1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to their territory. Everyone, regular team. We wrap up 2 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: postseason preview. We've got it all for you today, and 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: I want to start with the final weekend. How we 4 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 1: got to the twelve team field. Some pretty interesting developments 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: in the final days. And let's start with the defending 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 1: World Series champions. They can't get rid of them. They 7 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: won't go away. They are the Houston Astros. They've played 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: more postseason games than any team since twenty fifteen. And 9 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: if you think they don't know how to get there, 10 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: well they proved you wrong this weekend. The Astros were 11 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: six and a half games behind the Rangers on June 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: twenty third, two and a half games behind the Rangers. 13 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 1: Entering the final weekend, think about that, they were two 14 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: and a half back. They did hold the tiebreaker, So 15 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: what happened? The Astros win three straight in Arizona, the 16 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: Rangers lose three or four to the Mariners. The two 17 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: teams end up tied with ninety wins and bingo. The 18 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: Astros are American League West champions. So what happens here? 19 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: They get the buye the first round, by they don't 20 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: have to play in the wildcard round, and they get 21 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: to line up there. Pitching, which is a big thing 22 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: for them because they're starting pitching beyond Verlander and from Valdez, 23 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: is their biggest concern, There's no question about that. One 24 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: disadvantage you're going to face in the division series is 25 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: the fact that in the American League this year, there 26 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: is only one off day during the series. Actually two 27 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: off days, I should say, there's an off day after 28 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: Game two and an off day after Game four. In 29 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: the National League there are off days after games one, two, 30 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: and four. So effectively, the Braves, for example, can pitch 31 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: Spencer Stryder and Max Freed in four of the five games. 32 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: Astros can't do that. They'll have Verlander and Valdez for 33 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: three of the potential five games, and they'll have to 34 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: scramble to figure out what they're going to do in 35 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: the other two. That's the one thing I worry about 36 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: with Houston. But great job by the Astros simply getting 37 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: to that division title. Obviously, you'd rather have the buy 38 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: than not. And now the Rangers, good luck to them. 39 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: They've got to fly all the way across country to 40 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: Tampa Bay to play tomorrow on Tuesday to open the 41 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: Wildcard round. All Right, the Diamondbacks. Now that's the team 42 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: I just mentioned the astro swept, and yet they get in. 43 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 1: They get in despite losing their final three games. They 44 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: celebrated in the pool at Chase Field, and you get 45 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: to do that two years after you lose one hundred 46 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: and ten games, period. So they're sort of backing in obviously. 47 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: And because they didn't win Friday Night behind Zach Gallen, 48 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: they had to pitch Merrill Kelly on Saturday, and that 49 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: compromises them a little bit. They're going to have to 50 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: go with Brandon Fought in Game one, the rookie who 51 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: has had an inconsistent start to his career, and then 52 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: you'll have Gallon and Kelly lined up four games two 53 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 1: and three. But of course you might not get to 54 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: Kelly if you lose the first two, So a little 55 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: bit of a dis advantage there, but hey, give the 56 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: Diamondbacks credit. They did get there. And then let's talk 57 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: about two teams that didn't make it, two teams that 58 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: probably are kicking themselves a little bit on this morning 59 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: after the season ended. Of course, the first of those 60 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: teams is the Chicago Cubs, and let's look at the 61 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: Cubs and how it went for them down the stretch. 62 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: It wasn't good, folks. This is a team that, as 63 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: you can see, on September sixth, September sixth, was seventy 64 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: six and sixty four. Their playoff odds at that point 65 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: were ninety two point four percent. They were a near lock. Well, 66 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: then they go seven and fifteen. The rest of the 67 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: way seven and fifteen. Their bullpen essentially collapsed. They ran 68 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: out of bullpen arms. They obviously did not play well. 69 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: The schedule in the final week was tough. Braves and Brewers, 70 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: I get it, but man, the Cubs couldn't beat out 71 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: the Marlins. The Cubs had a run differential more than 72 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty runs better than the Marlins, which 73 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: shows you the meaning of run perential on how it 74 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: