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

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

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

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

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Speaker 1: voter number seven, Rob Parker.

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Speaker 2: Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. What

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Speaker 2: a show we have for you today. Milwaukee Brewers closer

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Speaker 2: Devin Williams stops by. He'll talk about his progress from

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Speaker 2: his injury and win he might return. Also Jalen Thompson,

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Speaker 2: he covers the Kansas City Royals for the Kansas City Star.

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Speaker 3: Plus foul a fair, Let's go.

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Speaker 1: Better up to lead off, it's getting robbed and keep

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Speaker 1: him out. Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories

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Speaker 1: in Major League Baseball. Number one.

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Speaker 2: The Baseball All Star Game is five days away in

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Speaker 2: all linin globalife feel and you know what, I've come

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Speaker 2: to the realization that Paul Skeens, the pitching phenom from

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Speaker 2: the Pittsburgh Pirates, should start the All Star Game for

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Speaker 2: the National League.

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Speaker 3: And Chris Sales.

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Speaker 2: You know, no one has been humping Chris Sale more

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Speaker 2: than me with the Atlanta Braves and has comeback to

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Speaker 2: form from his days with the White Sox and the

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Speaker 2: Red Sox and where he is now. But Skeens has

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Speaker 2: been incredible when you think about eleven starts in his

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Speaker 2: big league career and what he's been able to do,

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Speaker 2: and then when you start to look at the history,

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Speaker 2: this is not like some flash in the pan. This

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Speaker 2: guy has seventy eight strikeouts in his first ten appearance,

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Speaker 2: which is pretty incredible. And when you start looking at

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Speaker 2: some of the other names of guys who you know

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Speaker 2: have done stuff like that. Carrie Wood had ninety four,

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Speaker 2: Dwight Gooden had eighty, Judeo Nomo had eighty three, read

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Speaker 2: Steven Strasburg had seventy nine. These are top level pitchers.

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Speaker 2: It's not like some name of some guy that we

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Speaker 2: don't know just had a fluke start to his career

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Speaker 2: and people would say eleven starts is that enough to

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Speaker 2: really get that opportunity?

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Speaker 3: But you gotta hear this. Hear this is that we've

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Speaker 3: seen this before.

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Speaker 2: That Mark the Bird Fiedrich started for the American League

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Speaker 2: for the Detroit Tigers after just eleven starts. All right,

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Speaker 2: he was an All Star and he was of that

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Speaker 2: ILK that was back in nineteen seventy six.

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Speaker 3: So there've only.

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Speaker 2: Been just four pitchers who are rookie pitchers I should say,

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Speaker 2: who have started All Star Games. So I'm all with it.

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Speaker 2: All Schemes is the real deal. Let's get him out there,

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Speaker 2: Let's get people watching this dude. He's been amazing. Number Two,

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Speaker 2: the Yankees probably will be happy that the All Star

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Speaker 2: break is coming, because, my god, what a swoon to

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Speaker 2: the All Star break. Coming into Thursday, the Yankees had

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Speaker 2: lost seventeen of their last twenty four.

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Speaker 3: Think about that.

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Speaker 2: Seven and seventeen the Yankees, and we know there's been injuries,

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Speaker 2: but there've been some other things.

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Speaker 3: The pitching has falling off.

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Speaker 2: At one point on this podcast, you're me bragging about

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Speaker 2: how many times we would talk about how they were

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Speaker 2: under a three R ray as a team, erra for

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Speaker 2: a team in baseball in this day and age, and man,

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Speaker 2: that has definitely flipped upside down. It'll be interesting to

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Speaker 2: see where the Yankees are as far as the trade deadline.

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Speaker 2: We know their injuries, we know Stan's coming back, Rizzo's

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Speaker 2: coming back, we get it. But I still think that

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Speaker 2: this bad stretch, this almost month stretch, will tell us

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Speaker 2: that the Yankees need some help, and they're not all

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Speaker 2: the way there. And remember, people are expecting the y

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Speaker 2: Yankees to come out of the American League. We know

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Speaker 2: the Oriols are there, we know the Guardians are there,

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Speaker 2: we know that the Twins could be a team that

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Speaker 2: could emerge as well. So the Yankees are expected to

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Speaker 2: be in that mix and have a shot to get

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Speaker 2: to the World Series. They haven't been to a World

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Speaker 2: Series or one one either since two thousand and nine.

