1 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome everyone to another edition of Fair Territory. 2 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 2: Big week ahead in baseball, and it's a big week 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 2: no matter what happens with the Boors four. I'm talking 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 2: about Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and Matt Chapman and 5 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 2: Cody Bellinger. 6 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: If those guys don't sign this week, we're still going 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: to have a lot of news. And we are still 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: going to have a lot of news because folks, it's 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame Week. The announcement tomorrow Tuesday, and it's 10 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: going to be an exciting time to see, as it 11 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: always is, which players are elected this year, which players 12 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: are going to Cooperstown. Now, I want to bring your 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: attention to the latest Hall of Fame Tracker by Ryan 14 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: Thibodeau and his great team. The work that these guys 15 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 1: do on X and Twitter is just kind of amazing 16 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: keeping track of all of the public ballots. Now, it's 17 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: not a complete indication of what is going to happen, 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: as Ryan will tell you. As we've learned over the years, 19 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: the public ballots generally are more favorable to the players 20 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: than the final results. So you'll see these percentages and 21 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: most likely in every case, they will drop when the 22 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: actual announcement is made now seventy five percent necessary for induction. 23 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: You can see it right here if you're watching on YouTube. 24 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: Adrian Beltray at ninety nine percent, Malory at eighty two 25 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: point nine, Helton at eighty two point four, Billy Wagner 26 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: at seventy eight point two, all over the line right now. 27 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: Obviously some of those numbers will drop, and Wagner is 28 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: right on the edge. Gary Sheffield as seventy four point 29 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: six percent, also right on the edge. If his number 30 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: drops in his last year on the ballot, he's not 31 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 1: getting in. And that is obviously where this thing stands 32 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: right now. Andrew Jones, Carlos Beltron obviously getting great support 33 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: as well. My ballot. I'll repeat it for those who 34 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: might have missed it. It's Beltray, It's Mauor, Helton, Wagner, Sheffield, Jones, Beltron, Utley, 35 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: Jimmy Rollins and I believe that was it. Nine guys 36 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: this year you could vote for up to ten. I 37 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: voted for nine. Obviously, I'm a big Hall advocate. And yes, 38 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: some people will say, come on, man, only the elite, 39 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: only the very best, but I've said this before. Once 40 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: you have the bout in your hands. It's a little 41 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: bit harder to be that exclusive. And there's another reason 42 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: why at this point I believe we need to elect 43 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: more Hall of Famers. And you can see by what 44 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: I'm about to show you that there has been a 45 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,239 Speaker 1: trend in the last few years that has not been 46 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: healthy in terms of the Baseball Writers' Association of America election. 47 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: The trend has gone toward a smaller hall if anything. 48 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: Look at this from twenty fourteen to nineteen twenty Hall 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: of Famers in six years twenty that's an average of 50 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 1: over three a year. From twenty twenty to twenty three 51 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: the last four years, only four four Hall of Famers 52 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 1: in four years, Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, David Ortiz, and 53 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: Scott Roland. Now, as Jason Stark wrote last week in 54 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: The Athletic and his Hall of Fame column, the one 55 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: where he listed who he is voting for and explained 56 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: everything in great detail as he always does, it's always 57 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: so fascinating to read Jason on the Hall of Fame. 58 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: He made a point that really resonated with me, and 59 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 1: it speaks to this conversation. The point Jason made is 60 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: that the magic numbers we often associate with the Hall 61 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: of Fame. Three thousand hits, five hundred wins for a pitcher, 62 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: five hundred home runs for a hitter. Those are becoming 63 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: more difficult to attain, and those aree of the numbers 64 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: that usually looked at as automatic, and it's a different era, 65 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: a different time. What Jason's point was is that as 66 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: the sport evolves, we as voters, voting members of the 67 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: BBWAA have to evolve with it. And if you read today, 68 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: I've got a roundtable with Peter Gammons and Jason Stark 69 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: in the Athletic and we discussed some of these trends 70 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: and some of