1 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: From the berkshears to the sound from wherever you live 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: in MLB America. This is inside the Parker. You give 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: on major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 1: voter number seven game, Rob Parker. Welcome into the show. 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 2: I'm your host, Rob Parker, and what a program we 7 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 2: have for you today. We're going to talk with former 8 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 2: major league pitcher John Lester. 9 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: He stops by. 10 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 2: Also from the Athletic see Trent Rosecrantz, who covers the 11 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 2: Cincinnati Reds and man, are they hot? 12 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 3: Let's go. 13 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: Better to lead off it's getting robbed and keep them on. 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major 15 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: League Baseball. 16 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: Number one, the red hot Cincinnati red Legs. You know 17 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,199 Speaker 2: why I'm calling them the red Legs because the last 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 2: time a team won eleven games in a row after 19 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 2: having an one hundred plus lost season the year before 20 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 2: was nineteen hundred, when they were probably called the red 21 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 2: Legs back then for Cincinnati. I mean on Wednesday they 22 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 2: won again. I just the Reds were dead and bury. 23 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 2: It's the eleven game win streak. Is their longest ready 24 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 2: since nineteen fifty seven. Teams don't win eleven games in 25 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 2: a row, it just doesn't happen. But they beat the 26 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 2: Rockies again again, eleven games in a row. There's so 27 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 2: much stuff to talk about, and you know, I mean. 28 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 3: I get it. 29 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: You know, Ellie de la Cruz is a hot shot 30 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 2: rookie that they got and things just seem to turn around, 31 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 2: whether it's him or all the other players. And Hunter 32 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 2: Green is blossoms as ace pitcher, and man, I mean, 33 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 2: the Reds are trying to They won eleven straight. It's 34 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 2: the team's longest winning streak since they won twelve and 35 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 2: that was back in nineteen fifty seven. 36 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 3: So we brought it up. This is history making. 37 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 2: And this team, this has a lot of energy, and 38 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: there's a lot of young kids on the team, and 39 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 2: you know. 40 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 3: It's it's really amazing when you think about it. 41 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: Where they were. 42 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 2: And I'll just give you some more numbers. Eleven wins 43 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 2: in a row, five games over five hundred and forty 44 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: and thirty five, first place in the NL Central, three 45 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 2: straight sweeps, five straight series wins, and twenty six comeback wins, 46 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,679 Speaker 2: which is the most in Major League Baseball. I mean, 47 00:02:55,240 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 2: is this a big, big red machine, Like, how can 48 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: they be doing this? And it's just people all over 49 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 2: and it's not just one guy or the team has 50 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:13,079 Speaker 2: just come together. And Jake Frayley hit a two run, 51 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 2: go ahead home run that helped the Reds win. So 52 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 2: different people are contributing. It's not like one guy is 53 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 2: carrying the entire team. There's a new energy with the 54 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: Cincinnati Reds. It's gotta be fun when you think about 55 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 2: how long it's been that they've enjoyed this kind of success. 56 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 3: And based in Cincinnati is a great baseball town. I 57 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 3: worked there. I covered the Reds back in. 58 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 2: Nineteen ninety one in nineteen ninety two, and they love 59 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 2: baseball in Cincinnati. 60 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: So we'll get more. 61 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 2: On the Cincinnati Reds and who exactly are doing the 62 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 2: things that make this team go And how much credit 63 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: should ownership and management get? How much credit should the 64 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 2: manager get, and just how much credit should should the 65 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 2: credit The kid Ellie da la Cruz who just joined 66 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 2: the team and came up to the major league the 67 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: top prospect, how much credit does he get? 68 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: Number two? 69 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 2: Yes, this debate is gonna go on forever. Show he 70 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 2: Otani or Aaron Judge right now, show Hay is running 71 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: away with it, of course, because Judge is hurt for 72 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 2: the second time. This year's on the il Otani now 73 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 2: leads the major leagues and home runs. 74 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: He's pitching his butt. 75 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 2: Off and so you know, uh, the Athletic did a 76 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:38,160 Speaker 2: big piece on you know, with general anonymous general managers 77 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 2: and front office people and who would you like to 78 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 2: start your team with? Would it be Judge or would 79 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 2: it be Otani? And we know Aaron Judge had sixty 80 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: two or runs a year ago. He was on pace 81 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: to do that and more before the injury bug has 82 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 2: gotten him again. Otani is playing great and we're still 83 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 2: not sure if the Angels is gonna make I don't 84 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 2: know about his imp As good as he is, you 85 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 2: would think that for sure they would make the playoffs, 86 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 2: but that is just not the case. 87 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 3: And I know what baseball is different. 