MLB Talk, Season Preview & The Sunday Night Baseball Farewell?

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hey, everybody, and welcome to the fifth episode of the Yapoff podcast. I am your host, Ted. With me, as always, are Sam and Joe. John is away on, on assignment. He will not be joining us today, but in his place I have special guest, our executive producer, Raysh. Thanks for joining us. Yeah, I'm glad I got an immediate response this time instead of the pause. Really happy we're. We're going. [00:00:29] Speaker B: I was actually gonna lean in. Into the pause. I was gonna lean into the pause and I was gonna not answer until I got like either some drum rolls, some applause, a laugh track. [00:00:38] Speaker A: You got a cheer, though. You did get a cheer. [00:00:41] Speaker C: I don't even help a cheer rise out here. He's the best. [00:00:44] Speaker A: Yes. [00:00:45] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you for calling me my. My correct name. Thank you. I appreciate that very, very. [00:00:50] Speaker A: Oh, it's not race. [00:00:52] Speaker B: No, it is not. [00:00:54] Speaker C: I've only known you for nine years. [00:00:56] Speaker B: You know, I know you want to be comic book accurate, but no, that is not my name. [00:01:02] Speaker A: Okay. [00:01:04] Speaker B: After a few years at [email protected], my good buddy Adam Rubin started calling me Al Ghul. I was like, oh, you're literally the first person in my entire life who called me Al Ghul. Because my nickname is Raz. My full name is Raziel, but everybody calls me Raz. And he was like, oh, Raz al Ghul. And then it just like stuck and then it died down, but I kept it. I like took it over. It's like, you know, cool. [00:01:27] Speaker A: There is, there's some store on like 14th street in Manhattan because like I was walking when we were still at mlb, I was walking toward to Chelsea Market where we worked and on that street there was some place called like, like raw. It was some. Maybe it was a roster place, maybe it wasn't. It was like Ross Abagula. And I was like. And I took a picture and like posted it saying, isn't that the villain for Batman? [00:02:00] Speaker B: Maybe it was an Italian meat shop. [00:02:03] Speaker A: Maybe no. Consider that look thinking about the facade now. No, but with I'm. I am sad John's not here away on assignment because it is the MLB Preview this episode. Usually we drop on Monday. We will. This is dropping on opening day Thursday, I believe. You know how I love to date these podcasts. I been as I love to date them. Rest in peace. Bryce Harper as reported by Bob Nightingale. I can't believe generational talent lost because of a misspelling incredible two time MVP and journalist. Yeah, yeah. [00:02:47] Speaker B: I mean I did, I did see that and immediately clutched my chest. I Was like, what the. It was. Bob being Bob. Bob Nightingale is, is. Is. Is loved for obvious reasons in amongst baseball circles for his amazing social media presence. [00:03:05] Speaker A: I know everyone loves to, like, joke on him, Column, boob, all that stuff because of his constant mistakes as a Dodger fan. Bob's my North Star knight in shining armor because he was the one who broke that. Shohei Otani was not on that plane. So I do, I mean, I do give him sometimes. He is. Right? [00:03:28] Speaker B: I mean, is it breaking? Is that the news everyone was waiting for? He's not on the plane. Well, everybody was waiting for. [00:03:35] Speaker D: He signed and it would have been a situation. [00:03:39] Speaker A: Yeah, I guess. [00:03:41] Speaker B: I guess that's like celebrating, like, you know, the launch of the, you know, like, oh, we're going to the moon, the plane has launched. Or maybe it hasn't. No, you celebrate the landing. You celebrate like actual historic milestones. You don't celebrate, like. I don't know. [00:04:00] Speaker A: I don't know what happened. The person who said there was a plane to where's the track, that guy who, like, tweeted it, do you think he, like, deleted his account, scrubbed everything, or like, he leaned into it? [00:04:16] Speaker B: I mean, look, as. I mean, there was a lot of. There was a lot of information that was coming out, right? There was there information about a restaurant that was already booked in Toronto. There was a, you know, like, it was just a lot of, like, information that could have potentially been true. But ultimately, like, the big winner was he signed. I remember I was in the Bahamas for the Don't Blink Home Run Derby and I got the. The passing. Breaking the tweet. [00:04:48] Speaker C: Passing gas. [00:04:50] Speaker B: The passing gas. [00:04:51] Speaker A: Oh, Jesus. [00:04:54] Speaker B: And I immediately, like, went into Twitter, make sure it was really him. And then I was surrounded by a whole bunch of fucking baseball players. And like, I start literally just showing, like, holding my phone up. I was like. And everybody was like, what the fuck? Like, it was such a. Like a crazy, chaotic moment that, like, it still made, like, makes my jaw drop. Like, I don't know. Is. It was probably one of the coolest things that did not involve any of my teams that I've. I've been part of. And then I texted Ted. [00:05:32] Speaker A: Roz, I was going to say you were the one who broke the news to me because, like, that day before, I was so resigned that, like, this is real Andrew Freeman, greatest fumbler of all time. And so, like, I just, like, didn't want to look at social media because it's like, I don't. I can't even the imagining the Post of, like, Shohei Ohtani walking off that plane, like, would have. Would have melted my, like, flames behind him. Like, my brain would have melted. I was like, I can't risk looking at this. [00:06:09] Speaker C: Would have looked like Nixon to Ted. [00:06:11] Speaker A: On the plane if he showed Famous for walking up and doing the double. [00:06:17] Speaker B: Peace signs coming out of the plane like this with his dog. Yeah. I mean, it would have listened. Sucks. For real, Honestly, it sucks for everybody else except the Dodgers. I'm just glad that we were not like the Yankees. I say we because I'm a Yankee fan. I'm just glad that we weren't even, like, in the running. Like, there was no, like, debate. We weren't, like, close, even though we were heartbroken. No. No chance. I was like, cool. Even the Juan Soto thing, I'm like, cool. All right, move on. All right. [00:06:47] Speaker A: I get it. [00:06:47] Speaker B: You know what I'm saying? Like, if you're a Blue Jays fan. [00:06:51] Speaker A: Like, how got to be suck. [00:06:53] Speaker B: It's got to be the worst feel even worse than being an Angels fan because you knew he was leaving. It's like, it's got to be so shitty. Like, I would have been, like, making T shirts already, like, signs. I would have been, like, gone looking. Going to Pearson's, the airport, and, like, see what planes are landing. And, like, it's got to suck. And, like, full disclosure. [00:07:12] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:07:13] Speaker A: I don't know how they keep being number two in these races. How is nobody taking their money? [00:07:21] Speaker B: So taxes. [00:07:22] Speaker A: There's still taxes in California tariffs now. [00:07:27] Speaker C: When he's making $2 million. 680 million deferred. [00:07:32] Speaker A: You give up a good point. Rise. Now that does Toronto. Are they paying, like, a 90 tariff just to play baseball? How is this working? [00:07:41] Speaker B: Baseball? I don't know. It's just. It's a weird time. It's a weird time, particularly. I mean. And I guess we could kind of go. I mean, now that we're Otani. I don't know. I know this is not like. But we could talk a little bit about how you almost help sh. Otani sign. [00:07:56] Speaker A: No, I. I believe it was be. I. I had helped Yamamoto almost sign with the Giants. I believe is the story. So. [00:08:08] Speaker B: Yamamoto. Yes, correct. [00:08:09] Speaker A: This is obviously two offse. Last offseason, two off seasons ago. Tower off season after post the same off season as Shohei Otan. [00:08:21] Speaker B: Yeah. That's why I, like, they're all. They're all one big story in my brain because so many things going on at the same time. Yeah. It was insane. [00:08:30] Speaker A: I get a text from Roz asking me if I knew anyone that could be a. Like, translate for English to Japanese for a video. And I was like, oh, let me see if I can ask someone. [00:08:46] Speaker B: Ted immediately got offended. He was like, why would you ask me, Roz? [00:08:49] Speaker A: Is that what I did? [00:08:51] Speaker B: And I was, like, nervous. I was like, I should have been. No, because you're from the West Coast. I don't know. [00:08:59] Speaker A: Well, well, good answer. I did reach out to someone I had met in college in New York who lives in New York. And from New York, I reached out to my friend who speaks pretty fluent Japanese. But I was like, does he know anyone? And I think you were also looking for a voice actor at that. [00:09:15] Speaker B: Yeah. Voiceover. Yeah. So the voiceover was for Ohtani, and the translations were for Yamamoto. That's why I kind of like. [00:09:22] Speaker A: Yeah. So I continue. I reached out to him. He was like, hey, here's this guy. I pass along the info to Raz. There's a couple back and forth between us about getting the information and all that. Some changes to the. Either the briefing of the video, purpose of the video, all that, like, changing rates and all that. It gets to the point where we are in November. I want to say. [00:09:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:09:50] Speaker A: And I hadn't heard anything from Roz until that day where Yamamoto had signed. He did not go to Thursday Night Football. And I had joked, tweeting, perfect time to go to Dodger Stadium for your physical. And little did I know, two hours later, he had signed with the Dodgers. Ross once again texted me, Congratulations, Beat. Next message. FYI, I think now's a good time to tell you that I work for the Giants. So little did I know I was assisting Roz in the recruitment process for both Shohei