WEBVTT - Fresh CBA proposal + Braves checkup 0:00:12.200 --> 0:00:14.880 Hazes kind of covers the Braves for the athletic joins 0:00:14.960 --> 0:00:16.759 us again, Haz's great to have you on the show. 0:00:16.760 --> 0:00:18.800 Where are we at here? Braves are looking a little 0:00:19.079 --> 0:00:20.520 dicey right now, and it's. 0:00:20.400 --> 0:00:22.960 Like, Okay, they've started off so well, they'll be fine, 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:26.279 but wait, the Phillies are on a heater, so add 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:28.040 all of this up and suddenly they're only two and 0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:31.560 a half games clear of Philadelphia. Is there panic down 0:00:31.680 --> 0:00:33.880 in Atlanta? I've always said it's a jaded fan base 0:00:33.920 --> 0:00:36.080 that that's so much winning. So are they freaking out 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:36.840 the fan base? 0:00:37.920 --> 0:00:38.959 Are fans freaking out? 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:40.880 Of course they're freaking out, you know when you see 0:00:40.880 --> 0:00:43.080 a double digitally turn into a two and a half 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:45.400 game lead. I think that there's enough panic and there's 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:47.960 enough concern to be able to react the way Bravestans 0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:50.839 have felt. And you know, obviously I think that's well warranted. 0:00:50.880 --> 0:00:52.760 But I think the feeling within the clubhouse it's a 0:00:52.800 --> 0:00:55.040 little bit different. Like I'm going to go as far 0:00:55.040 --> 0:00:57.320 as say it's a little too nonchalant in my opinion. 0:00:57.400 --> 0:01:00.640 You know, I've talked to a couple of players the clubhouse, 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:01.920 and a lot of them say It's just baseball. 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:03.200 It's just baseball, that's all it is. 0:01:03.240 --> 0:01:04.800 You know, if this was a slump at the beginning 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:07.399 of the season and we got hot the way they did, 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:09.120 you know, at the beginning to where they're at now, 0:01:09.120 --> 0:01:11.360 people will talk about, you know, how great the Bravees 0:01:11.400 --> 0:01:12.720 turnaround's been going so far. 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:14.119 You know, to be fair, you know. 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:17.160 I've obviously never played any Major League baseball at all, whatsoever. 0:01:17.240 --> 0:01:19.160 I've never been around for one hundred and sixty two 0:01:19.160 --> 0:01:21.240 games to cover a team in general as a whole. 0:01:21.520 --> 0:01:24.080 So I mean, it could be could be pointed towards baseball. 0:01:24.120 --> 0:01:25.560 But at the same time, you know, I you know, 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:28.000 I think anybody on any team would be disappointed to 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:30.520 see your lead go from almost a twelve eleven game 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:32.640 lead to a t and a half game lead as 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:34.960 your you know, division opponent is starting to ramp up 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:36.720 and stuff like that. You know, this is right before 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:39.559 the All Star Game, and honestly, you know, I would 0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:41.119 go as far as to say that if the Brave's 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.760 bullpen hasn't been as dominant as it has all a year, 0:01:44.080 --> 0:01:45.840 I think there's a really good shot that, you know, 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:48.360 they might not have been able to you know, you know, 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:50.520 still be within the division lead right now. So I 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:52.760 think it's kind of interesting the way to see things 0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:54.800 have gone on. I remember when I first took over 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:56.760 the beat, you know, I was telling everybody it's good 0:01:56.840 --> 0:01:59.320 right now because they're winning. But the but the toughest 0:01:59.360 --> 0:02:01.040 challenge is going to be when this team is slumping it. 0:02:01.120 --> 0:02:02.720 Right now, they're slumping pretty bad. 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:07.120 Hey, so you weren't there last year the whole year, correct? 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:09.080 You just started this year. I remember when you came on. 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:10.920 Yeah, a month and a half ago. 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:13.079 Okay, a month and a half ago. 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:16.480 Did you hear any rumblings of isn't this why they 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:19.359 brought in Walt Weiss? So we didn't have these swoons 0:02:19.360 --> 0:02:21.560 where we didn't have these times where it was like 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:26.400 what you characterizes nonchalant. Doesn't Walt Weiss bring that like 0:02:26.560 --> 0:02:28.440 fighter's mentality a little bit too? 0:02:29.560 --> 0:02:29.760 Well? 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:32.600 When I asked Walt Weiss on Sunday, I haven't been 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:35.079 with the team in Atlanta right now because I'm back 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:37.920 home visiting California. But you know, in the time that 0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:40.000 I asked, IIM mean, I straight up asked him on Sunday. 