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Speaker 1: From the berkshears to the sound from wherever you live

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Speaker 1: in MLB America. This is inside the Parker. You give

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Speaker 1: us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop

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Speaker 1: on major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame

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Speaker 1: voter number fifty seven, Rob Parker.

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Speaker 2: Come on, I've been covering Major League baseball for almost

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Speaker 2: forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati, in Detroit,

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Speaker 2: in LA.

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Speaker 3: I love this game. Let's go. Welcome into the podcast.

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Speaker 2: I'm your host Rob Parker, and what a show we

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Speaker 2: have for you today. Former major league reliever LaTroy Hawkins,

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Speaker 2: he joins us. We'll talk about those red hot Minnesota Twins.

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Speaker 2: Also Jalen Thompson, he covers the Kansas City Royals for

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Speaker 2: the Kansas City Star.

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Speaker 4: We'll also have a Parker pushback that and much more.

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Speaker 3: Let's go better up.

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Speaker 1: To lead off.

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Speaker 3: It's getting rocked and keep him on. Rob's hot take.

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Speaker 1: On the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one,

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Speaker 1: can we pump the brakes?

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Speaker 3: No?

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Speaker 2: In fact, let's take the breaks out of the car.

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Speaker 2: This notion that the Pirates should trade Paul Skiings, their age,

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Speaker 2: their number one picture, their foundation to their franchise. Because

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Speaker 2: the team is having a bad year. They're not going

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Speaker 2: to make the playoffs. They're awful. They've already fired their manager.

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Speaker 2: But this whole notion of getting rid of Paul Skins

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Speaker 2: is ridiculous, ludicrous. You build around a guy like that,

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Speaker 2: you have to keep him in the fold, no matter

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Speaker 2: what kind of hole you could get to overhaul the team.

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Speaker 2: You got to build around him. You cannot nt give

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Speaker 2: up Paul Skins. Pirate fans would if they did that,

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Speaker 2: and they just decided to go get some other team's

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Speaker 2: prospects and other stuff because they're not ready to win.

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Speaker 2: That's how you win. When you have a guy like that,

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Speaker 2: you put him at the top of your rotation. You're

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Speaker 2: normally not gonna have more than four or five game

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Speaker 2: losing streaks because he gives you a chance to win.

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Speaker 2: We know that they've scuffled and had trouble scoring. They

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Speaker 2: got to boast of the team.

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Speaker 4: They got to spend some money and add some other

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Speaker 4: pieces to make the team.

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Speaker 3: Better around Paul Schemes. Trading him, no way, no how.

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Speaker 1: Number two, The Detroit Tigers not only lead the AL Central,

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Speaker 1: they are the best team in the American League thirty

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Speaker 1: three and seventeen fifty games into the season.

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Speaker 3: You know how good it is.

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Speaker 2: It's the best fifty games stretched by the Tigers since

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Speaker 2: two thousand and six.

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Speaker 3: You remember, this team was left for dead summer, came on.

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Speaker 2: Strong at the end of the season, made the playoffs,

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Speaker 2: made some noise in the playoffs.

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Speaker 3: It was an incredible run.

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Speaker 2: And they've picked up right where they left off school well,

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Speaker 2: of course, is at the top of your rotation. They

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Speaker 2: brought back Blackjack Flaherty to the rotation. They're getting timely hitting.

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Speaker 2: The Tigers, you know, are in a very competitive division

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Speaker 2: and they're leading it. Twins are good, oils are good.

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Speaker 2: You know, Cleveland's good. I mean, it's incredible where they are.

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Speaker 2: But it always starts with pitching to me, and they

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Speaker 2: got two studs at the top and other guys.

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Speaker 4: Miz has come along as well for the Tigers. So

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Speaker 4: they're off to a great start and looks like they'll

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Speaker 4: be in the mix.

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Speaker 3: That Central is gonna be tough.

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Speaker 2: But it's hard to look at the Tigers and think

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Speaker 2: they're going anywhere after getting off to such a great start.

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Speaker 4: We're almost a third of the season away and they're right.

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Speaker 3: High number three.

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Speaker 2: All right, your players that have passion care want to win.

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Speaker 2: But Walker Bueller the other night and the start against

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Speaker 2: the Mets, he got tossed out after three innings for

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Speaker 2: going ballistic on a misscall by an umpire.

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Speaker 3: I mean, that just can't happen.

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Speaker 2: First of all, it was on like a stealing play,

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Speaker 2: so the catcher had to jump up and get the ball. Yes,

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Speaker 2: the replay showed it was in the box. It should

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Speaker 2: have been called a strike. But with a lot of

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Speaker 2: that going on, the umpire can be blocked and you

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Speaker 2: can get your point across without getting tossed.

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Speaker 3: That's not what you want.

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Speaker 2: You don't want your starting pitcher to get tossed that

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Speaker 2: early in the game over a striking ball call.

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Speaker 3: It can't be that big.

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Speaker 2: It wasn't the bottom of the ninth and the bases

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Speaker 2: loaded in two hours and it cost you the game

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Speaker 2: at that point. No pitch is that big that early

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Speaker 2: in the game. That's where guys are just going over

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Speaker 2: the top. Walker Bueller, I just maybe he didn't want

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Speaker 2: to pitch that night.

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Speaker 3: I don't know what.