Otani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. I told that story. Yeah. I told it to my dad. He loves the story, but he's like, if they had. If Yamamoto had signed with the Giants, I've. I would have killed you. [00:10:41] Speaker B: I. And look, to be fair, there was no malicious intent. I was not attempting to deceive Ted. There was just, like, a massive gag order. We were not even. [00:10:54] Speaker A: Yeah. It's like. Well, it's like I. I trust Raw. I. Because, like, I had tsumed. It was like, maybe for another Fox documentary. Like, that was my assumption, which why I didn't ask, because, like, I appreciate you not asking. [00:11:06] Speaker B: You would have put me in a terrible spot. [00:11:09] Speaker A: But. [00:11:09] Speaker B: And you were. You were a very. You were a great, great friend, and you acted as such. [00:11:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:14] Speaker B: And I did feel bad. I was like, oh, man. If he, like, if I sign him away, it would be me. But what if the team that I work for signed them away would be. It would be awkward conversation with you. [00:11:24] Speaker A: And I know. I'm so glad that happened because the story's so funny and I'm. So. Because, like, I also told it, you know, my family's. We're baseball. Huge baseball fans in general, but obviously Dodger fans and a Cup fan. [00:11:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:11:37] Speaker A: But, like, I told that story at Thanksgiving and, like, the. Brought the room down. [00:11:44] Speaker B: I mean, look, you have a couple of World Series, you know, World Series to celebrate with. The. The story is that I. I work seasons with the San Francisco Giants. I worked in their. In their video coaching department. What I did was just basically create like, cool, uplifting videos for the team. And that. That was what I thought was going to be the bulk of my job. The very first off season, they were like, oh, yeah, by the way, as soon as the season ends, you have to work on these recruitment videos. And they sent me a few of their recruitment videos, and they were, like, kind of boring and blame and like. You ever seen that? I don't know if you guys seen Entourage when they. When they are trying to recruit Vinnie Chase and then they play him that crappy video. We feel like, oh, McDonald's, Coca Cola. You can be a brand too. We can make that happen for you. And he's like, this is shitty. I don't want this. That's kind of what the vibe was of the videos that they were creating. So we went the complete and opposite direction. We were like, no, we're gonna create, like, the most personal, you know, like, memorable. Where we did deep dives into, like, like, their histories, their upbringing, looked at every possible video that we could find. Yamamoto actually had a documentary made on his life. Yeah. While he was in Japan, and that came out the year before. So I've. I've seen him, like, at every award ceremony, for every potential award he has won in Japanese league. I see. I saw all his, like, crazy workouts. I saw his dog. I. I basically know pretty much I knew everything about him and Shohei and Young Holy and a couple other free agents that they were. They were. They were trying to do. So then we make these videos. And then somebody was like, maybe we should make them in Japanese. And I'm like, these are due in, like, a few weeks. Like, maybe this would have been, you know. Yes, It's a great idea. 100. But, like, maybe we should have figured this out a lot sooner. So I'm Scrambling on my phone. I'm like, literally. And it wasn't even just because, you know, anything, me being racist towards Ted or whatever. I was literally going through every person that I know in production on my phone. I went. I. Going through one by one to see if anybody knew of anybody who do voiceovers in Japanese. And. And yeah, ultimately a company out in Japan who did the voiceovers for us, but they did not do any of the scripts or the translations. They refused to do that. They were like, no, we're just. We're just voiceover artists. We're not meddling. We're not messing with the script. You have to send us a finalized script. And I respected that because they're clearly not getting out in the business of, like, they didn't want to get anything wrong. It was like a. Like a. You know what I'm saying? So. But it turned out for Yamamoto, we were. We were just. He just wanted to la, like, where he wanted to be. [00:14:46] Speaker A: I remember you told me the second you saw Yamamoto at the Laker game, everyone in the Giants was like, that it's a wrap. [00:14:54] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a rap. Like, he's. We need, like, the. All the intel that we had of him is like, he wants to be where he is going to be seen. He want. He likes the nightlife, he likes to go out, he likes to dress nice, he likes to roll. He has an extensive Rolex collection, loves nice cars. So, like, we were like, yeah, we. The video. And I can share it to you if you guys get interested. With the video that we made. We. I had my buddy Noah Snyder, who all of you know. Yeah. Go to a nightclub and put a Yamamoto jersey. Jersey on a DJ while the party's going on just to, like, you know, there's no comparison the nightlife in San Francisco, no offense to San Francisco in la, obviously. But, like, we wanted to create, like, a fun kind of like, cool environment. And he went in there, shout out to Noah, shooting some DJ from behind with. You see the Yamamoto Giants jersey. None of that mattered because he got the money and the place he wanted to be, and he gets to play with his really cool, close friend. [00:15:56] Speaker A: Then he, you know, gets the World Series out of it to beat the stinky, stinky, evil Yankees. [00:16:02] Speaker B: I have no idea what you're talking about. That's, like, blocked in my memory. [00:16:06] Speaker A: Well, hopefully you don't have a bad take because you will be reminded, I want to say, because this is the baseball preview. Sam and I, after recording our Disney draft episode, we went and Got saw a little indie movie, Perfect Segue. It's Perfect Segue. A little movie called eis, A baseball movie, which was of Sam says it's a baseball ass movie. If I'm getting that quote right. [00:16:34] Speaker D: That is correct. Yes. [00:16:35] Speaker A: Yes. A baseball ass movie. I called it. Terence Malik made a baseball movie. This would be it. When we sat down, I looked over at who we were with and I asked the how. What's the barrier of entry for this movie if EFIS is the title of the movie? Because that's not a regular baseball turn. I like you. That is not said like Vicente Padilla, I think is who we landed on, was the last true thrower of an EFIS pitch. [00:17:13] Speaker B: I haven't thought of in a long time. [00:17:15] Speaker D: The most recent one, the one I the pitch specifically that I remember is the Yankees played the Rangers. This was like a rod was still in Texas and El Duque threw him an EFIS and he took it. [00:17:30] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:17:31] Speaker D: And he tried to throw it a second time and a rod hit it like beyond the old Monument park at the old stadium. So like, for me, whenever I think of EFIs, that and I guess the end of Rookie of the Year. [00:17:44] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. When the movie ended, one of the cast members was there to invite everyone who had seen the movie to some drinks and meet the some of the other cast at a bar. Nice guy. Can't wreck if you're a baseball fan. Cannot recommend this movie enough. It is a baseball ass movie. [00:18:05] Speaker B: I. I didn't know how to take. I asked you when you told me that you were gonna go see this movie. I was like, oh, is it good? And you were like, it's great. Highly recommend for any sports movie enjoyer. And I just stared at it. I was like, wait, is this like a backhanded compliment? I don't know. Should I? I mean, like, I like sports movies, but I don't like sports movies. I like movies. [00:18:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:24] Speaker D: So I'm like, like, if you are a, like a real baseball sicko like we are, you're gonna appreciate this movie because like so much of it is about. I mean, it's really about the minutia that makes up everything around baseball more than like, oh, which team's gonna win type of thing, like a regular movie. [00:18:42] Speaker A: So now, as always, as with the question and answer portion of these podcasts, I do have a bad take sound. I'm gonna play it for you guys now just so we all know what it sounds like. Just so you know what to look out for. And There you go. That's the bat. Takes out. If you hear it, I'm gonna have to ask you to revise your answer. Don't know blanking on what game that's from. Probably not an important game. Probably not the biggest stage of a game. So, you know. All right, guys, good night. [00:19:19] Speaker B: I'll see you guys later. [00:19:22] Speaker D: Thank you for listening. [00:19:25] Speaker A: We have a hard out. No one's staying late. [00:19:31] Speaker D: You're lucky, honestly. [00:19:32] Speaker C: The Freddie Freeman homer hits worse because. Or hurts worse because, like, yeah, we were already down three to one. Judge makes it. It's a series of unfortunate events. The. The Nester decision was one singular, moronic decision that altered the outcome of the World Series. So the whole fifth inning is a. Is just like a real bad luck of strings, and it stinks. But when I see that Freddie Freeman home run, I want to punch a wall every time. [00:20:01] Speaker B: Holding the bat in the air. [00:20:03] Speaker C: It's one of the stupidest decisions in baseball history. [00:20:07] Speaker A: I couldn't believe it. [00:20:08] Speaker D: I actually fell to my knees in my living room. [00:20:10] Speaker A: I know. [00:20:11] Speaker D: That's like a meme. Like, oh, I thought. [00:20:12] Speaker C: I felt. [00:20:12] Speaker D: I literally fell when he. When they. Yeah, when they cut the camera, you see the ball is going like, 700ft to right field. I'm like, oh, God. [00:20:21] Speaker A: I was in a. Couldn't even watch