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:41.840 You know, well, you know, you guys went from a 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:43.560 double digit league to at the time it was a 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:46.000 three game lead. I mean, how frustrating is that he said, 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:47.799 I could care less what the lead is right now, 0:02:47.880 --> 0:02:50.520 you know that he doesn't care about anybody by themselves 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:52.520 and stuff. And I think it really has been attributed 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.600 to to you know, to just you know, the stretch 0:02:55.639 --> 0:02:57.600 of a long season. I think Walt does have that, 0:02:57.639 --> 0:02:59.639 you know, I was actually working on the story at 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:01.960 Base America about just the impact that you know, what 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:03.920 Weiss has had, you know, with this team, just a 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:07.720 specific scenario, specific circumstance that they're involved with, you know, 0:03:07.760 --> 0:03:09.239 and a lot of people say that he's a no 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:11.560 bs no type of guy that's gonna get stuff done, 0:03:11.600 --> 0:03:13.120 and a lot of the people, a lot of the 0:03:13.120 --> 0:03:15.080 people in the clubhouse speed off of that. So I 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:16.960 think I think it's definitely the right guy that they 0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:18.320 have in charge. It's a guy that has a lot 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:20.280 of familiarity with some of these guys that've been in 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.960 the organization, you know, as you know, seven or eight 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:24.960 years at this point too, around the same time that 0:03:25.000 --> 0:03:27.280 he was brought in to you know, be part of 0:03:27.320 --> 0:03:29.440 the staff. So I think I think it's definitely the 0:03:29.520 --> 0:03:31.160 right guy to be able to kind of guide him 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:33.040 through this stuff. You know, a guy who's coached, you know, 0:03:33.160 --> 0:03:35.680 some pretty abysmal teams when he was with the Rockies 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:37.640 is also the guy who's also played through all different 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:40.240 you know, eras of baseball and stuff like too. So 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:41.920 there's no doubt that wal Wiss is the guy to 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:44.360 definitely push him through through this slump in just this 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:45.640 entire season as a whole. 0:03:46.880 --> 0:03:49.080 Okay, so we know they're struggling. They had a really 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:53.119 good start. Now they're struggling. Talk to me about needs. 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:56.480 What do they need? Eventually once his trade, that line 0:03:56.520 --> 0:03:58.000 comes on, because I feel like they're going to be 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:00.800 in it and want some people talk about the number 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:03.600 one need this team really needs to get them over 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:04.920 the hump to win this division. 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:07.120 It's starting pitching, you know. 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:09.280 And I think once you saw the Brave starting pitching, 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:11.080 not you know, performed that they were at the beginning 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:13.440 of the season, I think that's when everything went hand 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:15.000 in hand to the struggles that they were able to 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:16.880 get go. Look, I mean Chris Sale, Chris Sale is 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:18.920 going to be Chris Sale. I think there's no necessarily, 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:20.960 you know, concern about him. You know, He's the guy 0:04:20.960 --> 0:04:23.040 that's going to lead the rotation throughout the entire year 0:04:23.080 --> 0:04:26.240 and especially into the playoffs, you know, with this team's aspirations, 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:28.880 but you look at everybody else. Yes, they lost Spencer Strider, 0:04:28.920 --> 0:04:31.919 but Spencer Strider wasn't performing like vintage Spencer Strider. You know, 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.640 after everything that he had gone through. They may not 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:37.800 get him back until September. Anything. Grant Holmes Gang, get 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:40.160 past the fifth Indium and he'll give you five solid Aliens. 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:42.840 But that's about is Martin Perez. You know, I think 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:44.680 it's been really impressive. I think, you know, a guy 0:04:44.720 --> 0:04:46.640 that just continues to show up and stuff like that. 0:04:46.680 --> 0:04:48.320 I know he had a blip yesterday, but I mean 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:50.560 this Martin Perez necessarily a guy that you want at 0:04:50.560 --> 0:04:53.599 the forefront, you know, when you're pitching meaningful games in October. 