off to a really slow start.

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Speaker 3: What has it been? What was it? Some bad luck?

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Speaker 3: Hard luck?

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Speaker 2: I mean when you put this team together, and I

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Speaker 2: mean that the Marlins people looked at a team that

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Speaker 2: made the playoffs a year ago and some good additions.

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Speaker 3: How surprised are you where you are so far?

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Speaker 4: Yeah?

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Speaker 5: I mean you look at a Russer this year compared

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Speaker 5: to last year. It's a little bit different this and

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Speaker 5: some some key pieces had some some pretty key injuries.

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Speaker 5: But I think the most part, you know, the core

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Speaker 5: of this team is the core that you know made

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Speaker 5: it to the postseason last year. And I think to

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Speaker 5: our standards, we haven't been playing well. So it's not

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Speaker 5: about us being a bad team. It's just us being

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Speaker 5: a team that's not playing well right now.

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Speaker 4: We know.

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Speaker 5: That we can play better. We know that we will

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Speaker 5: play better. It just takes you know, just a little

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Speaker 5: bit better luck on the field, better playing, better results

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Speaker 5: when when the lights come.

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Speaker 2: On, And how do you just come to work every

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Speaker 2: day and just feel like things can turn around because

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Speaker 2: your talent here is different when you're looking around the

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Speaker 2: clubhouse and maybe there aren't talented players and you say, well,

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Speaker 2: this is who we are.

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Speaker 3: You know, this team is better.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 5: I think it's just part of being a professional. Control

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Speaker 5: which you can control, you can put you can you know,

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Speaker 5: hope for you know, a change in the past. But

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Speaker 5: in actuality all we have us today. You know, if

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Speaker 5: we keep that mindset, I think we get better as

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Speaker 5: the year goes on. And that's that's the name of

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Speaker 5: the game, is growth.

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Speaker 3: How about you the past week, you're swinging the bat

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Speaker 3: much better. Uh. Do you feel better at the plate?

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Speaker 3: What was the cause of your slow start?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I think it's just just baseball. You know.

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Speaker 5: I've had some stretches like this in my past. Uh,

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Speaker 5: And I can't really pinpoint one thing or another. I

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Speaker 5: think switch hitting is this pretty hard. But uh, when

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Speaker 5: things are going right from both sides, I'm the best

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Speaker 5: player in the league. Things are going wrong for both sides,

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Speaker 5: I'm the worst. So try to stay in the middle

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Speaker 5: for you know, the majority of the season, and you know, enjoy.

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Speaker 2: The highest when I can not too many switch hitters anymore,

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Speaker 2: you still feel like you're special, you know what I mean,

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Speaker 2: because a lot of guys don't switch.

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Speaker 3: They make people take one side.

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Speaker 4: No, Yeah, I like it. I like the challenge.

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Speaker 5: I like I said, when I'm on it's it's the

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Speaker 5: most fun in the world. You know, it's It's a

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Speaker 5: game that I know from you know, five on, So

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Speaker 5: it's the only game I want to play.

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Speaker 2: Josh Bell joining us here on inside the Parker from

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Speaker 2: the Miami Marlins. Josh, You've played around. You've been on

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Speaker 2: a number of teams obviously outside of Miami where you

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Speaker 2: are now. Which stop did you enjoy fan wise, just

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Speaker 2: like a place to play you've been you know, you've

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Speaker 2: been around.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I think the first one that comes to mind

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Speaker 5: is DC. I think the fan base was kind of

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Speaker 5: still riding on the high from the World Series run

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Speaker 5: in nineteen and there was season then twenty one didn't play,

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Speaker 5: you know, after our potential. But I love the city.

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Speaker 5: I love the coaching staff. How to blest service.

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Speaker 2: And how do you when you do I mean, when

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Speaker 2: you get traded as much as you have, do you

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Speaker 2: look at it as people wanted you? Some teams have

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Speaker 2: wanted your bat, you know what I mean for playoff

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Speaker 2: runs or stretches or do you just have to or

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Speaker 2: would you love to just be in one spot for

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Speaker 2: a while and just kind of be able to grow there.

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Speaker 5: I mean, I think you look at the larger majority

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Speaker 5: of the league. They are not a lot of players

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Speaker 5: that's staying the same spot and coming from Pittsburgh. And

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Speaker 5: you know, I saw Cutchwana saying Pittsburgh so bad he

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Speaker 5: designed the team friendly deal and even he got traded.