it. I was in a lift back from a Halloween party, and I'm just, like, staring at my phone and I'm like, just like. I was just like, get a run. You know, I was just like, scratch something across. And I knew he had been hurting. Who knew what you were getting from. From him? And so I, like, maybe three minutes had passed because, you know, MLB at bats on a delay. So, like, probably everyone's cheering or New York is reeling, and I scream in this lift, and it feels so bad for the driver. And I'm like, I'm sorry that I. I did. I apologized. Like, it was. Those were the first human words out of my mouth after a screen. But I was like, I'm so sorry. Freddie Freeman just hit a home run. [00:21:05] Speaker B: I was. There was silence in my house for, like, 20 minutes. Like, the home run hit. And we. I was just like, no reaction, no crying, no. No screaming, no nothing. No anger. Just shock. It was surreal. I was just. I. Because I knew exactly. I knew. I knew what that meant. We've. We've seen games, we've seen momentums. We've seen, like, we. We've seen so many baseball games in my entire life. Like, I knew exactly what that moment signified for the series, for the game, and for the series was just. [00:21:44] Speaker A: I feel like I say this for all of us. If I had still been at MLB and that move had happened, I would. We. Everyone would have been looking and going, get ready to change every single recap. Right? I feel like everyone had had that feeling like. Like, if you still had that, like, juice that we used to have where you're like, something's about to happen, like, we, like, we would have all been getting ready to change and do muses and all that stuff. [00:22:08] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. Yeah, it fucking. I knew exactly what it meant. And. And for me, like, personally, like, for the past two years, I had been working for the Giants, and I worked every single baseball game, and I had very little time to watch, like, a full Yankee game. And once this season ended, this past season ended, I was. I did not work on free agent videos because my boss was unceremoniously dumped. So our entire department was in flux. So up until that point, like, I hadn't really, like, you know, yes, you would read the box course, yes, you would watch the recaps, but I hadn't really, like, watched a lot of Yankee baseball. And the playoffs were, like, super fun. I watched every series. I watched the Mets. I. I literally watched everything. So I was, like, locked in for the entire postseason, and I fell in love with. It was like an entire season's worth of, like, ups and downs with the team, and you fell in love with the characters and the players. And. And I. I had. It had like, this, like. I don't know, like this. Like this sense of like, oh, this is. This is. This might be it. This is. You know, I'm saying this is what we've been waiting for. The Soto thing, the judge thing, even the judge struggling. It just felt like this was the time, and it felt real and it felt, like, close, and then it all fucking fell apart like a bad cake or house of cards or just. Just completely shattered me. And I have not been the same since. [00:23:41] Speaker A: I mean, weird. [00:23:42] Speaker B: Is it dramatic? [00:23:42] Speaker A: No. Because Ross, if the Dodgers had lost to the Padres, I don't think I would be doing an episode titled MLB 2025 Season Preview. I would be. I would. [00:23:54] Speaker B: That. [00:23:55] Speaker A: I would. I would be dead in a ditch if the Padres had beaten the minutes into the record. [00:24:01] Speaker D: We didn't have to do this. [00:24:02] Speaker A: You have. You do have to do this, because I'm the one who designs the games. But. [00:24:08] Speaker C: All right. Saw. [00:24:09] Speaker A: But don't worry. [00:24:10] Speaker C: Also. [00:24:11] Speaker B: Also, I did not know this was an MLB preview. [00:24:14] Speaker A: Ah, yes. No one knew until Ross. No one knew until about, I want to say, nine hours ago. [00:24:22] Speaker B: Well, I didn't know until I logged on and we started talking about it. [00:24:26] Speaker A: Well, don't worry. Sam won the. I believe it was the music episode. Our little fun little music episode. He has sent me a question and it's a fun one. In honor of the Yankees tiramisu in a batting helmet design. A stunt food you would actually want a team to start serving at the concession stands this year. This is obviously different from the platter of sushi the Yankees will be serving at Yankee Stadium. We were talking about it before you got here, Roz. Can't imagine a worse food I'd want to eat at Yankee Stadium, you know, during the summer. [00:25:02] Speaker B: Yes, yes. Sushi, Bronx sushi. Yes. That's. [00:25:05] Speaker A: That's what I want. [00:25:06] Speaker D: The entire helmet of tiramisu on a hot summer day as the Yankees are in like a two to two game in the eighth inning because no one can hit. It's gonna hit like a, like a brick to the bottom of your stomach. [00:25:18] Speaker B: Oh, man. [00:25:19] Speaker A: And they're. They to kind of give you a more listener, some more little hints of other foods. The. The Giants are doing the life sized baseball cup of popcorn. [00:25:35] Speaker B: The Giants and the Reds. No, two. I know two teams. [00:25:38] Speaker A: Maybe, maybe the Reds. I know the Giants are doing it. I've seen a lot. I will say one of my. I'm glad Sam posed this question because when we worked for MLB during the off season. Well, my two offseasons there. Some of my favorite edits to do when I walked in was when the team would be like, hey, here's our like raw footage of our food for this year. Here you go. And it's just like some of the worst food you will ever see. Or like just like regular rest. Like I remember the Mets had like the arancini boys one year at. At Citi Field and it's just like rice balls. I'm like, okay, none of the rice balls are cut open. You have no idea what's inside it. So you're just like, it's just brown balls. [00:26:23] Speaker B: Oh man. [00:26:26] Speaker C: I'm trying to think of my meal. [00:26:28] Speaker A: I wanted, I wanted themed on the team. Like I'm trying to think of like a twin something. Obviously not towers. [00:26:39] Speaker C: Preferably. Yeah, preferably. Just gotta make sure. [00:26:43] Speaker A: Gotta make sure. Yeah, because it's like, go ahead. [00:26:48] Speaker C: I'm trying to think of something practical like you know when you go to medieval times or whatever and like they got the big. The Big turkey hand thing. Like turkey stadium. [00:26:59] Speaker D: They used to have that at Yankee Stadium. [00:27:01] Speaker C: Like, did they? [00:27:03] Speaker D: Couple years. The stadium? Yes. Because I have a picture of my friend downing a Yankee Stadium turkey leg while he was wearing socks with sandals. And I was just like, this is the most incredible confluence of event. [00:27:16] Speaker C: So I guess my. [00:27:18] Speaker D: Yeah, my turkey, like absolutely. [00:27:20] Speaker C: Either turkey leg or like a corn on the cob. Like something baseball bat shaped. Right. And I can tweet about how bad the Yankees offense is with my other. [00:27:33] Speaker B: Free hand that you only need one hand to hold. Also, by the way, quick question. How old were you all when you found out that turkey legs were not made out of turkey? [00:27:41] Speaker A: What? [00:27:42] Speaker B: Today? [00:27:42] Speaker A: Today? [00:27:43] Speaker C: What do you mean? Like the medieval times? [00:27:45] Speaker A: Roz. Roz. 32 today. What are you, 32 months away from being 33? [00:27:55] Speaker B: Google what is a turkey leg made out of? [00:27:59] Speaker D: Is this gonna ruin my night? [00:28:01] Speaker A: Am I about to get like a turducken type? [00:28:03] Speaker C: Is this worse than the Freeman home run? [00:28:08] Speaker A: Okay, it's not as bad. All right. I was a thought it was gonna be like a hot dog type situation. It's just, it's just like combined parts of a chicken or a turkey. Okay. [00:28:20] Speaker C: Because I'm seeing technically turkey related. [00:28:23] Speaker A: The phrasing I'm reading is technically compromise of the bird's thigh and drumstick. [00:28:28] Speaker B: It is. Yeah. But it is weird. It is a weird part portion. There's also some that are not. That are just like Pam, they just, they, they look. Think of a turkey leg when you've held it in your arm or you've eaten it, it just doesn't look like. And then you look at a real turkey, it doesn't look like a turkey. The turkey legs are tiny and skinny and like you're like, wait minute, this doesn't look like that. Anyway, anyway, carry on. [00:28:56] Speaker A: Roz, I'm seeing a headline here. No, turkey legs are not made with ham. [00:29:01] Speaker B: There you. Well, the onion. [00:29:05] Speaker A: The onion got you. [00:29:07] Speaker B: The onion got you. I can't stop thinking about the boomstick. The Texas Rangers 2 foot long hot dog. It's the complete opposite of. Of what we were just talking about. One handed practical foods. It is 2ft long, full of jalapenos and beans and a whole bunch of other crap. [00:29:31] Speaker A: I've always wanted to write about. Like my I in my heart of hearts, deep down the KFC double down, like ruined food. Or like, you know, fast food, fast casual food. Because like, that was the first purveyor of like social media. This is hitting on social media and posting the Pictures. You got to get the pictures posted. And now it is a arms race to just have the dumbest thing you can think of be at your stadium for food on Instagram. [00:30:06] Speaker B: Yeah, for Instagram purposes, by the way. Also, Dodger dogs. Overrated. They don't taste good. [00:30:13] Speaker A: So this is how, like, I'm gonna about to. I hate people who do this because Whataburgers, whatever. But people will always complain about, oh, you ordered wrong. You went to the one. But I have to do it. Depending on which stand you go to at Dodger Stadium, that is the craziest. It's like the right field badger. I'm telling you. It's like cuz. Cuz some are steamed, some are boiled. It's a whole thing head. [00:30:42] Speaker C: You're a