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:55.400 I don't know about that. So I think, as I've 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:57.800 said right now, the biggest thing is starting pitching. You know, 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:00.240 they have to go, I think for more than you know, 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:01.760 it has to be at least a pair of really 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:03.680 good starters to be able to kind of bolster them 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:05.520 down the road. Because outside of Chris Sale, you know, 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:08.039 Bryce Hilda had a fantastic start, but it just hasn't 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:10.400 been the same over the course of the past over 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:12.240 the past month in general, So I think the need 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:14.080 for starting pitchings and is important. 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:14.240 You know. 0:05:14.279 --> 0:05:16.520 I know they've been linked to Sonny Gray when Spencer 0:05:16.560 --> 0:05:18.640 Strider went on The Angeless Sunner. Gray was one of 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:20.520 the guys that I mentioned as a guy that potentially 0:05:20.560 --> 0:05:23.560 could fit in within the Braves organization. But as we 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:25.960 seem too, the Braves have started to get dabbled into 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.400 the tark school ball sweet sticks. So I think they 0:05:28.440 --> 0:05:30.320 definitely have the farm system to be able to make 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:33.080 those moves, whether it's for schoolbol or anybody else. But 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:35.280 it definitely has to be starting pitching. That's I think 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:38.600 number one need at you know, once the trade deadline approaches. 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:43.760 How about bullpener? Sorry, Kratzy, I want to go to 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:47.240 the bullpen? You know, how about the bullpen needs Rob Suarez? 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:50.479 Robert Suarez went down, talked to me. Are they in 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:52.360 the mood to look for one of those pieces too? 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:55.479 You know, I think if Robert Swarz was an injury, 0:05:55.520 --> 0:05:57.800 I wouldn't have suggested, you know, another bullpen piece. But 0:05:57.880 --> 0:06:00.760 now you know, I think that it's important, especially with 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:03.640 the with the injury that Suarez is dealing with right now, 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:05.320 and you know, I think they have Diddy or Flints 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:07.320 who's gonna do a really good job in my opinion, 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.479 stepping up into that, you know, setup guy, eighth inning guy, 0:06:10.600 --> 0:06:12.560 seventh inning guy, and Dylan Lee two. I mean, has 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:14.760 been one of the best left handed relievers in all 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:16.560 the game. But I don't think it's enough you know, 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:18.919 attention with what he's been doing so far. But I 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:21.040 think there definitely should be a little bit of a push, 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.279 you know, especially as they start to discover maybe how 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:26.120 longer Robert Swarz is going to be out more because 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:29.080 I mean, Robert Suarez, you know, was potentially the best 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:31.560 reliever in the game, you know, before the injury going down. 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:34.479 So you know, I think I think, you know, bullpen arms, 0:06:34.560 --> 0:06:36.200 especially once you get into October. 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:37.920 You know, if you're you know, it's not a leeway 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:38.560 where you're starter. 0:06:38.720 --> 0:06:40.760 You know, you're gonna try to get good five innings, 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:43.080 five six innings for them. Know, if they're not performing 0:06:43.120 --> 0:06:44.840 in the second or the third inning, you're gonna go 0:06:44.880 --> 0:06:45.840 to the bullpen right away. 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:46.880 And I think at the end of the day. 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.640 Pitching gets you so far, whether it's the starting rotation 0:06:49.800 --> 0:06:52.000 or the bullpen, and you know these late months of 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:54.080 the season, especially into the playoffs, so I think it 0:06:54.120 --> 0:06:56.080 would be wise for him to get another guy. 0:06:57.440 --> 0:06:59.039 Hi serious, I know you weren't with the team, but 0:06:59.360 --> 0:07:02.200 who was the best pitcher on the Braves starting rotation 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:04.280 in twenty twenty four when they missed the playoffs. 0:07:06.400 --> 0:07:08.320 This is going to look really bad on me when 0:07:08.320 --> 0:07:08.680 they missed. 0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:11.000 That's why. Yeah, that's okay, Chris. 0:07:11.520 --> 0:07:12.920 I was like, I thought it was a trick question. 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:15.120 I was like, it has to be Chris Sale. 