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Speaker 5: So I think, you know, seeing that, understanding the game,

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Speaker 5: understanding the business, just knowing that the most important thing

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Speaker 5: is just for me to be able to be on

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Speaker 5: a big lea field anywhere, have a jersey somewhere, have

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Speaker 5: an opportunity to play and continue to grow.

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Speaker 4: So that's what I'm happy for.

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Speaker 2: How about the game itself, We saw a couple of

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Speaker 2: weeks ago record attendance. You know for Major League Baseball.

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Speaker 2: People have come out the last two years with.

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Speaker 3: The rule changes. How are you as a guy you know,

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Speaker 3: played with the rule changes and without? Do you like them? Yeah?

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Speaker 5: I mean, I think it's a it's kind of a

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Speaker 5: loaded question. I think that it's it's definitely more entertaining.

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Speaker 5: I'm more of a like an old school baseball game.

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Speaker 3: Okay, so you you're traditional.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I missed like takeout slides. I miss like shortstop

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Speaker 5: chopping over gas hinda taking out and stuff like that.

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Speaker 5: I think that that brand of play was America's favorite.

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Speaker 3: But but taking the shift out I think was good

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Speaker 3: for the game.

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Speaker 2: There was there wasn't enough players on the field, you

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Speaker 2: know what I mean on the bass pass action because

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Speaker 2: guys were getting hits taken away?

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Speaker 3: Did didn't you get hits taken away?

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Speaker 2: Where they're shifting three guys on one side of the infield.

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Speaker 5: I I always had higher banning averages on ground balls

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Speaker 5: with the shift. Yeah, so that's interesting. Yeah, I switch hitter.

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Speaker 5: Yeah I'm not just the lefties. So I can always

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Speaker 5: drive the ball the other way on the ground. But

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Speaker 5: it played without the shift, it doesn't play.

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Speaker 1: No.

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Speaker 2: How about the base dealing bases are a little big

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Speaker 2: and call them pizza boxes?

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Speaker 5: You cool with that? Yeah, that's cool. I mean, you know,

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Speaker 5: the the younger players are gonna take advantage. I think

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Speaker 5: it kind of messes up. You know, some of the

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Speaker 5: records that have been you know, in place for you know,

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Speaker 5: one hundred years.

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Speaker 3: But so would Ricky Henderson have like two hundreds.

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Speaker 5: I can only imagine. I can only imagine with three pickoffs.

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Speaker 5: I can only imagine what what kind of records you

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Speaker 5: put up?

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Speaker 2: Speaking of old school, last thing, your favorite player growing up?

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Speaker 3: Who did you watch admire? And and the reason why?

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Speaker 5: Oh, I have a couple of the first that comes

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Speaker 5: to mind is Griffy You I kind of mirror my swing,

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Speaker 5: Afder his you know, Griffy Barry, Josh Hamilton, Alex Rodriguez.

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Speaker 4: Those are the jerseys I had grown up.

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Speaker 3: I know, who are you closest to? Like as far

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Speaker 3: as your starlear game?

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Speaker 2: I know you said you you modeled your swing, but

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Speaker 2: who would you say your closest to.

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Speaker 4: I mean, that's a good question.

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Speaker 3: None of those guys to switch it, Yeah, I would.

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Speaker 5: I would say that, like Carlo Santana is like what,

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Speaker 5: he's still in the league, so.

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Speaker 4: But yeah, I was I like, like Joey Vada. I

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Speaker 4: like the guys that were like.

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Speaker 5: More focused on putting together good at bats, putting together

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Speaker 5: you know, solid on base percentage, rather than like selling

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Speaker 5: out for power.

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Speaker 2: All right, Josh Bell join us here inside the Parker

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Speaker 2: appreciated Josh uh continued success.

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Speaker 4: Thank you that ball.

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Speaker 1: It was a big week in the big leagues. Who's

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Speaker 1: who's a belie? Is it foul or is it fair?

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Speaker 1: And now from mlbdbro dot com, here's Jrgamball Jr.

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Speaker 3: Is it foul or fair?

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Speaker 2: To sit it to Houston Astros, who sit dead last

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Speaker 2: in the Al West made it a huge mistake by

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Speaker 2: letting World Series winning manager Dusty Baker retire.

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Speaker 1: It's a fair ball.

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Speaker 6: What in the world is with the Houston Astros. Did

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Speaker 6: Dusty Baker really make that much of a difference? It

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Speaker 6: seems so. You can't replace experience, guts and connection to

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Speaker 6: your players with numbers. Dusty beat the machine and the

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Speaker 6: Astros are finding that out. The players are basically the same.

