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Speaker 1: Hey, Daron, Welcome back to the Book of Joe Podcasts

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Speaker 1: with me, Tom Verducci and Joe Medden.

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Speaker 2: Joe, it's that time of year.

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Speaker 1: It is opening day Baseball season twenty twenty five underway.

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Speaker 2: But before we get there, I wanted to talk to you.

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Speaker 1: About your golf game, because you played last week in

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Speaker 1: one of the events before the vals bar PGA event,

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Speaker 1: and you told me the course was tough. And now

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Speaker 1: I'm watching guys just going ballistic each day at that tournament,

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Speaker 1: Guys punting their putters, throwing their irons, and whacking the

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Speaker 1: top of a sprinkler head.

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Speaker 2: How tough is that course?

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Speaker 3: Joe, Yeah, I saw that.

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Speaker 4: This is a sprinkler head incident. I'm telling you, man,

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Speaker 4: I believe been playing like three or three and a

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Speaker 4: half years, consistently shut it down for a long time

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Speaker 4: when I was managing early on, but nevertheles three years.

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Speaker 4: That was the toughest situation I've ever experienced. First of all,

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Speaker 4: it's big, it's hilly. It's not like a Florida, of course,

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Speaker 4: It's not flat by any stretch of the imagination. It's

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Speaker 4: more like a northeastern segment of the United States, kind

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Speaker 4: of a course a lot of roll to it, a

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Speaker 4: lot of hills, and then narrow, narrow fairways and incredibly thick.

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Speaker 3: High rough. It was.

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Speaker 4: I've never hit out of anything like listen. I've been

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Speaker 4: a rough a lot, but that was that rough was rough.

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Speaker 4: And then on top of that, the winds were incredibly strong.

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Speaker 4: I think it was gusting the thirty to forty miles

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Speaker 4: an hour of the day that I played, So it

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Speaker 4: was really I wasn't set up to perform well, and

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Speaker 4: if you got in the rough, it really took a

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Speaker 4: couple even just to get back to the fairway. It's

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Speaker 4: not easy just to get a club on it and

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Speaker 4: get it back to the fairway. So all the above

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Speaker 4: and the greens were slick. Man, they were first couple

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Speaker 4: of pots just zoomed by the whole. I had no idea,

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Speaker 4: and then you have to get used to it. And

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Speaker 4: I actually put it well by the end of the day.

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Speaker 4: But man, the best you know, I did really well.

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Speaker 4: I hit out of the sandtrafs around the green really

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Speaker 4: well because I was in them all the time. But otherwise, man,

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Speaker 4: I don't know. As a test in golf, you know,

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Speaker 4: I've never been like the masters. Obviously, all these other courses,

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Speaker 4: but that thing had to be one of the tougher

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Speaker 4: courses set up for these guys in a long time.

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Speaker 1: Well, it showed you saw professional golfers push to the

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Speaker 1: breaking point. Now, listen, I can't condone throwing equipment because

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Speaker 1: it is dangerous. Let's face it. Do you have crowds there?

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Speaker 1: But I don't mind it when guys show emotions, and

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Speaker 1: they don't do it very much in golf, so I

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Speaker 1: was definitely okay with that. Well that brings us to

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Speaker 1: Opening Day, Joe, and this is we're on the first

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Speaker 1: sea of the baseball season, and we've got to talk

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Speaker 1: about predictions because that's what people do this time of year.

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Speaker 2: So we're going to get into our predictions really quickly.

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Speaker 3: Here.

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Speaker 1: I want to first get into, Joe, what to expect

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Speaker 1: from baseball in twenty twenty five. I want to talk

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Speaker 1: about a couple of trends here that I don't think

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Speaker 1: are going to reverse, and I want you to chime

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Speaker 1: in on what you see. Number one is I call

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Speaker 1: it reduced exposure. When it comes to pitching. Guys are

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Speaker 1: throwing harder than ever, they're spinning the ball harder than ever,

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Speaker 1: and you're not going to ask these guys to modulate

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Speaker 1: their velocity. We talked about this, We saw this in

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Speaker 1: the day one of spring training, first time on the mound.

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Speaker 1: Guys are throwing even harder than they did last year

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Speaker 1: in the regular season.

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Speaker 2: That's not going to change.

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Speaker 1: Just to give you some numbers, one hundred and eighty innings,

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Speaker 1: it used to be that was you know, that was

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Speaker 1: a lot.

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Speaker 2: But it wasn't necessarily, you know, too many.

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Speaker 1: Certainly wasn't anything too unusual last year, only twenty one

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Speaker 1: pitchers through one hundred and eighty innings. If you go

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Speaker 1: back just ten years from there, it was sixty six.

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Speaker 1: That's how much the game has changed quickly. Joe, I

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Speaker 1: don't see it changing. I think you're seeing a lot

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Speaker 1: of teams going to six man rotations. There are some

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Speaker 1: off days for a lot of teams in April, but

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Speaker 1: overall you're going to see just the six man rotation

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Speaker 1: being the way to go forward here. And I do

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Speaker 1: think that the Dodgers, especially with their pitchers and the

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Speaker 1: stuff they have and the injury history they have, are

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Speaker 1: just going to walk carefully through the season in terms

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Speaker 1: of building up innings.

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Speaker 2: So to me, that's one.

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Speaker 1: Trend we can look for again, the trend of throwing harder,

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Speaker 1: spinning faster will continue with the cost being pitching less.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, Listen, when I was with the Angels at the

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Speaker 4: end there, I really was advocating for the six man rotation.

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Speaker 4: Part of it was show Hey and the fact that

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Speaker 4: he would pitch once a week, and then part of

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Speaker 4: it was the kind of the negative side of it

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Speaker 4: was to get five other guys that you liked. And

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Speaker 4: my contention was you might actually find it easier to

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Speaker 4: find six that you liked than five that you like,

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Speaker 4: only because when you get to that level of that

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Speaker 4: many guys in your rotation, there's more rest in between.

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Speaker 4: And then I felt more comfortable pushing these starters and

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Speaker 4: hopefully getting more innings out of them, more pitches out

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Speaker 4: of them while they did start. That was my way

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Speaker 4: of my perception of looking at this whole thing, and

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Speaker 4: why I liked the six man from that perspective, based

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Speaker 4: on what's happening now. And then if you get Jack

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Speaker 4: and he's pitching rotation, or somebody that's used to pitching

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Speaker 4: on the sixth day, that's so prominent, you had to

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Speaker 4: make those adjustments. Part of it also with the six man,

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Speaker 4: I thought was just pretty much the way it's been

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Speaker 4: propaganda is regarding like a number of pitches you can

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Speaker 4: throw the third time through the batting order, etc. By

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Speaker 4: having more guys there, obviously, it did cover. It did cover,

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Speaker 4: and we kind of had these guys kind of start

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Speaker 4: believing that this was the way to go by pitching

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Speaker 4: once every six day as opposed to once every five days.

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Speaker 4: And with this you could, you know, your workouts in

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Speaker 4: between could be more diligent, harder. Possibly you could work

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Speaker 4: on this spin whatever it might be more in between.

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Speaker 4: All these things became a factor by having six men

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Speaker 4: as opposed to five men rotations. So I thought, again,

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Speaker 4: based on all of that, and I was just trying

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Speaker 4: to extrapolate more innings and more pitches out of the

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Speaker 4: guys by stretching it out further. And again it's kind

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Speaker 4: of like counterintuitive because most teams for years could even.

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Speaker 3: Five five guys that you liked.

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Speaker 4: But I thought kind of rarely that you might actually

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Speaker 4: find six that you like because you could spread it

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Speaker 4: out more and you're going to get what you want.

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Speaker 4: It's not the right the genie's not going back in

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Speaker 4: the bottle. We've talked about this. It's going to be

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Speaker 4: about spin and velocity, et cetera for now and forever.

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Speaker 4: So yeah, that's what it's going to look like. And

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Speaker 4: I don't know what point it's going to talk about.

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Speaker 4: At what point does a human arm top out of

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Speaker 4: being able to throw that hard that long?

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Speaker 3: And what number is going to be the highest number reached.

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Speaker 3: I don't know.

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Speaker 4: It's really over the last ten fifteen years, it's really

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Speaker 4: accelerated a lot.

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Speaker 3: So the six man has.

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Speaker 4: Its based on the way things are done today and

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Speaker 4: the fact that you want to really harness how many

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Speaker 4: pitches and innings of your guys throw. I thought it

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Speaker 4: made sense. So I think it's here to stay. Like

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Speaker 4: you're saying, I don't think it's going anywhere for the

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Speaker 4: foreseeable future ever.

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Speaker 1: Okay, that's one trend. Number two trend the game's getting younger.

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Speaker 1: You look at the amount of at bats by players

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Speaker 1: twenty five and younger in the last two years, they've

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Speaker 1: had more at bats than any time in the last

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Speaker 1: sixty years. You're watching guys like Adam Duval and Anthony

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Speaker 1: Rizzo basically retired out of the game, can't get a job.

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Speaker 1: Veterans in their mid to late thirties. Just the flow

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Speaker 1: of young players and how well they are developed. And

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Speaker 1: I say that Joe understanding that they're being developed a

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Speaker 1: very different way. I mean, when I talk about developed,

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Speaker 1: I'm talking about their skills, not necessarily game awareness, but skills.

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Speaker 1: These guys can handle the deep end of the pool

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Speaker 1: in the major leagues, I think better than ever before.

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Speaker 1: So they can hit the ground running. You know, they've

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Speaker 1: trained on velocity. The biggest key for me young players

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Speaker 1: swing decisions. It's really hard to develop that at a

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Speaker 1: major league level in the minor leagues because the spin

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Speaker 1: just is so much better and so much better control

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Speaker 1: than the major leagues.

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Speaker 2: But again, teams are more than willing, and yes, I

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Speaker 2: get it. Part of it is they're cheaper.

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Speaker 1: But I think the old days you were reticent about

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Speaker 1: throwing a guy into the deep end of the pool

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Speaker 1: as a young player.

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Speaker 2: You have to get him a certain number of bets

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Speaker 2: in the minor leagues. That's over with.

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Speaker 1: We've seen plug and play young players coming off from

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Speaker 1: double A all the time, and you're going to continue

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Speaker 1: to see that young players the way forward.

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Speaker 3: No, there's no argument there. That's exactly what's going on.

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Speaker 4: I do feel for the middle class though, because I

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Speaker 4: think there's a better brand of baseball being played among

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Speaker 4: guys that have had a chance to really percolate a

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Speaker 4: little bit more into minor leagues, understand the game, better

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Speaker 4: understand how to you know, appropriately or properly play the

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Speaker 4: game regards to the nuance of the game. This is

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Speaker 4: more we've talked about this best and show kind of

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Speaker 4: a method of bringing guys to the big leagues. And yes,

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Speaker 4: skillfully athletically, there's no argument, you know, just the size

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Speaker 4: of these guys, the the speed throughout the team, just

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Speaker 4: the strength levels, and yes, the home run power, all

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Speaker 4: that stuff absolutely has increased over Don Maxwell at shortstop

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Speaker 4: you know back in the day, and you know even

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Speaker 4: Bellinger and all that. Who's the guy with the orioles,

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Speaker 4: the shortstop, Mark Bolanger. I mean, these guys like that,

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Speaker 4: there were Johnny Lamass. All these guys were just a

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Speaker 4: different athletic build and skill set compared to what everybody's

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Speaker 4: looking for now. So yes, I think if you're going

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Speaker 4: to do an Olympic kind of a thing where you

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Speaker 4: have different skill sets, you know, throwing harder, running faster,

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Speaker 4: jumping higher, these guys definitely I would I would win.

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Speaker 4: There's no question they would win that. I think when

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Speaker 4: it comes down to just purely playing the game and

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Speaker 4: competing wise and understanding the game. Obviously, the group that

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Speaker 4: had come before them I think has an edge. So

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Speaker 4: for me, I mean, giving the opportunity to do this

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Speaker 4: myself and to get guys to the big leagues, I

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Speaker 4: would really still emphasize the playing of the game more consistently.

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Speaker 4: After all, when you look at the leagues and you're

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Speaker 4: going to talk about who's going to win this year,

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Speaker 4: primarily the National League has an edge in better teams,

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Speaker 4: and when it comes to overall performance within the game,

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Speaker 4: neither league has an overall edge.

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Speaker 3: I guess the Dodgers last year.

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Speaker 4: Demonstrated what it's like to play the game right or

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Speaker 4: well and just to do analytically and just work off

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Speaker 4: math in order to get this really full product. There

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Speaker 4: should be more teams competing to win on an annual basis,

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Speaker 4: so that there's an incongruency with all of that. For me,

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Speaker 4: no argument, skill and athletici isn't better. The ability to

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Speaker 4: play the game properly less good.

