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Speaker 1: Better Up. Welcome to No Bunts, the show for the

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Speaker 1: casual baseball fan here on the Athletic Network. Thank you

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Speaker 1: for joining us. I am task mouse with me here

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Speaker 1: in studio the man making the magic happen JD. Hello, Hello, Hello, JD.

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Speaker 1: Making the magic happen on a Sunday night, Baby, Sunday

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Speaker 1: Night baseball. Yeah, thanks for that test. Thanks very much.

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Speaker 1: Happy to be here though it just feels like baseball

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Speaker 1: on Sunday night. Had to get you in here, JD.

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Speaker 1: We're going to wrap up the week with the five

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Speaker 1: best things that happened in baseball this week. A player slid,

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Speaker 1: his cell phone dropped out of his pocket. We had

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Speaker 1: baseball wedgies. We had a reporter who injured himself pretty badly. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: is that part of the best things in baseball this week?

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Speaker 1: Good question. Well, he jumped right back on the horse

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Speaker 1: and started reporting as well. We had the perfect bunt,

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Speaker 1: got a report on that. We will talk about some

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Speaker 1: serious stuff as well, not just the joky jokes. The

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Speaker 1: Atlanta Braves, who arguably are playing the best baseball in

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Speaker 1: the majors, and also the New York Yankees, who inarguably

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Speaker 1: are not playing well at all. They are struggling, and

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Speaker 1: to talk about the New York Yankees, we've got Chris

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Speaker 1: Kershner of the Athletic on with us. Chris, Yankees beat writer.

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Speaker 1: Sorry to bring you on during this troubling time, Chris,

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Speaker 1: but appreciate you coming on.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate you guys for having me.

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Speaker 1: Thanks Chris, And you know, before we start on the team,

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Speaker 1: congratulations to you because if people don't know, you're the

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Speaker 1: Atlanta Hawks beat writer for several years, four years with

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Speaker 1: the Athletic. Recently got the Yankees job, which you called

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Speaker 1: your dream job. So how's the dream going?

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Speaker 2: Well? Not going well? A lot of people around the

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Speaker 2: team or calling me the human jinks. People don't want

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Speaker 2: to stand next to me in the buffet line because

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Speaker 2: they think I'm bringing bad luck. So not going well.

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Speaker 2: But I mean it is still a dream to be

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Speaker 2: a Yankee stadium and have that place essentially be my office.

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Speaker 1: Well, listen, you joined the Yankee staff writing for them

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Speaker 1: like a month ago. The Yankees were stinkier before that,

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Speaker 1: so I understand that people are putting it on you,

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Speaker 1: but it must be great to be in that stadium.

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Speaker 1: You mentioned you wrote on the Athletic how you're a fan,

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Speaker 1: you're growing up, one of your favorite players was Paul O'Neill.

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Speaker 1: And today, as we record here on Sunday, was Paul

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Speaker 1: O'Neill Day in Yankee Stadium. How is it seeing his

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Speaker 1: number retired there amongst the greats in Monument Park.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean for me personally, it was awesome because,

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Speaker 2: as you mentioned, Paul O'Neil was one of my favorite

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Speaker 2: players when I first started playing t ball back in

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Speaker 2: nineteen ninety six. Now twenty one was the number I chose,

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Speaker 2: and that was Paul O'Neil's number. But it was really cool.

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Speaker 2: I mean, they had a few of the nineties Yankees

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Speaker 2: in town. Nothing says excitement these days than the nineties Yankees.

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Speaker 2: That's really the only excitement going on for the team.

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Speaker 2: Bernie Williams was in town, Mariano Rivera, Ray Pasada. Andy

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Speaker 2: Pettitt got a really good ovation from the crowd back

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Speaker 2: in two thousand and one his final game at Yankee Stadium,

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Speaker 2: the old Yankee Stadium. The crowd was chanting Paul O'Neill.

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Speaker 2: They did that a couple times even throughout the game.

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Speaker 2: But it was really cool to see that, especially for me,

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Speaker 2: like growing up in the Bronx. And you know, the

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Speaker 2: the Yankees back then, in the nineties and early two thousands,

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Speaker 2: they were the best team. They were the best organization around.

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Speaker 2: But it's been a while since those good days have

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Speaker 2: happened in the Bronx.

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Speaker 1: I like how we're we're you know, we're making it

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Speaker 1: seem like this team is last in the AL when

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Speaker 1: they've got an eight game lead on the Toronto Blue

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Speaker 1: Jays after getting a victory today on Sunday, as we record,

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Speaker 1: they lost the first three to the Blue Jays, so

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Speaker 1: you know, things are a little less bleak after today.

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Speaker 1: But I was surprised just going back quickly to getting

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Speaker 1: Paul O'Neill's number up there in Monument Park. I was

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Speaker 1: surprised they found room for him because the Yankees have

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Speaker 1: the most retired players in the league. They've got twenty

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Speaker 1: two numbers up there now, plus Jackie Robinson's. I don't

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Speaker 1: know how they found room, but they did. It is

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Speaker 1: a beautiful display actually in the new Yankee Stadium, so

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Speaker 1: it must have been a great atmosphere. I just want

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Speaker 1: to go back just to your basketball and now your

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Speaker 1: baseball writing career. What's a big difference if there is

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Speaker 1: one between being in a locker room in the NBA

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Speaker 1: and being in an MLB clubhouse.

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Speaker 2: I think the access is way better in baseball than

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Speaker 2: it is in basketball. In baseball, you can really talk

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Speaker 2: to anybody. I've had multiple conversations now with the hitting coach,

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Speaker 2: hitching coach, pretty much anybody who's associated with the Yankees

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Speaker 2: organization if they're on the field, like they're their fair

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Speaker 2: game to speak with. When I was thinking about, just

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Speaker 2: like the access differences, I was thinking to myself, like,

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Speaker 2: would I ever be able to talk to Trey Young

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Speaker 2: or John Collins on the floor like prior to the game. No,

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Speaker 2: Nate McMillan, the head coach of the Hawks, know whereas

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Speaker 2: in baseball, like you can interview players in the dugout,

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Speaker 2: you can interview them on the field right next to

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Speaker 2: the batting cage. So I think that's the big difference

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Speaker 2: when it comes to the two sports. I think they're

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Speaker 2: very similar. With how I approached the job. Yes, I

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Speaker 2: grew up a Yankees fan, but I try to approach

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Speaker 2: the job as objectively as possible, even though that you know,

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Speaker 2: I grew up in the Bronx. I was born in

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Speaker 2: the Bronx, I've lived here. I try to approach the

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Speaker 2: job like I have zero connection to the team, and

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Speaker 2: that's what I've tried to do so far. I mean,

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Speaker 2: the teams stunk through my three weeks on the job,

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Speaker 2: and I have to report that. So I think that

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Speaker 2: part is the same. Whereas you know, with the Hawks,

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Speaker 2: I didn't have any connection to them growing up. But

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Speaker 2: I still approach the job the same way. But I

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Speaker 2: think the biggest difference, though it is certainly the access

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Speaker 2: is better, even though like prior to the games, when

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Speaker 2: I'm inside the clubhouse, the Yankees have a tendency to

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Speaker 2: not actually be in there, so I have to get

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Speaker 2: a lot of my interviews on the field or on

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Speaker 2: the road. The road access is way better, and that's

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Speaker 2: really the same in the NBA. More guys are just

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Speaker 2: inside the road locker room as opposed to the home run.

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Speaker 1: That's one thing I enjoy about your writing is that

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Speaker 1: you leave the bias at the door. Even when you

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Speaker 1: were with the Atlanta Hawks, I know there are people

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Speaker 1: mentioning to you, hey, why didn't you vote for Trey

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Speaker 1: Young for all NBA? And you know you brought it

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Speaker 1: and you said, I am a writer for the team.

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Speaker 1: I'm not a fan of the team, and I did write.

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Speaker 2: I did vote for Trey for all NBA. They were

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Speaker 2: mad because I've voted him third team instead of second team,

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Speaker 2: which I think is the silliest thing. It's he's one

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Speaker 2: of the top fifteen players in the league. It's an honor.

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Speaker 2: He still gets his MAXI money regardless of he's first

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Speaker 2: team third team doesn't matter.

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Speaker 1: So maybe maybe it was last year. I don't know that.

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Speaker 2: I also voted for him last year.

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Speaker 1: Oh okay, hey, you're a fanboy, Chris Noki.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.

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Speaker 1: You lose either way. Yeah, Trey Young deserved it this year,

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Speaker 1: for sure. He's Yeah, he's been obviously a light here

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Speaker 1: with the Atlanta Hawks, you know, being in Atlanta down here,

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Speaker 1: and I say a light because they've had their ups

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Speaker 1: and downs. I wonder do you find it more what's

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Speaker 1: the word, more gratify or more fulfilling, or just a

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Speaker 1: bigger challenge. I guess writing for a team that's struggling

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Speaker 1: versus a team that's good, is it more fun for

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Speaker 1: you to sort of, you know, to go through it

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Speaker 1: with the team when they're struggling versus when they're good

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Speaker 1: when it's probably easier to write something when they're playing

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Speaker 1: really well.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean in my first two years covering the Hawks,

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Speaker 2: they won twenty games that first year, twenty nine to second.

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Speaker 2: But there were no expectations for the Hawks. They were

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Speaker 2: built to lose, they were built to accumulate draft picks.

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Speaker 2: Whereas the Yankees, there's expectations to win the title every

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Speaker 2: single year, even though it hasn't happened since two thousand

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Speaker 2: and nine. The expectations don't ever change with the Yankees,

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Speaker 2: so like right now when they're five and fourteen now

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Speaker 2: after today's win against the Blue Jays in the month

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Speaker 2: of August, it's I think it's more challenging because as

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Speaker 2: of those expectations, like these players are expected to perform

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Speaker 2: at a very high level and many of them simply

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Speaker 2: are not. So it's kind of hard to talk to

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Speaker 2: those players for me, especially because I'm jumping in the

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Speaker 2: middle of the season. None of them know who I am,

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Speaker 2: none of them know what I'm about, and at the

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Speaker 2: same time of their struggles, like I have to somehow

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Speaker 2: build at least a surface level relationship with these guys

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Speaker 2: to tell the best stories. So that part is extremely hard. Also,

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Speaker 2: there's just way more coverage of the Yankees. I'm trying

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Speaker 2: to think today they're around twenty reporters covering the team,

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Speaker 2: whereas with the Hawks there were maybe I don't know,

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Speaker 2: five ish there were only two reporters on the road,

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Speaker 2: me and Sarah Spencer, who now covers college football for

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Speaker 2: the AJAC, So it was just easier to cover with

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Speaker 2: fewer people. Now twenty people, I can't ask all the

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Speaker 2: questions that I want just because there are way more

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Speaker 2: people around. So I think that's probably the hardest thing.

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Speaker 2: And I also think it's hard for me to jump

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Speaker 2: into a new sport. I've never covered baseball before. Baseball

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Speaker 2: is my favorite sport. I played it all my life.

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Speaker 2: But there's still things like you don't know, Like I

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Speaker 2: never played on the professional level or the collegiate level,

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Speaker 2: so that there are a lot of little intricacies that

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Speaker 2: I just don't know. But I also think that's helpful

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Speaker 2: because if you approach the job not knowing anything, I

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Speaker 2: think most of the time people respect you and they

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Speaker 2: don't appreciate when you know. Reporters try to act like

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Speaker 2: they know it all. Like I've always approached the job

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Speaker 2: acting like, I don't know anything and I want to learn.

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Speaker 2: So I think for me that is a thing that

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Speaker 2: I feel like has helped me since I've become a

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Speaker 2: professional reporter.

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Speaker 1: All right, Well, with this team, as you said five

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Speaker 1: and fourteen in August eighteen and twenty seven, since July first,

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Speaker 1: I know you wrote yesterday, this isn't a blip. This

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Speaker 1: is a pretty large trunk of the schedule where they

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Speaker 1: have been struggling, like almost thirty percent of the schedule

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Speaker 1: since July first, where they've been struggling. Is the concern

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Speaker 1: that these are the real Yankees that we're watching right now,

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Speaker 1: or is that other seventy percent of the Yankee season

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Speaker 1: the real Yankees.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think it's certainly in between. I don't

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Speaker 2: think they are a team that was on pace for

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Speaker 2: what was it like one hundred and twenty ish wins

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Speaker 2: at one point of the season. Now they're I think

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Speaker 2: they're just at one hundred or just below one hundred. So,

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think for the Yankees, they're not this

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Speaker 2: team that they've shown recently, especially in the month of August.

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Speaker 2: I think it's just a combination of them not hitting

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Speaker 2: really at all, even in today's game, they needed a

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Speaker 2: late home run from Andrew Benintendi, they scored early off

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Speaker 2: of a Blue Jays error. They're not really hitting well

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Speaker 2: in those situational moments, especially with runners in scoring position.

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Speaker 2: I think for now, it's literally August twenty first were

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Speaker 2: recording this. It's still like we still have like forty

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Speaker 2: games to go in the season. I think for the Yankees,

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Speaker 2: they have so much talent on both sides, pitching in

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Speaker 2: on offense that I think they should be fine. You know,

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Speaker 2: if they lost to the Blue Jays today and got

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Speaker 2: swept and the lead was down to six, I mean,

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Speaker 2: I definitely think there's reason to be concerned and panicked

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Speaker 2: over the possibility of them, you know, losing the East.

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Speaker 2: They still play the Blue Jays three more times. They

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Speaker 2: still have several more matchups to go with the Rays.

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Speaker 2: The Orioles are hot, they still play them. So I

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Speaker 2: think like the East is certainly not over with. I

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Speaker 2: think it's going to be hard for any of three

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Speaker 2: of those teams to actually win the division, and so

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Speaker 2: I think that's wrapped up. But looking forward, I mean,

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Speaker 2: obviously with the Yankees that the conversation is always about

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Speaker 2: the postseason. What can they do there. I think when

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Speaker 2: we get to the ALDS, they should be able to

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Speaker 2: beat any of the teams that they could possibly match

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Speaker 2: up with Toronto, Baltimore if they get in their Seattle.

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Speaker 1: They got to be a little scared of the Jays

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Speaker 1: though after this weekend.

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think with Toronto, they play them so

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Speaker 2: many times that they know each other very well. I

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Speaker 2: think that I think out of all the teams that

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Speaker 2: they could possibly play in the ALDS, Toronto would be

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Speaker 2: the team that if I was the Yankees, I'd be

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Speaker 2: most scared of Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago. If they somehow turn

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Speaker 2: it around, like I wouldn't really be too concerned. I

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Speaker 2: think Toronto's probably the one team in the ALDS that

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Speaker 2: the Yankees should be scared of. But I think all

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Speaker 2: the focus is really on can this team actually beat

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Speaker 2: the Astros. Right now, I don't know if they can

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Speaker 2: beat the Astros with how they're playing and what we've

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Speaker 2: seen recently.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, the Astros are playing absolutely incredible. Good thing for

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Speaker 1: the Yankees though. The Blue Jays got their Kawhi Leonard

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Speaker 1: moment out today because that was a wild wild home

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Speaker 1: run wit Maryfield hit into right field. Never seen a

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Speaker 1: ball bounce on top of the fence twice. If you're

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Speaker 1: watching with us on YouTube, I call it a Kawhi

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Speaker 1: moment because it literally bounced twice on the fence before

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Speaker 1: going out. It was wild to see the Jays have. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think would be more confident facing the Yankees than

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Speaker 1: they would be against the Astros after seeing this weekend.