the things going on, and we talk 71 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: about how certain candidates have to be viewed differently than 72 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: in the past, Guys like Ottley, David Wright, Dustin Pedroia 73 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: who's coming up on the ballot next year, Felix Hernandez 74 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: coming up on the ballot next year. I'm not saying 75 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: they're all Hall of famers, but Jason argues to consider peak, 76 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: even if the peak is short, what that player was 77 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: in that period of time, to consider impact on winning, 78 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: and to consider whether that player for a period was 79 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: considered elite at his position. To me, these were all 80 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 1: valid arguments, and again, I want to see more people elected. 81 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: Travis Sauchik, Mike Petrello. They've written about how when you 82 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 1: compare the decades and the number of Hall of Famers 83 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,040 Speaker 1: elected per decade, we're lagging in recent decades. That needs 84 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: to change. So I want to see four guys elected tomorrow. 85 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,559 Speaker 1: I'm talking about Beltray, Mauer, Helton, and Wagner. Ideally five, 86 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: Sheffield two. But I'm hoping for a big class, a 87 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: big class of twenty twenty four. And my guess is 88 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,679 Speaker 1: we're going to see it. I would think Beltrea, Mauer 89 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: for sure, and Helton and Wagner, maybe someone on the bubble, 90 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: but at least one of those guys gets in. All right, 91 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: that's the Hall of Fame. Now, as we move on 92 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: to the biggest story in baseball last week, well that 93 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: was obvious. The signing of Josh Hater by the Astros 94 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: to a five year, ninety five million dollar free agent contract. 95 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: Kind of a stunning signing. A lot of people were 96 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: wondering wood Hater beat Edwin Diaz his five year, one 97 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: hundred and two million dollar extension with the Mets. He 98 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: actually did in present day value, if not total value. 99 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: Di has had deferrals at his neal lowered it to 100 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: ninety three million in present day value. Hater obviously beats that. 101 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: But enough about the money, because what's really interesting here 102 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: are the Astros and Jim Crane and what he's doing. 103 00:05:55,320 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: This contract for Crane, the owner is a departure ever 104 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 1: given that much money to a free agent before. He 105 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 1: is also on track now to cross the luxury tax threshold, 106 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: something he has done only once since becoming owner in 107 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,720 Speaker 1: November twenty eleven, and that was in the twenty twenty 108 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: shortened season. So Crane is doing some things a little 109 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: bit differently and you might ask why. And he's given 110 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: one hundred million dollar extensions before Altuvee and Bregman Alvarez, 111 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: but free agency, no, he hasn't done that. What I 112 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: think is going on here is that Jim Crane sees 113 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: the Astro's competitive window is starting to close. Now. They've 114 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: lost big free agents before Correa and Springer, but they're 115 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: facing now a real series of losses that could affect 116 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 1: them starting this offseason, I should say next off season. 117 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: Let's take a look at where the Astros stand with 118 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: regard to where some of their players are in the 119 00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: free agent process all right. After twenty twenty four, Altuve 120 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: and Bregman are free agents. Ryan Presley if he fails 121 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 1: to make fifty appearances, which is doubtful based on his 122 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: recent performance, I believe he has fifty or more in 123 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: his last four full seasons, that option kicks in if 124 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: he gets to fifty. If he doesn't, and he's a 125 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: free agent. Justin Verlander's similar thing, pitches fewer than one 126 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 1: hundred and forty innings, he's a free agent. So it's 127 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: possible that after twenty twenty four, Presley and Verlander will 128 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: be gone, and then after twenty twenty five, obray you, 129 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: Kyle Tucker, and Farmer Valdez are all free agents. Now 130 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: that group. Everyone in the industry expects Altuve to re 131 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: sign and be a lifetime Astro. Bregman not so certain, 132 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: and then the others, you just don't know how it's 133 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: all willing to play out. So the Astros are not 134 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: necessarily at a crossroads this season. This is not necessarily 135 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 1: a last hurrah, but it has a little bit of 136 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: that look, and Crane obviously wanted to reinforce his bullpen. 