1
00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:06,080
Speaker 1: All right, we've got former Big leaguer and Rangers Sports

2
00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,760
Speaker 1: Network color analyst Mike Bassett joining us right now. Mike,

3
00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:09,719
Speaker 1: great to have you on the show.

4
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,719
Speaker 2: How you doing, Thanks for having me. Boys doing pretty good?

5
00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,440
Speaker 1: All right, So let's start with the Rangers and then

6
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,560
Speaker 1: I do want to get to some spicy topics from

7
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,400
Speaker 1: the past twenty four hours. But being that AJ brought

8
00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,239
Speaker 1: this up and I was like, we literally have a

9
00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,520
Speaker 1: Rangers guest coming up, I'll let you retee it.

10
00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,280
Speaker 3: I think if the Rangers would have won last night,

11
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,400
Speaker 3: I think they might have done it. That lost last night,

12
00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,240
Speaker 3: heard him, because the Mariners can't win and the Rangers

13
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,000
Speaker 3: were on fire. They had a lead against the Diamondbacks

14
00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,479
Speaker 3: and then the bullpen blew it late. So I mean

15
00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,400
Speaker 3: they could still do it. But for me, that was like,

16
00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,760
Speaker 3: if they win tonight, they're only a game back, it's on.

17
00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,320
Speaker 3: But they lost, and so do I still think they

18
00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,280
Speaker 3: could do it? Yeah, but I think it's less likely

19
00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:52,720
Speaker 3: because if they would have got to ten wins in

20
00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,520
Speaker 3: a row then kept it rolling, I really would have

21
00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:56,240
Speaker 3: liked their chances.

22
00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,080
Speaker 2: Seven wins in a row, oh seven?

23
00:00:58,120 --> 00:00:58,400
Speaker 1: Sorry?

24
00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,080
Speaker 2: Yes, you know what's crazy about this is Now, when

25
00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:03,840
Speaker 2: you look at the sheet of paper and you look

26
00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,600
Speaker 2: at the nine guys in the lineup, I'm sure a

27
00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,480
Speaker 2: lot of major league fans are like, who is this team?

28
00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,360
Speaker 2: I know three guys in this lineup at this point,

29
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,000
Speaker 2: and that's when they've taken off. So my theory is,

30
00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:16,880
Speaker 2: and I don't know if it's right or not. I'm

31
00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,240
Speaker 2: not on the team is I just wonder if these

32
00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,160
Speaker 2: young guys are just playing with a little bit more freedom, Like, hey,

33
00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,200
Speaker 2: let's just play baseball. We're not Corey Seeger, We're not

34
00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,160
Speaker 2: Marcus Simeon. Let's just play and see what happens. Maybe

35
00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,360
Speaker 2: there's not as much pressure on us. We're just trying

36
00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,480
Speaker 2: to see if we're major league players or not. Is

37
00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:36,160
Speaker 2: that enough, though?

38
00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,200
Speaker 4: Is that enough to push them across the line, because

39
00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:44,280
Speaker 4: there's big leagues and then there's playoff big leagues like

40
00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,960
Speaker 4: neat stories don't like the Tigers, don't happen last year

41
00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:51,640
Speaker 4: without a Twins collapse and the best picture on the

42
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,160
Speaker 4: planet in Trek's Google, like, do they have the guys

43
00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,640
Speaker 4: that those three guys that you know in the lineup,

44
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,280
Speaker 4: can they take them through the playoffs?

45
00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,320
Speaker 2: Well, Eric, that's why I'm worried about what the upcoming

46
00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,760
Speaker 2: schedule has. Now, Arizona isn't a bad team. They're not

47
00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,000
Speaker 2: a good team, but you're about to come home and

48
00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,400
Speaker 2: in a good way. You do play Houston, so you

49
00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,320
Speaker 2: can make up games on Houston, but that's a playoff team.

50
00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:20,000
Speaker 2: Then you play Milwaukee, they're arguably the best team in baseball.