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Speaker 1: But yeah, the Yankees have lost six straight series. As

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Speaker 1: you said, forty games ago. It's a long season. But

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Speaker 1: what is the number one biggest concern that you've seen

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Speaker 1: here over the last three weeks since you've been with them,

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Speaker 1: but six weeks since they've really been struggling.

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Speaker 2: I think the number one concern is just the amount

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Speaker 2: of players who they should be counting on just not

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Speaker 2: performing well. You know, Josh Donaldson's one of those guys.

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Speaker 2: He hit the walk off Grand Slam the other night.

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Speaker 2: You know, I thought that was the possibility of them

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Speaker 2: potentially turning their season around for what they've been struggling for,

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Speaker 2: you know, almost two months now, and then they lose

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Speaker 2: three straight. But he's someone who they are paying to

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Speaker 2: perform at a much higher level and he just hasn't

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Speaker 2: glabor Torres or second basement he hasn't really hit well

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Speaker 2: for several weeks now. He's someone that they've been trying

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Speaker 2: to rely on and they haven't. Anthony Rizzo's gone through

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Speaker 2: a stretch where he hasn't really hit well. I mean,

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Speaker 2: there are several guys on the Yankees, Aaron Judge included,

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Speaker 2: who've struggled. I'm not really concerned about Aaron Judge, but

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Speaker 2: they're just several offensive players who haven't hit well. And

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Speaker 2: when you go into the postseason and you face a

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Speaker 2: team that has two or three really good starters and

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Speaker 2: these guys are still not performing come October, that's concerning.

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Speaker 2: I also think it's a little bit concerning that, you know,

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Speaker 2: Garrett Cole, who's supposed to be their ace, hasn't. He's

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Speaker 2: had some games where he's been absolutely incredible, like when

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Speaker 2: he's locked in. He's one of the toughest pitchers to

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Speaker 2: go up against. But you know, I think for the Yankees,

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Speaker 2: like they need to see more out of him, especially

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Speaker 2: come October. You know, I think a lot of Yankees

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Speaker 2: fans are still thinking about his performance against Boston in

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Speaker 2: the Wildcard Game last year and if that's going to

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Speaker 2: continue into October this year. I think they just need

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Speaker 2: more out of him. But I think for now, if

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Speaker 2: Aaron Judges is slumping at all, like where's the offense

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Speaker 2: coming from? And that's what we've seen recently is Judge

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Speaker 2: has gone through a little slump and there's really no

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Speaker 2: offense around him to pick him up because so many

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Speaker 2: guys throughout the lineup are struggling. They had a bench

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Speaker 2: Aaron Hicks for several games, who has been a disaster

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Speaker 2: really all season long. And Andrew Benintenni, who hit the

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Speaker 2: go ahead home run today since coming over from Kansas

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Speaker 2: City's hitting under two hundred. So there's really just nobody

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Speaker 2: other than DJ LeMay who's been pretty solid, who has

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Speaker 2: had a consistent streak throughout these past several weeks.

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Speaker 1: Now, well, manager Aaron Boone had enough on Saturday after

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Speaker 1: the game, was so angry that he hammered the table.

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Speaker 1: My question is for you during that press conference, were

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Speaker 1: you in the room, And if you were, were you

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Speaker 1: startled when he hammered that table.

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Speaker 2: No, I was not startled. I actually thought it was

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Speaker 2: pretty funny. I mean, just from watching numerous press conferences

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Speaker 2: of Boons when I was a fan, I don't recall

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Speaker 2: him ever having that kind of emotion. He's usually a

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Speaker 2: very outwardly calm guy. But like knowing Yankees fans, I

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Speaker 2: know they definitely eat up any sort of performative act

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Speaker 2: like that where someone is angry, like even today when

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Speaker 2: Garrett Cole was fifty feet away from alec Mino after

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Speaker 2: he hit Judge in the elbow with a pitch, and

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Speaker 2: it's like, are you really actually going to do anything?

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Speaker 2: But Yankees fans eat that stuff up. They love that

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Speaker 2: and they love the drama. So no, I mean I

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Speaker 2: wasn't startled. I honestly thought it was funny because it

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Speaker 2: did seem like a little bit of an act. But

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Speaker 2: as a writer, it's like, oh, like, now we can

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Speaker 2: use this because it's great fodder for the fan base.

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Speaker 1: You're like Kobe with Matt Barnes shoving a ball in

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Speaker 1: his face, standing there stoic. I mean I would have

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Speaker 1: been rattled for sure. It did seem like You're right.

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Speaker 1: I think Boone was doing something anything to try and

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Speaker 1: rally the troops because his team is so freaking good,

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Speaker 1: all that talent that they have in there. It is

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Speaker 1: odd seeing Aaron Judge back to him and his chase

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Speaker 1: for sixty in a bit of a slump because he's

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Speaker 1: been sitting on forty six for a while, which is

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Speaker 1: odd to say the dude is screaming towards sixty home runs,

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Speaker 1: but he is. Yeah, it hasn't been his best couple weeks.

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Speaker 1: He hasn't homeren in nine games. Are teams pitching him

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Speaker 1: a little bit differently recently?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that's something that he and Boone have

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Speaker 2: talked about. They're pitching to him much more carefully. They're

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Speaker 2: picking their spots, and I mean, I think for him

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Speaker 2: and the Yankees themselves, with how badly they've been playing,

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Speaker 2: I mean, they're not going to say that he's pressing,

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Speaker 2: but I mean it's I think it's certainly a fair

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Speaker 2: thing to wonder if he is pressing, because a lot

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Speaker 2: of pressures on him to get the Yankees out of

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Speaker 2: this rut that they're in. So I think it's a

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Speaker 2: combination of pitchers being much more careful with Judge and

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Speaker 2: picking their spots. And I think it's also a combination

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Speaker 2: of him trying to create production because they just haven't

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Speaker 2: had any. I think something that he said yesterday when

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Speaker 2: he was speaking with reporters after the loss on Saturday

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Speaker 2: is that he feels that for the Yankees over these

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Speaker 2: past several weeks now, he said that one of the

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Speaker 2: things that he's he thinks is going on with the

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Speaker 2: team is everybody is trying to be that guy when

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Speaker 2: they're in the box, that guy who turns it around,

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Speaker 2: that guy who sparks a rally, that guy who you

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Speaker 2: know is the difference maker for them going on a

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Speaker 2: five to six seven game winning streak instead of just

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Speaker 2: doing the little things necessary to just get on base

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Speaker 2: or create a rally, instead of trying to get the

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Speaker 2: big shot. So I think for the Yankees, again, with

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Speaker 2: what we saw in the first three months of the season,

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Speaker 2: with how they were playing, especially offensively, I do think

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Speaker 2: that eventually, especially for Judge, like it's going to turn around.

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Speaker 2: Like these guys are incredibly talented. They have when they're

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Speaker 2: all in sync, they have one of the best lineups

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Speaker 2: in the league. So I think it's just a matter

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Speaker 2: of time until they turn it around. I know they

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Speaker 2: have Max Scherzer and Jacob de Graam Monday and Tuesday

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Speaker 2: and a two games set against the Mets, but after

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Speaker 2: that they have seven games against the A's and the Angels,

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Speaker 2: two teams that they should beat up pretty easily. And

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Speaker 2: for the Yankees, I think they're hoping that they can

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Speaker 2: figure out the offense at that point. John Carlos Stanton,

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Speaker 2: who's making a rehab assignment this weekend with Double A Summerset,

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Speaker 2: he should be back for the Oakland Series, So I

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Speaker 2: think they're hoping that by the time that that series

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Speaker 2: begins on Thursday, and then going into the Anaheim Series,

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Speaker 2: that they have that figured out by then.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, Stanton coming back should definitely help their Double A

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Speaker 1: team is called Summer.

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Speaker 2: Set Summerset Patriots.

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Speaker 1: Wow, it's a great name. That's a very good name.

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Speaker 1: I'm not into the saber metrics, the the hardcore analytics

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Speaker 1: in baseball, but I did see this regarding Judge on

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Speaker 1: the Blue Jays broadcast. They noted that he has struggled

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Speaker 1: against the off speed pitch, which is classified as change

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Speaker 1: ups or split finger and I was on stat cast

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Speaker 1: looking this up. I didn't think i'd ever seen the

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Speaker 1: day whereas I was on stat cast, But it's true

390
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Speaker 1: he's hitting one seventy one against split finger pitches split

391
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Speaker 1: fingers or change ups or fork balls or screwballs. But

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Speaker 1: I don't think anyone throws those he's only two eighty

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Speaker 1: nine slugging against those pitches. Now, obviously pitchers can't throw

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Speaker 1: those all the time, but I thought that was an

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Speaker 1: interesting stat that there seems to be something that can

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Speaker 1: get out Aaron Judge and seeing him strike out against

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Speaker 1: the Jays a couple times today, and we had that

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Speaker 1: little quick little fracas there when Alec Manoa hit him.

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Speaker 1: You know, that was maybe he's pressing, but he is.

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Speaker 1: He doesn't look like Aaron Judge recently. But yeah, I guess,

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Speaker 1: I guess it's basically the the old adage hitting is contagious,

402
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Speaker 1: and so is not hitting. They're you know, struggling up

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Speaker 1: and down the roster. And it got you tweeting something

404
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Speaker 1: which I found pretty funny. You tweeted on Saturday you said,

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Speaker 1: this is pathetic. So what's the most what's the most

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Speaker 1: pathetic thing about the Yankees right now?

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Speaker 2: I mean, I think the most pathetic thing is like

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Speaker 2: they're the Yankees, Like they should be fun, they should

409
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Speaker 2: be exciting to watch, they should be mashing balls all

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Speaker 2: over the and they're just not. They're just really boring

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Speaker 2: to watch. It's boring to watch games when a team

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Speaker 2: is not hitting, and it's not that the pitching is dominant.

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Speaker 2: It's not like they've been facing de Graham for six

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Speaker 2: straight weeks every time they're on the mound. I mean,

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Speaker 2: no offense to Jose Berrios, but he's no Jacob de

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Speaker 2: Gram and you know they made him look like Jacob

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Speaker 2: de Gram the other night. So I think that's just

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Speaker 2: the frustrating part about just watching this team right now.

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Speaker 2: It's just no matter who's on the mound, it feels

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Speaker 2: like they're all cy young candidates and it's just not

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Speaker 2: exciting to watch. And that's not me speaking as a

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Speaker 2: Yankees fan. It's me like wanting to see exciting games

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Speaker 2: and like they're just they're not really exciting games. Even

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Speaker 2: today's game that they won for seven innings, they needed

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Speaker 2: help from the Blue Jays making an error from center

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Speaker 2: field and it advanced Rizzo to score on a single.

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Speaker 2: I think it was like in the first inning. It's

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Speaker 2: just not an exciting brand of baseball to watch. And

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Speaker 2: I think that's really the most frustrating and most pathetic

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Speaker 2: part about this is you know, they have a payroll

431
00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:23,119
Speaker 2: that's two hundred and fifty two million dollars and I

432
00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,160
Speaker 2: would you know some of these nights. I would much

433
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,480
Speaker 2: rather watch the Little League World Series because it's more exciting.

434
00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:34,159
Speaker 1: Yeah, I saw that clip of Yankees fans turning the

435
00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,240
Speaker 1: outfield into a barber shop, cutting a fan's hair there

436
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:40,520
Speaker 1: because they were that boared Oswaldo Cabrera though he's fun

437
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,879
Speaker 1: to watch. He's a blast to watch. And as you said,

438
00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:49,359
Speaker 1: stanton coming back, potentially Harrison Bader to come help out. Actually,

439
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:51,440
Speaker 1: I wanted to get to him because at the deadline

440
00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,800
Speaker 1: they got rid of some pitching, trading Jordan Montgomery for outfielder.

441
00:25:55,840 --> 00:26:00,280
Speaker 1: Harrison Bader hasn't played a game for the Yankees quite yet.

442
00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:04,080
Speaker 1: You questioned, why would you give up pitching? Why give

443
00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:08,000
Speaker 1: up something that you just can't have enough of? They

444
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,479
Speaker 1: seem to have enough. But it was, you know, just

445
00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:14,960
Speaker 1: for the depth factor, that you'd keep Montgomery around Vader

446
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,119
Speaker 1: could help out in the lineup. You had a funny

447
00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:25,520
Speaker 1: interaction with Harrison Bader regarding his injury. Do you remember that, No,

448
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:29,240
Speaker 1: I don't, Okay, yes, yeah, that's unprepared. Don't worry, I'm prepared.

449
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,560
Speaker 1: So you tweeted Harrison Bader on adjusting to the Yankees

450
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:38,000
Speaker 1: while being injured. It's definitely been a challenge walking in

451
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:40,520
Speaker 1: here in a boot. I'm sure everyone here is like,

452
00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:42,760
Speaker 1: we traded for a guy in a boot.

453
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,200
Speaker 2: Yes, yes, yes, I do remember that. That was really

454
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,480
Speaker 2: funny because I mean, I think everybody was thinking that

455
00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,840
Speaker 2: this guy's in a boot, and we just traded away

456
00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,720
Speaker 2: one of our starting pitchers for a guy who is

457
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,600
Speaker 2: in a boot. You can't play, so I think he

458
00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:06,280
Speaker 2: realizes that. But watching Aaron Hicks for the past several weeks,

459
00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:10,040
Speaker 2: I think it's pretty clear why they traded for Harrison Bader.

460
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,440
Speaker 2: Now when he's healthy, I think Hicks is just not

461
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,359
Speaker 2: going to play. And I think there's definitely a chance

462
00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:21,560
Speaker 2: if Bader's healthy and Matt Carpenter gets back that Aaron Hicks,

463
00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,520
Speaker 2: who they signed for seven years, seventy million dollar deal,

464
00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,919
Speaker 2: it's off the postseason roster. So I think it's pretty

465
00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:35,439
Speaker 2: clear just watching where Hicks is at both mentally competitively physically.

466
00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,119
Speaker 2: I just I mean, I think that that is the

467
00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,399
Speaker 2: reason why they traded for Bader.

468
00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:43,879
Speaker 1: As you said, yeah, a couple of games with the Mets,

469
00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,399
Speaker 1: very exciting stuff, and then it gets a little bit

470
00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:50,240
Speaker 1: easier the A's and the Angels after that. So we

471
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,560
Speaker 1: will see if that's the even the Mets series. I mean,

472
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,480
Speaker 1: I'm I'm here in Atlanta. They struggled against the Mets

473
00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,719
Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago. Then they have the Mets

474
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:03,200
Speaker 1: to town and they take care of business with the Mets.