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Speaker 1: All right, So now you brought us to it's a

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Speaker 1: good transition to number three. Here we talked about you've

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Speaker 1: talked about the Dodgers playing the game the right way,

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Speaker 1: and of course the Yankees had a really tough time

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Speaker 1: with that. They just did not play clean baseball. There's

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Speaker 1: the biggest difference in the World Series, no question about it. Sure,

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Speaker 1: But overall this is trend number three. As we start

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Speaker 1: and we'll get into our predictions, you start picking teams

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Speaker 1: that you think can win the World Series, you have

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Speaker 1: to have power. You really have to have home run power.

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Speaker 1: And again I'm not ignoring the other things. We all love,

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Speaker 1: the details of the game and playing the game the

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Speaker 1: right way. Those still matter, but you have to it

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Speaker 1: is a requisite in the game today to have home

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Speaker 1: run power. I bring that up because let's go back

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Speaker 1: over the last five years and where team finished not

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Speaker 1: just in their league, but in the major leagues and

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Speaker 1: hitting home runs.

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Speaker 2: First, third, fourth, third, third.

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Speaker 1: Five years in a row, the World Series champion was

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Speaker 1: in the top four in home runs in Major League Baseball.

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Speaker 1: You have to go back to the twenty nineteen Nationals,

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Speaker 1: who played a style of play Joe, Frankly, you just

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Speaker 1: don't see it anymore. They won with pitchers starting pitchers

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Speaker 1: going deep into a game. You need a lot more

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Speaker 1: than that. We don't see pitchers going deep into game anymore.

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Speaker 1: The shus in Strasburg's and the two hundred plus inning guys.

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Speaker 1: So for me, I look at you know, potential World

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Speaker 1: Series winners. And again I am not dismissing the fact

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Speaker 1: that you have to play clean baseball, but you have

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Speaker 1: to hit the ball out of the ballpark. There's just

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Speaker 1: not enough hits in the game today. Pitching is just

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Speaker 1: too good. You have to have those one or two

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Speaker 1: game changing swings to win when it comes to the

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Speaker 1: regular season and especially the postseason.

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Speaker 4: Yes, the formula being employed absolutely craves for that. They

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Speaker 4: want the power, they want the ball over the wall.

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Speaker 4: And you said it right there. The acceleration of the

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Speaker 4: pitching has really it's made it difficult to string things together.

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Speaker 3: I get that.

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Speaker 4: But on the other hand, the ability to string things

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Speaker 4: together really has not been explored. It's just been heavy handed.

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Speaker 4: On the one side, we're just trying to three true outcomes.

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Speaker 4: As hard as you can put the ball in the air.

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Speaker 4: It's okay if you strike out. Try to get your walks,

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Speaker 4: control your strikes on all that stuff. There's a lot

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Speaker 4: of good in there. I totally agree with that, but

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Speaker 4: I don't think the group has come forward recently that

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Speaker 4: is attempted to incorporate both sides of this. And that's

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Speaker 4: again when I was asked about this a lot as

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Speaker 4: a manager, and I would do interviews before the game

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Speaker 4: or after the game, I would always say, I want

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Speaker 4: it all.

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Speaker 3: I want it all.

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Speaker 4: I want the ability to hit the ball of the ballpark,

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Speaker 4: want the ability to make an adjustment it's necessary to

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Speaker 4: score a guy from third base with less than two outs,

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Speaker 4: to move a runner, because all these things become exaggerated,

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Speaker 4: and when it gets later in the season, in the postseason,

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Speaker 4: because nobody can do this part of the reason why

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Speaker 4: the home ern is so important and they can't. We've

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Speaker 4: talked about the kind of like the adaptation of the

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Speaker 4: hitters based on always seeing velocity, but the adaptation has

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Speaker 4: not really been pushed to the level where it's being

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Speaker 4: asked of them to be better at moving the baseball,

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Speaker 4: playing more of a small game when it's necessary, because

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Speaker 4: they don't want it. I've been in meetings that just

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Speaker 4: the analytical people don't want this because, like you said,

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Speaker 4: and it's true, the games have been decided by the

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Speaker 4: long bowl. But I'm saying part of it's only because

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Speaker 4: that's the only thing that's being stressed, and that's the

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Speaker 4: only thing that anybody wants. I still want to be

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Speaker 4: part of the group that has it all, and that's

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Speaker 4: you get your power guys, give them a two strike approach,

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Speaker 4: make them aware of situations, because after all, there's a

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Speaker 4: lot of games that they might win or lose three

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Speaker 4: to two or four to three or two to one,

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Speaker 4: but there may have been several opportunities to score other

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Speaker 4: runs just by moving the baseball in different situations that

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Speaker 4: really are not scrutinized or criticized as much as they

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Speaker 4: had been in the past. So, yes, there's a formula

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Speaker 4: that's being employed, being satiated satisfied by the methods being employed.

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Speaker 4: But that's not to say that you can't have that

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Speaker 4: and still have this other side. After all, your seven, eight,

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Speaker 4: nine hitters. Really, to me, that's part of it too.

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Speaker 4: Who is going to be more adaptable in this in

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Speaker 4: this kind of a game that really might play a

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Speaker 4: smaller game because the skill that just hit the ball

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Speaker 4: over the wall is not present. I don't want that

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Speaker 4: kind of a game for one through nine. I want

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Speaker 4: that game that part of the game. Maybe, like I'm

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Speaker 4: saying seven through nine, I want guys to be more adaptable,

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Speaker 4: doing different things, and maybe might even include the first

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Speaker 4: hitter in the lineup because I am into two, three, four, five, I,

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Speaker 4: you know, one of the first guys.

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Speaker 3: I mean.

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Speaker 4: I used to push for Jimmy Edmonds to bat second

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Speaker 4: with the Angels back in the day because I like that.

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Speaker 4: And when I was with the Cubbies, I liked hitting

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Speaker 4: the pitcher eighth because I wanted him out of the

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Speaker 4: way sooner. But then I wanted to build into the

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Speaker 4: number two hitter by hopefully getting a guy at number

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Speaker 4: nine that could feed him better. So there's different ways

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Speaker 4: to look at this. I just think it's the flavor

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Speaker 4: of the day right now and probably forever. You're right,

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Speaker 4: but I want it all so given the opportunity to

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Speaker 4: nurture this kind of a thing, I would insist in

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Speaker 4: the minor leagues that we get more into all this

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Speaker 4: other part of the game. I want to win two

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Speaker 4: to one, one nothing, three to two more consistently because

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Speaker 4: I can score a run in other ways.

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Speaker 1: I love it, Joe, I love that I want it all.

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Speaker 1: It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes that

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Speaker 1: comes from Winston Churchill. I'm easily satisfied with the very

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Speaker 1: best that don't settle.

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Speaker 4: That's it, I mean, right, everybody's always I mean, this

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Speaker 4: is this is the verbiage that's being utilized. And again

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Speaker 4: it's the overarching concept employed by all thirty teams. There's

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Speaker 4: no outliers, there's nobody trying to do something different anymore.

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Speaker 4: There's no there's no Dodger way, there's no Pirate way,

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Speaker 4: there's no Cardinal way, there's no way. It's it's it's

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Speaker 4: that they're all the Bronx attempted to be the Bronx

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Speaker 4: bombers right now. I just find it fascinating and interesting.

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Speaker 4: Given like this lab, this baseball lab, to work within

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Speaker 4: that you would really within the minor leagues.

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Speaker 3: This is what I'm talking about.

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Speaker 4: It's you can't say that it's gone forever, but it's

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Speaker 4: not because it's not being nurtured, it's not being attempted

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Speaker 4: to be taught.

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Speaker 3: It's just not.

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Speaker 4: I mean, like I said, when I got to the

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Speaker 4: Angels in twenty twenty, I was told bunny and base

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Speaker 4: running were not taught in the minor.

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Speaker 3: Leagues for the previous several years.

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Speaker 4: I couldn't believe that because it's always based on the

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Speaker 4: three true outcomes, and so if you're only teaching three

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Speaker 4: true outcomes, then the other potential outcomes obviously are going

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Speaker 4: to go away.

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Speaker 3: They're going to become instinct.

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Speaker 1: Those are the trends heading into twenty twenty five. Next,

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Speaker 1: we have to dive into the predictions, and I want

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Speaker 1: to start with a difficult one for mister Joe Madden.

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Speaker 2: He knows this well.

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Speaker 1: I guarantee you there are teams and probably two or

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Speaker 1: more that had a losing record in twenty twenty four

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Speaker 1: who will be playing in October playoff baseball, and Joe

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Speaker 1: Madden's teams have done that. We'll get his take on

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Speaker 1: who he thinks will do it in twenty twenty five

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Speaker 1: right after this, Welcome back to the Book of Joe. Hey, Joe,

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Speaker 1: I do this every year. You know, I look at

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Speaker 1: people's predictions of who's going to be in the postseason,

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Speaker 1: and if you just go strictly with chock man, I

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Speaker 1: you know I'm walking by.

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Speaker 2: I'm not paying attention because.

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Speaker 1: Literally, for nineteen straight years and for twenty nine out

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Speaker 1: of thirty years, there's been a team at least one

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Speaker 1: on an average of two to three every year that

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Speaker 1: is coming off a losing record that is going to

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Speaker 1: the postseason. That's too much of a trend to ignore.

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Speaker 1: So you have to build in what teams are going

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Speaker 1: to be. I call them surprise playoff teams. What surprise

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Speaker 1: playoff teams are going to be out there? So I

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Speaker 1: want you to pick for me two teams, Joe, that

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Speaker 1: a losing record last year that are going to be

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Speaker 1: playing in the postseason this year. Now, I'll give you

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Speaker 1: some options here. You can go with the Rangers, the Reds,

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Speaker 1: the Pirates, the Rays, the Blue Jays.

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Speaker 2: The Oakland Athletic. Well, I said Oakland, I can't say

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Speaker 2: that anymore, the Athletics. Those are some of your options.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you can go down the board if you

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Speaker 1: want to, Marlin's Rockies, White Sox. But who do you

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Speaker 1: have Give me two of those teams you think will

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Speaker 1: be playing in October?

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Speaker 4: Well, the American Lake's easy for me. That's Texas. You know,

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Speaker 4: Boach always has this tendency to have teams that win

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Speaker 4: World Series and then and then do horribly the next year.

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Speaker 4: So I think with the grom being back and hopefully well,

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Speaker 4: because you just want to see that kind of talent

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Speaker 4: be well, and and just the built ins they had

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Speaker 4: from the year before, Sigret choice, stop all these other

398
00:18:37,158 --> 00:18:40,158
Speaker 4: dudes they have on a team. I think Texas should

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Speaker 4: win that division and they're going to get back to

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Speaker 4: the playoffs.

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Speaker 3: Absolutely.

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Speaker 4: On the other side, my pick, the click I circled

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Speaker 4: immediately before you gave me my options, was Pittsburgh. I

404
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Speaker 4: love their pitching staff, of course, and I think there's

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Speaker 4: a lot of young talent on that field that.

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Speaker 3: They should always show.

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Speaker 4: They get to a certain point and then they just decide, well,

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Speaker 4: we haven't been here before, we've never done this before,

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Speaker 4: we don't know how to do this, and eventually they slide.

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Speaker 4: And I've been there with the Angels when we first

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Speaker 4: started getting better, and then eventually you figure out how

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Speaker 4: to You have to figure out how to do it.

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Speaker 4: I know that sounds weird, but you have to believe

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Speaker 4: you can do it.

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Speaker 3: You have to.

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Speaker 4: You know, you get to that certain point in the

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Speaker 4: season and there as you just start writing this wave

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Speaker 4: of momentum based on everything you're created in spring training

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Speaker 4: and up to that point, which of course you have

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Speaker 4: to have the talent the ability to do so. So

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Speaker 4: I'm just based on their pitching staff alone, and of

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Speaker 4: course you could always predicate this with always everybody being

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Speaker 4: healthy and that that could be said for every team.

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Speaker 4: But that staff there, that'll that Pittsburgh staff being well

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Speaker 4: and some of the young players on that field. They're

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Speaker 4: very dynamic in regards what they can do. I like Pittsburgh.

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Speaker 4: I know Cincinnati could be argued about. They've been a

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Speaker 4: Cincinnati fan also, but the one team would be Pittsburgh,

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Speaker 4: and I think on the other side, Texas, just based

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Speaker 4: on a track record of Boat and his teams, I

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Speaker 4: think that's gonna happen there.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm with you on Texas. To me, I've got

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Speaker 1: Texas winning that division. Weirdly, they just did not a fastballs.