88 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 2: It's not like the NBA where one guy makes the 89 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 2: world of difference. But let me tell you this, if 90 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 2: you follow baseball at all, when Aaron Judges in the 91 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,840 Speaker 2: Yankees lineup, they're a real threat. 92 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: When he's not, it's a totally different team. 93 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 2: I've never seen one guy in a lineup change so 94 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: much and change the outlook of a team. But Aaron 95 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: Judge does that. And if it were up to me, 96 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 2: I just wonder how long Old Tony's gonna do both 97 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 2: pitch and hit and whether he can keep it up. 98 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,359 Speaker 2: But if you were to say, just do it on 99 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: an individual basis, if you had a chance to pick 100 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 2: Judge Old Tony just as a hitter, I think ninety 101 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 2: nine out of one hundred people would pick Aaron Judge, 102 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:01,719 Speaker 2: who hits over three hundred hits for power. I mean, 103 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 2: like his numbers are are like what he's done since 104 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 2: he came in a Big leagues is incredible. Even with 105 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 2: the injuries. He's an all time Yankee great. This guy 106 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 2: leads the New York Yankees franchise with the most home 107 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,600 Speaker 2: runs in a single season, more than Babe Ruth, more. 108 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 3: Than Roger Marris. Just think of that. 109 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: Really, he passed Babe Ruth. 110 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 3: He's that good. And I'm not trying to sell Otani short. 111 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 2: I just think that he won't be a pitcher and 112 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 2: hitter his entire career. And if I had to take 113 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 2: one guy right now, a different skip maker, a change maker, 114 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 2: it would be Aaron Judge. Call me with sugar naugh, 115 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 2: call me crazy, but I would take. 116 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: Judge number three. 117 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 2: The Baseball All Star Game is right around the corner 118 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 2: of all being Seattle. 119 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 3: Can't wait for that. 120 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 2: But Phase one of the voting for this year's All 121 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 2: Star Game is in the home stretch. It wrapped up 122 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 2: on Thursday, and right now, Ronald Lacuna Junior is the 123 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: overall leader. Show hay Otani remains the leading vote getter 124 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 2: in the National League, in the American League, I should 125 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 2: say Okunya in the National League, but he's the overall leader. 126 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: And the period ends for this Phase one of the 127 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 2: voting is on Thursday at noon Easter. So you can 128 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 2: vote as many as five times per every twenty four 129 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 2: hour period exclusively at MLB dot Com, on all thirty 130 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 2: team sites, and on the MLB app So there's your chance. 131 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 2: And then, of course, the big Game is July eleventh 132 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 2: at T Mobile Field in Seattle, which is going to 133 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 2: be spectacular. I mean, I just love the Midsummer Classic. 134 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 2: So a couple of people, just give you a couple 135 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 2: of people in the American League. Vladimiric real old junior 136 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 2: leading American League first baseman. No surprise there Marcus Simon 137 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 2: leading the Rangers. No surprise there. I mean he's doubled 138 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 2: his second Guy uh uh In in that race. He's 139 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 2: having an MVP type season. Simeon Matt Chapman of the 140 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 2: Blue Jays for third base, Bo Bashett from the Blue 141 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 2: Jays at shortstop. A lot of Blue Jays in this 142 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 2: thing right here. Aaron Judge, Trout and a Rose Arena 143 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 2: for the Rays lead the outfield, and of course Otani 144 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 2: for d H. So that's what you have really in 145 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 2: the American League. It's pretty interesting as we. 146 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 3: Go, but the Phase one is almost over. U vote 147 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 3: for the All Star Game. 148 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 2: It's one of the liberties that baseball gives its fans, 149 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 2: so you should appreciate it and you should vote. 150 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn. 151 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 4: It's so good. 152 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,199 Speaker 2: All right now, let's welcome into the podcast for I'm 153 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 2: a major league pitcher, John Lester, and we're talking about 154 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 2: big time, especially when you're talking about postseason. The guy 155 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 2: broke in with the Red Sox two thousand and six, 156 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 2: won two World Series with the Red Sox and won 157 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 2: a World Series when the Cubs when they broke that 158 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 2: horrific three hundred year drought or whatever it was, John, amazing, 159 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 2: But welcome into the podcast. 160 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 3: How are you. 161 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 5: I'm doing well, Thanks for having me. 162 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: No doubt. 163 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 2: Let's start, though, first with the Celebrity Golf outing tournament 164 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 2: that you're gonna have in Lake Tahoe. Tell us about that, 165 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 2: and then we'll get into some baseball stuff. 166 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, I'm excited. 167 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 6: I look forward to There's like three of these that 168 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 6: I get to do a year, and obviously Tahoe is 169 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 6: kind of the pinnacle of them. 170 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 5: Of them all, it's a lot of fun, beautiful place. 