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Speaker 1: The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.

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Speaker 1: Hey there, welcome back. It's the latest edition of the

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Speaker 1: Book of Joe podcast, the League Championship Series edition. Hey

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Speaker 1: Joe Madden, I don't know. I'm sure you're paying attention here.

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Speaker 1: Eight postseason series so far, we've had six sweeps and

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Speaker 1: we have not had a series yet go to the

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Speaker 1: maximum number of games. And now we're looking at the

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Speaker 1: lcs's both two games to non leads for obviously Philadelphia

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Speaker 1: and Texas. Do you think, based on where we're at

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Speaker 1: here too, O in the LCS, we have any chance

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Speaker 1: of getting to a game seven in either LCS.

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Speaker 2: It doesn't look that way. I'd have to agree with you.

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Speaker 2: And who knows why. I mean, it just seems like

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Speaker 2: the team that does throw the first punch and lands

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Speaker 2: it is really putting themselves in a good position. Just

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Speaker 2: watching these games, it's been dominant on both sides. The

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Speaker 2: Phillies obviously really dominant to a certain extent, even with

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Speaker 2: the Rangers. So there's the pitching stays healthy and well,

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Speaker 2: in which it should. And it's a short series like this,

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Speaker 2: and nobody's been really be extended on the winning side

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Speaker 2: and their bullpens Man. Yeah, I don't see it changing

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Speaker 2: that much. To get to Game seven is is really

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Speaker 2: difficult to imagine.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, you talked about getting off the starts. Obviously in

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Speaker 1: the series, we're seeing that. Let's talk about getting off

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Speaker 1: the good starts in the game. When you're imagining postseason games,

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Speaker 1: I'm sure you hear all the talk from the media. Hey,

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Speaker 1: it's important to get on the board first. Just to

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Speaker 1: give you a couple of numbers. In the regular season,

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Speaker 1: if your team scores first, you win about sixty seven

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Speaker 1: percent of the time. This year, in the postseason, you

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Speaker 1: score first, you win seventy two percent of the time

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Speaker 1: eighteen and seven so far in the postseason. Was that

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Speaker 1: something Joe, when you're running a postseason game that you

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Speaker 1: are a little more aware of. I mean, of course

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Speaker 1: everybody wants to score first, but the importance is scoring

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Speaker 1: first in the postseason. Was that something on your radar?

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Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean my mantra all season I'd start yelling

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Speaker 2: in the first inning, score first, and score first at

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Speaker 2: score first. I would always be about scoring first from

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Speaker 2: the from spring training games on. You would always hear

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Speaker 2: me yell at and I wanted them to hear that

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Speaker 2: because I wanted to become part of our culture and

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Speaker 2: then not only score first, but I want us to

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Speaker 2: score last. Point is my jug run. I call it

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Speaker 2: the jug run where you score in the bottom of

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Speaker 2: the eighth with the leader or the top of the

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Speaker 2: ninth with the league, so that you take all momentum

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Speaker 2: away from the other side. So it was always about

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Speaker 2: scoring first and scoring lost. Obviously, that's a good position

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Speaker 2: to be in. And what I think happens in the playoffs,

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Speaker 2: and we've talked about this, and one of the things

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Speaker 2: I talk to my teams about, Listen, things are not

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Speaker 2: always going to go perfectly. Things are going to go

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Speaker 2: sideways or awry, and we cannot permit that to like

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Speaker 2: multiply against us. And I think that's what happens. You'll

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Speaker 2: see at bats get last stamp on the team that's behind.

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Speaker 2: You'll just see looks and I look at faces a lot, man,

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Speaker 2: that's just what I do. I look at eyeballs and

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Speaker 2: faces and you can just see there's not that believability

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Speaker 2: in the team that gets down compared to obviously to

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Speaker 2: the one that jumps on top. They just they garner momentum.

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Speaker 2: They don't give it up. And if you have any

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Speaker 2: kind of a bullpen at all, it's really difficult to

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Speaker 2: get on top of these guys late. So I think,

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Speaker 2: really advantage score first and always score last, to really

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Speaker 2: to throw some dirt on them.

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Speaker 1: Now I have read that Joe Madden glossary back and forth.

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Speaker 1: So for our fans who have not, you must explain

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Speaker 1: jug runs. You did buy what it is, but where

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Speaker 1: that name comes from.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I want him to go for the jugular instructional leagues.

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Speaker 2: Back in the eighties, I was big on it. I

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Speaker 2: was big on I mean, you think about it when

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Speaker 2: as a manager in the Texas League, in the in

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Speaker 2: the Northwest League, Texas League and also Midwest League, it

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Speaker 2: was obvious to me that latter part of the game,

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Speaker 2: whenever you whenever somebody would score against us and their

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Speaker 2: last at bat when they already had a lead, manager,

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Speaker 2: it just took the air up. But if you could,

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Speaker 2: particularly in a close game, if you could keep them

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Speaker 2: from doing that, at least it presents some hope. Conversely,

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Speaker 2: when we had the lead, I would do anything we

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Speaker 2: possibly could to push across another run, just to take

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Speaker 2: a little bit of the air out of that balloon.

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Speaker 2: So I called the jug run. Go for the jugular

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Speaker 2: in the latter part of the game. I think it's

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Speaker 2: a great concept. I did preach it from nineteen, say,

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Speaker 2: eighty five, eighty six on to the present time. And

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Speaker 2: that's it. Score first, score last, go for the jugular.

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Speaker 2: That is our jug run.

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Speaker 1: So game three of the lcs's you've got Euston going

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Speaker 1: on the road to Texas and you've got the Diamondbacks

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Speaker 1: at home against Philadelphia in Game three. Now, when you're

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Speaker 1: down two games to none, does the importance of scoring

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Speaker 1: first become even bigger? And would that effect the way

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Speaker 1: you ran the game as a manager?

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Speaker 2: Well, well, it does obviously to the team that's down,

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Speaker 2: they need something to bost of their confidence. Now, it

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Speaker 2: doesn't always matter, because if the other team's just better

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Speaker 2: and they're playing better, they're still going to come back.

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Speaker 2: But you need something when you're down like that, You

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Speaker 2: need something again to make you feel better about yourselves,

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Speaker 2: have some kind of a surge of confidence. Yes, and

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Speaker 2: so what you're talking about possibly is, yeah, just do

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Speaker 2: anything you can to score a run. I mean you

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Speaker 2: might even suggest bunch for hit, move a runner, do

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Speaker 2: some little things right here to get on top However,

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Speaker 2: when you're playing against a bunch of bangers, like especially

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Speaker 2: with the Phillies right now, that con mitigate a lot

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Speaker 2: of this. But I would, yes, promote doing things to

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Speaker 2: get that one runner get on top. And they're in

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Speaker 2: the regular season. What I even permit myself to think

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Speaker 2: about is even making it out on the basis to

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Speaker 2: become more aggressive, become more assertive, stop worrying about making

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Speaker 2: mistakes or being passive, whatever it takes to become more

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Speaker 2: AGGRESSI we're assertive. That's what I would do mentally, and

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Speaker 2: then I would try to push that managerial button to

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Speaker 2: make them become more assertive too. So, yes, you want

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Speaker 2: to get on top, you want to stay right there,

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Speaker 2: and that could mean a big difference when you're down

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Speaker 2: to to nothing.

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Speaker 1: Speaking of bunting, which you know the analytics community does

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Speaker 1: not love. The other day is before Game two, I

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Speaker 1: was talking to Bruce Boccie, manager of the Rangers. Of course,

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Speaker 1: and I've seen enough of from Valdez. I know this

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Speaker 1: is a guy who does not like throwing to bases,

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Speaker 1: he doesn't like picking off, he doesn't like fielding his position.

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Speaker 1: He's just, you know, one of these pitchers and Joe,

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Speaker 1: you've seen it. I'm sure it's just not comfortable with

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Speaker 1: the ball in their hands and they throw hand grenades

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Speaker 1: to the bases. So I asked Bouch about running against

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Speaker 1: Valdez because he also does is pretty slow to the plate,

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Speaker 1: and he basically went with the bunting angle, even though

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Speaker 1: I was asking about face stealing, and he said, listen,

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Speaker 1: we don't have anybody in our lineup who really likes

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Speaker 1: to put the ball on the ground with a bunt.

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Speaker 1: I mean, that is the game today, right, You have

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Speaker 1: something that you can do to take advantage of the

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Speaker 1: other pitcher's weakness, and yet it's not and anybody's quiver,

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Speaker 1: they don't have that tool. And I asked Marcus Simeon,

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Speaker 1: very smart, extremely smart baseball player, handles about well, obviously

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Speaker 1: runs well. And I asked him if he ever bunts

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Speaker 1: and he says, no, I really don't bunt. And his

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Speaker 1: explanation was that to get a bunt down for a

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Speaker 1: bass hit, he has to put it in just the

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Speaker 1: right spot. He feels like he has a better chance

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Speaker 1: of getting a double that he does of putting a

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Speaker 1: bunt down, which I thought was interesting. But you know,

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Speaker 1: these guys as you know, most don't practice the bunt.

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Speaker 1: They don't do it coming up and lo and behold,

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Speaker 1: as the game turns out, Robbie Grossman and the Rangers

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Speaker 1: hits the swinging bunt third bat of the game, and

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Speaker 1: of course, you know, the Valdez just again mishandled it

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Speaker 1: and like it was a wet bar of soap, chucked

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Speaker 1: it down the line and a fire drill was often

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Speaker 1: going on the base path. So you know, it worked

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Speaker 1: out because there was a swinging bunch. But you know,

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Speaker 1: I'd like your idea. And I was talking to Derek

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Speaker 1: Jeter about this. You know, you saw Derek Jeter do

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Speaker 1: it a lot, and he said, listen, I would move

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Speaker 1: the runners up, especially even early in the game, but

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Speaker 1: late in the game if you're down to run, if

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Speaker 1: you've got two guys out on and you're down to

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Speaker 1: you're the home team. He said, yeah, I would not

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Speaker 1: give myself up totally, but I would bunt basically for

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Speaker 1: a base hit and if they've made a good play

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Speaker 1: through me out, the worst thing going to happen was

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Speaker 1: the runners move up. And we just don't see a

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Speaker 1: lot of that going And I know, Joe, for you,

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Speaker 1: you've had guys who maybe were able to do that.

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Speaker 1: I'm guessing you you like that in a playoff atmosphere.

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Speaker 2: I love it. First of all, you're right. What happens

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Speaker 2: is you get all your information and you'll say Perducci's

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Speaker 2: a badfielder. That's spun on Perducci. And then that's just

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Speaker 2: like people coming in and making the presentation that I'm saying,

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Speaker 2: we have nobody that can really do that. I mean,

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Speaker 2: you have teams that literally guys are not really good bunners,

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Speaker 2: are not bunners at all. A part of that is

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Speaker 2: it's not been nurtured at all in the minor league system.

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Speaker 2: And part of that is that, like you said, analytically,

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Speaker 2: it's considered not a good play until you actually need it.

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Speaker 2: Then it becomes a good play. So there's a lot

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Speaker 2: of guys you had the bad fielding picture. You know this,

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Speaker 2: and this has happened I don't know often during the

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Speaker 2: course of the year. We know that, but we still

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Speaker 2: can't get the bunt down, and get the bunt down

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Speaker 2: to make him handle it. I e. Johnny Lester, and

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Speaker 2: we had Lester with the Cobies. Of course, Johnny did

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Speaker 2: not like to throw the bases so early on in

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Speaker 2: that in my time there, I love to put Hobby

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Speaker 2: air bias at third base when we could. Hobby would

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Speaker 2: just get in there. I tell Johnny, we told Johnny,

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Speaker 2: Hobby's got third, rizz has got first, the catcher's got

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Speaker 2: the front. You got nothing. You got nothing to do

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Speaker 2: right here, And we would just challenge guys to bunt

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Speaker 2: and have Hobby make the play because he would. He

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Speaker 2: would just put himself in position to make that play.

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Speaker 2: So there's waste to mitigate this. Also at the bad

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Speaker 2: fielding picture, which you do defensively with your guys on

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Speaker 2: the field, and the outlier of that is the fact

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Speaker 2: that by doing that, maybe not maybe, of course your

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Speaker 2: third base was closer, which limits his range on the

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Speaker 2: ground ball to third base side. However, you'll take these

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Speaker 2: chances and listen, I've had charts that really indicates where

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Speaker 2: the guy's going to the ground ball against a certain pitcher.

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Speaker 2: Believe it or not, they got a look at Kyle

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Speaker 2: Hendricks for instance. Kyle Hendricks ground balls are at shortstop

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Speaker 2: or second base rare, and Jake Creight it rare to

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Speaker 2: third base rare. Ground ball is the third base? Do

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Speaker 2: you enough to worry about that. If you had a

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Speaker 2: good hitter and not a very good defender and you

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Speaker 2: want to get him in the game, Tommy, listella, Tommy

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Speaker 2: with there yet at pitching was perfect because very few

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Speaker 2: ground balls are going to go to the third base.

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Speaker 2: We're going to throw Tommy over there. As an example,

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Speaker 2: you consider all these different things as you're setting your

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Speaker 2: lineup or you're setting up your defense. So, yeah, last

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Speaker 2: point you said, Jeter, I love that. So it really

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Speaker 2: has evolved into that point now with hitters because guys

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Speaker 2: don't like to square around. I mean, guys aren't comfortable

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Speaker 2: scaring around a lot and a lot of it is velocity,

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Speaker 2: quite frankly, and that's another thing. Man, Okay, Tommy, I

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Speaker 2: want you to butt right here. Guys throw in ninety

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Speaker 2: seven ninety eight miles an hour. It's not easy. It's

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Speaker 2: not easy to do that with In the day, you

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Speaker 2: would have primarily like low ninety guys, maybe high eighty guys,

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Speaker 2: sinker ball pitchers, squaring up, putting the ball down. It

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Speaker 2: was a different task when you got elevated. Basketball is

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Speaker 2: coming at you at ninety five plus. Not easy to

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Speaker 2: get on top of that ball and put it down.

