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

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

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

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

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Speaker 1: voter number seventy six, Rob Parker. Welcome into the podcast.

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Speaker 1: I'm your host, Rob Parker. What a great show we

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Speaker 1: have for you today. Xavier Shrugs, the former Major league

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Speaker 1: first baseman and current MLB network host. He joins us.

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Speaker 1: Also More Gonzalez, the AP baseball writer out of Chicago.

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Speaker 1: He'll stop by that plus foul a fair, Let's go

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Speaker 1: up to lead off. It's getting robbed to keep him on.

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

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Speaker 1: League Baseball. Number one, CBS four. It's reported on Wednesday

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Speaker 1: that the Wan solo sweep Steaks has a leading contender,

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Speaker 1: and that contender is the St. Louis Cardinals. There are

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Speaker 1: big name markets involved. There's the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Giants,

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Speaker 1: even the Seattle Mariners. But CBS Sports is saying that St.

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Speaker 1: Louis is the team right now that has a great

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Speaker 1: shot at having enough to send to Washington for Juan Soto,

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Speaker 1: who turned down that four hundred and forty million dollar

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Speaker 1: contract with the Nationals and now appears to be, you know,

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Speaker 1: on the move and traded by the August second deadline.

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Speaker 1: Of course, the Nationals wonna Hall, so it's gonna take

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Speaker 1: a lot of um players from the minor leagues and

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Speaker 1: what not to make this thing happen. But uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: remember that right now CBS Sports is saying that it

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Speaker 1: is the St. Louis Cardinals, which would be something because

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Speaker 1: the Cardinals have two of the most promising position players

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Speaker 1: in the minor leagues in uh, especially that third baseman,

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Speaker 1: Jordan Walker. So we'll wait and see how that turns out.

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Speaker 1: Number two on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers. We're trying

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Speaker 1: to avoid a suite by the lowly Washington Nationals in

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Speaker 1: Los Angeles. They lost the first two games of a

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Speaker 1: three game series at Dodger Stadium, and for some reason,

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Speaker 1: as great as the Dodgers are, they have the second

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Speaker 1: best record in baseball behind the New York Yankees, the

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Speaker 1: Dodgers have struggled with bad teams. The Dodgers coming into Wednesday,

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Speaker 1: we're only three and eight against the Pirates, and Nash

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Speaker 1: Knowles teams with uh, you know, wins of forty and

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Speaker 1: thirty four respectively this season, and once again bullpen issues.

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Speaker 1: Dave Roberts decisions out of the bullpen, and if the

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Speaker 1: Dodgers need to make something happen come the trade deadline

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Speaker 1: of August second, will have to be some bullpen help

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Speaker 1: because the Dodgers are basically loaded everywhere. They were reeling

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Speaker 1: off before the Washington Nationals came to town. They had

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Speaker 1: won eight games in a row. Everything seemed to be clicking,

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Speaker 1: and Uh, instead they run into a bus all called

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Speaker 1: the Washington Nationals Number three. Don't look now, but the

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Speaker 1: New York Metropolitans could be getting even better and they

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Speaker 1: have coming into Wednesday the fourth best record in baseball.

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Speaker 1: When you talk about the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Astros,

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Speaker 1: and then the Mets and UH, they're looking to get

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Speaker 1: their ace. Jacob degroam back Jacob de gram on Tuesday night.

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Speaker 1: He allowed to home run, struck out six and his

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Speaker 1: fourth rehab start. So the Mets are hoping that the

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Speaker 1: two times Cy Young Award winner UH can shake off

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Speaker 1: the little rust, the little bumps in the road and

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Speaker 1: be ready to take the mound back in the major leagues,

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Speaker 1: which will be perfect for them as they go into

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Speaker 1: the last couple of months of the regular season. It's

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Speaker 1: a miracle that the Mets were able to compile a

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Speaker 1: record that they have without the Graham, without shuts Or,

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Speaker 1: who both had injuries at the same time. Of course,

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Speaker 1: Sers is back, and now they look for the Graham

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Speaker 1: to get back, and if they do, the Mets will

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Speaker 1: be definitely a team to be afraid of in the postseason.

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Speaker 1: When you start a three game, when you start a

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Speaker 1: series in the postseason and Scherzer and the Gram or

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Speaker 1: your first two starters, you got a great chance to advance.

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Speaker 1: Here comes the big interview. Listen, Hendler, It's so cool.

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Speaker 1: Let's welcome to the podcast. Former Major league first baseman

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Speaker 1: Xavier Shrugs, who is now with MLB Network and has

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Speaker 1: a new show called Off Bass, which debuted this season. Xavier,

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Speaker 1: welcome to the podcast. Hey, I appreciate you having me man,

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Speaker 1: Thanks for thanks for it was really good to see

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Speaker 1: you all Star break. We finally got to catch up,

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Speaker 1: so good to meet you and glad to be on here,

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Speaker 1: no doubt about it. And you're doing great work. Tell

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Speaker 1: us about the new show and how much fun that is.

