1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: From the Berkshires to the sound from wherever you live 2 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: in MLB America. This is Inside the Parker. You give 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: on Major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame 5 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: voter number seventy six, Rob Parker. Welcome into the podcast. 6 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Rob Parker. What a show we have 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: for you. This week, we catch up with former Major 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: League slugger David Justice and author Evan Drellick. He has 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 1: a new book. It's about that cheating scandal that took 10 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: place with the Houston Astros. We'll get into that at war. 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: Let's go to lead off. It's getting robbed and keep 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: him on. Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: in Major League Baseball. Number one, What a bad break 14 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,279 Speaker 1: for the Los Angeles Dodgers and twenty five year old 15 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: shortstop Gavin Lucks who was injured in the spring training 16 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: game and instead of being the starting shortstop for the 17 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: Dodgers after basically waiting behind other guys for three years, 18 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: he is now out for the season after suffering a 19 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: torn acl and a spring lcl in his right knee. 20 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,839 Speaker 1: So instead of being the starting shortstop Miguel Rojas will 21 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: get the bulk of it. Also, the Dodgers are planning 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: on bringing in Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts to contribute 23 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: and help out in the enfield. But it was definitely 24 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 1: a huge blow all of his teammates and everybody feels 25 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: so bad to finally get your shot, to move to 26 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: your natural position and to make an impact for the Dodgers, 27 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: and then you get hurt in one of the very 28 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: first a couple of spring training games and that's it. 29 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: You're out for the season. So bad break for the Dodgers, 30 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: bad break for Gavin Lux and hopefully he'll recover and 31 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: be back next year. Number two, Manny Machado. He put 32 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: it out there said he was going to, uh, you know, 33 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: opt out of his contract after this season. And guess 34 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: what the San Diego Padres did. They said, no way, no, 35 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: how are you leaving? Remember, Machado had a great year 36 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: last year for the second in the National League Battle 37 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: and then for MVP, and instead, the Padres wasted no 38 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: time signing Machado to a new eleven year contract extension 39 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,960 Speaker 1: reportedly worth three hundred and fifty million dollars. The Padres 40 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: have nothing but money apparently. I mean they got loot, 41 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 1: they got cheddar, they got checkles, whatever you want to 42 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 1: call it. But there it is an eye popping three 43 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty million dollar contract extension. And I don't 44 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: blame him. I mean, if you don't want to lose 45 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: the six time All Star and you're still trying to 46 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: win a World Series and the team has loaded bow guards, 47 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: solo darveshder, you know, and then you're gonna get tattoos back, 48 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: you don't want to mess around. And they obviously have 49 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: the money. Don't forget. In the eleventh hour they offered 50 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: Aeron Judge four hundred million dollars that he did not take. 51 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: So the Padres are serious. They decide to keep one 52 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: of their own in the fold, make him happy, take 53 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: the drama out of him, maybe opting out at the 54 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: end of the year, and he's happy. And it's fixed costs. 55 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: I mean, it sounds crazy, three hundred and fifty million 56 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: for eleven years, but if you go three, four or 57 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: five years from now and Machado's making what thirty two 58 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: less than thirty two million dollars a year when you're 59 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: average it out, it ain't that bad. To be honest, 60 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 1: think about this, Johio Tani is gonna get a minimum, 61 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: a minimum when they started bidding for him of ten years, 62 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: five hundred million. So the Padres, I think did the 63 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: right thing. They locked up Manny Machado and they're gonna 64 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: get tattoos back and the moves that they made, they're 65 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: gonna win the NL West. I'm sorry Dodger fans, they 66 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 1: are number three. And of course with the start of 67 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: spring training games we have the new rules. We're not 68 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: even gonna worry about the big basses that looked like 69 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: pizza boxes. They went from fifteen inches to eighteen inches. 