WEBVTT - MLB $/Wins index + Astros checkup 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:01.360 Where are that because you aren't on Alvarez. 0:00:01.600 --> 0:00:04.040 He's still a little bit away, Like I'd be surprised 0:00:04.080 --> 0:00:06.120 if you see him this weekend against the Mariners. But 0:00:06.440 --> 0:00:08.559 with the Astros, who knows they could activate him today 0:00:08.560 --> 0:00:10.040 and surprise all of us. 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:15.239 Here we got. 0:00:15.280 --> 0:00:17.759 We're back with Chandler Rome from the Athletic and of 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:20.880 course Crush City Territory as well, your host of the 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:23.560 show that you should check out all about the Houston Astros. Chandler, 0:00:23.600 --> 0:00:25.600 great to see you and let's just start nice in 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:27.280 general with the shows. I feel like we haven't talked 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:30.320 about them enough. Best part of the twenty twenty five 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:31.920 Astros right now and worst. 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:32.280 Part is. 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:37.560 The best part's Hunter Brown and that's kind of without. 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:41.199 That's tough to debate. Their bullpen's been sneaky good. I 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:42.960 say sneaky good. I think they have the best bullpeny 0:00:42.960 --> 0:00:46.520 Ari and baseball. But Hunter Brown is the best pitcher 0:00:46.560 --> 0:00:49.800 in baseball right now in my opinion. He did not 0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:52.839 have a great start yesterday at steinbren Or Field. The 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:55.760 jet stream and right field and the small dimensions did 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.400 not help him, but he was due a clunker. I 0:00:58.400 --> 0:01:00.600 think he gave up five runs and five, and that 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:04.039 raised his ERA to a huge two point zero four. 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:06.800 He has been the epitome of an ace. He's been 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:08.800 everything that this team has needed and more. 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:10.560 He is the guy. 0:01:10.640 --> 0:01:14.000 He and Fromberveldez are keeping this thing afloat and really 0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:16.680 stabilizing a pitching staff that's had a ton of injuries 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:19.280 so far. So it's it's easy to say that Hunter 0:01:19.280 --> 0:01:21.320 Brown's probably the best thing about the Astros right now. 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:24.679 The worst is a lineup. They are underperforming as an offense. 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:28.680 Their off season acquisition one of them, Christian Walker, has 0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:30.160 has really really scuffled. 0:01:30.200 --> 0:01:31.280 Jose Altuve is. 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:33.520 In the middle of one of the worst thirty five 0:01:33.560 --> 0:01:36.560 game stretches of his career. Gordon Alvarez is still in 0:01:36.600 --> 0:01:40.080 the IL with a hand injury. And all that being said, 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:42.400 they knew coming into the season that this lineup was 0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:44.440 going to be a bat or too short, given that 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:47.640 they let Alex Bregman walk, they traded Kyle Tucker. So 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:51.360 when those guys aren't producing, when Alvarez isn't on the field, 0:01:51.440 --> 0:01:56.080 and Altuve and Walker are scuffling, inherently, the lineup's just 0:01:56.120 --> 0:01:58.320 just not going to It's not going to function. They 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:00.720 have a six ninety five team ops us right now, 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:02.680 they're slugging three seventy eight. 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:03.200 As a team. 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:06.120 It's not a deep lineup. It's not a lineup that 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:09.200 is giving Joe a spot of many options either, because 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:13.000 as we speak right now, they are carrying uh. They 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:16.280 have fourteen position players, twelve of them are right handed, 0:02:16.600 --> 0:02:19.880 and their only two semblances of balance are switch hitting 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:23.840 backup catcher Victor Karattini and left handed hitting third catcher 0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:27.720 Sasar Salazar, who, since he got called up for Jordan Alvarez, 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:31.600 has not played in a game. So Joe has very 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.880 little he can do to like mix the lineup up 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:38.600 look wise, Like you know, opposing managers can just send 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:40.880 every right handed reliever they have out there. Because the 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.560 Astros have no recourse, they can't create a platoon advantage, 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:46.640 they can't create any sort of late game, you know, 0:02:46.960 --> 0:02:50.640 advantage situations, because this is a poorly constructed roster and 0:02:50.680 --> 0:02:53.040 it's a lineup that they knew coming in was going 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:54.960 to be thin, and the guys that they. 