171 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 4: You know. 172 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 5: We kind of use. 173 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 6: A family summer vacation to go out there, so we're 174 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 6: all excited. I just got to get my golf game 175 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 6: in a decent point before before we get out there. 176 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: Now, let me. 177 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 2: Say this, because it's the thirty fourth Annual American Celebrity Championship. 178 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 2: It'll be live on NBC July fourteenth through the sixteenth. 179 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 2: But John, the list of players of players who are 180 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 2: playing in this is like who's who Smoletly who we know? 181 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 2: John Smoltz is a great golfer, Okay, Mark Molder, David Wells, 182 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 2: Steph Curry, Charles Barkley, who's a terrible golfer, Aaron Rodgers, 183 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 2: Patrick Mahomes. 184 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 3: And Raymer Vermono an actor. I mean, that's an a list. 185 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's fun. 186 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 6: I mean, it's it's cool when you get to do 187 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 6: these things because you get to be around, you know, 188 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 6: a lot of different guys. So you know, you get 189 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 6: the football, the basketball guys, and you throwing some actors 190 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 6: in there. 191 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 5: It's a fun time. Man, we all get to hang out. 192 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,119 Speaker 6: Like you said, it's an a list of not only golfers, 193 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 6: but but you know their athletes. So it's a lot 194 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 6: of fun. And like I said, I look forward to it, 195 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 6: you know, in July. 196 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 2: All right, let's start here show Hail Tana. You cannot 197 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 2: talk baseball without bringing him up. And John, do you 198 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 2: marvel at. 199 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 3: What he's able to do? 200 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 2: Pitch every fifth day, d h the rest leading your 201 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 2: leading baseball in home runs and probably in the top 202 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,319 Speaker 2: seven or rate in pitching in baseball. 203 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 3: Where are you on him? Have you ever thought we 204 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 3: would see a guy like him? 205 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 4: Yeah? 206 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 6: Man, I mean, he's it's an incredible phenomenon what he 207 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 6: can do. I mean, and it's not like he's out there, 208 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 6: you know, softballing and throwing eighty five miles an I. 209 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 6: I mean, this guy's throwing one hundred every five days 210 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 6: with nasty stuff and then still gives you, you know, three, four, 211 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 6: sometimes five quality at bats every night. I mean it's incredible. 212 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:02,360 Speaker 6: You know, runs the bases, obviously, steals bags. Incredible athlete. 213 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 6: I mean, I'm marveled at how he's able to do it. 214 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 6: Just kind of understanding the you know, what's needed to 215 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,120 Speaker 6: pitch every five days and how you need to take 216 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 6: care of your body, and he's playing on top of that. 217 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 5: It's pretty crazy, it really really is. 218 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 2: Let's go here with some of the changes. I'm a 219 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 2: traditional guy. I've been covering baseball since nineteen eighty six. 220 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 2: In fact, John, my first World Series was eighty six 221 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 2: when the Red Sox and the Mets played in the 222 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 2: World Series. I was at Game six when that ball 223 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 2: went through Bill Buckler's legs. So I've been around the 224 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 2: game for a long time. But I wasn't that high 225 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 2: on the pitch clock and some of the changes of 226 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 2: the game. 227 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 3: I thought they were catering the game to people who 228 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 3: didn't like baseball. 229 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:54,320 Speaker 2: But I gotta admit the game is much faster and 230 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,719 Speaker 2: the pace I'm enjoying where are you on it? 231 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 6: I'm with you, you know, I don't think you really 232 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 6: notice it when you're at home and you're watching it, 233 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 6: you know, on TV. But when you when you go 234 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 6: to a game, you know, you really pick up on 235 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 6: just how quick the game is moving now. 236 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 5: You know. And it's not so much it's not so 237 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 5: much the actual game. 238 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 6: It's just that you know that dead time right like 239 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 6: the in between pitches, the batter be walking around fixing 240 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,559 Speaker 6: his bat and gloves, you know, the pitchers doing whatever 241 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 6: they're doing. 242 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 5: Uh, you know, I just think it. 243 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 6: It's it's made guys a little more accountable to their 244 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 6: time and to what they're they're trying to do. 245 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 5: You know, I, you know, nitpicking here. 246 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 6: I would like to see that pitch clock maybe get moved, 247 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 6: you know, with nobody on to to twenty seconds and 248 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 6: then with guys on maybe twenty five seconds. You know, 249 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 6: I've noticed, uh this year, just in a few games 250 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,960 Speaker 6: where you know that twenty or that fifteen seconds can 251 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 6: can start moving pretty quick on guys. And then even 252 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 6: more so when there's runners on base and they're you know, 253 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 6: trying to think about you know, and especially in a 254 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 6: big game of tight game, you know, they're trying to 255 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 6: think about what they're doing and what pitch they want 256 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,800 Speaker 6: to throw next. And I just I would think that 257 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 6: giving them a little little leeway there, that five five 258 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 6: extra seconds on on either side would would kind of 259 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 6: help help that it won't slow the game down any 260 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:21,480 Speaker 6: But I just think that that would be you know, 261 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 6: nice on their behalf. 