1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,800
Speaker 1: And finally, let's pay tribute to the team that has

2
00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,280
Speaker 1: been the most dominant in Major League Baseball in the

3
00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:15,640
Speaker 1: first half. That would be the Philadelphia Phillies. Welcome everyone

4
00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,480
Speaker 1: to the All Star edition of Fair Territory. I'm coming

5
00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,840
Speaker 1: to you live from a hotel room in Dallas, Texas.

6
00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:23,880
Speaker 1: I want to do something a little bit different this

7
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,439
Speaker 1: week to start off the show, and we're going to

8
00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,880
Speaker 1: do the top ten moments from the first half. These

9
00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:32,599
Speaker 1: are my top ten moments, and actually some of them

10
00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,559
Speaker 1: aren't exactly moments, but bear with me, work with me,

11
00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,480
Speaker 1: it'll all come out fine. So we're going to start

12
00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,440
Speaker 1: off in chronological order, and then I've got a few

13
00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,599
Speaker 1: at the end that, like I said, aren't really moments,

14
00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,640
Speaker 1: but more things. So let's start off with April twenty seventh.

15
00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,760
Speaker 1: Why April twenty seventh, That was the day Aaron Judges

16
00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,760
Speaker 1: assent began. If you remember, Aaron Judge had a horrible April.

17
00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,720
Speaker 1: It was brutal, actually late March to April. Look at this.

18
00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,040
Speaker 1: Before April twenty seventh, he batted one seventy eight just

19
00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:08,520
Speaker 1: four homers and a six seventy four ops. Since April

20
00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,680
Speaker 1: twenty seventh, oh my goodness, three sixty batting average, thirty

21
00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,120
Speaker 1: home runs and a one point twenty nine to four ops.

22
00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:19,800
Speaker 1: April twenty seventh was a big day for Aaron Judge,

23
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,039
Speaker 1: a big day for the Yankees as it turned out,

24
00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,600
Speaker 1: and really a big day for baseball because Aaron Judge

25
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,440
Speaker 1: right now is the leading contender for American League MVP.

26
00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,760
Speaker 1: All right, next eight, that'll be May fifth. This gets

27
00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:34,760
Speaker 1: us to show Hey a little bit, show Hey Otani.

28
00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,520
Speaker 1: This was probably his best game of the first half.

29
00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:40,520
Speaker 1: He went four for four, two home runs against the

30
00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,959
Speaker 1: Braves that included a four hundred and sixty four foot blast.

31
00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,400
Speaker 1: Otani has had a lot of good games. He has

32
00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,440
Speaker 1: picked up the slack in the leadoff spot for the

33
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,600
Speaker 1: Dodgers since Mookie Betts has gone down. He has had

34
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,520
Speaker 1: perhaps an MVP first half of his own. And that

35
00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,000
Speaker 1: was the game I picked. I'm sure there are others

36
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:00,360
Speaker 1: that you might have in mind with That was a

37
00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,600
Speaker 1: good one for show hey. May eleventh, this might have

38
00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:05,680
Speaker 1: been the biggest day of the season for many of us.

39
00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,600
Speaker 1: Paul Sken's major league debut. It was against the Cubs

40
00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,720
Speaker 1: for the Pirates, of course, he struck out seven that

41
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,600
Speaker 1: day and That was the start of a run that

42
00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:17,919
Speaker 1: has taken him to the start of the All Star

43
00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,600
Speaker 1: Game Tuesday night in Arlington. He is six to zero

44
00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,720
Speaker 1: with a one point nine zero ERA, Paul Skein's leading

45
00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,600
Speaker 1: candidate for Rookie of the Year in the National League.

46
00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 1: May sixteenth, This was a cool night. It happened late

47
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,040
Speaker 1: for those on the East Coast. It was the night

48
00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,679
Speaker 1: Elie Dela Cruz had a monster game against the Dodgers

49
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:43,920
Speaker 1: and then declared Los Angeles my city, quote unquote my city.

50
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,840
Speaker 1: He went four to four that night, He had a double,

51
00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:51,320
Speaker 1: an RBI, three runs, and four stolen bases and do

52
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,520
Speaker 1: that kind of thing in one game, you can declare

53
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,440
Speaker 1: the city of your city, and that's what Elie did.