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Speaker 2: It's been a long time. So the next few weeks

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Speaker 2: will be interesting after the All Star break and whether

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Speaker 2: or not they go and spend a little money or

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Speaker 2: make some moves at the July thirtieth trade deadline. So

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Speaker 2: the Yankees right now are in trouble until further notice.

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Speaker 1: Number three.

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Speaker 2: Okay, we know it's never been done before, but that's

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Speaker 2: gonna change. I'm not so sure how voters will not

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Speaker 2: vote Shohei Otani the National League MVP if he continues

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Speaker 2: with the season that he's having coming into Thursday, twenty

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Speaker 2: eight home runs, sixty six RBI and he's batting three

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Speaker 2: seventeen And obviously the Dodgers are in first place in

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Speaker 2: the NL West, and I know it's never happened before

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Speaker 2: because people always kind of discounted the DH position because

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Speaker 2: people didn't play the field and they'd rather give it

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Speaker 2: to somebody who's playing both the field and hitting. But

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Speaker 2: the DH is a position now, once we've gone to

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Speaker 2: DH in both leagues, once we've carved out that niche

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Speaker 2: for guys to play that position. The DH originally was

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Speaker 2: about keeping older stars in the game. We couldn't play

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Speaker 2: the field anymore so that when players were ready well

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Speaker 2: close to retirement, they could just DH and still stick

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Speaker 2: around for three or four more years. That's totally different.

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Speaker 2: Now he's one of their biggest threats. He's batting leadoff, okay,

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Speaker 2: so he's not like he's batting six. He's batting leadoff

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Speaker 2: and having a tremendous year. And I think that'll be

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Speaker 2: hard pressed think about for people to discount show Hay

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Speaker 2: because he's not pitching, and because he's not playing the field,

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Speaker 2: his offensive numbers.

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Speaker 3: Will be good enough.

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Speaker 2: I expect show Hey to be the first designated hitter

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Speaker 2: to win an A League MVP and mark my words

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Speaker 2: and mark it down show Hey. Right now, Bryce Harper

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Speaker 2: is having a good year that the Phillies have won

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Speaker 2: sixty games. I get all that he's betting two ninety

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Speaker 2: nine coming into Thursday. Twenty home runs, fifty eight RBIs,

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Speaker 2: which are solid numbers. And Bryce Harper has won a

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Speaker 2: couple of MVPs, but the Dodgers aren't that far off

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Speaker 2: of the record of the Phillies, and show Hay's numbers.

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Speaker 3: Are clearly better.

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Speaker 2: So let's go with show Hay right now my pick

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Speaker 2: for National League MVP this season.

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Speaker 1: Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.

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Speaker 3: It's so good.

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Speaker 2: All right, now, let's welcome to the podcast All Star

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Speaker 2: Closer from the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Speaker 3: Devin Williams. Devin, welcome to the podcast.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, thanks for having me.

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Speaker 2: Always a pleasure, my man. Can you please tell me

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Speaker 2: the All Star Closer? As I said, all Star Games

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Speaker 2: about to come, and unfortunately you will not be there,

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Speaker 2: hurt all year progress.

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Speaker 3: When can we see you back on the mount?

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Speaker 4: Should be shortly, have another live VP scheduled and then

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Speaker 4: should be getting into some rehab games after that and

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Speaker 4: hopefully I'll be back in the big league soon.

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Speaker 2: When at spring training when you found out fractures in

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Speaker 2: the back, how scary was that?

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Speaker 3: What was the thought.

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Speaker 2: Process when you realize I missed the first half of

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Speaker 2: the season, you know, and things like that. What went

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Speaker 2: through your head?

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Speaker 4: I mean, it is a little bit scary, but it

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Speaker 4: was also kind of relieving at the same time, because

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Speaker 4: up until that point they had just been, you know,

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Speaker 4: every everything was saying that, oh, I'm fine, you know,

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Speaker 4: and there's there's no issue here. So I was just

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Speaker 4: wondering what the problem is, you know, to actually get

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Speaker 4: a diagnosis and know like the steps to move forward

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Speaker 4: was relieving.