475
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,000
Speaker 1: Sometimes playing a good team can turn your season around.

476
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:07,960
Speaker 1: Although it didn't work against the Jays, who are a

477
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,760
Speaker 1: good team. They should be classified as a good team.

478
00:28:11,800 --> 00:28:16,320
Speaker 1: But anyways, congratulations Chris, and hopefully you'll come back whin

479
00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:19,760
Speaker 1: these Yankees. We'll keep it positive when they turn it

480
00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:21,920
Speaker 1: around later on in the season. Thanks so much.

481
00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:24,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.

482
00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,800
Speaker 1: Well, problem at all. Great to talk to. Chris Kershner,

483
00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:29,920
Speaker 1: Yankees beat writer for the Athletic. We got to take

484
00:28:29,920 --> 00:28:32,920
Speaker 1: a quick break, but we'll be talking about the Atlanta

485
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,000
Speaker 1: Braves and the five best things that happen in baseball

486
00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,920
Speaker 1: this week right after the break. Welcome back to nobun.

487
00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,720
Speaker 1: So I'm going to talk about those hot Braves, envy

488
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,920
Speaker 1: of the league, some may say, to talk about it,

489
00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:49,720
Speaker 1: We've got David O'Brien of the Athletic, Braves beat writer

490
00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:54,640
Speaker 1: also co host of seven five to five Israel podcast,

491
00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:59,640
Speaker 1: along with former Braves reliever Eric O'Flaherty. Love listening to that. David,

492
00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,959
Speaker 1: thank you for joining us. Really appreciate you coming on.

493
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:04,480
Speaker 3: You welcome, thanks for having me.

494
00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:09,680
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Braves. Man, what a couple of weeks will

495
00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 1: make you know, Just there's this a great feeling after

496
00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,800
Speaker 1: taking care of the Mets three or four, then two

497
00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,640
Speaker 1: of three with the Astros here as we record on Sunday,

498
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,960
Speaker 1: I feel like they're playing as well as anyone in baseball.

499
00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,760
Speaker 1: And thinking about going back to last season. Obviously they

500
00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:28,840
Speaker 1: were World Series champions, but at this point of season

501
00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:30,600
Speaker 1: three one hundred and twenty games, they were just sort

502
00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,800
Speaker 1: of peeling away from five hundred. So can you compare

503
00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:38,120
Speaker 1: the locker room at this point of the season now

504
00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,080
Speaker 1: compared to last year.

505
00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,480
Speaker 3: Well, they had a great clubhouse both years, and I

506
00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:46,760
Speaker 3: think that was why they were able to overcome that

507
00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,320
Speaker 3: kind of tread and water for so long last year

508
00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,479
Speaker 3: and had so many injuries, including losing Ronald Lacuna who

509
00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,720
Speaker 3: was playing at MVP caliber rape before you got her

510
00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,360
Speaker 3: right for the break. But I think it was having

511
00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,120
Speaker 3: such a great clubhouse really allowed them to get through

512
00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:03,800
Speaker 3: that last year. They never got down on themselves, They

513
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,000
Speaker 3: always kept I kept talking to Charlie Morton about it,

514
00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:07,240
Speaker 3: and it was his first year with the team, but

515
00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:09,280
Speaker 3: he just kept talking about what a good room it

516
00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:12,520
Speaker 3: was and how they've they still believed even though they

517
00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:15,080
Speaker 3: realized people were getting frustrated and they hadn't done it yet,

518
00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,400
Speaker 3: they still believed they had that run in them. And

519
00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:19,600
Speaker 3: then you know, of course, they added Jack Peterson coming

520
00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:21,200
Speaker 3: out of the All Star break, and then they made

521
00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:24,920
Speaker 3: the trade for three more outfielders at the trade deadline,

522
00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:27,920
Speaker 3: and it ended up what we all thought was kind

523
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:29,840
Speaker 3: of overkill. Why are you trading for so many outfielders.

524
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,320
Speaker 3: All of them ended up having a huge part in

525
00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,320
Speaker 3: that thing down the stretch, and all of them also

526
00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:38,240
Speaker 3: fit in really well into their team chemistry. So that

527
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,960
Speaker 3: was a great clubhouse with Freddie Freeman and all that.

528
00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,280
Speaker 3: But this is too Uh, the guys they brought in

529
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,800
Speaker 3: and will all fit in really well. They've had if

530
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,280
Speaker 3: it was if there's been one factor that's bigger than

531
00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:52,640
Speaker 3: anything in their turnaround, because they were, you know, about

532
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:54,840
Speaker 3: four games under five hundred at the end of May.

533
00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,520
Speaker 3: If I could point to one factor, it would be, uh,

534
00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:02,080
Speaker 3: the arrival of Michael Harris, the second the center fielder

535
00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,800
Speaker 3: who has played just the best center field I've seen

536
00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:11,160
Speaker 3: since Andrew Jones and also been far surpassed expectations at

537
00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:12,800
Speaker 3: the play. They thought, you know, if he could keep

538
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,560
Speaker 3: his head above water, his defense will be good enough

539
00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,680
Speaker 3: to warrant him being here. But instead he's been one

540
00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,360
Speaker 3: of their best hitters, and he's been they're the best

541
00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:27,440
Speaker 3: hitter in Lake in clutch situations, high leverage, leaden close situations.

542
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:30,400
Speaker 3: He's got the highest ops in the majors in that period,

543
00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:33,760
Speaker 3: so amazing. Yeah, he's been tremendous. And then and then

544
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,040
Speaker 3: also obviously Vaughan Grissom they just brought up a couple

545
00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:38,920
Speaker 3: of weeks ago. He's been terrific. And Spencer Strider after

546
00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:42,000
Speaker 3: they moved him from the bullpen to the starting rotation

547
00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,160
Speaker 3: at the end of May, or about the same time

548
00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,280
Speaker 3: as the Harris move, he really solidified the back of

549
00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:52,040
Speaker 3: that rotation so that those two rookie Strider and Harris

550
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,680
Speaker 3: have been at it for three months now, been terrific.

551
00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,000
Speaker 3: And then Grissom came up and really filled a need

552
00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,880
Speaker 3: at second base. So those guys have added a lot

553
00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:03,480
Speaker 3: of energy and to a positivity that was already there,

554
00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,560
Speaker 3: but they've added some energy, and everybody seems to have

555
00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:08,560
Speaker 3: more of a bounce in their step since those especially Harris,

556
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:11,320
Speaker 3: since he took over and centered it has been just been

557
00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:13,760
Speaker 3: I wouldn't be surprised if it all wins a Gold

558
00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:15,640
Speaker 3: Glove as a rookie, I really wouldn't wow.

559
00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,040
Speaker 1: Amazing. He definitely the favorite four rookie of the Year

560
00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,160
Speaker 1: in the National League. It's such a good story too,

561
00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:24,240
Speaker 1: local boy here in Atlanta. He was at the parade

562
00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:27,640
Speaker 1: last year as a minor leaguer and now he's with

563
00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:31,480
Speaker 1: the big club, you know, seventy odd games and Alexanthopolis

564
00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:34,120
Speaker 1: signs him to an eight year deal. That just doesn't

565
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,120
Speaker 1: happen in base now, a twenty one year old to

566
00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:38,680
Speaker 1: such a lengthy deal.

567
00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,520
Speaker 3: So nice player in the majors, right, Yeah.

568
00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,360
Speaker 1: And von Gerstono. They got two of the three youngest

569
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:46,719
Speaker 1: players out there, so he's obviously if you're calling him

570
00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,360
Speaker 1: a Gold Glove winner, he's Rookie of the Year as well.

571
00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,000
Speaker 1: I imagine, Yeah, I would.

572
00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,320
Speaker 3: I think it'll probably be close to you unanimous if

573
00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,040
Speaker 3: he keeps playing at this rate by the end. But

574
00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,760
Speaker 3: if there's right now, I would think Spencer Stratter is

575
00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:00,280
Speaker 3: probably second, probably won two like they were. They had

576
00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:02,760
Speaker 3: Kimberl and Freddie Freeman want two in the Rookie of

577
00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:04,800
Speaker 3: the Year. I would think right now those two probably

578
00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,280
Speaker 3: are early on. A couple of cubs, a couple other

579
00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:10,320
Speaker 3: guys were playing really well. But once Harris had about

580
00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:12,680
Speaker 3: a month under his belt, he he has kind of

581
00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,600
Speaker 3: put those guys in his wake. And Strider is going

582
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:18,840
Speaker 3: to have the highest strikeout rate ever by a rookie

583
00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,200
Speaker 3: if he keeps up close to this right now, he's

584
00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,040
Speaker 3: like like seven tenths of a strikeout ahead of Kerry

585
00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:27,320
Speaker 3: Wood who set the record at twelve nine Striders at

586
00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:29,800
Speaker 3: thirteen to six. He's going to have the highest strikeout

587
00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:34,240
Speaker 3: rate of any brave starting pitcher ever, rookie, Hall of future,

588
00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,520
Speaker 3: Hall of Famer, anybody. So, I mean, he's been terrific.

589
00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:41,400
Speaker 1: That's amazing. Yeah, people keep on. People are continue to

590
00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,040
Speaker 1: expect him to fall off at some rate, and I

591
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,360
Speaker 1: suppose because he hasn't done this before, because he was

592
00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,800
Speaker 1: a reliever at first. I suppose. But he just keeps

593
00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,280
Speaker 1: on impressing and hopefully we'll see him get postseason starts

594
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,680
Speaker 1: as well. It's so interesting watching von Grissom of these

595
00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,720
Speaker 1: last couple weeks. He's sort of taken over the storylines.

596
00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:03,080
Speaker 1: He's been literally in the majors for two weeks, less

597
00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:06,680
Speaker 1: than two weeks. He's just so impressive with his patients

598
00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,880
Speaker 1: at the plate. He's got an eye struck out on

599
00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,160
Speaker 1: a pitch looking today as we record Sunday, that was

600
00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:14,839
Speaker 1: out of the zone. And I think he's almost going

601
00:34:14,880 --> 00:34:17,680
Speaker 1: to get that respect where if he takes a pitch

602
00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:21,640
Speaker 1: it's out of the zone. He's just he's twenty one

603
00:34:21,680 --> 00:34:25,520
Speaker 1: years old as well. I know people are pegging putting

604
00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,120
Speaker 1: him into the long term lineup here with the Braves already,

605
00:34:28,160 --> 00:34:31,399
Speaker 1: but short term here when Ozzie Albi's comes back, he's

606
00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,479
Speaker 1: their starting second basement. What do you see Grissom's role

607
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:36,880
Speaker 1: as these next couple months and into the postseason.

608
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:38,120
Speaker 3: That's a great question.

609
00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:38,319
Speaker 2: Man.

610
00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,759
Speaker 3: It's gonna be tough because I see him as a

611
00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,720
Speaker 3: future left fielder, but he hasn't played it at all.

612
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,960
Speaker 3: And while the Braves are bold and they make moves,

613
00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:49,000
Speaker 3: and they brought at Boston Riley a few years ago

614
00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:50,799
Speaker 3: after only playing him a handful of games in the

615
00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,359
Speaker 3: outfield down at Triple A, this kid literally has played

616
00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,200
Speaker 3: no outfield so would they make that move in the

617
00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:57,840
Speaker 3: middle of the season. I don't know that they do

618
00:34:57,880 --> 00:34:59,640
Speaker 3: it without sending him down to play at least a

619
00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,480
Speaker 3: handful games in Triple A in left field. And they

620
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:07,560
Speaker 3: also have Eddie Rosario and Grossman is playing well, so

621
00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:10,120
Speaker 3: they really don't have that need that they did before

622
00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:11,960
Speaker 3: in left field. So I'm not sure what he's going

623
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,040
Speaker 3: to be able to what how they're going to use him.

624
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,960
Speaker 3: They could obviously use him as DH but Ozzie and

625
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,480
Speaker 3: Ozzie won't be able to play every day right away,

626
00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:23,600
Speaker 3: you know, coming back from that broken foot probably, so

627
00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,160
Speaker 3: it'll be interesting. I mean, usually, as Smith says, these

628
00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:30,040
Speaker 3: things take care of themselves because somebody gets hurt, somebody slump,

629
00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:34,280
Speaker 3: somebody does something, you know, but somebody gets arrested. Fortunately

630
00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:37,640
Speaker 3: that happens, really but I don't know what they're gonna do.

631
00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:41,040
Speaker 3: But if he keeps playing like this, you know they're

632
00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:42,360
Speaker 3: gonna have to find a way to get him in

633
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,359
Speaker 3: the line. Of course, I maybe he could fall off.

634
00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:46,440
Speaker 3: You don't know, he could go through a horrible slump

635
00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:49,480
Speaker 3: once teams figure out. I mean, these teams are getting

636
00:35:49,480 --> 00:35:50,920
Speaker 3: their first look at him. They had no book on

637
00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:52,640
Speaker 3: him at all, it came straight from Double A. I mean,

638
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:54,719
Speaker 3: he hadn't even played in Triple A, so I'm not

639
00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,200
Speaker 3: gonna get carried away. But I do think he's a

640
00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:59,640
Speaker 3: future left fielder. I think they'll get dance By Swanson

641
00:35:59,719 --> 00:36:01,839
Speaker 3: signed to play shortstop, and I think this kid will

642
00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,120
Speaker 3: probably move to left field. He's built more like an

643
00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:07,279
Speaker 3: outfielder anyway, He's probably gonna outgrow shortstop. He's about six

644
00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:10,040
Speaker 3: y three rangey and looks like he could easily put

645
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:13,960
Speaker 3: on twenty twenty five pounds and probably doesn't have the

646
00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:16,080
Speaker 3: range to play shortstop in the Majors. And he's too

647
00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,200
Speaker 3: big to play second eventually in the Majors. And they

648
00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:20,479
Speaker 3: got Ozzie Alby's land long term, so it doesn't matter.

649
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,880
Speaker 3: So and they thought maybe he could move over to

650
00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:26,239
Speaker 3: third base when they first brought him up, but after

651
00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:28,800
Speaker 3: Austaranta sounded a ten year deal, that's out of the

652
00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,960
Speaker 3: question as well. So it's basically if they resigned Dansby,

653
00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,360
Speaker 3: it's basically left field, I mean, and that's where I

654
00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:38,439
Speaker 3: think he would fit best anyway. So but to answer

655
00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:40,680
Speaker 3: your question, when Ozza gets back, I'm not sure what.