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Speaker 2: That made no sense that earlier in the game to

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Speaker 2: get that worked up over a call on a play

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Speaker 2: where someone was stealing in the and the catcher had

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Speaker 2: to jump up and block the umpire.

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Speaker 3: Really, here comes the big interview. Listen and learn. It's

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Speaker 3: so good.

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Speaker 2: Now let's welcome into the podcast one of my favorite people,

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Speaker 2: LaTroy Hawkins, who of course pitched twenty one major league seasons,

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Speaker 2: appeared in one thousand I'm Gonna get it right forty

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Speaker 2: two games better, which is incredible. Played for a number

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Speaker 2: of teams, but it was the Minnesota Twins that was

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Speaker 2: really his team because you played for a lot of teams.

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Speaker 2: But Latroit, welcome to the podcast. My man, how are you.

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Speaker 5: I'm doing good, Rob, Always a pleasure to join you

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Speaker 5: on your podcast anytime. You know my number. We just

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Speaker 5: got to make sure we get the times right.

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Speaker 3: No, that's right, we will make sure we do that.

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Speaker 2: Well, let's talk about the Twins with just you know,

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Speaker 2: open up a big series against the Kansas City Royals

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Speaker 2: in Minneapolis this weekend. But they have been on fire.

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Speaker 2: They won thirteen in a row, fourteen out of sixteen.

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Speaker 2: What is going right?

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Speaker 3: What turn to switch on? And why are they so good?

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Speaker 5: You know what's going right? I always talk about the

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Speaker 5: ingredients to win a ball game, and the first three

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Speaker 5: and a half four weeks of the season, they would

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Speaker 5: have one ingredient. They have a good pitching, they wouldn't

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Speaker 5: catch the ball, no timely hitting, and when they had

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Speaker 5: good hitting, timely hitting, pitching wasn't right. So it's just

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Speaker 5: those three components never matched up. And they started to

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Speaker 5: match up towards the end of the end of April,

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Speaker 5: and that's when they went on their extended winning streak.

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Speaker 5: They got time to hitting. They were the top three

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Speaker 5: in the league and you know, hitting with runners in

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Speaker 5: scoring position with two outs, which is a huge stat

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Speaker 5: for a team. Their starting pitching has been fantastic and

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Speaker 5: great pitching is contained and the bullpens been very good.

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Speaker 5: So they've had and they caught the ball. I did

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Speaker 5: my broadcast, I did six games on the air in April,

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Speaker 5: and everything I talked about they did not do. And

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Speaker 5: I just finished a seven game stint and everything we

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Speaker 5: talked about pitching, catching the ball, and timely hitting, they

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Speaker 5: were doing it all man.

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Speaker 2: I have been enjoying Byron Buxton and the start of

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Speaker 2: the season for him, and we know his bugger Bull

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Speaker 2: has been injuries. Him and Carreer then wind up colliding.

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Speaker 2: And now I know they're both heard and on the IL,

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Speaker 2: but can you just talk about Buston and what he

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Speaker 2: was doing, and hopefully he'll just pick up why he

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Speaker 2: left off.

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Speaker 3: When he gets back off the IL.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, like you said, unfortunately, it was one of those

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Speaker 5: baseball plays. And it's the main thing about Buckson. He's

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Speaker 5: never got hurt away from the field. He's always always

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Speaker 5: been hustle plays or getting hit in the head by

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Speaker 5: baseball thrown from a pitcher. But it was just one

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Speaker 5: of those plays where it was a high sun. Buckson

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Speaker 5: was going hard after it, Career was going hard at it,

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Speaker 5: and it was a high. I mean, they neither one

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Speaker 5: of them thought they could see. They couldn't see the ball.

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Speaker 5: And once Korea heard that, bucks is how I got it.

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Speaker 5: He tried to veer off. He went. He went to

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Speaker 5: his right and Buckson went to his right once he called,

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Speaker 5: and they collide, two strong safeties running into each other.

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Speaker 5: They both were put on the IL concussion protocol. But

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Speaker 5: they're both back to doing baseball activities, which is a

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Speaker 5: good thing. But it was great to see bucksing out

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Speaker 5: there every day. He played a lot in spring training,

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Speaker 5: more than more than he's ever had. But also say

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Speaker 5: this about Buckson, It's the first offseason alone time he

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Speaker 5: hadn't had to recover from a surgery. So he came

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Speaker 5: into spring training healthy and he stayed healthy, you know,

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Speaker 5: minus the concussion protocol that he's in right now.

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Speaker 2: Our guess is LaTroy Hawkins, of course, twenty one year

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Speaker 2: major league pitcher, belief pitcher, tenth most games in the

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Speaker 2: history of Major League Baseball one forty two, which is

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Speaker 2: an incredible number when you think about it. Let me

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Speaker 2: ask you about another guy who is when he's healthy.

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Speaker 2: Another Royce lewis their third basement. He is dynamic. I

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Speaker 2: mean I love to watch him play, but he's been

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Speaker 2: injured a lot in his career.