137 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: That was the idea behind signing Josh Hayter. Now, if 138 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: Crane was going to go out of his comfort zone, 139 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: you can argue maybe he should have done it in 140 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: another way. Maybe he should have signed Blake Snell high 141 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: dollars short term deal. Maybe he should have signed I 142 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: don't know, Hector NRIs, Robert Stevenson and some other reliever 143 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: for less money than he had to give Hayter. I 144 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: don't know that this is the best allocation of resources. 145 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: But there's one other thing here. There's one other element, 146 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: and this to me might be part of Jim Crane's motivation. 147 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: We have not heard from him yet, they have not 148 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: held the press conference, and I don't know if this 149 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 1: was part of it or not. But remember back at 150 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 1: the twenty fifteen deadline, the Astros had Josh Hayter. The 151 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: Astros traded Josh Hayter along with Domingo Santana, Brett Phillips, 152 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:54,320 Speaker 1: Adrian Hawser, and they got back Carlos Gomez and Mike Fires. 153 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: Trade was not a good trade for the Astros, obviously, 154 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: Gomez was released more than a year later. Fires had 155 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: his moments for the Astros. Obviously, was the whistleblower in 156 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: the end. I don't know that you figure that into 157 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: the trade equation necessarily. And the guys they traded outside 158 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,319 Speaker 1: of Hater, they haven't had a huge impact. Phillips had 159 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: a little bit of a good run in twenty twenty 160 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: one with the Rays. Santana had a little bit of 161 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,079 Speaker 1: a run with the Brewers. He's been in Japan the 162 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: last three years. And Howser kind of an average major 163 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: league pitcher, not players who have no value. They've been 164 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: contributors to their teams, but not stars Hater. A star 165 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: Hater has been the dominant reliever in the league for 166 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: quite some time now, National League Reliever of the Year twice. 167 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: And I would imagine Jim Crane, as owner, has thought, man, 168 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,120 Speaker 1: we never should have traded that guy. And in fact, 169 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: as Chandler Roam of The Athletic has reported, Jim Crane 170 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:56,559 Speaker 1: tried to get Josh Hayter back along with Lake Snell 171 00:09:57,120 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 1: last year. He tried to make a deal with the Padres. 172 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: The Astros did to get both those pictures. Crane didn't 173 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: name them, but he said they were in on a 174 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: starter at a reliever from the Padres. We can all 175 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: put two and two together. There are times in the industry, 176 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 1: when owners, when executives, when scouts fixate on a player. 177 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: Maybe it's a player they couldn't get in the draft. 178 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,319 Speaker 1: Maybe it's a player they've coveted all these years. Maybe 179 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: it's a player they've traded away. It seems to me 180 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: Josh Hater might have been one of those players for 181 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: Jim Crane. Time. Now for the Inside Dish. This is 182 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: the part of the show where I talk maybe about 183 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: a story I've written, maybe about a trend in the game, 184 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: or maybe really this week, for the first time, the 185 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: state of the industry I'm in because last week was 186 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: quite disturbing for any of us really who work in 187 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: any form of media, in journalistic type media, particularly every 188 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 1: so often I'll get an email or a letter from 189 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,839 Speaker 1: a young person saying, Ken, I'd like to get into 190 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: the business, what advice can you give me? And I 191 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: always respond, or almost always, I should say, and often 192 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,800 Speaker 1: too often of late, I don't know what to tell 193 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: that person. I don't know what advice to give. Now 194 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: doing what I do this was always my dream, not 195 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 1: exactly this. Originally it was just print back. When I started, 196 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: there was not even ESPN. Really, it was not talk radio. 197 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 1: It was a print world, and I wanted to be 198 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: a beat writer for a major newspaper. Could be any sport, 199 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: any of the big four major professional sports, college basketball, 200 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: college football. It didn't matter to me. Jason Stark, Tyler Kepner, 201 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: some of my colleagues, they only wanted to be baseball writers. 202 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 1: To me, I just fell into baseball. That was my 203 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: first big job. So I entered the business nineteen eighty four. 204 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: I went to the York Daily Record in York, Pennsylvania. 