can be a little bit misleading. And then there are 75 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: the Mariners. Now, the Mariners had a tougher road entering 76 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: the final weekend and they did win three or four. 77 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: But at the same time, remember this team went twenty 78 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: and four in August twenty and four, and let's look 79 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,119 Speaker 1: at how they performed down the stretch, because it wasn't 80 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: good either. The Mariners on August twenty eighth were seventy 81 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: five and fifty six. That was the completion of that 82 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 1: twenty and four run, their playoff fives at that point 83 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: eighty six point four percent with a little more than 84 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: a month remaining, And then from August twenty ninth to 85 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,559 Speaker 1: September twenty seventh, right leading up to this final series 86 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: against the Rangers, they lost seventeen of twenty seven when 87 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: ten and seventeen. So even though they had a dramatic 88 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: win Thursday night with JP Crawford's walk off to out 89 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: two run double and they won three or four to 90 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: end the season, they had to do more and it 91 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: wasn't enough. Ultimately they fell short. One more thing on 92 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: the Mariners. On Saturday, we got into a discussion on 93 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: the broadcast about whether the Maroners would pursue and possibly 94 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: sign Shoho Tani, and Aaron Goldsmith and John Smoltz came 95 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: down to me, asked me what I thought, and I 96 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: said no, the Mariners' ownership has yet to show that 97 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: it is going to spend big in free agency. And 98 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: we talked about it a little bit and that was that. 99 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: Then after the game, after the Mariners were eliminated, Kyle Roley, 100 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: their starting catcher, really one of their biggest stars and 101 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: most respected players had this to say, and it was 102 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 1: quite interesting. Along the same lines of what I was 103 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: talking about. Ralei said, we got to commit to winning. 104 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: We have to commit to going and getting those players. 105 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: You see other teams going out and getting big time pitchers, 106 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: big time hitters. We have to do that to keep up. 107 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 1: He's talking specifically about the Rangers. We've done a great 108 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: job of growing some players here and within the farm system, 109 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: but sometimes you've got to go out and you have 110 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: to buy amen to what Kyle Raley said. The next day, 111 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: came out and said, hey, I wasn't identifying any of 112 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: our players specifically, but he said, I am not going 113 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: to apologize for wanting to win a World Series, nor 114 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: should he. I wrote about this today in the wind up, 115 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,239 Speaker 1: and you know what, it's good to hear a player 116 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: come out and say that about his ownership when ownership 117 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 1: simply is not spending the way it should. We all 118 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: know spending is not always the key to success. We 119 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: get that, but cal Raley's looking at the Texas Rangers 120 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: across the field and how much they've spent, and that 121 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: they're going to the playoffs and obviously he's not happy 122 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: about it. So that wraps up the regular season. We 123 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: now have the playoff field set and let's look ahead 124 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: to the four wild card series. These series are all, 125 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:38,239 Speaker 1: of course two or three played entirely at the home 126 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: of the higher seed. Let's start with the bracket. This 127 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: is the bracket courtesy of CBS Sports. Start on the 128 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: left side. The Marlins face the Phillies that will be 129 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:51,119 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia, the Diamondbacks against the Brewers. In the American League, 130 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 1: you have the Rangers against the Rays, and in what 131 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: might be the best series we'll talk about this, the 132 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: Blue Jays in Minnesota. So I want to start with 133 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: the Diamondbacks Brewers series. And this is an interesting series 134 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways. The Brewers, of course, are 135 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: the number three seed in the National League. They have 136 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: their pitching lined up. Corbyn Burns, Brandon Woodruff, Freddie Peralta. 