WEBVTT - ERA & eBay 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:06.320 Is this a great game or what with the Hall 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:09.160 of Famer Tim Kirkshin. I'm his son, Jeff Kirkschen and Dad, 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:12.160 your passport must be worn out with all of those 0:00:12.200 --> 0:00:13.320 Canadian stamps. 0:00:13.360 --> 0:00:15.440 You're back in Toronto, right. 0:00:15.840 --> 0:00:18.279 This is great. As we said last week, what a 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:21.440 great town this is. We have relatives here. It's great. 0:00:21.480 --> 0:00:25.200 But most important, Jeff, we're in the final four of baseball. 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:27.080 You know, we talk about the final four in basketball. 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:30.360 All great it is. Well, we're down to the Blue Jays, Mariners, 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:34.400 Dodgers and Brewers. And I love our series here. The 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:37.920 Mariners and the Blue Jays, who, as you know, were 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:42.920 expansion teams the same year, nineteen seventy seven. They came 0:00:42.960 --> 0:00:45.920 in at the same time. And as I told you, 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:49.640 when the Blue Jays played their first game ever against 0:00:49.680 --> 0:00:53.000 the White Sox that day in nineteen seventy seven, they 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:56.560 had to use a zamboni or whatever it's called to 0:00:56.600 --> 0:00:59.680 get the snow off the field. That's how much it's 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:05.040 snow before opening day in Toronto. And remember, Jeff, they 0:01:05.080 --> 0:01:09.920 didn't sell beer at Exhibition Stadium at least that first year, 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:15.520 and the fans were chanting, we want beer. Well, they 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.479 didn't get their beer, but they got a victory that day, 0:01:18.560 --> 0:01:21.480 and it was so cool. And again, the Mariners opened 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:26.200 at the same time, same year. And if Jeff the 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:31.199 Mariners and the Brewers advanced to the World Series. If 0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:34.600 you know, the Mariners have never been to the World Series. 0:01:34.720 --> 0:01:37.399 The Brewers have only been there once and they've never 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:41.440 won it. And this would be if they were to meet. 0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:44.240 I'm way ahead of myself here, this would be the 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:49.320 Seattle Pilots facing the Seattle Mariners in the World Series. 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:52.760 Because remember, and you were not even close to being born. 0:01:53.280 --> 0:01:56.920 The Seattle Pilots played one year in Seattle nineteen sixty 0:01:57.000 --> 0:02:03.520 nine and then moved to Milwaukee. So the Brewers beginning 0:02:03.960 --> 0:02:07.720 started in Seattle, and then eight years later the Mariners 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:11.200 came along and started their franchise. So it would be 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:15.040 a fascinating series. We're not rooting for anything here. If 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:19.560 the Seattle Pilots played against the Seattle Mariners in the 0:02:19.600 --> 0:02:21.280 World Series, it would be beautiful. 0:02:21.680 --> 0:02:24.440 And I mean both of these have never won a 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:27.400 World Series championship, So I mean, I think that's what 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:29.919 a lot of the country he is rooting for. I mean, 0:02:29.919 --> 0:02:33.000 you have the Dodgers obviously who won last year or 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:35.760 storied franchise. Then you have the Blue Jays, who haven't 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.640 won since nineteen ninety three, so they haven't won since 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:40.679 the year I was born. They won back to back 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:43.400 ninety two ninety three. And then you have the Mariners, 0:02:43.400 --> 0:02:46.919 never won, the Brewers never won, so it's refreshing, even 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:49.560 though of course the dollars are in the major markets 0:02:49.639 --> 0:02:52.320 in the LAS and the New York's, but I would 0:02:52.400 --> 0:02:56.639 love to see a Seattle Milwaukee because then there are 0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:59.680 no losers. Dat It reminds me back of twenty sixteen 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:03.280 when it was the then Cleveland Indians against the Chicago Cups. 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:05.080 There really was no losing there. 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:09.880 Indians long drought at that point still continues on to 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:12.359 this day for World Series drout and then, of course 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.240 the Cubs hadn't won famously over one hundred years. 