51
00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,519
Speaker 2: You go on the road to the New York Mets,

52
00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,520
Speaker 2: who are great at home. Different team on the road,

53
00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,760
Speaker 2: but great at home. You just start looking at the schedule,

54
00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,760
Speaker 2: and then you play Houston again. At Houston, you go, okay,

55
00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,280
Speaker 2: like they've made up enough ground that they're in the conversation.

56
00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:42,680
Speaker 2: But the schedule gets really tough. And without Evaldi and

57
00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,320
Speaker 2: without Seeger, and without Simon and now without Garcia and

58
00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,560
Speaker 2: you you know, have Carter out for the rest of

59
00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:53,000
Speaker 2: the year, it does become tough on guys like Freeman

60
00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,120
Speaker 2: and Hellman. And Langford has really stepped up in this situation,

61
00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,120
Speaker 2: and I do think he is a future star in

62
00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,280
Speaker 2: the league. But it is a lot to ask of

63
00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,800
Speaker 2: why at Langford, who's had an average season this year,

64
00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:08,119
Speaker 2: to like, okay, now that all those guys are out,

65
00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:14,360
Speaker 2: can you turn into Aaron judge this month. Yeah, Kenny, No,

66
00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:16,440
Speaker 2: I don't know. I think it's too early for that

67
00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,280
Speaker 2: and probably probably never will. But I do think he

68
00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,960
Speaker 2: can be a perennial All Star, but I think that's

69
00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:24,520
Speaker 2: in the future.

70
00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:29,919
Speaker 1: So what went wrong?

71
00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,920
Speaker 3: Like, why are we at very yesterday were saying they

72
00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:33,840
Speaker 3: were in the World Series ago?

73
00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,200
Speaker 1: Now you're very much no What has gotten them to

74
00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,960
Speaker 1: this point where there is clearly this crack, there's this

75
00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,800
Speaker 1: opening and they could be in a great spot right

76
00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,480
Speaker 1: when you look back at certain games and certain moments

77
00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,840
Speaker 1: and themes with the team, what are you thinking about

78
00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:48,480
Speaker 1: it this time?

79
00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,720
Speaker 2: Well, it's the starting pitching that's I mean it is.

80
00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,520
Speaker 2: It's the best in Rangers baseball history. They've always been

81
00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,840
Speaker 2: known from nineteen seventy two on as it's an offensive team.

82
00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,520
Speaker 2: If you're playing the Rangers, they're going to score five,

83
00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,119
Speaker 2: you better score six, and a lot of times it's

84
00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,320
Speaker 2: not that hard to score six because the pitching isn't great.

85
00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,440
Speaker 2: For the first time in the history of the Rangers,

86
00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:15,000
Speaker 2: the starting pitching has been great. Now the bullpen is

87
00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,200
Speaker 2: starting to falter and they don't have a closer. In fact, Aj,

88
00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,039
Speaker 2: I'll throw it back to you, do you know the

89
00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,719
Speaker 2: last guy to be the closer for the Rangers in

90
00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:28,320
Speaker 2: back to back seasons, and it's got to be Joe Nathan.

91
00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,880
Speaker 2: I would guess it's Joe Nathan in twenty twelve, in

92
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,320
Speaker 2: twenty thirteen. So the Rangers have now gone over a

93
00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,599
Speaker 2: decade where they have not had the same closer back

94
00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,039
Speaker 2: to back years. They've tried and then that guy just

95
00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,880
Speaker 2: hasn't come through. And last year it was Yates, Kirby Yates.

96
00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,720
Speaker 2: But this year they've searched all year long for a

97
00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,880
Speaker 2: closer and they haven't found it. That makes it even

98
00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,040
Speaker 2: tougher here in September. As it gets a little bit tighter,

99
00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,440
Speaker 2: the wins and losses become more man. That's a tough loss,

100
00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,960
Speaker 2: or that's a great win to not have a closer,

101
00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,080
Speaker 2: and to ask whether it's Armstrong, who I like quite

102
00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,080
Speaker 2: a bit. But I mean, you're asking guys who really

103
00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,039
Speaker 2: aren't closers to try to close out these these really

104
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,400
Speaker 2: tight games.