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Speaker 2: As your butnt so. I do like the concept of

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Speaker 2: bunning for a hit. You hold back a little bit,

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Speaker 2: you square later, you get the clibhead out first, and

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Speaker 2: with that always let the batthead move first, body move second.

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Speaker 2: That would be the teaching points in regards to that.

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Speaker 2: So I can go on on about this because I'm

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Speaker 2: big on this, but you have to nurture it and

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Speaker 2: teach it, and teach it early and then during the season.

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Speaker 2: Don't just put in your back pocket. Make sure you

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Speaker 2: guys get out and bunt sometimes.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, to me, bunting and bunning for hits, it's a lot.

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Speaker 1: To me, it's equivalent to putting. It takes commitment, but

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Speaker 1: it also takes practice. You know, you just can't go

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Speaker 1: out there and go buy feel and say it like

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Speaker 1: you said, facing ninety seven, Oh in the bunt right now.

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Speaker 1: But if you commit to it and work on it,

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Speaker 1: you know it's the skill that you can have. And

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Speaker 1: I'll give you an example. Jose L Tuove. Now I'm

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Speaker 1: not sure if he's going to start Game three the

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Speaker 1: Alcs with a bunt, but he crushes in that ballpark.

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Speaker 1: He loves the ballpark. But he did against Minnesota and

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Speaker 1: he hit a first pitch home run to start one game.

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Speaker 1: The next game, he sees the third baseman basically playing

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Speaker 1: back in left field. Leading off the game, he dropped

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Speaker 1: a bunt. And then we get to the Alcs and

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Speaker 1: the Texas Rangers, even though he just bunted in the

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Speaker 1: last series, leading off have their third basement playing super deep,

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Speaker 1: and Jose al Tuove he took the pitch, but he

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Speaker 1: looked a bunt. It was not a good pitch to bun,

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Speaker 1: but he had that in his mind. He saw where

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Speaker 1: the third baseman was playing. So I like the fact

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Speaker 1: that at least it's an option for Jose al Tuove.

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Speaker 1: And I'll tell you, Joe, I don't think it's a

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Speaker 1: bad play to start game three with a bunt to

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Speaker 1: get yourself on base against Max Scherzer.

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Speaker 2: What it does also when you're successful doing something like that,

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Speaker 2: it puts the other team on its heels. I missed

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Speaker 2: on you does It's like a surprise kind of thing.

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Speaker 2: We didn't expect this kind of thing. It kind of

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Speaker 2: nicks or chips away at your veneer. Regarding preparation. All

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Speaker 2: these things are unintentionally put in there. You don't even

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Speaker 2: thinking about it, but it's there, look at Matt Chapman.

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Speaker 2: I know you've watched Matt Chapman. You ever know is

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Speaker 2: how deep plays at third base. I cannot believe how

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Speaker 2: deeply this guy will play at third base, even against

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Speaker 2: guys that could run a little bit. He's so confident

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Speaker 2: in his ability to charge and throw. And I had

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Speaker 2: guys that were decent bunners that still wouldn't bun on

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Speaker 2: them because the reason I just gave so all this

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Speaker 2: stuff is in there. Yes, if you could successfully lead

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Speaker 2: off a game with the bunt, there's a weird advantage

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Speaker 2: that goes in your favor because it does with teams

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Speaker 2: on their heels.

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Speaker 1: Well, the Diamondbacks and the Astros to Mae, Joe therein

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Speaker 1: must win situation, I realized that they're only down two

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Speaker 1: and not three. Literally, it's not most must win. But

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Speaker 1: let's face it, other than the for Red Sox against

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Speaker 1: the Yankees, nobody's coming back from down three. It's just

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Speaker 1: too much to ask at this point. So yeah, I

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Speaker 1: imagining Joe. If you're the manager, if you're Dusty Baker,

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Speaker 1: if you're Tory Lavello, you have to run that game

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Speaker 1: like it's a game seven.

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Speaker 2: No question, no question, you just there's no patience right here.

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Speaker 2: It is the fireman mentality. It is all hands on deck,

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Speaker 2: that you cannot wait for somebody to get their their

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Speaker 2: mojo going their feet on the ground. It's got to

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Speaker 2: And we're talking pitching primarily. We're also talking about pinching.

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Speaker 2: I know it came up with Moldonado the other day.

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Speaker 2: The one game he was pinched it for the other

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Speaker 2: one he was not. Timmy was just on context where

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Speaker 2: vir Lander was still in a one nothing game in

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Speaker 2: Valdez had already given it up early. But the point

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Speaker 2: is there's nothing to be waiting for. There's no patience

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Speaker 2: to be had. If you're leading, of course it's a

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Speaker 2: different story. But when you're even or behind, you have

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Speaker 2: to be a little bit more asserted regarding what you

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Speaker 2: may do. So all those things are in play for

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Speaker 2: this game last play. Sure's see, this is the perfect

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Speaker 2: spot for him right now, being up to to nothing,

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Speaker 2: really not knowing what he's going to do tonight. You know,

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Speaker 2: you'd have to bet on his pedigree a little bit.

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Speaker 2: But the fact that he you know, the last couple

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Speaker 2: of starts weren't that good. He had just all this

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Speaker 2: these issues, this year. This could be this can go

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Speaker 2: five innings and seventy five pitches, or fourties and seventy five,

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Speaker 2: or you can go to two and seventy five whatever,

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Speaker 2: and Boach you'll have his handle on that whole thing.

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Speaker 2: I know he will. But that's an interesting part. But

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Speaker 2: it's perfect for Texas. They have a little bit of

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Speaker 2: wiggle room there to see what they got, not only

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Speaker 2: for the rest of this series, but possibly advancing getting

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Speaker 2: to the World Series. Having a Max Scherzer.

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Speaker 1: Back good points, and we need to dive a little

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Speaker 1: more into that. It's fascinating. I'm not sure if I

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Speaker 1: can recall the last time a pitcher went out there

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Speaker 1: to start an ELCS game on thirty six days of rest,

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Speaker 1: but we'll talk about that after we take a quick break.

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Speaker 1: Welcome back to the LCS edition of the Book of

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Speaker 1: Joe Podcasts, and Game three is Max Schurz are on

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Speaker 1: the mound for the Texas Rangers and Joe. I spoke

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Speaker 1: with Max yesterday. He did throw a simulated game and

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Speaker 1: all the signs were good. For what that's worth, now,

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Speaker 1: you know it's not you know, you can't simulate the

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Speaker 1: energy and adrenaline of a game, but he went out there,

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Speaker 1: he threw four innings, felt so good that he's told Boche,

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Speaker 1: I want to throw another one. And what Max said

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Speaker 1: was the best part about that day. And he felt

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Speaker 1: good throughout it. But he said in the fifth inning

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Speaker 1: his stuff held. It was the same stuff he had

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Speaker 1: when he started out there, so his stuff did not

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Speaker 1: drop off. Now, he said, he's never been through anything

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Speaker 1: like this. And I know fans will remember he had

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Speaker 1: the neck issue in the twenty nineteen World Series, had

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Speaker 1: to miss the start, came back from that and did

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Speaker 1: make start and pitched well. Last year he had oblique

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Speaker 1: issues came off of that, But he said the difference

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Speaker 1: here is that those issues were not related to his arm.

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Speaker 1: This began as forearm tightness and it turned out to

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Speaker 1: be a muscle that's kind of near the armpit area

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Speaker 1: underneath the arm that wasn't allowing him to get extended.

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Speaker 1: He felt cut off. So he goes on the IL

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Speaker 1: and he was expected to miss five weeks basically what

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Speaker 1: he has done, and that sim game was about sixty

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Speaker 1: eight sixty nine pitches. Joe, I think that's all he's

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Speaker 1: got tonight. I think seventy five is the max. I

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Speaker 1: think for Bruce Bochi. To me, the question is do

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Speaker 1: you allow him to pitch out of a second jam

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Speaker 1: in that game. I don't think he's pitching New Jordan

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Speaker 1: Alvarez a third time. I don't think he's going that

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Speaker 1: far in the game. It's probably about an eighteen batter

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Speaker 1: max for Max Scherzer, and Bouchie will have his long

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Speaker 1: relievers Andrew Heeney, Dane Dunning, Bradford, those guys will all

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Speaker 1: have their spikes out of the first inning ready to go,

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Speaker 1: and then after the game is played, he'll worry about

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Speaker 1: Game four, which is a piggyback game for Bruce Boccie.

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Speaker 1: So that's the game plan for the Rangers going in.

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Speaker 1: I'm with you, Joe, I'm not sure what Max Schurzer

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Speaker 1: is going to be able to do. You trust the heart,

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Speaker 1: you trust the experience. He's going to compete, we all

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Speaker 1: know that. But in terms of command after being out

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Speaker 1: for that long, I don't know. I don't think anybody knows.

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Speaker 1: But the signs are good. As far as his health,

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Speaker 1: I don't think he's limited and what he can throw

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Speaker 1: velocity wise, you know, pitch wise, I think he's full go.

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Speaker 1: As you know, Joe, though you get in these situation

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Speaker 1: with so much rest. The first thing I would look

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Speaker 1: for in the first inning is command, no question.

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Speaker 2: And I also believe Houston's going to be ready to

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Speaker 2: attack early. They want to set a tone in this game.

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Speaker 2: I know you talked about the bunt without two bad

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Speaker 2: that's possible, but up and down that lineup. But it's

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Speaker 2: not like they're going to go out there to try

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Speaker 2: to work account with them because they know he's going

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Speaker 2: to be limited regardless. It's more like ups and downs

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Speaker 2: as a post number of pitches thrown with him, So

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Speaker 2: they're gonna be looking at one spot. They're gonna have

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Speaker 2: their game plan working, and if it doesn't have that

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Speaker 2: normal carry on the ball like he had he normally has,

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Speaker 2: Houston's going to come out hit some balls pretty well.

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Speaker 2: I think number two you talked about it. I even

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Speaker 2: say the second time three, you got to be very careful.

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Speaker 2: It depends on the obviously, what the game looks like,

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Speaker 2: how it's been playing out, how Texas has been doing

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Speaker 2: against their pitching. But I would line it up for

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Speaker 2: the second time through making sure that the bullpens alert

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Speaker 2: left hand left on left when you start a right hander,

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Speaker 2: I always look for a left hander to take left

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Speaker 2: handed hitter to take my pitcher out, So you're looking

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Speaker 2: at the lefties, So that would be what the third

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Speaker 2: hitter up is That.

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Speaker 1: Normally probably Hani or Bradford, probably, but I think it's

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Speaker 1: probably HAINI Yeah, you're right.

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Speaker 2: I agree, But that would be even the second time round.

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Speaker 2: He's got to be aware of that. And of course

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Speaker 2: the first time through is going to tell him a lot.

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Speaker 2: But even if he goes like go through one through

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Speaker 2: nine relatively well, I still doesn't make me relax that

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Speaker 2: second time too, and especially with the lefties. And having

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Speaker 2: said that, Tucker and Aubridge don't care you're left handed,

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Speaker 2: and after they kind of like it. So it's a

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Speaker 2: tough call, but you have to be, like you're saying,

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Speaker 2: all hands on deck at that point.

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Speaker 1: You know, Joe, in the past episode, I recall you

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Speaker 1: talking about the two thousand and two Angel staff coaching staff,

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Speaker 1: and obviously Mike Soci was the manager, but you know,

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Speaker 1: Buddy Black and you and Ron Rennicky and ALFREDI Griffin

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Speaker 1: a lot of experience. It was the cradle of managers

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Speaker 1: future managers on that staff. I look at the Texas

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Speaker 1: Rangers staff, and let me tell you, folks, they're having

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Speaker 1: an impact on this series. You know Tim Hyers, the

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Speaker 1: hitting coach. Will Venable is their outfield and bench coach.

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Speaker 1: By the way, as you know, Joe, most teams go

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Speaker 1: into Minute May Park at Houston and the analytics tell

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Speaker 1: them to guard the gap and left field because that's

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Speaker 1: the open area. That Rangers didn't do that. They made

427
00:20:56,598 --> 00:20:59,478
Speaker 1: two spectacular plays defensively. They held a run around second

428
00:20:59,478 --> 00:21:01,318
Speaker 1: on a two out base hit because they were playing

429
00:21:01,678 --> 00:21:03,638
Speaker 1: where the guys hit and not playing to the ballpark

430
00:21:03,678 --> 00:21:05,958
Speaker 1: that was on Will Vettable. And then you got to

431
00:21:05,998 --> 00:21:08,358
Speaker 1: go to Mike Maddox, the pitching coach. This is his

432
00:21:08,518 --> 00:21:11,678
Speaker 1: twenty first year as a pitching coach in Major League Baseball,

433
00:21:11,718 --> 00:21:14,478
Speaker 1: and Bruce Bochi said it after Game one, the guy

434
00:21:14,638 --> 00:21:17,518
Speaker 1: is a master at game planning. So let me take

435
00:21:17,518 --> 00:21:20,718
Speaker 1: you inside what the Rangers are doing to the Houston Astros.

436
00:21:20,758 --> 00:21:23,638
Speaker 1: Because the Astros were the best hitting team in the

437
00:21:23,678 --> 00:21:26,918
Speaker 1: American League this year against fastballs. They hit two seventy nine.

438
00:21:27,758 --> 00:21:31,918
Speaker 1: They're hitting one sixty in the ALCS against fastballs. And

439
00:21:31,958 --> 00:21:35,638
Speaker 1: it's not because the Rangers are throwing more of them.