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Speaker 2: When they say you're fine, but you know you weren't fine.

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Speaker 3: Am I right?

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Speaker 2: You felt something? I mean that's kind of scary.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I knew that my body wasn't right

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Speaker 4: at the time, and you know, we're kind of searching

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Speaker 4: for answers there for a little while. It kind of

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Speaker 4: not necessarily through the whole offseason, but when I got

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Speaker 4: to Arizona, it just it wasn't feeling right. It locked

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Speaker 4: up on me, and so it was nice to you know,

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Speaker 4: get some answers.

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Speaker 2: It made you through for the first time. What was that, like,

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Speaker 2: you know, is there an apprehension is there? Well you

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Speaker 2: felt good enough? You just went out and said, okay,

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Speaker 2: I'm ready to go let me try this.

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Speaker 4: I mean, we followed our schedule that we had set

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Speaker 4: out at the beginning of this and we've stuck to it,

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Speaker 4: you know, I haven't haven't deviated it at all. But yeah,

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Speaker 4: I mean it felt, it felt fine. It hasn't been

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Speaker 4: any issues up to this point. I felt, you know,

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Speaker 4: pretty normal. It's just been building my arm back up

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Speaker 4: after taking six six weeks off, Like I don't I

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Speaker 4: don't even take that long off in the off season,

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Speaker 4: so it was just kind of starting back over from scratch.

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Speaker 3: How tough is it for you to watch?

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Speaker 2: I mean, obviously you used to being out there being

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Speaker 2: a part and doing your part, you know, in the

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Speaker 2: closure role, and then to be on the sidelines and

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Speaker 2: not be able to play.

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Speaker 1: How how is that tough?

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Speaker 4: I mean usually I would say yes, But the guys

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Speaker 4: that have been playing, you know, they've they've been incredible.

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Speaker 4: McGill's you know, filled in really well. Brian Hudson stepped up,

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Speaker 4: and we've had a lot of guys that have pitched

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Speaker 4: really well and they've been locking down games for us.

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Speaker 4: So you know, I haven't I haven't really felt that,

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Speaker 4: you know, up to this point, because they've been taking

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Speaker 4: care of business. So I mean, if if things weren't

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Speaker 4: going that way, I'm sure I would feel differently, but

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Speaker 4: that hasn't been the case so far.

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Speaker 2: Devin Williams, the Milwaukee Brewers All Star closer, joining us

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Speaker 2: tier on inside the Parker.

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Speaker 3: Let's talk about the Brewers as a whole.

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Speaker 2: Your team first place in the Central and really like

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Speaker 2: they haven't missed a beat. You lose your manager, you

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Speaker 2: lose your All Star closer. What's going right for this team?

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Speaker 4: And I think we just we have a lot of

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Speaker 4: young guys that you know, they want to prove themselves.

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Speaker 4: They come to play every day. We can win in

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Speaker 4: a lot of different ways.

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Speaker 1: You know, guys get on.

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Speaker 4: Base, they steal bases, base hits, bring them in, and

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Speaker 4: you know we do it just in dirty, gritty ways,

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Speaker 4: you know, just I'm trying to score runs and keep

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Speaker 4: the other team from scoring them.

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Speaker 2: What's the strength of this team? I mean, was the bullpen?

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Speaker 2: Is it still a bullpen? Is only going to get

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Speaker 2: better when you get back out there? Or what's what's

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Speaker 2: the best part of the Brewers?

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Speaker 4: I mean, I think I could take that answer a

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Speaker 4: lot of different ways. We played incredible defense. You know,

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Speaker 4: we probably we have the fastest team in the Major League,

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Speaker 4: So guys get on base, it's you know, it's a

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Speaker 4: headache to deal with as a picture because you got

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Speaker 4: to pay attention to them, and then that takes away

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Speaker 4: from what you're doing at the plate. It just makes

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Speaker 4: it makes it easier for the guy coming behind you

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Speaker 4: if he's got to worry about you on base. But yeah,

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Speaker 4: the bullpen and bullpen has been strength as well. They've

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Speaker 4: been carrying us all year long. They've had a heavy

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Speaker 4: workload and a lot has been asked of them, and

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Speaker 4: they've stepped up the majority of the time.