105
00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,520
Speaker 3: Mike, I gotta ask you, you're a left handed pitcher.

106
00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,359
Speaker 3: Did you ever get confused by what your pitch com

107
00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,359
Speaker 3: told you to pitch and then you just decided to

108
00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:17,480
Speaker 3: chuck whatever you wanted?

109
00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:18,599
Speaker 2: That's your catcher.

110
00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:20,680
Speaker 3: And then when it happened and you drew your catch

111
00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:22,200
Speaker 3: in the ribs, you just turn your back and act

112
00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:23,560
Speaker 3: like it was no big deal. Or did you say,

113
00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:25,360
Speaker 3: oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for doing that.

114
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:31,280
Speaker 2: Yeah, I I would say so sorry. Also, the catcher

115
00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,719
Speaker 2: probably could catch me with their bare hand if I

116
00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,960
Speaker 2: confuse them and go what are you doing? But yeah,

117
00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:42,840
Speaker 2: that was That was a horrible look from Valdez. That's

118
00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:47,320
Speaker 2: not right. That catcher is working so hard for you.

119
00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,360
Speaker 2: I get some catchers are are working harder than others,

120
00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,640
Speaker 2: but man catchers are there almost as a selfless guy

121
00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,839
Speaker 2: giving you a great service, and they're trying their best

122
00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,680
Speaker 2: to make the game is so as possible on you.

123
00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,720
Speaker 2: And you messed up. You threw a bad pitch. The

124
00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,080
Speaker 2: guy tried to tell you to step off the mound,

125
00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:11,480
Speaker 2: and then to just drill him, to drill your own teammate.

126
00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,559
Speaker 2: I will say in a way, you know, talking about

127
00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:17,640
Speaker 2: new school baseball, because my father played in the seventies.

128
00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,080
Speaker 2: There might have been a fist fight on the field

129
00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,960
Speaker 2: in the seventies between the own players, but definitely in

130
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,000
Speaker 2: the clubhouse and even in the nineties early two thousands,

131
00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:31,840
Speaker 2: man I don't think Framber Valdez is coming out of

132
00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,839
Speaker 2: the clubhouse without punches being thrown.

133
00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:36,680
Speaker 4: Do you feel that was gonna be my question? Like

134
00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,200
Speaker 4: how I don't see how there's not punch is thrown.

135
00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:43,560
Speaker 4: But along with that, do you feel like Framfrat Valdez

136
00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,599
Speaker 4: hurt some of his value in free agency this year?

137
00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,279
Speaker 4: I know there's other stories about him being immature, but

138
00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:55,720
Speaker 4: does this give everybody a very forward facing excuse to

139
00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,480
Speaker 4: maybe cut down years, cut down dollars per year.

140
00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,520
Speaker 2: Yes, but all it takes is one team to be

141
00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,200
Speaker 2: desperate that struggled down the stretch with starting pitching and go,

142
00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,760
Speaker 2: let's just give him the world. And pitchers are somewhat

143
00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,280
Speaker 2: individuals and maybe we can live with it. Maybe we

144
00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:16,840
Speaker 2: have this guy or that guy on the team or

145
00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,200
Speaker 2: on the staff who we think can control him. It

146
00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,200
Speaker 2: usually doesn't work, you know. For me, Valdez is a

147
00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:28,120
Speaker 2: heavier guy. For the most part, heavier guys don't age well.

148
00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,920
Speaker 2: So I even though I love him, I think he's

149
00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:32,920
Speaker 2: one of the best left handed starting pitchers in the game.