psychopath. [00:30:43] Speaker A: I know, I know. I, I, I, I, I prefaced it with going, I hate these people, but I have to be these people. [00:30:50] Speaker B: He's like, I hate these people, but I am these people. [00:30:52] Speaker C: I think you have to sound yourself there on that. On that take. That's. [00:30:56] Speaker A: I haven't had a Dodgers dog since they took away the onions at the condiment stand. So I haven't had one since. It's been a couple years. [00:31:03] Speaker B: The onions, without the onions, they're overrated. And is it good? [00:31:07] Speaker A: Is it legal to eat marlin? The fish? [00:31:14] Speaker C: I mean, catch them. [00:31:16] Speaker A: So obviously. So obviously. All right, here's mine. Obviously. A, the Marlins got to start killing a lot of fish. B, they got to start using the. The sword of the marlin to kind of get a kebab type situation going with the meat of the fish. And that is my novelty food item. I would. And I would go to Lone Depot Park. Is that the name of the marlin stadium? [00:31:46] Speaker B: No, no. [00:31:48] Speaker C: Lone Depot. Isn't that Milwaukee or whatever? [00:31:50] Speaker A: Oh, maybe. I remember pornhub wanted to buy it. [00:31:54] Speaker D: It is Lone Depot park, home of the Marlins. [00:31:57] Speaker C: There you go. You got it. [00:31:59] Speaker D: My answer for this is I'm gonna do something Yankee related, obviously, because that's the stadium I'm at the most. I'd like to see this happen. A blooming onion in the shape of the NY insignia. [00:32:14] Speaker A: That's insane. [00:32:17] Speaker C: Someone hire this man. [00:32:18] Speaker A: That's too. That is. That's wasted onion. We're in. [00:32:23] Speaker C: The thing is wasted onion when I'm. [00:32:25] Speaker B: Around. [00:32:30] Speaker D: In there, it's good. It works in the spring, it works in the summer, it works in the fall. Find a way to make it work. If they can sell tiramisu in a full batting helmet, they can find a way to reshape a fried onion so it looks like the Yankees logo. [00:32:46] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what. There's two different foods. Tiramisu is all. Is like a dessert that could be shaped in many different things. You're like an onions shaped like an onion, brother. [00:32:59] Speaker D: But listen, like, the Yankees, like, if they're not gonna, like, retain the top free agents, they're not gonna go above and beyond spending on players. I need to find some way to stand out in a crowded food marketplace. I don't think the tiramisu thing's gonna last. Everyone loves Bloomin Onions. It's vegetarian friendly. That's great. And it'll. It's gimmicky enough with the logo, so. [00:33:22] Speaker A: All right, so. But here's my problem. Obviously, you have to get a different ratio of. Oh, a can't be called a blooming onion. I believe that's registered trademarked. [00:33:34] Speaker C: It has to be some Yankee pun style. [00:33:37] Speaker A: Yeah, the Aaron. [00:33:38] Speaker D: The Aaron or whatever you want to call it. But you. You guys know what I'm talking about. [00:33:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:43] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:33:44] Speaker A: That's insane. I'm just trying to think of the logistics, and it's just not worth it. [00:33:49] Speaker D: You know what? You didn't play the bad take sound, so I'm considering it a win. Even if it's not the most popular. [00:33:54] Speaker B: Just think about carrying that, like, from the stand to your seat. A blooming onion. Like, how would you serve it? It be on a tray. I don't know. [00:34:03] Speaker A: It's loose on a tray. [00:34:05] Speaker D: One of those, like, cardboard trays where. [00:34:07] Speaker A: The sides come up without the drinks. [00:34:11] Speaker D: Like five hot dogs. Yeah. [00:34:12] Speaker B: I. I'm just gonna go out and say it like, Ted not playing the bad take sound effect was probably a mistake. [00:34:19] Speaker A: No. Cuz here's what would have been the bad take. If someone's worst take. [00:34:23] Speaker D: I guarantee it. [00:34:24] Speaker A: If someone's like, yeah, five hot dogs and a. A helmet. Like, obviously that, because. Did you see that one? Because the Mets are doing that for 25. You can get like maybe 25 hot dogs or something. 12 hot dogs. Okay, but like, in a padding helmet. [00:34:40] Speaker C: The Mets are gonna let your mom in the clubhouse, so. [00:34:42] Speaker A: Not my mom. [00:34:45] Speaker C: That's the pitch. That's the pitch. [00:34:46] Speaker A: That's what. My mom's never going to a freaking. My mom doesn't even go to Dodger Stadium. [00:34:53] Speaker B: Listen properly. [00:34:54] Speaker C: Tell us a Soto. [00:34:57] Speaker A: Jeez, Joe. Roz, I need some kind of food from you guys. [00:35:01] Speaker C: I did. I did my thing. My. My baseball. [00:35:04] Speaker A: Oh, you want them? You know, make fun of the Yankees Offense. Got it. [00:35:08] Speaker C: Yeah. So I have a hand for you to tweet about how bad they are. [00:35:11] Speaker B: I want a pizza in the shape of a sewer cap lid with. [00:35:23] Speaker A: Pizzas are already shaped like a sewer. [00:35:27] Speaker B: With the condiments covering. And, you know, I'm saying, like, the pepperoni. You know how sewer lid thing looks like it's got the grades. [00:35:35] Speaker C: Turtle style. [00:35:37] Speaker B: Ninja Turtle style. Come on, man. Use your imagination. Oh, it's already round. It's already in the show. [00:35:43] Speaker A: Yeah, it is already. [00:35:46] Speaker B: Come on, Ted. Jesus. [00:35:48] Speaker A: I'm sorry. I don't have. Don't have the unique wonderment of a child anymore. [00:35:55] Speaker C: Now that he knows what turkey legs are. [00:35:57] Speaker A: Yeah, now that I know. Now that at the age. At the age of 32, I learned what turkey legs are made out of turkey. I can't. My world's been shattered. [00:36:08] Speaker B: Different pieces of the turkey. It's not the turkey leg. [00:36:13] Speaker A: Where. Where did the novelty helmet come from? Some guy was like, just put. Just. Just put nachos in it. Kids will eat it. And, like, I think. [00:36:24] Speaker D: I think ice cream is the originator of this. [00:36:26] Speaker A: I think ice cream probably ice cream is the originator. Just put ice cream in it. Kids will freaking love it. Make extra. [00:36:32] Speaker B: You don't even need to wash it. You don't even need to wash it. Just put ice cream in it. Oh, yeah. It doesn't matter. God. [00:36:40] Speaker A: All right. [00:36:40] Speaker B: Think about how gross. Think about how gross old baseball stadiums used to be. Like, think about, like, unsanitary conditions in an old baseball stadium. [00:36:49] Speaker A: What do you mean? What do you mean? The Oakland was open for, like, 20 extra years longer than it probably should have? [00:36:57] Speaker B: I mean, I remember going to the old Yankee Stadium when I was little, and that place was like. Like, you would be. It was cool. You would watch games, and it was like, whatever. You weren't there to fucking, but it was kind of gross. [00:37:08] Speaker A: I'm assuming you guys had the. Like, the trench urinals as well. Old, because. Old. Before Dodger Stadium was renovated, they had them. And I remember as a child, I was like, this doesn't seem correct. [00:37:20] Speaker D: Wrigley has those. They're. [00:37:22] Speaker B: They're something else still, man. [00:37:26] Speaker D: I mean, as of 2011, okay, that's. [00:37:30] Speaker A: That's pre World Series money. [00:37:33] Speaker D: That's recent enough. [00:37:34] Speaker B: That's recent enough. [00:37:35] Speaker A: Fair. All right. With that out of the way, let's get with a boring question. Done. Out of the way. First division winners and World Series results. [00:37:46] Speaker C: I just want to ask. [00:37:47] Speaker A: Oh, sorry. You know what, Joe? Thank you, hero, legend. Joe. [00:37:52] Speaker C: I haven't just. I've been waiting. [00:37:54] Speaker A: I've decided. I wanna. I have a couple things to say. A. Some people very mad that we're letting Pixar movies get picked because technically they're not Disney movies. We have all decided. This was before the draft and I'm here to defend Perez because he was the one who was called out the most because of it. That Pixar movies were okay. They were under perf. The under purview of the judge me. You could draft this Pixar movies. That was okay. So if you want to change your vote because of that, go ahead. I'm going to wait till. I think we're. I'm going to wait till each draft episode to announce the winner. So every two episodes. Oh, yeah. So if you haven't voted once again, the Google Doc will be. Or the Google form will be in the show notes. Please vote. Because if I win again, don't think people are gonna be happy the last draft. Yes, because I can tell you right now, your boy's winning. [00:39:04] Speaker B: It's already predetermined and it's not, it's. [00:39:07] Speaker A: Not everyone can vote. It's just, you know, I just do the best. Heavyweights is a fantastic movie. Sam didn't watch Heavyweights. I watched Mighty Ducks. So I feel like there's a chemical imbalance here. [00:39:21] Speaker C: Ted's a good friend. [00:39:22] Speaker A: I'm a good friend. [00:39:25] Speaker D: Yeah, Ted's a real one. But that being said, I feel like I, hands down won this one. I'm gonna be genuinely upset if I don't get rewarded. [00:39:33] Speaker A: I don't think you're winning this one second. [00:39:37] Speaker C: But don't forget the social media campaign to make sure nobody votes for me. That was hurtful. That was hurtful. [00:39:46] Speaker A: Well, I would. I figured you were my biggest competition. You should be honored. [00:39:50] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. [00:39:51] Speaker B: I mean, there's got to be some rules against kind of manipulating the electorate. No, like is. You can't. You can't. You can't. You can't be. You cannot be in control of counting the vote, announcing the results. [00:40:03] Speaker A: I'm not counting the votes. Google counts them for me. [00:40:07] Speaker B: Is it a transparent process that everyone can. Can