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Speaker 6: The World Series core is still there, Jose al Tuve,

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Speaker 6: Alex Bregman, You're Don Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pania. The

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Speaker 6: big difference without Dusty is clearly the pitching. Houston's staff

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Speaker 6: is ranked twenty six out of thirty teams. You can't

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Speaker 6: be real contenders like that, and thus the miserable record.

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Speaker 6: Dusty was savvy and he knew how to manipulate his

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Speaker 6: pitching rotation to get.

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Speaker 1: The best outcome.

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Speaker 6: In twenty twenty three, they were eighth in the league

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Speaker 6: in pitching, and in twenty twenty two, when they won

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Speaker 6: the franchise's first clean World Series under Baker, they were

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Speaker 6: second to the Dodgers. I know they've had some injuries,

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Speaker 6: and this is Joe s Bodi's first managerial job, but

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Speaker 6: this looks like another case of the metrics fellas.

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Speaker 1: Having to be justified.

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Speaker 6: So the Astros cut off their noses despite their faces,

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Speaker 6: and not look where they're at. Wat chase Dusty off

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Speaker 6: in the first place. In four years, he went to

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Speaker 6: two World Series in two American League Championship Series. His

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Speaker 6: track record is legendary as far as taking teams to

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Speaker 6: the playoffs and being the leader. Susty says the organization

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Speaker 6: gave him too much pushback for not utilizing the computer geeks.

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Speaker 6: Well now they are one of the seller dwellers in

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Speaker 6: the league. Dusty's gone, and just like that, the dynasty's over.

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Speaker 6: What else can you call it but a terrible move

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Speaker 6: by the Astros.

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Speaker 1: It's time for the pocket protector Centro. The analytic numbers

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Speaker 1: you need to know, Well, maybe.

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Speaker 2: Anthony Masterson is his name, BS analytics is his game.

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Speaker 3: What do you got for me, Anthony?

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Speaker 1: Is it possible?

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Speaker 7: The most valuable pitch today's game is a ninety two

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Speaker 7: mile per hour fastball. Seems crazy in the age of velocity,

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Speaker 7: but the Cubs showta Emanaga is proving you don't need

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Speaker 7: triple digits to dominate in the big leagues. First off,

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Speaker 7: imanagus for Seamer isn't like everyone else's in the sense

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Speaker 7: that it has rising action. That just means it doesn't

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Speaker 7: drop as much as a hitter would expect, which is

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Speaker 7: why the league is hitting just one forty on the

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Speaker 7: pitch with twenty strikeouts through its first seven starts. Pitching

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Speaker 7: is easy when the laws of gravity don't apply to you.

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Speaker 7: It also helps that his other pitch is a lights

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Speaker 7: out splitter. Really the first lefty to showcase the pitch

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Speaker 7: since Sky's like Eric Badard and Jorge dala Rosa. A

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Speaker 7: decade ago. Stat Cast has a number called pitch run values,

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Speaker 7: which basically adds up the success of a specific pitch

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Speaker 7: in all situations as it relates to a run expectancy.

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Speaker 7: Chart even calculating the success when a pitcher gets ahead

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Speaker 7: in the count. So far, Imanavus Forsteamer is the most

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Speaker 7: valuable pitch in baseball according to run values at plus eleven,

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Speaker 7: a telling stat as to why Imanaga leads all of

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Speaker 7: baseball with one point h eight in his first season

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Speaker 7: state side. Even with the pitch that sits two full

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Speaker 7: miles power below the league average, Imonaga is barreling toward

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Speaker 7: Rookie of the Year and maybe even a cy young.

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Speaker 1: Money into more money. Now it's time for betting on

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Speaker 1: the basis with Dave Gascott. Love that money, Love that money.

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Speaker 8: Hey, Ron back in the saddle again with three more

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Speaker 8: games in Major League Baseball over the weekend Friday Night's festivities.

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Speaker 8: Logan Webb and the San Francisco Giants against the Cincinnati Reds.

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Speaker 8: I'm gonna take WEB. So far the season three and

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Speaker 8: three with an ERA at three.

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Speaker 1: And a half.