205 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: As naive as you could be. My father was worried 206 00:12:01,080 --> 00:12:02,720 Speaker 1: that I wasn't going to be able to make a 207 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 1: living doing this, and he kept telling me, well, maybe 208 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 1: one day you'll go into television and everything will be better. 209 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 1: And I kept saying that I'm not going into TV. 210 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: At that time, television in sports was only the three 211 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 1: minute report on the nightly local news. That was it. 212 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: You'd be reading off a teleprompter. That was not my 213 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 1: idea of what I wanted to do. My dad had 214 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: legitimate concerns at the time, and I ignore them like 215 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,079 Speaker 1: a lot of young people ignore their parents when they 216 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: want to pursue what they want to do. Now. Back then, 217 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: it was difficult to move up but it wasn't impossible, 218 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 1: and I eventually moved. I spent a year in York, 219 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: two years in South Jersey, then I went to Baltimore. 220 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: It was there for many years, and now I do 221 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: what I do. That path, the one that I took, 222 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,880 Speaker 1: that doesn't really exist anymore. If you can get to 223 00:12:56,920 --> 00:13:00,959 Speaker 1: that small paper, well, good luck, because most of them 224 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: don't exist. And even if you get there, good luck 225 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: getting out because the next step might not be easy 226 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: to take. So it's really difficult to do it the 227 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,040 Speaker 1: way I did it, and I recognize that. And it's 228 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 1: tough to advise young people when it's a different world. 229 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: So where are we, at least in print? Well, where 230 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: we are was driven home quite clearly last week, and 231 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,199 Speaker 1: I want to show you some things that occurred. This 232 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 1: is by no means a complete list. Let's start with 233 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: Sports Illustrated. That's the big one, that's the one that 234 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,560 Speaker 1: really jarred all of us the most. Sports Illustrated was 235 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:43,839 Speaker 1: the dream for so many of us when we were 236 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 1: coming up. I didn't dream of it because I didn't 237 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 1: think it was possible for me. You see, to hear 238 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: the statement from the Sports Illustrated Union and the News 239 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 1: Guild of New York, and it says earlier today, this 240 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: is from last week. The workers of Sports Illustrated were 241 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: notified that the Arena Group is planning to lay off 242 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: a significant number, possibly all, of the guild represented workers 243 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 1: at SI, a result of Authentic Brands Group revoking Arena's 244 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: license to publish SI. If you haven't followed this story, 245 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: Authentic Brands owns SI. Arena is a licensing company that 246 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: licensed SI, and they didn't make a payment to Authentic Brands, 247 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 1: and that's what prompted all this. An awful set of circumstances. 248 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 1: I know SI has been in decline for several years, 249 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: at least compared to what it once was, but it 250 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: is still still a home of so many great journalists. 251 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: Photographers not so much anymore, but writers for sure. All right, 252 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: let's move on. This is all in one week, folks. 253 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: LA Times that was next La Times. Their guild had 254 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: a one day walkout. You see this post on X 255 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: After just one day of organizing, about ninety percent of 256 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: our union walked out today in protest of managements devastating 257 00:14:55,800 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 1: layoffs proposal and multiple unfair labor practices. We're so thankful 258 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: with the solidarity shown to us during the historic work stoppage. 259 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 1: The La Times, one of the great newspapers in our country. 260 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,000 Speaker 1: They're going through this. And now the one that really 261 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: hit home for me because it's my old employer, the 262 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: Baltimore Son. The Baltimore Son was sold last week and 263 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: they were sold to a guy who owns the local 264 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: Sinclair affiliate in Baltimore, Fox forty five. It used to 265 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: be maybe it's just forty five now Channel forty five. 266 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: And he met with the employees. The new owner did 267 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: and it did not go well. Let's show you a 268 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: post on X about that. It's a statement from the 269 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: Baltimore Sun Guild. During yesterday's meeting at the Baltimore Sun, 270 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: new owner David Smith shared his vision for the paper, 271 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:48,160 Speaker 1: which he admitted he has rarely read. The editorial direction 272 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: that he described focused on clicks rather than journalistic value, 273 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: concerned many of our members, as did his attitude towards 274 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: vulnerable communities in the city that we love. I'm going 275 