verify? [00:40:12] Speaker A: I. I could. I could share this. Could share. I could share the screen. [00:40:18] Speaker B: I couldn't have been doing that this whole time. [00:40:21] Speaker A: I just. I just read them out. [00:40:23] Speaker B: Murky. Murky. Look, I'm just saying. [00:40:28] Speaker A: Do people want me as a visitor? Look, I'm just saying. You're not a visitor or executive producer. One True. Look, look, I. I feel like this Is all stemming from me doing a joke about how I said there were more answers for the. Did I rig the poll? One that wasn't true? That didn't happen. Everything's on the up and up. Every answer, every question got the same amount of answers. But I. I just want to. Because, like, I want to plead with people, please vote. I would love a bigger number than last time. That's not the case right now. So please go. Get out, get out and rock the vote. Vote or die. And some third vote slogan we had way back in the day for the comedy rule of threes. [00:41:19] Speaker B: Oh, man. [00:41:20] Speaker A: So, number one, let's just do the boring question. MLB preview, division winners, what's the playoffs looking like? And what's your World Series outcome? [00:41:31] Speaker B: It's. I guess we could start on the NL west, right? I mean, it's difficult to, you know, vote against the ginormous elephant that is the Dodgers. Right? It's. It's hard to choose anybody but the Dodgers to pick the NL West. They have the. Quite possibly the greatest team. [00:41:50] Speaker A: And, like, we. I wanted to also piggyback that was said last year. And they limped into with, like, two starters and all that, and they were still, like, favor. They weren't favored by, you know, panels of experts and on the athletic, but they were still like, look, they're still a very good team. Just because they don't have a pitching staff doesn't mean they're any less dangerous. [00:42:12] Speaker B: Yes, yes. The best team got better. I mean, you can't argue against the fact that they got better. Like, you watch them when they were in Japan. And I'm like, oh, I hope this Sasaki kid just like, socks did not like, he looked good. Yamamoto second time around. It's gonna be great. I mean, it's just. Oh, bookie bets, doesn't play. And then you. You can pencil in, you know, a whole bunch of different players that are, you know, slightly above average or above average. And you really. It doesn't matter. The west is the Dodgers to lose if they have multiple injuries and, you know, like, Dodger Stadium crumbles under, you know, the weight of the expectations and the. All the Mexican people, they stole the land under. [00:42:57] Speaker A: All right, buddy. [00:42:59] Speaker B: I keep. [00:43:00] Speaker A: I keep getting that video. Sorry, I keep. Hold on. I keep getting that video served to me on, like, YouTube. And it's like, it's always the caption of, like, you will never believe what Omde Amali's family did these. I'm like, everyone knows this isn't, like, a hidden thing. We all know. We all know it sucks. [00:43:18] Speaker B: We all know. And all Dodger fans has accepted it. They're cool with it anyway, so Fernando Paved. [00:43:24] Speaker A: Was paved. Was paved with good intentions. [00:43:31] Speaker B: All right. NL west, definitely Dodgers. [00:43:34] Speaker C: I would agree. [00:43:35] Speaker B: NL East. I, I cannot say the Mets. I'm sorry. I cannot say the Mets. It's just like impossible for me to say. [00:43:44] Speaker A: I feel like it's the. [00:43:46] Speaker C: To the team. [00:43:47] Speaker A: I, I just, I feel like it's the Phillies to lose or maybe like depends how you feel about the Braves. [00:43:55] Speaker B: I am, I'm a fan of the Braves. I, I honestly think the Braves are going to be better than. And, and again, like expectations are expectations like the Mets. It's new players. Big parts of a team. Joining a team is always takes a little while like to, you know, I, I am sneakily I'm gonna choose the Braves, but I, I think they're going to be a lot better than they are. You know, they can sneak in there like the Phillies again. You can go Phillies, you can go Mets. I don't know. What do you guys think? [00:44:26] Speaker A: I feel like if Spencer Schreider looks like he has during the spring, I feel a lot better about that rotation. Who knows, maybe 41 year old Jesse Chavez once again makes the Braves for the like 80th time seemingly. But like I just feel like. I know the Phillies just seem like at some point I'm like at some point this has got to run out for the Phillies. They gotta get too old. [00:44:55] Speaker B: Window is gonna close. Yeah, the window's gonna close at some point. Yeah. And I feel like this is that year. I feel like a lot of those older guys are just not going to perform. [00:45:03] Speaker A: And I know I, I know they died for died and I feel, I feel like. Yeah, I know, you know, Painter is like a. Gonna be a stud or whatever. However you feel about him. I feel like they're one Zach Wheeler arm injury away from that rotation crumbling. Yeah, I know. Also Suarez is good too. [00:45:26] Speaker D: For like every team. [00:45:27] Speaker A: Yes. That's. [00:45:28] Speaker C: That's what happens to the Yankees. [00:45:30] Speaker A: Why do you think the Dodgers have like 15 starters after last year's debacle? After last year's debacle, they're like, we can't let this happen again. [00:45:39] Speaker D: Dodgers team has that problem. [00:45:40] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:45:42] Speaker D: I like the Phillies too, just because I think the Braves have too many injury questions. Like Acuna coming back from the ACL rotation. Like you like said, if Strider's healthy, you know, great. [00:45:53] Speaker A: I hate playing the if game, but. [00:45:55] Speaker D: Right. And the Mets, you know, their offense is going to be stellar, but Clay Holmes is their ace right now. Like, I've watched a lot of Clay Holmes, a lot of Clay Holmes. Tyler McGill's the number two starter. Like, they're just. There's just something about that team that makes me think, like, it's not gonna go all peaches and gravy. Like, the Mets fans who've been texting me for five months think, God, I. [00:46:22] Speaker C: Think it's tough for me to go against the Braves because, like, in my head, like, you know, the gambler's fallacy, the law of averages or whatever. Like, I can't imagine the Braves will get that injured again. Like, they have. They've had a lot of injuries, right? So, like, the odds of it. But, hey, Yankees lose 15 people every year, the same injuries, and we just keep on trucking. So to me, like, even though I. I think the Phillies are really fun to watch, and, like, they have a lot of old guys, they have players that we know, which is. It's always nice to. To see and, like, root for, I think, like, likely the Braves won't be as hurt this year as they were last year. So I would pick them for the East. [00:47:05] Speaker A: Are we all cool just to say brewers for the NL Central? Like, just to be. [00:47:12] Speaker C: Well, I was gonna say, I feel like. I don't know. I feel like I can't remember the. [00:47:16] Speaker D: Cubs record through the whole season. Ellie De La Cruz, breakout, season, breakout, redemption arc for Sonny Gray. Now. I'm just trying to be difficult. I don't. I don't have strong opinions about the NL Central. I got to be completely honest. [00:47:31] Speaker C: I think I was gonna say the Cubs as a sleeper. Like, I feel like they were getting better every year. I think they can. [00:47:37] Speaker D: I've got a different take on the Cubs that I might be able to break out later. [00:47:42] Speaker C: They continue to. Not. They continue to lose out on all these free agents, like the Blue Jays. So, like, they have the money available to make trades to get better if they're feeling like they're close in June or July. [00:47:52] Speaker A: I definitely don't believe. [00:47:54] Speaker C: I also think the brewers lost. What's his face? Devin Williams. Right? The Brewers. You know, I think there's. They're a very fluky team, so I. I don't think it's a guarantee. Like, just because everyone else sucks in the division doesn't mean that the Bruins aren't. Or Brewers. Excuse me. Aren't also going to suck because they're very fluky. [00:48:12] Speaker A: I just always, like, trust the brewers to have some. Create A player you've never heard of in your entire life. Be like, this is our new closer. He's 5, 3, 900 pounds and he throws 800 miles per hour. And also check out this pitch that moves in a way you've never seen in your life. [00:48:28] Speaker B: We found it. [00:48:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:48:31] Speaker D: Describing like various MLB, like 2K5 suitcase 6. [00:48:35] Speaker A: Exactly, exactly. It's just like. [00:48:39] Speaker C: But they like, wasn't like MVP candidate. Right. And he. They lost him. [00:48:43] Speaker A: I. I am an Adamus unbeliever. [00:48:47] Speaker C: I'm gonna. Thomas Denier. But I'm just saying, statistically, he was their guy. Now. I mean, their closer's not there. [00:48:53] Speaker A: Like, I. It's just like. Yeah. It's just like, I just feel like that team is always so consistent. They don't. They'll never have the firepower to be, you know, compete deep in the postseason until they spend a little money. But like, I feel like they know how to like, they. What they got is a good thing going. They get fans in for the postseason, give them that experience, and I usually trust them to get them there. [00:49:18] Speaker B: Yeah, I agree. I mean, I. Look, they're solid. They're just a well run organization that makes do with what they have. Right. They. Unless you. But you're right. Unless they start spending if they're close and they're willing to make a run at it. You know, they have exciting names. Yeah. [00:49:32] Speaker A: Since 2018. My problem with that team has. Oh, I've said it since that Dodgers NLCS series. If the brewers had an offense, I'd be way more terrified of the Brewers. And they never get that offense. [00:49:47] Speaker B: I mean, Jackson. [00:49:47] Speaker D: Cherry's ass, though, but Jackson. [00:49:50] Speaker