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:56.440 Are paying to produce are not producing. 0:02:57.360 --> 0:02:59.640 Not going to any new guys first, but going to 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:04.960 HO two. Is the lack of protection more evident in 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:08.239 ol two a's at bats throughout the short season so far, 0:03:08.480 --> 0:03:12.919 or is it a sign of regression that al two 0:03:13.000 --> 0:03:16.240 as may be hitting that that little bump beer where 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:17.880 he's gonna have to make an adjustment. 0:03:18.840 --> 0:03:20.280 I think it's a little bit of both. Eric. 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:22.880 I mean, he's not had he did not have much protection, 0:03:23.560 --> 0:03:26.679 still doesn't. But they have slowly moved him down in 0:03:26.720 --> 0:03:29.120 the batting order. He he he asked out of the 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:32.120 leadoff spot about three weeks ago, seeded that to Jeremy Pania, 0:03:32.160 --> 0:03:34.760 who's having a great year. And then a couple of 0:03:34.800 --> 0:03:36.880 days ago, Joe spot of moving down the third in 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:39.640 the batting order, trying to spark something a little bit, 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:43.000 and I mean actions kind of speak louder than words 0:03:43.000 --> 0:03:45.920 at this point that they keep finding ways to get 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:48.480 him down a little bit. He's Jose al Tuova. They're 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:50.560 not going to abandon him. They're not gonna not run 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:53.360 him out there every day. You know, I was joking 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:55.480 on Crush City earlier that we were taught we were 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:57.840 having this debate and Reddick and I joke that, you know, 0:03:57.880 --> 0:04:00.000 they play a four game series against the Mariners this weekend, 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:02.760 he'll probably get like thirteen hits in those four games 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:05.040 and make us all look stupid for you know, talking 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:08.760 about his demise if you will. But you look at 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:10.920 the Savant page right now, it doesn't look good. It's 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:14.880 a lot of blue. He's hitting one ninety against fastballs 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:16.960 against four seemers this year. He hit three h eight 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:20.040 against four seemers last year. His bat speed is down 0:04:20.080 --> 0:04:22.760 from his career from other points in his career. His 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.800 ground ball rate is very up. His line drive rate 0:04:25.880 --> 0:04:27.960 is one of the lowest line drive rates of his career. 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:32.440 There's not much under the hood that says it's nearing 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.640 or getting better. There's bad luck, but again, he's Jose 0:04:35.760 --> 0:04:38.080 al Tuve. They're not giving up on him. He's gonna 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:40.480 run out there every day and they they have faith 0:04:40.480 --> 0:04:42.120 in him more than anyone that he's gonna find a 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:42.960 way to turn it around. 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:48.000 Where's your on Avares? Where's yourd On Alvarez? Because we 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:49.560 did a whole thing last week. I think it was 0:04:49.600 --> 0:04:52.320 that he didn't do interviews in Texas and he missed 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:54.000 this and he's doing this and they don't know what's 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:54.920 wrong with him, Like where are the he? 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:58.320 Because ord On Avares, Well, I'll give you jord on credit. 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:00.440 He did do an interview in Tampa on the first 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:02.680 day of the trip. In Tampa, I was not there, 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:05.760 so I was not in the interview, but reading the 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:08.840 quotes that he gave, it sounds like he was pretty frustrated, 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:10.680 just that he didn't think it would take this long. 