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:18.040 But somebody had a one nine to nine er and 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:22.200 that was Ronaldo Lopez. Are the Braves excited about what 0:07:22.240 --> 0:07:25.520 they've seen from Ronaldo Lopez or the leary of the 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:28.560 fact that he didn't throw at all last year and 0:07:28.680 --> 0:07:31.760 if he's going to do well, they can't just ride 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:34.280 him the rest of the year. But you just said 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:35.640 they really need starting pitching. 0:07:36.920 --> 0:07:38.920 I think, you know, with him getting the spot starting 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:41.360 in San Francisco on Friday, I think it's a good 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:43.520 first assessment. I think the most important thing is, like 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:46.840 the velocity just isn't as what it was beforehand. I think, 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:48.640 you know, there was a couple of excor base shits 0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:50.520 that he gave up that came on you know, balls 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:53.920 that were under ninety three miles per hour heading into that. 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:55.680 So I think, more than anything's just going to be 0:07:55.680 --> 0:07:57.680 able to get an assessment of how much they'll be 0:07:57.720 --> 0:07:59.560 able to stretch him out. I know he's scheduled to 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:03.160 go today, Martine Press went yesterday. I think it's about 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:05.000 stretching him out as much as possible, you know. I 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.520 think he also had a couple of you know, appearances 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:10.000 in the bullpen that you know, didn't necessarily go his way. 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:11.880 But I mean, yeah, I mean we have to remember 0:08:11.920 --> 0:08:14.240 what type of picture when Aldo Lopez was prior to this. 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:15.920 I mean he's an All Star, he was an All 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:19.040 Star before. He's a guy that absolutely dominated during this time, 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:21.320 you know, as a starter, and you know, things haven't 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:23.480 gone as well. The injury obviously is just something that 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:25.960 he can't control because it's, you know, something that happens. 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:28.000 But I think what he can't control is the way 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:28.680 he goes out there. 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:29.320 He goes out to. 0:08:29.360 --> 0:08:31.320 The mountain stuff like that, and I think the Braves, 0:08:31.360 --> 0:08:33.440 you know, signaling him on Friday to give him that 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:36.000 spot starting then also bringing him out out there to 0:08:36.040 --> 0:08:38.160 show that you know, they are considering him to be 0:08:38.320 --> 0:08:40.240 you know, part of that if he can even fix 0:08:40.320 --> 0:08:42.040 or anything like that. You know, because at his best, 0:08:42.080 --> 0:08:44.120 you know, the braves and obviously all of us know 0:08:44.200 --> 0:08:45.600 what he can do. 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This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, 0:09:47.880 --> 0:09:48.880 or prevent any disease. 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:52.160 So we've talked about the pitching, there's the other side 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:55.199 of the ball. This team was hitting on all cylinders 0:09:55.320 --> 0:10:01.800 with their offense. Was there any significant change that maybe 0:10:01.840 --> 0:10:04.080 looked at it like, ooh when this happened, when this 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:07.840 player came in, when Dubon stopped playing, you know, a 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:12.240 consistent one position. Was there something offensively that changed that 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:17.000 made this team go from just lightning hot to like good, bad, 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:18.520 good bad, good bad. 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:21.880 You know, I think it's a couple of different things 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:24.160 I think you could point to. Obviously, the left side 0:10:24.160 --> 0:10:26.200 of the offense just hasn't been as productive, you know, 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:28.480 both and I wrote stories about this on the Athletic 0:10:28.520 --> 0:10:30.240 If anybody wants to go out and read that but 0:10:30.280 --> 0:10:33.080 you know, Hassan Kim and Austin Riley are both having 0:10:33.120 --> 0:10:35.480 you know, historically back starts in terms of their own 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:38.200 respective careers, and I think on haws And Kim's side, 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:40.319 you know, it's just a really bad start from a shortstop. 