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 1: to show you another post on X from the competing 276 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: Baltimore Banner. This is a paper owned by a person 277 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: who considers a nonprofit, The Baltimore Banner. Anyway, they got 278 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 1: the New Baltimore's sohone owner on tape bashing city schools, 279 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: local politicians and more. Comments were racially charged. Not good. 280 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: This is my old paper. This is where really I 281 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 1: learned to do the job for the longest period of 282 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: time before I went to Fox and the Sporting News. 283 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: Before that, I considered the Baltimore Sun really a place 284 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: where I owe a lot too. We were during the 285 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: nineties when I was there a force. We had some 286 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: amazing people, David Simon most prominent among them. Laura Littman 287 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: became a novelist. I can go down the line. Mark 288 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 1: Hymen now the head of the sports journalism program at 289 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: the University of Maryland. Mike Litwin a great commist. Again, 290 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 1: I could go on and on and on, so that 291 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,120 Speaker 1: one hurts. And when I talk about sports illustrated in 292 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 1: the LA Times and The Baltimore Sun, again, this is 293 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: just a partial list. Ezra Klein in the New York Times. 294 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: He had a commentary about Pitchfork, a music criticism site 295 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: that sort of met it's demise last week, and he 296 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: listed a lot more media outlets that have undergone similar things. 297 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: Now I'm not here to say let's bring back the 298 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: old days. Man, I missed the old days. No no, no, 299 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 1: no no. No. Time passes. Things change, Industries evolve, and in 300 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,680 Speaker 1: many ways, the newspaper industry did not evolve well once 301 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: the Internet started. Once the Internet era began, that is 302 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: on newspapers to some degree, to some degree, maybe all 303 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: of this was inevitable. But back to the original question, 304 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 1: what do I tell a young person who wants to 305 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: do this for a living, who wants to get into print. 306 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 1: I'm consistently at a loss. And I'm not just at 307 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: a loss for that age group. I don't even know 308 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: what to say to my who were maybe in their 309 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: thirties about the future of the industry. Where this is going, 310 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,639 Speaker 1: I don't know. It certainly doesn't look like it's going 311 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: to a good place now. I never want to discourage anyone, 312 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: and I never want to be that guy. It happened 313 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: to me when I was coming out of college. I 314 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: was an intern at Newsday on Long Island, and the 315 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 1: editor there told me you maybe should go to law school. 316 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: What he was saying was you're not good enough now. 317 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: Maybe he thought that because this intern from two years 318 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 1: before was going to be one of the great sports 319 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: writers of all time Tom Verducci, And I don't know 320 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: that I compared Tom Verducci back then. In fact, I 321 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: know I did not, So maybe that was what was 322 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: driving that conversation. Okay, I get it, but I never 323 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: forgot that it stayed with me. I don't believe you 324 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 1: should ever ever discourage a young person from doing what 325 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: he or she wants to do, and I swore I 326 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,480 Speaker 1: would never do that. But I say to young people 327 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:01,960 Speaker 1: is that you have to be practical. You have to 328 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: be aware of where this all is right now. You 329 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 1: have to be willing to work in different mediums. You 330 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: have to be willing to maybe move around. You have 331 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: to be willing, of course, to work hard. But even 332 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 1: that advice rings hollow if you can't get a job right. So, 333 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: this whole thing, it saddens me to no end. I 334 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: am a believer in what we do. I am a 335 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: believer in journalism. I believe even over here in the 336 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: sports department, the toy department as some people often call it, 337 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 1: that what we do it kind of matters. I believe 338 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: in the whole phrase comfort, the afflicted, afflict, the comfortable. 339 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: Now this is sports, it's not anything that's serious, but 340 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: there is, in my view, a certain standard we should 341 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,719 Speaker 1: meet in holding people accountable, and we do that at 342 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 1: the Athletic. We try to anyway. You look at my 343 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,600 Speaker 1: column on the Marlins today, it's kind of along those lines. 