150
00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,760
Speaker 2: I would be concerned signing him in the offseason. But

151
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:39,440
Speaker 2: you know, all it takes is one team to go

152
00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,760
Speaker 2: screw it. We have thirty million something dollars on this season,

153
00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,360
Speaker 2: and we tried to give it to this guy and

154
00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,520
Speaker 2: that guy, and they said, no, just give it to

155
00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,480
Speaker 2: him and let's see if we can handle him. But

156
00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,480
Speaker 2: I would be worried. I would be concerned as a

157
00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,280
Speaker 2: pitching coach, as a front office guy, as a manager,

158
00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,520
Speaker 2: and now I guess as a catcher on what type

159
00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,520
Speaker 2: of person is going to be on my team.

160
00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,880
Speaker 1: We're throwing a curveball at you this week for our

161
00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,440
Speaker 1: Arena Club segment as AJ has opened up a Pokemon

162
00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:09,120
Speaker 1: slap pack.

163
00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:10,040
Speaker 4: Did you say it?

164
00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:13,720
Speaker 1: Pokemon slapman? Pokemon? Don't ask me to say what that

165
00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:15,760
Speaker 1: card is, but we're doing with that card.

166
00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:16,760
Speaker 3: I already sold it.

167
00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:18,240
Speaker 1: Get back, baby.

168
00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,040
Speaker 3: I bought it and then I got more money than

169
00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,360
Speaker 3: I paid for the pack, so I sold us straight back.

170
00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:28,520
Speaker 1: You bought it for, you sold it for, and you

171
00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:30,920
Speaker 1: can go get yourself something that you maybe know how

172
00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:32,040
Speaker 1: to pronounce.

173
00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,440
Speaker 3: Yes, what it is? I said it because I saw

174
00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:38,160
Speaker 3: certain people opening Pokemon and they're making money, and guess

175
00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:38,679
Speaker 3: what I got.

176
00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,199
Speaker 4: Lucky made money off of.

177
00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,040
Speaker 1: It too, exactly. But of course, if you're into sports cards,

178
00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,040
Speaker 1: that is something that you can find a ton of

179
00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,559
Speaker 1: on the Arena Club marketplace by sell slab pack trade

180
00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,960
Speaker 1: twenty percent off your first slap pack or card purchase

181
00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,720
Speaker 1: can be had at Arena club dot com slash foul

182
00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,400
Speaker 1: and use the code foul. That's arenaclub dot com slash

183
00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:02,719
Speaker 1: fowl and youth code foul.

184
00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,400
Speaker 4: Agreed, But you know, all right?

185
00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,199
Speaker 3: So the other big issue yesterday was Kyle Freeland gave

186
00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,000
Speaker 3: up a homer in Rafie Deevers. Were you mad that

187
00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,559
Speaker 3: Barry Bonds piped his homer off of you for seven

188
00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:16,680
Speaker 3: fifty six? Why did you not get into a fight

189
00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,800
Speaker 3: with him after he watched that ball go over the fence?

190
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:24,320
Speaker 2: Oh? Man, You know the thing is is I was.

191
00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,280
Speaker 2: I wasn't so mad at myself against Barry Bonds. It

192
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,120
Speaker 2: wasn't a good pitch and he crushed it. But he

193
00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,960
Speaker 2: did that almost eight hundred times in his career. I

194
00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,760
Speaker 2: would get mad if, like David Eckstein hit a home run,

195
00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,080
Speaker 2: not at him, at me, like god darn it, Like

196
00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,079
Speaker 2: how can I give up home runs to these guys?

197
00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:40,720
Speaker 2: And he is a good hitter, but you know, hitting

198
00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,160
Speaker 2: home runs. I just remember giving up one to him, going,

199
00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,240
Speaker 2: oh my god, I speak today, but no, you just

200
00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:50,559
Speaker 2: especially in today's game. It's part of the game. And

201
00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,680
Speaker 2: you know I heard you earlier. AJ. You can. It's

202
00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,240
Speaker 2: not against the rules. You might get thrown out, but

203
00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:58,920
Speaker 2: I don't know if you hated it that much. You

204
00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,200
Speaker 2: do have the web in your hand. You do have

205
00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,640
Speaker 2: the ball in your hand next time, and you just

206
00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,000
Speaker 2: go for the lower back area. You should never throw

207
00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,200
Speaker 2: it a person's head, but I mean, you can give

208
00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:13,800
Speaker 2: him first base for free next time, and I guess

209
00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,520
Speaker 2: get your revenge that way. But the game has changed.