440
00:21:35,958 --> 00:21:39,878
Speaker 1: They're throwing fewer of them. Their pitch mix has been

441
00:21:40,158 --> 00:21:43,798
Speaker 1: just outstanding. They're moving the ball in and out, up

442
00:21:43,878 --> 00:21:47,198
Speaker 1: and down and changing velocity. They're also taking the very

443
00:21:47,238 --> 00:21:51,598
Speaker 1: aggressive Houston hitters, the most aggressive hitters and starting them

444
00:21:51,718 --> 00:21:53,958
Speaker 1: as if the counts O two with breaking stuff and

445
00:21:53,998 --> 00:21:56,878
Speaker 1: they're they're speeding them up, slowing them down. It's just

446
00:21:56,918 --> 00:22:00,078
Speaker 1: been a master plan of pitch mixing. And I'll give

447
00:22:00,118 --> 00:22:02,718
Speaker 1: you the numbers here in the regular season, the Rangers

448
00:22:02,718 --> 00:22:06,638
Speaker 1: through about forty six percent fastballs, not including cutters. Here,

449
00:22:06,678 --> 00:22:10,598
Speaker 1: four seamers, two seamers, forty six percent in the regular season,

450
00:22:10,958 --> 00:22:14,758
Speaker 1: forty six percent in the wildcard, fifty one percent in

451
00:22:14,838 --> 00:22:18,078
Speaker 1: the alds, and here in the ALCS they're down to

452
00:22:18,158 --> 00:22:23,918
Speaker 1: thirty eight percent fastballs. So the Valdi Montgomery they were

453
00:22:24,038 --> 00:22:28,758
Speaker 1: just master classes of mixing pitches, keeping the astros off balance.

454
00:22:28,958 --> 00:22:30,918
Speaker 1: You are going to see the same thing for Max

455
00:22:30,958 --> 00:22:33,958
Speaker 1: schurz Are in Game three. It's not like here's my fastball,

456
00:22:34,038 --> 00:22:37,478
Speaker 1: try to hit it. It's hiding those fastballs by moving

457
00:22:37,478 --> 00:22:41,678
Speaker 1: the ball around, especially changing speeds. Uh and schures. If

458
00:22:41,678 --> 00:22:44,958
Speaker 1: he's right, you're gonna see ninety three, maybe in ninety four.

459
00:22:44,998 --> 00:22:47,678
Speaker 1: If he's not, you're gonna see ninety two, so keep

460
00:22:47,678 --> 00:22:50,878
Speaker 1: an eye on that. But I just love the game

461
00:22:50,958 --> 00:22:54,118
Speaker 1: planning now that's being done by the Rangers against the Astros.

462
00:22:54,158 --> 00:22:56,758
Speaker 1: The Astros are going to hit, but they better start

463
00:22:56,798 --> 00:22:59,838
Speaker 1: hitting tonight because right now, just the way the Rangers

464
00:22:59,838 --> 00:23:02,238
Speaker 1: have game planned against them, it's got Texas's way.

465
00:23:02,638 --> 00:23:05,278
Speaker 2: Well, you had, like you just mentioned in Montgomery and Niovaldi.

466
00:23:05,358 --> 00:23:08,398
Speaker 2: I mean, both of them really have really good other pitches.

467
00:23:09,278 --> 00:23:12,238
Speaker 2: I love the way Montgomery pitches. I do. I love

468
00:23:14,078 --> 00:23:15,758
Speaker 2: like we were talking like earlier in the year when

469
00:23:15,758 --> 00:23:18,638
Speaker 2: they when they acquired him. I really thought that was

470
00:23:18,638 --> 00:23:22,118
Speaker 2: a wonderful acquisition. I think the guy's been undervalue to

471
00:23:22,158 --> 00:23:24,318
Speaker 2: this point. The change up down and the way the

472
00:23:24,358 --> 00:23:27,118
Speaker 2: fastball in break the ball in the plate. I mean,

473
00:23:27,118 --> 00:23:31,038
Speaker 2: he does so many things well, and he's he's a

474
00:23:31,118 --> 00:23:34,198
Speaker 2: he's got I've compared to him basically catch Tommy John

475
00:23:34,238 --> 00:23:38,198
Speaker 2: and Jeff's on in spring trainings, and these guys didn't

476
00:23:38,238 --> 00:23:40,158
Speaker 2: throw that hard, but they never threw the ball where

477
00:23:40,158 --> 00:23:42,238
Speaker 2: you can hit it. I mean I would never was

478
00:23:42,238 --> 00:23:44,638
Speaker 2: never permitted by either one of these guys to sit

479
00:23:44,718 --> 00:23:47,118
Speaker 2: on the plate at all. It was never over the white,

480
00:23:47,158 --> 00:23:48,838
Speaker 2: not even over the black. It was always like a

481
00:23:48,838 --> 00:23:51,198
Speaker 2: little bit outside of the black on both sides, and

482
00:23:51,198 --> 00:23:53,438
Speaker 2: they had hit the glove all day long. I watched

483
00:23:53,478 --> 00:23:56,558
Speaker 2: Montgomery pitch, and he's a better, more physical version of

484
00:23:56,598 --> 00:23:58,678
Speaker 2: that because he knows exactly what he's doing and he

485
00:23:58,718 --> 00:24:01,398
Speaker 2: knows exactly where he wants to go, and I mean

486
00:24:01,558 --> 00:24:03,238
Speaker 2: he's in a groove right now, so he could pitch

487
00:24:03,558 --> 00:24:05,758
Speaker 2: under the zone and off the sides, and he knows

488
00:24:05,798 --> 00:24:08,678
Speaker 2: how to elevate too when he wants to, so he

489
00:24:08,798 --> 00:24:10,638
Speaker 2: is He's been awesome, and then you have all the

490
00:24:11,238 --> 00:24:14,718
Speaker 2: the split dangerous, I mean nasty. He got good breaking

491
00:24:14,798 --> 00:24:18,318
Speaker 2: ball too, and this guy, they're both highly competitive people

492
00:24:18,358 --> 00:24:20,598
Speaker 2: looks like but they know what they're doing. They know

493
00:24:21,078 --> 00:24:25,398
Speaker 2: how to pitch canalyizingly off the edges, making a strike

494
00:24:25,478 --> 00:24:27,958
Speaker 2: ball kind of a pitch, and they're really good at that.

495
00:24:28,158 --> 00:24:30,718
Speaker 2: And that's I think that's that's the secret sauce to

496
00:24:30,798 --> 00:24:33,158
Speaker 2: their success. And when you break it down as a

497
00:24:33,198 --> 00:24:35,718
Speaker 2: pitching coach or a game planner, it's one thing to

498
00:24:35,758 --> 00:24:37,598
Speaker 2: break it down, but it's another thing to have guys

499
00:24:37,718 --> 00:24:39,958
Speaker 2: actually be able to go out there and execute. I

500
00:24:39,998 --> 00:24:42,278
Speaker 2: know Maddox is very good at the sided guy named

501
00:24:42,318 --> 00:24:44,358
Speaker 2: Mike Borzello. We had him on earlier in the season.

502
00:24:44,358 --> 00:24:47,238
Speaker 2: Borzy I used to see. I used to say, team's

503
00:24:47,278 --> 00:24:50,558
Speaker 2: got Borsello tonight. I sit on this with him on

504
00:24:50,598 --> 00:24:53,278
Speaker 2: the bench during any games and we're talking as our

505
00:24:53,318 --> 00:24:55,318
Speaker 2: guy's pitching, and I would say, how about this right here?

506
00:24:55,318 --> 00:24:57,238
Speaker 2: How about that? Right they either you would agree, they

507
00:24:57,318 --> 00:24:59,398
Speaker 2: say no, no, no, this guy is really this hitter

508
00:24:59,438 --> 00:25:02,038
Speaker 2: is very good and making adjustment to this pitch in

509
00:25:02,038 --> 00:25:05,358
Speaker 2: the situation we're doing this that almost hundred percent of

510
00:25:05,398 --> 00:25:07,478
Speaker 2: the time he was right. I like the game planning.

511
00:25:07,478 --> 00:25:10,838
Speaker 2: I like game planning by pitching coaches or a guy

512
00:25:10,878 --> 00:25:13,558
Speaker 2: like Borzi, and I like that communication with them and

513
00:25:13,638 --> 00:25:17,718
Speaker 2: the catchers. And I think Montgomery Valdi, Johnny Lester, Mike,

514
00:25:17,798 --> 00:25:20,398
Speaker 2: you've seen it with the Boorzi in the past. The

515
00:25:20,718 --> 00:25:25,638
Speaker 2: confidence derived from the communication with an experienced coach like

516
00:25:25,678 --> 00:25:29,758
Speaker 2: that to the player, I think weaves into the fabric

517
00:25:29,798 --> 00:25:32,478
Speaker 2: of that guy to the point even more confidence than

518
00:25:32,558 --> 00:25:33,238
Speaker 2: any other way.

519
00:25:33,718 --> 00:25:36,438
Speaker 1: Now on the Houston side, you've got Christian Javier on

520
00:25:36,478 --> 00:25:39,078
Speaker 1: the mound, and boy, he's been throwing the ball really well.

521
00:25:39,198 --> 00:25:42,798
Speaker 1: Right now. They call him El Reptile because he's just

522
00:25:42,878 --> 00:25:44,838
Speaker 1: so cold blooded on the mound. You won't get any

523
00:25:44,838 --> 00:25:47,678
Speaker 1: emotions from him, whether it's things are going greater things

524
00:25:47,718 --> 00:25:52,318
Speaker 1: are going poorly. He's made three postseason starts. His last

525
00:25:52,438 --> 00:25:56,398
Speaker 1: appearances in the postseason are three starts. He is allowed

526
00:25:56,878 --> 00:26:01,358
Speaker 1: in those three starts two hits and no runs combined.

527
00:26:01,798 --> 00:26:05,998
Speaker 1: He's the only pitcher in baseball history with three postseason

528
00:26:06,158 --> 00:26:10,718
Speaker 1: starts allowing one or no hits. And it's all about

529
00:26:10,718 --> 00:26:15,118
Speaker 1: his fastball. It's got some of the craziest induced vertical

530
00:26:15,478 --> 00:26:18,238
Speaker 1: vert in the game, which means it basically doesn't drop,

531
00:26:18,318 --> 00:26:20,158
Speaker 1: it holds its play at the top of the zone.

532
00:26:20,878 --> 00:26:23,398
Speaker 1: Here's a number for you. His last one hundred and

533
00:26:23,438 --> 00:26:29,158
Speaker 1: forty fastballs in the postseason zero hits. He's faced sixty

534
00:26:29,238 --> 00:26:33,398
Speaker 1: one batters and given up two hits. So I think

535
00:26:33,398 --> 00:26:34,718
Speaker 1: they got a good guy in the mound. If you

536
00:26:34,758 --> 00:26:37,878
Speaker 1: talk about a must win situation, you're on the road.

537
00:26:38,078 --> 00:26:42,958
Speaker 1: This guy's got playoff experience. He's cold blooded. So I

538
00:26:43,158 --> 00:26:46,758
Speaker 1: like that for the Houston Astros. But to me, Joe

539
00:26:46,758 --> 00:26:49,958
Speaker 1: the key in this game and going forward. He mentioned

540
00:26:49,958 --> 00:26:53,718
Speaker 1: it Kyle Tucker. The Astros have to get this guy going.

541
00:26:54,478 --> 00:26:57,318
Speaker 1: I mean, he's basically a thirty to thirty player. As

542
00:26:57,318 --> 00:26:59,678
Speaker 1: you said, he's really good against left handed pitching, doesn't

543
00:26:59,678 --> 00:27:02,638
Speaker 1: bother him at all. But he's been in a funk.

544
00:27:02,798 --> 00:27:05,318
Speaker 1: I know it's only eight at backs, but when I

545
00:27:05,438 --> 00:27:08,078
Speaker 1: checked the pitches to him, he's been getting pitches. They've

546
00:27:08,078 --> 00:27:10,278
Speaker 1: been keeping the ball down away from him but in

547
00:27:10,318 --> 00:27:13,398
Speaker 1: the zone, and he's been pulling off them. You've seen

548
00:27:13,398 --> 00:27:16,198
Speaker 1: a lot of ground balls to second base pop ups.

549
00:27:16,798 --> 00:27:20,038
Speaker 1: And it was interesting at the workout yesterday. I was

550
00:27:20,078 --> 00:27:22,478
Speaker 1: talking to Alex Centro on to the Astros, the hitting coach,

551
00:27:22,998 --> 00:27:24,958
Speaker 1: and he said, yeah, he's just he's opening up a

552
00:27:24,998 --> 00:27:27,038
Speaker 1: little too soon. They looked at the tape and I've

553
00:27:27,078 --> 00:27:30,198
Speaker 1: looked at it as well, and his setup actually changed

554
00:27:30,238 --> 00:27:32,158
Speaker 1: a little bit. And you know, Joe sometimes as a hitter,

555
00:27:32,198 --> 00:27:35,278
Speaker 1: you don't even realize it. He's a closed hitter. You know,

556
00:27:35,358 --> 00:27:38,038
Speaker 1: he actually starts closed and finished close. The Astros have

557
00:27:38,078 --> 00:27:41,118
Speaker 1: a lot of those, chas McCormick, your Don Alvarez, josel Tuobit,

558
00:27:41,198 --> 00:27:43,878
Speaker 1: Mauricio debonnd. They have a lot of old school closed hitters.