262 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 5: But uh, I like it, man, I didn't think i'd 263 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 5: like it. Now I don't. 264 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 6: I can't talk about it. On the other side, I 265 00:14:29,800 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 6: didn't get to use it. I wasn't a part of 266 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 6: you know, the pitch calm and the and the and 267 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,400 Speaker 6: the the I call it the shot clock, but the 268 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 6: pitch clock, you know. But as far as being a 269 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 6: fan now and I'm taking my you know, I'm taking 270 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 6: my boys to the Braves games, and you know, we've 271 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 6: been to a Red Sox and Cubs game along the way, 272 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 6: and it just things, you know, are just moving a 273 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 6: little quicker, a little nicer, no doubt. 274 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 2: Let's speaking of your one of your old teams, the 275 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 2: Red Sox were in the last place in the Al East, 276 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 2: but they're over five hundred at the whole division. 277 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 3: John is over five hundred. Is that is that amazing. 278 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 2: When you think about like that, almost never happens. 279 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:12,960 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean I think the you know, the AL 280 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 6: East is obviously back, you know, I can speak on that. 281 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 5: When I was there. 282 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 6: It's I still think it was the toughest division in baseball, 283 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 6: you know, and and every night you got to show up. 284 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 6: You got good offenses, good pitching, and no matter where 285 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 6: you're at, you know, it's it's a tough division. 286 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 5: Man. 287 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 6: And for the Red Sox to be over five hundred 288 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 6: to me in last place, and I think it's a 289 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 6: kind of a distant last place right now, right, Yeah. 290 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 2: It's crazy that they've won seven of their last ten 291 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 2: going into Wednesday, but still they're in last place. 292 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean it's a tough division. I mean, Tampa's 293 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 6: so darned, so darn tough. I mean, they do everything right. 294 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 5: You know. 295 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 6: Obviously the Yankees get judged back there, they're the Yankees. 296 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 6: You know, Blue Jays have been playing well. I mean, 297 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 6: Baltimore I think has been kind of one of the 298 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 6: biggest surprises and in baseball this year with how well 299 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 6: they've been playing. And I'm happy for coach Hyde over there, 300 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 6: you know, finally giving him a chance to manage a 301 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 6: winning team, so you know. 302 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 5: It's an exciting division. It should be. 303 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 6: That's the way, you know, I feel like baseball was built, 304 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 6: and you know, to have that American League eeast at 305 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 6: the top is pretty is good for baseball. 306 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 2: I think our guest is John Lester, former Major league 307 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 2: pitcher of course, who are broken with the Red Sox, 308 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 2: also played for the A's, the Cubs, the Nationals, and 309 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 2: the Cardinals. Your Red Sox career, when you think about 310 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 2: all the losing that went on in Boston, but you 311 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 2: you had a very special place there. 312 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: I mean, you pitched the final game of. 313 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 2: The two thousand and seven World Series and two thousand 314 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 2: and eight no in two thousand and seven, I should 315 00:16:58,120 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 2: say for the. 316 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 3: Red Sox, which is pretty amazing. 317 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 2: I mean, what what was that like when you guys 318 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 2: finally you know, won in Boston and became this team 319 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 2: that forever couldn't win. 320 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 6: You know, I think for me and O seven was 321 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 6: a little different, just just because of kind of everything 322 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,920 Speaker 6: personally that was going on with me that year, and 323 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:23,440 Speaker 6: you know, coming back from from my cancer treatments and 324 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,880 Speaker 6: all that, and then you know, I wasn't a part 325 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 6: of the team the whole year. I was, you know, 326 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 6: kind of an call up, not a call up, but 327 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 6: I got got called up and was just kind of 328 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 6: a part of it. I wasn't I wasn't a you know, 329 00:17:37,119 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 6: a guy so oh seven For me, I just I 330 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,480 Speaker 6: didn't really understand the you know, how cool it was 331 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 6: and the importance of everything that I got to do 332 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:45,880 Speaker 6: that year with that team. 333 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 4: Uh. 334 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 6: And then you know, like getting to kind of be 335 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,639 Speaker 6: the number one, being the Kurt Shilliyan, being the Josh 336 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,880 Speaker 6: Becket or whatever you want to call it in thirteen, 337 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 6: I think really kind of helped me understand you know 338 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:03,159 Speaker 6: what I was haven't meant so yeah, man, it was 339 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 6: just it was cool just to be a part of 340 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 6: that with all those guys. I mean, if you look 341 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:09,919 Speaker 6: at that roster, it's a pretty pretty impressive list of 342 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 6: names that were on that team. 343 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:15,959 Speaker 2: And you I always say, there's some really great baseball towns. 