344 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: It's just a column, but it's basically asking the question, 345 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 1: what the heck is going on with this team? Those 346 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:09,879 Speaker 1: questions need to be asked. The ultimate example of this, 347 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 1: at least of the Athletic was the sign stealing story. 348 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: Without that story, baseball doesn't investigate, and that was a 349 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,399 Speaker 1: turning point for the game in terms of what was 350 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,000 Speaker 1: going on at the time, illegally with the Astros and 351 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:26,120 Speaker 1: with other teams to a lesser extent. So yes, I'm 352 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,640 Speaker 1: a believer. And at this moment in the industry, there's 353 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: too little of holding people accountable. There's too much team 354 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 1: owned media, too much legal owned media, too much compromise media, 355 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: and it hurts. So again back to the original question, 356 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: what do I tell that young person. I tell that 357 00:20:43,119 --> 00:20:46,199 Speaker 1: person to be realistic, but I also say, hey, the 358 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: landscape is rather bleak, and I say you've got to 359 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: be willing to work really hard. You've got to be 360 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: willing to seize any opportunity in any medium. You have 361 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 1: to keep your eyes open at all times and be 362 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: aware of where you are and that at the same time, 363 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: it might not be easy and it might not happen 364 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 1: at all. But I'm not going to discourage that person, 365 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: not even now. We need the believers, the young kids 366 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: coming out of college who want to do this. We 367 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 1: need the idealists, we need the dreamers, we need people 368 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: who want to enter journalism for all the right reasons. 369 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: I would argue, even as bleak as things are now, 370 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: we need him more than ever before time out for 371 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: Dude and Dork of the Week, I would say the 372 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: dude is pretty obvious. We talked about him in the 373 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 1: first segment. His name is Josh Hater and he signed 374 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: a big time contract last week, one that he is 375 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: earned by his performance over the years. I know people 376 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: say relievers are a gamble, and they are a gamble. 377 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: Even Josh Hater is a gamble. Walk great was up 378 00:21:51,440 --> 00:21:55,479 Speaker 1: last year. Villo is fluctuated at times. There are some 379 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 1: things you look at his performance and maybe you're concerned. 380 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: It's hard for a guy like that to sustain it 381 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 1: over a long period. But he went through some difficult 382 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: years in arbitration with the Brewers had some pretty big 383 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: time fights with them in arbitration. They used him hard 384 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:15,439 Speaker 1: early in his career, and he became somewhat sensitive about that. 385 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 1: I would say I was going to say resentful, but 386 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: sensitive would be the better phrase. And that's what led 387 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: to him maybe being more of a one inning guy. 388 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,240 Speaker 1: You can debate whether he should take the ball more 389 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 1: or take it in the eighth inning and be available 390 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 1: from multi inning saves. And maybe he will be now 391 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: that he has gotten paid. But he's had a lot 392 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: of success doing it his way. And certainly, anytime a 393 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,480 Speaker 1: player gets rewarded, if I'm a fan, I'm happy for 394 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 1: that player, because you know what, these guys work hard, 395 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: they have short careers, they're the best at what they do. 396 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: And you heard all this talk earlier about Josh Hater 397 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: and maybe he's not gonna get it. Teams are worried 398 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,679 Speaker 1: about him. He's gonna get a short now. No, no, no, 399 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: he got paid because he deserved to get paid. Josh 400 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: Hater dude of the week, dork of the week. This 401 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: is a complicated dork of the week. And I want 402 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: to start off by showing you something Anthony Rendone said 403 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 1: in a podcast that attracted a lot of attention. Let's 404 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: start here and then I'll get to who the dork 405 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:18,199 Speaker 1: of the week is in this particular situation. If you 406 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 1: could change one thing about Major League Baseball, if I 407 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 1: gave you that power, what would you do. I'm gonna 408 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: say something very lighthearted so I don't get in trouble 409 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 1: when I get so, I'm gonna give you all. Anthony 410 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: Rendon answered the first of the day, hopefully. Yeah, we 411 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: got a shorten the season. Man, it's too many dang games. 