137 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: That's as good a three as you will see. Maybe 138 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: Toronto's is as good, but Milwaukee this is their way 139 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: to win with those three guys. But the one thing 140 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: in this series that concerns me with the Brewers, it's 141 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: a Diamondbacks running game. These guys were second in the 142 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: Majors in stolen bases only to the Reds and the Brewers. Well, 143 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: let's take a look here. They don't throw out opposing 144 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: base dealers very well. This is a problem for them. 145 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,920 Speaker 1: William Contreras eleven for eighty eight, Victor Carrattani three for 146 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: forty seven. The team as a whole throughout only ten 147 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: point four percent of the opposing base dealers. That's catcher 148 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: caught stealings ten point four percent. Now, most teams had 149 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: this kind of problem this year, but the Brewers were 150 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: the third worst in the majors. The new rules as 151 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: far as the running game, hurt them. And don't put 152 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: this all on the catchers. By the way, those three 153 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: big starters I just mentioned, they don't hold runners very well. 154 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: Now the key for the Brewers you keep the Diamondbacks 155 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: off base. You don't have to worry about the stolen base, 156 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: all right. Marlins Phillies. Now, the Marlins won eighty four games, 157 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 1: a whole lot of games. Now they might have gotten 158 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: too eighty five if the suspended game was completed, but 159 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: ultimately they win six fewer games than the Phillies. And 160 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: people I'm sure around the country are asking how the 161 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: heck did they do this? Well, let's look at two things, 162 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: two areas in which the Marlins season can be explained. 163 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: The first, well, it comes down to one run games, 164 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: and their performance in one run games compared to last 165 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: year was rather amazing. What the Marlins did the turnaround 166 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: last year twenty four and forty. Twenty four and forty, 167 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: they were twenty eighth in the majors in one run 168 00:08:47,559 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: game winning percentage. This year thirty three and thirteen. That's 169 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: first best winning percentage in one run games. And you 170 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 1: might say, well, one run games are partly a reflection 171 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: of luck, and yes, that's true. Those records are partly 172 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: reflection of luck. But the Marlins made a concerted effort 173 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: this season to get more contact into their lineup. The 174 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,679 Speaker 1: trade for Luis Ariaz was, of course, the one thing 175 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: that really showed what they were trying to do, and 176 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: for the most part, it worked out better. It's still 177 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,680 Speaker 1: not a great offensive team, in fact, they're one of 178 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: the five worst offensive teams in the Majors, but they 179 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: got it done. Now, what's amazing about the Marlins, and 180 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: I alluded to this earlier, their run differential, Well, it's 181 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: easily the worst of the playoff teams and shows you again, 182 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: run differential, isn't all that? Always? Take a look at 183 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: this San Diego Padres plus one oh four, Chicago Cubs 184 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: plus ninety six, the Marlins minus fifty five and run differential. 185 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: But you know what, good for them. They got here. 186 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: They're gonna play the Phillies and in two or three. 187 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: Of course we all favor the Phillies, but you never 188 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: know what might happen. Moving on, Blue Jays at Twins 189 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: and I love this series, and I love it because 190 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: we're going to see two excellent rotations. Both of these teams, 191 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: in my view, could emerge as a dark horse because 192 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:05,560 Speaker 1: of the quality of their rotations. Blue Days also have 193 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: an excellent bullpen. So let's take a look here at 194 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 1: the Twins challenge because this is the storyline of this 195 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: series for the Minnesota Twins. Will they finally win a 196 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 1: postseason game? Eighteen straight playoff losses eighteen straight? Now, thirteen 197 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: of those were to the Yankees. The Yankees are nowhere 198 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: to be found this October. That's good for the Twins. 199 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: The Twins' last postseason victory October fifth, two thousand and four. 200 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: That was the first George W. Bush administration. Pretty amazing 201 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 1: that it's been that long since the Twins won a 202 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: postseason game. Finally, as we move on here, let's go 203 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: to the Rangers Raise series. This is a series in 204 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: which we're going to see whether the Rangers offense can revive. 205 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 1: And that's the biggest question with the Rangers right now. 206 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: In their final six games, they did not hit. This 207 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: is the team that what they do is hit home 208 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: runs and walk. They had the best offense in the 209 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: American League this season. But take a look at what 210 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 1: they did in the final six games in Time and 211 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: in Seattle, because it wasn't pretty. They go two and four. 212 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: They average two point seven runs per game and their 213 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: slash line rather ugly, one seventy five batting average, two 214 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: eighty three on base percentage two ninety nine slug For 215 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: the Rangers to get back on track in Tampa Bay, 216 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: second longest flight in the Majors, they just took Seattle 217 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: to Tampa Bay. They're gonna have to find their offense again, 218 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: and it's quite possible to do that. We've seen teams 219 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: flip numerous times this year. All these teams basically have 220 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: had good runs bad runs. As teams always do. But 221 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: the Rangers need to get it together quickly against one 222 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: of the better pitching staffs you will see in the majors, 223 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: the Tampa Bay Rays. Time now for the inside dish. 224 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,400 Speaker 1: This is the part of the show where I go 225 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: inside a story that I might have written recently, or 226 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: inside a developing trend within the game. Well, it's the 227 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 1: end of the regular season, and what happens at the 228 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: end of the regular season, the developing trend of managers 229 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: getting fired. Now Friday on foul Territory, Scott Brown posed 230 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: a question to me. He said, all right, I'm going 231 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 1: to set the over under for managers getting fired at 232 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: one and a half ken. What will it be over 233 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:17,599 Speaker 1: or under? Easy? Answer? Over, And I felt it was 234 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: easy because there were so many situations that were in play. Well, 235 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: sure enough, by the end of the weekend we hit 236 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: the over and we still might get a few more. 237 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: You never know in this day and age with baseball, 238 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: because once these things get started sometimes they're hard to stop. Now, 239 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:35,880 Speaker 1: the first manager you're firing was Gabe Kapler. The second 240 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: was Buck show Walter with the New York Mets. The 241 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 1: Giants the Mets, those two teams obviously had disappointing seasons. 242 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,679 Speaker 1: But these situations were quite different, and I want to 243 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: go into each in a little bit of depth. Let's 244 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: start with Kapler because he was presumed safe maybe a 245 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: few weeks ago, when Giants chairman Greg Johnson came out 246 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: publicly and said that both Kapler and president of Baseball 247 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: Operations for hand Zayety would be safe, would return next season. Well, 248 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:07,959 Speaker 1: what changed. What changed was the noise around this team, 249 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: kind of driven by fans but also by media, grew 250 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: as this team kind of fell apart, and the noise 251 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: within the organization grew as well. You saw criticisms from 252 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: Logan Webb and Mikeystremsky, two of the Giants' most respected players, 253 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 1: about the team's clubhouse culture, about kind of the way 254 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: they went about it. Now, nobody was saying directly that 255 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: Kapler had lost the clubhouse. It was almost more that 256 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: he didn't have the clubhouse, and it's a different kind 257 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: of situation. He didn't really police the players. These guys 258 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: kind of were on their own and it fell apart. 259 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: And that's what Logan web was talking about, That's what 260 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: Mikeyu Stremsky was talking about. On August third, the Giants 261 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: were sixty one and forty nine. Sixty one and forty 262 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 1: nine held the top wild card. They go eighteen and 263 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: thirty four of the rest to the way they finished 264 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: the season in their final thirty four road games, last 265 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: thirty four road games, six and twenty eight. You put 266 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 1: it all together and it was just too much. Now, 267 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: what's interesting here to me? And when I wrote about 268 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:16,679 Speaker 1: last week, if you want to go back to that column, 269 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: the athletic was that you can blame Kapler, and certainly 270 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: a managerial change here, you can say it's warranted, that's fine, 271 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: But really the issue is for Anxiety, and the issue 272 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: is the way he put together this team, a team 273 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: that is kind of faceless on the position player side, 274 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: and they've got Logan Web obviously to lead the pitching staff. 275 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 1: He's a cy young contender, one of the best pitchers 276 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 1: in the game. But they do a lot of platooning, 277 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: a lot of pinch hitting. It's kind of a tough 278 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,280 Speaker 1: team for fans to identify with, and it can be 279 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: hard to watch as well. Not a great defensive club 280 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: or anything like that. Now, Anxiety has done some really 281 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 1: good things there, there's no question about it. But they 282 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: have not gotten the player to replace Buster Posey as 283 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: their franchise guy. They kind of lack an identity. Now, 284 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: it's not for lack of effort. Remember they tried to 285 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: sign Aaron Judge last offseason. He went to the Yankees, 286 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: and then they tried to sign Carlos Korea, and of 287 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 1: course they had the medical issue, which the Mets later 288 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 1: had the same problem with. So they were trying. But 