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Speaker 1: They were the worst slugging team against fastballs last year.

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Speaker 1: The Texas Rangers makes no sense. So adding Jake Berger,

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Speaker 1: adding Jack Peterson, bounce back from Adolis Garcia. Yeah, I

437
00:20:15,798 --> 00:20:20,038
Speaker 1: like Texas as well, and I was close to picking Pittsburgh,

438
00:20:20,078 --> 00:20:22,958
Speaker 1: but I am going with Cincinnati, and I just love

439
00:20:22,998 --> 00:20:25,638
Speaker 1: the hiring of Terry Francona. There you've got a guy

440
00:20:25,638 --> 00:20:28,038
Speaker 1: like Elie de la Cruz, who if he just cuts

441
00:20:28,118 --> 00:20:30,438
Speaker 1: down a little bit on the strikeouts, he can win

442
00:20:30,438 --> 00:20:34,358
Speaker 1: an MVP. They have these young starting pitchers. I say young,

443
00:20:34,718 --> 00:20:37,198
Speaker 1: you're young veterans, you know, twenty six to twenty eight,

444
00:20:37,278 --> 00:20:39,278
Speaker 1: all of whom now should be getting into their prime.

445
00:20:39,438 --> 00:20:42,078
Speaker 1: So I do see Pittsburgh. You make a great point

446
00:20:42,078 --> 00:20:45,078
Speaker 1: about them. You know, they actually got to August last

447
00:20:45,158 --> 00:20:49,358
Speaker 1: year two games over five hundred, and then they collapsed.

448
00:20:49,398 --> 00:20:51,678
Speaker 1: They went one and eleven, and they had a run

449
00:20:51,718 --> 00:20:54,998
Speaker 1: against Arizona San Diego and the Dodgers and bury them

450
00:20:55,038 --> 00:20:58,558
Speaker 1: and they didn't recover. So I love the core of Pittsburgh,

451
00:20:58,638 --> 00:21:01,278
Speaker 1: especially Schemes and that staff. But they will have to

452
00:21:01,318 --> 00:21:03,798
Speaker 1: add about at some point during this season and maybe

453
00:21:04,078 --> 00:21:06,278
Speaker 1: veteran Bett as you mentioned, Joe, to kind of get

454
00:21:06,318 --> 00:21:09,238
Speaker 1: them over the hump. So I think we're in agreement

455
00:21:09,278 --> 00:21:12,238
Speaker 1: on Texas and we've got you can pick one of

456
00:21:12,238 --> 00:21:14,598
Speaker 1: those teams from the Central on the NL, Pittsburgh or

457
00:21:14,638 --> 00:21:18,238
Speaker 1: Cincinnati to keep this run going of surprise teams. All right,

458
00:21:18,318 --> 00:21:21,438
Speaker 1: let's talk about division winners, Joe. I'm going to run

459
00:21:21,478 --> 00:21:24,438
Speaker 1: through mine really quickly. In the American League, I actually

460
00:21:24,438 --> 00:21:27,598
Speaker 1: have the red Sox, the Tigers, and we already mentioned

461
00:21:27,638 --> 00:21:28,358
Speaker 1: the Rangers.

462
00:21:28,558 --> 00:21:29,238
Speaker 2: Who do you got.

463
00:21:29,558 --> 00:21:31,798
Speaker 3: I like Baltimore in the East there.

464
00:21:31,918 --> 00:21:35,638
Speaker 4: I think last year there's a lot of learning gone

465
00:21:35,638 --> 00:21:39,118
Speaker 4: on from the last season. Over the last several years,

466
00:21:39,158 --> 00:21:42,398
Speaker 4: these guys have been picked and they've really they have ascended.

467
00:21:42,478 --> 00:21:44,918
Speaker 4: I think last year the expectations might have gotten to

468
00:21:44,958 --> 00:21:46,918
Speaker 4: them a little bit, and of course there's things they

469
00:21:46,918 --> 00:21:51,238
Speaker 4: have to improve they're pitching wise, et cetera. But Boston

470
00:21:51,238 --> 00:21:53,318
Speaker 4: seems to be the easy pick for me for most

471
00:21:53,318 --> 00:21:56,718
Speaker 4: people right there. I think the Yankees man a lot

472
00:21:56,758 --> 00:22:00,558
Speaker 4: to absorber with the injuries, etc. And losing Soto. Toronto

473
00:22:00,718 --> 00:22:03,078
Speaker 4: could be a surprise run there, but Toronto just seems

474
00:22:03,118 --> 00:22:06,038
Speaker 4: to shoot themselves in the foot every year. I like

475
00:22:06,118 --> 00:22:09,198
Speaker 4: Baltimore on that side of the fence when it goes

476
00:22:09,278 --> 00:22:11,838
Speaker 4: to the Kansas City's or Detroit, of course it's one

477
00:22:11,878 --> 00:22:15,358
Speaker 4: of those two. I like Kansas City there. I do

478
00:22:15,438 --> 00:22:18,758
Speaker 4: like Kansas City there to win. And of course I've

479
00:22:18,758 --> 00:22:22,438
Speaker 4: already said Texas, So I like Texas, Kansas City, and

480
00:22:22,638 --> 00:22:25,158
Speaker 4: Baltimore in the American League.

481
00:22:25,558 --> 00:22:28,558
Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm with you on I love Baltimore, Don't get

482
00:22:28,598 --> 00:22:31,598
Speaker 1: me wrong. I just think they to me, they don't

483
00:22:31,678 --> 00:22:35,118
Speaker 1: have that high end pitching, but they do have some

484
00:22:35,238 --> 00:22:35,718
Speaker 1: depth there.

485
00:22:36,958 --> 00:22:38,918
Speaker 2: I'm not sure what to make of the Yankees, Joe,

486
00:22:39,038 --> 00:22:39,678
Speaker 2: I really don't.

487
00:22:39,718 --> 00:22:41,998
Speaker 1: I think this is the one year where the Yankees

488
00:22:42,038 --> 00:22:44,878
Speaker 1: have a lot of variance in what their win total

489
00:22:44,958 --> 00:22:46,838
Speaker 1: could be. I do see them as a playoff team,

490
00:22:46,838 --> 00:22:49,798
Speaker 1: as a wildcard team, but starting out with the injuries

491
00:22:49,918 --> 00:22:53,998
Speaker 1: to Schmid, Cole and Heal, you know, relying on bounce

492
00:22:54,078 --> 00:22:57,878
Speaker 1: backs from gold, Schmidt and Bellinger to get Aaron Judge

493
00:22:57,918 --> 00:23:02,078
Speaker 1: pitches to hit just their base is just you know,

494
00:23:02,318 --> 00:23:03,758
Speaker 1: they'll have to figure that out on the fly.

495
00:23:03,918 --> 00:23:05,558
Speaker 2: I don't think they have the answer just yet.

496
00:23:06,198 --> 00:23:08,358
Speaker 1: Just a lot of questions that make you think the

497
00:23:08,438 --> 00:23:11,398
Speaker 1: Yankees could go anywhere from eighty eight to ninety eight wins.

498
00:23:11,438 --> 00:23:12,798
Speaker 2: It's hard to predict the Yankees.

499
00:23:13,198 --> 00:23:14,998
Speaker 3: I agree. I mean I read about them every day.

500
00:23:15,198 --> 00:23:18,238
Speaker 4: I've actually sat down I see Brian Cashman several times

501
00:23:18,278 --> 00:23:20,318
Speaker 4: at our restaurant AVA here in Tampa, so we just

502
00:23:20,838 --> 00:23:24,038
Speaker 4: yes about them a little bit. But the primary problem there,

503
00:23:24,078 --> 00:23:26,998
Speaker 4: obviously is the injuries, and that's one of those uncontrollable

504
00:23:26,998 --> 00:23:30,078
Speaker 4: components of baseball, and those guys are missing are really

505
00:23:30,118 --> 00:23:32,398
Speaker 4: good guys, and they're very prominent.

506
00:23:32,798 --> 00:23:35,558
Speaker 3: They're pitching. It's out of the shoot right now.

507
00:23:35,718 --> 00:23:37,798
Speaker 4: They have to the pitching really has to step up

508
00:23:37,958 --> 00:23:41,278
Speaker 4: in order for them to maintain a reasonable distance from

509
00:23:41,278 --> 00:23:44,718
Speaker 4: being in first place or playoff contention until possibly heal

510
00:23:44,798 --> 00:23:48,158
Speaker 4: gets better and Schmidt comes back. They're you know, obviously

511
00:23:48,238 --> 00:23:51,318
Speaker 4: those guys are wonderful when they're pitching, but with the

512
00:23:51,318 --> 00:23:53,838
Speaker 4: injuries that they have, they're just kind of these injuries

513
00:23:53,878 --> 00:23:56,558
Speaker 4: that could linger a little bit. And of course Cole's

514
00:23:56,598 --> 00:23:58,358
Speaker 4: gone for the year, so that's the big thing with

515
00:23:58,478 --> 00:24:00,718
Speaker 4: me for me with them, I think on the field,

516
00:24:01,118 --> 00:24:04,198
Speaker 4: their base is a huge gaping hole, and they've thought

517
00:24:04,198 --> 00:24:07,198
Speaker 4: of different things, are going to try different folks over there.

518
00:24:07,398 --> 00:24:09,638
Speaker 4: And part of it is there their reliances, so all

519
00:24:09,678 --> 00:24:12,078
Speaker 4: left ten of hitters. They've been complaining about not having

520
00:24:12,078 --> 00:24:13,678
Speaker 4: too many leftis over the last couple of years, and

521
00:24:13,678 --> 00:24:15,758
Speaker 4: that's all they have now. And even their switch hitters

522
00:24:15,798 --> 00:24:17,398
Speaker 4: are better from the left side than the right side.

523
00:24:17,398 --> 00:24:20,238
Speaker 4: So there's all this quandary going on the balance of

524
00:24:20,278 --> 00:24:21,238
Speaker 4: that team right now.

525
00:24:22,078 --> 00:24:25,478
Speaker 3: So I yeah, I just don't see it.

526
00:24:26,238 --> 00:24:28,478
Speaker 4: You know, to even get to the wildcard might be

527
00:24:28,518 --> 00:24:30,958
Speaker 4: difficult because of like a Kansas City, in Detroit and

528
00:24:30,998 --> 00:24:36,158
Speaker 4: Cleveland all being so dominant in the Midwest there. So anyway, Yeah,

529
00:24:36,198 --> 00:24:38,478
Speaker 4: it's an interesting thing. Baltimore. I just like I said,

530
00:24:38,478 --> 00:24:41,678
Speaker 4: I've been involved in teams that were doing really well

531
00:24:41,718 --> 00:24:43,158
Speaker 4: and then all of a sudden they look in the

532
00:24:43,158 --> 00:24:44,638
Speaker 4: mirror and it's like we're supposed to be really good

533
00:24:44,678 --> 00:24:47,078
Speaker 4: and things don't really work out well. They just had

534
00:24:47,078 --> 00:24:48,878
Speaker 4: a different vibe about them last year. They didn't have

535
00:24:48,878 --> 00:24:51,558
Speaker 4: that energy that we had seen before that all these

536
00:24:51,558 --> 00:24:54,878
Speaker 4: young guys coming together, the Catchers are really big part

537
00:24:54,998 --> 00:24:59,158
Speaker 4: of this reascension to get back where they need to be,

538
00:24:59,758 --> 00:25:02,358
Speaker 4: and I think that will happen. So anyway, I could

539
00:25:02,398 --> 00:25:04,478
Speaker 4: go on on about this, but I I do like

540
00:25:04,558 --> 00:25:08,038
Speaker 4: Baltimore there and Toronto, like to the corner of your eye. Man,

541
00:25:08,038 --> 00:25:10,678
Speaker 4: if they could just get it right one time. And

542
00:25:11,078 --> 00:25:13,478
Speaker 4: I don't even know what happens up there. Sometimes they

543
00:25:13,878 --> 00:25:16,238
Speaker 4: look so good, they go good, and then all of

544
00:25:16,278 --> 00:25:19,438
Speaker 4: a sudden it just just seems to fly away. And

545
00:25:19,478 --> 00:25:22,718
Speaker 4: I know what the Vladimir controversy with the contract stuff.

546
00:25:22,758 --> 00:25:24,518
Speaker 4: I don't even know what kind of an impact that

547
00:25:24,558 --> 00:25:26,758
Speaker 4: has on their clubhouse. But there's a lot, there's a

548
00:25:26,798 --> 00:25:28,038
Speaker 4: lot to like there, but there's a lot to be

549
00:25:28,078 --> 00:25:29,038
Speaker 4: concerned about there too.