54
00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,240
Speaker 1: That was an incredible performance by him. May sixteenth, Okay,

55
00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,480
Speaker 1: five days later, May twenty first, another tall shortstop in

56
00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,040
Speaker 1: the NL Central This was the night O'Neil Cruz broke

57
00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,720
Speaker 1: stat cast. If you remember what he did, it was incredible. Honestly,

58
00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,760
Speaker 1: three batted balls over one hundred and fifteen miles per hour,

59
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,320
Speaker 1: two over one hundred and twenty miles per hour. Now,

60
00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,040
Speaker 1: I know some of you think stat cast and eggs

61
00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:26,000
Speaker 1: and velocity is ridiculous. But the cool part about these

62
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,320
Speaker 1: numbers is we can measure how hard players are hitting

63
00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:34,040
Speaker 1: balls and how impressive an individual performance like what O'Neal

64
00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,640
Speaker 1: Cruz did might be. That was a pretty impressive individual performance.

65
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,720
Speaker 1: O'Neal Cruz May twenty first, the three balls over one

66
00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,440
Speaker 1: point fifteen. All right, fast forward to June seventh. June

67
00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,840
Speaker 1: seventh to June ninth. If you remember that Dodgers Yankee

68
00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:53,880
Speaker 1: series at Yankee Stadium, it was incredible. The quality of

69
00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,720
Speaker 1: baseball was perhaps the highest we've seen all season. That

70
00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,600
Speaker 1: was ta Oskar Hernandez's weekend in New York. He had

71
00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,320
Speaker 1: a monster weekend, six for twelve, three home runs, and

72
00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,200
Speaker 1: we saw Yamamoto at his best in the Friday night game,

73
00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,520
Speaker 1: we saw Luis Heel Sunday night. All of the games, well,

74
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:12,880
Speaker 1: the second one was kind of a blowout in the end,

75
00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:17,280
Speaker 1: but all three had their moments of real intensity. What

76
00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,520
Speaker 1: is interesting about that series is the Dodgers and Yankees

77
00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,200
Speaker 1: really haven't been the same since Dodgers fifteen and fifteen,

78
00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:28,000
Speaker 1: since injuries are part of it, Yankees twelve and nineteen.

79
00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,160
Speaker 1: So while that series marked kind of a peak for

80
00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,719
Speaker 1: those teams, and maybe for the sport in the first half,

81
00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,960
Speaker 1: it also marked the start of a downturn. All right,

82
00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,080
Speaker 1: moving forward, this next one might be my favorite thing

83
00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:43,720
Speaker 1: in the first half, actually, one of the favorite things

84
00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,760
Speaker 1: I've ever covered, and one of the best things Major

85
00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:49,159
Speaker 1: League Baseball has ever done. I'm talking about June twentieth,

86
00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,280
Speaker 1: the Rerick Wood Game, the tribute to the Negro Leagues,

87
00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,159
Speaker 1: just two days after the passing of Willie Mays. It

88
00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:57,560
Speaker 1: was on Fox. I was part of the broadcast, of course,

89
00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,400
Speaker 1: but the night in general was so sweet, so wonderful,

90
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,040
Speaker 1: such great memories. To see John Battiz there doing his

91
00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,360
Speaker 1: thing before the game. My favorite part of the whole

92
00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,799
Speaker 1: experience was seeing the major league players from the Giants

93
00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,880
Speaker 1: and Cardinals line up well, lining up there of course

94
00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:17,800
Speaker 1: on the foul lines, but before the game, this was

95
00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,280
Speaker 1: off camera. They lined up and kind of went through

96
00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:23,000
Speaker 1: a line, meeting all of the former Negro League's players,

97
00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,760
Speaker 1: and it was a night when baseball honored its past

98
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,680
Speaker 1: and acknowledged as well the darkness of its past and

99
00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,200
Speaker 1: how this sport was segregated and how we cannot forget

100
00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,920
Speaker 1: what these players went through. Again, one of my favorite

101
00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,080
Speaker 1: nights of my career is certainly one of the best

102
00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,680
Speaker 1: nights of the season. Okay, the final three things I have,

103
00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,200
Speaker 1: they're not necessarily tied to any date, they're just cool

104
00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:48,840
Speaker 1: things that happened in the first half. I'm going to

105
00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,279
Speaker 1: start with the emergencies of Gunner Henderson and Bobby Wick

106
00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:54,960
Speaker 1: Junior as two of the best shortstops in the game.