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:13.000 But at the same time, he said it was something 0:05:13.040 --> 0:05:15.080 that has been bothering him for a while. He has 0:05:15.160 --> 0:05:19.479 had hand issues in the past. If you cover the Astros, 0:05:19.520 --> 0:05:21.680 or if you follow the Astros for any length of time, 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:24.000 you understand that they are not going to tell you 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:26.640 much about injuries. They're not going to be specific about 0:05:26.680 --> 0:05:28.960 a lot of stuff, and they've lost all benefit of 0:05:28.960 --> 0:05:31.800 the doubt from their fans, from people that cover them, 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.080 They've lost all benefit of the doubt when when they 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:37.000 start talking about injuries at this point. So at this point, 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:39.400 anything they say about him, like I just kind of 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:41.479 let go in one ear and out the other, like 0:05:41.680 --> 0:05:45.840 I'll when he's back, he'll be back. So I can't 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:48.560 really take much that they say now with a ton 0:05:48.600 --> 0:05:51.600 of merit. But if you believe what they say, he's 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:53.400 got a muscle strain at the top of his hand. 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:56.520 He is still swinging a bat, but he does still 0:05:56.640 --> 0:06:00.000 feel some discomfort while swinging the bat, that's what they say. 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:03.920 So he has not progressed to hitting VP off the feet. 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:06.840 On the field, he's taken like soft toss and tea work, 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:09.919 but he's still a little bit away, Like I'd be 0:06:09.960 --> 0:06:12.480 surprised if you see him this weekend against the Mariners. 0:06:12.520 --> 0:06:14.760 But with the Astros, who knows they could activate him 0:06:14.760 --> 0:06:16.480 today and surprise all of us. 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:22.119 There's a lot of failure in baseball, and you should 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:25.440 also look at your favorite manager and see how he's 0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:28.640 doing since he took over whatever job that is. Because 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:32.440 sometimes you can age fast, you can lose hair and crats. 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:35.320 We might have an answer for those stressed out managers, 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:36.120 and it is. 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:38.160 Neutrafol. 0:06:38.720 --> 0:06:41.360 You might lose hair, but nutrifol will help you thicken 0:06:41.400 --> 0:06:44.240 it back up and you will look as youthful as 0:06:44.279 --> 0:06:46.040 the first day you were a manager. 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:46.840 That's right. 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:50.400 Many hair supplements over promise and under delivered, but Nutrifol 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:53.760 is different, as the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:57.560 supplement brand trusted by over one point five million people. 0:06:57.640 --> 0:06:59.800 So start your hair growth journey with nutrifol, and for 0:06:59.800 --> 0:07:02.440 a limited time, you can get ten dollars off your 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:04.680 first month subscription and free shipping when you go to 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:07.400 nutrofold dot com and then enter the promo code foul. 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:09.840 Find out why Neutrifol is the best selling hair growth 0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:12.920 supplement brand at nutrifold dot com spelled n U t 0:07:13.320 --> 0:07:16.520 r A f o l dot com promo code foul. 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:21.920 Can you give us another example besides the Jordon thing, 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:25.600 because Kyle Tucker last year had a contusion and then 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.040 we found out right when he was coming back, Oh, 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.720 it was a fracture, but that was three four months later. 0:07:31.840 --> 0:07:33.400 Is there other examples? 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:36.840 I mean it's more and look, I'm not here and 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:39.880 aj Kratz like you guys played like I'm not here, 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:42.520 like seeking like medical records of players, like I don't 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:44.280 want to know what medicines they're on. I don't want 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:48.000 Like we're not asking for much here. But the clarity 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:52.040 that they provide is non existent, and the prognoses they 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:55.800 give is usually it exceeds what they say, or it's 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:58.800 not all the way true, like the lack of just 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:01.720 alignment and communication. It has