210
00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,120
Speaker 2: It is what it is. I've seen worse in twenty

211
00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,120
Speaker 2: twenty five in the last three years. So, yeah, did

212
00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,200
Speaker 2: Devers Pippot? He did, but I didn't think it was

213
00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,480
Speaker 2: anything extraordinary what he did.

214
00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,839
Speaker 4: You mentioned home runs to people who you shouldn't give

215
00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,880
Speaker 4: home runs up to. I doubt you remember it. But

216
00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,680
Speaker 4: the graveyard that was in right field in Columbus in

217
00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,280
Speaker 4: two thousand and seven, I got you out there and

218
00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:49,959
Speaker 4: that was great for me because you were the guy

219
00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,160
Speaker 4: that gave him the home run to Barry Bonds. I

220
00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,080
Speaker 4: had an opposite field homer in Columbus, which was actually

221
00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,960
Speaker 4: it was terrible because we're playing on the we're playing

222
00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:01,600
Speaker 4: on the stro turf, and so any ball on the

223
00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,280
Speaker 4: ground would have been a home run because it would

224
00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:08,079
Speaker 4: just rolled forever anyway. Yeah, I unfortunately, I was good

225
00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,600
Speaker 4: at giving up home runs even in good seasons. Even

226
00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,760
Speaker 4: when I was when I was having a good season,

227
00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,080
Speaker 4: I could still give up home runs. I mean I

228
00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,040
Speaker 4: threw it, you know, eighty five eighty six. Eric.

229
00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:20,920
Speaker 2: You know what, I never heard one of my former

230
00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,800
Speaker 2: teammates who I played against say about me, man, I

231
00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:26,880
Speaker 2: hated hitting off with you. Never nobody ever said that.

232
00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,480
Speaker 2: In fact, there is one time Bobby Jones about hitting

233
00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,320
Speaker 2: guys we played in Albuquerque. I'm on Oklahoma City's team,

234
00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:36,600
Speaker 2: and we had a great offensive team and we score

235
00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,199
Speaker 2: like twenty something runs in a game, and so they

236
00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,880
Speaker 2: start drilling some of our guys and our manager, Bobby

237
00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,640
Speaker 2: Jones is getting mad because we're not retaliating, and so

238
00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:47,800
Speaker 2: he has a team meeting and says to the pitchers,

239
00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,040
Speaker 2: you've got to protect your hitters. They're scoring runs for you,

240
00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:52,360
Speaker 2: they're playing defense for you. He goes basic, I know

241
00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,600
Speaker 2: you'll hit them, but I want somebody who throws harder.

242
00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,000
Speaker 2: So I haven't got called out in that meeting for like,

243
00:11:58,040 --> 00:11:59,760
Speaker 2: I know you'll hit them, but it really won't do

244
00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:00,559
Speaker 2: much damage.

245
00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,679
Speaker 3: So that's good, that's funny. Trust me, there are plenty

246
00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,160
Speaker 3: of guys that I wish would have hit me instead

247
00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,600
Speaker 3: of the heart doors, a soft toss and lefties. I

248
00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:09,120
Speaker 3: was all for, Oh you want to hit me? Okay,

249
00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,800
Speaker 3: thank you, much easier like Jamie Moyre, please hit me.