344 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 2: We know Boston is you played in Chicago, people love baseball. 345 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 2: I call Saint Louis the baseball capital of America. They're 346 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 2: the seventyth largest city in the United States. And you 347 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 2: notice John, could. 348 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 4: You pitch there? 349 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,920 Speaker 2: They get three million fans every year to the ballpark 350 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:37,479 Speaker 2: and everybody wears red. What was it like, you know, 351 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 2: just in pitching in some of these cities and. 352 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 3: Am I right on Saint Louis? 353 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, you are. You know. 354 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 6: It's it's crazy when you're on, you know, the the 355 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 6: opposing side for so many years and having that rivalry 356 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 6: with the with the Cardinals on the cub side, you know, 357 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 6: you kind of go in there, you're like, yeah, this 358 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 6: is a cool place, but you know you hate it 359 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 6: too because you got to these guys. But to get 360 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 6: to be on the other side and get to see 361 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 6: how how the home side is and how those fans 362 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 6: treat those guys is pretty pretty special. 363 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:15,000 Speaker 5: It's a cool place, you know. I got pretty lucky. 364 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 6: I got to play for some really really cool franchises, 365 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 6: some historic franchises in the game of baseball, and for me, 366 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 6: for me to get to do that, it's pretty incredible 367 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 6: in Saint Louis, obviously with all the history, all the 368 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,679 Speaker 6: great players that have come through that organization, and then 369 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 6: to add the fans on top of that, day in 370 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,880 Speaker 6: and day out, they show up, they cheer, like you said, 371 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 6: they're wearing their red. It's pretty special place. 372 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 2: His name is John Lester, and they got the big 373 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 2: golf outing the thirty fourth American Celebrity Championship Celebrity Golf Tournament. 374 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 3: It's at Lake Tahoe coming up July fourteenth through the sixteenth. 375 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 2: It'll be live on NBC and just a star studed 376 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 2: group including John Smoltzy, Aaron Rodgers, charl Balky, Steph Curry, 377 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 2: Patrick Mahomes, My God and Moore. 378 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: Enjoy the golf. 379 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 3: We appreciate you, John, and maybe we'll talk to you 380 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:09,720 Speaker 3: again down the road. 381 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,359 Speaker 6: Yes, sir, thanks thanks for having me. I enjoyed it. 382 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:18,479 Speaker 1: It's time for the Pocket Protector Centrum. The analytic numbers 383 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: you need to know? 384 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 2: Well, maybe Anthony Masterson is his name. 385 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 3: BS analytics is his game. What do you got for me, Anthony? 386 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 7: It's been a while since we've had to have the 387 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 7: will he hit four hundred talk as a society, but 388 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,199 Speaker 7: the Marlins Luisa Rise is forcing the issue. As we 389 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 7: sit here on the first day of summer. The Marlins 390 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 7: second Basement is currently hitting three ninety eight, though he 391 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 7: was at four hundred the day before. Thanks to his 392 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,680 Speaker 7: third five hit game this month. How nuts is that? 393 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: Well? 394 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 7: Arise became the fourth player in MLB history with three 395 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,199 Speaker 7: five hit games in a calendar month, joining Hall of 396 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 7: famers Dave Winfield, Ty Cobb, and George Sisler. One more 397 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 7: five hit game this season and Rise will join an 398 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 7: uber exclusive list the only four players in MLB history 399 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 7: with four five hit games in a season each Row Tony, Gwynn, 400 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 7: Stan Musual Ty Cobb, considered four of the greatest contact 401 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:12,560 Speaker 7: hitters in MLB history. A Rise isn't just some one 402 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 7: trick pony, however, He's been doing this his whole career. 403 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 7: His three twenty seven career average is the highest among 404 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 7: all active players by twenty full points over Migal Cabrera. 405 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 7: You look at all players in the expansion era, and 406 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 7: his three twenty seven mark is the fifth highest, only 407 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 7: behind Gwyn Roberto Clemente, Wade Boggs, and Rod Carew, Which 408 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 7: brings us back to the chase for four hundred. Of course, 409 00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 7: nobody since Ted Williams in nineteen forty one has hit 410 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 7: four hundred over a full season, but the three ninety 411 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 7: eight mark from a Rise is the highest on the 412 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 7: first day of summer since the late Tony Fernandez was 413 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 7: hitting four eleven for the Blue Jays on June twenty 414 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,959 Speaker 7: first nineteen ninety nine. Even if he doesn't hit four hundred, 415 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 7: the highest mark in the Wildcard era is Larry Walker's 416 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 7: three seventy nine number for the nineteen ninety nine Rockies. 417 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 7: Could arise hit that mark in his first year in Miami. 