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Speaker 2: How about the laws, I mean, obviously you guys are

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Speaker 2: passed that, but if you lose your manager to a

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Speaker 2: division rival as well, I mean, I know they offered

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Speaker 2: Craig a big time contract as a manager, five years,

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Speaker 2: I believe forty million dollars. But still, how surprising was

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Speaker 2: that that he was either reports he's going to stay

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Speaker 2: or maybe go to the Mets. But how about how

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Speaker 2: shocking was that.

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Speaker 3: When he went to the Cubs.

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Speaker 4: I mean, if I'm honest, I'm not ye surprised that

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Speaker 4: he left. It was surprising the team that he went to.

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Speaker 4: But that's that's the way it goes. You know, they

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Speaker 4: wanted him more than we did, apparently, So I can't

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Speaker 4: blame a guy for you know, setting his family up

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Speaker 4: for for life.

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Speaker 2: Like cashing him when they can. So we're looking forward

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Speaker 2: to seeing you back out on the mound. I know

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Speaker 2: you can't wait to get back out there. But it's

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Speaker 2: a process, right, So you're not gonna rush yourself.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, you know, we're just hitting all the check marks,

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Speaker 4: making sure everything's right before I get back out there.

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Speaker 1: But it'll be it'll be very soon, all right.

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Speaker 2: But I'll miss you at the All Star Game in Dallas,

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Speaker 2: like an annual event for you.

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Speaker 3: I figured maybe next year.

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Speaker 1: It was a big week in the Big League. Is

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Speaker 1: it foul or is it fair? And Now? From mlbdbro

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Speaker 1: dot com, here's Jrgamba.

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Speaker 2: Hunter Green finally made his first All Star Game, Jr.

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Speaker 2: Is it foul affair to say that when the Cincinnati

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Speaker 2: Reds appear in their next World Series.

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Speaker 3: He will be the age of the staff?

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Speaker 1: Fair it's a fair ball.

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Speaker 5: Hunter Green is finally putting it together, and he's doing

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Speaker 5: it for a team that is one of the most

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Speaker 5: offensively inept in all of baseball. The Cincinnati Reads rank

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Speaker 5: in the bottom of the league in homers, hits, runs produced,

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Speaker 5: and they're twenty seventh out of thirty teams in batting average.

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Speaker 5: So he hasn't won many games, but he's always pretty

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Speaker 5: much pitching in high pressure situations, and he's been able

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Speaker 5: to finally decide how he wants to use his devastating

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Speaker 5: repertoire pitches. He's now relying more on his fastball that

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Speaker 5: was clocked up at one hundred and five miles per

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Speaker 5: hour at one point, but he is switching up the

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Speaker 5: velocity better to keep hitters off balance. Green is still

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Speaker 5: averaging in the high upper nineties with his fastball and

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Speaker 5: is always among the elite leaders in velocity, but he's

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Speaker 5: become more of a pitcher. He's using his intelligence and

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Speaker 5: his temperance, not trying to be too cute and utilizing

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Speaker 5: an array of pitches too often. His fastball is still

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Speaker 5: his money pitch, and the slider is nasty when executed properly,

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Speaker 5: and the change up it's a work in progress, but

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Speaker 5: he's grasping when to use it and when not to

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Speaker 5: force it. As the Cincinnati Reds improved, so will Hunter

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Speaker 5: Green Machines numbers and the twenty four year old flame

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Speaker 5: thrower is learning to pitch and master the game, as

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Speaker 5: the Cincinnati Reds expected and hoped when they drafted him

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Speaker 5: number two oher overall in twoenty seventeen.

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Speaker 1: It's time for the pocket protector Centrum. The analytic numbers

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Speaker 1: you need to know?

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Speaker 2: Well, maybe Anthony Masterson is his name.

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Speaker 3: BS analytics is his game. What do you got for me, Anthony?