550
00:25:29,238 --> 00:25:30,878
Speaker 2: Yeah, in a very tough division too.

551
00:25:31,278 --> 00:25:33,278
Speaker 1: You have to realize that getting through a Major League

552
00:25:33,318 --> 00:25:36,198
Speaker 1: Baseball season now, a team is going to use between

553
00:25:36,238 --> 00:25:39,238
Speaker 1: fifty eight and sixty players, So half of those are

554
00:25:39,278 --> 00:25:41,998
Speaker 1: going to be pitchers. I mean, think about that. You

555
00:25:42,038 --> 00:25:44,758
Speaker 1: could need almost thirty pitchers to get through a season.

556
00:25:44,838 --> 00:25:47,118
Speaker 1: So if you're the Yankees and you begin the year

557
00:25:47,518 --> 00:25:52,878
Speaker 1: down your top three pitchers Cole Heel and Schmidt Matt,

558
00:25:52,958 --> 00:25:57,358
Speaker 1: you're already taxing your depth. And yeah, you find people,

559
00:25:57,478 --> 00:26:00,798
Speaker 1: but the step down in quality that can catch up

560
00:26:00,798 --> 00:26:02,638
Speaker 1: to you. So the Yankees are playing uphill when it

561
00:26:02,678 --> 00:26:05,958
Speaker 1: comes to pitching health art this season. Let's move on

562
00:26:05,998 --> 00:26:08,238
Speaker 1: to the National League. Joe, can we agree that Dodgers

563
00:26:08,278 --> 00:26:09,358
Speaker 1: are going to win the NL West?

564
00:26:09,478 --> 00:26:11,558
Speaker 3: I got the Dodgers. I've got in a limb.

565
00:26:11,638 --> 00:26:14,398
Speaker 1: I mean, let's say we all we like the Diamondbags,

566
00:26:14,398 --> 00:26:17,358
Speaker 1: we like the Padres. You know, it's a tough division.

567
00:26:17,398 --> 00:26:17,878
Speaker 2: We get it.

568
00:26:17,958 --> 00:26:21,438
Speaker 1: Giants will be better, but there's nobody in the Dodgers' class.

569
00:26:21,438 --> 00:26:24,838
Speaker 1: So let's let's put them in and sharpie, Dodgers win

570
00:26:24,878 --> 00:26:25,598
Speaker 1: the NL West.

571
00:26:25,918 --> 00:26:27,318
Speaker 3: Yeah, the for.

572
00:26:27,358 --> 00:26:30,038
Speaker 1: Me the other two divisions. I mean, the East is

573
00:26:30,078 --> 00:26:32,918
Speaker 1: an absolute bear. I have the New York Mets winning

574
00:26:32,918 --> 00:26:36,158
Speaker 1: the East, and I have the Cincinnati Reds winning the Central.

575
00:26:36,398 --> 00:26:37,038
Speaker 2: Who do you got?

576
00:26:37,478 --> 00:26:41,118
Speaker 4: Yeah, those are a little bit more difficult. I still

577
00:26:41,118 --> 00:26:45,798
Speaker 4: have Philadelphia. I am a Philly guy based on the

578
00:26:45,798 --> 00:26:46,518
Speaker 4: way they play.

579
00:26:47,278 --> 00:26:49,158
Speaker 3: I like the makeup of the team.

580
00:26:50,158 --> 00:26:51,758
Speaker 4: I think they got a bunch of dudes that they've

581
00:26:51,758 --> 00:26:53,558
Speaker 4: gotten close over the last couple of years. I don't

582
00:26:53,558 --> 00:26:57,598
Speaker 4: think they're going to be satisfied, or they haven't been satisfied. Actually,

583
00:26:57,598 --> 00:26:59,518
Speaker 4: the pressure of the city on them, I think works

584
00:26:59,518 --> 00:27:00,078
Speaker 4: in their favor.

585
00:27:00,158 --> 00:27:00,758
Speaker 3: Believe it or not.

586
00:27:02,078 --> 00:27:05,198
Speaker 4: You know, the Mets on paper looks like things wonderful,

587
00:27:05,278 --> 00:27:08,278
Speaker 4: but there's still some question marks within their pitching staff too.

588
00:27:08,718 --> 00:27:10,518
Speaker 4: The guys that had good years last year, my Ada

589
00:27:10,718 --> 00:27:12,718
Speaker 4: and who's the other fell had a really good year

590
00:27:12,798 --> 00:27:13,878
Speaker 4: last year that's injured.

591
00:27:13,678 --> 00:27:17,558
Speaker 2: Right now, Yeah Sega who barely pitched last.

592
00:27:17,438 --> 00:27:20,598
Speaker 3: Year, Singa and then the left hander Manaya.

593
00:27:20,838 --> 00:27:22,798
Speaker 2: Yeah, he'll be back soon enough. I'm not too worried

594
00:27:22,798 --> 00:27:23,158
Speaker 2: about it.

595
00:27:23,238 --> 00:27:25,358
Speaker 4: Yeah, I know, but but I'm not worried about him

596
00:27:25,358 --> 00:27:26,598
Speaker 4: in the sense that he's gonna be well. But I'm

597
00:27:26,598 --> 00:27:28,598
Speaker 4: saying the fact that is going to be as good.

598
00:27:28,918 --> 00:27:32,358
Speaker 4: That's that's not a lock based on performance over the

599
00:27:32,438 --> 00:27:35,038
Speaker 4: last several years prior to last year. So I don't know.

600
00:27:35,238 --> 00:27:36,998
Speaker 4: I think, you know the mess. Everybody's on the Mets.

601
00:27:37,038 --> 00:27:39,318
Speaker 4: I'm not on them as heavily. I like Philadelphia right there,

602
00:27:39,358 --> 00:27:41,398
Speaker 4: and I still think Atlanta is going to make noise again.

603
00:27:41,758 --> 00:27:43,998
Speaker 4: So I'm going with Philly in the second division. There,

604
00:27:44,038 --> 00:27:46,638
Speaker 4: you said the Midwest. You know, the clubs have done

605
00:27:46,638 --> 00:27:48,918
Speaker 4: a lot of nice things. Milwaukee coming off a good year.

606
00:27:49,198 --> 00:27:51,438
Speaker 4: It's going to be between I think Cincinnati could win.

607
00:27:51,478 --> 00:27:54,238
Speaker 4: I think Pittsburgh could be a wildcard team. You know,

608
00:27:54,238 --> 00:27:56,118
Speaker 4: when it comes down to the playoffs. We talked about

609
00:27:56,398 --> 00:27:58,878
Speaker 4: who's going to jump in there, and I picked Pittsburgh

610
00:27:58,878 --> 00:28:01,078
Speaker 4: over Cincinnati. But I think it's going to be close

611
00:28:01,078 --> 00:28:02,758
Speaker 4: between those two. One it's going to get there is

612
00:28:02,798 --> 00:28:06,118
Speaker 4: a wildcar team. What's going to win it? So if

613
00:28:06,118 --> 00:28:08,438
Speaker 4: I had to bet, if I had a bet on

614
00:28:08,518 --> 00:28:11,878
Speaker 4: a winning it, like you say, based on experience with

615
00:28:11,918 --> 00:28:14,838
Speaker 4: Tito there, I'd say Cincinnati and Pittsburgh real close, and

616
00:28:14,918 --> 00:28:17,878
Speaker 4: of course the Dodgers. So I got Philly, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh.

617
00:28:18,278 --> 00:28:18,878
Speaker 3: I have to pick one.

618
00:28:18,918 --> 00:28:21,118
Speaker 4: I'll say Cincinnati and the Dodgers, who are pretty close

619
00:28:21,158 --> 00:28:21,358
Speaker 4: on that.

620
00:28:21,598 --> 00:28:24,158
Speaker 1: Yeah, we're pretty close, and I think both of us

621
00:28:24,158 --> 00:28:26,758
Speaker 1: are a little skeptical on Chicago. The Cubs, to me,

622
00:28:27,678 --> 00:28:29,598
Speaker 1: I like their team, don't get me wrong. And I

623
00:28:29,638 --> 00:28:32,398
Speaker 1: think it's a very close race in that division. But

624
00:28:32,878 --> 00:28:35,278
Speaker 1: they have a very tough schedule coming out of the gate.

625
00:28:35,478 --> 00:28:38,198
Speaker 1: I mean I looked at the pitching staffs they're going

626
00:28:38,238 --> 00:28:40,918
Speaker 1: to see, you know, the Dodgers, the Phillies, the Braves,

627
00:28:41,078 --> 00:28:44,798
Speaker 1: the Padres. They have a tough road just getting out

628
00:28:44,798 --> 00:28:47,238
Speaker 1: of the gate here. And Joe, I know you're a

629
00:28:47,238 --> 00:28:50,238
Speaker 1: big believer on this. Getting out of the gate is

630
00:28:50,398 --> 00:28:54,638
Speaker 1: absolutely huge. And you know, like a guy like Matt Shaw,

631
00:28:54,758 --> 00:28:57,518
Speaker 1: to me, he looked overmatched against the Dodgers. But listen,

632
00:28:57,558 --> 00:28:59,718
Speaker 1: you're going up against premier pitching. You're a young guy

633
00:28:59,718 --> 00:29:01,638
Speaker 1: making your major league debut. I think he's going to

634
00:29:01,678 --> 00:29:04,878
Speaker 1: be fine, but he's going to be really tested out

635
00:29:04,878 --> 00:29:06,718
Speaker 1: of the gate. Does he get buried, does he ride

636
00:29:06,758 --> 00:29:09,518
Speaker 1: through it? We'll have to see about that. I look

637
00:29:09,558 --> 00:29:12,758
Speaker 1: at the Rays. I think the Rays are a dangerous

638
00:29:12,798 --> 00:29:15,118
Speaker 1: team in the American League. Nobody's talking about that. You know,

639
00:29:15,158 --> 00:29:18,838
Speaker 1: they're playing at George steinbr Or Field outdoors now, but

640
00:29:18,998 --> 00:29:21,878
Speaker 1: I think because they're trying to avoid the heat and

641
00:29:21,998 --> 00:29:24,998
Speaker 1: rain in the middle of the summer, they're actually front

642
00:29:24,998 --> 00:29:27,838
Speaker 1: loaded with home games, and I think that's an advantage.

643
00:29:27,878 --> 00:29:30,318
Speaker 1: They're actually going to have a place that's full, They're

644
00:29:30,318 --> 00:29:33,078
Speaker 1: gonna have amazing state of the art facilities behind the

645
00:29:33,078 --> 00:29:34,838
Speaker 1: scenes in terms of clubhouse and training room.

646
00:29:35,318 --> 00:29:37,478
Speaker 2: I think the Rays are a team that get off

647
00:29:37,518 --> 00:29:38,118
Speaker 2: to a good start.

648
00:29:38,198 --> 00:29:42,198
Speaker 1: So just give me, in general your feelings as a

649
00:29:42,238 --> 00:29:45,118
Speaker 1: manager about I know everybody says, let's get off to

650
00:29:45,158 --> 00:29:48,758
Speaker 1: a good start for you. How important is that to

651
00:29:48,798 --> 00:29:50,558
Speaker 1: get off and running in the month of April.

652
00:29:50,838 --> 00:29:51,318
Speaker 3: It's big.

653
00:29:51,398 --> 00:29:53,478
Speaker 4: I would talk about that from the first day of

654
00:29:53,478 --> 00:29:55,478
Speaker 4: spring training. Every spring training. I thought it was that

655
00:29:55,598 --> 00:29:58,878
Speaker 4: important when you get off to a good start. Obviously,

656
00:29:59,038 --> 00:30:01,718
Speaker 4: confidence sores. When you get off to a good start,

657
00:30:01,798 --> 00:30:04,518
Speaker 4: you're able to hide that bad moment you're gonna have

658
00:30:04,598 --> 00:30:06,478
Speaker 4: at some point, because you're gonna have a bad moment.

659
00:30:06,798 --> 00:30:09,958
Speaker 4: Happens to everybody. So I've liked it for a lot

660
00:30:09,998 --> 00:30:12,118
Speaker 4: of a variety of different reasons, but more than anything,

661
00:30:12,118 --> 00:30:13,158
Speaker 4: the momentum.

662
00:30:12,718 --> 00:30:14,958
Speaker 3: Built early matters a lot.

663
00:30:15,118 --> 00:30:18,318
Speaker 4: So when you do that, it's just, you know, you

664
00:30:18,398 --> 00:30:21,478
Speaker 4: create that vibe within the group that people start believing immediately.