418 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: To turn money into more money. Now it's time for 419 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: betting on the basis with Dave Gascott. Love that money, 420 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:08,679 Speaker 1: Love that money. 421 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 8: Rob Brandon Weeken of Baseball happy to be here with 422 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,359 Speaker 8: you man. There's a couple of surprise teams that are 423 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 8: surgeon right. The Cincinnati Reds, the Arizona Diamondbacks. They're all 424 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:20,160 Speaker 8: hanging around. And speaking of those Reds, they'll be at home. 425 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 8: It gets the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, first pitch 426 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 8: of scheduled for six forty Eastern, three forty Pacific for 427 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,160 Speaker 8: all you left Coasters. Jared Schuster is on the mound 428 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 8: for Atlanta. I'm gonna take Atlanta this one as a 429 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 8: road dog in that affair. Meanwhile, the Yankees and Rangers, 430 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,640 Speaker 8: this should be a great series. Over the weekend. Over 431 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 8: under total in this contest is nine. I'm gonna take 432 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 8: the over in that affair. Rangers one of the best 433 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 8: teams highest scoring offenses in all Major League Baseball. Give 434 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 8: me the over in that contest. San Francisco is at 435 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 8: home against Arizona on Friday night, that's from Oracle Park 436 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 8: ten to fifteen Eastern. I'm gonna take logan web in 437 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 8: that matchup versus Zach Davies. Giants are the odds unfavored 438 00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 8: to win that one, and I will take them. 439 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 4: To win it. 440 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this model. 441 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: If I'm writing, I'm ripping, Let's bring in a writer 442 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: or broadcaster, old or new. 443 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 2: All right, now, let's welcome into the podcast. Sea Trent 444 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 2: rosecrans from the Athletic. He covers the Cincinnati Reads. And 445 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,760 Speaker 2: right now, Ce Trent, you are covering the hottest team 446 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 2: in baseball with eleven straight wins after Wednesday. What has 447 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 2: happened to this team and how did they get here? 448 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 9: You know, it's started last year and it wasn't the 449 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 9: pretty start that anybody wanted. It was started with ownership saying, hey, 450 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 9: we're not going to spend as much money and we 451 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 9: want to build a consistent winner, which I guess most 452 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:51,920 Speaker 9: ownerships do. They want to keep costs down and revenue 453 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:56,119 Speaker 9: opportunities up, which is not novel. What is novel is 454 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 9: I think you have to start with Nick carl the 455 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,880 Speaker 9: GM who was given those marching orders and made some 456 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 9: really unpopular moves. 457 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 4: You know that. 458 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 9: I was just writing about Jesse Wenker and a Honeyosz 459 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 9: to the Mariners, and you keep going on so many 460 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,240 Speaker 9: of the moves they made early last year and through 461 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 9: last year and their selloff, But those moves really have 462 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:24,360 Speaker 9: set this team up for some success. 463 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 4: This is a young, athletic team. 464 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 9: Since since the Reds have been a great American ballpark, 465 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 9: it's been a team built on scoring via the home run. 466 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 9: That's not what this team does. They are young and athletic. 467 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 9: They're fast, they run, and they're aggressive, which is a 468 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 9: fun brand of baseball to watch. I mean, you grew 469 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 9: up like me in the eighties or even before. It's 470 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 9: kind of baseball you grew up on and you loved 471 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,720 Speaker 9: the game we fell in love with, and that's what 472 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 9: this team plays it. It's really fun. 473 00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:59,239 Speaker 2: Tell me about the the and I know it's not 474 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,439 Speaker 2: just Ellie de la Cruz, but it just kind of 475 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 2: coincides with him coming and he's been on a tear 476 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 2: of late At one point he was batting about two 477 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 2: thirty five after seven or eight games, you know, after 478 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 2: the initial start. 479 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:18,360 Speaker 1: But now he's hitting. 480 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:24,120 Speaker 2: In five straight six five straight, and he's had five 481 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 2: hits in his last eight at bats. His batting average 482 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:31,200 Speaker 2: is up to three twenty one. Just tell me about him, 483 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 2: what he brought to the team, and the electricity and 484 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 2: people feeding off of this kid. 485 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 4: Well yeah, I mean you mentioned the electricity. You just can't. 486 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,640 Speaker 9: You almost have to start every conversation with Alli because 487 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 9: he is just, you know, something nobody's seen before. I 488 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 9: was talking to his hitting coach in Louisville, who said, 489 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 9: you know, he runs like Billy Hamilton, hits the ball 490 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 9: as hard as Aaron Judge, and he has Raphael for 491 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,640 Speaker 9: Call's arm and. 492 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:05,639 Speaker 4: It's just nuts. 493 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 9: Like the funny thing is, I was talking to Nixon 494 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 9: Zell before the name today. This is a number two 495 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 9: overall pick okay, with a lot of talent and a 496 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 9: lot of pride, and I said, I said, one of 497 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 9: the funny things is is like it doesn't seem like 498 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,480 Speaker 9: you guys get sick of talking about Eli. And he's like, no, 499 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 9: I mean we see it too, you know, we're we're 500 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 9: as odd as anybody, and we've seen it. He's like 501 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:32,879 Speaker 9: the most athletic player I have ever seen. And the 502 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 9: thing with Ellie that's that stands out once you're around 503 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:38,639 Speaker 9: is his. 504 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:42,440 Speaker 4: Love of the game. That's what that's what makes. 