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Speaker 6: We're creeping closer to the ninety fourth MLB All Star

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Speaker 6: Game at Arlington, the first All Star Game to be

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Speaker 6: held at the home of the defending champs since the

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Speaker 6: nineteen thirty four Midsummer Classic at the Polo Grounds, and

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Speaker 6: there are no shortage of fun facts to go along

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Speaker 6: with the roster reveals. The Phillies own the most entrance

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Speaker 6: with seven, best in franchise history, while the Dodgers have six,

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Speaker 6: the fifth straight game they've sent at least five players,

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Speaker 6: which is the longest streak since the nineteen fifty six

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Speaker 6: to sixty five Yankees. Paul Skens is the first player

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Speaker 6: to be drafted first overall in one season and make

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Speaker 6: the All Star Team the next. Should he get the

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Speaker 6: call at twenty two, he'd meet the youngest starting pitcher

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Speaker 6: since Dwight Gooden in nineteen eighty six. Now, prior to

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Speaker 6: this season, only eight players had ever made three straight

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Speaker 6: All Star teams with three different teams, but two made

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Speaker 6: it this year in Luis Ariz and Juan Soto. Of

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Speaker 6: the fourteen pitchers selected to the All Star Team in

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Speaker 6: the NL, including the injured Tyler glasnow, eleven are first timers,

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Speaker 6: and only Chris Sale has been to more than two.

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Speaker 6: And amazingly enough, Bryce Harper will be making his sixth

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Speaker 6: All Star start, this time at first base. He's the

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Speaker 6: fourth player ever with five outfield starts and another at first,

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Speaker 6: joining some guys named Aaron Muzel and Yustremsky, while Shoho

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Speaker 6: Tani will be the first DH ever to start four

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Speaker 6: straight games. It's going to be a doozy deep in

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Speaker 6: the heart of Texas.

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Speaker 5: It's the Gambler here. Vice president of operations for mlbbro

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Speaker 5: dot Com and executive producer of the MLB bro Show

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Speaker 5: podcast The Mixtape.

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Speaker 1: Every Friday.

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Speaker 3: You heard that right.

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Speaker 5: Every Friday, we bring you the best from the world

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Speaker 5: of black and Brown baseball. We cover the seven point

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Speaker 5: two percent of melanated Major leaguers from soup to nuts,

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Speaker 5: but with our own cultural flair and unique voice, will

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Speaker 5: take you on a ride reflecting on the accomplishment, clutch moments,

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Speaker 5: and contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe

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Speaker 5: into baseball.

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Speaker 1: From Mookie Wilson to Mookie Betts.

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Speaker 5: Doctor k to Doctor Styx, from Bro Bombs to stolen

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Speaker 5: bases to Black Aces. We're live at the ballparks and

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Speaker 5: also bringing you segments like Classic Hits with David Grubb,

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Speaker 5: the Black Ace Report, the Rundown, the walk Off, and

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Speaker 5: Going Deep, just to name a few of the segments

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Speaker 5: that truly capture the voice of Black baseball.

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Speaker 1: If things get out.

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Speaker 5: Of hand, is the Boss, Rob Parker, He's kicking up dust.

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Speaker 5: We will gladly pay you on Tuesday from an MLB

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Speaker 5: bro doubleheader today. Remember the heart of the game lies

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Speaker 5: in the diversity of the game and the spirit of

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Speaker 5: Black baseball that dates back to.

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Speaker 1: The Negro leagues.

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Speaker 5: I the Gambler, your friendly neighborhood diamond checker, making sure

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Speaker 5: that you stay on top of the game and in

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Speaker 5: touch with the soul of MLB. Fucking up for a

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Speaker 5: wild baseball.

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Speaker 3: Journey, showing respect.

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Speaker 5: To the Ogs and highlighting the new breed of melanated

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Speaker 5: malt moroders. First thing through MLB's pipeline all pitching with

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Speaker 5: the sound of black Baseball.

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Speaker 1: We got the best starting five in the business.

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Speaker 5: Listen to the MLB bro Show podcast The Mixtape on

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Speaker 5: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Speaker 1: When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto.

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Speaker 1: If I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer

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Speaker 1: or broadcaster, old or new.

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Speaker 3: Now let's welcome into the podcast.