been something that has now 0:08:01.800 --> 0:08:05.640 spanned three general managers, it's spanned three field managers, so 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:07.960 this is not something that is new this year. It's 0:08:08.000 --> 0:08:12.240 something that has been for a while. You look at 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:14.720 their guys, their pitchers that have undergone arm surgery and 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:19.320 their return to play. Luis Garcia had Tommy John surgery 0:08:19.600 --> 0:08:21.720 I want to say, about fourteen to fifteen months ago, 0:08:21.800 --> 0:08:24.200 and he's had a number of setbacks, not even thrown 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.280 off a mound yet. Lance McCullers, we've been through how 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:30.760 many setbacks he had. Dana Brown admitted last year that 0:08:30.800 --> 0:08:33.560 they rushed JP Frantz back from a shoulder injury that 0:08:33.679 --> 0:08:36.120 caused him to tailor the capsule in his shoulder and 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:40.000 that needed a repair a surgery. James Klick, the former 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:43.480 general manager, acknowledged that they rushed Jake Myers back from 0:08:43.520 --> 0:08:46.000 his torn laboram that he suffered in the twenty twenty 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:51.360 one ALBS Click promised a return review of the Astros 0:08:51.440 --> 0:08:54.360 return to play procedure at that point. He was fired 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:56.160 a couple months later, so I don't know if that 0:08:56.360 --> 0:08:59.080 review of the return to play procedure ever actually happened. 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:02.120 But if you've watched how they've handled themselves and how 0:09:02.160 --> 0:09:04.680 all these pitchers have setbacks, and how all these position 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:07.120 players aren't coming back on time, it would seem proven 0:09:07.200 --> 0:09:09.600 that they would need to review the return to play 0:09:09.600 --> 0:09:12.880 procedure and the Tucker the Tucker contusion thing. I mean, 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:14.280 at the end of the day, like it got to 0:09:14.320 --> 0:09:17.640 be where like they were making him look bad because 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:19.559 like fans thought he was out for three and a 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:22.880 half months with a bruise, when you know, I talked 0:09:22.880 --> 0:09:24.800 to doctors. I wrote a story where I quoted like 0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:27.640 four orthopedic surgeons who said, like, yeah, you know, it's 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.280 possible to be out for four these these things can take. 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:32.040 That's a long the heel for a bone bruise, but 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:34.679 it's not that common. And come to find out there 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:35.640 was a fracture in there. 0:09:35.679 --> 0:09:37.520 So it's just kind of. 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:40.160 Part of the territory covering this team. That's just how 0:09:40.280 --> 0:09:42.000 this is how they're going to operate. So you kind 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:44.679 of have to roll with the punches and go with it. 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:47.160 Someone who had a lot of setbacks and had a 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:50.520 tough tough time getting back. It's the anniversary of his 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:53.240 debut just a few days ago when he wore his 0:09:53.720 --> 0:09:58.080 Batman cleats. Lance McCullers is taking the mound tonight. What 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:00.959 is the difference that you see in Lance colors from 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:04.240 the day that he made his Batman Cleats Big League 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:08.520 debut and had that arrogance and swag to now somebody 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:11.920 who's gone through quite a bit and has worked his 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:13.120 way to get back. 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:13.720 Out on the mound. 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:17.520 Man, that's a that's a big question because, like you said, 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:19.199 I mean, it was ten years ago that he debuted. 0:10:19.600 --> 0:10:22.120 He's gotten married since then, he's had two little girls. 