289 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: now you've got a situation where free agents it's tough 290 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: to get them to come to San Francisco for whatever reason, 291 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: whether it's state taxes, whether it's players not liking the 292 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: politics of California, whatever it might be, they've had a 293 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: hard time doing that. John Carlos Stanton a few years 294 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,360 Speaker 1: back rejected a trade to the Giants. Also rejected a 295 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: trade to the Cardinals at that time. So if free 296 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: agency is not going to be the way you can 297 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: build your club and get that franchise guy back or 298 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: the impact guy you won, well, then you're gonna have 299 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: to do some things outside your comfort level, make some trades, 300 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: trade some of your prospects for better players. Now, the 301 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: heat is anxiety, there's no question about it. When you 302 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: fire the manager, well then the focus comes back to 303 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: the head of baseball operations, and in this case, that's 304 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: far Han. So we'll see what happens in San Francisco. 305 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: We'll see what kind of off season they have, because 306 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: right now, the pressure on him entering the final year 307 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: of his contract has never been greater. Now with the Mets, 308 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: much different situation, and it's a much different situation because 309 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: they're bringing in a new president of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, 310 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: and I wrote this last week in My Manager's Overview 311 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: that Stearns essentially had one of two choices here with 312 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: Buck Showalter. He could have kept Showalter for another year, 313 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: decided he wanted to assess the organization, kind of look 314 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: things over, and worry about the manager later next year, 315 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: the Mets have basically signaled is going to be something 316 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: of a transition year for them. Showalter certainly could have 317 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 1: handled the team competently under those conditions and played out 318 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: the rest of his contract. The other option was the 319 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: one that Sterens chose door number two, and that was 320 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: simply to cut realizing that Buck Showalter was not going 321 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: to be his long term manager anyway and moving on 322 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:09,400 Speaker 1: before this could ever really get to the point of 323 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: being an issue. Now, this was handled sort of indelicately. 324 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: Buck announced his own departure yesterday in a news conference 325 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: at City Field. David Stearnes wasn't there. He's getting introduced 326 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: today on Monday, Billy Eppler had to give Buck Showalter 327 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: the news. Billy Eppler remains as the general manager. Steve 328 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: Cohen was the one who addressed the media. The owner 329 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:34,440 Speaker 1: little weird, but these things rarely go smoothly in any 330 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: walk of life, when people get fired, it's just always 331 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 1: uncomfortable and often awkward. So from that perspective, Okay, I 332 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 1: didn't love it, but I get it now. No one 333 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 1: in their right mind would say that Buck Showalter is 334 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: to blame for what happened to the Mets this year. 335 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: But I will say this, and John Harper of SNY 336 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: and A column put it pretty well. This team, this 337 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: Mets team when they had everyone together, didn't play like 338 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: a classic Buck show Walter team wasn't as crisp. I 339 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: don't know why that happened. I don't even know if 340 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: show Walter knows why that happened. But if you want 341 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 1: to look at some things and point to the manager 342 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 1: as some fans and media did throughout the season. You 343 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: could certainly do that. So Gabe Kapler, Goan Buck Show, 344 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: Walter gone, Creg Counsel. I've been writing this for a 345 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: couple of months. He is the biggest free agent among 346 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: the managers, and I know Brewers fans don't want to 347 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 1: hear that their guy might leave. Well, your guy's not signed. 348 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: He's a great manager, he's done amazing things with that franchise, 349 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: and he is a native of Milwaukee, someone with a 350 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 1: long history with the team, whose family has a history 351 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,520 Speaker 1: with the team. His dad worked for the Brewers. Well, 352 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:46,160 Speaker 1: the Brewers have to pay him, and they don't want 353 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: to pay him. They're not going to pay him like 354 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,479 Speaker 1: one of the best managers in the game. Then I 355 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,639 Speaker 1: fear for their sake that they're going to lose him. 356 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: Because Creig Counsel, if you remember, was a pretty strong 357 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,120 Speaker 1: member of the players Union. He knows how salaries work. 358 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: He wants to do as most people would in any career. 