107
00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:57,680
Speaker 1: Of course, two of the best young players in the

108
00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,479
Speaker 1: game as well. Henderson a legitimate MVP candidate and so

109
00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,640
Speaker 1: is Bobby Wick Junior. These guys have carried their teams,

110
00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,719
Speaker 1: the Orioles and Royals, respectively, to really strong first halves.

111
00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:13,599
Speaker 1: They're both extremely exciting, fun players to watch. Henderson with

112
00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,080
Speaker 1: all the home runs from the leadoff spot, Wit with

113
00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,800
Speaker 1: his all around play. He can do everything on the

114
00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,040
Speaker 1: baseball field, including run really fast. So those two guys,

115
00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,120
Speaker 1: they're big stars. They're here in Arlington. They'll be part

116
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,599
Speaker 1: of the home run derby on Monday Night. It's great

117
00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,560
Speaker 1: to see what they've accomplished. Now. Also, let's not forget

118
00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:37,480
Speaker 1: the two surprising leaders in the Central divisions have similar stories.

119
00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,799
Speaker 1: The Cleveland Guardians new manager Steven Vote, the Milwaukee Brewers

120
00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:46,159
Speaker 1: new manager Pat Murphy In neither case, did anyone really

121
00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,040
Speaker 1: expect these teams to do what they've done. It might

122
00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:51,720
Speaker 1: have thought they'd be okay, but no one thought they'd

123
00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,800
Speaker 1: be leading the division pretty much wire to wire the

124
00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,880
Speaker 1: entire first half. The Guardians transformed their offense. They were

125
00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,360
Speaker 1: a bottom four offense last year. This year they've been

126
00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,920
Speaker 1: a top ten offense for most of the first half

127
00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,600
Speaker 1: and a top five for part of it, in part

128
00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,080
Speaker 1: because they changed their offensive philosophy. They basically said in

129
00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,400
Speaker 1: spring training, no more punch and judy, let's start trying

130
00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,360
Speaker 1: to hit the ball hard. It worked for them pretty well.

131
00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,440
Speaker 1: Guardian's remarkable performance in the first half. Brewers the same.

132
00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,040
Speaker 1: The Brewers are a little bit different in the way

133
00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:26,920
Speaker 1: they're constructed. They've got a bunch of young position players

134
00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,760
Speaker 1: that are really outstanding. They have Christian Yelich being their

135
00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,720
Speaker 1: Jose Ramirez as well, and like the Guardians, they have

136
00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,200
Speaker 1: got problems in their rotation and not quite as powerful

137
00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,800
Speaker 1: a bullpen. But at the same time, they've done some

138
00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,400
Speaker 1: amazing things in the first half. They play a very athletic,

139
00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,200
Speaker 1: aggressive style. They've been fun to watch. Both these teams

140
00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,440
Speaker 1: are going to need to be active at the deadline

141
00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,200
Speaker 1: to fix their rotations. They've got huge problems in that regard.

142
00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:58,240
Speaker 1: Those are reasons they're flawed rotations to see them as

143
00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,680
Speaker 1: not necessarily strong World Series contenders, but certainly they're going

144
00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:04,760
Speaker 1: to be in the race, no doubt about that, for

145
00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,160
Speaker 1: the rest of the season. And finally, let's pay tribute

146
00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,400
Speaker 1: to the team that has been the most dominant and

147
00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,160
Speaker 1: Major League Baseball in the first half. That would be

148
00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:17,280
Speaker 1: the Philadelphia Phillies sixty two and thirty four, best record

149
00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,400
Speaker 1: in baseball, and they've done it with the rotation that

150
00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,720
Speaker 1: has had the best rotation era in the major leagues.

151
00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:28,520
Speaker 1: Nola and Wheeler and Sanchez and Suarez, this whole group,

152
00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,080
Speaker 1: and even the fill in guys Spencer Turnbull when he

153
00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,120
Speaker 1: had his moments there, Taiwan Walker at times he's been

154
00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:37,480
Speaker 1: heard of course, and not himself, but the top four

155
00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,120
Speaker 1: have been remarkable in their performance. They're just a team

156
00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,800
Speaker 1: that has a great vibe about them. I've spoken about

157
00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,320
Speaker 1: this before. Even with the injuries to Turner and later

158
00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:51,199
Speaker 1: to Harper and Schwarber and of course Torio Muto as well,

159
00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,160
Speaker 1: they have trucked on. They have done a great job

160
00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,120
Speaker 1: all season. They're going to be a very formidable team

161
00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,640
Speaker 1: going forward and in the postseason because of the rotation.