70 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: If they cut out injuries and people getting stepped on 71 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: and all that, I'm for that. The basis don't bother me. 72 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,720 Speaker 1: And I love that there is no more shift. I 73 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: absolutely love that because it's taken away hits from guys. 74 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: You hit the ball straight up the middle and as 75 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: a third baseman or somebody's standing right there taking away hits. 76 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: We haven't had enough action on the base pass where 77 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: guys getting on, stealing bases, doing stuff like that. So 78 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: I'm happy about the shift. You can still shift guys, 79 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: but you can't have four or five guys on one side, 80 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: only two guys from the infield on the same side 81 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: of the bag. I love it. I think this will 82 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: open up the game, give us some more action. So 83 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: I'm there. And then finally the pitch clock, and I 84 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: know some games have been quicker and the spring training, 85 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: everybody's getting all juiced up. Spring training is a little different, 86 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: guys getting their hacks in. They're not taking as many 87 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 1: pictures as you would in a regular season game. So 88 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 1: I'm not so sure how much time it's gonna cut 89 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 1: off the top the length of the games. Max Schers 90 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 1: or the Mets Ace he loves it. He thinks that 91 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: it gives the picture control of the game where they 92 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: can pace pitch the game at their pace because people 93 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: are waiting on them and the guy's got to get 94 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: in a box and all kinds of stuff. So I'm 95 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: just I'm not so sure who that rule is for. 96 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: Is it for guys and people fans who don't like baseball. 97 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: When I go to a ball game, I'm expecting three hours. 98 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: If it goes on longer, I get my car, drive 99 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: home and listen to the rest on the radio, so 100 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: I'm never bothered by the length of the game, but 101 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,559 Speaker 1: we'll see. Um, we did see a game where Manny 102 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: Machado got called out and the game wound up being 103 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: a tie because he called out on not or the 104 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: strike because he wasn't in the boxing time. I'm not 105 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: so sure fans are gonna like that. Another game was 106 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:23,160 Speaker 1: lost because of the infraction. So I think fans are 107 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: gonna have to get used to it. Players will too, 108 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: and we'll see how this works. I mean, we'll see 109 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 1: some people are giving it rave reviews to start. I 110 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: want to see what it looks like in the regular 111 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: season and then I can make a decision. I'm open. 112 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: I wasn't in for the league, all the interleague play. 113 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: I wasn't in for uh you know, the wild cards 114 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: and playoffs and all that, and a lot of those 115 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: things have worked out. But we'll see. With the pitch 116 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: clock baseball, two out of three ain't bad, so we'll see. 117 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: Here comes the big interview. Listen and Larry Oh good. 118 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 1: All right, now, let's welcome into the podcast David Justice, 119 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: who of course won two World Series. The Slugger, hit 120 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: three hundred and five career home runs and is in 121 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: the Atlanta Praise Hall of Fame. Dave Welcome to the podcast. 122 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: Appreciate you, Rob, Rob, I've been looking forward to this brother, 123 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: No time you thought about your boy. Man, we go 124 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: back thirty years. Sure does now want to bring me on? Man? 125 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: You see your assualtiness in my voice. Damn, Ronna have 126 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: some fun. A couple of things we're gonna do. We're 127 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: gonna talk about some of the new rule changes in 128 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: baseball and how that goes. And also we're gonna do 129 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: a David Justice. This is your life, So let's start 130 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: with the new rule changes in baseball. You know, the bases, 131 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: the pitch clock, and the shift. Just give me your 132 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: thoughts on these changes that the game is trying to 133 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: speed things up, trying to capture the attentions of some 134 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: of the younger and newer fans. You which rules do 135 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: you like? Which ones don't you? Well, again, if you 136 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: look at it, major League Baseball has has reached out 137 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: to its fans and it said, hey, let us know 138 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: what your feelings about the game, and the fans have responded. 139 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: There's a lot of money in the game, Rob, That's 140 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: why I see the bases being bigger, because no fan 141 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: wants to come to a game and not see the 142 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: best players on the field, so where we can minimize 143 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 1: injuries that give us a greater opportunity to have our 144 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: best players play more games. So the base I understand. 145 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,840 Speaker 1: In terms of the defensive positioning, I'm with that too, 146 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,080 Speaker 1: because I think the fans realize that it's it's become 147 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: too gimmicky. It's too gimmicky. It's I don't want to 148 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 1: see four guys on one side and you know what 149 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: I mean, and a right fielder against the wall, and 150 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: do you want to see your big hitters right slap 151 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: the ball the other way? I want them to sw 152 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: there you go, because, like I said it to you earlier, 153 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: if you had to put that shift on me, I 154 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: would have just hit one over here to the left field. 