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Speaker 3: He's been back and he came right back and he's raking.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, he started off slow, I mean he went he

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Speaker 5: took a little over, but you know, just getting back

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Speaker 5: to facing major league pitching. I mean, you can go

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Speaker 5: all the rehab assignments you want and it's still not

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Speaker 5: majorly pitching. But when I was doing the broadcast in Baltimore,

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Speaker 5: he has started to get his timing back, and you know,

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Speaker 5: when he's not going well, he's hitting a lot of

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Speaker 5: ground balls because he's not in his legs. But towards

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Speaker 5: the end of the week, he started hitting some line

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Speaker 5: drives and then you know what comes out of the

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Speaker 5: line drives. He was able to hit a home run

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Speaker 5: and in one of those games on the Game All Sunday,

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Speaker 5: he was robbed of a home run in Milwaukee by

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Speaker 5: their young fantastic centerfielder and Centurio.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, he's royce Lewis when he is healthy. He's a

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Speaker 2: big part of that Twins offense, no doubt about it.

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Speaker 3: Young kid.

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Speaker 2: How about Roger Clemens, kid, Cody Clemens, tell me about him.

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Speaker 3: He's doing well for the Twins.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, we picked him up. I think he was put

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Speaker 5: on waivers by Philly and he's come over and he's

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Speaker 5: one of those young men that he's a he's a

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Speaker 5: Twins type of player. He plays multiple positions. Last week

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Speaker 5: in Baltimore, I keep going because all the games that

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Speaker 5: I called in the first three and as he had

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Speaker 5: played second base, first base, right field, and was back

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Speaker 5: at second base because of the injuries. And that's the

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Speaker 5: same game at Buckston and career colliding. So he's he's definitely,

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Speaker 5: he can definitely play defense. He's comfortable all over the

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Speaker 5: diamond and he's even swinging the bat pretty good. I

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Speaker 5: mean he's hit. He had two home runs while I

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Speaker 5: was with with him, had about four or five hits,

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Speaker 5: and not just regularly, like really clutch hits. And we

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Speaker 5: talk about runers in scoring position with with two outs,

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Speaker 5: he comes up and get a big hit, whether there's

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Speaker 5: a single or hitting a three round bomb. But he's

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Speaker 5: played well and so far it's been a really good

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Speaker 5: pick up for us.

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Speaker 4: And and Cody, give me another player who's playing well

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Speaker 4: for the Twins that maybe people you know.

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Speaker 5: Christian Vasquez. We brought him over a couple of years

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Speaker 5: ago because of his you know, his ability, his his

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Speaker 5: bat and his ability to catch. And uh, it's been

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Speaker 5: a struggle with him from the from the from the

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Speaker 5: batting part. And he started to turn the corner last

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Speaker 5: week while we were in Baltimore. And that's good to

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Speaker 5: see because he came over with a reputation of being

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Speaker 5: able to swing the bat and he hadn't got there

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Speaker 5: yet up until last week with us. But he had

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Speaker 5: a couple of really big hits on the road trip,

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Speaker 5: hitting the ball hard, using the whole field. And we

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Speaker 5: like to say they ran a pickoff play in in

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Speaker 5: a game a week and a half ago and at

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Speaker 5: third base that ended up winning the game for us,

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Speaker 5: and Rocca will like to say that was probably a

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Speaker 5: turning point in his season. I think his his defense

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Speaker 5: kind of sparked his offense. And it's good to see

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Speaker 5: because now he's swinging the batwell and Ryan zepfers our

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Speaker 5: other catchers swinging to batwell and definitely at a position,

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Speaker 5: and we hadn't got much production early in the season

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Speaker 5: at all.

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Speaker 3: From last thing, Al Central.

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Speaker 2: Tigers are balling, I mean the ball in the American League.

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Speaker 3: They are balling big time.

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Speaker 2: I think they were the first team to thirty This

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Speaker 2: is the record coming into Thursday, thirty three and seventeen,

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Speaker 2: best record for the Tigers to throw fifty games since

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Speaker 2: two thousand and six.

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Speaker 3: But the Central has a lot of good teams.

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Speaker 4: The Twins are good, Cleveland's there, Kansas City, Well, let's

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Speaker 4: go down.

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Speaker 3: To the wire. What do you think, Troy, I.

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Speaker 5: Think it is going to go down to the wire.

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Speaker 5: A lot of parody in the league, in that Central Division,

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Speaker 5: it's usually one of the weaker divisions, That's what people

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Speaker 5: like to say. But I think They're showing that that

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Speaker 5: division is going to be wrecking with and it's gonna

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Speaker 5: be a dogfight. It is really gonna be a dogfighting.

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Speaker 5: You have to get Detroit a lot of credit. Twins

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Speaker 5: played very well. They went twelve thirteen in a row.

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Speaker 5: They didn't gain much ground on the titles because guess what,

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Speaker 5: they wasn't paying attention to the Twins winning street. They

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Speaker 5: were having their own winning streat. They would continue to

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Speaker 5: win series, and Twins eight and two in their last

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Speaker 5: ten and they're seven and three, so the Twins probably

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Speaker 5: picked up one game over that spot. So they've done

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Speaker 5: a great job of, you know, stand focused h and

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Speaker 5: just minding their own business. They mind their own business

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Speaker 5: and playing for it. And they have a really good

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Speaker 5: young team, a lot of good young talent, and their

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Speaker 5: left hands starting to picture they aceh in schoogles. He's fantastic.

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Speaker 3: He is fantastic, no doubt.

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Speaker 2: He is Latroit Hawkins of course, former major league pitcher.