162
00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,120
Speaker 1: So then you have it my top ten. I guess

163
00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,880
Speaker 1: we'll call them things from the first half. It was

164
00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,080
Speaker 1: a remarkable first half, honestly, a lot of fun. You

165
00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,760
Speaker 1: see all the great moments we had, all the amazing

166
00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,640
Speaker 1: things that went on in this sport, and I'm greatly

167
00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,439
Speaker 1: looking forward, of course to the second half as well.

168
00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,520
Speaker 2: Hey, FT, fam let's welcome our new favorite brand to

169
00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:23,520
Speaker 2: the party and you'll see us wearing their apparel on

170
00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,319
Speaker 2: FT shows the rest of the summer. Let's talk Viori

171
00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,160
Speaker 2: a new perspective on performance apparel. Perfect if you're sick

172
00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,400
Speaker 2: and tired of traditional old workout gear. Everything is designed

173
00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,680
Speaker 2: to work out in, but it doesn't feel like it,

174
00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,360
Speaker 2: it doesn't look like it, and it's so comfortable you're

175
00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:39,840
Speaker 2: just gonna want to wear it all the time, which

176
00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,600
Speaker 2: is what we're doing on many FT shows. Honestly, it's

177
00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,720
Speaker 2: comfier than whatever you're wearing right now, and it's incredibly versatile.

178
00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,319
Speaker 2: Shout out to the Men's Sunday Performance Jogger, a fresh

179
00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:52,760
Speaker 2: take on ath leisure and a staple in your wardrobe

180
00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,960
Speaker 2: designed to keep you moving with less bulk around your ankles.

181
00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,000
Speaker 2: I'm wearing it all the time at the airport as

182
00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:02,160
Speaker 2: we're traveling around the entire count covering FT shows at

183
00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,600
Speaker 2: different ballparks. Vor is an investment in your happiness, and

184
00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:09,000
Speaker 2: for our listeners, they're offering twenty percent off your first purchase.

185
00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,760
Speaker 2: Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing

186
00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:17,040
Speaker 2: on the planet at Vory dot com slash fo u

187
00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:21,719
Speaker 2: L that's v u o r i dot com slash

188
00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,040
Speaker 2: f o u L. Not only will you receive twenty

189
00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,719
Speaker 2: percent off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on

190
00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,520
Speaker 2: any US orders over seventy five dollars and free returns again.

191
00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:36,000
Speaker 2: Go to Vory dot com slash foul foul and discover

192
00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,000
Speaker 2: the versatility of Vori clothing.

193
00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,200
Speaker 1: Time out for the Inside Dish, the part of the

194
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,320
Speaker 1: show where I talk maybe about a story I've written,

195
00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:47,480
Speaker 1: a trend in the game, something else entirely, or on

196
00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,679
Speaker 1: this particular day, we're gonna go way back in the

197
00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,040
Speaker 1: time machine in honor of the amateur Draft taking place

198
00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,800
Speaker 1: right now in Major League Baseball. So the first round

199
00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:01,040
Speaker 1: last night continues today, and to go back to nineteen

200
00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,960
Speaker 1: eighty four and the first pick of that draft. One

201
00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:07,960
Speaker 1: of the most memorable busts in Major league history, Sean Abner.

202
00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:10,040
Speaker 1: And why am I going to talk about Sean Abner,

203
00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,360
Speaker 1: Because I'm going to take you in the time machine

204
00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,120
Speaker 1: way back, all these years to when I started my

205
00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,600
Speaker 1: professional career that year nineteen eighty four in York, Pennsylvania.

206
00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:24,320
Speaker 1: I graduated the University of Pennsylvania. York is a city

207
00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,520
Speaker 1: about ninety miles west of Philly. It's the only place

208
00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,320
Speaker 1: that would hire me. I went oh for seventy five.

209
00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:35,239
Speaker 1: In my applications, I had connections in places like Biloxi, Mississippi,

210
00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,160
Speaker 1: and Fargo, North Dakota. I had inns in those places,

211
00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,120
Speaker 1: and I still couldn't get jobs there. And the only

212
00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,760
Speaker 1: reason I ended up in York was because of a

213
00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:47,559
Speaker 1: college friend of mine, John Dellapina, who was already there.