155 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: But then, as a fan, do you want to see, 156 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: just like Eddie Murray my rookie year, we're playing the 157 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: Dodger Stadium, Rob, that third baseman was back. I laid 158 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,680 Speaker 1: down a bunt easily safe at first base. Eddie Murray 159 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:10,959 Speaker 1: comes up to me. I'm all happy, beautiful day in 160 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 1: la He said, Hey, rook you see all these people 161 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: in the stands. Rob. I'm looking around right yeah, yeah, 162 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: he goes, do you think anybody paid to come see 163 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: you bunt to day. He had a great point, he did, 164 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: if you paid your money that day, And David Justice, 165 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,079 Speaker 1: even though I'm in Dodger Stadium, bunts you like me 166 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: swinging the bat? I want to. So the fans said, listen, 167 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 1: let's get back to the traditional way that the game 168 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:36,679 Speaker 1: was always played, and let's go back to playing that way. 169 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: We'd rather see it that way. And then in terms 170 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 1: of the timing on pitch clock and all that, So 171 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: what about that. Max Scherzer from the Mets said that 172 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: it is an advantage to the picture, absolutely because they 173 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: could set the pace of the game. So you agree 174 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 1: with that absolutely. Uh, they always tell the pictures to 175 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,440 Speaker 1: try to control They always tell the pictures to try 176 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: to control the pace of the game. So now this 177 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: is an advantage for the pitcher. And like I was 178 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: telling you earlier, there's a lot of cat and mouse 179 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: in the game. Rob there's time in between pitches I 180 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: need to take in order to think about the situation 181 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,439 Speaker 1: and what he might throw me. That time has been shortened. 182 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,319 Speaker 1: Now I got to think a little quicker if I'm 183 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,839 Speaker 1: that type of guy. So here's another one that hasn't 184 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: taken effect, but they're trying it in the minor leagues, 185 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:24,319 Speaker 1: the robot umpire calling balls and strikes? Are you with that? 186 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: Here's why I'm I'm a little against it, because you know, 187 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,439 Speaker 1: you get respect on pitches when you're play in the game. 188 00:10:30,559 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: The umpire knows, hey, Dave's a good hitter. You know, 189 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: sometimes they'll give you a pitch that's close. Now, if 190 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,000 Speaker 1: you're a big time hitter, you get up and they're 191 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: calling you out on a pitch, you know, to end 192 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,080 Speaker 1: the game or end the World series and end the playoffs. 193 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: Do you really want them to go down like that? 194 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: Or do you know what I mean? Like, I don't 195 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 1: want it to be a machine back there doing it. 196 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: I don't want that. What I would like to see, 197 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,839 Speaker 1: what I would consistency, what I would like to see, 198 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: what I think we've seen is just better. Unpairned. These 199 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 1: young guys coming up. I watch they're doing a much 200 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,199 Speaker 1: better job of calling balls and strikes than they did 201 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: when I played, absolutely because they were all over the place. 202 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,599 Speaker 1: I get that, and everybody had their own and that 203 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: ain't that ain't fair though, because I remember playing in playing, 204 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,240 Speaker 1: I remember playing in Boston and Pedro Martinez on on 205 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: They've given him this much off the outside part to play. 206 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: That's fair. I'm like, hey, he don't need no help. 207 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: He throwing ninety six. We had nasty, nasty change up, 208 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: nasty breaking ball and not even on the corners. Rob 209 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: he outside the corners. But you're giving it to him 210 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: because he's pedro. He don't need any help. So uh, 211 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: we all, of course, all of us are better as 212 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: we're retired each year. I'm retiring, I'm a better player, 213 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,440 Speaker 1: of course, of course. And uh, but if we had 214 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: that quest tech, we had that box when I played, 215 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: I'd have been a much better hitter. Augustus David Justice, 216 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: former Atlanta Brave, New York Yankee, Cleveland Indian, Oakland An. 217 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 1: I get all the teams right, all right, And this 218 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:01,599 Speaker 1: we're gonna have the portion of this interview where we do. 219 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,560 Speaker 1: David Justice, this is your life. What was your greatest 220 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: moment in Major League Baseball? Dave Well, greatest individual moment 221 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: and obviously a great moment for our organization was hitting 222 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: a home run, uh, and having that run be the 223 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 1: only run to account for all the scoring in the game, 224 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: Game six, nineteen ninety five. I mean, as a kid 225 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,439 Speaker 1: growing up. Think about it when when Mama rings the 226 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: bill and says, hey, time for dinner. Right, you got 227 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,439 Speaker 1: one most swing and you got you and your boy 228 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 1: outside and the back playing playing with a rubber ball. Yeah, 229 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: we had a big, old giant dumpster and we played. 