B: I hear you. [00:49:51] Speaker A: He's exciting, though. He's exciting. [00:49:53] Speaker B: He's. He's very, very exciting. I did a piece with him two years ago. No, last year. I mean, it's all. [00:49:59] Speaker A: We get it, Roz. You know, baseball players. Okay. [00:50:01] Speaker B: Shut up. [00:50:02] Speaker A: I met Kobe Bryant and Albert Bell. All right. [00:50:07] Speaker D: I can just be like, yeah, I actually talked to this person and. [00:50:09] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:50:09] Speaker A: Yeah. Because that's for sure happens. Sam will be recording out of your hotel room. [00:50:14] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:50:14] Speaker D: Can we. Yeah. Can we just record from the Marriott lobby? [00:50:17] Speaker B: The Marriott lobby? The bar. Marriott bar. Is that. Does that place have a bar? [00:50:21] Speaker A: Yeah. Al West. I'm assuming we feel. I. I know, I hate to say it. Feel it's an Astros year again. Like, I think ISOC Paraders prove that. [00:50:33] Speaker D: They'Re not gonna blow it. [00:50:34] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. And like, I just think EOC Paris in that ballpark, is gonna absolutely feast. [00:50:41] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:50:42] Speaker B: Yeah. Great acquisition. [00:50:44] Speaker C: I did see someone on ESPN.com say that the. That the A's and Rays are both making the playoffs. So they're. They're in on the minor league teams. And I don't mean that disparagingly. I mean literally. [00:51:00] Speaker A: Hey, Joe, save it. We'll have a question for that later in the show. But we're all feeling the Astros because, like, I want it to be the Mariners, that offense. I look e. Stinky, don't like it. [00:51:15] Speaker D: I just want it to be not the Astros. [00:51:17] Speaker A: Is that. So do I. So do I. But it's going to be them angels. [00:51:22] Speaker C: 2073. They're coming. [00:51:24] Speaker B: They're coming. [00:51:26] Speaker A: Sell the team and get a new GM. [00:51:28] Speaker B: Oh, Tani III. Ohtani the third. We'll. [00:51:32] Speaker C: We'll bring him back to prominence. [00:51:34] Speaker A: 2073. His child will be. I think he'll be out of the league. Would be like 50 by that point. [00:51:42] Speaker D: One more first ballot hall of Famer, bro. [00:51:45] Speaker A: One more. [00:51:46] Speaker D: Everything's gonna be fine. [00:51:47] Speaker A: That I. They need another player that, like, is like. Yeah, actually, I think baseball really freaking sucks, but thanks for the money. [00:51:54] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:51:56] Speaker A: I feel. NL or AL East. I feel like it's the Yankees. I feel like I'm. [00:52:02] Speaker C: I'm Ted. [00:52:04] Speaker B: Me. [00:52:04] Speaker C: Who's playing? [00:52:05] Speaker A: Who's playing for what? [00:52:07] Speaker D: I feel like, yeah, as much as I want to pick the Yankees and be like, the homer of all homers, like, who do you think it's gonna be? [00:52:16] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, it's the Orioles, obviously. [00:52:20] Speaker A: I think that pitching that's rotation is suspect. [00:52:25] Speaker D: I don't know how much, like, I don't know how. [00:52:29] Speaker A: I don't know how you, like. [00:52:30] Speaker D: He always is. [00:52:31] Speaker A: I don't know how you're optioning Kobe Mayo and just not trying to see what team with extra starters would take Kobe Mayo. [00:52:38] Speaker B: I'm a little. I'm a little. A little. A little afraid that the Red Sox are going to be sort of. [00:52:43] Speaker C: I was gonna say. Yeah. My lukewarm take is that I think the Red Sox make the playoffs this year. [00:52:48] Speaker A: I could see that. I am there. [00:52:50] Speaker B: I'm there with you. [00:52:51] Speaker D: I can see them making the playoffs because the American League kind of stinks. [00:52:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:52:55] Speaker D: I think that they're like. I think it'll be sort of like last year, where it's like the Yankees and Orioles, like, within a few games of each other all summer, and you're just, like, waiting for one team to actually break away from the other one. Like, I don't think it's going to be, like, for Them or Baltimore or Boston. Like a runaway in the east this year. [00:53:14] Speaker A: And you know, I love Walker Bueller, love that he. What he did for the Dodgers. Hate to take talking points From a favorite YouTuber of mine, Foolish Baseball, where he was like, walker Bueller's a player I'm avoiding for 2025. And I agree. Mainly not because of what I watched in the playoffs, because of what I watched during that season. I know he'd still, like, he'll be a full year from arm injury removed from Tommy second Tommy John, but that's still a hill to climb. Who knows what you might get from him. I like Garrett Crochet a lot in that rotation, so who knows what you're going to get? Because, like, I will be honest, I forgot he was on the team until three seconds ago. [00:53:55] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, look, that rotation is not, is not bad, dude. [00:53:58] Speaker C: It's not bad. [00:54:00] Speaker A: It's better than I remember. [00:54:02] Speaker B: Yeah, Giolito. I mean, it's not, it's. It's. Again, I am the worst thing that could possibly happen to a Yankee fan is the Red Sox being good and Aaron Judge, like, hurting himself. And we freefall in the division. And that's. Those two things combined with the Mets being great are probably gonna cause me nightmares. [00:54:20] Speaker A: Well, luckily, it's not like the Red sox have, like, three prospects that are, like, in the top 10 of top 100 lists. [00:54:28] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:54:29] Speaker D: Closing out the division at Yankee Stadium. [00:54:31] Speaker B: Oh, my God, yes. Please, please don't. Let's not talk about that. Let's not. You know what? You know what? Let's move on. [00:54:38] Speaker A: All right. No, no, wait, hold on. You're forgetting about Comedy Central. The, the a. The AL Central. [00:54:51] Speaker C: Champion. [00:54:52] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm, I'm feeling the Tigers. [00:54:54] Speaker A: And, yeah, give me. Absolutely. Give me the Tigers. [00:54:59] Speaker B: The Tigers. [00:55:01] Speaker C: I think it's time. [00:55:03] Speaker A: I'm glad they didn't spend the money on Bregman. I thought he would have been a terrible fit in that ballpark. I know. I just watched Javi Baez play center field for some reason. But I, I, if they got that. If they, they got a good thing going last year, and I definitely think they can keep it going. Maybe Spencer Torkelson's figured it out. Doubt it. But, you know, I, out of them, I'm taking them. [00:55:29] Speaker B: Oh, no. I, everyone's probably gonna be like, oh, sexy pick is gonna be the Royals. Right? [00:55:33] Speaker C: I was gonna say, what about the Royal. The Royals? They're actually probably. I think I'm changing my answer. Can I, am I, am I allowed to Change it to the room. [00:55:40] Speaker A: Yeah, go ahead. I think they're a trap team. I think. [00:55:43] Speaker B: I agree. [00:55:44] Speaker A: I like Bobby Love Bobby Witt. Great, great player. [00:55:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:55:49] Speaker A: But, like, I think that rotation is middling. Like, yeah, I like. They try to be smart. I liked what they did two years ago, jumping the market on middling starters that they could eat innings for them. But, like, don't know how good that farm system is anymore. Don't know what else is coming down the line in terms of, like, pitching help and then World Series. Who. What. What's the. What's the matchup you're looking at? I'm always for, like, what I think would be fun. And I know, like, that goes against like, oh, we need good ratings. And like, you know, one year, year ago or two years ago, people were like, D backs, Rangers. Who wants to watch that? And then we get, you know, Dodgers, Yankees, and people are like, who wants to watch that? It's. It's a big, you can't, can't win them all type situation. But like, a Reds, like, battle of the Central, Reds, Tigers would be fun, in my opinion. Wow. [00:56:50] Speaker B: I know you didn't pick. I know you didn't. Yeah. Maybe you had fun and maybe they all. The Cincinnati. I mean, where do you let. I know you didn't pick them to win the. The division, but where. Where. How bullish are you on the Reds? [00:57:03] Speaker A: Like, bullish. I think they could get in through the wild card. It's just like the Central. Such a weird division. [00:57:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:57:11] Speaker A: In general that, like, it could just swing because, like, I. Both Centrals are always like this because, like, everyone was like, the Twins are gonna. Or the team in the Central last year. Get ready. No, could not. Oh, three. No Central teams made the playoffs. They weren't one of them. And like, the only reason they didn't look completely out of the picture was because they played the White Sox 18 games 18 times last year. [00:57:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, they're. Yeah, they're. They're a fun team, man. I like the Reds. I feel like baseball is better when the Reds are good just for just, you know, gives like, small market teams hope or whatever. And they have an exciting. Literally one of the top five most exciting players in baseball in Ellie De La Cruz. [00:57:57] Speaker A: If. And like, if Hunter Green hat, like, kind of like fudges the numbers a little bit better. Like, he. Like, yeah. Last year. Compared to some underlying metrics last year. I feel like you got a great front of the rotation guy who's also a great guy. Like, yeah, I feel like, it's not. It's a win, win situation. If he kind of continues to do develop. [00:58:17] Speaker B: Jesus. Hunter Green. I mean, that. Remember, he was the next IT guy. Everybody was very. [00:58:22] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, we were there. [00:58:23] Speaker B: Everybody. We. We. [00:58:24] Speaker C: We were