214
00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,840
Speaker 1: John went on to great things. He is now the

215
00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:53,640
Speaker 1: senior vice president of communications for the NHL, and he

216
00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:57,400
Speaker 1: recommended me. I got there, and then a couple of

217
00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:01,280
Speaker 1: months after I started, actually really only a month, I

218
00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:04,280
Speaker 1: think Sean Abner was the number one pick in the

219
00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,800
Speaker 1: Major League Baseball Draft. Sean Abner was a kid from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,

220
00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,000
Speaker 1: which was not really in York's coverage area, but it

221
00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,760
Speaker 1: was in a county north or maybe a couple of

222
00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,199
Speaker 1: counties north. It wasn't far. It was maybe a forty

223
00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:21,280
Speaker 1: five minute drive. And I got assigned to do a

224
00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,960
Speaker 1: long story that turned into a three part series on

225
00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,160
Speaker 1: this kid, this kid who had been taken out of

226
00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:30,240
Speaker 1: high school as the number one choice in the Major

227
00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,320
Speaker 1: League Baseball Draft by the Mets. So I went up

228
00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:36,280
Speaker 1: to Mechanicsburg, spent some time there with Sean his parents,

229
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,400
Speaker 1: talked to the Mets people who were involved in his selection,

230
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,760
Speaker 1: and really got into it. And I was quite proud

231
00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,160
Speaker 1: of the stories that I did. I don't know how

232
00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,000
Speaker 1: good they were looking back, but I did my best,

233
00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,000
Speaker 1: And then of course went about following Sean Abner's career

234
00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,920
Speaker 1: because I had written about him, and this kid was

235
00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,520
Speaker 1: sort of local in that area at the time. And man,

236
00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,280
Speaker 1: a number one pick, How cool is that. Here's a clip,

237
00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,000
Speaker 1: or at least the photo of the clip from that time.

238
00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:08,320
Speaker 1: That paper, the York Daily Record, which was actually for

239
00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,920
Speaker 1: a small paper, really good. We had a great staff,

240
00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:14,120
Speaker 1: and I was proud to be part of that staff.

241
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:19,320
Speaker 1: So anyway, Sean goes on and never really becomes the

242
00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,360
Speaker 1: player that anyone thought. And like I said, he was

243
00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:25,680
Speaker 1: one of the great busts. Among top overall picks in

244
00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:29,119
Speaker 1: Major league history, we're talking about guys like Steve Chilcott

245
00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,360
Speaker 1: and Brian Taylor and Todd Van Poppol. He's right on

246
00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,760
Speaker 1: that list number one picks who didn't make it. And

247
00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,000
Speaker 1: if you look at the notable picks from the nineteen

248
00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:42,040
Speaker 1: eighty four first round, you'll see not necessarily a number

249
00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,680
Speaker 1: of great names, but there's one in particular that jumps

250
00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:47,960
Speaker 1: out that third name on this list, Mark McGuire. He

251
00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,760
Speaker 1: was the tenth overall selection in that draft by the

252
00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:54,000
Speaker 1: Oakland A's Bill Swift went to the Mariners, number two.

253
00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,240
Speaker 1: He had a good career, Jay Bell to the Twins

254
00:13:56,360 --> 00:13:59,520
Speaker 1: the eighth pick, also a good career. Shane mac Odob

255
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:03,680
Speaker 1: McDowell and Terry mulhollands also part of that first round.

256
00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,280
Speaker 1: So there were some players in there, but the Mets

257
00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,200
Speaker 1: took Abner and he never quite made it. He was

258
00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,640
Speaker 1: a guy who didn't ever play for the Mets. It

259
00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:16,160
Speaker 1: turned out he had a career that last did I

260
00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,000
Speaker 1: don't know about four hundred games, and he played for

261
00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,520
Speaker 1: the Padres, the Angels, and the White Sox, and you

262
00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,360
Speaker 1: can look at his stats, they're not great. His career

263
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:30,640
Speaker 1: numbers were not anything to really speak of. So his

264
00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,160
Speaker 1: career was a bust and it didn't turn out the

265
00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,040
Speaker 1: way you want it, and it was kind of a lesson,

266
00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,320
Speaker 1: as we've seen from time to time over the years,

267
00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:42,240
Speaker 1: of how the draft isn't inexact science. Now, occasionally you'll

268
00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,840
Speaker 1: get number one overall picks who become amazing Hall of

269
00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,920
Speaker 1: Fame caliber players. I'm thinking of Ken Griffy, I'm thinking

270
00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,800
Speaker 1: of Alex Rodriguez. I'm thinking, of course, of the latest

271
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,560
Speaker 1: number one pick to hit the majors, and that's Paul Skeins.