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Speaker 2: He does Twins broadcast as well, and just one of

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Speaker 2: my favorite.

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Speaker 3: People in baseball. Thanks, buddy, I appreciate you.

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Speaker 5: See you at the ballpark, Yes, sir, anytime, robmlbbro dot com.

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Speaker 1: Baby It's time for the pocket protector centrum. The analytic

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Speaker 1: numbers you need to know?

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Speaker 3: Well, maybe Anthony Masterson is his name.

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Speaker 4: BS analytics is his game.

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Speaker 3: What do you got for me, Anthony?

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Speaker 6: I'm Memorial Day the first true benchmark of any Big

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Speaker 6: league season where contenders start to separate from pretenders. Now,

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Speaker 6: does success by the time the final week of May

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Speaker 6: hits really pourtend future success that season?

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Speaker 3: Now?

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Speaker 6: I don't think the Rockies have much of a shot

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Speaker 6: to turn it around this year, but the numbers bear

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Speaker 6: out that it's pretty much anybody's game. In the Wildcard era,

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Speaker 6: teams leading their respective divisions on Memorial Day went on

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Speaker 6: to win their division that season about fifty three percent

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Speaker 6: of the time, so pretty much half and half. Last year, however,

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Speaker 6: five of the six teams in first on May's final

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Speaker 6: Monday ended up winning division titles, with the only exception

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Speaker 6: being the Astros furious run in the AL West after

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Speaker 6: their brutal twelve and twenty four start. However, it's been

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Speaker 6: three years since any National League team in first time

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Speaker 6: Memorial Day failed to win that division. That would be

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Speaker 6: the twenty twenty two Mets, who coughed up a ten

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Speaker 6: and a half game lead on the final day of

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Speaker 6: that season to the Braves. By the way, if you

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Speaker 6: were curious the player with the most career home runs

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Speaker 6: on Memorial Day itself, that would be the legendary Gil

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Speaker 6: Hodges with twelve, two more than Mickey Mantle and no surprise,

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Speaker 6: the most home run by Memorial Day in a single

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Speaker 6: season Barry Bonds, of course, in his record setting season

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Speaker 6: in two thousand and one, he had twenty six. Now,

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Speaker 6: if your team isn't on top yet, don't worry. There's

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Speaker 6: still four months of baseball to go.

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Speaker 1: In case you missed Rob Parker on the MLBA Words,

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Speaker 1: here's his latest appearance on mlbina.

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Speaker 3: All Right Show Downtime.

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Speaker 7: Rob Parker's back, Rob, great to have you back on

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Speaker 7: the show.

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Speaker 3: Thank you so much always BK. Let's get at it.

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Speaker 3: We got a lot of good stuff.

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Speaker 7: I know we got coming out, Like last week with

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Speaker 7: Pete Rose. I love talk to you about that.

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Speaker 1: Here we go.

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Speaker 7: Your one so so prediction has taken another turn. Where

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Speaker 7: are you on ones occasional casual level of running?

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Speaker 2: I mean, if you're a Mets fan, you gotta be

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Speaker 2: a little disheartened by this.

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Speaker 3: People go through slumps they struggle. We know that, BKA.

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Speaker 3: But when I was on this early on, and you

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Speaker 3: know this, you were some of my buddies I went

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Speaker 3: to high school with.

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Speaker 2: I went to Van Buren High School and I got

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Speaker 2: some of.

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Speaker 8: The biggest Mets fan friends Ben Eddie stew They all

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Speaker 8: scoffed at meet and I say, no, like, this is

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Speaker 8: the history of the Mets with them signing.

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Speaker 3: Big time players.

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Speaker 2: I say, now, you got the left handed Jason bay

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Speaker 2: And on your team right now, and he does.

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Speaker 3: Not look like the player from the Yankees a year.

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Speaker 7: Ago, And I said, you were crazy. And it turns

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Speaker 7: out he is off to a slow start. Although he's

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Speaker 7: got like a three seventy nine, three eighty on base,

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Speaker 7: he's not terrible. He's having deep at bats. But what

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Speaker 7: gets me Rob is high paid player in the history

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Speaker 7: of the game, highest paid player on his franchise, highest

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Speaker 7: paid player in his dugout. And I just don't get

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Speaker 7: the lack of running. I don't know how he's not

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Speaker 7: aware of that. He has to be somewhat aware of that.

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Speaker 7: Back to back nights. Also, he was supposed to be

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Speaker 7: miked up for ESPN. Then he said no. After that

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Speaker 7: game on Sunday. He also didn't talk to the media.

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Speaker 7: There's a lot of just squirrely things for a guy

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Speaker 7: who's wait a second, you're the face of baseball.

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Speaker 6: You're the face of the.

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Speaker 2: Franchise one hundred percent. It should not be accepted. The

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Speaker 2: Mets have to really rain this in. He didn't do

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Speaker 2: that stuff last year. I'm really surprised. He has to

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Speaker 2: be able. He understood what was going on with going

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Speaker 2: back to the Bronx. You know what it means to baseball.

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Speaker 2: You saw the TV ratings the highest Sunday night baseball

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Speaker 2: game since twenty eighteen. I mean, that's a lot of

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Speaker 2: good stuff about baseball. And he's one of the faces

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Speaker 2: and he can't be this way. And I think if

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Speaker 2: I'm the Mets him not being enthusiastic and running out balls,

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Speaker 2: I just I would have to stop time out.