0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:17.360 So I love the way this is setting up. 0:03:17.400 --> 0:03:20.680 And even if the Dodgers advance, it will still be 0:03:20.880 --> 0:03:25.440 a great AL team who needs a World Series championship 0:03:25.480 --> 0:03:28.440 because it's been a long time or not at all, And. 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:30.880 We're not rooting for anything here, Jeff, except for a 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:34.040 good story, and there are so many good stories in 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:37.720 this final four. But Jeff, Game one. The takeaways begins 0:03:37.760 --> 0:03:39.320 with the game one, and you know we're gonna be 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:41.320 a little late on this because we're a two man 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:45.080 show here. We just don't have time to keep completely 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:48.160 up to date. But game one of our series blue 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:52.760 Jays and Mariners, took a major turn. Remember Bryce Miller 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:56.000 was starting for the Mariners. He had a five to 0:03:56.120 --> 0:03:59.200 six to eight ERA this year and was starting on 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:04.040 short rest against Kevin Gossman, who's the best pitcher starting 0:04:04.040 --> 0:04:07.200 pitcher that the Blue Jays have, and Gossman had a 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:12.720 one nothing lead and retired sixteen consecutive batters when cal 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:15.280 Raley hit a home run off him in six inning 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:18.400 to tie that game. Bryce Miller was the star of 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:22.640 this game by giving them six really good innings on 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:27.440 short rest, and cal Raleigh, of course, along with Jorge Planco, 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:30.120 was the star of the game. But so now that 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:34.920 gave him going into Monday's game, cal Raleigh had played 0:04:35.000 --> 0:04:38.280 fourteen games at the Rogers Center in his career and 0:04:38.400 --> 0:04:43.440 had nine home runs in fourteen games in that stadium, 0:04:43.680 --> 0:04:47.120 and off of Kevin Gosman, who's impossible to hit when 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:50.400 he's right, he ran his numbers off Kevin Gosman to 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:54.479 eight for seventeen with four home runs with that big 0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:57.280 home run that he hit in Gay one. So as 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:02.200 always with this unbelievably unpredictable season, we're off to a 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:06.599 really surprising start. That Bryce Miller would win that game 0:05:07.200 --> 0:05:09.880 against the team that was fifty four and twenty seven 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:12.560 at home this year in the regular season, it was 0:05:12.880 --> 0:05:17.400 a tremendous beginning to the lcs's in the major leagues. 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:21.080 To quote you, Dad, I will give you one thousand 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:25.320 dollars if you tell me the connection between Kevin Goussman 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:32.240 and Emily Kirkchin my wife. One thousand dollars and the 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:34.559 blank stare on your face makes you want to double 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:35.039 it to two. 0:05:37.600 --> 0:05:40.240 There it's no idea where you're going here. 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:43.520 Okay, So I think I've told you this before on 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:46.120 the podcast. This is how it feels to be on 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:49.560 the other end of the quist who This is nice? 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:53.840 This is really nice. I know. Something that leads the 0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:58.800 connection is this up quoting remember National Treasure? Is this 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:02.839 how you feel all the time, all the time. 0:06:03.279 --> 0:06:05.040 I just like to feel this one. This is how 0:06:05.080 --> 0:06:08.360 you feel all the time, Like, come on, have that movie? 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:12.200 Another another realty pleasure. Agree, all right. 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:14.960 So the connection is Dad, years and years and years ago, 0:06:15.000 --> 0:06:20.440 when Kevin Gossman played for the Baltimore Orioles, you got me. 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:22.320 You went to some game and they give away free 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:24.960 stuff all the time. You got me an Orioles T 0:06:25.120 --> 0:06:27.280 shirt that had his name and number on the back. 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:28.919 It's like a free giveaway. You came home and you 0:06:28.920 --> 0:06:29.400 gave it to me. 