412 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 2: One hundred and sixty two games and one hundred and 413 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:46,080 Speaker 2: eighty five three days. 414 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: Whatever it is, man, No, we gotta shorten this bad boy, 415 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: let's go all right, that's what Rendon said. You can 416 00:23:54,640 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: see how he said it now. Jared Carabis tweeted, nobody 417 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: hates baseball more than one of the game's highest paid 418 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: players who gets paid not to play. Jonathan Papalmon followed 419 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: that by saying, I can definitely confirm crabs here played 420 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: with Rendon. He literally hates baseball. Yeah, it's long, isn't 421 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: that what you signed up for? Just tell the team 422 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 1: you want to play half the season and give back 423 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,880 Speaker 1: half your salary, Okay, Jarrett, I get it. Papa Bond, 424 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,919 Speaker 1: I get it. If you want to rip Anthony Rendon 425 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 1: for his lack of availability over the last few years, Okay, 426 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:32,440 Speaker 1: that's not unreasonable. I always hate questioning players for being injured, 427 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,639 Speaker 1: but Rendon has raised questions of his own with some 428 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,880 Speaker 1: of his comments and all that. I just don't believe 429 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: that in this case, the reaction by Jared and even 430 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: pap Obama was warranted and all of us who overreacted 431 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:51,719 Speaker 1: to this. He said Anthony did that he was being lighthearted. 432 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 1: He said it almost as if he knew he was 433 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: going to get in trouble, knowing of his reputation. I 434 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,680 Speaker 1: don't think he deserved what he got back the blowback. 435 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 1: So dork of the Week is not necessarily Anthony Raando. 436 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: It's not. It's everyone who overreacted. And I'm not even 437 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: ripping Jared and papal Bond. They're entitled to their opinions, 438 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: of course, and Rendon has certainly opened the door for 439 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:17,160 Speaker 1: such opinions. All I'm saying here is that for this 440 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: particular comment, the way it was said, eh, I wouldn't 441 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: have ripped them. I don't think he deserved that time. 442 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: Now for brill and Ken. Let's get to your questions. 443 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 1: First question comes from Jason Burke at buy Jason B. 444 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,959 Speaker 1: Jason asked a very pertinent question. If the A's end 445 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 1: up playing in a minor league facility for three seasons, 446 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 1: would they be able to attract any free agents before 447 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: they land in Las Vegas. Well, that is a very 448 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: good question, and I think you would start with will 449 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: the A's even be interested in signing free agents? Because 450 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 1: it's not something that they really do in their present existence. 451 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: I wrote about the Marlins on Monday, and I mentioned 452 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,440 Speaker 1: that the A's have signed two free agents. They gave 453 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:03,920 Speaker 1: them a combined two point twenty five million, Trevor Gott 454 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: and Oswaldo Bido. Those are their major league free agents, 455 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:09,720 Speaker 1: two point two five million combined. Now, is anybody going 456 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 1: to want to play for them in Sacramento or in 457 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: Las Vegas or some other minor league park from twenty 458 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: twenty five to twenty twenty seven. I would suggest the 459 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: answer is no. And I would also suggest the A's 460 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 1: don't care because they're not going to be in that market. 461 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: What is so troubling to me about this? And I 462 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: went back last night and looked at all the relocations, 463 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:36,200 Speaker 1: I could not find one, not one that was even 464 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,880 Speaker 1: remotely similar to what the game is about to experience here, 465 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: three seasons of being in a place that is either 466 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 1: minor league or not in the market you're going to. 467 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: When the Nationals moved to DC, they played an RFK 468 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: stadium for three years before moving to Nationals Park. Okay, 469 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:00,719 Speaker 1: RFK Stadium was in Washington, DC. If the A's are 470 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: in Sacramento, or in Las Vegas, or even in San Francisco, 471 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: what is that? And again it goes to the question 472 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: why did Baseball allow John Fisher to embark on this course? 473 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: And I understand Baseball's position and Fisher's position that it 474 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 1: just wasn't tenable in Oakland, but this Vegas itself is 475 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,679 Speaker 1: a question on whether the team can succeed there. And 476 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,159 Speaker 1: then you're basically taking four years, not just three this 477 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:32,520 Speaker 1: year in Oakland, which is a waste, and then the 478 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: next three who knows where they're going to be. It's 479 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:40,160 Speaker 1: gonna be John Fisher's traveling no stars. What is this? 480 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,120 Speaker 1: What are we doing here? That's my question? All right? 