359 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,120 Speaker 1: So it's going to be really interesting to see if 360 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: Stearns brings in Council, if Counsel is willing to go 361 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: to New York, or if Brewers owner Mark Attanasio steps 362 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:14,919 Speaker 1: up and says, you know what, Craig, you deserve this. 363 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: I want to make you one of the highest paid 364 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 1: managers in the game. I want to give the team 365 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: a greater commitment in terms of payroll going forward. And 366 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: in which case, if those things happen, Creig Counsel might 367 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 1: very well stay time out. For Dude and Dork, We're 368 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: gonna do it a little bit differently. This week. We're 369 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: going to do a Dude of the Year to mark 370 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: the end of the regular season, and a Dork of 371 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: the Year, and then we'll do a normal thing as well, 372 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: Dude and Dork of the Week. So first, the Dude 373 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:45,719 Speaker 1: of the Year, Actually it's not going to a person, 374 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: it's going to something that exists in every stadium now, 375 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: something that was introduced this season and actually change the 376 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: game dramatically. One of the best things baseball has done 377 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,439 Speaker 1: in a long time. You know what I'm talking about 378 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: talking about the pitch clock. Just look at the time 379 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,160 Speaker 1: of game, the average time of a nine inning game 380 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 1: and how much it reduced this season with the introduction 381 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: of the clock. Last year twenty twenty two, the average 382 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,600 Speaker 1: time of a nine inning game three hours and three minutes. 383 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: This year twenty twenty three, the average time of a 384 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:25,120 Speaker 1: nine inning game two hours thirty nine minutes. That's a reduction, folks, 385 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: of twenty four minutes. Nothing was lost in this process. 386 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:32,679 Speaker 1: The players adjusted, fans didn't notice a difference in the 387 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: game itself. It just moved better. It was more entertaining, obviously, 388 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:41,760 Speaker 1: something that baseball needed. Credit to Rob Manford for pushing 389 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 1: this through. Credit to theo Epstein, one of the architects, 390 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,800 Speaker 1: and everyone else in the Major League Baseball offices, and 391 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 1: the players and umpires as well for adapting as well 392 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,440 Speaker 1: as they did. The Dude of the Week, and obviously 393 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: this is a sad one heartbreaking news. On Sunday, Tim 394 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: Wakefield passing away at age fifty due to brain cancer. 395 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: Tim Wakefield was an accomplished pitcher, of course, two hundred wins, 396 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,160 Speaker 1: most innings and starts in Red Sox history. Of course, 397 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: he became a knuckleballer early in his career and that 398 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: changed everything for him. Tim Wakefield, the person was even 399 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: better than Tim Wakefield the pitcher. This is a guy 400 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:23,480 Speaker 1: who was one of the first captains, along with Clay 401 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: Buckholtz of the Jimmy Fund, that's the cancer research charitable 402 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:30,959 Speaker 1: organization that the Red Sox have been so closely affiliated 403 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: with for a long time. Tim Wakefield was a winner 404 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: of the Roberto Clemente Award, and he was an eight 405 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 1: time nominatee. I was going to say seven. No, he 406 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: was nominated eight times for that award, won at once. 407 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 1: He was a guy that was revered by his teammates 408 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: for his steadiness, for just being a solid individual. And 409 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: this tells you all you need to know about Tim Wakefield. 410 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: When he gave up the homer to Aaron Boone, the 411 00:21:57,520 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: decisive homer in Game seven of the two thousand and 412 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 1: three no one got down on him, No one said 413 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 1: get him out of town. He came back, stayed with 414 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: the Red Sox, remained a great teammate, and just finished 415 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: a remarkable career. Just tragic news. Tim Wakefield rest in peace, 416 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: all right. Now. Dork of the Year, Well this is 417 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 1: an obvious choice because this guy won the award like 418 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 1: six different times. And maybe it wasn't six, maybe it 419 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: was three or four, but he won it a lot. 420 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 1: Talking about John Fisher, the Oakland A's owner. Now, I'm 421 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: not going to go through the litany of grievances we 422 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,159 Speaker 1: all have with John Fisher, the move to Vegas, the 423 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: way they tanked in Oakland, Well, those are enough to 424 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: qualify him for Dork of the Year. It won them 425 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:44,240 Speaker 1: the award a number of times. They did a few 426 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 1: other things too that got dork consideration and dork certification. 427 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 1: So John Fisher is the dork of the Year again. 