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Speaker 8: I will take San Francisco at Oracle Park to get

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Speaker 8: the W. Meanwhile, Angels and Royals doing things up on

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Speaker 8: Apple TV from Anaheim. Griffin Canning has been brutal this

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Speaker 8: season for the Halos, one in four of the ERA

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Speaker 8: at six sixty nine Royals have played well to open

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Speaker 8: up the campaign, So I'll take Kansas City on the

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Speaker 8: road to get the W. Memei the final game that

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Speaker 8: I'll touch on as well, Dodgers and Padres from San Diego.

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Speaker 8: Todder Glassno. So far six and one with an era

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Speaker 8: at two seventy. He'll go on the road against the

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Speaker 8: Friars and Michael King. King hasn't been bad this year.

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Speaker 8: You already as at four twenty nine with a record

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Speaker 8: of three and three. But I'll take Los Angeles and

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Speaker 8: glossnow to pick up the W.

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Speaker 1: There, it's the Gambler here.

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Speaker 6: Vice president of Operations for mlbbro dot Com and executive

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Speaker 6: producer of the MLB bro Show podcast The Mixtape.

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Speaker 1: Every Friday. You heard that right.

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Speaker 6: Every Friday, we bring you the best from the world

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Speaker 6: of Black and Brown baseball. We cover the seven point

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Speaker 6: two percent of melanated Major leaguers from soup to nuts,

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Speaker 6: but with our own cultural flair and unique voice, will

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Speaker 6: take you on a ride reflecting on the accomplishment, clutch moments,

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Speaker 6: and contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe

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Speaker 6: into baseball, from Mookie Wilson to Mookie Betts, Doctor k

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Speaker 6: to Doctor Styx, from Bro Bombs to stolen bases to

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Speaker 6: black Aces. We're live at the ballparks and also bringing

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Speaker 6: you segments like Classic Hits with David Gruff, the Black

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Speaker 6: Ace Report, the Rundown, the Walk Off, and Going Deep

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Speaker 6: just the name a few of the segments that truly

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Speaker 6: capture the voice of Black baseball.

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Speaker 1: If things get.

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Speaker 6: Out of hand is the Boss, Rob Parker, He's kicking

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Speaker 6: up dust. We will gladly pay you on Tuesday from

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Speaker 6: an MLB bro doubleheader today. Remember the heart of the

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Speaker 6: game lies in the diversity of the game and the

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Speaker 6: spirit of black baseball that dates back to.

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Speaker 1: The Negro leagues.

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Speaker 6: I the Gambler, your friendly neighborhood diamond checker, making sure

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Speaker 6: that you stay on top of the game and in

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Speaker 6: touch with the soul of MLB. Fuckle up for a

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Speaker 6: wild baseball journey, showing respect to the Ogs and highlighting

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Speaker 6: the new breed of melanated Malma Robins. First thing through

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Speaker 6: MLB's pipeline, all pitching with the sound of Black Baseball.

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Speaker 6: We got the best starting five in the business. Listen

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Speaker 6: to the MLB Bro Show podcast on the iHeartRadio app,

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Speaker 6: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

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Speaker 1: When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto,

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Speaker 1: if I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer

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Speaker 1: or broadcaster, old or new.

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Speaker 3: Now let's welcome into the podcast.

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Speaker 2: Andy McCullough, who is a writer baseball writer for The Athletic.

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Speaker 3: He also has a new book out called The Last

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Speaker 3: of His Kind, Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness. Andy,

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Speaker 3: Welcome to the podcast.

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Speaker 4: How are you.

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Speaker 9: I'm well, Thank you so much for having me, man.

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Speaker 3: I appreciate it.

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Speaker 2: Before we get into the book, because I do want

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Speaker 2: to talk about the book and about Clayton Kershaw's career

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Speaker 2: as it winds down, I want to ask you about

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Speaker 2: the Dodgers, and on paper, I mean, obviously they have

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Speaker 2: an unbelievable team.

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Speaker 3: I mean three guys between Mookie.

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Speaker 2: And Shohy and Will Smith that like all seem like

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Speaker 2: they're all batting three seventy. I've never seen anything like it.

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Speaker 2: And we're not even talking about Freddy Friedman. Those three

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Speaker 2: guys right off the charts. But when you look at

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Speaker 2: their record, they're they're like the Yankees record, They're like

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Speaker 2: the Orioles, They're like the Phillies, you know, like they

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Speaker 2: they don't they did ever run away from anybody.

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Speaker 9: Yeah, I mean, I think it's a little early. They

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Speaker 9: really are starting to surge right now. I think over

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Speaker 9: the last two weeks they've played their most complete baseball.