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:31.720 Kind of didn't really think twice about it, right, well, 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:35.120 it stayed in my system of clothing, and then Emily 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.480 adopted it as one of her what we call in 0:06:37.520 --> 0:06:41.599 our household sleepy shirts, sleep in you know, comfortable shirt. 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.960 So she commonly will wear a T shirt it's an 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:48.280 Orioles shirt. 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:51.719 How funny is that? That's the connection. 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:53.520 And so I told him the other night, I said, 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:56.520 you know, he's stupidest thing ever, but he plays for 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:57.440 the Blue Jays. 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:01.919 I love it. That is so great. And I think 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:05.400 you told me that before and I already forgot it. 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:09.640 That is that is terrible, but that's great. Emily wearing 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:14.680 number thirty four for Kevin Gossman. Soay, all right, Jeff, 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:18.160 couple other takeaways here again we're laid on the Brewers 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:22.360 and Dodgers. But the Brewers starting pitchers Jeff. In beating 0:07:22.400 --> 0:07:25.640 the Cubs in five games, went a total of thirteen 0:07:25.680 --> 0:07:30.640 innings and won a postseason series in five games, in 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:34.480 part because their bullpen had a one twenty ERA in 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:39.240 thirty innings. Pitch just another reminder, Jeff, how we've lost 0:07:39.320 --> 0:07:43.000 the value of our starting pitchers. It's not a complaint, 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:46.120 it's not a criticism. This is just the way the 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:48.960 game works. If you have a deep versa the bullpen, 0:07:49.440 --> 0:07:53.080 you're going to have a chance. And that's how the 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:57.280 Brewers got through against the Cubs. Their bullpen carry them. 0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:02.080 Similarly the Dodgers, Jeff, beat your Phillies. The Dodgers hit 0:08:02.280 --> 0:08:06.440 one ninety nine in the series against the Phillies. The 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:09.080 Phillies are a really good team and they beat them 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:13.920 in four games. This is again how crazy baseball is. 0:08:14.040 --> 0:08:17.280 It makes no sense, and it made absolutely no sense 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:21.920 during the regular season, and the same thing is happening here. 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:25.880 And the last takeaway, Jeff, so Trey Savage' is pitching 0:08:25.920 --> 0:08:27.800 Game two. We're not going to be able to cover 0:08:27.840 --> 0:08:31.240 that on this podcast. But Cam Schlittler of the Yankees, 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:36.719 Troy Melton, and Connolly early are all starting pitchers in 0:08:36.760 --> 0:08:40.880 the postseason, and in the postseason, the five starting pitchers 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:46.600 posted a one ninety eight ERA five rookie starting pitchers 0:08:46.960 --> 0:08:50.920 one ninety eight ERA Jeff twenty seven and a third innings, 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:57.000 three walks, and thirty five strikeouts. This is incredible that 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:00.400 young pitchers come to the big leagues and they're they're 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:03.360 ready to go. Not only is their stuff ready to go, 0:09:03.800 --> 0:09:07.920 but their command, their poised, their presence, their confidence. It's 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:12.400 amazing to me how ready these young pitchers are, especially 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:15.720 when they get to the big leagues. Those are staggering numbers. Agreed. 0:09:16.120 --> 0:09:18.280 I mean, Dad, I looked back at the box scores 0:09:18.280 --> 0:09:21.480 for the Brewers and in this order, these are the pictures. 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:23.839 The amount of pitchers they used in each game four 0:09:24.480 --> 0:09:27.959 was the least amount, and they use that in game one, seven, six, 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:30.560 five to five. So the average of that, Dad, is 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.679 just an unbelievable amount of usage from their bullpen. And 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:37.040 they always say pitching wins championships. But back to the 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:38.960 rookie thing, Dad, and I have a question for you 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:42.120 and your expertise. Don't you feel as if there are 0:09:42.280 --> 0:09:43.760 times and I'm not going to put you on the 0:09:43.760 --> 0:09:48.560 spot for examples where rookies and or young players succeed 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:54.320 in the most difficult times because they don't really know 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:58.480 how important this is yet, right, because they haven't spent 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:01.600 ten years of the majors waiting for their first postseason appearance. 