428 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: I need not say much about this dork of the week. 429 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: Well you're looking at him. A situation should occurred in 430 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 1: Seattle on Saturday that basically led to the forty thousand 431 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: people in the ballpark booing me. And what happened was 432 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: I was doing what we often do before games, especially 433 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:16,919 Speaker 1: in the postseason, a hit right before first pitch. I'm 434 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: talking right as we're going up to first pitch, and 435 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: in most cases we time it out so well where 436 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 1: nothing is lost. I'm off the field in time the 437 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: game starts. Nobody even notices. Well, on Saturday, I'm talking 438 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: and everyone is waiting. Everyone is waiting for the game 439 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:37,879 Speaker 1: to start. The players are looking at me, the fans 440 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,200 Speaker 1: are looking at me. Something was a miss. So let's 441 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 1: take a look. And you can hear in this video 442 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: the fans starting to get a little restless. 443 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 2: And yet here they are for the third straight day, 444 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 2: trying to clinch to postseason birth. 445 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: And finally the Astros. 446 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:58,479 Speaker 2: They crushed the Rangers in Arlington in early September, and 447 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 2: then they go two and seven against the Royals and 448 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:02,640 Speaker 2: A's the two horse teams and the Majors. 449 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 1: Guys, who knows what the final chapter will bring. All Right, 450 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: you saw the umpire, the played umpire, Trip Gibson, looking 451 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 1: at me. That was where the problem came in. I 452 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: found this out later. Now, obviously I'm the guy on 453 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: the field, and yes I'm taking the hit for this, 454 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: I understand that. But what apparently happened, and I'm not 455 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 1: making excuses, this is apparently what happened. Though. Apparently what 456 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,560 Speaker 1: happened is that Trip Gibson, the played umpire, was supposed 457 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: to take a signal from our stage manager on the field. 458 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 1: She is signaling to start the game, and then I 459 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 1: would walk off and we go as we normally do. 460 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: Apparently he was just looking at me, missed that signal 461 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: or ignored it, one or the other, and that is 462 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: why the problem occurred. To add insult to insult, later 463 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,840 Speaker 1: in the game, the Mariners video board, the operator or 464 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: the camera person comes up to me and says, hey, 465 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: we're gonna put you on the video board. Fox is 466 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: here today. We're gonna show it. I'm like, I don't 467 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: think that's a great idea. The fans are just gonna 468 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 1: boo again. The guy says, Nah, we don't boo here 469 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: in Seattle. It's all good. They showed me on the 470 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: video board. More booze. Anyway, I'm going to take the 471 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: responsibility for it. It was me that was on the 472 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 1: field talking when the game was supposed to start darker 473 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 1: the week. 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Well, 493 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 1: there were some great farewells over the weekend, and actually 494 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,000 Speaker 1: all of them caught my eye, but a few of 495 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: them said out more than others. The first, of course, 496 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: Joey Vodo's ejection so on brand, so classic. He didn't 497 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,040 Speaker 1: want to be ejected from what might have been his 498 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: final game. He has an announcedist retirement and he issued 499 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,680 Speaker 1: an apology on Twitter. But it was hilarious that Vodo 500 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: goes down and goes out arguing with the played umpire 501 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,919 Speaker 1: about a ball and strike call. Then Miguel Cabrera and 502 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: this one I loved when they came out to first 503 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 1: base and stood there alone on the field while the 504 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:58,200 Speaker 1: crowd acknowledged him at Camerica Park. That was awesome. Migi 505 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: of course at first base again where it all began 506 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: for him in Detroit. What a remarkable career. The three 507 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: thousand hits, the five hundred homers. We can go on 508 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: and on and on. And that was a really cool sendoff, 509 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:12,679 Speaker 1: no doubt. Adam Wayne Wright taking his at bat. I 510 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: like that one. Zach grenk love Zach Grenkey going through 511 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: the dugout all smiles. That was cool too. And finally 512 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:21,720 Speaker 1: Terry Francona, and this might have been my favorite one 513 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:25,679 Speaker 1: when the Guardians players blocked the entrance to the dugout 514 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:28,800 Speaker 1: so Francona could not leave the field and he had 515 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: to acknowledge and stay there and bask in the crowd's adulation. Francona, 516 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,119 Speaker 1: if you followed him at all, he's a guy that 517 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: always gives credit to his team, doesn't ever want credit 518 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: for himself. Well, that was a moment when the players said, 519 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: uh uh, Tito, you're going out there, you're staying out there, 520 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:49,479 Speaker 1: and you're going to get cheered. Fill in the blank. 