230 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 1: It's always basis loaded, It's always basis. It is always 231 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:45,920 Speaker 1: the World Series. So to have it happen in real 232 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: life is very special. How about your career? When when 233 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: did you know you had a chance to be a 234 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: big league You know everybody plays, Dave. I wanted to 235 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 1: play first base for the Mets growing up in Queens, Right, 236 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:01,959 Speaker 1: That's what I wanted to do. And then when I 237 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: realized I was no good, I became a sports writer 238 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: and I thought, okay, I want to do that. But 239 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 1: when did you know? What were you in high school? 240 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: Were you at some point You're like, I see these 241 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: balls coming in like a beach ball, and I can 242 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: hit it. When did you know I didn't play high 243 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,679 Speaker 1: school baseball? That's crazy? How did you a basketball player? 244 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: That's crazy? I left it? Could you shoot? Yeah? I 245 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: average twenty six and a half points game my senior 246 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 1: in high school. I was leaving score in North Kentucky 247 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: my senior in high school. But I was only fifteen. 248 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: Remember Rob, I never went to middle school. I never 249 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: went to seventh or eighth grade, so I was twelve 250 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: my freshman year in high school. So as a fifteen 251 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: year old senior, the only school would give me a 252 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: full ride for basketball was Thomas Moore College is Thomas 253 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 1: More University now. And I went there and to give 254 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: you the shortest version I can give you, first day 255 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: of condition, and they made us run like cross country runners, 256 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,559 Speaker 1: like no basketball in hand, just run three miles. I 257 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: came in last place, holding my side. I can't do as. 258 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:02,679 Speaker 1: I can't do this. I can't do the long distance running. 259 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 1: I looked over the hill the baseball team was practicing. 260 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: I said, well, I did play a little league the 261 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 1: whole life, So if I go play baseball, I can 262 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: get out of this running for basketball. Are you serious? 263 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: I went to go play baseball, but I still was 264 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 1: on the basketball scholarship. So while they're running across the country, 265 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: I'm playing fall baseball. And then fall baseball segues right 266 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: into basketball. Now we're in the gym. Now, I can 267 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: run all day in a basketball gym all day. But 268 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: I'm not across the country runner and me making that 269 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: move to go play baseball to get out of running 270 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: led the Atlanta Brave Scout to see me put on 271 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: a show against Zavy University in my draft year. I 272 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: was on nobody's radar, rob, So what do you do? 273 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: What you do in that game? They got to I 274 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: had to. I had my first at bad I hit 275 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: a home run over the sports complex in right field 276 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: at Zava University. My third at bat, I come up. 277 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: They bring a left end to face me, bases loaded, first, 278 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: pitch out his hand. I take him over the sports complex. 279 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: I'm sixty three one, eighteen years old. Brave Scout seesman says, 280 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: who the hell is this kid? Who don't I'm not 281 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: doing anything to be seen. Well, they told him my 282 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: story and he looked at me, said, wait minute. This 283 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 1: kid is eighteen years old, a junior in college. This 284 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: is nineteen eighty five, February nineteen eighty five. The Braves 285 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: draft me in June of nineteen eighty five, ninety fifth 286 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: overall pick in the fourth round. Well, it's an eighteen 287 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: year old at term nineteen, right before draft, and I 288 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: think the Braves had thirty picks that year. Out of 289 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: the thirty picks, only two of us made it to 290 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: the big league, Me and me and Tommy Green from Whiteville, 291 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: North Carolina. Unbelievable. Here's another one. This is we're doing 292 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: a little David Justice. This is your life, um, best 293 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: or our coolest teammate that you played. When you play 294 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: with a lot of great players, who did you who 295 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: did you bond with? So, uh, let's go with teams. 