559
00:27:44,198 --> 00:27:46,838
Speaker 1: Tucker is one of those guys. But in this series,

560
00:27:47,638 --> 00:27:50,958
Speaker 1: while opening up too early, he's actually been neutral with

561
00:27:50,998 --> 00:27:53,758
Speaker 1: his feet in the box, so they got him back

562
00:27:53,758 --> 00:27:55,878
Speaker 1: to more closes set up, and obviously he likes to

563
00:27:55,918 --> 00:27:58,118
Speaker 1: keep it closed on the stride as well, and he

564
00:27:58,598 --> 00:28:02,998
Speaker 1: should stay on the ball longer. So it's a very

565
00:28:03,038 --> 00:28:06,078
Speaker 1: slight mechanic change. We're not talking about a big difference

566
00:28:06,078 --> 00:28:07,678
Speaker 1: in the setup of the feet. But Joe, as you know,

567
00:28:07,758 --> 00:28:10,038
Speaker 1: the setup, it's kind of like in golf, right he

568
00:28:10,038 --> 00:28:12,238
Speaker 1: addressed the ball that starts everything in motion. You have

569
00:28:12,278 --> 00:28:14,518
Speaker 1: a bad setup, you're gonna have a bad pass of

570
00:28:14,558 --> 00:28:17,758
Speaker 1: the baseball. But either way, I think Kyle Tucker is

571
00:28:17,758 --> 00:28:20,278
Speaker 1: the key for the Houston Astros. He's just too good

572
00:28:20,358 --> 00:28:22,038
Speaker 1: to still not be a factor in this series.

573
00:28:22,398 --> 00:28:24,838
Speaker 2: No, I really love this guy. First of all, Javier

574
00:28:24,918 --> 00:28:27,758
Speaker 2: will come back to Tucker. But Javier, first time I

575
00:28:27,798 --> 00:28:30,638
Speaker 2: saw me, dang. I mean watching it from the sidelines,

576
00:28:30,678 --> 00:28:33,638
Speaker 2: and we're doing nothing against this guy. Like you said,

577
00:28:33,678 --> 00:28:36,838
Speaker 2: you look at the gun. It's ninety two, sometimes ninety three,

578
00:28:37,238 --> 00:28:40,158
Speaker 2: but there's crickets. Man, there's not even any hard contact

579
00:28:40,718 --> 00:28:42,758
Speaker 2: and correct, I mean the ball stays at the top

580
00:28:42,798 --> 00:28:45,918
Speaker 2: of the zone and it doesn't wander at all, and

581
00:28:45,958 --> 00:28:48,838
Speaker 2: that really deceptively from the hitter's perspective. You've fed the

582
00:28:48,958 --> 00:28:51,998
Speaker 2: force yourself pretty much. Bob Clear used to tell them

583
00:28:51,998 --> 00:28:54,358
Speaker 2: you got to reverse your elbows. Friend, elbow comes down,

584
00:28:54,398 --> 00:28:56,918
Speaker 2: bat it comes over the top. He got that from

585
00:28:56,998 --> 00:28:59,678
Speaker 2: Kenny Myers back in the sixties and the seventies. But

586
00:28:59,758 --> 00:29:01,158
Speaker 2: you got to do that to get on top of

587
00:29:01,158 --> 00:29:03,638
Speaker 2: that pitch, otherwise you got no chance. Got a decent

588
00:29:03,678 --> 00:29:06,078
Speaker 2: break the ball too. And that's why you know, when

589
00:29:06,118 --> 00:29:07,878
Speaker 2: I first saw Hobbyer, I thought he's really good against

590
00:29:07,958 --> 00:29:11,438
Speaker 2: left He's also because normally, you know, elevated fastball, elevated

591
00:29:11,478 --> 00:29:14,198
Speaker 2: fastball in on a LEFTI that cuts a little bit

592
00:29:14,238 --> 00:29:16,798
Speaker 2: can be very, very difficult. So I know he was

593
00:29:16,838 --> 00:29:18,518
Speaker 2: a little bit of a funk this year, but it

594
00:29:18,598 --> 00:29:20,318
Speaker 2: seems like he likes this time of the year. I'm

595
00:29:20,358 --> 00:29:22,798
Speaker 2: a big fan. I've only seen this guy pitch well.

596
00:29:22,838 --> 00:29:25,038
Speaker 2: So if I'm watching on TV tonight, I promise he's

597
00:29:25,078 --> 00:29:27,678
Speaker 2: going to pitch well and the other guy tucker right.

598
00:29:28,038 --> 00:29:30,918
Speaker 2: The closed stance. You know the thing about the close

599
00:29:30,998 --> 00:29:35,278
Speaker 2: stance that as a hitting coach, I'd be very alert

600
00:29:35,318 --> 00:29:37,998
Speaker 2: to that. Sometimes when a guy gets too closed, his

601
00:29:38,078 --> 00:29:39,838
Speaker 2: front foot gets in the way of his hands and

602
00:29:39,878 --> 00:29:42,838
Speaker 2: his backside, his backside can't come through and then his

603
00:29:42,918 --> 00:29:44,558
Speaker 2: hands get blocked and all of a sudden, you're not

604
00:29:44,598 --> 00:29:46,838
Speaker 2: getting the bathead out where you want to out front,

605
00:29:47,038 --> 00:29:49,358
Speaker 2: and you get kind of a push opposite field swing.

606
00:29:50,158 --> 00:29:52,078
Speaker 2: I think most of the time, when a guy really

607
00:29:52,118 --> 00:29:53,638
Speaker 2: wants to be closed, you got to get off the

608
00:29:53,638 --> 00:29:55,158
Speaker 2: plate and kind of like what you're trying to do

609
00:29:55,198 --> 00:29:57,518
Speaker 2: is let the ball get deeper and force it back

610
00:29:57,558 --> 00:30:00,838
Speaker 2: over the place somewhat, and then you should your site

611
00:30:00,878 --> 00:30:04,078
Speaker 2: should be like for a left hand hitter, his his

612
00:30:04,238 --> 00:30:07,398
Speaker 2: right field foul pole should be right center, and for

613
00:30:07,438 --> 00:30:09,758
Speaker 2: a right hand hitter, his foul pole should be left center.

614
00:30:09,758 --> 00:30:11,438
Speaker 2: In other words, you don't want to really just go

615
00:30:11,438 --> 00:30:13,758
Speaker 2: ahead and try to pull the ball. You should. You should.

616
00:30:13,798 --> 00:30:16,758
Speaker 2: You're working inside the ball from a closed stance, you're

617
00:30:16,758 --> 00:30:20,878
Speaker 2: gonna pull, and that should be probably on something soft

618
00:30:21,478 --> 00:30:23,558
Speaker 2: breaking ball strike, that's the one that's going to get

619
00:30:23,598 --> 00:30:25,758
Speaker 2: more pull from left center or right center to the pole.

620
00:30:26,198 --> 00:30:28,638
Speaker 2: But if it's hard, if it's if it's a hard pitch,

621
00:30:29,078 --> 00:30:31,078
Speaker 2: like Tucker should be working from right center to the

622
00:30:31,158 --> 00:30:34,438
Speaker 2: left field corner. That would be the optimal situation for him.

623
00:30:34,478 --> 00:30:36,518
Speaker 2: I would bet that that's what they've talked about. That's

624
00:30:36,558 --> 00:30:40,038
Speaker 2: where he needs to be focused physically and mentally, and

625
00:30:40,118 --> 00:30:41,758
Speaker 2: so heads up. I mean, if you see in early

626
00:30:41,798 --> 00:30:43,998
Speaker 2: at bat where this guy does stay closed and all

627
00:30:44,038 --> 00:30:45,638
Speaker 2: of a sudden the ball gets it, even if it's

628
00:30:45,678 --> 00:30:47,558
Speaker 2: it out, it doesn't matter. If he just gets the

629
00:30:47,598 --> 00:30:49,318
Speaker 2: browl to the ball and it's right center to left

630
00:30:49,318 --> 00:30:52,798
Speaker 2: centered gap, you know he's probably getting back on track.

631
00:30:52,878 --> 00:30:54,958
Speaker 2: So these are the things that I used to look at.

632
00:30:55,038 --> 00:30:57,638
Speaker 2: I mean, it was this close stance, like you said,

633
00:30:57,838 --> 00:31:01,438
Speaker 2: whether it was George Hendrix or Dico danny Ford, there

634
00:31:01,518 --> 00:31:03,758
Speaker 2: was a lot of guys back then that would work

635
00:31:03,798 --> 00:31:08,478
Speaker 2: for a more close stance as opposed to something more

636
00:31:08,518 --> 00:31:10,918
Speaker 2: conventional or will amaze like there's other guys that are

637
00:31:10,918 --> 00:31:13,598
Speaker 2: more open. But it's it's all preferential. It's what you

638
00:31:13,758 --> 00:31:15,358
Speaker 2: what you do with that front side and how you

639
00:31:15,358 --> 00:31:16,998
Speaker 2: get it down, where you are on the plate too

640
00:31:16,998 --> 00:31:20,478
Speaker 2: close or or far off the plate, All that stuff matters.

641
00:31:20,518 --> 00:31:22,398
Speaker 2: I mean, that's the thing that I look at, the

642
00:31:22,438 --> 00:31:24,998
Speaker 2: adjustments I try to make with my guys. First, even

643
00:31:24,998 --> 00:31:26,598
Speaker 2: if I didn't like their stance and I thought there

644
00:31:26,678 --> 00:31:28,518
Speaker 2: was issues, I would ask them to move in the

645
00:31:28,518 --> 00:31:31,558
Speaker 2: batter's box first. Maintain everything you're doing, Just move your

646
00:31:31,558 --> 00:31:33,638
Speaker 2: feet around, get off the plate more with your back foot,

647
00:31:33,678 --> 00:31:36,078
Speaker 2: get closer to the plate, and all the adjustment should

648
00:31:36,078 --> 00:31:38,238
Speaker 2: be made with the backfoot first. That's where the adjustments

649
00:31:38,238 --> 00:31:41,278
Speaker 2: are made closer or farther away from the in the

650
00:31:41,318 --> 00:31:44,118
Speaker 2: batter's boxes. But your back foot and because what you're

651
00:31:44,118 --> 00:31:46,558
Speaker 2: where your backfoot is dictates where your front foot goes.

652
00:31:47,038 --> 00:31:49,438
Speaker 2: And some you know you don't want it so close

653
00:31:49,478 --> 00:31:50,878
Speaker 2: to the plate your front foot that all of a

654
00:31:50,878 --> 00:31:53,838
Speaker 2: sudden you get jammed even more. Backfoot is the is

655
00:31:53,878 --> 00:31:56,238
Speaker 2: the real intelligent foot. The front foot's just going on

656
00:31:56,318 --> 00:31:58,318
Speaker 2: for the ride. So that's those are the kind of

657
00:31:58,398 --> 00:32:00,558
Speaker 2: things that I would really pay attention to. So now

658
00:32:00,558 --> 00:32:01,638
Speaker 2: as you told me all this, I'm going to be

659
00:32:01,638 --> 00:32:03,838
Speaker 2: curious and I watching what he does. That's where that

660
00:32:03,958 --> 00:32:05,558
Speaker 2: first line drive goes for Tucker.

661
00:32:06,158 --> 00:32:09,038
Speaker 1: Yeah, at one more point on the Astros facing Surezer

662
00:32:09,518 --> 00:32:11,998
Speaker 1: keep this in mind. In his career, Max shrs er,

663
00:32:12,078 --> 00:32:15,238
Speaker 1: his walk rate in the postseason is forty two percent

664
00:32:15,358 --> 00:32:18,278
Speaker 1: higher than it is in the regular season. In other words,

665
00:32:18,438 --> 00:32:21,118
Speaker 1: he just is not going to give in, and he'll

666
00:32:21,158 --> 00:32:26,078
Speaker 1: also try to get you to get yourself out. So

667
00:32:26,478 --> 00:32:29,038
Speaker 1: and this is these are numbers based on what Max

668
00:32:29,078 --> 00:32:31,438
Speaker 1: had a little higher velocity, you know, at ninety five,

669
00:32:32,158 --> 00:32:34,518
Speaker 1: So keep an eye on that. You know, the change

670
00:32:34,558 --> 00:32:36,998
Speaker 1: up is so good, the slider is so good, they

671
00:32:37,038 --> 00:32:39,518
Speaker 1: generally wind up a little bit out of the strike zone.

672
00:32:40,558 --> 00:32:44,838
Speaker 1: I think it's being imperative for Houston to not chase.

673
00:32:44,918 --> 00:32:47,158
Speaker 1: I mean, that's obvious in any case, but I mean

674
00:32:47,158 --> 00:32:48,718
Speaker 1: even to throw up a couple of walks early in

675
00:32:48,718 --> 00:32:51,038
Speaker 1: this game and feel good about that, and letting Max

676
00:32:51,078 --> 00:32:53,678
Speaker 1: Scherzer know that he may have to come into the

677
00:32:53,678 --> 00:32:56,998
Speaker 1: strike zone to get them out, because in the postseason

678
00:32:57,478 --> 00:32:59,918
Speaker 1: he does not give in, even more so than in

679
00:32:59,918 --> 00:33:03,918
Speaker 1: the regular season. One more point, Joe on this ELCS

680
00:33:04,518 --> 00:33:07,438
Speaker 1: Bruce Bocci. You've managed against him in the postseason the

681
00:33:07,478 --> 00:33:10,678
Speaker 1: regular season. It's amazing. I'll give you some numbers on

682
00:33:10,718 --> 00:33:13,078
Speaker 1: Bruce Bochie what he's been doing here since twenty ten.

683
00:33:14,198 --> 00:33:19,078
Speaker 1: His winning percentage in the postseason since twenty ten is seven, seventeen,

684
00:33:19,838 --> 00:33:25,078
Speaker 1: forty three and seventeen. He's been in fourteen previous postseason

685
00:33:25,158 --> 00:33:30,598
Speaker 1: series and won thirteen to them, taking out twelve different teams.