0:10:22.160 --> 0:10:24.720 I mean, obviously that matures you, like becoming a husband, 0:10:24.760 --> 0:10:28.960 becoming a father. He is certainly not maybe the throat slashing, 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:32.120 swaggy like kid that was on the mound back then, 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:34.640 but certainly believes a lot it. Certainly is very confident 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.360 in himself. That hasn't changed. That kind of inner aura 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:39.640 and that kind of inner swagger hasn't changed. Maybe he's 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:42.640 not showing it on the mound as much as far 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:44.520 as like what he is as a pitcher, like a 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:47.800 completely different guy. Like the days of twenty four straight 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:51.520 curveballs to win a pennant in twenty seventeen are long gone, 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:53.440 you know, so are the days really of him as 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:56.960 a curveball maestro. Like his curveball now is basically a 0:10:57.000 --> 0:11:00.679 show pitch to lefties, where like, he's way more into 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:01.600 his change up now. 0:11:01.679 --> 0:11:03.120 He uses a slider a lot. 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:06.079 The two seam is I mean, you're not going to 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:08.280 see a bunch of ninety five ninety six anymore. He's 0:11:08.400 --> 0:11:11.680 ninety ninety two can hit ninety three. He started backdooring 0:11:11.760 --> 0:11:14.040 the two seam in his last start against the Rangers. 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:16.760 He is a different pitcher, and injuries have kind of 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:19.160 forced that. You know, he was away from the game 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:22.240 for nine hundred and fifteen days before you know, returning 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:25.080 this season, and he was never going to return throwing 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:27.720 you know, ninety six ninety seven. Not the same kind 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:31.800 of guy. And look, the curveball had kind of lessened 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:34.520 in emphasis before he got hurt too, Like he had 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:37.480 incorporated a slider, he had incorporated the change up. He 0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:39.599 throws the four seam every now and then. He is 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:42.600 a much more complete pitcher now than maybe he was 0:11:42.679 --> 0:11:46.079 when he debuted in twenty fifteen. And certainly he's been 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:48.679 through a lot. One of the two remaining guys from 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:51.160 the twenty seventeen Astros that are still on that are 0:11:51.160 --> 0:11:53.480 still active with the Astros, so he's obviously been through 0:11:53.520 --> 0:11:57.199 a ton with that hole. The fallout of that scandal 0:11:57.240 --> 0:12:00.640 and everything, but a much more complete pitcher, a guy 0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:02.480 that's not going to rely on just spinning you to 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:06.400 death with curveballs, a lot more varied, diverse arsenal, and 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:09.600 a guy that is he is only growing in importance 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:13.000 to the Astros right now, given Ronel Blancos the news 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:14.880 recently that Renel Blanco had some elbow pain. 0:12:16.600 --> 0:12:19.959 Hey, chander're a great story is Colton Gordon? He pitched 0:12:19.960 --> 0:12:22.160 in Tampa the other day against He's from Saint Pete. 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:24.360 He grew up a raised fan, the whole thing. I mean, 0:12:24.400 --> 0:12:26.320 this guy kind of came out of nowhere for this team. 0:12:26.320 --> 0:12:28.720 He's not a hard thrower, he's kind of a you know, 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:31.400 a soft tossing left you with a bunch of breaking balls. 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:33.040 Can he help them in the long term? And plus 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:35.120 you got to tell the cool story about him, you know, 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:37.599 delivering pizzas while he was on rehob It's kind of 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:38.400 an awesome story. 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:40.920 Yeah, I guess I'll start with the pizza thing, because 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:43.760 that's hilarious to me. He got so the Astros. He 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:46.319 was a discount draft by the Astros. He had Tommy 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:50.040 John surgery in May of his draft year and the 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:52.360 Astros took a high school kid in the first with 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:55.480 their first pick of that draft, needed to pay him overslot, 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.720 so they were looking for some discount picks later in 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:01.600 that draft. Colton Gordon eighth round pick. I think they 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:04.320 signed him for like fifty grand under his slot value. 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:07.400 But he threw strikes. They like the fastball from the 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:10.040 left side, and you know, so they once he signed 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:12.640 his contract, they send him to West Palm to rehab. 