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Speaker 9: They had a kind of low in late April where

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Speaker 9: you I think they like dropped the series to the

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Speaker 9: Nationals and things like that, but they went on a

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Speaker 9: road trip and kind of bludgeoned a bunch of teams

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Speaker 9: that came home. You know, they just played three games

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Speaker 9: against the Marlins, which they won. Those games hard to believe.

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Speaker 9: But yeah, I mean, I think I think that they're

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Speaker 9: in a place where like they're going to start to

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Speaker 9: really pull away, at the very least from the folks

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Speaker 9: in the you know, in the National League West. I

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Speaker 9: do think the Braves and the Phillies are pretty good,

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Speaker 9: and then obviously, you know, the Orioles and the Yankees

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Speaker 9: in the American League are you know, reasonable. But I

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Speaker 9: would you know, I don't bet on, as we've learned

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Speaker 9: from the Shoho Tani saga, don't bet on baseball, but

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Speaker 9: I would bet on the Dodgers having the best record

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Speaker 9: in the National League by the end of the year.

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Speaker 2: Speaking of Shoho Tani and gambling and how he came

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Speaker 2: through this, it was pretty amazing. First of all, I'm

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Speaker 2: still shocked that somebody could take seventeen million dollars from

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Speaker 2: your account and you not know about it.

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Speaker 3: That is shocking.

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Speaker 2: He must have way so too much money to not

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Speaker 2: know that that's missing, because it was to me. If

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Speaker 2: seventeen cents was missing from my checking account, I think

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Speaker 2: I would know about it. But but he's been fantastic,

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Speaker 2: Like he hasn't missed a beat. It says something about him,

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Speaker 2: doesn't it.

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Speaker 9: Yeah, And there was also you know, he's coming off

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Speaker 9: major elbow surgery too. I mean he had Tommy John

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Speaker 9: surgery last fall, and the first time he came back

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Speaker 9: from Tommy John surgery, he wasn't you know, as sort

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Speaker 9: of dynamic a hitter as he was. And you know

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Speaker 9: right now, I mean like he's the best hitter on

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Speaker 9: the planet. You know, he has a chance to win

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Speaker 9: the MVP as a dh which something that no one's

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Speaker 9: ever done. So yeah, I mean, you look at the

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Speaker 9: way he has developed over the past three or four years,

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Speaker 9: Like his swing has gotten more physical, he uses his

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Speaker 9: legs more, he hits the ball just hllaciously hard, which

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Speaker 9: I know is not unique.

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Speaker 4: You know, among big leaguers there's.

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Speaker 9: A lot of guys who, you know, when they make contact,

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Speaker 9: really do damage. But he combines that with an ability

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Speaker 9: to control the strike zone, to take walks, you know,

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Speaker 9: to hit for average. I mean, he's just it. It's

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Speaker 9: really incredible watching him hit on an everyday basis. It's

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Speaker 9: almost enough where it's like, if he tries to come

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Speaker 9: back as a pitcher next year and it doesn't work out,

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Speaker 9: it's going to be challenging coming back from a second

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Speaker 9: Tommy John the Dodgers probably happy with be like, hey man,

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Speaker 9: just dh for the next eight years. Who cares, You're

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Speaker 9: like the best hitter in the world.

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Speaker 3: Well, it worked out for Babe Route, didn't it.

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Speaker 2: I mean, when he gave up pitching and just decided

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Speaker 2: to be a slugger and the rest is history. Andy

438
00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,520
Speaker 2: McCullough from The Athletic he covers Major League baseball and

439
00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,840
Speaker 2: he has a new book out on Clayton Kershaw, which

440
00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:00,639
Speaker 2: I'm very interested in.

441
00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:05,000
Speaker 3: And that book and we'll just pick this up.

442
00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,159
Speaker 2: He has a new book about Clayton Kershaw, which I'm

443
00:23:08,240 --> 00:23:12,080
Speaker 2: very interested in. Called the last of his kind, Clayton

444
00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:14,639
Speaker 2: Kershaw and the burden of greatness. And I know the

445
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,040
Speaker 2: Dodgers are anticipating him joining at some point in the

446
00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:19,240
Speaker 2: second half of this season.

447
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,600
Speaker 3: What is the update on that.

448
00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,760
Speaker 9: Yeah, he threw a bullpen session a couple of days ago,

449
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,840
Speaker 9: just fastballs. He's still sort of building up arm strength

450
00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,560
Speaker 9: as he comes back from you know, surgery to repair

451
00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:36,000
Speaker 9: a torn anterior capsule and his left or left shoulder.