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:03.040 Right, They're just here. 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:04.679 Because and this is what they think. Everything is so 0:10:04.840 --> 0:10:06.199 almost the nerves are null and. 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:10.480 Void, right, Right, there's an expression, jeff, ignorance is bliss. 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:14.360 And these guys aren't don't even know that. They're supposed 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:17.320 to be scared to death of this stage and they're not. 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.080 And I think it's part because they don't even know 0:10:20.120 --> 0:10:22.840 where they are. But I think these kids are much 0:10:22.920 --> 0:10:26.520 more worldly. They're much more polished than they've ever been. 0:10:26.960 --> 0:10:29.280 And when they get here, thanks to the Internet and 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:32.880 other they have a better understanding of how the world 0:10:32.960 --> 0:10:36.800 works and better understanding of how baseball works. When they 0:10:36.840 --> 0:10:39.480 get here, because some of them have played big time college, 0:10:39.480 --> 0:10:41.800 they've been in front of people, they've been interviewed, they've 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.240 played in front of tons of fans. They get it 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:46.760 when they get here. It's really impressive. 0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:48.920 All right, Dad, what kind of quirk gins do you 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:49.920 have for us today? 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:53.240 All Right? A little short on this, but I really 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:55.760 got a kick out of this. Ernie Clement is the 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:58.960 second baseman for the Blue Jays and he's a great 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:03.520 defender at second base, shortstop, third base. If you could 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.440 pick your goal glove utility player in the major leagues, 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:10.000 it would be Ernie Clement. He can catch it at 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:12.760 any position. But he's not a utility players, an everyday 0:11:12.800 --> 0:11:17.320 player who had nine hits in the LDS against the Yankees. 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:20.560 But Jeff, you know how much I love baseball gloves, right, 0:11:20.720 --> 0:11:23.680 So I go up to Ernie Clement before game one 0:11:23.920 --> 0:11:28.040 and just casually I'm at his locker and he's got 0:11:28.080 --> 0:11:31.120 a rather old looking glove on. So I said, is 0:11:31.160 --> 0:11:34.000 that your gamer, because you know, people use a game 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:37.319 glove separated from you know, any other glove that they 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:38.960 have in their locker, and he goes, yeah, this is 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:41.240 my gamer. I said, well, what's the story behind it? 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.240 Just casual, naive question, and he said, yeah, I got 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:47.720 it on eBay a few months ago. He bought a 0:11:47.760 --> 0:11:53.600 baseball glove on eBay and now he wears it in 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:56.920 a major league game. And he doesn't just wear it, 0:11:57.040 --> 0:12:00.640 he's a magician with it. He used, it's the same 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:05.080 glove at second base, shortstop, and third base, which is unusual. 0:12:05.520 --> 0:12:08.280 Usually use a bigger glove at third than you do 0:12:08.360 --> 0:12:11.800 in the middle infield. But he bought a glove on 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:15.760 eBay and now he wears it in a major league 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:19.839 game and he's great with it. So he told me 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:24.679 has to wear a glove underneath his glove because there's 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:28.960 no padding at all in this glove, and so he 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:32.800 needs something to wear underneath it. Jeff, there's somebody out 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:36.360 there who put a glove up on eBay, who probably 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.440 used it when he was eight years old or ten 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:41.199 years old or fifteen years old, and now a major 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:43.840 leaguer is wearing it. Am I overdoing this or is 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:46.199 this one of the most interesting stories you've ever heard? 