665
00:30:21,558 --> 00:30:24,118
Speaker 4: But more than anything, like I said, I've always felt

666
00:30:24,118 --> 00:30:26,358
Speaker 4: that you're gonna you know, you're gonna go bad. I

667
00:30:26,398 --> 00:30:28,558
Speaker 4: would also tell the talk to the guys about that. Listen,

668
00:30:28,838 --> 00:30:30,558
Speaker 4: we're gonna a bumping a road here at some point,

669
00:30:30,558 --> 00:30:32,678
Speaker 4: there's no question about that. And how we react to

670
00:30:32,718 --> 00:30:34,878
Speaker 4: that it's really going to be the difference maker and

671
00:30:34,918 --> 00:30:38,638
Speaker 4: the success of our season. So good start hides some

672
00:30:38,798 --> 00:30:42,998
Speaker 4: of your zits and your pimples, whatever. But when you

673
00:30:43,078 --> 00:30:45,758
Speaker 4: don't do that, you constantly feel like you're trying to

674
00:30:45,798 --> 00:30:47,758
Speaker 4: catch up, and that could be exhausting.

675
00:30:47,798 --> 00:30:49,238
Speaker 3: I've been involved in that too. Now.

676
00:30:49,238 --> 00:30:51,718
Speaker 4: There's a couple of teams Mets last year, Washington a

677
00:30:51,718 --> 00:30:54,678
Speaker 4: couple of years ago that have absorbed really horrible starts

678
00:30:54,678 --> 00:30:56,438
Speaker 4: and have gone very deep in one one to the

679
00:30:56,478 --> 00:30:59,278
Speaker 4: World serieson won it. It can be done, but man,

680
00:30:59,398 --> 00:31:01,198
Speaker 4: it is exhausting. The one you're with the Rays, we

681
00:31:01,198 --> 00:31:06,078
Speaker 4: were eighteen eighteen games under five hundred eighteen early in

682
00:31:06,078 --> 00:31:10,158
Speaker 4: the season. That's ridiculous, and I built out a plan.

683
00:31:10,238 --> 00:31:12,318
Speaker 4: I said, we're going to get back to five hundred

684
00:31:12,558 --> 00:31:14,398
Speaker 4: and believe it or not, I think it was like

685
00:31:14,678 --> 00:31:18,038
Speaker 4: on sixty two and sixty two or something the early

686
00:31:18,158 --> 00:31:20,558
Speaker 4: sixties that we got it back to five hundred. I

687
00:31:20,598 --> 00:31:23,358
Speaker 4: remember talking to Alex Cobb in front of his locker

688
00:31:23,398 --> 00:31:25,758
Speaker 4: after the game. You know, how Jack, we were, how

689
00:31:25,758 --> 00:31:28,758
Speaker 4: excited we were. You know, quite an achievement. But of

690
00:31:28,798 --> 00:31:31,358
Speaker 4: course we fell from that because it takes a lot.

691
00:31:31,478 --> 00:31:35,518
Speaker 4: It's almost like a playing perfect baseball for a period

692
00:31:35,558 --> 00:31:38,038
Speaker 4: of time in order to overcome that kind.

693
00:31:37,918 --> 00:31:40,638
Speaker 3: Of a deficit. So it's just it's just taxing. It's

694
00:31:40,638 --> 00:31:41,758
Speaker 3: just a taxing thing to do.

695
00:31:42,238 --> 00:31:45,878
Speaker 4: So emotionally, physically, mentally, everything get off to that good

696
00:31:45,918 --> 00:31:47,958
Speaker 4: start because you're going to stink at some point.

697
00:31:48,198 --> 00:31:49,038
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a great point.

698
00:31:49,038 --> 00:31:51,198
Speaker 1: It reminds me, you know, this time of year, especially

699
00:31:51,278 --> 00:31:54,838
Speaker 1: watching basketball games, college basketball games, the team is, you know,

700
00:31:54,918 --> 00:31:57,238
Speaker 1: double digits behind, all of a sudden they go on

701
00:31:57,278 --> 00:32:00,158
Speaker 1: a run. But to finish that run and get over

702
00:32:00,238 --> 00:32:03,278
Speaker 1: the top of the mountain is really really hard, and that's.

703
00:32:03,118 --> 00:32:04,678
Speaker 2: What a baseball and is like.

704
00:32:05,238 --> 00:32:07,278
Speaker 1: So that brings us to the point here, Joe of

705
00:32:07,318 --> 00:32:08,918
Speaker 1: our World Series picks.

706
00:32:09,598 --> 00:32:10,958
Speaker 2: I think last year, if I.

707
00:32:10,958 --> 00:32:13,638
Speaker 1: Remember correctly, both of us liked the Phillies and the

708
00:32:13,678 --> 00:32:16,598
Speaker 1: Orioles neither got to the World Series. They were very

709
00:32:16,598 --> 00:32:19,158
Speaker 1: good teams that just couldn't get through the gauntlet of

710
00:32:19,158 --> 00:32:24,118
Speaker 1: the postseason. This year, I can't go against the Los

711
00:32:24,118 --> 00:32:26,958
Speaker 1: Angeles Dodgers. I mean I have to go back to

712
00:32:27,038 --> 00:32:30,158
Speaker 1: Joe Torre's Yankees. To think of a team that was

713
00:32:30,398 --> 00:32:33,718
Speaker 1: this favored to win it all like it would not

714
00:32:33,878 --> 00:32:37,238
Speaker 1: surprise me. We have not seen a repeat champion since

715
00:32:37,278 --> 00:32:40,038
Speaker 1: those Yankees back in two thousand. It's the longest period

716
00:32:40,038 --> 00:32:42,718
Speaker 1: in World Series history, a quarter of the century where

717
00:32:42,758 --> 00:32:46,798
Speaker 1: it's been impossible to repeat. But I like the makeup

718
00:32:46,798 --> 00:32:49,398
Speaker 1: of this team. I love the depth of the Dodgers,

719
00:32:49,558 --> 00:32:52,118
Speaker 1: I really do. I love the way they play baseball. Listen,

720
00:32:52,358 --> 00:32:55,478
Speaker 1: if they get to October and any three of their

721
00:32:55,518 --> 00:32:58,798
Speaker 1: top five starting pitchers are healthy, I don't see a

722
00:32:58,798 --> 00:32:59,758
Speaker 1: team taking them out.

723
00:32:59,838 --> 00:33:00,878
Speaker 2: I really don't.

724
00:33:01,118 --> 00:33:03,878
Speaker 1: And then the American League side, I've got the tech

725
00:33:04,198 --> 00:33:05,918
Speaker 1: Rangers going back there.

726
00:33:05,278 --> 00:33:07,518
Speaker 2: It's an open field.

727
00:33:07,758 --> 00:33:09,718
Speaker 1: It wouldn't surprise me at the Red Sox, with their

728
00:33:09,718 --> 00:33:12,318
Speaker 1: young players really bust through this year, they can get

729
00:33:12,318 --> 00:33:13,198
Speaker 1: to the World Series.

730
00:33:13,638 --> 00:33:16,278
Speaker 2: You mentioned the Orioles. Wouldn't shock me.

731
00:33:16,958 --> 00:33:19,918
Speaker 1: They have the base talent, especially if athlete Rushman bounces back,

732
00:33:19,958 --> 00:33:22,558
Speaker 1: because he absolutely created in the second half of last year,

733
00:33:22,558 --> 00:33:23,598
Speaker 1: which is weird to see.

734
00:33:23,878 --> 00:33:26,118
Speaker 2: But that's my pick. I've got the Dodgers over the

735
00:33:26,158 --> 00:33:28,398
Speaker 2: Rangers in the World Series. How about you, Joe Well.

736
00:33:28,478 --> 00:33:30,438
Speaker 4: I hate to disappoint the audience, but I had the

737
00:33:30,518 --> 00:33:31,638
Speaker 4: same thing, guy.

738
00:33:31,638 --> 00:33:33,398
Speaker 3: I mean, really, yeah, it makes sense.

739
00:33:33,438 --> 00:33:36,038
Speaker 4: I mean, of course, the Dodgers, like you said, and then,

740
00:33:36,078 --> 00:33:39,478
Speaker 4: like we just talked about Texas, there's too much to

741
00:33:39,638 --> 00:33:41,758
Speaker 4: like there. I mean, I'm looking at the other options

742
00:33:41,758 --> 00:33:44,998
Speaker 4: you mentioned Baltimore, like I said, I like them this year,

743
00:33:45,038 --> 00:33:48,758
Speaker 4: but and then like Kansas City is the other one

744
00:33:48,798 --> 00:33:51,718
Speaker 4: I like. I do like Kansas City a lot. I

745
00:33:51,838 --> 00:33:54,638
Speaker 4: like their young shortstop a lot, not just a little bit,

746
00:33:55,158 --> 00:33:58,478
Speaker 4: and the vibe that they created last year moving into

747
00:33:58,478 --> 00:34:01,918
Speaker 4: this year. Okay, I'm going to say Texas Dodgers, and

748
00:34:02,038 --> 00:34:03,878
Speaker 4: if somebody's going to surprise, I'm going to take the rule.

749
00:34:04,598 --> 00:34:06,958
Speaker 1: I like it, like the Royals a lot. Love Bobby

750
00:34:06,958 --> 00:34:10,678
Speaker 1: Witch Junior. Yeah, that's a good call on your part.

751
00:34:10,838 --> 00:34:12,358
Speaker 1: I mean, the only thing that might concern me a

752
00:34:12,358 --> 00:34:13,998
Speaker 1: little bit, and this is hard to hold against them.

753
00:34:13,998 --> 00:34:16,998
Speaker 1: They're starting pitching was so good last year, and they

754
00:34:17,078 --> 00:34:19,318
Speaker 1: used kind of an old school philosophy where they stayed

755
00:34:19,318 --> 00:34:23,158
Speaker 1: on the fifth day and Matt Quatrera left his guys

756
00:34:23,158 --> 00:34:24,998
Speaker 1: in the game. You know, they would pitch six innings

757
00:34:25,078 --> 00:34:28,238
Speaker 1: sometimes seven on a routine basis. It's you know, with

758
00:34:28,358 --> 00:34:31,638
Speaker 1: Waka and Lugo being a little bit older, it's hard

759
00:34:31,678 --> 00:34:34,798
Speaker 1: to do that year after year. But they should do

760
00:34:34,838 --> 00:34:36,878
Speaker 1: it last year. So who am I to question whether

761
00:34:36,998 --> 00:34:39,358
Speaker 1: Kansas City can repeat in that regard? Yeah, I love

762
00:34:39,398 --> 00:34:40,918
Speaker 1: the talent based on that team.

763
00:34:41,798 --> 00:34:42,958
Speaker 2: More predictions, Joe.

764
00:34:43,038 --> 00:34:44,838
Speaker 1: We want to talk when we get back here on

765
00:34:44,878 --> 00:34:49,198
Speaker 1: the Book of Joe about MVPs cy young Rookies award winners.

766
00:34:50,118 --> 00:34:53,438
Speaker 1: It's prediction time the Major League Baseball twenty twenty five

767
00:34:53,478 --> 00:34:57,958
Speaker 1: baseball season, and we'll talk about the individual award winners next.

768
00:35:10,398 --> 00:35:11,758
Speaker 2: Welcome back to the Book of Joe.

769
00:35:12,198 --> 00:35:15,998
Speaker 1: We're handing out awards before the season starts. It's always risky.

770
00:35:16,078 --> 00:35:20,078
Speaker 1: But here's what's not risky to me, Joe. National League MVP.

771
00:35:20,838 --> 00:35:23,398
Speaker 1: I'll take show. Hey, Otani, you can have the field.

772
00:35:23,478 --> 00:35:25,278
Speaker 3: I already wrote that down. I know. No.

773
00:35:26,638 --> 00:35:28,798
Speaker 4: As soon as you said that, I said, okay, let

774
00:35:28,798 --> 00:35:31,638
Speaker 4: me look at the American League he's just he's just

775
00:35:31,838 --> 00:35:35,318
Speaker 4: it's it's now he's gonna pitch again. Oh my god,

776
00:35:35,478 --> 00:35:37,398
Speaker 4: I mean this. You have to understand this is a

777
00:35:37,398 --> 00:35:41,038
Speaker 4: different human being. Yeah, he wants to be the greatest.

778
00:35:41,798 --> 00:35:45,398
Speaker 4: He's motivated by that. He he is, He's kind of

779
00:35:45,438 --> 00:35:47,598
Speaker 4: like an automaton when he comes to this game. He

780
00:35:47,758 --> 00:35:51,718
Speaker 4: just he instinctively plays it better than anybody else.

781
00:35:51,958 --> 00:35:54,438
Speaker 3: He sees it. He thinks it's better, he thinks it

782
00:35:54,518 --> 00:35:55,078
Speaker 3: through better.