452
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:36,520
Speaker 4: Excuse me.

453
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:40,800
Speaker 9: He's hopeful to be back in July or August. It's

454
00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,760
Speaker 9: a major operation he's coming back from. He'd never had

455
00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:46,560
Speaker 9: a surgery before in his life, and so you know,

456
00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,680
Speaker 9: he's kind of an unchartered territory in some sense. Yeah,

457
00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:52,800
Speaker 9: I mean, I think that it's a little too early

458
00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:55,240
Speaker 9: to have a sense for like how well it's going.

459
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,320
Speaker 9: You know, he hasn't had any it seems like setbacks

460
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:00,439
Speaker 9: and things like that. He's kind of on the right track.

461
00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:02,920
Speaker 9: But when you're coming back from surgery at his age,

462
00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:05,959
Speaker 9: you know, he turned thirty six a month or so ago, Like,

463
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,400
Speaker 9: it's challenging, and I think he's trying to navigate kind

464
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,600
Speaker 9: of a new rehab experience. You know, at a you know,

465
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:16,920
Speaker 9: advanced baseball age, you know, and that is challenging. It

466
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,120
Speaker 9: feels dumb to, you know, count him out, but it's

467
00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:22,440
Speaker 9: a significant thing he's trying to come back from. For sure.

468
00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,399
Speaker 2: I was gonna say the Dodgers. I'm assuming that the

469
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:30,719
Speaker 2: Dodgers are looking at it as it would be gravy

470
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,600
Speaker 2: or icing on the cake if they could get him back.

471
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:37,000
Speaker 2: But I can't believe that they think if he's coming

472
00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:40,359
Speaker 2: back in August, that he'll be back to you know,

473
00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,240
Speaker 2: being effective, and not only that, but that they could

474
00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:44,960
Speaker 2: count on him in the postseason.

475
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,360
Speaker 9: I think they just don't know. I think I think

476
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:48,119
Speaker 9: they just don't know.

477
00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:48,359
Speaker 4: You know.

478
00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:50,280
Speaker 9: It's it's something where like if he's coming back from

479
00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:52,280
Speaker 9: you know, he's had back trouble a lot in the past,

480
00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,199
Speaker 9: you know, five or six years, when he's coming back

481
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,280
Speaker 9: from the back stuff, he tends to come back and

482
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,800
Speaker 9: look like himself. This is different. This is you know,

483
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,600
Speaker 9: shoulder shoulder injuries are you know, it's like the worst

484
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:04,880
Speaker 9: thing you can deal with as a pitcher pretty much.

485
00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,080
Speaker 9: So if he comes back and he looks like himself,

486
00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:10,200
Speaker 9: they would love to be able to pencil him into

487
00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:14,199
Speaker 9: the postseason rotation. But they certainly have created. You know,

488
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:16,880
Speaker 9: they have enough surplus in terms of you know, the

489
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,359
Speaker 9: rest of the rotation. Tayler Glass now, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James

490
00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:22,520
Speaker 9: Paxson has been fine for them. They just got Walker

491
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:26,320
Speaker 9: Buehler back earlier this week, and they will probably be

492
00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:30,680
Speaker 9: aggressive at the deadline as they often are. So yeah,

493
00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,000
Speaker 9: I think it's just too soon to say on any

494
00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,600
Speaker 9: of that. Just it just depends on like what does

495
00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:37,359
Speaker 9: he look like once he gets into games, and we

496
00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:38,200
Speaker 9: just don't know yet.

497
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:43,680
Speaker 3: Tell us about the book The Burden of Greatness like that.

498
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,679
Speaker 9: Yeah, sure, I wanted this to be kind of the

499
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,120
Speaker 9: you know, definitive account of his time with the Dodgers.

500
00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,560
Speaker 9: I wanted to try and you know, chart his that

501
00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,639
Speaker 9: kind of eight year crucible he went through of trying

502
00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:02,080
Speaker 9: to win a championship they were finally able to win

503
00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,280
Speaker 9: one in the shortened season in twenty twenty, and explain

504
00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,480
Speaker 9: you know, his importance to not just the franchise, but

505
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,439
Speaker 9: to the sport at large and to his sort of

506
00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:16,000
Speaker 9: you know, place within the history of the game. And

507
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:17,720
Speaker 9: you know, we talk about the Burden of Greatness, it's

508
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,520
Speaker 9: the idea of you know, why he is judged as

509
00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,639
Speaker 9: at a different standard I think than almost all of

510
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:27,360
Speaker 9: his peers, and it's because he's earned that through his

511
00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,359
Speaker 9: ability on the field. And it's why people fixate on

512
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,200
Speaker 9: his struggles in October, because he's held to a bit

513
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:35,280
Speaker 9: of a different standard than.