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Speaker 1: I've seen it a few times. Oh yeah, man, it's

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Speaker 1: it's amazing. It's it's fun just to be able to

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Speaker 1: sit back and kind of just talk about the ins

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Speaker 1: and out of the game, that the things that we

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Speaker 1: don't necessarily get to celebrate all the time. Um, and

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Speaker 1: definitely bring attraction from that younger generation. Uh. That's one

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Speaker 1: area where we've definitely seen a lot of grow oath

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Speaker 1: uh and being able to attract and motivate people to

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Speaker 1: see the really cool things within the game. Um, not

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Speaker 1: necessarily everything on the field, but some of those things

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Speaker 1: off the field as well. What what guys are wearing

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Speaker 1: to the field, what type of music we're listening to,

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Speaker 1: what the fan trends are are going on in the seats. Uh.

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Speaker 1: So we get to do a lot of that and

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Speaker 1: we just get to sit back and talking. Also debate

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Speaker 1: a lot. That's one of my favorite aspects that we

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Speaker 1: get to debate all the time. Yeah, that kind of

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Speaker 1: stuff is fun. Definitely will attract a younger audience. And

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Speaker 1: we were both in Los Angeles at the All Star

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Speaker 1: Game and it was live and and there were a

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Speaker 1: lot of young people who were excited to see the

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Speaker 1: All Star Game in Los Angeles. Yeah, it was a

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Speaker 1: lot of fun. Um. I mean you just think about

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Speaker 1: so many stars there. Um, Los Angeles just does it right, right,

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Speaker 1: you know, they know how to take care of people. Um.

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Speaker 1: The Dodgers Stadium was lit. Everybody was having a great

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Speaker 1: time and good to really catch up with all the

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Speaker 1: people within our game that really continue to elevate our game.

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Speaker 1: And I think our game is is definitely at the

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Speaker 1: height of where it's been. It's good to see the

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Speaker 1: diversity within the game continuing to grow. Um on all aspects,

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Speaker 1: not just players, but as well as media and all

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Speaker 1: the different platforms that we have now um, surrounding our game.

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Speaker 1: Let's talk about some baseball on the field and the

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Speaker 1: Mets and Yankee Subway series at City Field. Game one

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Speaker 1: was Tuesday night and the Mets got that. Um. But

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Speaker 1: New York having two teams both really good, the Yankees

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Speaker 1: with the best record in baseball and the Mets with

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Speaker 1: I think the fourth best record in baseball. Talk about

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Speaker 1: the rivalry with those two teams, Well, it doesn't get

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Speaker 1: that much better than the Subway series, and baseball is

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Speaker 1: that much better when both New York teams are playing

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Speaker 1: really good baseball. Uh I look at both of these

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Speaker 1: teams are different to you. Look at the Yankees, they're boppers.

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Speaker 1: They're gonna hit a lot of home runs. Um, they're

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Speaker 1: gonna put runs up on the board. The Mets do

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Speaker 1: it a little bit different. They're gonna score with runners

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Speaker 1: in scoring position. They do a good job of working

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Speaker 1: the count. Um, you've got a lot of guys that

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Speaker 1: do a good job of getting on base, not a

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Speaker 1: lot of swinging, missing a lot of those guys. So

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Speaker 1: you look at the two different ways these teams approach

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Speaker 1: one another, I think we're gonna get a good preview

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Speaker 1: as to how these teams end up playing in the postseason,

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Speaker 1: because I should expect both these teams to be in

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Speaker 1: the postseason and make a deep run as well. Speaking

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Speaker 1: of boppers, before the All Star Break, there was some

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Speaker 1: you know, seamheads analytics geeks who were talking about, oh,

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Speaker 1: Tani is really the a l m v P. And

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Speaker 1: Aaron Judge has been tearing the cover off the ball

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Speaker 1: came off the All Star Break, He's hit in five

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Speaker 1: straight and Xavier has five home runs during that five

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Speaker 1: game hit streak and had one Tuesday Night against the Mets.

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Speaker 1: Is he your a l m v P if the

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Speaker 1: season ended right now, If the season ended right now,

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Speaker 1: Aaron Judge is my a l m v P. The

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Speaker 1: best player on the best team. Uh I just look

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Speaker 1: at what he's done. From a consistency standpoint. He's done

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Speaker 1: it from day one. Uh guy that bet on himself.

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Speaker 1: The numbers are there. Uh I love how this guy

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Speaker 1: has now even played center field a lot of days.

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Speaker 1: You're looking at somebody that's done it in multiple positions. Um,

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Speaker 1: he brings that team the most value that we've seen.