686
00:33:31,358 --> 00:33:35,278
Speaker 1: He does not lose big games late. This really stands

687
00:33:35,318 --> 00:33:40,198
Speaker 1: out for me. In his past sixty postseason games. His

688
00:33:40,318 --> 00:33:44,558
Speaker 1: bullpen has been beaten three times. His bullpen is sixteen

689
00:33:44,638 --> 00:33:49,438
Speaker 1: and three in his past sixty postseason games. That's just

690
00:33:49,598 --> 00:33:51,638
Speaker 1: remarkable to me. And I know you're a team that

691
00:33:51,678 --> 00:33:55,998
Speaker 1: took him out in twenty sixteen in the NLDS when

692
00:33:55,998 --> 00:33:59,238
Speaker 1: he was with the Giants. But if you're waiting for

693
00:33:59,278 --> 00:34:01,758
Speaker 1: Bruce Bochi to make a mistake late in the game

694
00:34:01,758 --> 00:34:04,958
Speaker 1: and you did beat his bullpen in the clinching game,

695
00:34:05,758 --> 00:34:08,118
Speaker 1: it's just not going to happen. The guy he runs

696
00:34:08,118 --> 00:34:08,798
Speaker 1: a clean game.

697
00:34:09,478 --> 00:34:11,278
Speaker 2: Yeah, you got to. You got to stay ahead of everything.

698
00:34:11,278 --> 00:34:13,158
Speaker 2: And that's what we were kind of doing that game

699
00:34:13,198 --> 00:34:17,438
Speaker 2: in Game four versus them in San Francisco, was sending

700
00:34:17,478 --> 00:34:19,358
Speaker 2: pinchitters up there knowing what he was going to do,

701
00:34:19,398 --> 00:34:22,078
Speaker 2: and having a pinchitter to pinch it for the pinch hitter,

702
00:34:22,478 --> 00:34:26,398
Speaker 2: which we did with Addis Coughlin to that was it.

703
00:34:27,398 --> 00:34:30,038
Speaker 2: We eventually ended up with the contraras at the plate.

704
00:34:30,118 --> 00:34:31,518
Speaker 2: But you have to have all.

705
00:34:31,398 --> 00:34:32,838
Speaker 1: This, Can I stop you right there?

706
00:34:32,958 --> 00:34:33,078
Speaker 2: Ya?

707
00:34:33,438 --> 00:34:36,078
Speaker 1: That is a great point. How many guys did you

708
00:34:36,118 --> 00:34:38,398
Speaker 1: have on your bench back then in a postseason game?

709
00:34:38,598 --> 00:34:40,118
Speaker 2: Jeez, I don't remember, brother.

710
00:34:40,598 --> 00:34:42,958
Speaker 1: He probably had more than four, though, is what these.

711
00:34:42,798 --> 00:34:45,518
Speaker 2: Teams had to yeah, exactly right, right right, because you

712
00:34:45,558 --> 00:34:46,998
Speaker 2: can't do all that maneuvering if you.

713
00:34:46,918 --> 00:34:50,758
Speaker 1: Don't exactly the other day, I think you alluded to this.

714
00:34:50,878 --> 00:34:53,158
Speaker 1: Dusty Baker had the base of loaded. It is and

715
00:34:53,198 --> 00:34:56,478
Speaker 1: it probably will be the key point in this entire series.

716
00:34:56,718 --> 00:34:59,278
Speaker 1: This is where the American League Pennant probably was decided

717
00:34:59,318 --> 00:35:02,718
Speaker 1: fifth any is Nathan Evaldi basis loaded? Nobody out? Yeah,

718
00:35:02,758 --> 00:35:05,118
Speaker 1: it was Maldonado do up and Dusty sent the kid,

719
00:35:05,198 --> 00:35:07,478
Speaker 1: Yiner Diaz up to pinch hit. I get it. That's

720
00:35:07,518 --> 00:35:10,438
Speaker 1: the move, right. You want a better offensive stick in there,

721
00:35:10,438 --> 00:35:14,398
Speaker 1: you got to move to baseball. The only problem is,

722
00:35:14,878 --> 00:35:17,478
Speaker 1: Dusty's got a four man bench. So you just mentioned

723
00:35:17,478 --> 00:35:19,118
Speaker 1: about what you could do where you could hit for

724
00:35:19,158 --> 00:35:21,998
Speaker 1: the pinch hitter or make a two man move. Dusty

725
00:35:22,038 --> 00:35:24,358
Speaker 1: felt like he couldn't do that that early in the games,

726
00:35:24,478 --> 00:35:26,278
Speaker 1: and so in other words, he had John Singleton, a

727
00:35:26,318 --> 00:35:30,438
Speaker 1: left handed hitter on his bench. And if you use Singleton,

728
00:35:30,558 --> 00:35:32,758
Speaker 1: obviously Diaz has to come into the game and catch.

729
00:35:32,838 --> 00:35:34,438
Speaker 1: That's a two man move in the fifth inning. Now

730
00:35:34,438 --> 00:35:36,878
Speaker 1: you're down the two players on your bench. It's a

731
00:35:36,918 --> 00:35:39,038
Speaker 1: little dicey for a manager. As you know, when you're

732
00:35:39,078 --> 00:35:41,838
Speaker 1: only in the fifth inning, Joe, So he sent Diaz

733
00:35:41,918 --> 00:35:43,918
Speaker 1: up to the plate. Now, if you've been watching Houston

734
00:35:43,918 --> 00:35:46,078
Speaker 1: in the postseason, Diaz hasn't played much. He got to

735
00:35:46,118 --> 00:35:49,198
Speaker 1: start against Minnesota. Every bat that he's had has not

736
00:35:49,278 --> 00:35:52,198
Speaker 1: been in quality of beat. I mean, he's a young kid.

737
00:35:52,238 --> 00:35:54,558
Speaker 1: He's going to be a great hitter. He likes to chase,

738
00:35:54,598 --> 00:35:57,398
Speaker 1: there's no question about that, and in this environment his

739
00:35:57,558 --> 00:36:00,358
Speaker 1: chase rates up even more of Valdi knew that took

740
00:36:00,398 --> 00:36:02,678
Speaker 1: advantage of it. Took him out on a curve ball

741
00:36:02,718 --> 00:36:05,238
Speaker 1: that wasn't even close to the strike zone. Not being

742
00:36:05,238 --> 00:36:07,598
Speaker 1: able to move the baseball right there, huge point in

743
00:36:07,638 --> 00:36:09,478
Speaker 1: the game. I mean, Ivaldi then gets out of the

744
00:36:09,518 --> 00:36:11,838
Speaker 1: inning with he gets all two base struck him out

745
00:36:11,838 --> 00:36:15,198
Speaker 1: and then got breakman on the ground ball. But they

746
00:36:15,238 --> 00:36:18,158
Speaker 1: were limited because like most teams, even with a twenty

747
00:36:18,198 --> 00:36:20,398
Speaker 1: six man roster, there's just four players on the bench.

748
00:36:21,078 --> 00:36:24,678
Speaker 1: And it'd be interesting if Dusty gets in that situation again,

749
00:36:25,078 --> 00:36:28,438
Speaker 1: if he does trust Singleton, because I've seen enough of

750
00:36:28,478 --> 00:36:30,918
Speaker 1: these dias at bats to know the game's getting a

751
00:36:30,958 --> 00:36:33,918
Speaker 1: little fast on him. So you look at regular season

752
00:36:34,038 --> 00:36:35,718
Speaker 1: numbers and you say that man. This kid can hit,

753
00:36:35,798 --> 00:36:37,478
Speaker 1: and he will hit. Don't get me wrong. This kid

754
00:36:37,558 --> 00:36:39,438
Speaker 1: guy's gonna be a really good catcher, really good hitter.

755
00:36:39,878 --> 00:36:42,398
Speaker 1: But in this environment you may have to trust the

756
00:36:42,478 --> 00:36:44,878
Speaker 1: left handed hitter, even though Singleton hasn't played for a

757
00:36:44,918 --> 00:36:47,678
Speaker 1: couple of weeks now. So I like what you're saying

758
00:36:47,998 --> 00:36:50,718
Speaker 1: about hitting for your hitter and the two man moves

759
00:36:50,718 --> 00:36:53,238
Speaker 1: sometimes you make. But with a four man bench man,

760
00:36:53,278 --> 00:36:53,878
Speaker 1: it's tough to do.

761
00:36:54,438 --> 00:36:56,238
Speaker 2: It is tough to do. But again, you have to

762
00:36:56,318 --> 00:36:59,078
Speaker 2: understand that that happened in the fifth any correct, you're

763
00:36:59,118 --> 00:37:01,638
Speaker 2: saying fifth Inny, Yes, so that but that could be

764
00:37:01,638 --> 00:37:04,518
Speaker 2: the seminal moment. You can't know. There's no guarantee you're

765
00:37:04,558 --> 00:37:06,598
Speaker 2: gonna be set up in a latter part of the game,

766
00:37:07,478 --> 00:37:11,398
Speaker 2: whereas you're gonna want at that particular juncture. Again, Plus

767
00:37:11,918 --> 00:37:15,598
Speaker 2: you know what's if you were to hit from Aldonado period,

768
00:37:15,998 --> 00:37:18,958
Speaker 2: this the other catcher, he's gonna have to hit later

769
00:37:18,958 --> 00:37:22,318
Speaker 2: in the game too, So there's there's like you said,

770
00:37:22,318 --> 00:37:24,678
Speaker 2: there's limited things to do with But when you get

771
00:37:24,678 --> 00:37:27,358
Speaker 2: to that seminal moment, man, sometimes you got to just

772
00:37:27,438 --> 00:37:30,438
Speaker 2: throw caution to the wind and and go ahead to

773
00:37:30,518 --> 00:37:33,438
Speaker 2: the left end and put your last, your last player

774
00:37:33,558 --> 00:37:36,118
Speaker 2: catcher in that particular spot, knowing that you're gonna have

775
00:37:36,158 --> 00:37:37,398
Speaker 2: to let him hit in the latter part of the

776
00:37:37,438 --> 00:37:40,918
Speaker 2: game against uh, you know the better relief pictures of

777
00:37:40,998 --> 00:37:42,238
Speaker 2: the Texas Rangers.

778
00:37:42,798 --> 00:37:45,158
Speaker 1: Right, So, what what does make Bruce Bochi so good?

779
00:37:45,198 --> 00:37:47,878
Speaker 1: Why why is he thrown up win after winning the postseason?

780
00:37:48,718 --> 00:37:51,278
Speaker 2: Well, like again, it's it's primarily I think one thing

781
00:37:51,278 --> 00:37:53,558
Speaker 2: he doesn't he doesn't panic. I mean, the guy's always

782
00:37:53,598 --> 00:37:57,558
Speaker 2: under control. I think the teams that he's had have

783
00:37:57,678 --> 00:38:00,718
Speaker 2: had a nice balance of right and left handed relief pitchers.

784
00:38:02,078 --> 00:38:04,758
Speaker 2: I know that for sure. When we worked against them

785
00:38:04,878 --> 00:38:08,358
Speaker 2: with the Giants and going into those games, I knew

786
00:38:08,958 --> 00:38:10,718
Speaker 2: I know what Boach would do. So like, we even

787
00:38:10,878 --> 00:38:13,958
Speaker 2: beat him. Was it fifteen or was it sixteen a camera, Well,

788
00:38:13,958 --> 00:38:17,238
Speaker 2: we beat him a four game series in Chicago. I

789
00:38:17,278 --> 00:38:19,678
Speaker 2: think it was fifteen. I remember going to the ballpark

790
00:38:20,318 --> 00:38:23,758
Speaker 2: in fifteen and I was jacked up because I just

791
00:38:23,798 --> 00:38:25,318
Speaker 2: knew this was the series that was going to put

792
00:38:25,358 --> 00:38:27,398
Speaker 2: us over the top. We beat him four in a row.

793
00:38:27,678 --> 00:38:31,758
Speaker 2: We beat him four games, four game series in Chicago.

794
00:38:32,358 --> 00:38:35,958
Speaker 2: But I knew for me as a manager, I had

795
00:38:35,998 --> 00:38:39,598
Speaker 2: to be in front of him all the time. He's fearless,

796
00:38:40,198 --> 00:38:42,438
Speaker 2: he's going to take chances, but there's a predictability because

797
00:38:42,438 --> 00:38:44,878
Speaker 2: he's going to go left right, and like you're saying,

798
00:38:44,918 --> 00:38:48,998
Speaker 2: you have to have the remedy when he does that,

799
00:38:49,158 --> 00:38:51,598
Speaker 2: and that would be a bench and you have to

800
00:38:51,638 --> 00:38:53,558
Speaker 2: be willing to do different things with him. That was

801
00:38:53,598 --> 00:38:56,078
Speaker 2: a nationally game then too. There's a lot of double

802
00:38:56,078 --> 00:38:57,918
Speaker 2: switching going on. There's a lot of maneuvering going on

803
00:38:57,958 --> 00:38:59,918
Speaker 2: that we don't have to deal with anymore. But I

804
00:38:59,918 --> 00:39:02,798
Speaker 2: thought was really fascinating And if anything got me tired

805
00:39:02,838 --> 00:39:05,798
Speaker 2: after a good old fashion National League game would be

806
00:39:05,838 --> 00:39:07,678
Speaker 2: all that, because you have to keep track of so

807
00:39:07,678 --> 00:39:09,718
Speaker 2: many more different things, and you have to get people

808
00:39:09,758 --> 00:39:12,958
Speaker 2: involved and pictures are moving around, and that's part of

809
00:39:12,958 --> 00:39:15,038
Speaker 2: it too. That's missing right now. That had been part

810
00:39:15,038 --> 00:39:17,198
Speaker 2: of it. Now it's just where's the pitture is? He's

811
00:39:17,238 --> 00:39:20,598
Speaker 2: not even hitting right now, it's going to go left, right, left, whatever.