656
00:36:40,600 --> 00:36:45,680
Speaker 1: They're gonna do. It's very very interesting. A great problem

657
00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:48,439
Speaker 1: to have here that they're rolling with. As I said

658
00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:51,560
Speaker 1: to start the segment, the brave sort of envy of

659
00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:53,640
Speaker 1: the league to some degree because they are doing it

660
00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:56,719
Speaker 1: such a good job at locking up their players. Oh

661
00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:00,479
Speaker 1: my god, long term toomentally deals left and right, very

662
00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,840
Speaker 1: friendly deals. And so that's why I came up with

663
00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,200
Speaker 1: this little diagram here. If you're on YouTube, I'm going

664
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:08,640
Speaker 1: to show this to you. Here. The Atlanta Braves have

665
00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:13,440
Speaker 1: locked up players behind the plate, Contraras till twenty twenty seven,

666
00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:17,799
Speaker 1: Matt Olsen twenty thirty at second Ozzy Alby's till twenty

667
00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:19,960
Speaker 1: twenty seven. We'll get to shortstop in a second. At

668
00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:22,880
Speaker 1: twenty thirty two, you've got Austin Riley at third base,

669
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,920
Speaker 1: twenty twenty eight, Acunyan right twenty thirty. Michael Harris just

670
00:37:26,960 --> 00:37:31,720
Speaker 1: signed that eight year deal, and the left field shortstop position,

671
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,839
Speaker 1: as you mentioned, they're Dancy Swanson a free agent come

672
00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,520
Speaker 1: this offseason. But yeah, I think you're the only one

673
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,120
Speaker 1: who suggested that Von Grissom isn't necessarily just going to

674
00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,440
Speaker 1: take that spot, that he could just go to left field,

675
00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:48,759
Speaker 1: and you re signed Danzy Swanson who's been phenomenal. With

676
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:51,800
Speaker 1: Von Grissom here joining the clubhouse the last couple weeks.

677
00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:54,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I know there's a lot of people

678
00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,560
Speaker 3: that think Devon Grissom will just slip into shortstop. Well,

679
00:37:56,560 --> 00:37:58,360
Speaker 3: he's not going to be as good a defensive shortstop

680
00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:01,799
Speaker 3: as Dancy. There's no way. I think that Dance May

681
00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:04,040
Speaker 3: has become a Gold Club caliber guy. I don't know

682
00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:05,920
Speaker 3: that he'll win one this year, but he's playing that

683
00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:10,880
Speaker 3: level of defense. I just think they you keep losing

684
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:13,440
Speaker 3: a piece of year, this culture, this vaunted chemistry that

685
00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:15,600
Speaker 3: they always talk about and which has helped him become

686
00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:18,759
Speaker 3: such a good contending team every year. They won four

687
00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:21,440
Speaker 3: straight division titles, and a lot of that has had

688
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:25,480
Speaker 3: to do with having great leadership, great team chemistry. You

689
00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:28,680
Speaker 3: lose Freddie Freeman, You're bring in another great guy in Olsen,

690
00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:30,759
Speaker 3: but he's not a he's not a leader type guy.

691
00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,560
Speaker 3: A talkative guy. Maybe grow into that, become that, but

692
00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:36,399
Speaker 3: he's not that guy. Austin Roley's not that guy. They're

693
00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:40,279
Speaker 3: not loud vocal guys. Danceby Swanson is an integral part

694
00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:43,319
Speaker 3: of this thing and it's been He's Atlanta guy and

695
00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:46,440
Speaker 3: he is the undisputed captain of that infield. I mean

696
00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:50,240
Speaker 3: he calls, he sets up people. Wash Ron Washington trusts

697
00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:52,800
Speaker 3: him to set up guys. That's how well he knows

698
00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:57,719
Speaker 3: the defense. And he's also become this year he's having

699
00:38:57,760 --> 00:38:59,359
Speaker 3: a great year, his best year in a walk yere.

700
00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,680
Speaker 3: He's also become one of their best clutch hitters. He's

701
00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,120
Speaker 3: a solid hitter. He's still a little streaky, but not

702
00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:07,480
Speaker 3: like he used to be. And he plays every day,

703
00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:10,560
Speaker 3: I mean literally every day. He's played all but like

704
00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:12,879
Speaker 3: three innings this year. He played every game last year,

705
00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:16,000
Speaker 3: started every game, uh A, one sixty last year, then

706
00:39:16,239 --> 00:39:19,319
Speaker 3: all sixty the year before that. So I just think

707
00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:21,600
Speaker 3: this is a guy that you can't if you've got

708
00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:28,000
Speaker 3: to maintain a string through your to keep maintain that culture.

709
00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,360
Speaker 3: He's the guy that I think is the connecting tissue

710
00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:34,000
Speaker 3: that you could sign if you can get him for.

711
00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:37,640
Speaker 3: They haven't gone over twenty two million a year, amazingly

712
00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:40,920
Speaker 3: with any of these deals. The Riley contract tops out

713
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:45,680
Speaker 3: at twenty two million a year. Olsen's does the kid

714
00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,000
Speaker 3: his doesn't even Harris is don't even. He goes up

715
00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:51,120
Speaker 3: to twelve million, then fifteen and twenty for two option years,

716
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,359
Speaker 3: but his before that are way low. So I think

717
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:56,520
Speaker 3: if you could get dance Bey at like twenty twenty

718
00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,520
Speaker 3: one million a year, he would fit in the payroll still,

719
00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:01,359
Speaker 3: and they still would have room in the payroll if

720
00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:03,400
Speaker 3: they wanted to sign Max Freed, I think sometimes, but

721
00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,160
Speaker 3: they could they could afford to resign Danceby as honest,

722
00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,439
Speaker 3: he's not asking for, you know, twenty five million a year.

723
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:13,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, the Freddie Freeman connection, that that sort of role

724
00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:17,360
Speaker 1: as you're mentioning, is really interesting because I think to

725
00:40:17,440 --> 00:40:20,400
Speaker 1: talk about letting Dancy Swanson go and Von Grisom just

726
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:23,600
Speaker 1: slipping in there kind of coincided obviously with Grisom come

727
00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:26,000
Speaker 1: and played well, but also the Michael Harris contract at

728
00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:28,439
Speaker 1: the same time, so people are just assuming, oh, of course,

729
00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:32,040
Speaker 1: see you later, Dansby. But going back to that Freddy

730
00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:35,000
Speaker 1: Freeman contract and how he left. I'm sure you've been

731
00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,680
Speaker 1: asked this one billion times.

732
00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:39,520
Speaker 3: Just to go back to that the Harris contract. I

733
00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:41,920
Speaker 3: think it's because people assume that, you know, there's another

734
00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:44,200
Speaker 3: big guy that they signed. They can't sign everybody, but

735
00:40:44,239 --> 00:40:47,600
Speaker 3: if you look at it, those five players the most,

736
00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:49,359
Speaker 3: they're all going to make in any year where they're

737
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:54,240
Speaker 3: all in there together. This is remarkable. Seventy seven million dollars.

738
00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:54,960
Speaker 1: No, it's not.

739
00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:57,640
Speaker 3: Most those five guys are going to make. Now, you

740
00:40:57,640 --> 00:40:59,360
Speaker 3: could cop there's a lot of teams that are going

741
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:03,000
Speaker 3: to be paying two players seventy seven million dollars in

742
00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,160
Speaker 3: five or six years. There's some that are paying them

743
00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:06,200
Speaker 3: to right now that much.

744
00:41:06,239 --> 00:41:11,400
Speaker 1: So anyway, Yeah, yeah, no, Yeah, when you're mentioning Olson, Riley,

745
00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:15,480
Speaker 1: Alb's becunya and now Michael Harris, Yes, I'll ever.

746
00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:18,200
Speaker 3: Pay the five of them combined, it's seventy seven million dollars.

747
00:41:18,280 --> 00:41:21,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's extremely low. They've they've got some low cultures

748
00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:24,600
Speaker 1: and yeah, I can I can see people already thinking

749
00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:28,200
Speaker 1: about locking up von Grissom to minuscule.

750
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:30,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, but they don't have to do that yet.

751
00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, they've got time. But the fact that Freddie Freeman

752
00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:38,000
Speaker 1: did go factors into re signing Danzy Swatson in your opinion,

753
00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:38,799
Speaker 1: and I do.

754
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:41,759
Speaker 3: I do because I think you have to have some

755
00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:43,680
Speaker 3: veterans who've been there the whole time and have that

756
00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:48,840
Speaker 3: culture in mind. You can't just turn it over, you know,

757
00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:51,560
Speaker 3: Like I said, Olsen and Riley are not real talkative guys.

758
00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:53,799
Speaker 3: I mean, they're talkative guys amongst themselves, but they're not

759
00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:58,120
Speaker 3: the boisterous, gung ho leader type guys. Dansby has to

760
00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:00,520
Speaker 3: be kind of a comebat. Darno has become more of that,

761
00:42:01,040 --> 00:42:03,600
Speaker 3: and Donald's only signed for one more year. I think

762
00:42:03,600 --> 00:42:05,120
Speaker 3: you run the risk of it if you think you

763
00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,879
Speaker 3: can just keep bringing in the right guys. No, you're

764
00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:09,960
Speaker 3: got to misfire on one of those guys probably, And

765
00:42:10,000 --> 00:42:12,319
Speaker 3: if you just turn it over to the kids, you

766
00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:14,239
Speaker 3: don't know what's going to happen. I mean, you got

767
00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,719
Speaker 3: to have the right guys in place to make sure

768
00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:20,320
Speaker 3: those kids take their cues from the right guys. Dansby

769
00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:24,440
Speaker 3: set's an incredible example for these guys. And if you

770
00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:26,719
Speaker 3: think you're just going to stick up rookie next year,

771
00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:28,600
Speaker 3: I think von Gersonn probably still be a rookie. But

772
00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:33,000
Speaker 3: a twenty two year old at shortstop playing along Austin

773
00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:36,600
Speaker 3: Riley who credits Austin credits Dansby with helping him become

774
00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,840
Speaker 3: the player he is today. He's constantly getting cues from Dansby,

775
00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:42,960
Speaker 3: tips and advice from Dansby throughout the game. But you

776
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:45,799
Speaker 3: think you're just going to turn the captainship of the

777
00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:50,480
Speaker 3: infield over to a rookie and expected just to continue. Yeah,

778
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:52,200
Speaker 3: that's a little best asking a bit much.

779
00:42:52,440 --> 00:42:55,120
Speaker 1: So what was the reason that Freddie ended up leaving?

780
00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:58,480
Speaker 1: In your opinion, Man, it's just.

781
00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:02,480
Speaker 3: A cluster f It was just a perfect storm of

782
00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:06,160
Speaker 3: things that go wrong, you know, beginning with the Braves.

783
00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,480
Speaker 3: I'll just try to boil it down. The Braves waited

784
00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,080
Speaker 3: too long to make them a good initial offer because

785
00:43:12,120 --> 00:43:14,759
Speaker 3: the Braves were waiting coming off the pandemic season. They

786
00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:17,440
Speaker 3: were waiting to see how the profits came back. They

787
00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:20,760
Speaker 3: wanted to see the quarterly profits. They're publicly owned companies,

788
00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:23,960
Speaker 3: so they get quarterly profit reports. They wanted to see

789
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:25,640
Speaker 3: how they were coming back before they make this long

790
00:43:25,719 --> 00:43:29,640
Speaker 3: term commitment to Freddy. They shouldn't have waited, but they did.

791
00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:34,760
Speaker 3: The reports were terrific. I mean, they rebounded huge. Their attendance.

792
00:43:34,800 --> 00:43:36,719
Speaker 3: They were one of the first few ballparks to take

793
00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:40,120
Speaker 3: all the COVID restrictions off last year, so they ended

794
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,440
Speaker 3: up i think second in the majors in attendance. Then

795
00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:44,400
Speaker 3: they made the run to the World Series and by

796
00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:46,440
Speaker 3: the time they get to the LCS, the places boom

797
00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:49,080
Speaker 3: and the places packed. The battery next door that they run,

798
00:43:49,160 --> 00:43:53,360
Speaker 3: that retail entertainment and residential district that they run, is

799
00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,520
Speaker 3: doing bonkers every night, so they're raking in the dough

800
00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:01,720
Speaker 3: by the time they then the pandemic the lockdown hits.

801
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:03,919
Speaker 3: They're not supposed to talk to anybody during the lock

802
00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:07,720
Speaker 3: at lockdown, the Braves are being really sticklers about obey

803
00:44:07,760 --> 00:44:12,320
Speaker 3: and MW rules because of the thing with Coppoela before

804
00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:14,880
Speaker 3: Alex got here. When the he Coppola ends up getting

805
00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:16,920
Speaker 3: banned for life, the Braves got in trouble, so they

806
00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:19,040
Speaker 3: make sure they follow all these rules. And the other

807
00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:22,680
Speaker 3: thing is with them kind of having, you know, dispute

808
00:44:22,719 --> 00:44:25,440
Speaker 3: with Freddy's agent. The last thing they want is agent

809
00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:27,120
Speaker 3: to be able to tell MLB, oh, yeah, they were

810
00:44:27,160 --> 00:44:28,959
Speaker 3: calling us during the middle of the lockdown or whatever.

811
00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:32,720
Speaker 3: So anyway, they didn't talk during the lockdown. Lockdown ends.

812
00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:35,640
Speaker 3: Freddy's at that point frustrated because the Braves haven't made

813
00:44:35,719 --> 00:44:38,640
Speaker 3: him what his agent and him don't believe they've made

814
00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:40,879
Speaker 3: the kind of offer that Freddie's looking for. Once that's

815
00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:45,000
Speaker 3: sixty year they've only offered five and they're getting here.

816
00:44:45,040 --> 00:44:46,960
Speaker 3: We are at spring training. Well, Alex, if you know

817
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:50,279
Speaker 3: how Alex and Doppolis, he's a guy that always looks

818
00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:52,520
Speaker 3: big picture, is never going to get caught with his

819
00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:56,560
Speaker 3: pants down. And he knew that if they lose Freddy Freeman,

820
00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:00,319
Speaker 3: the only guy available via Trader Free Agency that could

821
00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:05,120
Speaker 3: legitimately replace Freddie's production was Matt Olsen with the Oakland.

822
00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:07,720
Speaker 3: But the last thing Alex was going to have happened

823
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:11,920
Speaker 3: was because Freddie's agent, from people I talked to and

824
00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:16,279
Speaker 3: from other people who have reported this, gave Alex an ultimatum,

825
00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:18,640
Speaker 3: gave him two offers. Take one of these two offers.

826
00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:21,040
Speaker 3: Well that's it. Well, neither one of the offers were

827
00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:22,960
Speaker 3: anywhere close to what the Braves wanted to commit to

828
00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:25,640
Speaker 3: Freddy at that point right now, they probably would have

829
00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:28,680
Speaker 3: come up some and Freddie would have gladly taken one

830
00:45:28,680 --> 00:45:31,000
Speaker 3: of those off what they what the final offer they

831
00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:32,840
Speaker 3: made because he wanted to stay in Atlanta, but his

832
00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:35,760
Speaker 3: agent didn't communicate what they were what they were offering

833
00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:39,360
Speaker 3: him Alex. In the meantime, after he gets this ultimatum

834
00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:42,160
Speaker 3: from the agent, Alex is like, well, I'm not going

835
00:45:42,239 --> 00:45:44,399
Speaker 3: to have them hang and leave us high and dry,

836
00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:47,080
Speaker 3: and I don't have a guy, so he pivots to Olsen.