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Speaker 1: And the Angels is a situation where Ohtani hasn't necessarily

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Speaker 1: hit the way we might have expected him to. Um,

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Speaker 1: he has pitched the way that we would expected m

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Speaker 1: v P to pitch. But I'm looking at what Judge

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Speaker 1: has done for the best team in baseball. There's no

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Speaker 1: denying he's that m v P. And I'm not pooh

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Speaker 1: pooling what Otani has done. He's incredible. We're watching a

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Speaker 1: modern day Babe Ruth. But his most meaningful at bat

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Speaker 1: was probably day I mean, when you're twenty three and

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Speaker 1: a half games out or whatever it is now, you

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Speaker 1: can just go up there, take your at bats, you're

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Speaker 1: not really affecting winning or losing. And I think Judge

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Speaker 1: is playing in more meaningful games and more meaningful at bats.

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Speaker 1: Is that fair? That's absolutely fair? I would I think

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Speaker 1: that the conversation changes. If Ohtani is having more meaningful

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Speaker 1: games as well as dominating a little bit more at

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Speaker 1: the plate, then we're talking about a different conversation, and

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Speaker 1: then we're probably talking about a different Angels team as well.

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Speaker 1: But I look at what Judge has done. Um, this

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Speaker 1: dude has not stopped carrying this Yankees team from the beginning.

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Speaker 1: I even look at the defensive metrics have been good,

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Speaker 1: the base running is good, his all around game is

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Speaker 1: at a whole another level this year, and he's got

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Speaker 1: to be at the top of that list. Our guest

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Speaker 1: is Xavier Shrugs from the MLB Network, the new show

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Speaker 1: Off Base, the former Major League First by Eastman. Let's

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Speaker 1: talk about betting on yourselves and uh, Juan Soto turned

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Speaker 1: down four hundred and forty million dollars, almost a half

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Speaker 1: a billion dollars, And and I have to hit my

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Speaker 1: microphone and say, is this on? How do you turn

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Speaker 1: down a half a billion dollars? You turn down a

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Speaker 1: half a billion dollars when you know you have the

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Speaker 1: possibility to make a lot more than that here pretty soon, Um,

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Speaker 1: only twenty three years old. You gotta look at what

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Speaker 1: you can do in the future. Um. Also, you look

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Speaker 1: at Soto's once in a generational type player. We're comparing

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Speaker 1: him to Ted Williams uh, the greatest hitter of all time.

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Speaker 1: When you're getting those types of comparisons, every single team

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Speaker 1: is gonna want to find a way to have you

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Speaker 1: be on their team, whether it be through free agency,

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Speaker 1: whether it be through trade. First, we got the trade

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Speaker 1: deadline coming up very soon. Um, everybody's gonna try to

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Speaker 1: find a way to acquire a want Soto. Now, it's

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Speaker 1: gonna take a lot. But you look at what's wat

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Speaker 1: and Toto brings to the table from an all aspects

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Speaker 1: uh type of game, right. He does everything extremely well.

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Speaker 1: The one thing that you have to think about is

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Speaker 1: we haven't had a comparison of somebody turning down four

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Speaker 1: hundred and forty million dollars and then being traded. Uh,

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Speaker 1: we don't know quite what that is worse. So we'll

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Speaker 1: find out what teams think it's worth. But it'll be

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Speaker 1: interesting to see where what jersey he'll be wearing here

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Speaker 1: pretty soon. Last thing, Xavier. The team that I want

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Speaker 1: to watch the most as we UH pick up the

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Speaker 1: second half of the season is the San Diego Padres. UH.

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Speaker 1: Fernando Tattoos Jr. Has taken batting practice. Is just a

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Speaker 1: matter of time before he's back, and the Padres have

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Speaker 1: been able to hang in. I know they're ten and

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Speaker 1: a half games. I'll coming into UH Wednesday, but think

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Speaker 1: about it, they won fifty five games without their best player.

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Speaker 1: Are their team we need to look at absolutely really

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Speaker 1: and and the San Diego boy might come out and

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Speaker 1: me a little bit here, but I look at the

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Speaker 1: Fryers and this is a team that's had the pitching

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Speaker 1: depth that they've never had. This is a whole different

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Speaker 1: team when you talk about every guy that they have now.

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Speaker 1: They just recently had Mackenzie gore go down with the injury.

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Speaker 1: But I still look at a U Darvish, I still

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Speaker 1: look at Joe musgro I still look at Blake Smell

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Speaker 1: getting better, Clevinger as well. There's so there's a lot

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Speaker 1: of depth within this rotation as well as the bullpen.