783
00:35:55,398 --> 00:35:57,878
Speaker 4: He just he has this this this weird edge that

784
00:35:58,798 --> 00:36:01,198
Speaker 4: I know he was born with that chip. And so

785
00:36:01,318 --> 00:36:04,438
Speaker 4: you just can't bet against this fall because he's gonna

786
00:36:04,918 --> 00:36:07,558
Speaker 4: if he's his arm as well, which I sounds like

787
00:36:07,598 --> 00:36:09,358
Speaker 4: it is, he's gonna pitch as well as you've seen

788
00:36:09,398 --> 00:36:11,918
Speaker 4: him in the past, and the offense may be a

789
00:36:11,958 --> 00:36:15,198
Speaker 4: little bit different because you know, pitching and now dhing,

790
00:36:15,678 --> 00:36:18,438
Speaker 4: you know, two different routines that he's got to say.

791
00:36:18,478 --> 00:36:21,078
Speaker 3: Sheiate satisfyed. But yeah, I got show.

792
00:36:21,438 --> 00:36:24,118
Speaker 1: Yeah, American League, I think we're going to agree on

793
00:36:24,158 --> 00:36:27,598
Speaker 1: this as well. I heard your praise for Bobby Witt Junior,

794
00:36:27,878 --> 00:36:31,598
Speaker 1: and I'm on board. I think he reminds me of

795
00:36:32,238 --> 00:36:34,638
Speaker 1: Mike Trout when he was younger, where you look at

796
00:36:34,638 --> 00:36:37,078
Speaker 1: this guy and you say he's the best player on

797
00:36:37,158 --> 00:36:40,798
Speaker 1: the field every single night. He does so many things well,

798
00:36:40,838 --> 00:36:43,438
Speaker 1: he fills up the stat sheet. He plays shortstop every

799
00:36:43,478 --> 00:36:46,758
Speaker 1: single day. You know, listen, love Gunner Henderson, you know,

800
00:36:46,878 --> 00:36:49,278
Speaker 1: love Aaron Judge. Wouldn't shock me if either one is

801
00:36:49,398 --> 00:36:50,518
Speaker 1: those two guys in the mix.

802
00:36:50,558 --> 00:36:52,318
Speaker 2: But I've got to go with Bobby Witt Junior.

803
00:36:52,558 --> 00:36:55,118
Speaker 4: Well, when I wrote down, Otani wrote down with On

804
00:36:55,158 --> 00:36:57,798
Speaker 4: the other side, I got my two my skit, my

805
00:36:58,478 --> 00:37:00,398
Speaker 4: standings of both teams in front of me, so I

806
00:37:00,398 --> 00:37:02,038
Speaker 4: don't try not to miss anything.

807
00:37:02,038 --> 00:37:05,598
Speaker 3: But I wrote with immediately this guy here, like we

808
00:37:05,638 --> 00:37:05,958
Speaker 3: talked this.

809
00:37:06,118 --> 00:37:08,118
Speaker 4: There was a discussion last year between him and the

810
00:37:08,758 --> 00:37:12,278
Speaker 4: Gunner and Henderson from Baltimore being the who's better Now.

811
00:37:12,278 --> 00:37:14,838
Speaker 4: That kid's really good, there's no question. But with to

812
00:37:14,918 --> 00:37:18,678
Speaker 4: me is just like wow, It's just there's something about

813
00:37:18,678 --> 00:37:19,198
Speaker 4: this fella.

814
00:37:19,958 --> 00:37:21,518
Speaker 3: Just looking at him strength wise.

815
00:37:21,318 --> 00:37:24,198
Speaker 4: The way he moves this entire game, and that was

816
00:37:24,238 --> 00:37:27,198
Speaker 4: just there's another gear to that. There's another level of

817
00:37:27,278 --> 00:37:30,638
Speaker 4: what we saw last year. It's no surprise I think

818
00:37:30,638 --> 00:37:33,598
Speaker 4: when they signed him to that big contract. You know,

819
00:37:33,678 --> 00:37:36,358
Speaker 4: he just like probably chilled even more. He's just out

820
00:37:36,398 --> 00:37:38,918
Speaker 4: there playing baseball, the game that he loves. He's an

821
00:37:38,958 --> 00:37:40,558
Speaker 4: impressive physical person.

822
00:37:40,718 --> 00:37:43,518
Speaker 3: So I had, I had show Hey and Wit I did.

823
00:37:43,558 --> 00:37:45,918
Speaker 4: I wrote that down immediately. And there's a lot of

824
00:37:45,998 --> 00:37:48,318
Speaker 4: nice players there. Like you said, judge whomever the other

825
00:37:48,438 --> 00:37:50,878
Speaker 4: candidates may be. But if you look throughout the whole thing,

826
00:37:51,078 --> 00:37:53,078
Speaker 4: I don't know everybody. I mean, there's so many rosters

827
00:37:53,118 --> 00:37:55,678
Speaker 4: that have changed in new talent that's come in that

828
00:37:55,718 --> 00:37:59,238
Speaker 4: I'm not as aware of. But I think from my

829
00:37:59,318 --> 00:38:02,678
Speaker 4: scouting perspective, I like show Hey and I like Wit.

830
00:38:02,638 --> 00:38:08,038
Speaker 1: Absolutely talk about CY Young Award winners in the National League.

831
00:38:08,478 --> 00:38:09,838
Speaker 2: I'm going with Paul Skeens.

832
00:38:10,078 --> 00:38:12,758
Speaker 1: He's maybe his first opening day roster and we're already

833
00:38:12,758 --> 00:38:14,598
Speaker 1: talking about this guy as a CY Young winner.

834
00:38:14,638 --> 00:38:17,358
Speaker 2: I mean, it's it's for a reason. His stuff is

835
00:38:17,438 --> 00:38:18,198
Speaker 2: that good.

836
00:38:18,278 --> 00:38:20,278
Speaker 1: You know, there will be times this year where they

837
00:38:20,318 --> 00:38:22,438
Speaker 1: do pitch him on the fifth day, not a lot,

838
00:38:22,518 --> 00:38:24,318
Speaker 1: but last year they didn't do that at all, and

839
00:38:24,358 --> 00:38:27,158
Speaker 1: he finished the season like on a seven to zero

840
00:38:27,238 --> 00:38:29,918
Speaker 1: run and with an ERA under two, and it was ridiculous.

841
00:38:30,478 --> 00:38:32,798
Speaker 1: He got better as a year went on. This guy

842
00:38:32,998 --> 00:38:36,278
Speaker 1: is besides just having great stuff, he knows how to pitch.

843
00:38:36,718 --> 00:38:38,638
Speaker 1: You know, he's even added a couple of pitches this year,

844
00:38:38,678 --> 00:38:41,478
Speaker 1: a true sinker and a cutter. Doesn't need them, but

845
00:38:41,598 --> 00:38:43,438
Speaker 1: he feels like he needs them because he thought there

846
00:38:43,478 --> 00:38:46,438
Speaker 1: were gaps in his repertoire. So you know, he's like

847
00:38:46,478 --> 00:38:48,718
Speaker 1: a six to seven pitch guy now who throws one

848
00:38:48,758 --> 00:38:52,278
Speaker 1: hundred miles an hour, dedicated to the game high IQ.

849
00:38:53,398 --> 00:38:56,798
Speaker 1: It's his time, man. You know, the best young pitcher

850
00:38:56,838 --> 00:38:59,518
Speaker 1: I ever saw was Dwight Gooden. Dwight was Rookie of

851
00:38:59,518 --> 00:39:01,878
Speaker 1: the Year one year when the cy young the next

852
00:39:02,078 --> 00:39:04,558
Speaker 1: I think it's Paul Skeen's turn to do that trick.

853
00:39:04,678 --> 00:39:08,038
Speaker 1: And in the American League, I'm gonna go with Logan Gilbert.

854
00:39:08,478 --> 00:39:11,598
Speaker 1: I mean, this guy is remarkable to watch. Tall guy

855
00:39:11,678 --> 00:39:13,798
Speaker 1: gets down the mound like nobody else in the game,

856
00:39:13,878 --> 00:39:17,758
Speaker 1: great extension, knows how to pitch, can deaden the ball

857
00:39:17,838 --> 00:39:21,438
Speaker 1: really well as far as his change up split and

858
00:39:21,678 --> 00:39:24,478
Speaker 1: the velocity is certainly there. You know, he's done it

859
00:39:24,478 --> 00:39:26,878
Speaker 1: now a couple of years. It's been remarkable how durable

860
00:39:26,918 --> 00:39:29,318
Speaker 1: he's been for a big guy. He controls his body

861
00:39:29,398 --> 00:39:32,878
Speaker 1: really well. So I've got Logan Gilbert.

862
00:39:32,238 --> 00:39:35,158
Speaker 2: And Paul Skeins two really big right handers.

863
00:39:35,478 --> 00:39:38,038
Speaker 4: Gilbert is good. I saw him, man, that guy's got

864
00:39:38,118 --> 00:39:41,878
Speaker 4: great command. Guys don't get good swings at him. They

865
00:39:41,918 --> 00:39:42,878
Speaker 4: don't get good looks at him.

866
00:39:42,878 --> 00:39:45,118
Speaker 3: I like him a lot. However, I'm gonna start with

867
00:39:45,118 --> 00:39:46,158
Speaker 3: the National League first.

868
00:39:46,238 --> 00:39:49,678
Speaker 4: I'm going with a Wheeler with the Philadelphia Phillies. I've

869
00:39:49,678 --> 00:39:51,758
Speaker 4: been a huge fan of this guy for a long time,

870
00:39:53,678 --> 00:39:58,518
Speaker 4: understand schemes, and I know he's going to be wonderful again. Honestly,

871
00:39:58,558 --> 00:40:01,038
Speaker 4: my biggest concern is the addition of different pitches. Everybody

872
00:40:01,118 --> 00:40:03,798
Speaker 4: likes that, and that concerns me. So I might be wrong,

873
00:40:04,838 --> 00:40:08,238
Speaker 4: but I want to see that play out physically over

874
00:40:08,278 --> 00:40:10,998
Speaker 4: the course of the year with that dust for him

875
00:40:11,318 --> 00:40:14,158
Speaker 4: and the effect onness based on a different mix from him.

876
00:40:14,918 --> 00:40:17,598
Speaker 4: It could be more dominating, dominering, or it could be

877
00:40:17,798 --> 00:40:21,118
Speaker 4: less than I'm not sure, but Wheeler to me, I

878
00:40:21,198 --> 00:40:22,918
Speaker 4: love the sky. I love the way his arm works.

879
00:40:23,078 --> 00:40:24,998
Speaker 4: It's kind of pure, the way it comes out. He's

880
00:40:25,038 --> 00:40:26,838
Speaker 4: been very good over the last several years. When I

881
00:40:26,878 --> 00:40:29,678
Speaker 4: was with the Angels. When I first got there, it

882
00:40:29,758 --> 00:40:31,958
Speaker 4: was his free agent year, was also Garrett Cole's free

883
00:40:31,958 --> 00:40:33,798
Speaker 4: agent year. I thought it had been wise had we

884
00:40:33,878 --> 00:40:36,878
Speaker 4: signed Wheeler first, we might have been able to entice

885
00:40:36,918 --> 00:40:39,718
Speaker 4: a guy like Cole to come out there, indicating that

886
00:40:39,798 --> 00:40:43,238
Speaker 4: the Angels are serious about winning. I thought, you know,

887
00:40:43,278 --> 00:40:46,398
Speaker 4: obviously the pitching staff had to be rebuilt. Shohey was

888
00:40:46,438 --> 00:40:48,678
Speaker 4: hopefully going to be on the horizon. But I liked

889
00:40:48,718 --> 00:40:53,158
Speaker 4: Wheeler heavy. And then I thought, go after Garrett Cole.

890
00:40:53,238 --> 00:40:55,038
Speaker 4: Because with Cole, when I found out he had to

891
00:40:55,078 --> 00:40:56,638
Speaker 4: be convinced, you were all about, well, you know, he's

892
00:40:56,638 --> 00:40:59,398
Speaker 4: probably going to the Yankees from Jump Street, I think so.

893
00:40:59,438 --> 00:41:00,198
Speaker 3: I don't know that.

894
00:41:00,638 --> 00:41:05,038
Speaker 4: But in order to entice players like Garrett Cole's level

895
00:41:05,078 --> 00:41:07,238
Speaker 4: as a pitcher, I thought the rest of the staff

896
00:41:07,278 --> 00:41:09,318
Speaker 4: had to be augmented. I've been on Wheeler for years.