272
00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,520
Speaker 1: He's not a Hall of Famer yet, but one day

273
00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,040
Speaker 1: he might be talked about in that kind of company.

274
00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,880
Speaker 1: These are picks that certainly were great number one overall picks.

275
00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,080
Speaker 1: Garrett Cole was another one. We can go right down

276
00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:11,400
Speaker 1: the list, but it's not always the case, and there

277
00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,000
Speaker 1: are things that happen in a guy's career, in a

278
00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:18,640
Speaker 1: guy's life that just don't turn out the way anyone expected.

279
00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:22,200
Speaker 1: The draft, it seems to me, has become more exact

280
00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,480
Speaker 1: over the years, we don't see the number ones miss

281
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,280
Speaker 1: the way they did, although I guess you could make

282
00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,640
Speaker 1: the point Mickey Moniac, Philly's number one from a few

283
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:32,840
Speaker 1: years back certainly hasn't turned out to be a star

284
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,480
Speaker 1: the way people thought he might have being a number

285
00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:37,480
Speaker 1: one pick. He's now with the Angels, He's doing okay,

286
00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:42,360
Speaker 1: but hey, number one pick, you would think superstar. Anyway.

287
00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:47,400
Speaker 1: This story has kind of a sad ending, not kind

288
00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,520
Speaker 1: of it was a sad ending. Sean Abner, for whatever reason,

289
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,840
Speaker 1: had some issues in his life and in twenty twenty

290
00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,960
Speaker 1: or so is found guilty of a felony charge of

291
00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:01,120
Speaker 1: aggravated animal cruelty and actually went to jail for this.

292
00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:06,080
Speaker 1: He had abandoned his ailing dog and people noticed this

293
00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,440
Speaker 1: and found it, and he was charged and he spent

294
00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,640
Speaker 1: some time in jail. He was sentenced to four and

295
00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,200
Speaker 1: a half to twenty three months. I don't know exactly

296
00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:17,840
Speaker 1: how much time he served in jail, But Sean Abner,

297
00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,600
Speaker 1: it just kind of went awry for him as a

298
00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,720
Speaker 1: person after he didn't make it as a player. So

299
00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:26,040
Speaker 1: that's not the part of the story I wanted to

300
00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:31,200
Speaker 1: dwell on, obviously. I just remember my excitement personally at

301
00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:33,680
Speaker 1: being able to interview at age twenty one, which is

302
00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,760
Speaker 1: what I was coming out of school, this big, big prospect.

303
00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:39,360
Speaker 1: I didn't even know at that point I would be

304
00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:41,800
Speaker 1: a baseball writer. I didn't know what was going to

305
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,080
Speaker 1: happen in my career. I was just starting now covering

306
00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,000
Speaker 1: high schools, and I didn't really have a goal of

307
00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,000
Speaker 1: being a baseball writer. I had a goal of being

308
00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:53,680
Speaker 1: a beat writer for any professional sport in any city.

309
00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,360
Speaker 1: It didn't matter to me. Ended up in Baltimore and

310
00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,840
Speaker 1: went from there, But that was really my first big assignment,

311
00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,480
Speaker 1: and again it was instructive in many ways on just

312
00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:07,400
Speaker 1: how the MLB draft is unlike others. You don't know

313
00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,480
Speaker 1: exactly what you're getting every time you pick. Time now

314
00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:13,320
Speaker 1: for grilling Ken, the part of the show where you

315
00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,159
Speaker 1: guys get to ask me questions and I get to answer.

316
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:18,720
Speaker 1: All right, let's start with the first question this week

317
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,280
Speaker 1: comes back to something we talked about at the top

318
00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:25,480
Speaker 1: of the show, the Cleveland Guardians. Tom Hicks asks will

319
00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:29,199
Speaker 1: the Guardians make multiple moves at the deadline, especially a

320
00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,560
Speaker 1: power hitting outfielder and one or two starting pitchers. Eric

321
00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,640
Speaker 1: Fetti and Taylor Ward to me, are ideal trade targets,

322
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:39,560
Speaker 1: good question, good thoughts, Tom. They need more than anything

323
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:43,320
Speaker 1: starting pitching. They've been relying on Tanner, Biby and Ben Lively.