505 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 9: Him special, not just the tools, but he's a smart player. 506 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:51,679 Speaker 9: He's always hustling, and I've talked to teammates everywhere and 507 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 9: they say he is literally that same guy, oh for four, 508 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 9: four for four. He could be oh for four and 509 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 9: he's still on the top step cheering on his teammates. 510 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,880 Speaker 9: He just loves baseball. He loves to win baseball games, 511 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 9: and he does everything you can't Tonight. You know, today 512 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 9: he hit this like little bloop off the end of 513 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 9: his bat. But last night he did and it went out. 514 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 9: But this night he had a bloop off his bat 515 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,679 Speaker 9: to left field and off the bat, I just kind 516 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 9: of looked at the trajectory and I go, that's a double, 517 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 9: and it was. 518 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 4: And then you know, anytime. 519 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 9: He's on base, you can almost expect him to get 520 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:32,400 Speaker 9: to third because he's steal second, steals third. The one 521 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 9: time he's been caught stealing so far, he slid in 522 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:37,959 Speaker 9: safe and then the it was last night and the 523 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 9: third basement kind of fell over, took him off the 524 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 9: bag and they called him out. But it's just, you know, 525 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:50,440 Speaker 9: they were talking to the miners. Matt Reynolds, a veteran, said, 526 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 9: they're pitching him like Barry Bonds. But the difference between 527 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 9: it is when Barry Bonds was being pitched like Barry 528 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:04,159 Speaker 9: Bonds was late stages Ferry Bonds. Now you have a 529 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 9: guy who can take basis at will, so if you 530 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 9: walk him, you might as well be giving him a triple. 531 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 4: And it's insane. 532 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 9: Matt McClain is an extremely fast player. Stuart Fairchild very fast. 533 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:22,359 Speaker 9: And I talked to those guys and they just don't 534 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 9: even think about themselves in the same categories as Ellie. 535 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 9: When you're talking about speed, I mean, and these are 536 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 9: some of the fastest guys in baseball. And he also 537 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:35,199 Speaker 9: could hit the ball. This first time run here was 538 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 9: to the last row of the stadium, and everybody's like, 539 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 9: oh yeah, he didn't get all of it, and he's 540 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 9: going to hit one out of. 541 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 3: Here, no doubt. 542 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:44,920 Speaker 4: I'm done stuff. 543 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,720 Speaker 2: It's been something to watch. It reminds me of Fernando 544 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 2: Tattooses with entrance into the major leagues. If you remembered, 545 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 2: there was an electricity about him that made people he 546 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 2: was must see. 547 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 1: And he reminds me of that. 548 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 2: I guess Trent rosecrans from the athletic he covers the 549 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 2: Cincinnati Reds. Let me also ask you about Hunter Green, 550 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 2: and he did something that hadn't been. 551 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:13,680 Speaker 3: Done in the gazillion years with the Reds. 552 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 2: And the last start he beat the Astros pitch well 553 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 2: six innings, two arned runs, only had three strikeouts, got 554 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,959 Speaker 2: to win pitch well. But in the five previous starts, 555 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 2: Trent he had eight strikeouts or more in those five starts, 556 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 2: which is the first time a Reds pitcher had done 557 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 2: it in like sixty years. Talk about Hunter Green and 558 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 2: what he's developed into and when you have a guy 559 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 2: like that at the top of your rotation, you're not 560 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,880 Speaker 2: gonna lose a lot of games, a lot of games 561 00:29:43,880 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 2: in a row or a lot of series. 562 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 4: Yeah. 563 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 9: And what's even more impressive is this current eleven game 564 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 9: winning streak. Hunters started one game and he's been on 565 00:29:55,440 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 9: the IL or he's now on the IL with some 566 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 9: hip stop that they're being very careful about. He pitched 567 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 9: through it in that last start. Actually, I guess he's 568 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 9: had two starts in a streak, but he is. 569 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 4: On the ail now. 570 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:15,959 Speaker 9: But but I mean it's a generational arm, you know. 571 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 9: I think we've been hearing about this since he was 572 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 9: in high school. And again, a guy who knows the sport, 573 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:27,479 Speaker 9: grew up in the sport, loves the sport. He is 574 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 9: he could he Again, both guys you've talked about have 575 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 9: ceilings that are like I mean, they might as felled 576 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 9: it well, be like sun roofs because like you could 577 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:43,120 Speaker 9: just go as high as possible. There's no no limit 578 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 9: to what these guys could be. And their floors are 579 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 9: pretty high too. 580 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:51,120 Speaker 2: Now, one last thing. Are we giving most of the 581 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 2: credit here to manager David Bell or to the front 582 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 2: office and ownership? 