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Speaker 1: And then when you have a Manny Machado who has

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Speaker 1: picked up the way rama Fernando Tatis Jr. Being gone,

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Speaker 1: and then you think about adding another piece to that

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Speaker 1: in a Fernando Tatis Jr. And let's not forget a J. Prelor.

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Speaker 1: He's the one that's gonna make some moves during this

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Speaker 1: trade deadline as well. He's not afraid to go out

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Speaker 1: there and get something and get somebody to help really

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Speaker 1: impact this team. I think there's a team we definitely

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Speaker 1: got to be looking for, especially as the Giants start

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Speaker 1: to slip back a little bit. They haven't been playing

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Speaker 1: the best of baseball in that NLS either. His name

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Speaker 1: is Xavier Shrugs, of course, the former Major league first

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Speaker 1: baseman now at the MLB Network. The TV show is

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Speaker 1: called off Base, Check it Out and Xavier, thanks for

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Speaker 1: the knowledge, my man. We appreciate you. I appreciate you

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Speaker 1: having me have a good one. Fox Sports Radio has

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Speaker 1: the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all

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Speaker 1: of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and

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Speaker 1: within the I Heart Radio app search f s R

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Speaker 1: to listen live. It's time for the Pocket Protector Central,

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Speaker 1: the analytic numbers you need to know. Well, maybe Anthony

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Speaker 1: Masterson is his name? B s analytics is his game?

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Speaker 1: What do you got for me, Anthony? Ever since the

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Speaker 1: days of Babe Ruth, scientists have tried to find what

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Speaker 1: makes a perfect swing? Well perfect? Is it speed, timing

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Speaker 1: the bats path? Is it a combo? Well, we've come

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Speaker 1: a long way, but even now we're still trying to

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Speaker 1: figure out what exactly makes a swing so beautiful. Interstat

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Speaker 1: cast battracking slowly being put out in a dry run

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Speaker 1: and only Houston's Minute Made Park and Dodger Stadium, so

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Speaker 1: we are far from seeing a finished product here. However,

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Speaker 1: what we are able to see is enough to get

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Speaker 1: stat heads excited. For now, swings are measured by how

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Speaker 1: fast the quote unquote sweet spot of the bat is

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Speaker 1: traveling about six inches from the head of the lumber.

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Speaker 1: Once we're able to compile more data points, we can

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Speaker 1: find more conclusive data. But with the results from mid

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Speaker 1: May through July tenth, we find the average swing is

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Speaker 1: about eighty miles per hour. We're also able to see

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Speaker 1: that every home run track was hit between three inches

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Speaker 1: and nine point seven inches from the head, meaning you

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Speaker 1: can't hit a dinner off the end of the bat

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Speaker 1: and you can't hit it off the handle. So where

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Speaker 1: does that leave a leaderboard, however incomplete it may be. Well,

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Speaker 1: and remember it was just games in Houston and l

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Speaker 1: a no surprise. Seattle rookie superstar Julio Rodriguez had the

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Speaker 1: highest average swing speed at nine point two miles per hour,

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Speaker 1: followed closely by Chicago's Luis Robert and the Yankees John

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Speaker 1: Carlos Stanton the fastest contact the Mets Pete Alonso getting

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Speaker 1: one off the sweet spot at one hundred seven point

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Speaker 1: eight miles per hour for home run up Houston's Jose

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Speaker 1: Rakati on June one. So the more data we can compile,

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Speaker 1: the more fun that tracking is gonna be money into

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Speaker 1: more money. Now it's time for betting on the basis

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Speaker 1: with Dave Gascott. That Rob, thank you very much. It

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Speaker 1: feels like it was just yesterday that we had the

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Speaker 1: All Star Game, American League taking care of business for

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Speaker 1: the ninth straight time in a row. Anyways, we get

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Speaker 1: back to the regular season activities. I'm not going to

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Speaker 1: touch the Yankees right now this weekend series against the

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Speaker 1: Kanseasee Royals Garrett Coles on Friday night, So no chance

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Speaker 1: it's gonna be a lot of chalk in that one,

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Speaker 1: so staying away from that, but a couple of games.

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Speaker 1: I will look forward to Milwaukee playing better balls of late.

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Speaker 1: They're gonna be in Boston against the Red Sox. I'm

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Speaker 1: taking Milwaukee in this one on a Friday evening at

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Speaker 1: seven ten. Meanwhile, Dodgers and Rockies, this one is in

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Speaker 1: the Mile High City. Julio Rias going for Los Angeles.

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Speaker 1: Not in six this year with an e R at

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Speaker 1: two seventy two, doesn't matter. I'm taking the over in

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Speaker 1: this contest between the Dodgers and the Rockies. Minnesota's at

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Speaker 1: and Diego Blake Snails only two and five this year

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Speaker 1: in the R at four, I'm still taking the Friars.