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Speaker 3: We need to talk about this. Let's get past this.

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Speaker 3: This is a long marriage. This is not some day.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, fifteen year year one of fifteen and we're like

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Speaker 7: this now, all right along those lines, Rafael Devers and

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Speaker 7: the Red Sox, where are you on that little dust up?

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Speaker 2: I'm with Rafael Devers and I'm going to tell you

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Speaker 2: why I get the responsibility play to help the team whatever.

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Speaker 2: I just don't think that they were honest from day one,

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Speaker 2: wouldn't they when they were going after Bregman, And I

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Speaker 2: think that there's something BK to the honesty factor where

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Speaker 2: they acted as if he wasn't going to play third base.

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Speaker 2: Bregman right, and then it was like, well, we still

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Speaker 2: got to talk. We haven't made a decison. They knew

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Speaker 2: when they signed him that they promised Bregman to play

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Speaker 2: third base.

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Speaker 3: Before you even do.

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Speaker 2: It, you have to talk to Rafael Devers and Devors

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Speaker 2: have been a good player to them, very good sign

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Speaker 2: them to a big contract. You can't disrespect people and

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Speaker 2: just act like they should just accept anything. When he

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Speaker 2: was there first and he has been a big part

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Speaker 2: of the Red.

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Speaker 7: Sox, I think they owe that to him because you've

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Speaker 7: invested in the guy, you're in it together. I think

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Speaker 7: you're right, But also there's a different level of responsibility.

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Speaker 3: Right.

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Speaker 1: What we were just saying, you're.

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Speaker 7: The highest paid guy in the history of the franchise.

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Speaker 7: You get more than Big Poppy, you get more than

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Speaker 7: yazz ever Ted Williams. You're the highest big guy ever

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Speaker 7: wherever you maybe it's my upbringing, right. My dad's a

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Speaker 7: cop and queens you and I queen's me, right, so

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Speaker 7: I'm in Queens. I understand the check clears every two weeks.

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Speaker 7: You should go through a wall for that franchise. They're

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Speaker 7: paying you the top dollar on the club. Ultimately, even

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Speaker 7: if you don't like the way they did it, why

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Speaker 7: wouldn't you say, Hey, the check clears, I'm gonna play.

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Speaker 2: I get that, And that's fair, that really is. But

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Speaker 2: there's a degree of respect sometimes that really can bother

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Speaker 2: you and mess with you and say, well, what did

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Speaker 2: I do?

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Speaker 3: I understand you wanted to improve the team.

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Speaker 7: He didn't feel well, and they probably should have told hey,

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Speaker 7: by the way, you're kind of the worst fielder in

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Speaker 7: baseball at your position, so we might have somebody who

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Speaker 7: replace you and move your.

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Speaker 3: Game, but let's have that conversation. But that's not the case.

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Speaker 2: And then bring them in and say, even in spring training,

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Speaker 2: well we haven't made a decision yet.

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Speaker 3: Yes you have, yeah, fair enough, all right.

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Speaker 7: Dodgers still lead the NL West, got swept by the

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Speaker 7: Angels over the weekend. Will the Dodgers repeat as World

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Speaker 7: Series champs?

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Speaker 3: No way, no how? And this I saw coming a law.

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Speaker 3: I told you this. First of all, it's hard to

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Speaker 3: repeat in baseball.

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Speaker 2: The last team the Yankees twenty five years ago, the

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Speaker 2: last National League team the seventy five seventy six Reds,

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Speaker 2: and the Dodgers were lucky to win last year. Had

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Speaker 2: the Yankees won Game five, the Dodgers had no pitching

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Speaker 2: for Game six and seven.

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Speaker 3: It's very possible.

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Speaker 7: That's not that crazy, Okay, No, yeah, remember the Padres

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Speaker 7: had him for dead, right, but they did win. I look,

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Speaker 7: I'm kind of with you. I kind of liked your

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Speaker 7: take on this, but there there's there's so much there

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Speaker 7: still and now they're getting like those old veterans, and

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Speaker 7: Chris Taylor is very useful, right, Austin Barnes useful, But

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Speaker 7: now they're they're they're shipping them out and they're bringing

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Speaker 7: in fresh young guys. They're gonna be very good, Rob,

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Speaker 7: I hear you, but they're gonna be.

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Speaker 2: Very BK is this Too many things have to go right,

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Speaker 2: and too many people have to come back right.

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Speaker 3: And be like they were. And you're asking for a lot.

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Speaker 7: And Freddie and are like, here, man, that's a lot

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Speaker 7: going for you.

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Speaker 3: But I get that.

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Speaker 2: I see the lineup, I see show hey and all that,

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Speaker 2: but it still comes down the pitching. And they got

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Speaker 2: so many injuries and so many issues.

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Speaker 3: I'm just buying it.

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Speaker 7: Yeah, they're also you know, they're a traveling circus, like

439
00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:57,600
Speaker 7: Joe Madden said that first week that that first weekend,

440
00:21:57,640 --> 00:21:59,760
Speaker 7: like they're in Japan, they're they're they're the Beatles.

441
00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,720
Speaker 3: There's something to you like that. But you're right.

442
00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,439
Speaker 2: They were supposed to be the Beatles, but now I

443
00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:09,919
Speaker 2: think they're Boy George and Culture Club right now.