250
00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:14,680
Speaker 3: But I have to ask this because I played with

251
00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,720
Speaker 3: Barry and I know he hit the home run off

252
00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,400
Speaker 3: of you have You? And again, I don't know how

253
00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,440
Speaker 3: to ask this question with that, And I don't mean this,

254
00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:25,160
Speaker 3: this is not a personal thing at all, But do

255
00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:29,560
Speaker 3: you question why people say that you laid one in

256
00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,240
Speaker 3: there for Barry Bonds? Like if you heard that? And

257
00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,080
Speaker 3: it's crazy to me because I just don't know how

258
00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,600
Speaker 3: somebody would ever question, oh, Mike Bassett wants to be

259
00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,800
Speaker 3: the guy to give up the home like no, Like,

260
00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:42,920
Speaker 3: I don't understand why people would even.

261
00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:47,360
Speaker 2: Think that I was fighting for my life every day

262
00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:52,680
Speaker 2: in the major leagues. I was not guaranteed anything that

263
00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:55,120
Speaker 2: was a three to two pitch after he fouled off

264
00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:59,440
Speaker 2: a three two breaking ball, So I mean it would

265
00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:01,240
Speaker 2: be tough to say, you know, I mean, not my

266
00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:05,240
Speaker 2: favorite teammate, but Tim Redding didn't help out the cause when,

267
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,120
Speaker 2: like in that offseason, he went on ESPN and said, well,

268
00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,120
Speaker 2: I was keeping the chart that night and he intentionally

269
00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,800
Speaker 2: did it. So then I have my own teammate saying

270
00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:18,720
Speaker 2: I did it, which then adds fuel to the fire

271
00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:23,760
Speaker 2: of conspiracy theories that you know, I was trying to

272
00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:26,640
Speaker 2: give up the home run. By the way, the next

273
00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,599
Speaker 2: step bat, Barry Bond tags he got taken out of

274
00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,960
Speaker 2: the game after giving up the home run, or after

275
00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,280
Speaker 2: I gave up the home run. The next day, first

276
00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:35,880
Speaker 2: step bat against Tim Redding, he hits it into the ocean.

277
00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:43,040
Speaker 2: So I just it's tough because one, I gave up

278
00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:45,840
Speaker 2: quite a few home runs. Two I was fighting for

279
00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,880
Speaker 2: my life after that game to stay in the big leagues.

280
00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,280
Speaker 2: I pitched against Arizona and my arm wasn't feeling good,

281
00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:57,120
Speaker 2: and that was the last game I started for a while.

282
00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,679
Speaker 2: I got demoted to the bullpen, and then in two

283
00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:02,199
Speaker 2: thousand and eight, I spent the whole year in Columbus

284
00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:07,760
Speaker 2: UH in Triple A and never got another chance to

285
00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:12,880
Speaker 2: pitch in the major league. So if I did, I

286
00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,280
Speaker 2: didn't benefit very much. From it.

287
00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,040
Speaker 3: Yeah. Okay, so hold up, wait somebody, Tim Redding came

288
00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:21,960
Speaker 3: out and said that you did it on purpose?

289
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:22,840
Speaker 2: Did you?

290
00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,040
Speaker 3: Then we talked about going and throwing, Like if you

291
00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,760
Speaker 3: talked to Tim Redding. Forget if you talked to Barry Bonds,

292
00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:29,800
Speaker 3: but have you talked to Tim Redding and said, what

293
00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:30,920
Speaker 3: the hell are you talking about?

294
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:31,280
Speaker 2: Dude?

295
00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:32,560
Speaker 1: Yeah?

296
00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,120
Speaker 2: I talked to him one time after that, and that

297
00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:36,720
Speaker 2: was it. I was like, I got nothing to say

298
00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,760
Speaker 2: to you, Like I.

299
00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:42,800
Speaker 3: Just like, like, what you just said is mind boggling

300
00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,600
Speaker 3: a guy that doesn't have unless you told him. Even

301
00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:49,320
Speaker 3: then you shouldn't say that. But the fact that he

302
00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,560
Speaker 3: would come out on National TV and say, oh yeah,

303
00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,640
Speaker 3: Mike told me and I was doing the chart, Yeah

304
00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,560
Speaker 3: he laid it in there, like wait what.