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Speaker 1: They're trying to get for now TTS junior back in

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Speaker 1: action as quickly as possible. The one other game I

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Speaker 1: have my eyes on Astros and Mariners. Justin Leonard has

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Speaker 1: been an absolute rock this year for the Astros. Thirteen

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Speaker 1: and three e R A S sub two. I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: take Houston in the first five against the Mariners. So

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Speaker 1: take that to the bank. Rob back to you that

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

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Speaker 1: who's Is it foul or is it fair and now

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Speaker 1: from MLB bro dot com. Here's JR gamble. The MLBA

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Speaker 1: trade deadline is swiftly approaching. That's right August second, and

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Speaker 1: there are some major contenders looking for power to add

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Speaker 1: to the lineup. JR. Is it foul or fair to

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Speaker 1: say that Josh Bell is the number one available power

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Speaker 1: guy on the market? Fair? Josh Bell is having a

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Speaker 1: tremendous season. He's slashing three oh five, three eight four

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Speaker 1: nineties six, slugging on the nationals team going nowhere. He's

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Speaker 1: on a one year show me deal and has exceeded

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Speaker 1: all expectations. He's almost guaranteed to be moved and would

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Speaker 1: be a tremendous addition to any team already In contention,

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Speaker 1: Bell has always been known for his power, and with

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Speaker 1: the exception of that COVID season, which is pretty much

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Speaker 1: irrelevant because it was only sixty games, he's been super

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Speaker 1: solid and one of the best first basement in MLB.

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Speaker 1: His average is up and his power numbers are slightly down,

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Speaker 1: but that's just led to him being a more productive

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Speaker 1: all around hitter, which will benefit someone tremendously come September October.

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Speaker 1: His fourteenth percent k rate is also a career best.

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Speaker 1: He's had seasons of thirty seven homers and twenty seven

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Speaker 1: and homer's in the last four years, so we know

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Speaker 1: he's a straight power g Time to give this MLB

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Speaker 1: bro his respect. If Josh Bell is traded to a contender,

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Speaker 1: he's sure to be a difference maker and with the

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Speaker 1: incentive of having something to play for, Scott is the limit.

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

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

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Speaker 1: and broadcaster older new Now, let's welcome to the podcast.

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Speaker 1: A good friend of mine another ink Stain Wrench Inc.

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Speaker 1: Wrench Stain. How we say it right? Baseball writer mar Gonzalez,

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Speaker 1: who writes for A p Out in Chicago, covered the

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Speaker 1: Cubs and the White Sox. Mark, Welcome to the podcast.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for having me on. I appreciate it, no doubt.

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Speaker 1: Always good to catch up with you, and I do

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Speaker 1: want to talk about the two Chicago teams. Uh, let's

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Speaker 1: start with the White Sox, who people had high expectations for.

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Speaker 1: Uh hadn't happened? Uh? Can this team? Is it enough

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Speaker 1: time for them to get this thing right? In? Can

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Speaker 1: they still make the playoffs and and then we'll worry

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Speaker 1: about them or where the White Sox headed at this point, Well,

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Speaker 1: they're they're plotting along, uh slowly but surely. When I

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Speaker 1: say surely, they finally knocked down their deficit to live

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Speaker 1: in uh realistic striking distance. The big issue is can

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Speaker 1: they continue that, especially because they only went ten and

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Speaker 1: nine during the stretch of nineteen consecutive games against the

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Speaker 1: division pods, including the Twins and Indians. Are student Guardians? Uh,

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Speaker 1: you know, I haven't said that. They're starting to get

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Speaker 1: some of the regulars back. Luis Robert still has Disney.

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Speaker 1: Still he's not gonna be ready. They come off the

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Speaker 1: I L on Friday. Um, they've really dealt with a

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Speaker 1: lot of injuries and a lack of power, which has

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Speaker 1: been alarming when you see their lineup and see all

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Speaker 1: the big sticks they happen last year. But I think, uh,

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Speaker 1: in the end they have to add relief pitching. Coming

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Speaker 1: into Wednesday, there were three games out. It's not like

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Speaker 1: they're buried. Uh what about the Twins, who lead and

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Speaker 1: the Guardians are in second place? Are the Twins good

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Speaker 1: enough to hang on? I'm not so sure. I think

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Speaker 1: they probably need another starter. Um. Uh. Their lineup is

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Speaker 1: pretty good at the time with just really hits the

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Speaker 1: all fields, leading the big or he's up there in

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Speaker 1: batting average, something I still value. Uh, but uh, they're

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Speaker 1: starting pitching. It drops off after the first couple of guys,

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Speaker 1: So make surprise a lot of people. It's not just

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Speaker 1: Korean Buxton, it's other guys. But UM, I'm not so

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Speaker 1: sure they can sustain this. Let's go to Chicago's other team,

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Speaker 1: the Cubbies, who we knew what was going to be,

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Speaker 1: uh rebuild, younger players coming into Wednesday seventeen games under

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Speaker 1: five hundred, thirteen and a half games out in the

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Speaker 1: NL Central the Cubs, I know they're rebuilding. How long

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Speaker 1: is this rebuild gonna take? And are they a little

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Speaker 1: ahead schedule? Are they right where we thought they would be?