444
00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:14,280
Speaker 1: When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto,

445
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,080
Speaker 1: if I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer

446
00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:20,080
Speaker 1: or broadcaster, old or new.

447
00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,600
Speaker 3: Now let's welcome into the podcast Jalen Thompson.

448
00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:26,920
Speaker 2: He covers the Kansas City Royals for the Kansas City Star.

449
00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,280
Speaker 3: Jalen Man, thanks for joining us here on the podcast.

450
00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:31,560
Speaker 3: How are you? I'm good.

451
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:32,480
Speaker 5: How are you guys doing?

452
00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:34,359
Speaker 3: Man doing great?

453
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,080
Speaker 2: Let's get on and talk about these Kansas City Royals,

454
00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:44,520
Speaker 2: and let's start here coming into Friday's big series against

455
00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:48,280
Speaker 2: the Minnesota Twins. The Royals are twenty eight and twenty three,

456
00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:50,240
Speaker 2: got off to a slow start and then picked it

457
00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:54,359
Speaker 2: up and are playing much better. Are the Royals happy

458
00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,800
Speaker 2: where they are in a very competitive division so far?

459
00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,880
Speaker 9: Yeah, I think they are happy where they are. I mean,

460
00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:02,879
Speaker 9: you know, from a fans perspective, they'll say it's a

461
00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,399
Speaker 9: mixed bag because the pitching is really good and the

462
00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,200
Speaker 9: offense is consistent. But I think when you look at

463
00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,160
Speaker 9: the totality of where the roads are so far, like

464
00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,800
Speaker 9: you said, they're five games over five hundred, they're right

465
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,960
Speaker 9: in the race. They have a big divisional matchup with

466
00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,439
Speaker 9: the Twins this weekend. I mean, they are one of

467
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,320
Speaker 9: the better teams in the American League, even for all

468
00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,640
Speaker 9: their flaws and their falls, and know every team has

469
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,040
Speaker 9: falls and flaws and falls, and you know this early

470
00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:33,600
Speaker 9: in the season, you're right where you're going to be.

471
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,399
Speaker 9: And so that's that's kind of mentality in the clubhops

472
00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:36,840
Speaker 9: right now.

473
00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:39,360
Speaker 3: Let's talk about Bobby Wood Jr.

474
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,200
Speaker 2: Who is a star and we all know that, and

475
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,480
Speaker 2: but last year, if there wasn't a guy named Aaron Judge,

476
00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,560
Speaker 2: he would be uh would have won the MVP with

477
00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,000
Speaker 2: the year he put up together. This year, I mean,

478
00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:54,359
Speaker 2: can he win an MVP? Is he in the race

479
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:59,040
Speaker 2: with Aaron Judge? Aaron Judge batting almost four hundred and

480
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:01,639
Speaker 2: almost leading the league in home runs and all the

481
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,720
Speaker 2: other stuff. Bobby wol having a good year. Can he

482
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:06,800
Speaker 2: win an MVP with Aaron Judge in a way?

483
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:08,800
Speaker 3: I think he can.

484
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:10,000
Speaker 5: I really do.

485
00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:13,800
Speaker 9: When you look at what Aaron Judges has done. I

486
00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,760
Speaker 9: mean he's putting up astronomical numbers, and you know, you

487
00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:20,440
Speaker 9: really can't compete with that. When you got someone that's

488
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:25,720
Speaker 9: hitting over four hundred or around there, hitting almost fifteen

489
00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,800
Speaker 9: sixteen home runs right now, RBI's all everything, It's hard

490
00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,760
Speaker 9: to really do that. But baseball is sort of like

491
00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,760
Speaker 9: the old fable the tourist end the hair. You can

492
00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,800
Speaker 9: get out to a fast start, but you have to

493
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,480
Speaker 9: run that race. And when you run that race at

494
00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,560
Speaker 9: the end you can get caught. You can win the

495
00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:46,680
Speaker 9: race outright. So it just depends on how the rest

496
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,720
Speaker 9: of the season goes. We saw last year with Bobby

497
00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,480
Speaker 9: Wood Jr. And I believe July he went on a

498
00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:55,600
Speaker 9: hot streak where hit like six seven home runs, was

499
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,440
Speaker 9: hitting the scorching the ball almost in five hundred during

500
00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:02,240
Speaker 9: that one week straight. So he can definitely do it.

501
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,520
Speaker 9: But like I said, it's a long way to go

502
00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:08,040
Speaker 9: in this season. Anything can happen, but Aaron Judge is

503
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:09,160
Speaker 9: off to a hot start for sure.

504
00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:11,520
Speaker 3: Our guess is Jalen Thompson.

505
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,160
Speaker 2: He covers the Kansas City Royals for the Kansas City

506
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:19,080
Speaker 2: Star Southador Perez finally got a home run to end

507
00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:22,360
Speaker 2: his home run drought. Just talk about that is what

508
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:23,240
Speaker 2: was going on now.

509
00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:29,000
Speaker 9: It meant a lot to the Royals and to inside

510
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,280
Speaker 9: that clubhouse for Salve to hit the home run and

511
00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,879
Speaker 9: you know, kind of get back on track a little bit.