305
00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:58,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think gonna give a home run to Benji

306
00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:02,000
Speaker 2: Molina that day too, So uh it was Mary was

307
00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,400
Speaker 2: the only one who got me to.

308
00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:09,000
Speaker 3: Give one to him too, because I would I need

309
00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,840
Speaker 3: an extra hor I never faced you, but if you

310
00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:12,320
Speaker 3: would have just laid one, and that would be nice

311
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,240
Speaker 3: because it would help my left on left you know,

312
00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,320
Speaker 3: because you know you gotta can't hit lefties, so it'd

313
00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:16,920
Speaker 3: have been nice.

314
00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,360
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just it's for for and and me and Tim.

315
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:21,880
Speaker 2: We didn't get along. I don't want to make this

316
00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,160
Speaker 2: about Tim. You know, he had a nice career in

317
00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,600
Speaker 2: the major leagues, but that that was that was the

318
00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:28,720
Speaker 2: thing when you ask me a j or that was

319
00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,000
Speaker 2: the thing that kind of fueled it and gave it

320
00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:34,640
Speaker 2: like this life. It's like, I don't care what Skip

321
00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,080
Speaker 2: Bayless says. You know, he he kind of said it too,

322
00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:42,480
Speaker 2: But when somebody on your team then throws it out there,

323
00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,480
Speaker 2: that all of a sudden now becomes well, well maybe

324
00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:49,320
Speaker 2: he did. If his own teammate thinks he did. Wow.

325
00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:51,520
Speaker 3: I mean it's kind of cool, though, you did give

326
00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:53,640
Speaker 3: up the record breaking home I mean, I'm just saying

327
00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:54,360
Speaker 3: this is kind of cool.

328
00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,320
Speaker 2: I mean that is cool a little bit. I mean,

329
00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,520
Speaker 2: until someone breaks. I said, if it would have been

330
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,560
Speaker 2: to some dude who had three thousand at bats and

331
00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:05,560
Speaker 2: never hit a home run, I'd be like, that sucks.

332
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,120
Speaker 2: But I did give up. I don't know, I don't

333
00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,960
Speaker 2: know how many pitchers did give up home runs to

334
00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,720
Speaker 2: Barry Bonds. I'm gonna guess five hundred. You know that

335
00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,760
Speaker 2: Greg Maddox thing was awesome where I guess he's given

336
00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,280
Speaker 2: up the most to him, or maybe John Smoltz has.

337
00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:22,520
Speaker 2: And then Mattis was like, I'm done. I'm not pitching

338
00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:26,440
Speaker 2: to this dude anymore. And he was his last year

339
00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,520
Speaker 2: in the major leagues for eighty on base percentage for

340
00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,440
Speaker 2: Barry Bonds. That was his last year and I think

341
00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:32,760
Speaker 2: he was forty one years old.

342
00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:35,760
Speaker 4: Ridiculous, best I've ever seen.

343
00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, ridiculous. You're right right, You're one of many hundreds,

344
00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:44,240
Speaker 1: so it's not a surprise there, Mike. This was awesome.

345
00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,520
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us. Really great stuff.

346
00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:48,560
Speaker 1: Great to have you on. Appreciate the time and love

347
00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,040
Speaker 1: the work you're doing on Rangers games.

348
00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:53,800
Speaker 2: Well thanks boys. And maybe these Rangers will surprise the

349
00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:55,600
Speaker 2: world and with a week to go they'll still be

350
00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:55,920
Speaker 2: in it.

351
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,320
Speaker 1: And maybe the Mariners will surprise the world and never

352
00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,880
Speaker 1: figure out how on the road again. A little bit of.

353
00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,080
Speaker 2: Both is what you need.

354
00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:04,840
Speaker 1: Twins and Tigers last year. I'm with you.

355
00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:05,520
Speaker 4: Thanks Mike,