812
00:39:20,638 --> 00:39:23,838
Speaker 2: It's a different there's it's different. I think there's he

813
00:39:23,958 --> 00:39:27,118
Speaker 2: was he's consistent. The guys that he puts in there

814
00:39:27,718 --> 00:39:30,478
Speaker 2: knows that he trusts them. He's going to give them

815
00:39:30,518 --> 00:39:33,398
Speaker 2: opportunity he's I think that's a big part of it,

816
00:39:33,398 --> 00:39:36,238
Speaker 2: the consistency with which he deals with these people. But

817
00:39:36,598 --> 00:39:39,478
Speaker 2: from the other side, just be prepared, man. You got

818
00:39:39,518 --> 00:39:41,238
Speaker 2: to work this out in advance of the game. You

819
00:39:41,318 --> 00:39:42,918
Speaker 2: got to know what he might do. And quite frankly,

820
00:39:43,438 --> 00:39:46,118
Speaker 2: that situation in Game four in San Francisco, I had that.

821
00:39:46,238 --> 00:39:47,958
Speaker 2: I had that in my head before that ever occurred.

822
00:39:48,358 --> 00:39:50,958
Speaker 2: As we started getting back in that game, you knew

823
00:39:50,958 --> 00:39:52,278
Speaker 2: what he was going to do with the with the

824
00:39:52,318 --> 00:39:54,558
Speaker 2: bullpen that he had had, and we just had to

825
00:39:54,558 --> 00:39:55,998
Speaker 2: have the right guys lined up and ready to go

826
00:39:55,998 --> 00:39:56,518
Speaker 2: off the bench.

827
00:39:56,838 --> 00:39:59,358
Speaker 1: Cool stuff. Hey, we got to talk about the NLCS.

828
00:39:59,358 --> 00:40:02,998
Speaker 1: Can the Arizona Diamondbacks get back into their series against

829
00:40:03,078 --> 00:40:07,158
Speaker 1: the red hot Philadelphia Phillies. We'll answer that question right

830
00:40:07,198 --> 00:40:20,478
Speaker 1: after this. Hey, Joe. We started this podcast by talking

831
00:40:20,478 --> 00:40:22,038
Speaker 1: about the fact that we have not yet had a

832
00:40:22,038 --> 00:40:25,638
Speaker 1: postseason series that's gone the full distance, full number of

833
00:40:25,678 --> 00:40:28,518
Speaker 1: games here. It was interesting to see, actually though the

834
00:40:28,598 --> 00:40:31,398
Speaker 1: ratings for Game one of the ALCS were actually the

835
00:40:31,438 --> 00:40:36,358
Speaker 1: best Game one ALCS ratings since twenty fifteen. I was

836
00:40:36,398 --> 00:40:41,318
Speaker 1: pretty interesting to see in all Texas affair, and this

837
00:40:41,438 --> 00:40:42,838
Speaker 1: may be part of it. First of all, I think

838
00:40:42,838 --> 00:40:45,478
Speaker 1: the lead in was NFL football. I think that always helps.

839
00:40:45,998 --> 00:40:50,358
Speaker 1: But in terms of the market size of Nielsen television audiences,

840
00:40:50,998 --> 00:40:53,958
Speaker 1: Dallas is number five and Houston is number seven. So

841
00:40:53,998 --> 00:40:57,758
Speaker 1: you have two of the top seven television markets playing

842
00:40:57,758 --> 00:41:00,158
Speaker 1: against one another. And if you want to throw in

843
00:41:00,438 --> 00:41:03,558
Speaker 1: San Antonio and Austin, they're in the top thirty five.

844
00:41:04,158 --> 00:41:08,358
Speaker 1: For the top thirty five Nielsen television markets are in

845
00:41:08,398 --> 00:41:11,078
Speaker 1: the state of Texas. It's a little bit of TV

846
00:41:11,198 --> 00:41:12,758
Speaker 1: trivia for you there, Joe.

847
00:41:12,478 --> 00:41:15,198
Speaker 2: Well, you're playing in the Texas League. I managed in

848
00:41:15,238 --> 00:41:19,638
Speaker 2: the Texas League twice, from Midland to Baumont, from Midlandale Passo,

849
00:41:19,758 --> 00:41:21,198
Speaker 2: from Midland to San Antonio.

850
00:41:21,398 --> 00:41:23,918
Speaker 1: Yeah, Midland is not in the top thirty five Nielsen

851
00:41:23,958 --> 00:41:24,958
Speaker 1: television markets.

852
00:41:24,998 --> 00:41:27,558
Speaker 2: Just a threat, but it's George bush Is from there,

853
00:41:27,558 --> 00:41:30,358
Speaker 2: and of course Randy Vallardi and his dad was the

854
00:41:30,398 --> 00:41:33,478
Speaker 2: groundskeeper at the feel we played on. But I'll tell

855
00:41:33,478 --> 00:41:35,838
Speaker 2: you what, that's all I could think this Texas League. Man,

856
00:41:35,958 --> 00:41:38,198
Speaker 2: you're riding the bus. You're riding the bus between Dallas

857
00:41:38,198 --> 00:41:42,038
Speaker 2: and Houston right now. I got so many great memories

858
00:41:42,038 --> 00:41:44,118
Speaker 2: of that place. Tough ones, though, we got our butts

859
00:41:44,198 --> 00:41:46,918
Speaker 2: kicked but it was a tough league. Man. It was

860
00:41:46,918 --> 00:41:48,718
Speaker 2: a tough league to be. You had to be a

861
00:41:48,718 --> 00:41:50,558
Speaker 2: man to play in that league. Between the buses and

862
00:41:50,598 --> 00:41:53,758
Speaker 2: the competition, it was tremendous. So you're getting the latter

863
00:41:53,838 --> 00:41:55,598
Speaker 2: day version of the Texas League right now.

864
00:41:56,078 --> 00:41:58,118
Speaker 1: Let me tell you the bus ride that we took

865
00:41:58,358 --> 00:42:01,318
Speaker 1: from Houston to Dallas, I felt like I was back

866
00:42:01,318 --> 00:42:04,038
Speaker 1: in the Texas League. I mean this thing. When I

867
00:42:04,078 --> 00:42:06,078
Speaker 1: got off the bus. It was one of those like

868
00:42:06,118 --> 00:42:08,158
Speaker 1: shuttle buses you'd take in the airport to go to

869
00:42:08,158 --> 00:42:11,238
Speaker 1: the parking lot. It really was. I felt like I

870
00:42:11,318 --> 00:42:13,838
Speaker 1: was in the back of a pickup truck on an

871
00:42:13,998 --> 00:42:17,038
Speaker 1: unpaved road. When I actually got out of the thing

872
00:42:17,158 --> 00:42:18,798
Speaker 1: and got my feet on the ground, it felt like

873
00:42:18,838 --> 00:42:21,118
Speaker 1: if you've been out at sea for four hours and

874
00:42:21,158 --> 00:42:24,718
Speaker 1: you finally step on solid ground. I mean, and I

875
00:42:24,798 --> 00:42:26,838
Speaker 1: had to write my story with my computer on my

876
00:42:26,958 --> 00:42:29,478
Speaker 1: lap and Joe, I don't do motion sickness. Well, it

877
00:42:29,518 --> 00:42:31,678
Speaker 1: almost got really ugly on the back of that bus.

878
00:42:32,438 --> 00:42:35,758
Speaker 2: That's that's inappropriate. Man. You guys either a regular coach

879
00:42:35,998 --> 00:42:38,198
Speaker 2: or just got a couple of big black cars to

880
00:42:38,278 --> 00:42:41,318
Speaker 2: drive you up there, or just rentals that you drove yourself.

881
00:42:41,358 --> 00:42:43,438
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, I get that. That's what was it

882
00:42:43,518 --> 00:42:44,438
Speaker 2: three and a half four hours?

883
00:42:44,678 --> 00:42:47,838
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, well we stopped halfway a four hour trip.

884
00:42:47,878 --> 00:42:50,758
Speaker 1: We stopped the Buffalo, Texas by the way, if anybody

885
00:42:50,798 --> 00:42:52,718
Speaker 1: knows there is such a place, there actually is.

886
00:42:52,838 --> 00:42:54,558
Speaker 2: I love their wings. I love their wings.

887
00:42:54,718 --> 00:42:57,238
Speaker 1: Yeah, we did not go to the halfway house bar

888
00:42:57,358 --> 00:43:01,118
Speaker 1: and karaoke grill. We just fueled up and got ourselves

889
00:43:01,198 --> 00:43:03,598
Speaker 1: back in the road. But yeah, not going back that way.

890
00:43:03,718 --> 00:43:06,438
Speaker 1: So so Derek Jeter drove himself. So maybe I'll take

891
00:43:06,518 --> 00:43:07,478
Speaker 1: hitch a ride with Derek.

892
00:43:07,678 --> 00:43:09,198
Speaker 2: Well he took a jet, but he took a jeep

893
00:43:09,198 --> 00:43:10,478
Speaker 2: wagon here, of course he did.

894
00:43:10,798 --> 00:43:11,518
Speaker 1: Of course, that's right.

895
00:43:12,038 --> 00:43:12,238
Speaker 2: Hey.

896
00:43:12,638 --> 00:43:17,758
Speaker 1: Speaking of television, the Philadelphia Phillies are great TV, especially

897
00:43:17,798 --> 00:43:21,878
Speaker 1: when they're home. I mean, these guys play with such energy.

898
00:43:21,998 --> 00:43:25,958
Speaker 1: The crowd is just unbelievable. And now that it's like

899
00:43:25,998 --> 00:43:28,998
Speaker 1: they have a contest among each other to see who

900
00:43:29,038 --> 00:43:31,198
Speaker 1: can come up with the best sign, most creative sign,

901
00:43:31,278 --> 00:43:33,598
Speaker 1: I mean it's really really cool. I mean it just

902
00:43:33,718 --> 00:43:35,478
Speaker 1: jumps off the screen at you. And when you watch

903
00:43:35,518 --> 00:43:39,078
Speaker 1: a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park, and the task

904
00:43:39,238 --> 00:43:41,478
Speaker 1: was just enormous for Arizona to go in there, even

905
00:43:41,518 --> 00:43:43,438
Speaker 1: with their two best pictures, they come out of there

906
00:43:43,518 --> 00:43:48,118
Speaker 1: zero and two. Philly. Just I mean that lineup right now, Joe,

907
00:43:48,158 --> 00:43:51,638
Speaker 1: there's just it's just we talk about game planning. You

908
00:43:51,678 --> 00:43:53,638
Speaker 1: can come up with a game plan against that lineup,

909
00:43:53,838 --> 00:43:56,758
Speaker 1: it still can beat you. So is there a way

910
00:43:56,758 --> 00:43:59,998
Speaker 1: for Arizona to get back into the series going back home?

911
00:44:00,158 --> 00:44:01,958
Speaker 2: Well, they have to score. I mean, they have to

912
00:44:01,958 --> 00:44:04,118
Speaker 2: put points on the board. They got to think got

913
00:44:04,118 --> 00:44:06,838
Speaker 2: a CounterPunch. I mean, I know that game ended up

914
00:44:06,838 --> 00:44:09,078
Speaker 2: at ten zero yesterday, but it was at three to

915
00:44:09,158 --> 00:44:11,318
Speaker 2: nothing for a while. And they get the first game

916
00:44:11,358 --> 00:44:14,118
Speaker 2: where they get three runs total and it really didn't

917
00:44:14,678 --> 00:44:16,958
Speaker 2: mount any offensive attack. They got to get more offensive

918
00:44:17,518 --> 00:44:19,518
Speaker 2: and I don't know what this splits our numbers home

919
00:44:19,558 --> 00:44:24,238
Speaker 2: and road. And I know sometimes they're nebulous, but they

920
00:44:24,278 --> 00:44:26,158
Speaker 2: may see the ball better who knows him. Plus, like

921
00:44:26,198 --> 00:44:29,718
Speaker 2: you saying this, the white noise of Philadelphia is not

922
00:44:29,758 --> 00:44:31,318
Speaker 2: going to be there, and they're actually gonna get some people

923
00:44:31,358 --> 00:44:33,598
Speaker 2: on their side. But they got to score points. And listen,

924
00:44:33,678 --> 00:44:37,158
Speaker 2: I'm all about pitching, absolutely, but it's going to be

925
00:44:37,278 --> 00:44:41,598
Speaker 2: very difficult right now to hold down that Philly lineup combination.

926
00:44:42,078 --> 00:44:43,998
Speaker 2: They're all hot. I mean, they're just all hot right now,

927
00:44:44,038 --> 00:44:47,318
Speaker 2: and they're riding away. They're you know, hanging ten right now.

928
00:44:47,358 --> 00:44:49,958
Speaker 2: There's nobody that they don't feel like they can beat.

929
00:44:49,958 --> 00:44:53,078
Speaker 2: They feel like they can beat anybody. Anybody cy Young

930
00:44:53,158 --> 00:44:56,438
Speaker 2: himself has no chance against them. So that's where they're

931
00:44:56,478 --> 00:45:00,358
Speaker 2: at mentally. So offensively, the Diamondbacks, that's where they really

932
00:45:00,358 --> 00:45:02,158
Speaker 2: have to come up. I don't know if the diamond

933
00:45:02,198 --> 00:45:05,838
Speaker 2: I mean, the Diamondback pitching is fine, but at this point,

934
00:45:06,558 --> 00:45:07,958
Speaker 2: the Phillies are still going to come out and do

935
00:45:07,998 --> 00:45:10,518
Speaker 2: their thing like you've seen with or without the crop.

936
00:45:10,638 --> 00:45:12,758
Speaker 2: So the Diamondbacks have to pick it up. You got

937
00:45:12,798 --> 00:45:15,718
Speaker 2: to get some points up there. Points early kind of

938
00:45:16,758 --> 00:45:19,638
Speaker 2: put some at least a seed of doubt in Phillies

939
00:45:19,718 --> 00:45:22,918
Speaker 2: head regarding that they could be beaten by this group.