837
00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:50,200
Speaker 3: Because there's three or four other teams looking for Olsen too, Well,

838
00:45:50,320 --> 00:45:51,879
Speaker 3: it would have been easy for another team to come

839
00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:55,400
Speaker 3: in and meet the Oakland's asking price. Okay, we'll give in.

840
00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:57,680
Speaker 3: We'll give you that prospect you've been looking for. And

841
00:45:57,719 --> 00:45:59,680
Speaker 3: all of a sudden, Olsen's off the board and the

842
00:45:59,719 --> 00:46:02,320
Speaker 3: break are left going, oh my, who's going to replace

843
00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:03,840
Speaker 3: Freddy at first base?

844
00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:05,719
Speaker 1: You're not going to nobody else. You're not going to

845
00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:09,640
Speaker 1: catch alex Entthopoless with his pants down ever, so he

846
00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,879
Speaker 1: so he pivoted, quickly pulled the trigger on the Olsen deal.

847
00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:15,879
Speaker 3: Freddy was left like what happened? Because Freddie didn't think

848
00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:18,560
Speaker 3: that they would do that without coming back to him

849
00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:22,480
Speaker 3: and giving him a chance, you know. So that's what happened.

850
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:25,680
Speaker 1: I mean, that's the best explanation I've heard. They should

851
00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:27,480
Speaker 1: have taken a page out of the NBA's rules and

852
00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:30,080
Speaker 1: just tampered Tamper. Tamper didn't talked to him throughout the law.

853
00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:33,560
Speaker 3: And Freddy kicks himself for not telling his agent. Clearly

854
00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:37,640
Speaker 3: he should have told his agent. In the end, whatever

855
00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,879
Speaker 3: happens in the end take the best deal we can

856
00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:42,840
Speaker 3: get from the Brakes, because that's where I want to be.

857
00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:45,400
Speaker 3: So what happens He ends up going back to La.

858
00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:46,800
Speaker 3: He's from LA, but he did not want to go

859
00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:48,480
Speaker 3: home and play. He wanted to stay here. He loved

860
00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:50,319
Speaker 3: it here. He wanted to be like Chipper Place whole

861
00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:52,879
Speaker 3: career here, be one of the Dale Murphy Chipper Jones,

862
00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:54,680
Speaker 3: one of the few guys that's, you know, a legacy

863
00:46:54,680 --> 00:46:57,600
Speaker 3: guy here. And so he ends up taking a deal

864
00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:00,200
Speaker 3: with the Dodgers that gives him that sixth year, but

865
00:47:00,280 --> 00:47:03,640
Speaker 3: with the deferred money in the contract and with them

866
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:06,440
Speaker 3: twice as high as state income tax at California, it

867
00:47:06,520 --> 00:47:09,760
Speaker 3: ends up being the same or less money to play

868
00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:11,879
Speaker 3: there than he would have gotten here. So it's really bad.

869
00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:14,319
Speaker 3: I felt really bad for Freddy, but you.

870
00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:20,040
Speaker 1: Know, good for the agent though probably it was at

871
00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:21,560
Speaker 1: an unfortunate situation.

872
00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:22,880
Speaker 3: For since gotten fired by Freddy.

873
00:47:22,960 --> 00:47:26,520
Speaker 1: So right, yeah, as a as a result, so very.

874
00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:28,480
Speaker 3: Same agent as Dancey's god by the way.

875
00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:31,200
Speaker 1: Right right, And and so I understand wanting to keep

876
00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:33,960
Speaker 1: Dansby around. You bring up good points just about you know,

877
00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:36,520
Speaker 1: being in the infield, you know a different position the

878
00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:39,560
Speaker 1: heart of the infield as well, So interesting to see

879
00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:42,240
Speaker 1: how they go forward. A couple of questions. Yeah, before

880
00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:46,000
Speaker 1: you go, David uh you mentioned all those outfielders that

881
00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:48,280
Speaker 1: they grabbed last year at the deadline, you know, Celaire,

882
00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:52,360
Speaker 1: Rosario duval uh and and Jock Peterson, and what a

883
00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:58,239
Speaker 1: big role they filled. Robbie Grossman, you know, definitely rose

884
00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:00,760
Speaker 1: colored glasses here. But watching Robbie gross And, it's easy

885
00:48:00,840 --> 00:48:04,480
Speaker 1: to see how that deadline acquisition, you know, a mere

886
00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:08,360
Speaker 1: few weeks ago, could result in the same sort of

887
00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:11,600
Speaker 1: thing happening where he is very important to this team.

888
00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:15,160
Speaker 1: What is Robbie Grossman a guy that people sort of,

889
00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:20,600
Speaker 1: you know, discarded as just some other acquisition at the deadline.

890
00:48:20,800 --> 00:48:22,560
Speaker 1: What is he brought to the team?

891
00:48:23,040 --> 00:48:25,520
Speaker 3: Well, he's fitting perfectly in the clubhouse, which is always

892
00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,040
Speaker 3: a one with Alex you know, after the talent they

893
00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:29,480
Speaker 3: got to be a guy that fits in the clubhouse

894
00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:31,320
Speaker 3: here here he just does not bring in bad guys.

895
00:48:31,640 --> 00:48:34,000
Speaker 3: Grossmith's fitting from day one. But the biggest thing was

896
00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:39,120
Speaker 3: the Braves analytics people and the video people had already

897
00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:41,880
Speaker 3: had an idea why Grossman was sucking so bad with

898
00:48:41,960 --> 00:48:43,880
Speaker 3: Detroit this year because he was not playing like he

899
00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:46,960
Speaker 3: had in the past. When the Braves got him, he

900
00:48:47,080 --> 00:48:49,200
Speaker 3: was hidden from the right side. They were going to

901
00:48:49,239 --> 00:48:51,440
Speaker 3: use him in a platoon with Rosario and left field,

902
00:48:51,480 --> 00:48:54,040
Speaker 3: just as a platoon guy. The first day was here though,

903
00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:56,920
Speaker 3: the video and the analytics people come down to sites

904
00:48:56,920 --> 00:48:59,000
Speaker 3: and go, look, this is what he's doing. They show

905
00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:01,799
Speaker 3: him like stick figure videos, not stick figure but you know,

906
00:49:01,840 --> 00:49:04,799
Speaker 3: electronics stick figure. They're show him clearly what he was

907
00:49:04,840 --> 00:49:08,120
Speaker 3: doing different this year than he had in the past.

908
00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:11,560
Speaker 3: They said, as sites goes, normally, i'd let you be

909
00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:12,880
Speaker 3: here for a week or two, get to know you,

910
00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:14,680
Speaker 3: get a feel for you before I've dropped any of

911
00:49:14,719 --> 00:49:16,520
Speaker 3: this on you. But we ain't had time to wait.

912
00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:18,720
Speaker 3: We're trying to win a World Series. We're chasing the Mets.

913
00:49:18,920 --> 00:49:21,359
Speaker 3: We need you to do this. Look it over, see

914
00:49:21,360 --> 00:49:25,560
Speaker 3: what you think, ask us any questions, and Grossman's like,

915
00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:28,600
Speaker 3: I'm all in, I understand what you're talking about. Let's

916
00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:30,799
Speaker 3: go try it, and they win the cage. They work

917
00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:32,840
Speaker 3: on it. Next thing you know, the guy's hitting home

918
00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:34,640
Speaker 3: runs and back to back games against the mess from

919
00:49:34,680 --> 00:49:36,600
Speaker 3: the left side. So all of a sudden, he's not

920
00:49:36,600 --> 00:49:39,480
Speaker 3: a platoon guy. Anymore. He's playing every day basically, and

921
00:49:39,719 --> 00:49:44,240
Speaker 3: with Rosario with his hamstring now and with Marcelo Zuno

922
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,440
Speaker 3: both a disaster on and off the field. It's really

923
00:49:47,440 --> 00:49:50,960
Speaker 3: been big that Grossman is now hitting from both sides

924
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,600
Speaker 3: again and doing what he did with Detroit before this season.

925
00:49:53,680 --> 00:49:56,160
Speaker 3: So he could in like you said, he could end

926
00:49:56,239 --> 00:49:59,600
Speaker 3: up being really big for them, you know, at least

927
00:49:59,719 --> 00:50:02,719
Speaker 3: hold that down until until maybe they have to, you know,

928
00:50:02,800 --> 00:50:05,640
Speaker 3: do something with somebody else after as he gets back.

929
00:50:06,239 --> 00:50:08,120
Speaker 3: I'm not sure, like I said, they could. They could

930
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:09,799
Speaker 3: always put the god send the kid to go play

931
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:11,399
Speaker 3: five games in Triple A and left field and see

932
00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:13,440
Speaker 3: if he gets a feel for He's such an athlete

933
00:50:13,440 --> 00:50:15,320
Speaker 3: that I think Grissom could pick it up in a hurry.

934
00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:18,359
Speaker 3: But Grossman has been real big. He's He's a one

935
00:50:18,360 --> 00:50:21,640
Speaker 3: that everybody completely overlooked. At the trade deadline, another one

936
00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:24,800
Speaker 3: of those deals that like last year when they got Rosario,

937
00:50:24,840 --> 00:50:26,680
Speaker 3: who was on the d L with Cleveland at the time,

938
00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:29,040
Speaker 3: people were like, why are you getting Dye Rosario? And

939
00:50:29,080 --> 00:50:34,000
Speaker 3: they got him for nothing. They gave Pablo uh Uh

940
00:50:34,520 --> 00:50:38,399
Speaker 3: Sandoval to Cleveland. Santoval at that point was completely done

941
00:50:38,440 --> 00:50:40,160
Speaker 3: with the Braves. He'd had like five inch at home

942
00:50:40,200 --> 00:50:42,080
Speaker 3: runs early in the season or three Hall pitches and

943
00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:45,399
Speaker 3: then nothing, nothing else. He was done. Cleveland took him

944
00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:47,080
Speaker 3: and greed they were just going to drop him as

945
00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:48,480
Speaker 3: soon as they got him. It was just a It

946
00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:51,719
Speaker 3: was a total salary dump for Cleveland sending Rosario to

947
00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:54,160
Speaker 3: the Braves. He ends up being the NLCS MVP for

948
00:50:54,239 --> 00:50:55,719
Speaker 3: him and they signed it to year deal in the

949
00:50:55,760 --> 00:50:59,040
Speaker 3: off season, really affordable deal. So you know, Alice has

950
00:50:59,080 --> 00:51:01,320
Speaker 3: done some good moves. See, the only one that's really

951
00:51:01,360 --> 00:51:04,160
Speaker 3: blown up in his face is Marcelo Zuna extension. You're

952
00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:05,680
Speaker 3: not going to hit on every one of them, man,

953
00:51:05,760 --> 00:51:07,840
Speaker 3: And he said on far more than most gems.

954
00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:11,279
Speaker 1: Yeah, you mentioned Azo. Just got to ask you about him.

955
00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:15,120
Speaker 1: Charged with the DUI this week, just over I think

956
00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:18,560
Speaker 1: it was like fourteen months ago, Yeah, fifteen months, Yeah,

957
00:51:18,600 --> 00:51:22,400
Speaker 1: domestic violence dispute. What do you think the Braves do

958
00:51:22,480 --> 00:51:23,360
Speaker 1: with Marcelo Zuna.

959
00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:27,440
Speaker 3: Well, it's never been like them to eat a lot

960
00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:29,800
Speaker 3: of money on a contract. I mean, they've found ways,

961
00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:31,879
Speaker 3: creative ways to get rid of guys, like the Cuban

962
00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:34,239
Speaker 3: third Basement they had years ago that the prospect they

963
00:51:34,280 --> 00:51:36,520
Speaker 3: got that they ended up being not a good player

964
00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:39,080
Speaker 3: at all. Nate A dumpy him after the long term

965
00:51:39,120 --> 00:51:45,160
Speaker 3: deal he had signed with Ozuna. Though, It's like, it's

966
00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:47,359
Speaker 3: not just that he's been bad, it's that he's got

967
00:51:47,400 --> 00:51:53,480
Speaker 3: these unseemly you know, the domestic violence thing is if

968
00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:56,120
Speaker 3: it hadn't been for the Braves going on the run,

969
00:51:56,160 --> 00:51:59,279
Speaker 3: they did that happening in June, the fans didn't even

970
00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:02,319
Speaker 3: see him again till this year, and by then they've

971
00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:04,520
Speaker 3: won a World Series. They're like, okay, what the hell

972
00:52:04,560 --> 00:52:06,960
Speaker 3: they and so he comes back out and they, you know,

973
00:52:07,440 --> 00:52:09,680
Speaker 3: they were willing to take him on again. But if

974
00:52:09,719 --> 00:52:11,839
Speaker 3: it had happened in the middle of the season and they

975
00:52:11,920 --> 00:52:14,080
Speaker 3: tried to continue playing him, that had been one thing.

976
00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:15,680
Speaker 3: But he got suspended for the rest of the year,

977
00:52:15,719 --> 00:52:17,200
Speaker 3: and he was injured at the time it happened, that

978
00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:21,360
Speaker 3: domestic violence thing. So but this year he's playing terrible.

979
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:24,120
Speaker 3: He's hitting barely his weight again, he's got a you know,

980
00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:26,520
Speaker 3: six hundred ops. The only thing he's done is hit

981
00:52:26,560 --> 00:52:29,160
Speaker 3: twenty homers. I mean, that's no small feet. But he's

982
00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:33,600
Speaker 3: played terrible defense, hit two thirteen or something. It's just

983
00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:36,440
Speaker 3: not been good. So then he goes out after not

984
00:52:36,520 --> 00:52:39,319
Speaker 3: playing for four days and gets arrested at three point

985
00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:43,400
Speaker 3: thirty in the morning on a dui charge in suburban Atlanta,

986
00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:48,440
Speaker 3: and it just looks terrible. I mean it looks awful.

987
00:52:48,560 --> 00:52:50,760
Speaker 3: The same guy that had been on six months probation

988
00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:55,200
Speaker 3: had those charges drop because he entered a diversion program,

989
00:52:55,440 --> 00:53:00,040
Speaker 3: you know, And now the braves are looking at I

990
00:53:00,080 --> 00:53:03,200
Speaker 3: got talked about this on our podcast. Okay, yeah, it's

991
00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:05,719
Speaker 3: forty one million dollars, but you're not in the same

992
00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:07,839
Speaker 3: position you were at a year ago when you had

993
00:53:07,880 --> 00:53:10,359
Speaker 3: domestic violence thing. You opened fifty three million dollars. You're

994
00:53:10,400 --> 00:53:13,400
Speaker 3: now raking in the dough. You won a World Series.