521 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:56,199 Speaker 1: Baseball's Taylor Swift Travis Kelce power couple is now. Mercifully, 522 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,959 Speaker 1: baseball doesn't have a Taylor Swift situation going on right now, 523 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 1: as NFL does, But if you want to go back 524 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:07,879 Speaker 1: in time, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio a far better 525 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: power couple, I might add, than Taylor Swift and Travis Kelcey. 526 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: Now I love Taylor, actually went to her show at 527 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:18,000 Speaker 1: MetLife Stadium and was totally blown away. But this dude, 528 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: Travis Kelcey, he's setting himself up to be the next 529 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: guy she burns in a song, because that's how it happens, right, 530 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,480 Speaker 1: Taylor Swift goes out with the guy. Taylor Swift breaks 531 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: up with the guy Taylors Swift writes a song far 532 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: more critical and far more biting than anything any sports 533 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,679 Speaker 1: collup could ever put together. All right, let's get the 534 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: next question. That one's a little silly. Final question, favorite 535 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 1: wildcard memory. This is a good one. I've been doing 536 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,960 Speaker 1: games for Fox for eighteen years now. This is my 537 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: eighteen season, and obviously it covered a lot of wildcard series. 538 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: We don't do it anymore. This round goes to ESPN. 539 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: But my favorite is one that I never expected would 540 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: be my favorite. Twenty fifteen Blue Jays versus Texas Rangers. 541 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: This is a series that I'll admit when we were 542 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:09,400 Speaker 1: assigned to that one. I was a little lie. This 543 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: is not gonna be so good. These teams aren't that sexy. 544 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,080 Speaker 1: I don't see the real appeal here. The other series 545 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: that year was Astros Royals wasn't that sexy either. But 546 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: as so often happened in baseball, what you think might 547 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 1: happen doesn't happen. I didn't expect a wild series. I 548 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: didn't expect even a terribly competitive series. I didn't know 549 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,280 Speaker 1: what was going to happen. This was a great five 550 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: game series, and of course it was capped off by 551 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:38,240 Speaker 1: the Jose Bautista bat flip, which capped off one of 552 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: the more dramatic games you'll ever see. There was all 553 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,960 Speaker 1: kinds of stuff going on in Game five of the 554 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,800 Speaker 1: twenty fifteen Alds between the Rangers and Blue Jays. That 555 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: was my favorite game. Interviewing Bautista about the bat flip afterward. 556 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: It was a blast. The whole thing Rogers Center, just 557 00:29:54,280 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: corrupting the entire game, Just a lot of fun. And 558 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 1: it just goes to show you again sometimes when you 559 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: think a these aren't the sexiest teams, these aren't the 560 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,320 Speaker 1: sexiest players, you get some of the best games. It 561 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:11,800 Speaker 1: happened that day, Maybe it happens again this postseason. Looking ahead, 562 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: I will not be working television for this round of 563 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: the playoffs, but we come in Fox does with the 564 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 1: Division series and I am going to be working the 565 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:23,240 Speaker 1: Orioles series. Whoever they end up playing the Rangers or 566 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 1: the Rays. It's gonna be really fun for me to 567 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: go back to Baltimore where I worked from nineteen eighty 568 00:30:28,080 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: seven to two thousand, live there until two thousand and nine. 569 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:35,080 Speaker 1: Camden Yards is a park where I've written a ton 570 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: of columns at. I've done a ton of work at 571 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 1: that park, and I love being back there. So I'm 572 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: really looking forward to doing this series. And I know 573 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: Oriols fans are really excited about their team, and they 574 00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: should be first playoff appearents since twenty sixteen, first Division 575 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 1: title since twenty fourteen. The Orioles won one hundred games 576 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: this season. They had a remarkable run, best team in 577 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: the American League. Thanks to everyone for why, Thanks to 578 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 1: everyone for listening. You know where to find us, YouTube, Apple, Spotify, 579 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: like us, subscribe, do whatever you need to do now. 580 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,000 Speaker 1: As for the schedule in the postseason, right now, the 581 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 1: plan is to be back with you a week from 582 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,959 Speaker 1: today on Monday. But if the postseason things change, travel 583 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: plans they can change too, as you know, so just 584 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: stay with us, Follow me on Twitter and I'll tell 585 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: you exactly when the show is going to air. Hey, 586 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: get in on the action with the ft fam. At BETMGM, 587 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: new customers use the bonus code of foul Foul for 588 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: a fifteen hundred dollars first bet offer. 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