897
00:41:09,678 --> 00:41:12,598
Speaker 4: I thought he's a click below the gram in regards

898
00:41:12,638 --> 00:41:14,998
Speaker 4: to how he throws the baseball when I first saw him.

899
00:41:15,318 --> 00:41:17,318
Speaker 4: So I've been a big fan and I'm going to

900
00:41:17,358 --> 00:41:19,638
Speaker 4: stay with that. All those schemes is a wonderful pick.

901
00:41:20,198 --> 00:41:20,758
Speaker 3: On the other.

902
00:41:20,678 --> 00:41:24,438
Speaker 4: Side of the world, I'm going for a repeat, Schoobl.

903
00:41:24,998 --> 00:41:28,838
Speaker 4: I've seen this guy in person too. He's a bulldog man.

904
00:41:30,038 --> 00:41:32,718
Speaker 4: I know it's difficult to repeat. I'm almost thinking of

905
00:41:32,798 --> 00:41:36,118
Speaker 4: like Clayton Kershaw kind of a thing from the left side.

906
00:41:36,198 --> 00:41:39,638
Speaker 4: I just really love this guy's demeanor and the mix

907
00:41:39,678 --> 00:41:42,878
Speaker 4: of pitches. So those are my two picks, and I

908
00:41:42,918 --> 00:41:46,278
Speaker 4: can't argue with yours at all because I love Gilbert too,

909
00:41:46,278 --> 00:41:48,238
Speaker 4: But I'm going Wheeler schoobl Those.

910
00:41:48,038 --> 00:41:48,838
Speaker 2: Are great picks.

911
00:41:48,958 --> 00:41:50,918
Speaker 1: I mean, Wheeler is like, you know, they talking golf

912
00:41:50,958 --> 00:41:53,678
Speaker 1: about the best player never to win a Major. He's

913
00:41:53,758 --> 00:41:55,878
Speaker 1: the best pitcher never went a side. It was Garrett

914
00:41:55,878 --> 00:42:01,038
Speaker 1: Cole last year and now it's Wheeler. I mean he's due.

915
00:42:01,198 --> 00:42:04,518
Speaker 1: I mean, he can make easy argument. He's real close

916
00:42:04,558 --> 00:42:07,798
Speaker 1: to winning a couple already. No problem with that pick.

917
00:42:07,878 --> 00:42:11,718
Speaker 1: Really good pick. Rookies of the Year. You've seen rookie Sasaki.

918
00:42:11,878 --> 00:42:13,798
Speaker 1: We saw him pitch in Japan for the Dodgers. A

919
00:42:13,798 --> 00:42:16,638
Speaker 1: lot of people mentioning him as a Rookie of the

920
00:42:16,718 --> 00:42:17,398
Speaker 1: Year candidate.

921
00:42:17,598 --> 00:42:18,438
Speaker 2: And understand that.

922
00:42:18,518 --> 00:42:21,278
Speaker 1: I mean, I've said his split and I said this

923
00:42:21,398 --> 00:42:24,038
Speaker 1: before we saw him in that game, is going to

924
00:42:24,078 --> 00:42:27,358
Speaker 1: be the nastiest splitter in baseball. I mean, he barely

925
00:42:27,438 --> 00:42:30,878
Speaker 1: spins an rpm of five hundred. It's just no one

926
00:42:31,118 --> 00:42:34,398
Speaker 1: deadens the ball like him with so much movement. I

927
00:42:34,398 --> 00:42:36,638
Speaker 1: don't know whether he can do this purposely, but it's

928
00:42:36,718 --> 00:42:39,318
Speaker 1: like it's like Kyle Hendrick's change up, where he can

929
00:42:39,358 --> 00:42:43,598
Speaker 1: make it go two different directions. It's a difficult pitch.

930
00:42:43,678 --> 00:42:46,718
Speaker 1: Did If you get two strikes against Osaki, you're done.

931
00:42:46,838 --> 00:42:47,438
Speaker 2: You're in jail.

932
00:42:48,758 --> 00:42:50,998
Speaker 1: My question is can he win the Rookie of the

933
00:42:51,038 --> 00:42:53,718
Speaker 1: Year because he's never thrown more than one hundred and

934
00:42:53,758 --> 00:42:57,638
Speaker 1: twenty innings over there in Japan. You know how careful

935
00:42:57,678 --> 00:43:01,078
Speaker 1: the Dodgers are with pitching. I just don't know whether

936
00:43:01,118 --> 00:43:02,838
Speaker 1: he's going to have enough volume Joe to be a

937
00:43:02,918 --> 00:43:05,478
Speaker 1: Rookie of the Year. I do think at times his

938
00:43:05,558 --> 00:43:07,718
Speaker 1: fastball is going to get hit. I'm not in love

939
00:43:07,758 --> 00:43:11,398
Speaker 1: with his mechanics, but pure stuff. Yeah, he's going to

940
00:43:11,518 --> 00:43:14,438
Speaker 1: run up some really high strikeout rate numbers as a

941
00:43:14,518 --> 00:43:15,558
Speaker 1: rookie in the major leagues.

942
00:43:15,758 --> 00:43:17,838
Speaker 3: Well, you talked about his fastball command in the past,

943
00:43:17,838 --> 00:43:19,998
Speaker 3: haven't we. It wasn't that an issue. Yeah, see, that

944
00:43:20,358 --> 00:43:21,838
Speaker 3: really starts there for me.

945
00:43:21,958 --> 00:43:23,838
Speaker 1: He saw it his first start and now listen, he's

946
00:43:23,838 --> 00:43:27,758
Speaker 1: probably nervous. I get it, you know, but yeah, I

947
00:43:27,758 --> 00:43:30,798
Speaker 1: mean the fastball it plays, and the Dodgers brought back

948
00:43:30,998 --> 00:43:33,678
Speaker 1: velocity that was down last year for him in Japan.

949
00:43:33,758 --> 00:43:36,678
Speaker 1: They got the two ticks back on the on the heater.

950
00:43:37,918 --> 00:43:40,438
Speaker 1: But yeah, I mean, you know you're big on this.

951
00:43:40,558 --> 00:43:40,798
Speaker 3: I know.

952
00:43:40,958 --> 00:43:43,118
Speaker 1: Can you command your fastball? Can you can you place

953
00:43:43,158 --> 00:43:44,878
Speaker 1: it when you need to throw a fastball? Can you

954
00:43:44,918 --> 00:43:47,238
Speaker 1: put it where it's not in the slug zone?

955
00:43:47,478 --> 00:43:47,798
Speaker 3: Yeah?

956
00:43:47,838 --> 00:43:51,398
Speaker 4: So I mean, to me, the the effectiveness of this

957
00:43:51,478 --> 00:43:53,838
Speaker 4: crazy pitch that he has, which the way he described

958
00:43:53,878 --> 00:43:55,158
Speaker 4: it to me sounds like a spitball.

959
00:43:55,278 --> 00:43:55,478
Speaker 2: Yeah.

960
00:43:55,918 --> 00:43:57,598
Speaker 4: I mean, if you ever had a face that's a

961
00:43:57,638 --> 00:44:00,678
Speaker 4: really good spitball pitcher back in the day when there

962
00:44:00,758 --> 00:44:04,158
Speaker 4: was not permitted but permitted, the ball came in it

963
00:44:04,158 --> 00:44:06,638
Speaker 4: had it looked like it had. It's like a hard

964
00:44:06,718 --> 00:44:09,718
Speaker 4: knuckleball almost. It could do almost anything. It could wobble.

965
00:44:10,118 --> 00:44:12,158
Speaker 4: So the really good, the really good spitball guys, there

966
00:44:12,238 --> 00:44:14,478
Speaker 4: was no spin on it and it would just disappear,

967
00:44:14,758 --> 00:44:18,038
Speaker 4: literally disappear, and you knew it was happening to you.

968
00:44:18,518 --> 00:44:20,718
Speaker 4: I would say to the MPIRET did you not see that?

969
00:44:21,078 --> 00:44:23,518
Speaker 4: Because nobody can do that with the baseball. So it

970
00:44:23,598 --> 00:44:25,678
Speaker 4: sounds like this is something nobody else can do with

971
00:44:25,718 --> 00:44:28,398
Speaker 4: the baseball to have it spin that little and be

972
00:44:28,478 --> 00:44:31,278
Speaker 4: that effective. But as a major league hitter. I mean,

973
00:44:31,678 --> 00:44:33,718
Speaker 4: if he doesn't throw his fastball first, right, they're going

974
00:44:33,758 --> 00:44:36,638
Speaker 4: to go up there and they really disciplined teams are

975
00:44:36,638 --> 00:44:38,158
Speaker 4: just going to try to take this pitch and not

976
00:44:38,198 --> 00:44:41,078
Speaker 4: swing at it. He has to force them to want

977
00:44:41,118 --> 00:44:42,838
Speaker 4: to swing at this pitch, or be ready to swing

978
00:44:42,878 --> 00:44:45,478
Speaker 4: at this pitch by getting ahead an account somehow. Now

979
00:44:45,518 --> 00:44:47,798
Speaker 4: I saw a show, hey, when I first got to

980
00:44:47,838 --> 00:44:52,078
Speaker 4: the Angels, bouncing his fastball a lot, really not commanding

981
00:44:52,118 --> 00:44:54,398
Speaker 4: his fastball at all, and then the next year he

982
00:44:54,478 --> 00:44:56,878
Speaker 4: was able to dot it whenever he did, I do believe,

983
00:44:56,918 --> 00:44:58,958
Speaker 4: and I don't not having seen him in the minor

984
00:44:58,998 --> 00:45:02,678
Speaker 4: leagues or in Japan breathing. I mean, it sounds almost

985
00:45:02,758 --> 00:45:05,438
Speaker 4: like it's an issue of this guy just really being

986
00:45:05,478 --> 00:45:09,798
Speaker 4: able to control his emotions, control himself in the moment.

987
00:45:09,878 --> 00:45:12,958
Speaker 4: I haven't seen the mechanics close up like you're talking about,

988
00:45:13,238 --> 00:45:17,198
Speaker 4: but I would just start with process routine and really

989
00:45:17,238 --> 00:45:19,678
Speaker 4: build a routine for this guy pre pitch routine that

990
00:45:19,998 --> 00:45:22,158
Speaker 4: when he's not ready to throw the baseball, don't But

991
00:45:22,198 --> 00:45:24,878
Speaker 4: although with the new rules it's more difficult to really

992
00:45:24,878 --> 00:45:27,358
Speaker 4: break out a routine that permits you to take more

993
00:45:27,398 --> 00:45:31,198
Speaker 4: time in order to get your breath together. So curious

994
00:45:31,198 --> 00:45:33,878
Speaker 4: about that. If the fastball command shows up, heads up,

995
00:45:33,958 --> 00:45:37,718
Speaker 4: because this pitch is ridiculously great and like I said,

996
00:45:38,518 --> 00:45:41,038
Speaker 4: I'd like to see it put up against Galer Perry's

997
00:45:41,038 --> 00:45:43,918
Speaker 4: spitball and see the spin on both pitches.

998
00:45:44,118 --> 00:45:44,958
Speaker 3: That's what it sounds like.

999
00:45:45,318 --> 00:45:46,118
Speaker 2: That's a great call.

1000
00:45:46,318 --> 00:45:49,678
Speaker 1: And that wraps up our predictions of the twenty twenty

1001
00:45:49,678 --> 00:45:52,198
Speaker 1: five season in this episode of the Book of Joe

1002
00:45:52,758 --> 00:45:55,358
Speaker 1: and Joe. As you know, well, the best part about

1003
00:45:55,438 --> 00:45:58,678
Speaker 1: predictions is we're going to be wrong and we're going

1004
00:45:58,718 --> 00:46:00,758
Speaker 1: to be happy about it. You should be happy about

1005
00:46:00,758 --> 00:46:02,798
Speaker 1: it because to me, it's what I love about baseball

1006
00:46:02,918 --> 00:46:06,438
Speaker 1: is that you cannot predicted right and there's going to

1007
00:46:06,478 --> 00:46:10,158
Speaker 1: be surprises. So being wrong with prediction is actually a

1008
00:46:10,198 --> 00:46:12,078
Speaker 1: good thing the way I always look at it that way,

1009
00:46:12,118 --> 00:46:14,958
Speaker 1: because that's I look forward to the surprises of a

1010
00:46:14,958 --> 00:46:18,678
Speaker 1: Major League Baseball season more so than being so called right.