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:15.160 Tommy John And if you ever meet and talk to 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:17.320 Colton Gordon, he does not do well with just like 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:20.960 sitting still, sitting idle. He's very fidgety, always has to 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:24.199 be doing something. And he would finish his rehab every 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:26.480 day at about noon and didn't want to sit in 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:28.240 the hotel that they put him up in all day. 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:31.640 So if you've ever been to Florida spring training, you 0:13:31.679 --> 0:13:35.000 know about Clematis Street in West Palm Beach. He walked 0:13:35.000 --> 0:13:39.040 into Clematis Pizza on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:41.360 said look, I'm only here for four months, but if 0:13:41.360 --> 0:13:43.760 you guys will have me, I'll deliver pizzas. And they 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:45.760 gave him the job, and I don't know that he 0:13:45.840 --> 0:13:48.439 made back the fifty grand that he got shorted in 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:52.520 the slot value thing. But you know, just it was 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:54.800 interesting for him to talk to, Like he said that 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.160 allowed him to take his mind off the rehab, Like 0:13:57.240 --> 0:13:59.640 it gives you something to do during a rehab to 0:13:59.640 --> 0:14:01.840 where you're not just thinking about, Man, I'm not going 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:04.120 to be pitching in a competitive environment for the next 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:06.880 nine ten months, Like Tommy John, reab is such an 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:10.640 isolating experience and it's so monotonous, and like, guys need 0:14:10.640 --> 0:14:13.640 that to take their mind off of stuff. And for him, 0:14:13.679 --> 0:14:15.800 it was delivering pizzas in a Ford f one fifty 0:14:16.040 --> 0:14:18.559 in West Palm Beach. He he didn't remember how much 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:20.520 he made, but he did tell a story about he 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:22.440 pulled up to one of those mansions on the island 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:25.480 in Palm Beach was bringing ten pepperoni pizzas to the 0:14:25.560 --> 0:14:29.240 security guards that were working party and they tipped him 0:14:29.240 --> 0:14:31.840 a hundred bucks for delivering ten pepperoni pizzas. 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:35.080 So that was great for young Colton Gordon. Now older 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.040 Colton Gordon has made the big leagues. 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:40.480 They sent him out after his last start in Saint Pete, 0:14:40.480 --> 0:14:42.880 where he actually pitched very well against a raised lineup 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:45.680 that cannot hit left handed pitching, but he pitched well. 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:48.400 They sent him out with Ronel Blanco likely headed to 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:51.160 the IL in the next couple of days. That would 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:53.360 pave the way if they need they do need a 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:56.880 starter for Sunday against the Mariners. Would pave the way 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:58.800 for them to call him back up quick because he's 0:14:58.800 --> 0:14:59.720 replacing someone. 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:02.000 That went on the I think he can help them. 0:15:02.200 --> 0:15:04.480 I don't know that he's like a middle of the 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:07.520 rotation like count on this guy, but he throws a 0:15:07.520 --> 0:15:10.680 ton of strikes. He throws a lot of different He 0:15:10.800 --> 0:15:13.120 is the epitome of a crafty left He just the 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:15.560 velo's not up there, but like has a six pitch 0:15:15.640 --> 0:15:18.360 arsenal can command it really well. And one thing Joe 0:15:18.400 --> 0:15:20.400 Aspata has said one thing that every a lot of 0:15:20.400 --> 0:15:22.880 team officials have said, like this guy's not scared, like 0:15:22.920 --> 0:15:26.480 he he comes right at you, like he'll pound the zone. 0:15:26.520 --> 0:15:29.560 He's aggressive in the strike zone. He's gonna make hitters 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:32.480 get themselves out, and you know, I think this is 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:34.440 a guy that could get them, you know, two times 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:36.800 through in order before turning it over to that bullpen 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:38.800 that's been good all year. So yeah, I think he 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:40.280 can help them, and I think he may have to 0:15:40.320 --> 0:15:43.680 help them given the state of their kind of what 0:15:43.760 --> 0:15:46.120 they are facing injury wise on their pitching staff. 