583 00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 1: Who would you eat? Who would you put hang this on? 584 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:06,800 Speaker 4: I think it's a collective type thing. I mean, I 585 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 4: give a lot of give me. 586 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: One picked one. 587 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 2: I know it's hard that both have something to do 588 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 2: with it, But is it just the moves that the 589 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 2: management may give. 590 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 3: David Bell or not? 591 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 9: No, I mean David Bell his and this is kind 592 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 9: of overworked and you hear it all the time and 593 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 9: you kind of wave it off. But he has built 594 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 9: a culture. There was a point earlier this year where 595 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:31,120 Speaker 9: he said, our guys keep fighting, and I asked, I 596 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 9: was like, is there a point where you know, you 597 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 9: can say that all the time, but if you're losing games, 598 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,400 Speaker 9: what happens to this fight? Because know, this team fights, 599 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 9: and then you look at it. They've come from what 600 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 9: twenty four to twenty five come from behind wins. They 601 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:46,800 Speaker 9: don't care, they're behind, they're behind three nothing today, they 602 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:47,240 Speaker 9: don't care. 603 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,719 Speaker 4: They just know somebody is going to do it. And 604 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 4: you know they. 605 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 9: Want to be the guy, but they know that if 606 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 9: they're not the guy, the next guy will be. It 607 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:00,240 Speaker 9: just keeps playing out, playing out like that. It's I 608 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:06,440 Speaker 9: think David has deserves a ton of credit for the 609 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 9: culture that he is. He is cultivated over the last 610 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 9: couple of years. Last year was tough, but he stayed 611 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 9: the course and he stayed true to himself. And again, 612 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 9: I mean, we have to spread some credit around give 613 00:32:21,240 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 9: I don't give the ownership much credits, but I'll give 614 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,840 Speaker 9: them credit for sticking with David Bell because they knew 615 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:28,720 Speaker 9: what they had and what they needed to keep going. 616 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 9: And you can get impatient pretty easily, and David is 617 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 9: his really kind of paying off for their loyalty. 618 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 2: His name is Trent Rose Grants and he covers the 619 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 2: Reds for the Athletic And thanks for the knowledge, Thanks 620 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 2: for spending a few minutes with us, and we're appreciated, 621 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 2: all right, Trent, thank you anytime. 622 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:53,080 Speaker 4: Rob, thank you. 623 00:32:54,120 --> 00:33:00,320 Speaker 1: Now bring in the closer. Here's why MLB is better 624 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: than the NFL or NBA, and it isn't even close. 625 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 3: Reason number five hundred and fifty six. 626 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 2: Why Major League Baseball is better than the NBA and 627 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:14,080 Speaker 2: better than the NFL. 628 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: It's simple. Fans get to vote. 629 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 2: Fans get to participate, and we talked about all the 630 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:25,640 Speaker 2: time the All Star Game, which we talked about Fans 631 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,520 Speaker 2: earlier in the podcast. You know, get to vote for 632 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 2: their favorite players. It's who they want to see. And 633 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 2: teams also love to have the input of fans. We 634 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 2: saw it in Saint Louis. David Freeze was voted into 635 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 2: the Saint Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. Now he turned 636 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,959 Speaker 2: down the honor because he didn't think he was worthy. 637 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:49,920 Speaker 2: The guy grew up in Saint Louis, fan of that 638 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 2: franchise and that history, and just didn't think he was 639 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 2: as good as some of the greatest players who ever 640 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 2: played in the Saint Louis Cardinals history. 641 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: For people don't know, number two. 642 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:04,480 Speaker 2: Team and wins in World Series playing is the Cardinals 643 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,799 Speaker 2: behind the Yankees. That's how storied of a franchise the 644 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 2: Saint Louis Cardinals are. So But the point is that 645 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:16,200 Speaker 2: fans got to vote to who they wanted in the 646 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 2: Cardinals Hall of Fame, and that's what we pretty need 647 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 2: thing for them to be given that kind of power 648 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,920 Speaker 2: to pick their favorite player. And he had an unbelievable 649 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 2: World Series to help him win in twenty eleven, so 650 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:31,000 Speaker 2: I understand why they love him and why they picked him. 651 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 2: But David Freeze didn't want to spoil the Hall of 652 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:39,120 Speaker 2: Fame by getting in, so that's his choice. But the 653 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 2: fans made theirs. In the words of New York TV 654 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,880 Speaker 2: legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time 655 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:53,360 Speaker 2: this time until next time. 656 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 3: Rob Parker out he can't get it. 657 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 1: This could be an inside of Parker. 658 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 4: See you next week, same batime. I am from the 659 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:01,480 Speaker 4: same Man's station.