940
00:45:23,238 --> 00:45:24,998
Speaker 2: If they don't do that at all, there's there's zero

941
00:45:25,078 --> 00:45:26,318
Speaker 2: chance it's going to go for zero.

942
00:45:26,598 --> 00:45:30,118
Speaker 1: I'm with you, I definitely agree with you. It's not

943
00:45:30,198 --> 00:45:31,718
Speaker 1: normally you go in and say, hey, you got to

944
00:45:31,758 --> 00:45:35,038
Speaker 1: score points. Usually it's pitching and defense you win from there.

945
00:45:35,158 --> 00:45:37,358
Speaker 1: But I again, I think that offense is too hot

946
00:45:37,438 --> 00:45:40,838
Speaker 1: right now they've got it all rolling, and it's such

947
00:45:40,838 --> 00:45:43,678
Speaker 1: a deep lineup. I mean Castillano is kind of buried there.

948
00:45:43,758 --> 00:45:45,718
Speaker 1: The back half of the lineup is like a middle

949
00:45:45,718 --> 00:45:48,318
Speaker 1: of the order hitter. By the way, you had Castillo's

950
00:45:48,358 --> 00:45:52,718
Speaker 1: with the Cubs. You know, I've seen Kevin Long make

951
00:45:53,038 --> 00:45:56,078
Speaker 1: so many great adjustments with hitters. He's another one. By

952
00:45:56,118 --> 00:45:57,918
Speaker 1: the way, they spend a lot of time in the offseason.

953
00:45:58,078 --> 00:45:59,838
Speaker 1: Not that he couldn't hit before. I mean, Nick is

954
00:45:59,838 --> 00:46:02,278
Speaker 1: an extra base machine, always has been. But it looks

955
00:46:02,318 --> 00:46:04,158
Speaker 1: to me Joe like just the angle of his back

956
00:46:04,158 --> 00:46:08,198
Speaker 1: getting the ball is even better now. And he is

957
00:46:08,278 --> 00:46:12,278
Speaker 1: a guy I must say he loves the postseason environment.

958
00:46:12,598 --> 00:46:15,958
Speaker 1: I think it allows him to lock in mentally more

959
00:46:15,998 --> 00:46:18,358
Speaker 1: so than the regular season. And I know you hear

960
00:46:18,398 --> 00:46:20,918
Speaker 1: that phrase, Hey, some guys step up quote unquote in

961
00:46:20,918 --> 00:46:22,918
Speaker 1: the postseason. I'm not sure what that means, but I

962
00:46:23,718 --> 00:46:26,358
Speaker 1: do know that in the case of some players, the

963
00:46:26,398 --> 00:46:30,158
Speaker 1: atmosphere of the postseason does bring out the best in them.

964
00:46:30,878 --> 00:46:32,958
Speaker 1: As you know, the regular season, one hundred and sixty

965
00:46:32,958 --> 00:46:37,798
Speaker 1: two games, it can be literally a routine, and that's

966
00:46:37,918 --> 00:46:39,918
Speaker 1: not the case for Nick and the postseason. I know

967
00:46:40,198 --> 00:46:42,358
Speaker 1: he talked about that last year he made some great

968
00:46:42,398 --> 00:46:45,558
Speaker 1: defensive plays. He's not known for it, and he talked

969
00:46:45,598 --> 00:46:48,678
Speaker 1: about just his attention and his focus being razor sharp

970
00:46:48,678 --> 00:46:51,798
Speaker 1: in the postseason atmosphere. So listen, we know it's a

971
00:46:51,798 --> 00:46:55,118
Speaker 1: great lineup, but with Castiano swinging like this, man, it's

972
00:46:55,478 --> 00:46:58,118
Speaker 1: there's no letup. And that's why I agree with you.

973
00:46:58,118 --> 00:47:00,118
Speaker 1: You're probably gonna have to score five runs a nights

974
00:47:00,238 --> 00:47:01,398
Speaker 1: take this Philly team down.

975
00:47:01,918 --> 00:47:07,838
Speaker 2: Yeah. Nicky's really interesting young man. When you speak with him,

976
00:47:08,038 --> 00:47:10,998
Speaker 2: he stone faces you. Man, He's got these really piercing

977
00:47:11,038 --> 00:47:13,598
Speaker 2: eyes and like you know, normally when you talk to somebody,

978
00:47:13,638 --> 00:47:15,318
Speaker 2: you'll see some kind of emotion on their face. They

979
00:47:15,398 --> 00:47:19,198
Speaker 2: might smile a little bit, yes, they they might not, yes,

980
00:47:19,278 --> 00:47:22,198
Speaker 2: something like that. But Nikki Doesn'tnicky just stands there. And

981
00:47:22,998 --> 00:47:25,198
Speaker 2: I love that about it because I always what's he thinking.

982
00:47:26,158 --> 00:47:28,678
Speaker 2: He come up to me before every game, every game

983
00:47:28,718 --> 00:47:31,118
Speaker 2: that we work together, come up to me by the

984
00:47:31,198 --> 00:47:32,798
Speaker 2: end of the dugout where I stood before the game,

985
00:47:33,118 --> 00:47:36,318
Speaker 2: might shakes my hand and says happy Opening Day. He

986
00:47:36,478 --> 00:47:38,358
Speaker 2: did that every time. You know, he has this like

987
00:47:38,438 --> 00:47:44,198
Speaker 2: quiet enthusiasm, this this fire within. So I'm really pleased

988
00:47:44,238 --> 00:47:47,398
Speaker 2: for his success. Liked him a lot, which you're talking about.

989
00:47:47,438 --> 00:47:49,998
Speaker 2: I think the other night against I can't remember who

990
00:47:50,038 --> 00:47:52,638
Speaker 2: it was, he turned around one hundred mile an hour

991
00:47:52,678 --> 00:47:57,558
Speaker 2: elevated fastball, I mean kilted to left center, and uh,

992
00:47:57,598 --> 00:47:59,438
Speaker 2: that would be something he wouldn't do in the pass

993
00:47:59,518 --> 00:48:02,238
Speaker 2: that elevated fastball like that because of the angle of

994
00:48:02,238 --> 00:48:04,878
Speaker 2: his bat, Like you're talking about, I who was it?

995
00:48:04,958 --> 00:48:08,638
Speaker 1: He just he just absolutely it was Spencer Strider, wasn't it.

996
00:48:08,878 --> 00:48:12,238
Speaker 2: It might have been, Yeah, it was exactly That's who

997
00:48:12,318 --> 00:48:16,238
Speaker 2: it was. And the thing about Nikky weirdly, and I

998
00:48:16,238 --> 00:48:18,398
Speaker 2: don't know why, but he's the line gap gap line.

999
00:48:18,398 --> 00:48:21,958
Speaker 2: I mean, this guy covers. He rarely hits balls at outfielders.

1000
00:48:21,998 --> 00:48:25,318
Speaker 2: It's always to their right or left, and it's normally

1001
00:48:25,398 --> 00:48:28,878
Speaker 2: hit hard. When he gets hot, man, he gets scorching hot.

1002
00:48:29,118 --> 00:48:31,438
Speaker 2: And a part of it is confidence, and part of

1003
00:48:31,478 --> 00:48:32,958
Speaker 2: it is, like you're talking about bad angle, it's just

1004
00:48:32,958 --> 00:48:35,598
Speaker 2: the way the bat presents he'll like hook it down

1005
00:48:35,638 --> 00:48:38,798
Speaker 2: the line or he just it's in a gap. It's

1006
00:48:38,878 --> 00:48:41,558
Speaker 2: he's a he's a different kind of an approach to

1007
00:48:41,598 --> 00:48:45,118
Speaker 2: the plate. I think the difference I'm seeing a little bit.

1008
00:48:45,158 --> 00:48:47,478
Speaker 2: He's not chasing as much. I think that that really

1009
00:48:47,958 --> 00:48:49,358
Speaker 2: is the one thing that I always wanted to see

1010
00:48:49,438 --> 00:48:52,238
Speaker 2: him do is the stuff that bad Slider. Except as walks,

1011
00:48:52,678 --> 00:48:54,998
Speaker 2: he's one of He's a hitter. And I've heard Trey

1012
00:48:55,038 --> 00:48:57,678
Speaker 2: Turner talk about it in regards to their success too,

1013
00:48:57,678 --> 00:48:59,998
Speaker 2: and I think that's there's some truth to it. They're

1014
00:49:00,038 --> 00:49:04,078
Speaker 2: not up there analytically trying to just take walks. He's

1015
00:49:04,118 --> 00:49:06,398
Speaker 2: the term accept your walk. Pittard doesn't want to three

1016
00:49:06,478 --> 00:49:09,158
Speaker 2: strike except your walk. But these guys go up there

1017
00:49:09,158 --> 00:49:12,278
Speaker 2: wanting to hit. Nicky's one of them two, so that's it.

1018
00:49:13,358 --> 00:49:15,518
Speaker 2: I like what he's doing. I'm very happy for his success.

1019
00:49:15,558 --> 00:49:16,478
Speaker 2: I like this guy a lot.

1020
00:49:16,798 --> 00:49:19,318
Speaker 1: And last thing on that series, Bryce Harper Man you

1021
00:49:19,398 --> 00:49:22,358
Speaker 1: talk about good TV. I mean he's a superstar player

1022
00:49:23,238 --> 00:49:27,198
Speaker 1: type a personality, extrovert, baseball rat, whatever you want to

1023
00:49:27,198 --> 00:49:29,918
Speaker 1: call it, and man, it shows every step of the way.

1024
00:49:29,958 --> 00:49:33,318
Speaker 1: I think it's always been the case with Bryce. He's

1025
00:49:33,398 --> 00:49:36,758
Speaker 1: always played the game hard. Early in his career. You know,

1026
00:49:36,838 --> 00:49:39,478
Speaker 1: there's some people who criticize Bryce Harper and didn't like

1027
00:49:39,478 --> 00:49:41,278
Speaker 1: the way he played the game, and I would always

1028
00:49:41,278 --> 00:49:43,398
Speaker 1: come back like, how do you not like this guy?

1029
00:49:43,758 --> 00:49:46,918
Speaker 1: He plays the game hard, like really hard. Some people said,

1030
00:49:46,918 --> 00:49:49,678
Speaker 1: actually he played too hard, running into walls in the outfield.

1031
00:49:50,558 --> 00:49:53,558
Speaker 1: If you ask him anything about baseball history, man, he's

1032
00:49:53,558 --> 00:49:55,438
Speaker 1: going to give you an answer. I mean, he knows

1033
00:49:55,478 --> 00:49:57,438
Speaker 1: the history of this game, I think better than any

1034
00:49:57,478 --> 00:50:01,278
Speaker 1: active player. He's just so passionate about the game of baseball.

1035
00:50:01,318 --> 00:50:05,838
Speaker 1: He's a passionate leader. He he loves responsibility. He signed

1036
00:50:05,878 --> 00:50:08,438
Speaker 1: for thirteen years with Philly and said, I don't want

1037
00:50:08,478 --> 00:50:11,638
Speaker 1: an out and opt out in my contract. I want

1038
00:50:11,678 --> 00:50:15,438
Speaker 1: to put down roots and be in one place. Because

1039
00:50:15,438 --> 00:50:18,078
Speaker 1: he was a hired gun for listen since he was

1040
00:50:18,358 --> 00:50:20,878
Speaker 1: thirteen years old. Travel teams would put him on a

1041
00:50:20,878 --> 00:50:22,998
Speaker 1: plane to go playing a tournament for them, and then

1042
00:50:23,038 --> 00:50:25,958
Speaker 1: next week he's playing for somebody else. The minute he

1043
00:50:26,158 --> 00:50:28,878
Speaker 1: started playing the big leagues at nineteen with Washington, the

1044
00:50:28,998 --> 00:50:32,318
Speaker 1: question was where's he gonna play next? And everybody thought

1045
00:50:32,318 --> 00:50:33,998
Speaker 1: it was going to be the Yankees because they have

1046
00:50:34,038 --> 00:50:35,998
Speaker 1: the most money and he had a poster Mickey Mantle

1047
00:50:36,078 --> 00:50:39,038
Speaker 1: on their wall. Well, when he was a free agent,

1048
00:50:39,078 --> 00:50:41,838
Speaker 1: the Yankee said, we don't need Bryce Harper. We have

1049
00:50:41,918 --> 00:50:45,638
Speaker 1: six outfielders, including guys like Clint Fraser and Miguel had

1050
00:50:45,718 --> 00:50:48,038
Speaker 1: duhar and we don't think he can play first base.

1051
00:50:48,478 --> 00:50:50,678
Speaker 1: How did that breakdown work out for the New York Yankees.

1052
00:50:50,678 --> 00:50:52,638
Speaker 1: They also said he didn't think he could play first base.

1053
00:50:52,918 --> 00:50:57,678
Speaker 1: Here he's playing first base in the NLCS. Don't underestimate

1054
00:50:57,718 --> 00:51:01,118
Speaker 1: this guy. I mean, he's Joe. I know you famously

1055
00:51:01,158 --> 00:51:02,758
Speaker 1: took him off the board the one year by just

1056
00:51:02,798 --> 00:51:05,478
Speaker 1: walking and walking and walking. I don't think he can

1057
00:51:05,558 --> 00:51:08,118
Speaker 1: do that in this Philadelphia lineup. There's just too much

1058
00:51:08,158 --> 00:51:10,678
Speaker 1: thunder behind them. Back then it was Ryan Zimmerman who

1059
00:51:10,718 --> 00:51:12,678
Speaker 1: was hitting a lot of ground balls, wasn't quite right.