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Speaker 2: Jalen Thompson, the Kansas City Royals beat writer for the

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Speaker 2: Kansas City Star. This is his first full season, second

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Speaker 2: year covering the Royals and Jalen, welcome to the podcast.

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Speaker 3: How are you, buddy?

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Speaker 7: I'm doing good, Rob, Thank you for having me on.

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Speaker 8: This is exciting and I can't wait to just chat

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Speaker 8: about the roads and see what you got for me.

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Speaker 2: Yes, the Royals got off to an outstanding start and

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Speaker 2: they're still playing pretty good baseball. Fifty one and forty

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Speaker 2: three coming into Wednesday, five and five in their last

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Speaker 2: ten so and in third place in the Al Central.

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Speaker 3: Where's this team headed?

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Speaker 2: They got off to such an incredible start, people thought

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Speaker 2: maybe they might win the AL Central. The Guardians are

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Speaker 2: really good, The Twins are good. Can the Kansas City

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Speaker 2: Royals win the AL Central?

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Speaker 8: The Royals want to win the AL Central, and you know,

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Speaker 8: they said for a long time, ever since this offseason,

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Speaker 8: going way back to spring training in February, they want

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Speaker 8: to make the playoffs.

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Speaker 7: The Central is something that they want.

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Speaker 8: But you know, the Guardians had just gotten out to

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Speaker 8: a huge lead and it doesn't lie they're going to

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Speaker 8: drop off anytime soon. So if the Roles want to

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Speaker 8: win the Central, they really have to go for it,

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Speaker 8: and that includes jumping over a team like the Minutes,

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Speaker 8: so the Twins to do that. They still got a

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Speaker 8: couple more games with the Guardians this year, and I

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Speaker 8: believe they're five and two against them throughout the first

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Speaker 8: couple that they've played, So it's just a matter of

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Speaker 8: what can they do to get further ahead of the Guardians.

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Speaker 8: But there's also the Wildcard, and in the Wildcard that's

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Speaker 8: also big as well, because now you're going to be

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Speaker 8: able to see if you can catch the Boston Red

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Speaker 8: Sox with their game at half in front of and

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Speaker 8: they have a huge series going down this weekend infant Way.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a big, big series, no doubt about it.

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Speaker 2: I know, when you think about the Kansas City Royals,

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Speaker 2: it's hard not to just.

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Speaker 3: Think about Bobby Witch Jr. And what a great young

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Speaker 3: player he is.

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Speaker 2: Shortstop coming into Wednesday batting three twenty five fifteen home

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Speaker 2: run sixty two RBIs he's going to be in the

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Speaker 2: home Run Derby as well the All Star stop. What

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Speaker 2: do we what should we expect from him in that?

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Speaker 2: Is he excited to be playing also, you know in Arlington.

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Speaker 8: Yeah, he's ready, he's excited. If you go back, he

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Speaker 8: actually participated in the twenty eighteen high school Home Run

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Speaker 8: Derby and he won that against Rhes Hines, who just

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Speaker 8: made his MLB debut with the since Danny Renz this week.

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Speaker 8: So Bobby is excited to be back in his hometown.

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Speaker 8: He grew up in Collegeville, Texas, which is right outside

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Speaker 8: of the Dallas metroplex. Yeah, he's hungry. He knows that

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Speaker 8: he's just gonna like he always says, he wants to

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Speaker 8: go out there and just swing.

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Speaker 7: Time.

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Speaker 8: And I believe that he has a good shot as anyone.

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Speaker 8: They have new rules this year with the home run derby.

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Speaker 8: It's either or forty pitches total, So it's just a

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Speaker 8: matter of can you be efficient, can you execute, and

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Speaker 8: can you just get through those rounds to get to

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Speaker 8: the final. And he also has Salada Forerez, who participated

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Speaker 8: in the twenty twenty one home run derby that's going

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Speaker 8: to be on this side to help him. And Sal's

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Speaker 8: already said, I'm in your corner. Whatever you need me

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Speaker 8: to do, I got you.

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Speaker 3: That's awesome. My guest is Jalen Thompson.

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Speaker 2: He covers the Kansas City Royals for the Kansas City Star,

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Speaker 2: joining us here on inside the Parker. Uh you just

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Speaker 2: obviously the team is centered around Bobby wood Junr. Who

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Speaker 2: else should we know? Why why the Royals are as

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Speaker 2: good as they are? Who else has been the big contributors?