296 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: Then I would say, right right, Well, so with the 297 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,240 Speaker 1: Atlanta Braves, I would say, Markus Grisome is my man, 298 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: always Felder, great dude, great friend. Just that's my man. 299 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: H Cleveland, I would have to say, Man ram Man, 300 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: Manny Ramirez, that's my man, bro. I love Manny uh. 301 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: And then I would say with the Yankees, But the Yankees, 302 00:16:11,360 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: it's the group me, Jeter Posada and Tino Martinez. We 303 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: were always doing something with each other, you know, I mean, 304 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: where was some laughter or something. And then with Oakland, 305 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: by the time I got to Oakland, a's my last year. 306 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: Like everybody's uncle on a team, you know what I mean, 307 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: Like I'm I'm like the Hall Monitor, I'm you know, 308 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: So that team I really didn't hang around. But I 309 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: would say Jermaine die and a young Terrence Long, a 310 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: young Eric Chavez. Those are my three young guys that 311 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: I used to hang around with. And last thing, you 312 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 1: won two World Series, of course, the one in Atlanta. 313 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: That's the team you were drafted and all that, you know, 314 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 1: But just talk about winning in New York and how 315 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: people responded to you and the Yankees beat the Mets 316 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: in the Subway Series. First of all, you can't win 317 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: on a higher stage than New York. Truly believe that, 318 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 1: especially in the game of baseball. It's the media presence 319 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: is ten twenty times more than any other city, and 320 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 1: the greatest fans, knowledgeable fans as big boy baseball. Rob. 321 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: If you can make it and play it in New York, 322 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: you can play anywhere, all right, David Justice Man, We 323 00:17:18,600 --> 00:17:21,840 Speaker 1: appreciate the knowledge, appreciate the time, my man. Thanks for 324 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 1: joining the podcast. When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he 325 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 1: lived by this motto, if I'm writing, I'm riffing. Let's 326 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 1: bring in a writer and broadcaster older new All right, now, 327 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 1: let's welcome into the podcast. Evan Dreullick. He's a senior 328 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: writer for The Athletic and author of the new book 329 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: Winning Fixes Everything. How Baseball's brightest minds created Sports' biggest mess. 330 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:53,160 Speaker 1: Evan Welcome to the podcast. How are you, buddy. I'm 331 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 1: doing good, rob Thanks for having me. Yeah, interesting book. 332 00:17:56,400 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: Of course you're the guy who broke that big Houston 333 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:04,440 Speaker 1: Astro's cheating scandal. And tell us about the book and 334 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,120 Speaker 1: how I guess guy's trying to be too small when 335 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 1: a rye. Is that what happened with the Astros? Yeah, 336 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 1: that's probably a decent instimation that the book is really 337 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,399 Speaker 1: telling people how did we get here? How do we 338 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,920 Speaker 1: get to a point where you have such a massive scandal. 339 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: You've got four people fired, three managers, Ka Hinson, Beltron, 340 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 1: the general manager Jeff Luno. But there was other stuff too. 341 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: There was the assistant general manager who got fired nineteen 342 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: when he was drunkenly yelling in the clubhouse, guy named 343 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: Brandon Todman. I had covered the Astros, and I was 344 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,320 Speaker 1: really the first to report about questions about their culture 345 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: now going back nine years, and I knew that it 346 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: wasn't happenstance, that it wasn't just a funny coincidence that 347 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: Houston would be the team that ends up in the 348 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 1: middle of such a big scandal, how about I mean, 349 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: you know, a lot of fans of course, we're you know, 350 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: taken aback by it and how entailed it was or 351 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,639 Speaker 1: detailed and the stuff that they the lengths that they 352 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: went to the cheat and then you go back to 353 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:14,960 Speaker 1: that twenty seventeen season and just look at some of 354 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:17,640 Speaker 1: the stuff. The one thing that I think jumps out 355 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: the most to me was the Altove with the jersey 356 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 1: when he you know, he doesn't want his jersey ripped off, 357 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,680 Speaker 1: and you get the feeling like he was wearing a buzzer. 358 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: Were we able ever to find out what was going 359 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: on there and did he have something attached to his body? 360 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,159 Speaker 1: So my reporting in the book does not show that 361 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: Altuve had a buzzer. He's always denied it. Carl's crew 362 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,159 Speaker 1: went public with Ken Rosenthal gave a lengthy explanation as 363 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: to what he think happened. Said he thought that at 364 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: age didn't want a shirt ripped off because his wife 365 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: had been mad about it in the past, and apparently 366 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,320 Speaker 1: there was a dad too that wasn't very good. But look, 367 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: there's no question it was shady. It was weird that 368 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:06,120 Speaker 1: the guy hits a pennant pinching home run off Chapman 369 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: and showing to the World Series, and he runs right 370 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,640 Speaker 1: in and he changes this jersey. It's odd, it's it's 371 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: not what you would normally expect for your head to 372 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,919 Speaker 1: be at at that moment. But no, the book does 373 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: not show that they were doing