0:12:46.800 --> 0:12:50.480 I think this is fascinating. I mean, because you're exactly right, Dad. 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.439 I mean, imagine if you found out that was your 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:55.640 glove and you just put it up there trying to 0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:56.920 score a couple extra bucks. 0:12:57.080 --> 0:12:58.720 Have you ever bought anything off of eBay? 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:02.280 Dad? Never. I wouldn't know how to buy anything on 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:05.760 eBay if I had a flashlight and a map. I mean, 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:08.960 I have no idea how to do this. But Jeff, 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:12.800 the beauty of this is how just particular I've told 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:18.079 you all about this particular our players are about their gloves. 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:21.960 You know, no one was ever allowed to touch Roberto 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:26.760 Alomar's game No one was allowed to touch Brandon Phillips's 0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:31.040 game glove. They would be furious if anyone even picked 0:13:31.080 --> 0:13:34.760 it up. I remember a terrible mistake by me as 0:13:34.800 --> 0:13:38.000 a very young writer, as Mark Blander, great shortstop for 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:41.240 the Orioles, Can I try your glove on? And he 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:44.520 looked at me daggers in his eyes and he said, 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:47.400 And I don't think he was kidding. I would kill 0:13:47.440 --> 0:13:50.760 you before I would allow you to put my glove 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:54.280 on your hand. That's just the way it works. But 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:57.319 here Ernie Clement just picks up a glove on eBay 0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:00.280 and now wears it in a big league game. I 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:03.160 told you the Darwin Barney story. Jeff. He was a 0:14:03.200 --> 0:14:06.080 really good second baseman for years with Cubs and others. 0:14:06.200 --> 0:14:10.480 He wore He had five different gloves that he broke 0:14:10.559 --> 0:14:15.520 in systematically. Each one was in line to someday be 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:19.520 his gamer. Okay, and he only used his game guard 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:22.360 his gamer in the game, meaning he didn't even play 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:26.200 catch before the game with his game glove because he 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:30.080 didn't want a little indentation forming in the pocket. Therefore, 0:14:30.120 --> 0:14:32.520 when he reaches in to make the double play, he 0:14:32.680 --> 0:14:35.520 can't find the ball. So he told me once that 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.400 he made an error one night in Washington on a 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:42.520 backhanded play and he was so angry that he threw 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:47.880 the glove away and replaced it with his next glove 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:51.240 that was in line to become his gamer again, five 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:55.400 gloves systematically being broken in. I said, Darwin, you just 0:14:55.680 --> 0:14:57.800 threw it in your locker. He goes, no, no, no, I 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:01.080 threw it in the trash can because there's no way 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:03.800 that I'm going to use the glove the next game 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.240 if I made an error on it in this game. 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:08.360 That's how particular they are. 0:15:08.800 --> 0:15:11.560 Well, my favorite story is the one you wrote in 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:14.360 your book and years ago on ESPN dot com. I'm 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:17.120 sure Renegan Zales used to put his glove in a 0:15:17.160 --> 0:15:21.840 wonderbag right because their slogan was no he. 0:15:22.040 --> 0:15:25.600 Carried his exact Jeff, I am so proud of you. 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:28.760 You have been listening for your entire life, but for 0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:31.960 the two years on this podcast. You the first time 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:34.480 I ever met Renegan zalas he walks in with a 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:37.120 glove in a wonder bag and I said, Gonza, what 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:40.320 is that? He goes, Well, that's that's my game glove. 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:44.440 I carry it in this wherever I go slogan wonderbread, 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:47.720 no holes. Great last thing with the corkchin step. I 0:15:47.760 --> 0:15:49.680 was talking to Chris Bassett the other day of the 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.440 Blue Jays. He's a really funny guy and a really 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:56.200 smart guy, and he was a great basketball and football 0:15:56.200 --> 0:15:58.960 player in high school. We were talking again about how 0:15:59.080 --> 0:16:03.280 players are. You know, it's so important to play multiple sports. 