1011
00:46:18,838 --> 00:46:21,238
Speaker 4: Yeah, we're in an entertainment business, right, and that's a

1012
00:46:21,278 --> 00:46:25,038
Speaker 4: big part. Like the folks like yourself and I'm getting

1013
00:46:25,038 --> 00:46:27,558
Speaker 4: involved a little bit right now, But all these describes

1014
00:46:27,598 --> 00:46:31,478
Speaker 4: out there in the media is it's entertainment, man. People

1015
00:46:31,558 --> 00:46:33,798
Speaker 4: tune in they want to hear all this stuff and

1016
00:46:33,878 --> 00:46:36,798
Speaker 4: it creates the barroom argument that I used to so love.

1017
00:46:37,158 --> 00:46:39,798
Speaker 4: That's really not a part of the scenario anymore now.

1018
00:46:39,798 --> 00:46:44,278
Speaker 4: It's the barroom has really been relegated to social media online,

1019
00:46:44,758 --> 00:46:47,238
Speaker 4: the different platforms that are out there. So instead of

1020
00:46:47,278 --> 00:46:50,358
Speaker 4: going to a barroom like bell hops and sit down

1021
00:46:50,358 --> 00:46:54,718
Speaker 4: next to patch I Fior or Dave Cassarella or all

1022
00:46:54,758 --> 00:46:57,078
Speaker 4: these different guys that were totally locked into the local

1023
00:46:57,118 --> 00:47:00,438
Speaker 4: teams that just argue, I'm not unlike, who's the better

1024
00:47:00,478 --> 00:47:04,198
Speaker 4: center field. There's Snyder, Maser DiMaggio back in the day

1025
00:47:04,238 --> 00:47:07,118
Speaker 4: or Mantle. I mean, that's the part that we have

1026
00:47:07,198 --> 00:47:10,758
Speaker 4: to understand when being in the business. There's so many

1027
00:47:10,798 --> 00:47:14,118
Speaker 4: ways for us to be criticized on the field, manager, players, whatever,

1028
00:47:14,838 --> 00:47:17,078
Speaker 4: and you know, we take it to heart, and you know,

1029
00:47:17,118 --> 00:47:22,278
Speaker 4: the way the information is distributed these days, it could

1030
00:47:22,278 --> 00:47:24,758
Speaker 4: be very it could be very difficult to look at,

1031
00:47:24,878 --> 00:47:28,238
Speaker 4: listen to and if you really don't understand you're in

1032
00:47:28,238 --> 00:47:31,678
Speaker 4: the entertainment business, it could become very, very difficult to

1033
00:47:31,718 --> 00:47:34,158
Speaker 4: live with. You take some of this stuff so deeply

1034
00:47:34,198 --> 00:47:37,158
Speaker 4: embedded and that you want to lash out and try

1035
00:47:37,198 --> 00:47:40,158
Speaker 4: to correct people. But that's not the point. I always

1036
00:47:40,198 --> 00:47:42,958
Speaker 4: felt as if I had to try to explain myself

1037
00:47:42,998 --> 00:47:44,598
Speaker 4: then I was making it sounded like I was making

1038
00:47:44,678 --> 00:47:48,078
Speaker 4: an excuse all the time. So understand it is entertainment,

1039
00:47:48,118 --> 00:47:51,358
Speaker 4: and understand all these predictions and everything else about it

1040
00:47:51,838 --> 00:47:54,438
Speaker 4: stir up, stir up excitement, stir up business, make you

1041
00:47:54,478 --> 00:47:56,558
Speaker 4: want to watch even more. And there's a lot of

1042
00:47:56,558 --> 00:47:58,918
Speaker 4: times you're rooting against certain people to be wrong as

1043
00:47:58,958 --> 00:48:01,478
Speaker 4: opposed to being right, and that's part of who we

1044
00:48:01,518 --> 00:48:04,758
Speaker 4: are as human being. So just to understand it is entertainment.

1045
00:48:05,518 --> 00:48:09,198
Speaker 4: It is there for that purpose, not primarily. I mean,

1046
00:48:09,198 --> 00:48:12,358
Speaker 4: it's just entertain us and hopefully that our team wins

1047
00:48:12,358 --> 00:48:14,718
Speaker 4: and that we could, you know, go to that World

1048
00:48:14,718 --> 00:48:16,758
Speaker 4: Series victory party whatever at the end of the year.

1049
00:48:16,798 --> 00:48:18,798
Speaker 4: But that's how I look at it, and I find

1050
00:48:18,838 --> 00:48:22,078
Speaker 4: it entertaining. And you're right, there's those out there that

1051
00:48:23,558 --> 00:48:25,198
Speaker 4: I think the minority roots for us to be right

1052
00:48:25,238 --> 00:48:26,678
Speaker 4: and the majority roots for you to be wrong.

1053
00:48:27,758 --> 00:48:30,878
Speaker 1: Well, one thing I do take seriously your words of

1054
00:48:30,918 --> 00:48:33,238
Speaker 1: wisdom that take us to the end of our episodes.

1055
00:48:34,078 --> 00:48:37,278
Speaker 1: So on the eve of the twenty twenty five baseball season, Joe,

1056
00:48:37,638 --> 00:48:38,758
Speaker 1: what do you have this week.

1057
00:48:39,278 --> 00:48:46,678
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was on focus in concentration and controllable assets,

1058
00:48:46,718 --> 00:48:52,398
Speaker 4: controllable things, And that's the thing Kenny Revisia, the guru

1059
00:48:52,518 --> 00:48:56,358
Speaker 4: of mental skills who's no longer with us, Kenny would

1060
00:48:56,358 --> 00:48:59,678
Speaker 4: always throw at us, you know, control the controllables. I mean,

1061
00:48:59,678 --> 00:49:01,478
Speaker 4: that was a big thing because we all get I'm

1062
00:49:01,598 --> 00:49:04,838
Speaker 4: kind of like talking about that right now with people's

1063
00:49:05,518 --> 00:49:07,798
Speaker 4: possible opinions that are negative and it gets to your

1064
00:49:07,878 --> 00:49:09,718
Speaker 4: skin or your skin whatever, but.

1065
00:49:09,718 --> 00:49:11,598
Speaker 3: You can't control that. Anyway.

1066
00:49:11,678 --> 00:49:14,358
Speaker 4: I found a couple really interesting things that kind of

1067
00:49:14,478 --> 00:49:16,718
Speaker 4: toftail into that. One comes from Ray Knight, which I

1068
00:49:16,718 --> 00:49:20,438
Speaker 4: thought was one of the better phrases that I've read

1069
00:49:20,558 --> 00:49:25,038
Speaker 4: about being in the zone and you know, blocking out

1070
00:49:25,078 --> 00:49:29,038
Speaker 4: all external noise and influences that you don't want them

1071
00:49:29,078 --> 00:49:32,038
Speaker 4: to influence you, either positively or negatively, because you don't

1072
00:49:32,038 --> 00:49:33,558
Speaker 4: want to think too much of yourself and you don't

1073
00:49:33,558 --> 00:49:34,838
Speaker 4: want to think too little of yourself.

1074
00:49:35,238 --> 00:49:36,598
Speaker 3: Ray Knight said, this pretty cool.

1075
00:49:37,198 --> 00:49:41,678
Speaker 4: Concentration is the ability to think about absolutely nothing when

1076
00:49:41,718 --> 00:49:43,238
Speaker 4: it is absolutely necessary.

1077
00:49:43,438 --> 00:49:45,998
Speaker 3: God, that is so good. I mean, what is this zone?

1078
00:49:46,038 --> 00:49:48,158
Speaker 4: I mean you talk about you know, being able to

1079
00:49:48,158 --> 00:49:51,318
Speaker 4: see the ball better, bigger, making it appear to be slower,

1080
00:49:51,398 --> 00:49:54,638
Speaker 4: seeing they catchersmit larger that hard hit ground ball to you,

1081
00:49:54,718 --> 00:49:57,198
Speaker 4: it seems like it's in slow motion. That first step

1082
00:49:57,198 --> 00:49:59,438
Speaker 4: in the outfield is always on time and puts you

1083
00:49:59,838 --> 00:50:02,798
Speaker 4: in line to make that catch seeing the outside edge

1084
00:50:02,798 --> 00:50:06,198
Speaker 4: of the plate when it's like Zach Wheelers loaded up

1085
00:50:06,198 --> 00:50:07,758
Speaker 4: for that down in the wat slider that I see

1086
00:50:07,758 --> 00:50:09,878
Speaker 4: it well and I can slow it down. So you're

1087
00:50:09,918 --> 00:50:13,158
Speaker 4: not really thinking about anything, but you're thinking about everything

1088
00:50:13,198 --> 00:50:16,158
Speaker 4: but nothing at the same time when it's absolutely necessary.

1089
00:50:16,198 --> 00:50:16,758
Speaker 3: And I love that.

1090
00:50:16,918 --> 00:50:18,758
Speaker 4: And then when it comes down to control, a god

1091
00:50:18,798 --> 00:50:22,598
Speaker 4: by name of Brian Klass, we control nothing but influence everything,

1092
00:50:22,878 --> 00:50:24,878
Speaker 4: you know, that's really it. I mean, if you try

1093
00:50:24,918 --> 00:50:26,838
Speaker 4: to control things that are outside of your control, wow,

1094
00:50:26,918 --> 00:50:30,238
Speaker 4: that's like I said, that's impossible and it's worthless and

1095
00:50:30,318 --> 00:50:33,238
Speaker 4: it creises a lot of concern. But we're at the

1096
00:50:33,238 --> 00:50:36,198
Speaker 4: same time we're influencers in a sense. We're always influencing

1097
00:50:36,478 --> 00:50:39,758
Speaker 4: the outcome by how we control it. And like Ray said,

1098
00:50:40,998 --> 00:50:44,158
Speaker 4: being thinking about nothing when it's absolutely necessary. So these

1099
00:50:44,198 --> 00:50:45,918
Speaker 4: are the things that I think when you talk to

1100
00:50:45,958 --> 00:50:49,598
Speaker 4: your players at this time of the year to be successful.

1101
00:50:49,918 --> 00:50:51,438
Speaker 4: To me, these are the kind of thoughts that are

1102
00:50:51,478 --> 00:50:52,998
Speaker 4: necessary to be able to go out there on a

1103
00:50:53,038 --> 00:50:57,358
Speaker 4: daily basis and perform at a high level and permit

1104
00:50:57,918 --> 00:50:59,678
Speaker 4: whatever the talent is that you have. You might be

1105
00:50:59,678 --> 00:51:01,558
Speaker 4: a three hundred hitter, you might be a two fifty hitter,

1106
00:51:01,718 --> 00:51:03,678
Speaker 4: whatever that might be. But it comes to the forefront

1107
00:51:03,718 --> 00:51:07,198
Speaker 4: of it daily basis because you control all this the

1108
00:51:07,238 --> 00:51:10,398
Speaker 4: noise that is that you encounter on a daily basis,

1109
00:51:10,798 --> 00:51:12,638
Speaker 4: and when you're able to block that out and really

1110
00:51:13,598 --> 00:51:16,398
Speaker 4: narrow things down and keep your focus and keep the

1111
00:51:16,438 --> 00:51:19,118
Speaker 4: blinders on in a sense, and not have this this

1112
00:51:20,838 --> 00:51:23,598
Speaker 4: perspective of like like your vision, but you could see

1113
00:51:23,638 --> 00:51:25,518
Speaker 4: through the corners of you are you're fish shining things

1114
00:51:25,518 --> 00:51:28,558
Speaker 4: all the time, as opposed to just seeing the task

1115
00:51:28,638 --> 00:51:31,198
Speaker 4: at hand. And that's what really I think separates the

1116
00:51:31,238 --> 00:51:32,878
Speaker 4: great players from the less than great players.

1117
00:51:32,958 --> 00:51:35,238
Speaker 3: So I thought Ray Knight was great with that quote.

1118
00:51:35,398 --> 00:51:37,878
Speaker 2: That is a great quote. I had not heard that before.

1119
00:51:37,918 --> 00:51:40,318
Speaker 1: A great way of explaining what it means to be

1120
00:51:40,438 --> 00:51:42,918
Speaker 1: in the zone, right from a guy with a pretty

1121
00:51:42,918 --> 00:51:43,758
Speaker 1: good right hand too.

1122
00:51:43,838 --> 00:51:47,638
Speaker 4: Joe, Yeah, yeah, I need maaried the golfer.

1123
00:51:47,678 --> 00:51:49,238
Speaker 3: I mean, come on, the guy was brilliant.

1124
00:51:51,678 --> 00:51:54,278
Speaker 1: Hey, Happy opening Day, Joe, we'll see you next time

1125
00:51:54,438 --> 00:51:55,238
Speaker 1: on the Book of Joe.

1126
00:51:55,438 --> 00:52:04,078
Speaker 4: You too, Tommy, Great Joab appreciate it, ye,