that. The fact that 374 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 1: people can wonder about it, though, you know, that's on 375 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: the Astros. That's on the fact that they opened the 376 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 1: door to the imagination here. And there is a funny 377 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: thing in the book when I get to the part 378 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: where we're talking about this spuzzer theory or conspiracy theory, 379 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: the Astros actually did use a little electric shocks, not 380 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:46,600 Speaker 1: in stealing signs, but in trying to measure people's staff 381 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: twitch muscles. So there's a way to measure people's muscle 382 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: capability if you shock them gently. So there is kind 383 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: of a funny irony there that the Astros were actually 384 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 1: electrocuting me in a very gentle sense, separate of cheating. 385 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: So crazy, all right. Evan Drulick is our guest senior 386 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: writer from The Athletic. He has a new book out. 387 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 1: Here's the other part when we talk about cheating and teams. Obviously, 388 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: you have the Patriots in the NFL and for whatever 389 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 1: reason that league guys, you know, do Jews get suspended 390 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 1: for four games, come back and win you know, awards, 391 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: and nobody seems to be bothered. And the Patriots have 392 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 1: cheated and been busted and and not just like the 393 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: and we go to spy Gate, and then there's the 394 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:41,200 Speaker 1: flight gate. But then Josh McDaniels did the same thing 395 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,520 Speaker 1: right when he was with the Denver Broncos. Then there 396 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: was another scandal in Cincinnati where they sent the film 397 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,400 Speaker 1: crew to get uh signals from the new coach there 398 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: in Cincinnati. Um, why do you think people look at 399 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 1: it so differently between the two sports. Yeah, it's an 400 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: interesting and kind of long standing question. You know what, 401 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: why do people have this kind of reverence for baseball? 402 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: And you know, it might just go back to that 403 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: it's America's passed by stuff, you know, that that sense 404 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 1: that this is uh, you know, part of American culture. 405 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: And look, obviously the NFL is I mean, even Major 406 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 1: League Baseball will admit the football is the number one 407 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 1: sport in the country at this point. But I think 408 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,800 Speaker 1: that's got to be it it's that people have this old, 409 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: idealistic vision for baseball and what it's supposed to be 410 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:39,920 Speaker 1: that football just doesn't have applied to it. Um it's 411 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,760 Speaker 1: you know, it's like a good question for a sociologist. 412 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: It's probably above my pay grade, but I agree with 413 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: you there is a difference in how people look at it. 414 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: No doubt, how much is going back to the baseball 415 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:53,199 Speaker 1: in your book and the astrils, but how much cheating 416 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,920 Speaker 1: is going on? The Red Sox were rumored to be 417 00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 1: involved in something. They didn't have the stip penalty that 418 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: Boston add There was a buzz about the Yankees and 419 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: some the commissioner kind of looked the other way. How 420 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: commonplace is this or the Astral's just got busted or 421 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 1: or did they take it further than most teams? And 422 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 1: how much cheating is really going on? It's a little 423 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: bit of all of what you just said. So MLB 424 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: back in twenty fourteen expands replay in the sport right now, 425 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: you can challenge when they do that, they give every 426 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: team of video room and the commissioner who takes over 427 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen, Rob Manfred, you know, he had been 428 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: the point person from LB Jorn Peds. He should have known, 429 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: and people at the Commissioner's office should have known. It's like, yeah, 430 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: when we give people these new video cools and we 431 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: sanctioned access to different video feeds, guess what these hyper 432 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,719 Speaker 1: competitive players are gonna do. They're gonna try to use 433 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 1: to their advantage. So what you start having teams like 434 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: the Yankees in the Red Stocks doing, basically right away 435 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:57,719 Speaker 1: is somebody goes in the video room. They got all 436 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: the live feeds right there, somebody to code the signs 437 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: and they get that information of the dugout. But then 438 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,160 Speaker 1: when a runners on second base, you know, he's still 439 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: using his eyes to look in at the catcher, but 440 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,800 Speaker 1: he knows the code. He knows exactly what the sign 441 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:14,400 Speaker 1: sequence is, and you know that's cheating. MLB was slow 442 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: to realize this, And when you get to twenty seventeen, 443 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 1: the Astros they have people who come from outside. Carl 444 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:24,159 Speaker 1: Speltron had been with the Yankees, and they're like, you know, 445 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 1: other teams are doing this, we can do it better. 