512
00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,040
Speaker 9: He's had a rough May, and you know, I spoke

513
00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,600
Speaker 9: to him yesterday and he said, I've been doing this

514
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,200
Speaker 9: for fourteen years and he knows how to handle ups

515
00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:46,200
Speaker 9: and downs and university that comes. But the most key

516
00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:48,800
Speaker 9: thing that I thought really stood out was when he said,

517
00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:52,879
Speaker 9: I have to be the same guy every day. I

518
00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,439
Speaker 9: can't come in and be upset when I'm not hitting.

519
00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:57,480
Speaker 9: I have to keep the smile on my face. I

520
00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,360
Speaker 9: have to show these younger guys this is the way

521
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,600
Speaker 9: to handle things. When you go through a season of

522
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,720
Speaker 9: baseball where you're not always going to be your best.

523
00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:07,959
Speaker 9: You're gonna go through slumps, You're gonna go through adversity

524
00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,640
Speaker 9: and things that are gonna tie you down. So it's

525
00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,439
Speaker 9: about how you work through it, and that message resonates

526
00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,840
Speaker 9: throughout the entire clubhouse. Talked with so many guys yesterday

527
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,119
Speaker 9: after the win and they were saying, yeah, when Salve

528
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,880
Speaker 9: is going strong, it lists the entire dugout, the entire clubhouse,

529
00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,679
Speaker 9: the entire organization where they want to play this for Salvi.

530
00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:30,160
Speaker 9: That was the key last year. They wanted to play

531
00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,520
Speaker 9: for him and make the playoffs for Salvi because he

532
00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,520
Speaker 9: stuck around when the team won the World Series, then

533
00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:38,399
Speaker 9: went down to the bottom, wasn't as good as they.

534
00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:41,320
Speaker 3: Were and rebounded. So they want to do.

535
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:44,119
Speaker 9: This in part for themselves but also for their teammate

536
00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,000
Speaker 9: in Salvo Perez.

537
00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,959
Speaker 3: How about the strength And when we talk about pitching

538
00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,480
Speaker 3: for the Royals, is it in the bullpen or in

539
00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:52,080
Speaker 3: the rotation?

540
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,119
Speaker 9: It's the starting rotation. This starting rotation might be one

541
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,879
Speaker 9: of the best starting rotations in the major leagues this season.

542
00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,240
Speaker 9: I know the New York New York Mets are doing

543
00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,439
Speaker 9: in the National League, but I don't think there's a

544
00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,879
Speaker 9: rotation that's very than the roles in the American League.

545
00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:10,239
Speaker 9: They have five legit guys that are consistent and they

546
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,880
Speaker 9: can get the job done. And what's crazy is right

547
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,439
Speaker 9: now their top two Cole Reagan's and Staff Lugo are

548
00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:17,600
Speaker 9: on the injury list and they're still getting it done.

549
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:21,679
Speaker 9: And it's not just Reagan's and Lugo is Michael waka

550
00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,600
Speaker 9: Chris Bubis, who I think should be an All Star

551
00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:27,480
Speaker 9: this year. He's really great. He's only given a one

552
00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,439
Speaker 9: run in his last four starts. You have Michael Origins

553
00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:32,439
Speaker 9: is a veteran season veteran, and then they have this

554
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:35,760
Speaker 9: young guy, Noah Cameron that's gonna start on Friday, and

555
00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:38,240
Speaker 9: all he's done in his first two MLB starts so

556
00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,800
Speaker 9: far has given up one earned run in twelve and

557
00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:44,199
Speaker 9: two thirds innings and he took a no hitter in

558
00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:48,520
Speaker 9: both games deep midway through. So yeah, they have a

559
00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:52,200
Speaker 9: really nice pitching staff, a nice rotation, and I think

560
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:55,040
Speaker 9: that's just the strength of this team. They want to

561
00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,720
Speaker 9: win and they know that to win, it's gonna be

562
00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:01,000
Speaker 9: their pitching staff that carries them because they're often a

563
00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:03,680
Speaker 9: streaky It's sometimes it's good they can score eight runs.

564
00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,520
Speaker 9: Sometimes they might struggle to score two runs. So that's

565
00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:07,720
Speaker 9: just where they win right now.

566
00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:09,960
Speaker 3: All Right, last thing quickly.

567
00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:16,719
Speaker 2: AL Central Tigers have the best record in the American League,

568
00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:21,240
Speaker 2: right off to a great start. Are they the team

569
00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:24,199
Speaker 2: to beat? Or is it the Twins or is it

570
00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:24,920
Speaker 2: the Royals?

571
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:25,159
Speaker 3: Like?

572
00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:28,119
Speaker 4: Who are the Tigers the team to beat?

573
00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,000
Speaker 9: It certainly looks like it is right now. The Tigers

574
00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,080
Speaker 9: are off to a fast start. But you know, going

575
00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,199
Speaker 9: back to that tours in the here argument that I

576
00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,520
Speaker 9: said earlier, I think in the AL Central it's gonna

577
00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:44,200
Speaker 9: come down to who is the best in these interdivisional

578
00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:47,040
Speaker 9: matchups when they all play each other head the head

579
00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,000
Speaker 9: at thirteen times a year. Who's going to be the

580
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,960
Speaker 9: best when you go up against all those all those teams.