995
00:53:13,719 --> 00:53:18,200
Speaker 3: Attendance is booming, profits are through the roof. You've signed

996
00:53:18,239 --> 00:53:20,759
Speaker 3: these kids, You've signed all these guys to these long

997
00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:22,640
Speaker 3: term extensions. The way I look at it, if it's

998
00:53:22,680 --> 00:53:24,120
Speaker 3: a bottom line thing, you don't want to give up

999
00:53:24,160 --> 00:53:26,080
Speaker 3: forty one million. Look at the back end of some

1000
00:53:26,120 --> 00:53:29,640
Speaker 3: of these contracts, like Ocunya's, Riley's. You literally on Ustin

1001
00:53:29,680 --> 00:53:31,560
Speaker 3: Riley are going to be saved more than forty million

1002
00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:33,640
Speaker 3: dollars in two years on the back end of his

1003
00:53:33,719 --> 00:53:35,560
Speaker 3: contract than what you would have paid him if he'd

1004
00:53:35,600 --> 00:53:39,719
Speaker 3: gone free agency. So to me, forty one million dollars. Yeah,

1005
00:53:39,719 --> 00:53:44,320
Speaker 3: it's a lot, but this guy's is editioned by subtraction

1006
00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:46,480
Speaker 3: with this guy at this point, and I think you

1007
00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:50,279
Speaker 3: got to do it. The other thing is, how about

1008
00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:52,600
Speaker 3: if you keep him? It was one thing you were

1009
00:53:52,640 --> 00:53:55,120
Speaker 3: taking on the risk after domestic violence of keeping him,

1010
00:53:55,360 --> 00:53:57,799
Speaker 3: and then something happens again like that, and then you

1011
00:53:57,840 --> 00:54:00,879
Speaker 3: look really bad. But how are you keeping him after

1012
00:54:00,920 --> 00:54:05,200
Speaker 3: a dui? How about God forbid he goes out and

1013
00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:09,120
Speaker 3: has another one and somebody gets hurt. How bad is

1014
00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:12,000
Speaker 3: the organization going to look for looking the other way

1015
00:54:12,000 --> 00:54:14,640
Speaker 3: after the domestic violence? Give him a second chance after

1016
00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:17,359
Speaker 3: the duy and then he goes on to something like that.

1017
00:54:17,520 --> 00:54:19,680
Speaker 3: I think that all plays into the calculus now when

1018
00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:21,680
Speaker 3: you're figuring out what you got to do, and I

1019
00:54:21,719 --> 00:54:23,399
Speaker 3: don't think you can afford to take that risk.

1020
00:54:23,719 --> 00:54:25,799
Speaker 1: Yeah, in his first game since that.

1021
00:54:26,200 --> 00:54:27,200
Speaker 3: And go boo today.

1022
00:54:27,280 --> 00:54:29,839
Speaker 1: Yeah, he got booed here on Sundays, lost e late

1023
00:54:30,560 --> 00:54:31,799
Speaker 1: multiple times as he can.

1024
00:54:31,840 --> 00:54:33,600
Speaker 3: And that doesn't happen in Atlanta. Atlanta's kind of like

1025
00:54:33,640 --> 00:54:35,799
Speaker 3: Saint Louis. They don't boo their own you know.

1026
00:54:36,600 --> 00:54:38,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, a couple times for sure. Well let's end this

1027
00:54:39,040 --> 00:54:42,240
Speaker 1: interview here on a positive note because Mike Soroka, twenty

1028
00:54:42,239 --> 00:54:45,120
Speaker 1: five year old Canadian, he's back on the hill, trying

1029
00:54:45,120 --> 00:54:47,279
Speaker 1: to rehab after being injured for a couple of years.

1030
00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:50,160
Speaker 1: He's a twenty nineteen All Star. He's only twenty five. Now,

1031
00:54:51,640 --> 00:54:54,200
Speaker 1: can you tell us about what he where he is

1032
00:54:54,200 --> 00:54:58,000
Speaker 1: in his comeback attempt and if he will contribute this

1033
00:54:58,120 --> 00:54:59,560
Speaker 1: season on the Brace team.

1034
00:54:59,640 --> 00:55:03,239
Speaker 3: Well, I've gone from two weeks ago thinking I've got

1035
00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:04,880
Speaker 3: to be lucky if he gets back and pitches a

1036
00:55:04,920 --> 00:55:07,439
Speaker 3: few innings in relief and feels good about himself. That way,

1037
00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,920
Speaker 3: they can see him know that next year he can

1038
00:55:09,920 --> 00:55:12,600
Speaker 3: be a factor and they'll tender on a contract now season,

1039
00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:15,279
Speaker 3: I've gone from that to after he makes his start.

1040
00:55:15,360 --> 00:55:17,279
Speaker 3: His first start last week was at High A Rome

1041
00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:22,320
Speaker 3: and he was terrific, surpassed all expectations. Pitched four innings,

1042
00:55:22,560 --> 00:55:25,920
Speaker 3: struck out eight of the first nine guys, gave up

1043
00:55:26,040 --> 00:55:28,080
Speaker 3: one hit and that was like in the fourth inning,

1044
00:55:28,160 --> 00:55:32,720
Speaker 3: soft hit, no walks. I mean, he was outstanding. His sinker.

1045
00:55:32,760 --> 00:55:34,600
Speaker 3: He said it was as good as it's ever been.

1046
00:55:35,080 --> 00:55:36,680
Speaker 3: He said, I felt like I could get Major League

1047
00:55:36,680 --> 00:55:40,080
Speaker 3: geitterers out that night. Okay, so I go after that start,

1048
00:55:40,120 --> 00:55:43,160
Speaker 3: I'm thinking, Okay, this guy can build on that. There's

1049
00:55:43,200 --> 00:55:45,839
Speaker 3: no reason he can't maybe be in the rotation at

1050
00:55:45,840 --> 00:55:47,480
Speaker 3: the end of the year, you know. I mean, if

1051
00:55:47,520 --> 00:55:50,200
Speaker 3: he's got another the thirty day reheb assignment, if they

1052
00:55:50,360 --> 00:55:52,600
Speaker 3: use the whole thing, he can build up, get up

1053
00:55:52,600 --> 00:55:55,719
Speaker 3: to about eighty pitches or whatever. Okay, So flash forward

1054
00:55:55,760 --> 00:55:57,960
Speaker 3: to today, he makes his second We have started triple A,

1055
00:55:58,560 --> 00:56:01,319
Speaker 3: and it's a lot more kind of real, you know.

1056
00:56:01,360 --> 00:56:02,879
Speaker 3: I think he went three and a third, give up

1057
00:56:02,920 --> 00:56:06,480
Speaker 3: six hits, a couple of runs, no strikeouts today, went

1058
00:56:06,520 --> 00:56:09,000
Speaker 3: from eight strikeouts in four inch to none today. So

1059
00:56:10,040 --> 00:56:13,560
Speaker 3: somewhere in the middle is probably happy. Is probably where

1060
00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:15,719
Speaker 3: he really is. So I think we will leave to

1061
00:56:15,760 --> 00:56:17,600
Speaker 3: see what he has in the next couple of starts.

1062
00:56:17,760 --> 00:56:22,600
Speaker 3: But this guy is super talented. He's done everything possible

1063
00:56:22,640 --> 00:56:25,919
Speaker 3: to get back from this. He's got achilles now that's

1064
00:56:25,960 --> 00:56:30,240
Speaker 3: twice been surgically repaired three times, two times complete repair,

1065
00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:33,080
Speaker 3: but three surgeries and all almost a cleanup. And it's

1066
00:56:33,120 --> 00:56:39,160
Speaker 3: so wrapped so much. They took a hamstring tendon from

1067
00:56:39,160 --> 00:56:41,120
Speaker 3: a cadaver. I think I wrapped it so many times

1068
00:56:41,160 --> 00:56:44,600
Speaker 3: around the Achilles that really, I don't know that it's

1069
00:56:44,640 --> 00:56:47,080
Speaker 3: possible that it could even tear again. They wanted to

1070
00:56:47,120 --> 00:56:50,520
Speaker 3: make sure that, you know, I mean he runs. He

1071
00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:52,520
Speaker 3: doesn't run very fast now, but he never really did.

1072
00:56:52,680 --> 00:56:54,600
Speaker 3: He doesn't really need to do that. He's not going

1073
00:56:54,680 --> 00:56:57,040
Speaker 3: to be dunk in any basketballs. But I think he's

1074
00:56:57,080 --> 00:57:00,640
Speaker 3: safe with that knock on wood and arm is great,

1075
00:57:00,640 --> 00:57:02,719
Speaker 3: and he's put on it looks like he's put on

1076
00:57:02,760 --> 00:57:05,560
Speaker 3: fifteen pounds of muscle. I mean, he's just really put

1077
00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:11,200
Speaker 3: together now, really well conditioned. During this time, he's used

1078
00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:14,120
Speaker 3: it wisely. I think he could come back at the

1079
00:57:14,200 --> 00:57:18,160
Speaker 3: end of the year. And you know they're only going

1080
00:57:18,160 --> 00:57:20,760
Speaker 3: to need four starters for the for the playoffs.

1081
00:57:20,840 --> 00:57:22,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, what do they do here?

1082
00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:25,640
Speaker 3: You need four starters. Here's the thing. Strider's at one

1083
00:57:25,680 --> 00:57:28,440
Speaker 3: hundred innings. He's always gone over his career high. But

1084
00:57:28,480 --> 00:57:32,440
Speaker 3: he's strong, he's in great shape, the incredible conditioned guy.

1085
00:57:32,480 --> 00:57:35,320
Speaker 3: As far as stretching all that, Strader don't think there's

1086
00:57:35,320 --> 00:57:37,080
Speaker 3: any reason why he needs to come out of the rotation.

1087
00:57:37,120 --> 00:57:39,080
Speaker 3: And the brads are say there's no, there's no innings.

1088
00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:41,760
Speaker 3: The limit they're just going to monitor it. But if

1089
00:57:41,760 --> 00:57:44,440
Speaker 3: you had to, not as a demotion or anything. But

1090
00:57:44,480 --> 00:57:46,400
Speaker 3: they had Strader into the bullpen early on, and he

1091
00:57:46,480 --> 00:57:48,640
Speaker 3: was like a young Josh Hater going two innings. I

1092
00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:52,320
Speaker 3: leverage innings if you have, because you got Max Free,

1093
00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:55,400
Speaker 3: Charlie Bourdon and Kyle Wright, that's three of the starters.

1094
00:57:56,640 --> 00:57:59,560
Speaker 3: If Soroka were to come back, or if he and

1095
00:57:59,560 --> 00:58:01,680
Speaker 3: Anderson to pitch well, you know down the stretch. But

1096
00:58:01,720 --> 00:58:03,480
Speaker 3: if if Soroka were to come back and you're able

1097
00:58:03,520 --> 00:58:06,439
Speaker 3: to use him in a starting role, it's a big if.

1098
00:58:06,440 --> 00:58:08,040
Speaker 3: But if he and Anderson doesn't either one of them,

1099
00:58:08,480 --> 00:58:11,560
Speaker 3: you could move Strider to the pin for the playoffs

1100
00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:16,160
Speaker 3: and use that guy in multi inning high leverage like

1101
00:58:16,520 --> 00:58:18,280
Speaker 3: the eighth in the ninth inning of a game. If

1102
00:58:18,360 --> 00:58:21,240
Speaker 3: Kenley's down a game, you know, then you got Rossel

1103
00:58:21,680 --> 00:58:24,000
Speaker 3: Iglesias from the Angels their closer too. You got him

1104
00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:26,320
Speaker 3: now too. But if you could use Strider, because the

1105
00:58:26,360 --> 00:58:28,680
Speaker 3: boatmen's shown a little wear and tear. Now some guys

1106
00:58:28,680 --> 00:58:31,520
Speaker 3: that were pitching really well have kind of started to

1107
00:58:31,520 --> 00:58:35,439
Speaker 3: show a little, like Dylan Lee, Jackson Stevens not quite

1108
00:58:35,440 --> 00:58:38,360
Speaker 3: as lockdown as they were Matt's it's still trying to

1109
00:58:38,360 --> 00:58:39,200
Speaker 3: put it back together.

1110
00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:42,400
Speaker 1: So so Stritder is a bit of a piggyback guy.

1111
00:58:42,480 --> 00:58:44,720
Speaker 3: Potentially that's a piece man. You could put him in

1112
00:58:44,800 --> 00:58:47,240
Speaker 3: that in a bullpen and really alleviate a lot of

1113
00:58:47,240 --> 00:58:49,760
Speaker 3: pressure because if you got that guy going there and

1114
00:58:49,800 --> 00:58:51,240
Speaker 3: just said let it eat man, he's in there throwing

1115
00:58:51,240 --> 00:58:53,720
Speaker 3: one hundred and one in two inning roles because he's

1116
00:58:53,760 --> 00:58:56,840
Speaker 3: throwing ninety nine one hundred as a starter. Yeah, if

1117
00:58:56,840 --> 00:58:58,480
Speaker 3: he's in a bullpen for two innings, I mean he's

1118
00:58:58,480 --> 00:59:00,400
Speaker 3: in there throwing one hundred and one, just low and

1119
00:59:00,520 --> 00:59:03,360
Speaker 3: guys away so they can't catch up to his fastball

1120
00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:07,680
Speaker 3: coming from five, five eleven or six foot where he is,

1121
00:59:08,720 --> 00:59:12,400
Speaker 3: and with that six foot six extension, it's like another

1122
00:59:12,400 --> 00:59:15,520
Speaker 3: half foot extension. He gets really low with these massive

1123
00:59:15,600 --> 00:59:18,400
Speaker 3: thighs he's got, and he comes in from like Kimberle

1124
00:59:18,520 --> 00:59:20,640
Speaker 3: used to at Kimberll's Peak, and it's just a different

1125
00:59:20,680 --> 00:59:22,680
Speaker 3: angle in the fastball than these other guys that throw

1126
00:59:22,680 --> 00:59:25,600
Speaker 3: one hundred or all six foot four. He's six foot

1127
00:59:26,120 --> 00:59:28,720
Speaker 3: and he's got such spin on it. He's got really

1128
00:59:28,760 --> 00:59:31,600
Speaker 3: good spin on his fastball that he's got the visual

1129
00:59:31,600 --> 00:59:35,000
Speaker 3: effect of looking like it's rising. It's not actually rising,

1130
00:59:35,280 --> 00:59:37,440
Speaker 3: but that angle it's coming at it's not going down,

1131
00:59:37,680 --> 00:59:39,280
Speaker 3: and he throws one hundred and one, so it's going

1132
00:59:39,320 --> 00:59:42,160
Speaker 3: straight and guys just can't catch up to it. They're

1133
00:59:42,160 --> 00:59:43,800
Speaker 3: not used to seeing that angle at all, and he

1134
00:59:43,920 --> 00:59:45,200
Speaker 3: just blows guys away.

1135
00:59:45,440 --> 00:59:49,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, people's impressive. Continue to expect him to drop off

1136
00:59:49,200 --> 00:59:51,360
Speaker 1: because he was earlier, because he's a two pitch guy.