446 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 1: We can take it to the next step, or, depending 447 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: on how you want to look at it, several steps above. 448 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: They got rid of the runner entirely the whole thing 449 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:36,680 Speaker 1: was off the field of the center field camera to 450 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: a television monitor right behind the dugout in the funnel, 451 00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: and he didn't need a runner on base. You could 452 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 1: communicate on any pitch. In general, and baseball people look 453 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: at that as more egregious, or considerably more egregious than 454 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: what the Yankees, the Red Sox, and my book shows 455 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,440 Speaker 1: the Dodgers were doing. You can have a debate should 456 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: any cheating be considered equal? You know, doesn't matter if 457 00:24:58,119 --> 00:24:59,880 Speaker 1: you break the rules a little bit or a lot 458 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,360 Speaker 1: a bit. That's a separate debate. In general, the consensuses, Yeah, 459 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:08,360 Speaker 1: the Astros took it to an extreme. It just seems like, yeah, 460 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:10,959 Speaker 1: with the banging of the trash cans and I can 461 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: remember playing video, you know, replaying videos on YouTube, and 462 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: I could hear the cans. I mean, it wasn't like 463 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: that was probably the most shocking thing that I could 464 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:23,120 Speaker 1: actually you know, hear it once it was pointed out. 465 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 1: Last thing, why should we get your book? Tell me 466 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: what we'll leave after reading your book? What will we 467 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 1: get from it that will enlighten us? Yeah, I don't 468 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: think people get under the hood of what actually goes 469 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: on in front offices, particularly at the modern day. The 470 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:44,920 Speaker 1: way this book does, you know, there's a lot of 471 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 1: myth spinning. For a lot of years people were sitting 472 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: there and you know, anytime the team wins, you just 473 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 1: write a book about how great they are, right and 474 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,119 Speaker 1: they want a championship, so d they must be great. 475 00:25:55,280 --> 00:25:58,000 Speaker 1: And yeah, there's a lot of stuff that gets overlooked 476 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: in this year. And I think people reading the book 477 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: will a come away with understanding how this sport is 478 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: involved after Moneyball and all the analytics that have come 479 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,120 Speaker 1: into it, and be you know, why it wasn't an accident, 480 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,120 Speaker 1: why it wasn't a coincidence that all this stuff goes 481 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 1: down in Houston. It's it's it's really different than what 482 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: you previously understood about the Astros, and I think baseball 483 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,440 Speaker 1: in general, I love it. I definitely want to read it. 484 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:33,480 Speaker 1: Evan Drelich. We appreciate you, senior writer for The Athletic 485 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: and his new book Winning Fixes Everything. How Baseball's brightest 486 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: minds created sports biggest mess. It's in stores now, check it, 487 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,920 Speaker 1: go online, get the book. Appreciate your time and best 488 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: of luck to you. Thanks Rep, and I'll bring in 489 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 1: the closer here's why MLB is better than the NFL 490 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: or NBA, and it isn't even close. Reason number five 491 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty five why Major League Baseball is better 492 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:14,120 Speaker 1: than the NBA better than the NFL is because when 493 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: they have these kind of like the World Baseball Classics, 494 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,600 Speaker 1: or when you know, NBA players go play in the 495 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: Olympics or whatever. I think the way baseball does it 496 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: is best because it really doesn't affect the product. I 497 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 1: think in basketball, you wind up, you know, guys are 498 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,680 Speaker 1: tired because they've played all these extra games. I think 499 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 1: that that affects them. In baseball, it's a part of 500 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 1: the spring training procedure. Guys are getting their work in 501 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: still for their teams, they're playing for their countries, and 502 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: fans aren't you know, aren't bothered by it because it's 503 00:27:56,920 --> 00:27:59,879 Speaker 1: just natural and the time of the year. It iss 504 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 1: not like playing an event during the baseball season. We 505 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 1: see in the NHL what they will play during the 506 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,719 Speaker 1: Olympics and stop the NHL season so that people who 507 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: are playing in the Olympics can play. This one is 508 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: less intrusive the World Baseball Classic. Because it's during spring training. 509 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: Players will be ready to play come the regular season 510 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:25,439 Speaker 1: and that's what's important. So I think that baseball fans 511 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: can see their favorite teams play for their you know, 512 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:33,680 Speaker 1: respective countries, but not having interfere with their season and 513 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: their players being prepared when the regular season starts, and 514 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: I think that's pretty awesome. In the words of New 515 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for 516 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 1: your time this time until next time. Rob Parker out 517 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: he can't get it. This could be an inside the 518 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 1: Parker seame.