324
00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:46,840
Speaker 1: Gavin Williams has now entered the picture, but Bieber's hurt

325
00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:49,800
Speaker 1: out for the year. Tristan McKenzie and the minor leagues,

326
00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:51,720
Speaker 1: they're trying to get him out right. He just has

327
00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,560
Speaker 1: not been what they thought he would be coming off

328
00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:58,600
Speaker 1: that injury. They badly need two starters. As you mentioned,

329
00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,760
Speaker 1: that's number one. That's should preclude anything else. Now. If

330
00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,240
Speaker 1: they can get a power hitting outfielder, sure that would

331
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,400
Speaker 1: be something that would be quite useful to them as well.

332
00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,320
Speaker 1: I was looking up this morning. They've used eight right

333
00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:16,080
Speaker 1: fielders and seven centerfielders. They're twenty seventh in the majors

334
00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:20,080
Speaker 1: in ops at a right field, sixteenth out of centerfield,

335
00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:23,560
Speaker 1: so certainly they could use more production out of their outfield.

336
00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,800
Speaker 1: But in my view, they could live with what they

337
00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,359
Speaker 1: have and keep mixing and matching in the outfield. If

338
00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:33,520
Speaker 1: they get better starting pitching, they have to get that.

339
00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:36,840
Speaker 1: That is absolutely their priority, and I expect them to

340
00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,440
Speaker 1: be active. And Eric Fetti is a really good name

341
00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,680
Speaker 1: for them. He's not a guy who's terribly expensive, making

342
00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,240
Speaker 1: seven point five million this year and next, and he's

343
00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:48,280
Speaker 1: under control for next season, so I could see him

344
00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,200
Speaker 1: being a really logical guy. Taylor Award from the Angels.

345
00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,960
Speaker 1: If the Angels move him, sure, that's a good piece

346
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,439
Speaker 1: as well. All right, now to the next question. This

347
00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:02,639
Speaker 1: one concerns the Washington Nash question is from Eric Johnson,

348
00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,440
Speaker 1: who asked how optimistic are you about the Nationals heading

349
00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,760
Speaker 1: into twenty twenty five and beyond. I'm optimistic because I

350
00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,840
Speaker 1: love what they've done bringing in young talent, and especially

351
00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,760
Speaker 1: in the Sodo trade, which is being shown to be

352
00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,680
Speaker 1: an absolute bonanza for them. Mackenzie Gore, c j Abrams

353
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:22,280
Speaker 1: is an All Star, James Wood is up now, he's

354
00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:24,240
Speaker 1: one of the top prospects in the game, and there's

355
00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:27,320
Speaker 1: more to come from that trade as well. And they

356
00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,400
Speaker 1: have other young players coming Dylan Cruz from last year's draft.

357
00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:32,760
Speaker 1: They just made a trade I thought a good trade

358
00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,639
Speaker 1: for them involving Hunter Harvey, in which they got a

359
00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,159
Speaker 1: third base prospect and the thirty ninth pick in Sunday

360
00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:43,080
Speaker 1: Nights Draft, which they used and will enter into their

361
00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:47,359
Speaker 1: system as well. My concern with the Nationals is ownership

362
00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,120
Speaker 1: and will they spend enough money to support what they've

363
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,760
Speaker 1: got coming. At some point, you're gonna have to buy

364
00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,440
Speaker 1: some veterans. Now, what's interesting about their ownership is at

365
00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,119
Speaker 1: times the learners, the family that owns the t he

366
00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,240
Speaker 1: has spent and spent big, too big in the case

367
00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,800
Speaker 1: of Steven Strasburg and even some others. But they have

368
00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,280
Speaker 1: done that, haven't done it lately. And remember there have

369
00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,280
Speaker 1: been times when the team has been for sale and

370
00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,040
Speaker 1: not for sales, so no one really knows what their

371
00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,640
Speaker 1: intentions are. And we talked on the Fox broadcast Saturday

372
00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,399
Speaker 1: about Juan Soto and where he might end up, and

373
00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,479
Speaker 1: we raised the possibility could the Nationals pursue him again?

374
00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:28,200
Speaker 1: And it's interesting, right they did trade him, it ended

375
00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,240
Speaker 1: kind of badly. He didn't take the four hundred and

376
00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:34,000
Speaker 1: forty million dollar offer that they made over fifteen years,

377
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,760
Speaker 1: et cetera. But Wan SODA's going to the highest bidder.