1137
00:59:51,200 --> 00:59:53,080
Speaker 3: But yeah, it ain't happening. Man.

1138
00:59:53,120 --> 00:59:56,480
Speaker 1: The heat is still flying by guys, So that is interesting.

1139
00:59:56,520 --> 00:59:58,920
Speaker 1: But yeah, Mike's rookie really changes the calculus of a

1140
00:59:58,960 --> 01:00:03,240
Speaker 1: team because yeah, we'll see okay phenomenal. Yeah, he's not

1141
01:00:03,320 --> 01:00:05,080
Speaker 1: dunk in basketballs, as you said, but there is a

1142
01:00:05,120 --> 01:00:08,360
Speaker 1: basketball tie good story. His dad is sending him videos

1143
01:00:08,400 --> 01:00:12,680
Speaker 1: of Kobe Bryant and and his mindset about when sort

1144
01:00:12,720 --> 01:00:16,640
Speaker 1: of seeps in what he used to think of, and

1145
01:00:16,680 --> 01:00:19,400
Speaker 1: so that's helped him, uh, you know, get through these

1146
01:00:19,760 --> 01:00:22,720
Speaker 1: trouble times. As you said twice, torn Achilles Tenant.

1147
01:00:22,520 --> 01:00:25,320
Speaker 3: Do he's been through hell, not many guys could get

1148
01:00:25,320 --> 01:00:27,960
Speaker 3: through that and maintain a positive outlook. That this guy's

1149
01:00:28,120 --> 01:00:30,080
Speaker 3: one of the more positive guys you'll ever made it's

1150
01:00:30,080 --> 01:00:32,960
Speaker 3: a great guy, really affable dude. Just everybody loves him

1151
01:00:33,240 --> 01:00:35,480
Speaker 3: and he has never gotten negative in this. If he did,

1152
01:00:35,480 --> 01:00:38,880
Speaker 3: he kept it to himself. I mean two years of rehab.

1153
01:00:39,000 --> 01:00:42,360
Speaker 3: He has not pitched in two years. To completely.

1154
01:00:42,560 --> 01:00:45,400
Speaker 1: He's just a good old Canadian boy. He is man.

1155
01:00:45,400 --> 01:00:47,439
Speaker 3: I haven't met too many Canadians I didn't like. They're

1156
01:00:47,520 --> 01:00:47,960
Speaker 3: good people.

1157
01:00:48,000 --> 01:00:49,760
Speaker 1: I agree with you. I agree with you on that.

1158
01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:52,440
Speaker 1: Thank you David so much for coming on Brave for

1159
01:00:52,480 --> 01:00:54,880
Speaker 1: the Athletic seven to five to five is Real podcast.

1160
01:00:54,960 --> 01:00:57,840
Speaker 1: Really appreciate it coming on, David. All right, thanks, no

1161
01:00:57,880 --> 01:01:00,600
Speaker 1: problem at all. Quick break here, but if you want

1162
01:01:00,640 --> 01:01:04,560
Speaker 1: to hear about a reporter injuring himself on a slide,

1163
01:01:04,920 --> 01:01:10,400
Speaker 1: stay tuned. Welcome back to No Bunts. I did want

1164
01:01:10,440 --> 01:01:12,240
Speaker 1: to say before we get to the five best Things

1165
01:01:12,240 --> 01:01:13,960
Speaker 1: in Baseball that one of the best things in baseball

1166
01:01:13,960 --> 01:01:17,120
Speaker 1: this week was watching Albert Pujols and his forty two

1167
01:01:17,240 --> 01:01:21,440
Speaker 1: year old swing hit two dingers in one game, becoming

1168
01:01:21,480 --> 01:01:25,200
Speaker 1: the oldest player in MLB history to have two dingers

1169
01:01:25,240 --> 01:01:27,840
Speaker 1: and four hits in one game. But I already had

1170
01:01:27,840 --> 01:01:31,080
Speaker 1: my five best things in baseball. Planned couldn't straight from

1171
01:01:31,080 --> 01:01:33,320
Speaker 1: it whatsoever. So JD, let's get to that five best

1172
01:01:33,360 --> 01:01:41,240
Speaker 1: things in Baseball this week, and we kind of had

1173
01:01:41,280 --> 01:01:43,320
Speaker 1: a theme, and they're all sort of quirky. They weren't

1174
01:01:43,400 --> 01:01:47,120
Speaker 1: real baseball type stuff, so I had to go with it.

1175
01:01:47,960 --> 01:01:51,280
Speaker 1: We love themes here, You're right, we do. It's kind

1176
01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:55,520
Speaker 1: of tied together. I guess at number one, a cell

1177
01:01:55,520 --> 01:01:58,919
Speaker 1: phone dropped out of the pocket of a player as

1178
01:01:58,920 --> 01:02:02,880
Speaker 1: he slid head first into third base. This is real,

1179
01:02:03,640 --> 01:02:05,440
Speaker 1: kind of surprised that it doesn't happen a little bit

1180
01:02:05,440 --> 01:02:10,440
Speaker 1: more often in sports period. But it's clear that this

1181
01:02:10,560 --> 01:02:15,160
Speaker 1: gentleman's pocket. Rodolfel Castro of the Pittsburgh Pirates was carrying

1182
01:02:15,160 --> 01:02:17,800
Speaker 1: his cell phone in his back pocket as he slid

1183
01:02:18,000 --> 01:02:21,480
Speaker 1: headfirst into third because it slipped out. He had no

1184
01:02:21,560 --> 01:02:24,320
Speaker 1: idea that it slipped out of his pocket. It hit

1185
01:02:24,360 --> 01:02:28,680
Speaker 1: the base. The umpire noticed and said, hey, hey, you.

1186
01:02:29,320 --> 01:02:31,240
Speaker 1: He was kind of he was going to tell the coach,

1187
01:02:31,320 --> 01:02:34,200
Speaker 1: but he I guess the coach was kind of walking away,

1188
01:02:34,240 --> 01:02:37,479
Speaker 1: so he told Castro. I got to ask you, JD.

1189
01:02:37,680 --> 01:02:39,720
Speaker 1: Do you think there was any punishment for this?

1190
01:02:40,040 --> 01:02:41,240
Speaker 4: Punishment for the player?

1191
01:02:41,920 --> 01:02:43,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, who else would there be punishment for it? I

1192
01:02:43,760 --> 01:02:49,800
Speaker 1: guess the team I suppose yeah, no, I would say no, yeah,

1193
01:02:50,240 --> 01:02:54,880
Speaker 1: what one game suspended? One game in fine for violating

1194
01:02:55,040 --> 01:02:57,120
Speaker 1: MLB policy. Wow.

1195
01:02:57,800 --> 01:03:00,600
Speaker 4: Well, as a person, as a father with two kids

1196
01:03:00,640 --> 01:03:06,600
Speaker 4: who have phones, I'd give him five games on the

1197
01:03:06,600 --> 01:03:07,400
Speaker 4: field with your foot.

1198
01:03:08,680 --> 01:03:11,840
Speaker 1: I don't think you need it, pathetic.

1199
01:03:12,360 --> 01:03:16,160
Speaker 4: That's that screen. What check his screen? Time to check it?

1200
01:03:16,480 --> 01:03:21,160
Speaker 1: Like monitor if he had it open, just in general,

1201
01:03:21,680 --> 01:03:26,240
Speaker 1: if it's over like three hours a day. Well, I

1202
01:03:26,240 --> 01:03:28,040
Speaker 1: was gonna say, you can monitor minute by minute if

1203
01:03:28,080 --> 01:03:30,040
Speaker 1: he had it. What he was looking at in the

1204
01:03:30,120 --> 01:03:33,400
Speaker 1: dugout exactly? He was definitely looking at something because he

1205
01:03:33,440 --> 01:03:36,520
Speaker 1: had his phone on the field. But as we heard

1206
01:03:36,920 --> 01:03:39,360
Speaker 1: Trevor May, New York Met came on the show a

1207
01:03:39,440 --> 01:03:43,080
Speaker 1: couple months ago, guys look at their phones or or

1208
01:03:43,200 --> 01:03:46,000
Speaker 1: actually he was more responsible and he would summon a

1209
01:03:46,040 --> 01:03:49,280
Speaker 1: coach and say, hey, you go find something out for me,

1210
01:03:49,520 --> 01:03:52,560
Speaker 1: right right, that's what you do. Yeah, you're a baseball player.

1211
01:03:52,560 --> 01:03:54,800
Speaker 4: You can't get a coach to check your Instagram.

1212
01:03:54,480 --> 01:03:57,800
Speaker 1: Though, No, and check your DMS.

1213
01:03:58,600 --> 01:04:01,600
Speaker 4: I just mean scroll and general anything interesting on there?

1214
01:04:01,640 --> 01:04:09,040
Speaker 1: Man. What's interesting is that we had two wedgies what

1215
01:04:09,640 --> 01:04:13,439
Speaker 1: in baseball this week? Now? One? I mean they're both

1216
01:04:13,520 --> 01:04:17,920
Speaker 1: minor league wedgies still count, still count, I think, yeah,

1217
01:04:18,000 --> 01:04:20,960
Speaker 1: these are very different types of wedgies. The first one

1218
01:04:21,480 --> 01:04:25,640
Speaker 1: in front of the plate. A ball hit got stuck

1219
01:04:26,520 --> 01:04:28,800
Speaker 1: directly in the dirt in front of the plate and

1220
01:04:28,800 --> 01:04:31,919
Speaker 1: it didn't move. Wow, just like a foot in front

1221
01:04:31,960 --> 01:04:34,680
Speaker 1: of the plate. I guess it was sopping wet there

1222
01:04:34,760 --> 01:04:38,040
Speaker 1: or something. And the catcher went and picked it up.

1223
01:04:38,360 --> 01:04:40,720
Speaker 1: They called it fair and he was out. I mean,

1224
01:04:40,760 --> 01:04:45,000
Speaker 1: it's not mistake. It is fair, right, Yeah, it's fair.

1225
01:04:45,840 --> 01:04:48,560
Speaker 4: I mean it's not fair as in life. Isn't fair. No,

1226
01:04:49,520 --> 01:04:52,120
Speaker 4: but according to the rules of baseball, as far as

1227
01:04:52,160 --> 01:04:52,800
Speaker 4: I know, it's fair.

1228
01:04:52,840 --> 01:04:57,320
Speaker 1: Both. Yeah. Yeah, you follow the rules. You always have,

1229
01:04:57,480 --> 01:04:57,880
Speaker 1: as you know.

1230
01:04:57,960 --> 01:04:59,920
Speaker 4: I'm a serial rules follower.

1231
01:05:00,840 --> 01:05:06,440
Speaker 1: The second weggie was Jay's prospect, Gabrielle Moreno blasted a

1232
01:05:06,480 --> 01:05:11,120
Speaker 1: ball and it got stuck directly in the fence, not

1233
01:05:11,320 --> 01:05:16,440
Speaker 1: in the seams of the fence, but right in the fence.

1234
01:05:16,560 --> 01:05:19,880
Speaker 1: It made a new hole in the fence, and the

1235
01:05:20,000 --> 01:05:23,000
Speaker 1: left fielder played it smart. He played by the rules,

1236
01:05:23,000 --> 01:05:25,000
Speaker 1: put his hands up and said, hey, I can't play it.

1237
01:05:25,080 --> 01:05:27,360
Speaker 1: I can't pull that ball out. It's a ground to

1238
01:05:27,400 --> 01:05:30,200
Speaker 1: roll double. It's smart move. Because if he starts grabbing

1239
01:05:30,240 --> 01:05:32,920
Speaker 1: at it and he can't get it out for some

1240
01:05:32,920 --> 01:05:35,520
Speaker 1: odd reason, then moreno could run the bases and it's

1241
01:05:35,560 --> 01:05:39,080
Speaker 1: a live ball or whatever. But two weggies, one stuck

1242
01:05:39,120 --> 01:05:42,040
Speaker 1: in front of the plate. One yeah, made a new

1243
01:05:42,040 --> 01:05:44,080
Speaker 1: hole in the wall. It's our third weggie of the

1244
01:05:44,160 --> 01:05:47,880
Speaker 1: season because we had another instance in Major League Baseball

1245
01:05:47,920 --> 01:05:49,720
Speaker 1: where the ball was stuck sort of in the seam

1246
01:05:49,800 --> 01:05:53,960
Speaker 1: of the fence and right above it. So there are weggies.

1247
01:05:54,000 --> 01:05:56,280
Speaker 1: There are weggies in basketball and baseball.

1248
01:05:56,320 --> 01:05:58,480
Speaker 4: Obviously, with ed weggie tracker on it, I think we

1249
01:05:58,480 --> 01:05:59,400
Speaker 4: should count them all.

1250
01:06:01,120 --> 01:06:04,360
Speaker 1: Moving on now, Albert Pouhols probably should have replaced this

1251
01:06:04,400 --> 01:06:09,439
Speaker 1: one here for being honest. But I was excited because

1252
01:06:09,440 --> 01:06:13,360
Speaker 1: the Blue Jays Ross Stripling. He came back. The Jays

1253
01:06:13,440 --> 01:06:16,280
Speaker 1: have needed another picture. We talked about Jose Burrios that

1254
01:06:16,320 --> 01:06:20,960
Speaker 1: he's been struggling. Well, Ross Stripling came back to fortify

1255
01:06:21,000 --> 01:06:24,880
Speaker 1: the rotation. He had a great game out there, and

1256
01:06:25,600 --> 01:06:29,080
Speaker 1: head coach or manager John Schneider said after the game,

1257
01:06:29,200 --> 01:06:34,360
Speaker 1: you can call him Bob Ross. He was painting. Wow,

1258
01:06:34,680 --> 01:06:39,880
Speaker 1: well done, John Schneider. Ross Strippling now nicknamed Bob Ross

1259
01:06:39,920 --> 01:06:42,960
Speaker 1: by his manager of all people. You don't usually see

1260
01:06:42,960 --> 01:06:46,200
Speaker 1: the manager with a quip like that, A very very

1261
01:06:46,200 --> 01:06:50,680
Speaker 1: funny one. So we got the photoshop, obviously of Ross

1262
01:06:50,720 --> 01:06:58,520
Speaker 1: Stripling as Bob Ross from Andy on Twitter. Underscore rally

1263
01:06:58,520 --> 01:07:03,840
Speaker 1: cap beautiful, A beautiful ode to both Ross Stripling and

1264
01:07:04,040 --> 01:07:05,280
Speaker 1: Bob Ross.

1265
01:07:05,360 --> 01:07:07,960
Speaker 4: It's a it's a bit of a boomer nickname, let's

1266
01:07:08,000 --> 01:07:12,720
Speaker 4: be honest. I think I don't know, isn't it is

1267
01:07:13,040 --> 01:07:13,600
Speaker 4: Bob Rouss.