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:42.439 In general, I think it's essentially at to. 0:10:42.400 --> 0:10:43.920 The point where a lot of these you know, when 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:46.480 it gets to the to both Riley and Hawsong came, 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:49.959 it's coming close to an automatic out as possible, especially 0:10:49.960 --> 0:10:51.800 on Kim's end, you know. And I think with Ronald 0:10:51.880 --> 0:10:55.520 Acuna going on the injured list, that obviously makes Murracy 0:10:55.600 --> 0:10:57.520 Dubon play a lot more outfield than they have to 0:10:57.520 --> 0:11:00.960 split the shortstop time between Jorge Mate and has Song Kim, 0:11:01.040 --> 0:11:03.320 even though you know, whis this past weekend in San 0:11:03.320 --> 0:11:06.160 Francisco gave all the white, all the all the starts 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:07.920 to hass Song Kim to kind of get a better 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:10.679 stretch to see, you know, just you know, everything that's 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:12.560 you know, they were encouraged by the results that are 0:11:12.559 --> 0:11:14.400 happening in the cage and stuff like that. But at 0:11:14.400 --> 0:11:16.560 the end of the day, I think baseball players don't 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:19.120 get paid twenty million dollars to have good results on 0:11:19.160 --> 0:11:21.120 the cage. They get paid twenty million dollars to have 0:11:21.160 --> 0:11:23.480 a good result on the field, and unfortunately that's not 0:11:23.600 --> 0:11:26.080 happening from the shortstop end. So I think it's that 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:28.360 and also too, like Drake Baldwin going down was huge, 0:11:28.400 --> 0:11:31.000 you know, when Kunya was down during his first stint 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:32.520 on the injured list, you know it had to do 0:11:32.600 --> 0:11:35.760 you know, Balden was the guy that stood that you know, 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:38.000 stepped up to the occasion at the leadoff spot and 0:11:38.040 --> 0:11:40.160 it's so amazing, had a lot of leadoff home runs, 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:42.120 was the guy there. Then he goes down with the 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:45.400 injury just hasn't been quite the same hitter since coming back. 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:46.800 You know, I think there was a stretch where he 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:49.320 only had two hits and close to thirty at bats, 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:51.079 one of them being a homer for sure, but like 0:11:51.440 --> 0:11:53.920 it just didn't go the way that he necessarily wanted to. 0:11:54.040 --> 0:11:54.760 You know, I think. 0:11:54.600 --> 0:11:56.760 That that's a big part of it too, because Baldwin, 0:11:56.800 --> 0:11:58.440 I mean, it was just such an integral part to 0:11:58.480 --> 0:12:00.760 the to the to that offense and general even if 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:02.640 A Kunya was still healthy too. You know, I think 0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:05.080 also there's the thing with missing a Kunya is sure 0:12:05.120 --> 0:12:07.040 you know, maybe it's not the season Ronald A Kunye 0:12:07.120 --> 0:12:09.560 Junior is accustomed to having, but there's no doubt that 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:11.800 his presence in the lanea brings so much more spark, 0:12:11.880 --> 0:12:13.920 so much more flavor, and just so much more energy. 0:12:13.960 --> 0:12:15.880 You know, he hasn't been on the road. You can 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:18.080 tell his presence hasn't been on the road because of 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:19.800 the way he interacts with the players and the way 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:21.800 he stands out there. So I think it's it's a 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:23.439 lot of the injury. You could say that the injury 0:12:23.480 --> 0:12:25.600 bug is starting to catch up. It's been catching up 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:27.559 to them, but now it's obviously showing, you know, in 0:12:27.679 --> 0:12:29.640 the in the way that they've lost the lead in 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:31.520 the India what's called in the NL East. 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:34.360 You talked about Hassung Kim, and I want to hit 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:37.200 on it a little bit more for people who don't know. 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:41.240 He's five for seventy three on the season for an 0:12:41.600 --> 0:12:46.320 sixty eight batting average is a minus twenty nine ops plus. 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:48.160 It's under one hundred at bats. 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:51.680 Where do you see this number of at bats going 0:12:52.000 --> 0:12:56.080 where they still continue to give Hasung Kim the number 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:57.720 one reps at shortstop. 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:02.319 Well, it's interesting you mentioned that because about as a 0:13:02.400 --> 0:13:04.439 year ago, a month ago, when we were in Cincinnati 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:06.719 towards the end of the month, you know, they were 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:10.080 playing Jorge Matale the hot hand. I mean, he showed 0:13:10.080 --> 0:13:10.800 what he could do in. 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.600 That stretch between Boston and Cincinnati, had games where he 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:15.600 went back to back homers, was getting on base. 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:15.840 You know. 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:18.560 Also got to remember, at one point, Jorge Matail was 0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:21.800 the number one prospect in the Yankee system over Aaron 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:24.520 Judge and over Gary Sanchez. You know, just nothing came 0:13:24.559 --> 0:13:27.720 into fruition after he was treated to the A's and 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:30.240 I believe that that in one of the deals with 0:13:30.240 --> 0:13:33.160 one of the starting pitchers. So uh So, I think 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:35.560 it's it's interesting to see now that they've shifted to 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:37.719 this philosophy where it's like, Okay, we want to give 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.120 you know, Kim an extended look to see the stuff 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:41.559 that he's been putting into the cages. 