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Speaker 1: I think the right where we thought they would be.

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Speaker 1: That's not going to go over well with a fan

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Speaker 1: base who's going through the second rebuilding program in ten

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Speaker 1: years and a lack of spending by the ownership group

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Speaker 1: is really infuriated the fan base. Um, but they're putting

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Speaker 1: all the eggs in one basket, and that's the farm system.

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Speaker 1: Right now. We know about the darbish trade from a

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Speaker 1: couple of years back, and now we're just waiting to

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Speaker 1: see where Wilson and Traces headed. So um, the fans

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Speaker 1: are kind of like wondering what's next. You know, the

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Speaker 1: one six in a row, but you know, as you said,

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Speaker 1: there's still uh, you know, in third place, thirteen and

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Speaker 1: a half games out, so they're kind of wondering what's next. Um.

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Speaker 1: Ownership group and management has been patient, but fans aren't

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Speaker 1: so patient. Yeah, it's it's been bad. And and if

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Speaker 1: I've been I was at really earlier this year, and

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Speaker 1: I get it. You know, it's great to go to

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Speaker 1: the ballpark and all that, but people had gotten used

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Speaker 1: to them having a good team and winning, right. It's

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Speaker 1: hard to accept that, especially when ownership has money. The

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Speaker 1: Cubs have plenty of money and not willing to spend it. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I mean because they've lost you, as you know, three

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Speaker 1: big ticket guys. Last year they traded on and biased

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Speaker 1: Bryant Rizzo. But this offseason, you know, other than Marcus Strollman, uh,

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Speaker 1: they really didn't extend themselves in the free agent market.

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Speaker 1: So that's really chased a lot of fans and they're

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Speaker 1: waiting to see what happens this offseason, as well as

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Speaker 1: where controverson is headed and what they get back in return.

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Speaker 1: Our guest is More Gonzalez, ap baseball writer from Chicago,

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Speaker 1: also covered the Cubs and White Sox for the Tribute

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Speaker 1: in Chicago. Uh, let me ask you about a couple

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Speaker 1: of other American League teams, the Astros and Verlander has

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Speaker 1: come back and been unbelievable. To be honest, I'm shocked

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Speaker 1: by how well he's pitched coming off of a major injury.

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Speaker 1: And of course the Yankees or the cream of all

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Speaker 1: of baseball talk about the American League. When you talk

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Speaker 1: about the Yankees and Astros, uh are they are they

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Speaker 1: headed for the uh A LCS those two teams? I

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Speaker 1: I think so. You know, even though UH Yankees had

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Speaker 1: a rough time against the match Tuesday night, there's still

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Speaker 1: uh the class of that division, which is very impressive

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Speaker 1: when you look at how they dominated their leven and

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Speaker 1: a half games up UH or so at least double

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Speaker 1: digits on Toronto and the rest of the pack. It's

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Speaker 1: been very very impressive. How things are crystallized. Uh. They've

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Speaker 1: had some speed bumps and still move along. You know,

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Speaker 1: Chapman had his struggles, but they move move ahead nicely,

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Speaker 1: saying with Gallo, Uh, the offense has been impresident, you

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Speaker 1: know Matt Carpenter, Wow, I mean, what an actumisition and

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Speaker 1: that that's been. That guy couldn't hit in St. Louis.

428
00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:02,080
Speaker 1: It's unbelievable. He he was getting to be like an

429
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:03,840
Speaker 1: automatic at the end. But I give the guy a

430
00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,480
Speaker 1: lot of credit for reinventing himself. He's had a terrific job,

431
00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:11,800
Speaker 1: and kudos is a scouting department for finding a guy

432
00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,960
Speaker 1: like him. It was way way down and looked like

433
00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:17,240
Speaker 1: he was done and resurrecting his career. And how about

434
00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,040
Speaker 1: the Astros Dusty Baker. You know, people thought after they

435
00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,840
Speaker 1: lost the World Series that that's probably his last chance.