there. [00:58:25] Speaker A: We were there. [00:58:26] Speaker C: I remember. [00:58:30] Speaker B: Yeah. His career has kind of, like, been, you know, not what it's cracked out to be, but a lot of injuries have happened, but they have a lot of fun play. They have a lot of name players that are, like, kind of fun. [00:58:39] Speaker A: And also, I'm a Gavin Lux boy. I was just a huge fan of Gavin Luck. So if it's not the Dodgers, I will root for Gavin Lux always. [00:58:50] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm a big Will Benson guy. Not for any other reason other than he's, like, really, really, really, really, really nice guy. He's a massive human being. And I. I just. I know he's not even on. He's. I think he's in the minor league camp now. [00:59:02] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:59:03] Speaker B: Like, not projected to be in the. On the. Unless some. Something weird happens and, you know, it's like, it's. They're fun. A lot of names. A lot of baseball names that, you know, we've. We've grown up watching and, like, Tito and like, Terry Francona, obviously, like. Like, I don't know. They're easy to root for. They're easy to root for a team. That being said, I just don't think they're gonna be that good. But I am. I am a big fan of Ellie De La Cruz, and I am a big fan of, like. Like, this marketing push that baseball has. Like, they realize that he's, like this unique unicorn who's willing to kind of, like, put himself out there. The whole English thing kind of took me by surprise a little bit. He's, like, really, really, really, really, really, really trying to speak in English. [00:59:47] Speaker A: Yeah, he dropped his interpreter this year. [00:59:50] Speaker B: Right. [00:59:53] Speaker A: Which I think is cool. [00:59:55] Speaker B: Which is cool. Like, and. And it's. I don't know, man. Like, baseball needs fun players. Like, I love Aaron. Like, I love Aaron Judge, and I love watching him hit home runs. But I wouldn't describe him as a fun player. You know what I'm saying? Like, jazz is a fun. [01:00:09] Speaker C: Jazz is fun. [01:00:10] Speaker B: Yeah. No, jazz is fun. There's other players that are fun. [01:00:13] Speaker C: And if this podcast was five years ago, I'd get the sound. I'd get the easy sounder from Ted. But now that I think the Braves are on a bounce back and the Red Sox didn't make the playoffs. So I said, if. I said Braves over Red Sox. Five years ago he was a duh. But now that's my prediction. I think it's Braves. [01:00:34] Speaker A: That's it. [01:00:34] Speaker C: Over the Red Sox. I like their pitching style. I like, I like I said I'm a big Bregman guy. I thought more teams should have been in on Bregman. I know some of us disagree. [01:00:42] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:00:42] Speaker C: With Bregman's utility as a player or whatever, but I think it's going to be a down year for the Yankees. The Orioles pitching staff got worse losing burns. Right. So I think that this allows the Red Sox to capitalize on a weak American League. And the Braves, like I said, I think very hard for them to be as injured as they were last year. So I'm taking Braves over Red Sox. [01:01:07] Speaker B: That would be a fun one. [01:01:08] Speaker A: That is. Would be a fun one. Sam, I, I want, I wanna, I want you to know. Fingers hovering, you know, I love to play the sound. So let's hear it. [01:01:19] Speaker D: You know what? I think this is gonna be the first invitation to play the sound because I am gonna go with. Well, you know what I'm gonna go with Yankees over Phillies. I was gonna say Dodgers, but I'm trying to be different here. [01:01:35] Speaker A: I want to say the, the bad answer was that. All right, hold on. You said it's going to be the dangerous. I just want to say the Dodgers were the bad answer. Like it. Yeah. [01:01:49] Speaker D: But also like, you know, realistically, anyone not picking the Dodgers to make it, at least make the World Series this year is just trying too hard. So I'm gonna be trying too hard. And I'll say the Phillies just to be different. [01:02:00] Speaker C: That's fair. [01:02:01] Speaker A: I mean, interesting. Interesting team. Yeah. [01:02:03] Speaker C: I like Harper, you know? [01:02:05] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. Wow. With their, like, what. What number does he wear? 31. On his. [01:02:11] Speaker C: On the three. [01:02:12] Speaker A: Wears three jersey patches. [01:02:14] Speaker B: They're gonna be fueled by his memory and his jersey in the car. Yeah, that's. [01:02:19] Speaker A: I mean, they're all going to be drinking raw milk. They're all going to be figuring out. All right, question two. [01:02:27] Speaker B: Wait, I didn't get my. [01:02:29] Speaker A: Oh, I thought you did. Oh, my God. [01:02:34] Speaker B: I know, I know. We're running a little late. Wow. Jesus. I am going to go Dodgers, Tigers. With Detroit. [01:02:45] Speaker C: Detroit. [01:02:46] Speaker B: Oh, Detroit winning their elusive championship. [01:02:50] Speaker A: He's drinking motor oil. [01:02:54] Speaker B: Organization. And that franchise has had a, you know, crazy ass teams over the years that never, you know. [01:03:02] Speaker A: Well, Roz, you'll get. You'll get your World Series preview on opening day. [01:03:07] Speaker B: There we go. [01:03:08] Speaker A: You'll get Blake Snow versus Tariq Scubal these, these 2000 early. I'm, I'm bringing, I'm bringing back the inverse of 2000 late. [01:03:23] Speaker B: Got it. Yeah. I'm, I'm putting you on board with Tigers. [01:03:26] Speaker A: I like it. Question 2. What are you looking forward to most this season? Because I want a helmet. [01:03:35] Speaker D: Jeremy sue in a helmet. [01:03:38] Speaker A: Because I want another Pirates Craig debacle play just like another, like, oh my God, I can't believe that's a real baseball play. I watched because I think about that play so much and I love that play so much. [01:03:56] Speaker C: What am I looking forward to? [01:03:58] Speaker B: I'm looking forward to a brawl. I am, I want like a old school Yasiel Puig Cincinnati Reds Pirates brawl that just breaks out and it is, it has multiple, multiple fights in one fight. You know what I'm saying? When they break them up. [01:04:16] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [01:04:16] Speaker B: And then they come back. [01:04:17] Speaker A: I, I, I, the Garrett Anders. Well, not Garrett Anderson who was the, the reliever for the Reds. Who like, then like three. [01:04:28] Speaker D: Amir Garrett. [01:04:30] Speaker B: Amir Garrett re engaged. [01:04:32] Speaker A: That one runs. [01:04:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:34] Speaker A: Oh, man. [01:04:35] Speaker B: For me, like, I'm dating myself, but like the Daryl Strawberry, like, sneaking in the. Oh, man, that's, that's memory for me. Oh, early baseball. [01:04:43] Speaker A: I, I still remember the Kyle Farnsworth one where he hits a dude and that dude, like, he drop tackles the guy, charging him and just starts wailing on him. [01:04:55] Speaker B: Oh, man, like, fights for like, growing up or like the coolest, like the, the, you know, the Pedro Martinez Don Zimmer. Oh, yeah, those were all like, sort of like cool kind of like, you. [01:05:08] Speaker A: Know, like, this one's dating me. Do you remember the Coco Crispone when he was on the A's and you see the slow motion of like, I think it was against the Red Sox. He's about to get punched and he does like the most amazing like a boxer move, like, backs out of the way, like graces his nose or something and he leans back forward to throw a punch. [01:05:30] Speaker B: No, I don't remember that at all. [01:05:32] Speaker A: I remember watching it on repeat in high school with my friends. I was like, you guys have to, to see this. [01:05:37] Speaker B: I mean, we, I mean, the Ramirez Beckman one, like, was just, it's just like I can't get out of my head. Like the Rugi Odor Jose Batista one. Like, just fights are like, so cool and I want more of them. So, yes, that's what I'm looking forward to. One iconic fight from this season that I can remember and talk about in a, in a podcast five years from. [01:06:01] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Joe Sam, what are you looking forward to? [01:06:06] Speaker C: I think I'll. [01:06:08] Speaker B: Go ahead, Joe. Go ahead. [01:06:09] Speaker C: So to. I had just done last week my fantasy draft with some of my friends, and maybe I went a little crazy. I was the wheel pick and five of my first six picked picks for starting pitchers because I was like, I'm gonna take them from them. I'm gonna be ready. But also, they might all get injured. I might. I might. I. Now I have a terrible offense, and my pitch is gonna suck. We'll see how it works out. But as I was looking through all the starters, I'm like, man, it does not feel like the starters that we had in the. In the 2010s, if we call. If that's the. The era, like, it really doesn't feel like we're 15 stars deep or every team has an ace. And like, some teams, their ace might be like, the four on another team. And I am looking forward to seeing more pitching stars come out. I know they only pitch five innings and they always get hurt or whatever, but I think we're kind of in a lull. We have Elliott Cruz, we got, you know, Julio Rodriguez, like, a lot of fun offensive players and fielders and stuff, But I do think the game is lacking in star young pitcher potential because they keep getting Tommy John. [01:07:16] Speaker A: Wow. [01:07:16] Speaker C: So that's what I'm gonna be focused on. [01:07:17] Speaker A: Joe Brown, not a casual Seattle Mariners enjoyer. Doesn't know they exist. I see how it is. Brian Woo, Not a name he's ever heard of in his entire life. Think it's. But I like it. I like it. Sam, is that the next guy they're. [01:07:34] Speaker C: Going to trade at the deadline or. [01:07:36] Speaker D: Just to piggyback on Joe's thing? Something I'm hoping to see. This is more of a hoping to see than, like, looking forward. Like, it's definitely. [01:07:43] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's kind of the. In the