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:52.680 Hey, security guards get good cash, so good for them 0:15:53.040 --> 0:15:55.960 being good tippers. I like that, Chandler, Thank you for 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:56.360 the time. 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:56.640 Man. 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.400 Keep crushing it on Crush City. We love listening to 0:15:59.480 --> 0:16:00.800 it and we'll talk to you soon. 0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:03.040 All right, thanks guys. 0:16:04.520 --> 0:16:06.760 Scott, you need to check out this Roeback hoodie I have. 0:16:06.840 --> 0:16:09.920 It's eighty five plus degrees here in Florida. Look lightweight, 0:16:10.360 --> 0:16:14.520 feels great, cool colors perfect for those hot Florida days. 0:16:14.680 --> 0:16:17.520 I agree, aj color looks fire and you can get 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:22.360 your own sweatshirt polo hoodie. Go check out Roeback and 0:16:22.920 --> 0:16:26.080 if you do, in your first time customer rowback dot 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:29.240 com using the code foul gets you twenty percent off 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:32.600 your first purchase. R HO B A c K dot 0:16:32.600 --> 0:16:37.360 com code fo u L get after at ftfan, The 0:16:37.400 --> 0:16:41.200 Athletic put at an article saying which teams are trying 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:43.800 treading a divided leagues haves and have nots. 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:45.080 I'm gonna explain the chart. 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:47.000 I think it's important to leave the chart up for 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:50.000 a minute, So put up the chart and then I 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:54.280 will go through what you're looking at. Category one powerhouses. 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:58.000 Green dot in the upper right corner of the screen. 0:16:58.200 --> 0:17:02.800 That's the Dodgers. It's not very difficult to determine that. 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.800 You know, they're set in the standard for trying and 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:08.960 for spending and all that. The Mets have actually outspent 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:11.520 the Dodgers during the time period that they were looking 0:17:11.560 --> 0:17:14.560 at twenty twenty two to the twenty twenty five seasons. 0:17:14.800 --> 0:17:17.399 But of course the Dodgers have them more success than 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:19.280 the Mets. That's why you see the Mets lower on 0:17:19.320 --> 0:17:22.880 the totem pole right. So you're taking the spending, which 0:17:22.920 --> 0:17:25.320 moves you to the right side, and the winning and losing, 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:30.320 which moves you up and down. You've got the Yankees, Phillies, Padres, Astros, 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:33.640 and Braves also in the powerhouse category. That's a word 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:37.080 I use very often on the show Overachievers. You've got 0:17:37.320 --> 0:17:39.760 a small group of teams that don't spend much but 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:43.800 have a lot of winning Baltimore, although that doesn't sound 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:48.520 good right now, Milwaukee, Seattle, Tampa, Bay, Cleveland. Then there's 0:17:48.560 --> 0:17:51.679 the basement, right that's for teams that don't spend and 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:57.800 don't win. Pittsburgh, Miami, the Atchs, the Nats, the White Sox, 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:01.040 the Rockies, and the Royals are on right. The Royals 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:04.320 just turned it around last year. Middle is a mix 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:06.080 of all of this, and then the Angels are in 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:09.600 a separate category from everyone else because they do actually 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:14.080 spend they just haven't seen wins and losses. What do 0:18:14.119 --> 0:18:14.920 you think of this chart? 0:18:15.080 --> 0:18:18.280 I thought it was cool like it aj? 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:20.600 I mean, yeah, it just shows you who the good 0:18:20.600 --> 0:18:22.719 teams are and who's not, who the good organizations are, 0:18:22.760 --> 0:18:24.640 and who the good organizations are, and it's pretty much 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:27.240 what it boils down to, right. I Mean, you can 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:29.000 say whatever you want about spending money, but if you 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:30.880 don't spend money the right way, you still don't win. 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:33.760 And then you have organizations that have figured out certain things, 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:37.399 like whether it's the Rays with what they do, the 0:18:37.400 --> 0:18:39.679 Brewers with what they do, the Guardians with what they do, 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.080 and they're kind of the outliers, right. I Mean, Baltimore 0:18:42.160 --> 0:18:43.880 they just drafted really well the last couple of years 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:45.920