436
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:28,000
Speaker 1: You know, like Dusty has one other thing to accomplishing baseball,

437
00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,960
Speaker 1: right is winning a World Series. Because he's done just

438
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,760
Speaker 1: about everything else, including being on deck when hand getting

439
00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,240
Speaker 1: it is seven hundred and fifty, they'll run, and being

440
00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:40,919
Speaker 1: a part of the high five with Glenn Burke with

441
00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:45,160
Speaker 1: the Dodgers. I mean, what hasn't Dusty done? But it

442
00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:46,720
Speaker 1: looks like he still has a shot to win the

443
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,359
Speaker 1: World Series. Yeah, you know, people have knocked him for

444
00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,320
Speaker 1: saying he uses his bullpen too much. Well, he's getting

445
00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,080
Speaker 1: a lot of mileage out of his starters. And it's

446
00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,320
Speaker 1: not just for Atlantic did a terrific job. And I

447
00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,520
Speaker 1: think sometimes, uh, you can tell him how good a

448
00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,679
Speaker 1: manager is by reading when he pulls that starter or

449
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,560
Speaker 1: when he uses the right reliever. And so far it's

450
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:08,600
Speaker 1: worked very well for the Asters. And how about the

451
00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 1: fact that Korea leaves for free agency, but they got

452
00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,320
Speaker 1: this guy Painion that steps in and does an amazing job.

453
00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,640
Speaker 1: And it wasn't for Julio Ricus the Mariners, you could

454
00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:22,120
Speaker 1: consider paining your American League Rookie of the Year, no

455
00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,920
Speaker 1: doubt about it. He's been a godsend without question. Uh.

456
00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,960
Speaker 1: The other thing I want to ask is when you

457
00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:35,000
Speaker 1: talk about the NL central um, the Brewers are just there,

458
00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,200
Speaker 1: you know they they they're leading the division. The Cardinals

459
00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:41,600
Speaker 1: are there. There's some rumblings that maybe the Cardinals might

460
00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:44,880
Speaker 1: be in on on Juan Soto. Who do you see

461
00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:47,679
Speaker 1: winning that division? Because it's neck and neck between the

462
00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,639
Speaker 1: Brewers and Cardinals. I'm really surprised that Cardinals having a

463
00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:58,040
Speaker 1: third themselves more um, just given the balance of that

464
00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:02,320
Speaker 1: lineup and account they have just really hasn't a crystallized

465
00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,520
Speaker 1: at this point other than you know, Goldschmith's going back

466
00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,879
Speaker 1: to you know, it's what I used to refer to

467
00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,880
Speaker 1: with a jury West form team back to his days

468
00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:14,280
Speaker 1: of the Downbacks just getting clutch hits every night. Uh.

469
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,000
Speaker 1: But I'm not mystified or not leading this position because

470
00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:21,320
Speaker 1: I think the Brewers are quite one dimensional with starting

471
00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:24,280
Speaker 1: pitching and leaning heavily on that. Yet, because the Brewers

472
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,360
Speaker 1: are up by three games or so in this division,

473
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:31,199
Speaker 1: and and so the biggest the thing left the end

474
00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,280
Speaker 1: of the bullpen and had some struggles, there's still three

475
00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:36,480
Speaker 1: games up. So um, it's been a two team race.

476
00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:39,800
Speaker 1: I would thought by now the Cardinals would assert themselves,

477
00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:43,680
Speaker 1: but certainly that happened if they're able to land the Soto.

478
00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,960
Speaker 1: Marcan Zalas and I are both b b w A

479
00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,080
Speaker 1: members and we get to vote for the Baseball Hall

480
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,600
Speaker 1: of Fame. And and I'm not trying to win on

481
00:27:54,640 --> 00:28:00,280
Speaker 1: anybody's parade. I'm not, but I do believe this should

482
00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,760
Speaker 1: be one way into the Hall of Fame. And we

483
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,199
Speaker 1: saw this past Sunday where we had a slew of

484
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,840
Speaker 1: old timer's and other guys who maybe were people thought

485
00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,840
Speaker 1: we'll overlook where are you on on how you get

486
00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:15,280
Speaker 1: into because it's like all these new committees now and

487
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:19,879
Speaker 1: players are getting in more and more. How where are

488
00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:22,240
Speaker 1: you on this? Um? As far as the Hall of Fame,

489
00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,760
Speaker 1: I'm worried that these new committees they started this offseason

490
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,960
Speaker 1: and want dilute the Hall of Fame. I'm really worried

491
00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:35,159
Speaker 1: about it. Um certainly, you know, the the committee they

492
00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,920
Speaker 1: had before, the twelve two committee, you know, had had

493
00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,120
Speaker 1: took a lot of guys that might have been stopped before.

494
00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,280
Speaker 1: I kind of understand that. I'm not kind of slight

495
00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:47,920
Speaker 1: um our our brethren, the guys that voted ahead of us,

496
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:51,280
Speaker 1: they had the REA too, But I'm just worried that

497
00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,400
Speaker 1: it's going to be diluted. And I I'm a conservative voter.