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:06.680 So he says to me that Max Scherzer, who we 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.120 know of course as a Hall of Fame pitcher, but 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:14.920 also the pitcher that Ryan Zimmerman told us last year, 0:16:15.040 --> 0:16:18.240 is a maniacal pickup basketball But you remember that story. 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:21.120 Yeah, he was saying, we only played Max rules. 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:26.560 Where we played by the Max rules, we shoot free 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:30.280 throws in between baskets of the pickup game because you 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:32.360 only can tell if you're a good free throw shooter 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:36.320 if you shoot them when you're fatigued. And then after 0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:38.800 the pickup game was over, they shot more free throws. 0:16:38.840 --> 0:16:41.920 This is how Max does everything. So Chris basket I 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:45.160 told Chris Bassett this story and Chris Bassett said, yeah, 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.960 Max found out, you know, their teammates on the Blue Jays. 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:51.200 Max found out that I love basketball and I used 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:53.200 to be a good player. And he came up to 0:16:53.240 --> 0:16:55.920 me and he said, we're playing one on one. You 0:16:55.960 --> 0:16:58.800 and I are playing one on one basketball. And then 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:02.160 Chris Bassis and he goes and Max plays one on 0:17:02.160 --> 0:17:06.200 one only one way, full court, one on one. So 0:17:06.640 --> 0:17:10.280 I wonder why Max Scherzer is a Hall of Fame 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:14.520 pitcher is because he demands that we're gonna play basketball. 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:17.000 We're gonna compete, and when we play one on one, 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:19.960 we're gonna play full court one on one. At Bassett 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:23.280 looks at Max and says, we're not playing full court 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:25.520 one on what that's the end of the discussion. 0:17:26.240 --> 0:17:28.280 Next on is this a great game or what we've 0:17:28.280 --> 0:17:30.880 got on this state in Baseball history? Another team ten 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:33.520 and we'll tell you who our guest is gonna be. 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:36.160 And by guests, I mean guests for this week. 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:37.120 It's coming up next. 0:17:43.560 --> 0:17:45.800 All right, on this state in Baseball history? Dad, what 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:47.800 do we got for October the fourteenth? 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:51.640 Right? Well, on this date in eighteen ninety six, Oscar 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:55.679 Charleston was born Okay, now he is one of the 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:59.480 great Negro League players of all time. And I remember 0:17:59.560 --> 0:18:03.479 talking to Buck O'Neill, Hall of Famer about the greatest 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:06.639 players he's ever seen, and he said, Willie Mays is 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:11.440 the greatest major league player I've ever seen, but Oscar 0:18:11.680 --> 0:18:15.560 Charleston is the greatest player I've ever seen. And again, 0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:19.200 if we ever saw him in the big leagues, there's 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:22.199 no telling how many records he would have broken or 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:25.600 how great he would have been. But we cannot forget 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:29.720 how great he was. Born on this date in eighteen 0:18:30.119 --> 0:18:30.800 ninety six. 0:18:31.080 --> 0:18:35.200 And fun fact about him, Dad, what is Oscar Charleston's 0:18:35.200 --> 0:18:35.800 middle name? 0:18:36.840 --> 0:18:37.159 Do you know? 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:39.760 Take it again, Oscar MIAs. 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:50.520 No, his legal name Oscar McKinley Charleston. 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:58.200 Really really my daughter's name. My granddaughter's name is McKinley. God, 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:01.760 I love these little connections. Jeff, Hi, Jeff. On this 0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:07.040 date in nineteen o eight, the Baseball Writers Association of 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:11.800 America was basically began the formation because the sports writers 0:19:11.880 --> 0:19:14.879 were not pleased with the way they were treated the 0:19:14.920 --> 0:19:18.840 seating and everything during the World Series that year, and 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:21.240 they got together and said, we have to do something 0:19:21.240 --> 0:19:23.119 about this. And as you know, Jeff, I'm one of 0:19:23.160 --> 0:19:28.920 the proudest members ever, proudest members of the BBWAA when 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:32.040 I joined in nineteen eighty one, when I got my 0:19:32.119 --> 0:19:36.360 first card, my number, Jeff, and I'm not being self serve. 