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Speaker 2: Give me one or two guys who have stepped up

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Speaker 2: and really helped his team to put themselves in a

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Speaker 2: position to compete for the division.

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Speaker 7: Seth Lugo and Michael Waka.

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Speaker 8: Those are the two big additions that came into this

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Speaker 8: starting pitching staff and they have done wonders for everyone

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Speaker 8: that has just been around them or work with them.

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Speaker 8: And if you go back to spring training, you know,

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Speaker 8: you ring in Seth Lugo, and you know he was

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Speaker 8: a reliever at first, and he got a real chance

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Speaker 8: to start with the San Diego Padres last year. He

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Speaker 8: did well in that and then he parlaid that into

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Speaker 8: a bigger contract with the Royals. Michael Waka is a

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Speaker 8: veteran that's been around the block for a while. He

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Speaker 8: knows how to pitch in playoff games and howland get

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Speaker 8: through a regular season for a team that wants to

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Speaker 8: expire for the postseason. So both of those guys have

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Speaker 8: been huge and helping guys like Cole Reagan's, Brady Singer,

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Speaker 8: Alec Marsh the rest of their rotation really come together

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Speaker 8: and grow and develop. They talk about the game every

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Speaker 8: single time one of them comes out of the mound.

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Speaker 7: For the start of the day in the dugout.

441
00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,760
Speaker 8: They watch bullpen sessions together before games and it's like

442
00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:38,119
Speaker 8: all of the starters are just there and it's all

443
00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:42,280
Speaker 8: just communication and just really learning and growing together. And

444
00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:44,879
Speaker 8: I think that's been the key to why the Royals started.

445
00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:46,520
Speaker 8: Pitching has been so great this year.

446
00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:51,800
Speaker 2: And the last thing, the MLB, of course, trade deadline

447
00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:56,560
Speaker 2: is coming up one July thirtieth, will the Royals dip

448
00:23:56,600 --> 00:23:59,480
Speaker 2: in And if they were to dip into this, what

449
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,439
Speaker 2: are they looking for the bolster their team for the

450
00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:03,720
Speaker 2: you know, the stretch run.

451
00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:07,080
Speaker 8: Yeah, they need to. One of the things that they

452
00:24:07,119 --> 00:24:09,720
Speaker 8: need to look for is bullpen help. They need a

453
00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,800
Speaker 8: couple more relievers to kind of help just strengthen that

454
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,119
Speaker 8: bullpen a little bit more. You've seen a lot of

455
00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,520
Speaker 8: guys come in and out of the bullpen and you

456
00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,800
Speaker 8: know a lot of them haven't really stuck or what

457
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,440
Speaker 8: they need to go what they are already keeping up there.

458
00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:27,520
Speaker 8: And another thing, they still need to get a outfield

459
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,800
Speaker 8: bat as well, someone that can help, you know, strengthen

460
00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:31,479
Speaker 8: that lineup.

461
00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:32,240
Speaker 7: Maybe lenking it.

462
00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,040
Speaker 8: They have Fronn Renfro, they have NJ Melendez, but both

463
00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:37,320
Speaker 8: of those guys are hitting under two fifty right now.

464
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,479
Speaker 8: And you got you need more production if you're going

465
00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,640
Speaker 8: to be able to catch the Guardians. And I said

466
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:45,399
Speaker 8: earlier in the show they were five until against the Guardians.

467
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,359
Speaker 8: I believe I might have been feigned to but because

468
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,800
Speaker 8: they played six games. But the Royals just have to

469
00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:55,080
Speaker 8: be able to figure out what's the best way to compete,

470
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,960
Speaker 8: but also what's the best way to keep their form

471
00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,040
Speaker 8: system intact as well as, you know, continue to grow

472
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:04,560
Speaker 8: for the future. This is a team that won fifty

473
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,800
Speaker 8: six games last year. They're at fifty one right now.