1268
01:07:14,440 --> 01:07:18,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I think he came back. Yeah, it's

1269
01:07:18,120 --> 01:07:21,320
Speaker 1: been a bit. I mean, well before is passing, you know,

1270
01:07:21,400 --> 01:07:25,880
Speaker 1: five seven, eight years? Was it a pandemic thing? I

1271
01:07:25,920 --> 01:07:28,200
Speaker 1: think people were just into Bob Ross for a while.

1272
01:07:29,280 --> 01:07:31,880
Speaker 4: It's true. Actually, yeah he did well. I think he

1273
01:07:31,920 --> 01:07:34,600
Speaker 4: was on Netflix right, Yeah, exactly, he came back. I

1274
01:07:34,640 --> 01:07:36,320
Speaker 4: definitely watched a few of those episodes.

1275
01:07:36,760 --> 01:07:41,640
Speaker 1: Very relaxing, very great stuff. Okay, this one we mentioned earlier.

1276
01:07:42,200 --> 01:07:47,800
Speaker 1: A reporter got injured unfortunately. So backstory. When the Milwaukee

1277
01:07:47,880 --> 01:07:50,440
Speaker 1: Brewers hit a home run, their mascot goes down a

1278
01:07:50,560 --> 01:07:55,600
Speaker 1: slide beyond the left field fence. That's their home run celebration.

1279
01:07:56,000 --> 01:07:59,960
Speaker 1: The Dodgers were visiting, and Dodgers reported for Sports net

1280
01:08:00,120 --> 01:08:03,440
Speaker 1: LA David Vssey wanted to do it. He was so

1281
01:08:03,640 --> 01:08:07,720
Speaker 1: pumped to go down the slide himself. So he did,

1282
01:08:08,400 --> 01:08:12,600
Speaker 1: and I first saw it when he he went down,

1283
01:08:13,080 --> 01:08:18,880
Speaker 1: he's yelling holy and he collides with the wall immediately,

1284
01:08:19,720 --> 01:08:23,840
Speaker 1: and it's it's a short slide, it's like one curve,

1285
01:08:23,960 --> 01:08:26,320
Speaker 1: but it's pretty quick and he's going pretty fast and

1286
01:08:26,360 --> 01:08:29,919
Speaker 1: he kind of gets twisted around and he goes shoulder

1287
01:08:30,360 --> 01:08:34,240
Speaker 1: shoulder directly into the mat and then he jumps back on.

1288
01:08:34,360 --> 01:08:37,240
Speaker 1: He doesn't miss a game or anything. He shows up

1289
01:08:37,960 --> 01:08:40,800
Speaker 1: and does his report and there's a funny clip of

1290
01:08:40,880 --> 01:08:44,320
Speaker 1: him saying hi guys as he raises his broken wrist.

1291
01:08:44,880 --> 01:08:47,799
Speaker 1: He's got a cast on his broken wrist from that slide.

1292
01:08:48,040 --> 01:08:50,280
Speaker 1: Not only did he break his wrist, but he cracked

1293
01:08:50,360 --> 01:08:51,120
Speaker 1: six ribs.

1294
01:08:51,360 --> 01:08:52,360
Speaker 4: Oh can you believe that?

1295
01:08:52,880 --> 01:08:53,120
Speaker 1: No?

1296
01:08:53,280 --> 01:08:57,960
Speaker 4: I can't. It looks so it looks innocuous, like, I mean,

1297
01:08:58,000 --> 01:08:59,920
Speaker 4: he hits the wall pretty hard, but it's all past

1298
01:09:00,120 --> 01:09:02,799
Speaker 4: it and stuff. But if you look, he's got he's

1299
01:09:02,840 --> 01:09:05,840
Speaker 4: definitely in an awkward position when he when he hits

1300
01:09:05,880 --> 01:09:06,240
Speaker 4: the wall.

1301
01:09:06,360 --> 01:09:10,840
Speaker 1: I mean it's no, he's in a vulnerable position and all.

1302
01:09:10,800 --> 01:09:14,040
Speaker 4: His body weight is right up against that wrist. I

1303
01:09:14,080 --> 01:09:17,400
Speaker 4: mean the wrist, I'm not surprised, but the the ribs,

1304
01:09:17,479 --> 01:09:20,720
Speaker 4: yeah yeah, and he's clutching his ribs there too.

1305
01:09:20,840 --> 01:09:23,120
Speaker 1: It's now seeing it again, I could see how his

1306
01:09:23,200 --> 01:09:24,200
Speaker 1: wrist got kind of.

1307
01:09:24,280 --> 01:09:26,720
Speaker 4: Yeah, just kind of got behind him and all his

1308
01:09:26,840 --> 01:09:29,960
Speaker 4: body weight goes into it. It's a funny shot that

1309
01:09:30,080 --> 01:09:30,719
Speaker 4: left the cast.

1310
01:09:30,840 --> 01:09:34,759
Speaker 1: Yeah, it is very funny. You know, it's how funny

1311
01:09:36,240 --> 01:09:38,639
Speaker 1: talking about a man breaking his wrist under six ribs,

1312
01:09:39,000 --> 01:09:41,440
Speaker 1: But it's he made it funny afterwards.

1313
01:09:41,439 --> 01:09:43,120
Speaker 4: Oh, it's the bounce back that's the best thing.

1314
01:09:43,240 --> 01:09:49,960
Speaker 1: Yes, it's not the well, that part's funny, but I

1315
01:09:50,000 --> 01:09:53,719
Speaker 1: guess it wasn't It wasn't you know, regular human proof.

1316
01:09:53,920 --> 01:09:56,240
Speaker 1: That's like, I guess because it's a mascot who goes

1317
01:09:56,280 --> 01:09:56,600
Speaker 1: down it.

1318
01:09:57,560 --> 01:10:01,800
Speaker 4: And as we know having met well, the basketball mascots

1319
01:10:01,840 --> 01:10:04,800
Speaker 4: are super athletes. You know, we're meeting Benny the Bull

1320
01:10:04,880 --> 01:10:06,799
Speaker 4: that time, and the Raptor is one of our faves.

1321
01:10:07,200 --> 01:10:11,080
Speaker 4: I mean, these guys are elite athletes, so they're used

1322
01:10:11,080 --> 01:10:14,639
Speaker 4: to it and stunt people really and they know how

1323
01:10:14,680 --> 01:10:17,240
Speaker 4: to You can't just go down a slide like that.

1324
01:10:17,360 --> 01:10:20,439
Speaker 4: It's not I don't think that slides to code, right,

1325
01:10:21,680 --> 01:10:24,519
Speaker 4: You can't just go down to slide. It's a slide. Yeah,

1326
01:10:24,720 --> 01:10:27,799
Speaker 4: well obviously not broke six ribs and his wrist.

1327
01:10:28,880 --> 01:10:32,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just I never feel bad for mascots like

1328
01:10:32,360 --> 01:10:36,200
Speaker 1: we had. We had Kenny beacham on earlier this year.

1329
01:10:36,720 --> 01:10:38,599
Speaker 1: He threw out a first pitch of the White Sox game.

1330
01:10:38,960 --> 01:10:41,439
Speaker 1: They told him, don't throw it too hard to the

1331
01:10:41,479 --> 01:10:44,720
Speaker 1: mascot who's your receiver, because he can't really see out

1332
01:10:44,760 --> 01:10:50,080
Speaker 1: of his eyes the head. Yeah, but if you hit

1333
01:10:50,160 --> 01:10:51,960
Speaker 1: him in the head, it's not gonna hurt.

1334
01:10:52,120 --> 01:10:53,520
Speaker 4: No, it is gonna look bad.

1335
01:10:53,760 --> 01:10:55,360
Speaker 1: Oh I suppose.

1336
01:10:55,720 --> 01:10:58,519
Speaker 4: But yeah, you're right, he's not gonna I don't know.

1337
01:10:59,080 --> 01:10:59,920
Speaker 4: Is he wearing a cup?

1338
01:11:02,400 --> 01:11:06,519
Speaker 1: Who knows that? That's a great question, JD. I was

1339
01:11:06,680 --> 01:11:09,880
Speaker 1: since I've been playing softball, I saw a stray cup

1340
01:11:11,760 --> 01:11:14,800
Speaker 1: on the pavement, as you do. Yeah, exactly. It was

1341
01:11:14,840 --> 01:11:17,320
Speaker 1: so odd, so odd to see a cup out there

1342
01:11:17,360 --> 01:11:21,720
Speaker 1: in the wild, just left there. Do you think I

1343
01:11:21,760 --> 01:11:22,240
Speaker 1: picked it up?

1344
01:11:23,240 --> 01:11:25,320
Speaker 4: I think you did, and you filled it with water

1345
01:11:25,360 --> 01:11:28,559
Speaker 4: and it's like a sip because after your marathon you're

1346
01:11:28,720 --> 01:11:29,519
Speaker 4: so thirsty.

1347
01:11:30,360 --> 01:11:33,720
Speaker 1: Well done, Well done, Jad. Also well done to the

1348
01:11:33,760 --> 01:11:38,439
Speaker 1: giants Joey Bart, who had the perfect bunt, and he's

1349
01:11:38,439 --> 01:11:42,479
Speaker 1: a catcher as well, laying down a bun and it

1350
01:11:42,600 --> 01:11:47,519
Speaker 1: was perfect because it rolled down the third baseline and

1351
01:11:47,560 --> 01:11:51,360
Speaker 1: it made direct contact with the bass the third basement.

1352
01:11:51,400 --> 01:11:53,839
Speaker 1: I guess had so much respect for Joey Bart's speed

1353
01:11:54,120 --> 01:11:55,760
Speaker 1: that he didn't even try and make the play. He thought,

1354
01:11:56,000 --> 01:11:58,080
Speaker 1: I'm going to try and let it go foul. Yeah,

1355
01:11:58,120 --> 01:12:00,400
Speaker 1: I guess Joey Bart's a fast catcher. I mean I

1356
01:12:00,400 --> 01:12:04,160
Speaker 1: brought that up because, yeah, you know, and my day

1357
01:12:04,160 --> 01:12:06,439
Speaker 1: catchers didn't lay down buns to try and have a

1358
01:12:06,479 --> 01:12:08,840
Speaker 1: base hit. But it was the perfect butnt. It's no

1359
01:12:08,960 --> 01:12:11,120
Speaker 1: bunts here, so I had to include it hits the base.

1360
01:12:11,439 --> 01:12:14,320
Speaker 1: It's a base hit baby, through and through. So a

1361
01:12:14,360 --> 01:12:15,559
Speaker 1: pretty beautiful butt.

1362
01:12:15,840 --> 01:12:18,240
Speaker 4: Since we started this show, there's actually been a lot

1363
01:12:18,240 --> 01:12:21,599
Speaker 4: of buns talk ever since we started.

1364
01:12:22,280 --> 01:12:24,320
Speaker 1: There's no doubt about it. It comes up a lot

1365
01:12:24,360 --> 01:12:26,240
Speaker 1: more than I thought it would. Yeah, part of the

1366
01:12:26,320 --> 01:12:30,920
Speaker 1: name is in the name. Is that the fact that

1367
01:12:30,960 --> 01:12:36,120
Speaker 1: I love butts. I've always loved the art of the butnt. Yeah,

1368
01:12:36,200 --> 01:12:38,240
Speaker 1: so it was inevitable.

1369
01:12:38,720 --> 01:12:40,679
Speaker 4: The few times that I've played, I've always thought, okay,

1370
01:12:40,680 --> 01:12:42,320
Speaker 4: I'd be really good at it because you can hold

1371
01:12:42,320 --> 01:12:45,240
Speaker 4: the bat like you know, up you choke up on

1372
01:12:45,320 --> 01:12:47,760
Speaker 4: it and just sort of lean into it, put your

1373
01:12:47,760 --> 01:12:48,680
Speaker 4: body in front of it.

1374
01:12:48,840 --> 01:12:52,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it doesn't. It's it's hand eye coordination. It's

1375
01:12:52,479 --> 01:12:56,960
Speaker 1: not like you don't have to be that fluid with them.

1376
01:12:57,040 --> 01:12:59,240
Speaker 4: No, No, you just had to start to have to

1377
01:12:59,280 --> 01:12:59,920
Speaker 4: knock it down.

1378
01:13:00,040 --> 01:13:04,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're catching it. Really, it's fun. It's fun. I

1379
01:13:04,760 --> 01:13:06,439
Speaker 1: miss it. I think bunts are way down.

1380
01:13:06,560 --> 01:13:08,080
Speaker 4: Do you buy do you a bunt in softball?

1381
01:13:08,479 --> 01:13:09,840
Speaker 1: No, it's softball.

1382
01:13:10,040 --> 01:13:10,479
Speaker 4: I don't know.

1383
01:13:11,280 --> 01:13:14,960
Speaker 1: No, it's not competitive. I mean it's I guess you'd

1384
01:13:14,960 --> 01:13:19,479
Speaker 1: call it competitive. It's you're not bunting to sacrifice yourself

1385
01:13:19,479 --> 01:13:21,519
Speaker 1: to get other people do or no, or trying to

1386
01:13:21,520 --> 01:13:25,320
Speaker 1: get on base. You swing the softball stick. Nah, yeah,

1387
01:13:25,360 --> 01:13:29,200
Speaker 1: there's none of that. Okay, I wonder i'd say even

1388
01:13:29,200 --> 01:13:32,080
Speaker 1: in fast pitch there's bunting. Actually, no, there's bunting in

1389
01:13:32,120 --> 01:13:35,479
Speaker 1: fast pitch softball if I'm not mistaken. So there you

1390
01:13:35,920 --> 01:13:37,200
Speaker 1: fair question, A fair question.

1391
01:13:37,280 --> 01:13:39,760
Speaker 4: Thank you, thank you. I'm learning every day on the show,

1392
01:13:41,000 --> 01:13:43,920
Speaker 4: but I play beer league softball, so no.

1393
01:13:44,920 --> 01:13:48,160
Speaker 1: Anyways, thank you to Chris Kirshner for coming on the show.

1394
01:13:48,200 --> 01:13:50,599
Speaker 1: That was fantastic. Thank you to David O'Brien for coming

1395
01:13:50,680 --> 01:13:52,479
Speaker 1: on the show. You can read both of their stuff

1396
01:13:52,920 --> 01:13:57,160
Speaker 1: at The Athletic. Make sure to check out No Breaks

1397
01:13:58,160 --> 01:14:01,719
Speaker 1: Is This good? And we've got a No Dunk's episode

1398
01:14:01,880 --> 01:14:05,200
Speaker 1: about NBA jam duos coming this week, so be sure

1399
01:14:05,600 --> 01:14:09,519
Speaker 1: to check that out. But for NOWT Clipper Bros.

1400
01:14:09,760 --> 01:14:12,360
Speaker 3: You heard it here first, have a great time turn up.

1401
01:14:12,520 --> 01:14:14,240
Speaker 3: Love you guys awesome.

1402
01:14:14,160 --> 01:14:17,400
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, and remember the uglier your feet,

1403
01:14:18,040 --> 01:14:19,800
Speaker 1: the more shit you've seen.

1404
01:14:21,960 --> 01:14:24,000
Speaker 4: Embrace the bumps, people,