378
00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,280
Speaker 1: Could the Nationals re enter the picture and be the

379
00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,400
Speaker 1: highest bidder for Wan Soto? I don't see it happening,

380
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,800
Speaker 1: but I don't know. It's not out of the question.

381
00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:49,359
Speaker 1: In any case, they need to spend money. That's the

382
00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,280
Speaker 1: message here, and they need to support what they have

383
00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,600
Speaker 1: and this off season will be a really important test

384
00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,320
Speaker 1: for the Washington Nationals and their future. All Right, the

385
00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:05,000
Speaker 1: final question today, This one comes from e J. Fagan,

386
00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,080
Speaker 1: who asked, these are great questions this week. By the way,

387
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,639
Speaker 1: if the Yankees traded for a second basement like Jonathan India,

388
00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,440
Speaker 1: what could a Glabor Torres market look like. Well, Eja,

389
00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,479
Speaker 1: you hit on it, because if you trade for India,

390
00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,040
Speaker 1: or any other second basement for that matter, the question

391
00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,639
Speaker 1: then becomes what happens to Glaber, who is a potential

392
00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,560
Speaker 1: free agent if this India deal was to come together,

393
00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:29,560
Speaker 1: And it's highly speculative even to be talking about it.

394
00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,000
Speaker 1: We don't know if the Reds even want to trade

395
00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,240
Speaker 1: Jonathan India. They've resisted in the past, even when it

396
00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,560
Speaker 1: seemed they had a surplus of infielders, and even though

397
00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:41,120
Speaker 1: they enter the break with playoff odds of about eight

398
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:46,520
Speaker 1: percent and obviously tilting toward becoming sellers, they might see India,

399
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,399
Speaker 1: who is under control for two more years, as part

400
00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,000
Speaker 1: of what they're going to be doing in twenty five

401
00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,360
Speaker 1: and twenty six. So I don't know that they'll trade him.

402
00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:58,159
Speaker 1: But if they were willing to move him, what happens

403
00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,600
Speaker 1: to Glaber Torres? Well, maybe if you're the Red you say, okay,

404
00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,520
Speaker 1: we'll trade him to the Yankees, but we want prospect

405
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,920
Speaker 1: A B and see whatever the case might be, whichever

406
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,800
Speaker 1: young players they want, and then you take Torres back

407
00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:12,679
Speaker 1: for the rest of the season. You're covered at second base.

408
00:22:12,920 --> 00:22:16,320
Speaker 1: You can still give the illusion of contention because you're

409
00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,639
Speaker 1: having a major league guy replace India. I don't know

410
00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:21,680
Speaker 1: if that would even be discussed. I don't know if

411
00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:25,400
Speaker 1: either team would find it acceptable, but that's one way

412
00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,360
Speaker 1: to go about it. Glaber's market value is not going

413
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:30,320
Speaker 1: to be great. He's not having a great first half.

414
00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:34,399
Speaker 1: Teams generally don't have great holes at second base. They

415
00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,840
Speaker 1: don't necessarily need to fill that. The Yankees do it

416
00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,000
Speaker 1: seems right now, but in general that is not a

417
00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,600
Speaker 1: position of need for most clubs. So I don't know

418
00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,320
Speaker 1: what would happen to Glabor in that situation. I imagine

419
00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,840
Speaker 1: he would be part of a separate deal and it

420
00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:50,600
Speaker 1: would not get much in return for the Yankees for

421
00:22:50,840 --> 00:22:53,600
Speaker 1: a guy on an expiring contract and one who is

422
00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,199
Speaker 1: not playing all that well or at least not as

423
00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:59,080
Speaker 1: well as he has in the past. All right, I

424
00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,639
Speaker 1: want to thank everyone for their questions, everyone for listening,

425
00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,320
Speaker 1: for watching. You know where to find us YouTube, Apple, Spotify,

426
00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,760
Speaker 1: subscribe to us, like us. We'll be back on Thursday,

427
00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,800
Speaker 1: All Star Game PostScript with Alano Rizzo, our usual Thursday

428
00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,160
Speaker 1: show live at for time with that show. Oh it's

429
00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,640
Speaker 1: twelve thirty Eastern, nine thirty Pacific. Have a great All

430
00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,880
Speaker 1: Star Week, everyone,