514
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:36,160
Speaker 3: I think it's fair.

515
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,000
Speaker 2: He's so he's been sotal lat that when we look

516
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,240
Speaker 2: at a picture of his caliber and what he's done

517
00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,800
Speaker 2: in his career during the regular season and the struggles,

518
00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,800
Speaker 2: I mean, people are going to look at that and quest.

519
00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,160
Speaker 9: Absolutely when when Lebron James, you know, loses in the post,

520
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:52,720
Speaker 9: I mean it's a little bit different now, But when

521
00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:55,919
Speaker 9: peak Lebron you know, loses in the playoffs, right, he

522
00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:58,879
Speaker 9: gets to blame. That's because he's earned that. You know,

523
00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,280
Speaker 9: if Tom Brady, not that he ever did this, but

524
00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,119
Speaker 9: you know, if Tom Brady throws a pick six to

525
00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,919
Speaker 9: lose a game, he gets the blond you know he is.

526
00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,199
Speaker 9: He is in that rarefied air of athletes.

527
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:10,480
Speaker 4: You know.

528
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,879
Speaker 9: I think the difference is that he is more, you know,

529
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:16,040
Speaker 9: to the general public. He experienced more, you know, of

530
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,520
Speaker 9: those sort of traumatic experiences than some of those other guys.

531
00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,720
Speaker 9: Think baseball is a bit different but yeah, it's just

532
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,159
Speaker 9: basically about like what are the cost Like, what does

533
00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,359
Speaker 9: it cost, what does it require? What does it bring

534
00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:28,760
Speaker 9: you when you are able to reach that sort of

535
00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,240
Speaker 9: mantle of being considered one of the best ever. And

536
00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,680
Speaker 9: I think he's an excellent vessel for explaining.

537
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:34,720
Speaker 3: That last thing.

538
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,439
Speaker 2: And is this just the idea that he wants to

539
00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:41,320
Speaker 2: pitch his entire career with the Dodgers and nowhere else?

540
00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:43,800
Speaker 2: But I really thought he was going to go back

541
00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,280
Speaker 2: home and pitch for the Texas Rangers and finish his

542
00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,359
Speaker 2: career there. The Rangers are a good team, you know

543
00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:51,520
Speaker 2: what I mean, And it would be back to his

544
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,760
Speaker 2: home state and all that is there. Is there any

545
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:57,800
Speaker 2: thought of that or is this just the Dodgers or nothing?

546
00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:00,040
Speaker 9: No, I mean there were times when he thought that

547
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,040
Speaker 9: this winter. You know, I talked to him in during

548
00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,119
Speaker 9: the World Series, you know, which happened to be in Texas.

549
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,960
Speaker 9: I visited with him at his home in Island Park,

550
00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,240
Speaker 9: and you know, he felt like he was leaning towards

551
00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,560
Speaker 9: going to the Rangers. But then you know, they win

552
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,080
Speaker 9: the World Series. The you know, the off season unfolds,

553
00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:21,320
Speaker 9: the Rangers don't have much of a budget for new

554
00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:22,280
Speaker 9: additions because.

555
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,520
Speaker 3: They're no they cut back. Actually, yeah, right, they cut back.

556
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,000
Speaker 9: They made no money winning the World Series somehow.

557
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:27,600
Speaker 3: Uh.

558
00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,160
Speaker 9: But you know, the Rangers were less interested than maybe

559
00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,640
Speaker 9: it seemed, and the Dodgers, of course, like are an

560
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,879
Speaker 9: excellent option. And so Kirschhall was kind of torn throughout

561
00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,880
Speaker 9: the winter and ended up you know, going back to

562
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,120
Speaker 9: LA And so, yeah, I mean I think that that

563
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,560
Speaker 9: is definitely something that he has thought about a lot

564
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,720
Speaker 9: in recent years. You know, he has four kids. You know,

565
00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:48,840
Speaker 9: two of them are in elementary school, the other two

566
00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,840
Speaker 9: will be getting there soon. He very much wants to