474
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:12,200
Speaker 8: No one saw this coming, and if they say they did,

475
00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,240
Speaker 8: they're lying to you. So it's just they're on the

476
00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:17,880
Speaker 8: right half. They're making a huge jump this year. It's

477
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,200
Speaker 8: just a matter of where do they draw the line

478
00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,240
Speaker 8: between being super aggressive and giving up prospects are being

479
00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,480
Speaker 8: aggressive on the margins and helping this team potentially become

480
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,479
Speaker 8: that playoff team, whether it's the Wildcard or if they

481
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:31,040
Speaker 8: get hot the American Central.

482
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:35,960
Speaker 2: There you go, the insight and wisdom from a young

483
00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:40,679
Speaker 2: baseball writer, Jalen Thompson. My man, proud of you and

484
00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,080
Speaker 2: the work that you're doing. You know that I'd love

485
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,720
Speaker 2: to see you at the ballpark. Keep doing your thing.

486
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:48,199
Speaker 7: Thank thank you, thank you. Are you gonna be at

487
00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:48,880
Speaker 7: the All Star Game?

488
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,200
Speaker 2: I will be there, Can not wait. You'll be there, right,

489
00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,440
Speaker 2: You'll be there with Bobby but Jr. Of course you'll

490
00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:55,400
Speaker 2: be there. Can't wait.

491
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,520
Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, we gotta catch up there for sure.

492
00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:05,360
Speaker 2: All right, buddy, stay well, now bring in the closer.

493
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,240
Speaker 1: Here's why MLB is better than the NFL or NBA,

494
00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,080
Speaker 1: and it isn't even close.

495
00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,480
Speaker 2: Reason number nine hundred and fifty five why Major League

496
00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,440
Speaker 2: Baseball is better than the NBA and better than the NFL,

497
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:23,240
Speaker 2: it's because of the home run Derby that'll take place

498
00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:28,040
Speaker 2: Monday in Arlington at Globe Life Field. Yes, very few

499
00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:32,240
Speaker 2: skill competitions live up to the home run Derby. It

500
00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,320
Speaker 2: has taken on a life of its own where fans,

501
00:26:35,359 --> 00:26:37,960
Speaker 2: they surely enjoy the All Star Game, but this big

502
00:26:38,080 --> 00:26:41,600
Speaker 2: viewership to see guys hit a ball out of the ballpark.

503
00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:43,480
Speaker 3: You know, there's always that.

504
00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:47,000
Speaker 2: Saying chicks loved the long ball, that baseball fans loved

505
00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:47,720
Speaker 2: the long ball.

506
00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,119
Speaker 3: Just because you're big and strong doesn't mean you can

507
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:51,960
Speaker 3: leave the yard.

508
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,959
Speaker 2: It is a skill to have that kind of swing,

509
00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,840
Speaker 2: to lift the ball to drive it out of the ballpark.

510
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,280
Speaker 2: It's still one of the greatest feats in sports is

511
00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,440
Speaker 2: to hit the ball out of the ballpark in different circumstances.

512
00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:09,600
Speaker 2: So it's no wonder that the home run Derby has

513
00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,520
Speaker 2: taken on a life of its own and has become

514
00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:16,240
Speaker 2: a fan favorite. People look forward to the home run

515
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,600
Speaker 2: Derby on the Monday before the All Star Game every year,

516
00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,760
Speaker 2: and it should come as no surprise. Football doesn't have

517
00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:28,000
Speaker 2: anything that you can do to make people hunting, kicking

518
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,040
Speaker 2: field goals, throwing touchdowns.

519
00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,520
Speaker 3: It's just not the same and the same thing with

520
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:34,040
Speaker 3: the NBA.

521
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,000
Speaker 2: They have their skill competition, the three point shooting and

522
00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:40,520
Speaker 2: the dunks. Maybe a little closer to baseball, but not

523
00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,600
Speaker 2: the home run derby. It has a life of its own.

524
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,560
Speaker 2: In the words of New York TV legend the late

525
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:56,000
Speaker 2: Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until

526
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:56,600
Speaker 2: next time.

527
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,680
Speaker 3: Rob Parker out.

528
00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,399
Speaker 2: D can't get it would be an inside the Parker

529
00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:02,320
Speaker 2: See you next week.

530
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:04,760
Speaker 1: Save bat time, same bat station,