498
00:28:55,520 --> 00:29:00,200
Speaker 1: I'm it's it's shocking if we both thought it's sucking

499
00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,520
Speaker 1: and I vote for more than three guys. I just

500
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,120
Speaker 1: think it's it's a special place. But you know, having

501
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,080
Speaker 1: said that, I'm I'm pretty worried about what's what could

502
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 1: happen this offseason, especially guys that get in that weren't

503
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,800
Speaker 1: voted in by by an objective set of eyes. I'm

504
00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,000
Speaker 1: kind of I'm worried about it because you know, it

505
00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,560
Speaker 1: all started a few years ago and it got bless

506
00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,680
Speaker 1: hut Thames. I liked them, but um, you know that

507
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,640
Speaker 1: committee got him in to the Hall of Fame. He's

508
00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:29,800
Speaker 1: not a Hall of Famer. It's not that. And Harold

509
00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:32,320
Speaker 1: Bates had a great had a very good career, right,

510
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:35,880
Speaker 1: very good career. But I'm with you, and I hate

511
00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,719
Speaker 1: to single him, but a lot of people were chased

512
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,720
Speaker 1: at that. But yeah, no, I'm with you. It's not

513
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:45,280
Speaker 1: just him. And as we know, the Veterans Committee, like

514
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:49,040
Speaker 1: most of the questionable ones or the reasons Mark that

515
00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,120
Speaker 1: people have questions about, well he's in or whatever, when

516
00:29:52,160 --> 00:29:54,840
Speaker 1: you look back and do the research, most of the

517
00:29:54,960 --> 00:30:00,040
Speaker 1: time their Veteran Committee entries right right right. So and

518
00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,840
Speaker 1: it's not gonna affect the way I vote. But I

519
00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:05,280
Speaker 1: am worried because I take great pride as you do,

520
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:08,040
Speaker 1: and that when you get that that talent in the

521
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:12,360
Speaker 1: mail in late November, my most prized possession, no doubt

522
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:16,920
Speaker 1: about it. His name is Marknzalez, ap baseball writer Mark

523
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:18,800
Speaker 1: w Else. Can we read your your stuff out of

524
00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,880
Speaker 1: Chicago in Chicago Suntimes on weekend. I'm a contribute to

525
00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,600
Speaker 1: the baseball coverage and very glad to do so. All right,

526
00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,040
Speaker 1: one of my best friends here in baseball, Marknzalez, joining

527
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:33,520
Speaker 1: us here on inside the Parker. Thanks Mark, take care

528
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:40,200
Speaker 1: of all the best. Now bring in the clothes. Here's

529
00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:44,000
Speaker 1: why MLB is better than the NFL or NBA, and

530
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:49,920
Speaker 1: it isn't even close. Reason number nine hundred and fifty

531
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:52,920
Speaker 1: five why Major League Baseball is better than the NBA

532
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:59,520
Speaker 1: and better than the NFL. It happened on Tuesday when

533
00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:05,760
Speaker 1: the Jackie Robinson Museum opened in Manhattan after fourteen years

534
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:12,680
Speaker 1: of planning. That's right, it is officially opened. And history

535
00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:20,880
Speaker 1: is their struggle, sacrifice, winning, doing the right thing. And yes,

536
00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:27,680
Speaker 1: Rachel Robinson, the one hundred year old widow, was there

537
00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,440
Speaker 1: to cut the ribbon for this new museum, which will

538
00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:36,479
Speaker 1: talk about both his career and the struggles for civil

539
00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:41,520
Speaker 1: rights in uh this country. And uh this is a

540
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,800
Speaker 1: place that has to be on your bucket list. Uh.

541
00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:49,160
Speaker 1: No athlete has had a bigger impact on the American

542
00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:53,800
Speaker 1: society than Jackie Robinson. I just there's no other way.

543
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,400
Speaker 1: In ninety seven, when he became the first black player

544
00:31:57,400 --> 00:31:59,880
Speaker 1: to play in the major leagues. He not only chan

545
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,480
Speaker 1: age baseball, but change this country forever. And we can

546
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,960
Speaker 1: never forget that. And it's great that there's a museum

547
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:10,280
Speaker 1: that the young people. We want to make sure that

548
00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:15,840
Speaker 1: they understand what a sacrifice this man made, how he

549
00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:21,959
Speaker 1: was willing to work hard to both be accepted and respected.

550
00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,239
Speaker 1: And now we can all go to this museum in

551
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:30,400
Speaker 1: New York City and uh read the history and learn

552
00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:41,400
Speaker 1: more about the great man who was Jackie Robinson. In

553
00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,640
Speaker 1: the words of New York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen,

554
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,800
Speaker 1: thanking you for your time this time until next time.

555
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:52,080
Speaker 1: Rob Parker out he can't this could be an inside

556
00:32:52,120 --> 00:33:16,960
Speaker 1: the Parkers. You hurt you as you a