567
00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,320
Speaker 9: be present for them, and he was very interested in

568
00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:56,920
Speaker 9: the idea of being able to like not have to

569
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:58,920
Speaker 9: fly home to see them on off days and things

570
00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:00,800
Speaker 9: like that, and not have to up them during the

571
00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:03,240
Speaker 9: year to bring them out to LA. But the end

572
00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,160
Speaker 9: of the day, it worked out where you know, he

573
00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:07,960
Speaker 9: went back to Los Angeles. And it's the sort of

574
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:12,160
Speaker 9: thing that means so much to Dodgers fans. He is

575
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,320
Speaker 9: such an important and beloved figure, you know, among the

576
00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,920
Speaker 9: people in southern California for what he has given to

577
00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:21,480
Speaker 9: the franchise that while you know, he should make decisions

578
00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:23,520
Speaker 9: based on what is good for him and his family,

579
00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:28,000
Speaker 9: and also from a narrative perspective, from you know that

580
00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:31,120
Speaker 9: sort of advantage, it worked out pretty well, all right.

581
00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:33,560
Speaker 2: His name is Andy McCullough. Go check out his new

582
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:39,440
Speaker 2: book on Clayton Kershaw. Sounds like something that I want

583
00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,120
Speaker 2: to dive into, the last of his kind, Clayton Kershaw

584
00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,040
Speaker 2: and the Burden of Greatness. And also you can file

585
00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:47,680
Speaker 2: Andy in the Athletic.

586
00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:49,560
Speaker 3: Thanks Andy, We're appreciated. Thanks for you talking me.

587
00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:50,239
Speaker 4: So much for having me.

588
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:57,240
Speaker 1: Now bring in the closer. Here's why MLB is better

589
00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:01,080
Speaker 1: than the NFL or NBA, and it isn't even close.

590
00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:06,560
Speaker 2: Reason number ninety three why Major League Baseball is better

591
00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:11,080
Speaker 2: than the NBA and better than the NFL is as

592
00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:15,080
Speaker 2: we celebrate Willie Made's ninety third birthday that just passed

593
00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:19,880
Speaker 2: this past week. Baseball is like the only sport that

594
00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,440
Speaker 2: people make songs about the players, and in the era,

595
00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,520
Speaker 2: there's some great songs about former players. Remember the song

596
00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,880
Speaker 2: Willie Mickey and the Duke about the center fielders of

597
00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,480
Speaker 2: New York. But this song about Willie Mays is classic.

598
00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:37,720
Speaker 2: And take a listen. This is what makes baseball and

599
00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:39,160
Speaker 2: the connection with fans.

600
00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:40,920
Speaker 3: Pretty awesome, say.

601
00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:45,240
Speaker 1: Willey, Say hey, s sweighton the plain.

602
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:50,360
Speaker 2: Say hey, sae that giant kid it is.

603
00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:54,640
Speaker 6: Creating when he hits the fall his song dun Man

604
00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,800
Speaker 6: hit sim than campighn Sweton's the best black.

605
00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:04,640
Speaker 1: They laid right when they reached the ball. It's over righte.

606
00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,000
Speaker 10: Say hey, say where lay?

607
00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:12,760
Speaker 1: Say hey swing, get at the blade, Say hey, say

608
00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,000
Speaker 1: where lay that giant?

609
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:15,600
Speaker 9: Hey?

610
00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:16,280
Speaker 1: It is great.

611
00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:21,320
Speaker 10: He runs the bases like a chick chick train, swings

612
00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:25,720
Speaker 10: around black and harrow plane. His tap flies off where

613
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:30,080
Speaker 10: it passes, and he has home lackade little boy.

614
00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,880
Speaker 1: Say hey, say where lay?

615
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,320
Speaker 6: Say hey, swing, get at the blade, Say.

616
00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,200
Speaker 1: Hey, say where lay that?

617
00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:42,240
Speaker 3: Give gi it is straight.

618
00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,200
Speaker 2: In the words of New York TV legend the late

619
00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:54,680
Speaker 2: Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until

620
00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:55,200
Speaker 2: next time.

621
00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:56,880
Speaker 3: Rob Parker out.

622
00:31:57,360 --> 00:31:58,080
Speaker 1: He can't get it.

623
00:31:58,400 --> 00:31:59,920
Speaker 3: This could be an inside the park.

624
00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:00,960
Speaker 9: See you next week.

625
00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:03,400
Speaker 1: Save bath time, same bath station.