0:13:41.600 --> 0:13:42.920 But I think at this point, you. 0:13:42.880 --> 0:13:44.760 Know, you you have to play at your hot hand, 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:46.360 you know, and at this point, you know, with the 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.160 dubon into yau Field, I think it has to be Matteo, 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:52.360 you know, and when when Ronald the Kuna Junior gets healthy, 0:13:52.440 --> 0:13:54.760 you know, you place you know, Dubon at that everyday 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:57.400 shortstop spot, you know, I you know, I think anybody 0:13:57.440 --> 0:13:59.560 who who wants to win, you know, and I think 0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:01.160 the Braids really do want to when you want to 0:14:01.280 --> 0:14:02.960 put your best nine players out there that are going 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:04.520 to put you in that position to play, you know, 0:14:04.559 --> 0:14:07.319 and objectively speaking, we know the type of player has 0:14:07.400 --> 0:14:08.920 Song Kim has been in the past, you know, a 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:10.959 goal glove winner. You know, we know what he did 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:14.120 in Korea. He's such a fantastic player. But this season specifically, 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:16.760 I mean we're almost approaching one hundred at bats and 0:14:16.800 --> 0:14:19.760 you only have you know, five what's it called hits? 0:14:19.800 --> 0:14:21.680 I mean that's essentially you know, he's on a one year, 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.160 twenty million dollar deal. I mean, he's essentially getting paid, 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.200 you know, basically, what is it? Four million dollars a hit? 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:27.600 I don't know. 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:29.280 I don't know if my map is correct. That's why 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:32.120 I'm a sports I think that's that's what it is. 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:34.320 So I think at some point there there needs to 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:36.480 be you know, I don't know how longer that least 0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:38.320 can go that. 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:41.680 Is accurate four million dollars per hit. 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:46.760 Yeah, Todd more would be on this show if they 0:14:46.840 --> 0:14:48.320 got four million dollars per hit. 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:52.120 They should pay him more, honey. If we're getting paid 0:14:52.120 --> 0:14:55.760 by hits, I mean, let's go crank it up. They're 0:14:55.800 --> 0:15:01.440 only giving him four million dollars worth each it. 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:03.800 It is because becoming a historic slump for Kim. It's crazy. 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.880 It's that's mon stars right there, Todd father, right, that's 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:09.480 space jam like someone took his powers. 0:15:09.560 --> 0:15:11.360 It's just not there. It's raising me. 0:15:12.280 --> 0:15:17.960 It makes me question that injury fallings and cutting his finger, 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:18.840 is that what it was? 0:15:19.520 --> 0:15:20.440 Or breaking his finger? 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:25.960 And I believe he slipped on ice in off season, right. 0:15:26.480 --> 0:15:27.720 Yeah, yeah, that's what it was. 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:30.600 And also too, he hasn't had back spring training in 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:32.480 back to back years too, which you know, as you 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:34.600 guys know, that's such a pivotal rule. I mean, it 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:36.720 allows you to you know, be a little bit more 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:38.360 loose in the cage. It allows you to be more 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:40.120 loose at in the bats when you're playing you know, 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:43.720 games in March in Florida compared to you know, wanting 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:45.520 to go out there coming with a set plan and 0:15:45.560 --> 0:15:47.440 if that plan doesn't work in the first that bats, 0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:50.400 abandoning it because you want to be able to generate 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:52.480 impact to your team. So I feel for him on that, 0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:54.200 but at the end of the day, you want. 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:54.680 To win games. 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.480 And I think the sense of urgency really ticks a 0:15:57.520 --> 0:15:59.320 little bit more when you go Like I said, I 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:01.160 hate to say this much, but going from a double 0:16:01.200 --> 0:16:03.480 digit lead to like a two and a half game lead, like, 0:16:03.640 --> 0:16:06.120 come on, Like there needs to be you know, there. 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:08.320