581
00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:55,760
Speaker 9: Because last year you can beat up on the White

582
00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:58,320
Speaker 9: Socks and that helps bully your record. But the White

583
00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,160
Speaker 9: Socks are scrappy this year. They're not gonna be a

584
00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,880
Speaker 9: tough out like they were last easy outay they were

585
00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:06,240
Speaker 9: last year, so they're a little tougher. And then the

586
00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,280
Speaker 9: Tigers can pitch too, the Rods can pitch. I think

587
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,840
Speaker 9: that when it's all said and done, you're gonna see

588
00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,640
Speaker 9: four AL Central teams in the playoffs.

589
00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:15,440
Speaker 3: I just really do.

590
00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:17,960
Speaker 9: I think that's what it kind of looks like right now,

591
00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,760
Speaker 9: and I think that's what you're gonna see. I think

592
00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:22,800
Speaker 9: it's gonna be key though for the Royals. If they

593
00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,600
Speaker 9: want to win the AL Central, they have to hit

594
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,320
Speaker 9: the baseball. If they don't hit the baseball, then they

595
00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,920
Speaker 9: won't be seeing at the Visional crown that they want

596
00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:30,960
Speaker 9: to have at the end of the year.

597
00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,200
Speaker 2: All Right, his name is Jalen Thompson, and most of

598
00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:36,240
Speaker 2: the stuff he said was right on the money. Four

599
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,440
Speaker 2: teams from the AL Central in the playoffs, Jalen.

600
00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,840
Speaker 3: That ain't happening. I don't think so. Not four. Somebody's

601
00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:44,280
Speaker 3: not gonna make it. Somebody's not.

602
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:47,160
Speaker 2: I'm just I would be stunning if a four out

603
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,440
Speaker 2: of five teams make the playoffs from that division.

604
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:51,080
Speaker 9: It almost happened last year.

605
00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:52,280
Speaker 3: I know almost.

606
00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:54,920
Speaker 2: You just said the right word almost. I'm just saying

607
00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:57,800
Speaker 2: it's gonna be similar to that. Well, but I appreciate you,

608
00:29:57,840 --> 00:29:59,280
Speaker 2: my man, thank you for the knowledge.

609
00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:04,320
Speaker 9: All right at the bare siding, this is BOLGI.

610
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:08,320
Speaker 3: It's the Parker pushback. Shut here.

611
00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:12,880
Speaker 1: Rob tackles the outlandish takes in Major League Baseball. Shut

612
00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,920
Speaker 1: up today, I'm.

613
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:21,040
Speaker 2: Pushing back on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the idea

614
00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,920
Speaker 2: of adding show hal Tani to the rotation.

615
00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,480
Speaker 4: I know, I can't even believe him saying it, But.

616
00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:30,880
Speaker 3: Now as it gets closer.

617
00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:36,040
Speaker 2: The other day Wednesday Show, he started throwing sliders and

618
00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:40,800
Speaker 2: curveballs in the bullpen in preparation to gearing up to

619
00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:42,160
Speaker 2: getting back on the mound.

620
00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:43,640
Speaker 3: And we know it.

621
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,560
Speaker 2: It's like a unicorn, a pitcher and a hitter and

622
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,440
Speaker 2: all that. But now as I'm starting to look at

623
00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:54,440
Speaker 2: Show Hey and what this will take away from the

624
00:30:54,520 --> 00:30:58,760
Speaker 2: Dodgers offensively and him as an everyday player, because it's

625
00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:00,320
Speaker 2: going to take him out of the lineup.

626
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:02,480
Speaker 4: At least two days for him to be a pitcher.

627
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:04,320
Speaker 4: And I understood it when.

628
00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:08,080
Speaker 2: It first started, and the Dodgers won the World Series

629
00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,520
Speaker 2: last year without Old Tany on the mound.

630
00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:11,840
Speaker 3: And now I'm.

631
00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:14,600
Speaker 2: Starting to think, does this really make sense? The guy

632
00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:19,080
Speaker 2: had fifty stolen bases, fifty home runs last year is unbelievable,

633
00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:23,120
Speaker 2: won the MVP. Are you really trying to take his

634
00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:28,040
Speaker 2: bat out of the lineup? Wanted one day at all?

635
00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,840
Speaker 2: Maybe two days? I mean two days?

636
00:31:31,320 --> 00:31:32,280
Speaker 3: I mean, I don't know.

637
00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,560
Speaker 2: I am really torn now and I know that they're

638
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:38,920
Speaker 2: not going to do it this year. They'll probably get

639
00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:40,720
Speaker 2: them ready and put them into the Dodgers have so

640
00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:46,320
Speaker 2: many pitching injuries. But as time goes on and seeing

641
00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:51,480
Speaker 2: how he hits this year being interrupted by pitching, I

642
00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,120
Speaker 2: think we need to think about it, and maybe he

643
00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,680
Speaker 2: winds up doing what Babe Ruth eventually did, which was

644
00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,080
Speaker 2: given up pitching.

645
00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:06,000
Speaker 3: Just hitting. I'm Rob Parker and that's my pushback.

646
00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,280
Speaker 2: In the words of New York TV legend The Lady

647
00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:18,320
Speaker 2: Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time.

648
00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:22,160
Speaker 4: Until next time, Rob Parker out d can't Davin.

649
00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,000
Speaker 3: This could be an inside the Parker See you next week,

650
00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:27,440
Speaker 3: same bat time from same batt station,