1060
00:51:14,358 --> 00:51:16,998
Speaker 1: But yeah, you have to account for Bryce Harper all

1061
00:51:16,998 --> 00:51:20,278
Speaker 1: the time. And yeah, the bigger moments bring out the

1062
00:51:20,318 --> 00:51:22,798
Speaker 1: best in this guy. And like I said, in the

1063
00:51:22,798 --> 00:51:25,438
Speaker 1: Game of Baseball, I know show Hay is just amazing

1064
00:51:25,638 --> 00:51:27,838
Speaker 1: and there's nobody like him, never has been, never will.

1065
00:51:28,358 --> 00:51:31,798
Speaker 1: But in terms of just pure TV, the emotion delivering

1066
00:51:31,798 --> 00:51:35,518
Speaker 1: a big moment, it's Reggie Jackson. There's nobody better. There's

1067
00:51:35,558 --> 00:51:38,718
Speaker 1: no better TV in baseball today than Bryce Harper.

1068
00:51:39,478 --> 00:51:43,078
Speaker 2: Well, and I can't agree. I'm not discreen on any

1069
00:51:43,118 --> 00:51:44,718
Speaker 2: of that. And one thing I really liked, and I

1070
00:51:44,718 --> 00:51:48,878
Speaker 2: don't know that you know, everybody's noticing. But I love

1071
00:51:49,158 --> 00:51:52,758
Speaker 2: the way these guys hit home runs, run around the bases,

1072
00:51:52,798 --> 00:51:56,918
Speaker 2: and then just read each other at the dugout. It's

1073
00:51:56,998 --> 00:51:59,518
Speaker 2: so cool to watch it. So he hit that bomb

1074
00:51:59,518 --> 00:52:01,358
Speaker 2: the right center, man, he just he put the bat

1075
00:52:01,438 --> 00:52:04,238
Speaker 2: pretty much right down right around the basis be a

1076
00:52:04,278 --> 00:52:06,518
Speaker 2: big deal. But I think that's part of their allure,

1077
00:52:07,038 --> 00:52:10,598
Speaker 2: and especially to that city that's not a city of backflips.

1078
00:52:10,598 --> 00:52:13,598
Speaker 2: I don't think that's a city that really likes that

1079
00:52:13,678 --> 00:52:16,958
Speaker 2: kind of an attitude. And I hope, I hope, you know,

1080
00:52:17,038 --> 00:52:19,278
Speaker 2: that kind of stuff becomes more in vogue again, where

1081
00:52:19,838 --> 00:52:21,478
Speaker 2: you act like you've done that before, you're gonna do

1082
00:52:21,518 --> 00:52:23,118
Speaker 2: it again. I love that about him, and I love

1083
00:52:23,158 --> 00:52:27,238
Speaker 2: that about them the retrospectively too. When you look at

1084
00:52:27,238 --> 00:52:31,478
Speaker 2: Bryce Harper, he's got that really stern look about him,

1085
00:52:31,478 --> 00:52:33,638
Speaker 2: that really square John look about him, and I think

1086
00:52:34,398 --> 00:52:37,598
Speaker 2: there's like almost like an assuming unapproachability about him. He's

1087
00:52:37,678 --> 00:52:40,878
Speaker 2: very approachable, he's easy to engage with, but the look

1088
00:52:40,918 --> 00:52:44,278
Speaker 2: itself gives you a different vibe immediately, and I think

1089
00:52:44,318 --> 00:52:46,878
Speaker 2: people are finding that out to be totally different. I

1090
00:52:47,038 --> 00:52:49,558
Speaker 2: sat in front of him on a bus with his

1091
00:52:49,678 --> 00:52:51,958
Speaker 2: parents going in an all star situation a couple of

1092
00:52:52,038 --> 00:52:54,438
Speaker 2: years ago, and that's really pretty much the first time

1093
00:52:54,438 --> 00:52:57,678
Speaker 2: I engaged in conversation. I mean, KB, Chris Bryant, we

1094
00:52:57,678 --> 00:53:01,078
Speaker 2: always buddies, and KB was very is always affable. So

1095
00:53:01,118 --> 00:53:02,718
Speaker 2: I think I think that's the look too, man. You

1096
00:53:02,798 --> 00:53:05,758
Speaker 2: look kind of like people didn't quite understand him at

1097
00:53:05,798 --> 00:53:09,078
Speaker 2: the beginning. Now they understand it. It is a focus,

1098
00:53:09,598 --> 00:53:12,118
Speaker 2: it is a competitive nature. It's a fire, it's a burn,

1099
00:53:12,758 --> 00:53:15,598
Speaker 2: it's NFL good, it's all that kind of stuff. So

1100
00:53:16,758 --> 00:53:19,198
Speaker 2: I'm really happy for success. Like I said, I even

1101
00:53:19,238 --> 00:53:22,158
Speaker 2: with that one conversation with him and his parents. He

1102
00:53:22,678 --> 00:53:25,878
Speaker 2: told me everything. And it's not going away, folks, It's

1103
00:53:25,878 --> 00:53:28,798
Speaker 2: not going away. And last point, I hate the comment

1104
00:53:28,838 --> 00:53:31,598
Speaker 2: when somebody makes the assumption that somebody can't do something

1105
00:53:32,678 --> 00:53:34,678
Speaker 2: or they can't make an adjustment to do something without

1106
00:53:34,758 --> 00:53:37,878
Speaker 2: ever even trying, without even knowing the person. When I

1107
00:53:37,878 --> 00:53:42,878
Speaker 2: hear those comments and meetings, I cringe inwardly. It don't know,

1108
00:53:43,078 --> 00:53:44,718
Speaker 2: and you don't know. When you talk about a motivated

1109
00:53:44,758 --> 00:53:48,038
Speaker 2: athlete like this, the one that truly is a level

1110
00:53:48,078 --> 00:53:50,518
Speaker 2: five guy, all he wants to do is win. Be

1111
00:53:50,598 --> 00:53:52,598
Speaker 2: careful what you say because guys like this are going

1112
00:53:52,678 --> 00:53:53,798
Speaker 2: to prove you wrong all the time.

1113
00:53:54,118 --> 00:53:57,238
Speaker 1: Well said, And that's a great observation. By the way,

1114
00:53:57,278 --> 00:53:59,478
Speaker 1: on the Phillies when they hit home runs, now that

1115
00:53:59,718 --> 00:54:01,918
Speaker 1: you brought that up, it makes me think like they

1116
00:54:01,958 --> 00:54:06,758
Speaker 1: can't wait to sell celebrate with each other. Right, it's

1117
00:54:06,758 --> 00:54:09,798
Speaker 1: about It's not about me, it's about us, and it's

1118
00:54:09,838 --> 00:54:12,558
Speaker 1: a mass celebration. It's not a celebration of the guy

1119
00:54:12,558 --> 00:54:15,758
Speaker 1: who hit the home run. Until you brought that up,

1120
00:54:15,758 --> 00:54:17,838
Speaker 1: I really hadn't thought about that, but now that I

1121
00:54:17,918 --> 00:54:20,478
Speaker 1: do think about it, Yeah, it's it's like a college

1122
00:54:20,518 --> 00:54:23,758
Speaker 1: team that it really is for the good of the team,

1123
00:54:24,358 --> 00:54:28,198
Speaker 1: not for showcasing one's own ability. And they literally can't

1124
00:54:28,238 --> 00:54:30,678
Speaker 1: wait to get back to home late to share it

1125
00:54:30,718 --> 00:54:32,638
Speaker 1: with their Teammate's very cool observation.

1126
00:54:32,998 --> 00:54:35,478
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, everybody's trying to do themselves right now

1127
00:54:35,478 --> 00:54:38,998
Speaker 2: in celebrations. I love the Philly way, and again I

1128
00:54:38,998 --> 00:54:40,118
Speaker 2: think it speaks to the city.

1129
00:54:40,358 --> 00:54:44,078
Speaker 1: Well, we'll see if Arizona and Houston can get back

1130
00:54:44,118 --> 00:54:47,038
Speaker 1: into these series and give us more playoff baseball. We're

1131
00:54:47,038 --> 00:54:49,958
Speaker 1: a little short on postseason games this year, but the

1132
00:54:49,998 --> 00:54:54,478
Speaker 1: storylines are great. Both Texas and Philadelphia right now, are

1133
00:54:54,638 --> 00:54:59,438
Speaker 1: just playing super clean baseball. They've got momentum going. Can

1134
00:54:59,478 --> 00:55:02,158
Speaker 1: they keep it up? We'll find out. We'll get back

1135
00:55:02,158 --> 00:55:06,118
Speaker 1: to you as these series go deeper. So Joe has

1136
00:55:06,158 --> 00:55:08,958
Speaker 1: really been fascinating listening to your take on the LCS here,

1137
00:55:08,998 --> 00:55:12,238
Speaker 1: and you're kind of like my closer here. I go

1138
00:55:12,278 --> 00:55:14,598
Speaker 1: to you when I need a way to close out

1139
00:55:14,678 --> 00:55:17,358
Speaker 1: the game. I know it's the balls in good hands.

1140
00:55:17,758 --> 00:55:19,638
Speaker 1: So take us out here, finish us off. What do

1141
00:55:19,718 --> 00:55:20,078
Speaker 1: you got?

1142
00:55:20,438 --> 00:55:23,358
Speaker 2: I had some too today and I'm just been debating

1143
00:55:23,598 --> 00:55:27,478
Speaker 2: and again it's Jermaine and I love it all. Maybe

1144
00:55:27,558 --> 00:55:29,478
Speaker 2: hey go with to today, may I I mean, just

1145
00:55:29,478 --> 00:55:31,998
Speaker 2: just because I think they're kind of dovetail. I mean

1146
00:55:31,998 --> 00:55:34,838
Speaker 2: when comes from Oscar Wilde, and this is something that

1147
00:55:34,878 --> 00:55:38,198
Speaker 2: I really kind of kind of beat home to myself

1148
00:55:38,238 --> 00:55:41,358
Speaker 2: for years. Whenever you become uncertain and sure of yourself,

1149
00:55:41,438 --> 00:55:43,758
Speaker 2: you have a little bit of doubt working and you

1150
00:55:43,838 --> 00:55:45,638
Speaker 2: look at everybody else. There is like a little sense

1151
00:55:45,678 --> 00:55:47,678
Speaker 2: of I don't know the right word is jealousy, but

1152
00:55:47,798 --> 00:55:50,318
Speaker 2: just I just like to be more like that. But

1153
00:55:50,518 --> 00:55:54,038
Speaker 2: Oscar wild said, be yourself. Everyone else has already taken.

1154
00:55:54,558 --> 00:55:57,038
Speaker 2: And again you look at the Afhillies. That's a perfect

1155
00:55:57,078 --> 00:56:00,118
Speaker 2: example of them being themselves. And the other one comes

1156
00:56:00,158 --> 00:56:04,478
Speaker 2: from E. B. White, who wrote Charlotte's Web. Always be

1157
00:56:04,518 --> 00:56:09,038
Speaker 2: on the lookout for the presence of wonder. I'm going

1158
00:56:09,118 --> 00:56:11,358
Speaker 2: to stick with. I love that. I've never read that before.

1159
00:56:11,358 --> 00:56:15,318
Speaker 2: I never heard that before. But the idea, it's like

1160
00:56:15,398 --> 00:56:18,638
Speaker 2: first time I is first time passion. It's great that

1161
00:56:18,718 --> 00:56:21,598
Speaker 2: you could have that feeling of wonder when you observe

1162
00:56:21,718 --> 00:56:24,478
Speaker 2: something when you're sixty nine or how old you are

1163
00:56:24,598 --> 00:56:27,358
Speaker 2: right now, and or even if you're twenty three whatever,

1164
00:56:27,518 --> 00:56:30,158
Speaker 2: just never lose that sense of wonder. And when you're

1165
00:56:30,158 --> 00:56:33,598
Speaker 2: watching performances like this right now, whether it's Swarvezley in

1166
00:56:33,638 --> 00:56:38,238
Speaker 2: the game off, whether it's Harper playing to the crowd

1167
00:56:38,358 --> 00:56:41,318
Speaker 2: and coming through in big moments where matures are coming

1168
00:56:41,318 --> 00:56:44,878
Speaker 2: back on a very short d el Stan I else did.

1169
00:56:44,958 --> 00:56:47,518
Speaker 2: So I love that. So therever always been a lookout

1170
00:56:47,558 --> 00:56:51,038
Speaker 2: for the presence of wonder. But again, realize everyone else

1171
00:56:51,078 --> 00:56:53,718
Speaker 2: has taken so please be yourself. I really dig that.

1172
00:56:54,038 --> 00:56:56,438
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that point about wonder. It really is

1173
00:56:56,878 --> 00:56:59,838
Speaker 1: around us. You have to just stop and notice it

1174
00:56:59,878 --> 00:57:02,758
Speaker 1: and be attuned to it. And I know sometimes it

1175
00:57:02,798 --> 00:57:05,518
Speaker 1: gets hard, but yeah, there's a lot of wonder in

1176
00:57:05,558 --> 00:57:07,878
Speaker 1: the postseason. And Joe, that was an excellent job. I'm

1177
00:57:07,918 --> 00:57:10,598
Speaker 1: glad you brought up two of those. That's the equivalent

1178
00:57:10,638 --> 00:57:12,758
Speaker 1: of a six out save right there, closing the game

1179
00:57:12,798 --> 00:57:14,518
Speaker 1: going two winnings, not one.

1180
00:57:14,558 --> 00:57:16,878
Speaker 2: Six house, not easy.

1181
00:57:17,198 --> 00:57:19,758
Speaker 1: Another guy who steps up in the postseason. Joe Madden.

1182
00:57:20,798 --> 00:57:33,678
Speaker 1: Thanks Joe, Thanks Tommy, appreciate it, buddy. The Book of

1183
00:57:33,758 --> 00:57:37,638
Speaker 1: Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts

1184
00:57:37,678 --> 00:57:42,438
Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

1185
00:57:42,478 --> 00:57:43,598
Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.