481 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 1: Now on to the next one from the listeners and viewers. 482 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: This comes from Tim Kaufman tim asked any splashes for 483 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: the Phillies, could Trout be in play? I don't expect 484 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 1: Trout goes anywhere. The Angels have basically said they're not 485 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: trading him, that Trout has a full now trade clause. 486 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,200 Speaker 1: This is not happening, at least not yet. He also 487 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,880 Speaker 1: needs to show he can stay healthy before a team 488 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: would even really be that interested in him, in my opinion, 489 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: at his presence salty Now, if the Angels kicked in money, 490 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: different story, but we're talking about something that is not 491 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,359 Speaker 1: even relevant. What I expect from the Phillies going forward 492 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: is an extension for Zach Wheeler. That is something that 493 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,120 Speaker 1: they have signaled they want to do. I would think 494 00:28:25,119 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 1: it would happen during spring training. That's when the extensions 495 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: usually do happen. Zack Wheeler has had a great run 496 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: for them, and they wanted to continue prior to that, 497 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: one more piece, perhaps maybe a reliever. They've been talking 498 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: to different relievers, thinking about different relievers, and I would think, well, 499 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: it might not be a splash. That is something that 500 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,920 Speaker 1: they want to do, all right, onto our final question 501 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 1: of this show. It comes from Cubs in bowling. I 502 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: like this Cubs and bowling together. Where's Kershaw going? Well, 503 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:56,760 Speaker 1: he's not going to the Cubs. I can tell you 504 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,959 Speaker 1: that it seems that Kershaw is down to the Rangers 505 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: and Dodgers, the two teams that have been involved from 506 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 1: the very beginning of this the two teams that remain involved. 507 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: He has not made a decision yet. Those teams maybe 508 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: have not put their best foot forward yet for him. Remember, 509 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: he is in a very questionable position. Might probably won't 510 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 1: be available until after the All Star break coming off 511 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:23,560 Speaker 1: his shoulder issue. And the real issue here is will 512 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: he be willing to leave Los Angeles to go home 513 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: to Dallas. He's from the Dallas area, he still lives there. 514 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: He obviously has an affection for that region. The Rangers 515 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: are in an interesting spot right They have these RSN 516 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:44,280 Speaker 1: questions surrounding them. Their owners have not been particularly fervent 517 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,160 Speaker 1: about signing players. Jordan Montgomery would be the first one 518 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: they signed. They also have a number of pitchers who 519 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: are out until the same time Kershaw is out until 520 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 1: the grom sureser Tyler Molly and I've written about this. 521 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,960 Speaker 1: If they signed Kersh, or even if they don't, they 522 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,440 Speaker 1: could effectively have a line change at the All Star break, 523 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: bring in three fits, four fits of a new rotation. 524 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: So the Rangers want Kershaw, I believe that, but it's 525 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: a matter of working out a deal, getting ownership approval, 526 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: and it's a matter of whether Kershaw ultimately is willing 527 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 1: to change teams. The Dodgers are sitting there. The Dodgers 528 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: would certainly want Clayton Kershaw back, have him finish his 529 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: career with them. I would imagine Kershaw some part of 530 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: him wants to be a one team guy. But I 531 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: don't know how this is going to resolve, and we'll 532 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 1: see it resolve in the coming weeks and really, bottom line, 533 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: hopefully we see Clayton Kershaw being Clayton Kershaw again. Thanks 534 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: to everyone for watching, Thanks to everyone for listening. You 535 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,959 Speaker 1: know where to find us, YouTube, Apple, Spotify, like, subscribe, 536 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: do whatever it is you want to do. Just keep 537 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 1: watching and listening. We'll talk to everyone next week. A 538 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 1: week from today, we'll review the Hall of Fame vote. 539 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: We'll also probably have some fun with the BBWAA dinner 540 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: in New York, which takes place on Saturday. There's usually 541 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 1: some news or fun stuff coming out of that. Have 542 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 1: a great week, everyone. 543 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 3: We've got a new offer for the ft fam with 544 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 3: the same bonus code foul fo ul bet five dollars, 545 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 3: get one hundred and fifty eight dollars instantly. 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