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:38.440 I'm trying not to be self serving here. My number 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:42.479 was eight hundred and eighty one and now my number 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:47.200 is twenty two. So they're only twenty one people who 0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:51.160 are still writing about baseball or members of the Baseball 0:19:51.280 --> 0:19:55.119 is still alive who have a lower number than me. 0:19:55.400 --> 0:19:57.760 So when I tell you how proud I am to 0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:01.399 be a writer with the BBWA, I can't stress enough 0:20:01.680 --> 0:20:06.040 how great that is for me. On this date in 0:20:06.160 --> 0:20:10.880 nineteen forty one, Art Shampsky was born now Ark. Champsky 0:20:11.000 --> 0:20:14.440 was a really good hitter, had an amazing nineteen sixty 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:19.520 nine season, but on August twenty second, nineteen sixty six, 0:20:19.760 --> 0:20:23.560 playing for the Reds, he was a rookie, he hit 0:20:23.680 --> 0:20:27.359 three homers in one game, Jeff, and he didn't even 0:20:27.680 --> 0:20:31.399 enter the game until the eighth inning, So he's the 0:20:31.400 --> 0:20:34.280 only player ever to hit three homers in a game 0:20:34.800 --> 0:20:38.240 having not played for the first seven innings of the game. 0:20:38.320 --> 0:20:42.280 He came in as a defensive replacement hit homers in 0:20:42.320 --> 0:20:46.040 the eighth, tenth, and eleventh inning. The Reds lost the game, 0:20:46.480 --> 0:20:50.200 fourteen to eleven to the Pirates, but he made major 0:20:50.240 --> 0:20:53.400 League history. And one more time, Jeff, give me three 0:20:53.560 --> 0:20:57.040 five hundred home run hitters who never hit three homers 0:20:57.080 --> 0:21:00.760 in a game, and Ark Schampsky did it. 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:04.199 Starting from the eighth inning off David Ortiz never hit 0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:05.280 three homers in a game? 0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:06.240 Correct? 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:07.600 Is that a good start? Okay? 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:11.560 Correct? Are you stalling now? Yeah? 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:17.679 I always forget the other two Dad, Gary Sheffield, Gary 0:21:17.760 --> 0:21:20.880 Sheffield and Al palmerrow right. 0:21:21.000 --> 0:21:23.960 Okay, Jeff, And also last one on this date in 0:21:24.080 --> 0:21:28.639 nineteen forty six, Al Oliver was born. Al Oliver played 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:31.600 for the in spring training. At least for the eighty 0:21:31.680 --> 0:21:34.479 two Rangers. Al Oliver was one of the best hitters 0:21:34.480 --> 0:21:38.439 I've ever seen. They traded him to Montreal in spring 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:42.879 at the end of spring training, which was probably a 0:21:42.960 --> 0:21:46.080 deal that they regretted because Al Oliver was such a 0:21:46.080 --> 0:21:49.919 good hitter, but they got Larry Parrishon and Dave Hosteedler 0:21:50.040 --> 0:21:53.800 in return. Never forget that, and Al was one of 0:21:53.840 --> 0:21:56.959 the most confident hitters ever. One year, I don't know, 0:21:57.040 --> 0:21:59.960 seventy nine let's say he started off twenty for four, 0:22:00.720 --> 0:22:04.120 twenty for forty. So Jim Reeves, one of my dear 0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:08.840 friends who was in mom and Dad's wedding, Rebo asked 0:22:08.920 --> 0:22:13.280 him jokingly, tongue in cheek, Al, you're twenty for forty. 0:22:13.359 --> 0:22:15.480 Do you think you could hit five hundred for the 0:22:15.520 --> 0:22:19.560 whole season? And Al looked at at Rebo and said, 0:22:20.520 --> 0:22:23.800 five hundred. That would be hard. That's what he said. 0:22:24.040 --> 0:22:26.480 He had to think about it because he was actually 0:22:26.560 --> 0:22:30.440 debating whether he could hit five hundred for a full seat. 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:34.479 That's how confident a hitter that Al Oliver was. So 0:22:35.240 --> 0:22:40.840 Al Oliver, of course wore number zero. So what leading 0:22:40.880 --> 0:22:43.960 into our team tim this week? What I haven't told 0:22:44.000 --> 0:22:47.240 you what it is? What Al Oliver wore number zero? 0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:48.080 What does that mean? 0:22:50.040 --> 0:22:51.399 All number zero team? 0:22:53.359 --> 0:22:57.520 Right? The all number zero or double zero? Because not 0:22:57.760 --> 0:23:01.800 everyone if you wore zero or double zero, you're a zero. Okay, 0:23:02.119 --> 0:23:07.280 that's for sure, all right? So our catcher is Junior Ortez, 0:23:07.560 --> 0:23:10.439 one of the funniest guys I ever covered in the 0:23:10.440 --> 0:23:13.240 major leagues, and in nineteen ninety one, I hope I 0:23:13.280 --> 0:23:17.800