spirit of the question. [01:07:47] Speaker D: All right, so then I'm gonna go with a perfect game. The last perfect game was unfortunately thrown by Domingo Herman. And every time I'm reminded of that fact, it ruins my afternoon. And sort of like Joe said, there's, you know, you know, maybe not this incredible run of starting pitching, but the thing is, like, you know, maybe some random dude like Domingo, not Domingo Herman, hopefully, but someone of that caliber who's not him as a person is gonna do it. Like, that's the one thing where I will absolutely, you know, stop what I'm doing no matter where I'm at and, like, follow along when it happens. Friend of the show Steven Tidings is extremely annoying about this, but, like, if a Yankee gets through, like, the top of the first, like, 1, 2, 3. He's like, oh, perfect game. Watch. But, like, I'm actually, like, I'm ready to see, like, some people go deep into games. At least give me, like, the hope it's gonna happen. Like, hey, everyone, like, put on MLB Network. Like, you know, someone's in the seventh inning, they're eight outs away. Like, perfect game. Watch. Like, I want to see it. [01:08:53] Speaker A: All right. Question number three. Max Scherzer was quoted asking, can't we just be judged by humans? After his first game with abs. Should abs, the challenge system that is being implemented in spring training, be the one we use? Should it be the way going forward, or should we just stick with the umpires calling games the whole time? [01:09:19] Speaker C: There's a hot topic. Hot topic. [01:09:21] Speaker A: Yes, yes, I know. That's why I'm asking the question. [01:09:24] Speaker B: I mean, it's, It's. It really, really, really. I, I, I'm curious to hear your thoughts, Tara, because we, as we know, you're against progress and you're against improving. [01:09:34] Speaker A: I, I, I like the challenge system. I don't like the full. I thought I'd beef, like, no, go full hog. Go full automate. Like, everything. Yeah. And then, like, when I watched the challenge system, I was like, no, this is, like, the way forward. This is a fun, like, obviously, yeah, tap your head. Obviously, they're gonna tell pictures, and you can never challenge because apparently, statistically, pictures are wrong, like, 37 of the time. But, like, I love the challenge. I love the idea of, like, you get to, you win it, you keep it, you lose it, you lose it. And I, like, I just liked watching it during spring training. [01:10:16] Speaker B: I, I, I agree. I mean, look, you get the opportunity to correct mistakes, right? Like, there's a ton of times in baseball where mistakes have gone uncorrected and have, like, like, just left a bad taste in your mouth. [01:10:30] Speaker A: Was there, like, a perfect game or something that was lost because of a bad call or something? [01:10:36] Speaker C: Maybe he got a car out of it. It's no big deal. [01:10:40] Speaker B: His story, a car, you know, same thing, whatever. But, yeah, no, I mean, look, it's. It gives you an opportunity to, to, you know, to correct egregious mistakes that are, you know, are bound to happen. And the human element is overrated, in my opinion, a little bit. I just, I don't know. It's just. I like it. I like the system the way it was developed. I Even, like, the funny little head tap. I think it's kind of cool. But, but, yeah, I mean, games should not be, you know, or pitches should not be, you know, completely. The Angel Hernandez in front of us for us to dissect and understand how truly awful, you know, they were. So, I don't know. [01:11:23] Speaker A: It can only get faster. And it was fast during spring training. [01:11:27] Speaker B: Fast. Yeah, it definitely. [01:11:28] Speaker A: And, like, I, like. And I'm like, wow, you can do reviews this fast after, you know, we're watching umpires stand around at, like, the little thing for, like, or the iPad, I guess now that's being held in front of them. [01:11:40] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, we were there when they started doing the stupid, like, walking over, putting on the dan. Like the, you know, it just seems. [01:11:47] Speaker A: Yeah. The mitel replay of today. [01:11:49] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. Get that graphic in there, baby. [01:11:51] Speaker B: Oh, God. [01:11:52] Speaker A: Even NBA replays feel in another life. We, we talked about it. Talked about it. [01:12:00] Speaker D: Irate at the amount of stuff that gets reviewed. [01:12:03] Speaker B: And then I feel like maybe that's. Yeah, I feel like maybe that's kind of coloring my, my, I don't mind it because it's the time of it. [01:12:10] Speaker A: Yeah, it doesn't feel like it's. I, I, I'm very interested if we. Sorry to Joe and Sam for not giving you guys a chance to answer promptly, but I'm interested. I'm interested in, like, if we were mute, remove the strike zone on broadcast for a season and we stopped doing, like, the umpire auditing thing. I wonder how less irate fans are over ticky, tacky strike zone calls that maybe they. People will feel like they don't need an abs. I know. It's a whole different discussion. [01:12:46] Speaker D: Definitely on team. Get rid of the hay zone on broadcast. [01:12:48] Speaker A: Yes. [01:12:49] Speaker D: Challenge system. Like, especially, like, I'd rather have the challenge system than, like, what they were doing in the Miners where every call is automatically, like, told by the robot and the umpire relays it. My one thing, though, is that I feel like it was a little too, like, strict. Like, there'd be times where they show the replay and they'd say the ball is, like, less than a centimeter outside of the strike zone. Like, there has to be some barrier where, like, you know, if it's less than, you know, you know, a quarter of an inch, whatever, make up the number, like, the call stands, whatever it was. [01:13:23] Speaker A: Yeah, I still, I still think this. [01:13:25] Speaker D: Drives, you know, someone, someone says, the computer says that someone missed a key strike by, like, a tenth of an inch, and it turns a strike out into a Walk like that would drive me nuts. [01:13:34] Speaker B: I don't. [01:13:34] Speaker C: I don't mean to be the dissenter here, but I'm not. [01:13:38] Speaker A: I'll take it. [01:13:40] Speaker C: I do have a couple questions first. Is there a, like, a team challenge, maximum on balls and strikes, and you're saying a better end. A pitcher can challenge it. [01:13:49] Speaker A: So. So the batter, catcher, and pitcher can challenge the call. Each team gets two challenges. You win a challenge, you keep that challenge, you lose that challenge, you lose one of your two challenges. Challenges. So, like, if you lose both two challenges, you do not have any more. [01:14:08] Speaker C: So people. So I know you're saying people be upset, but, like, let's say the Yankees already used their first and Jazz is adamant that it's not a strike and he used it and it's the fourth inning and now real outcome strikes the. [01:14:24] Speaker D: Rest of the game. [01:14:24] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, that I'm saying, I think there's a lot of question, like, not questions, but, like, people will be frustrated. It's like if the. The same thing with the same thing with replays were only on home runs. Right. It was like, if the rule or if the intent is to get the rules right, then why can we only get it right on this one? [01:14:40] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:14:41] Speaker C: Aspect. If the intent is to make sure the balls and strikes are correctly called, why can we only do it two times a game? To me personally, I'm not a fan. [01:14:48] Speaker A: The Rays and A's for two completely different reasons are playing in minor league parks. Idiot. Stupid loser. Rob Manfred called it the charming and intimate. Some YouTubers think it's cool. Is it? [01:15:04] Speaker C: Absolutely not. It's an embarrassment. [01:15:06] Speaker B: Well, that's not the question you have in this card. [01:15:10] Speaker A: Yeah, well, I mean, language is. The point of language is to be understood as I like. [01:15:16] Speaker B: Is it cool? Is it cool? It depends on the perspective. If you live in Sacramento and all of a sudden now there's. You get an opportunity to see big leaguers in the ballpark that you've probably gone to your entire life, it's cool. Of course it's cool. If you are an Oakland A's fan and you have been going to the Coliseum for the entire duration of your life. Let's cool for us who are like, complete other side of the country or having, like, no skin in the game, so to speak. Like, it's not cool because it just signifies that something is wrong with. With baseball. Like, there's something wrong with a team playing in a minor league stadium because something shitty has to happen for that. That to happen. Right. A stadium needs to almost be destroyed by a natural event or a crappy owner needs to screw his entire, you know, fan base for that to happen. If that is occurring, it means something went terribly wrong. But again it's perspective. If you're. I'm happy that the fans in Sacramento get an opportunity to see major leaguers. I'm happy for the fans in Tampa to get an opportunity to see major leaguers. But again it's, it's shitty because it's, it's a symptom that something is terribly wrong with those two franchises. [01:16:32] Speaker D: I mean Tampa already had a team though. It's not like True true. [01:16:37] Speaker B: That's fair. [01:16:38] Speaker D: I mean. Yeah, I think it's two separate questions. Like I think the Ace thing is a complete disgrace. [01:16:42] Speaker A: That's why I said for two completely different. [01:16:44] Speaker D: A black eye for Rob Manfred and all his cronies. [01:16:48] Speaker A: Well it's not even all his cronies. It's all 30 teams unanimously agreed on this. [01:16:53] Speaker B: Baseball. [01:16:54] Speaker A: Baseball like and like to be like the owners are Manfred's cronies. It's the other way around. [01:16:58] Speaker B: Let's he does their bidding. 100. [01:17:00] Speaker A: Yes. Let's remember this. [01:17:03] Speaker D: The Tampa thing I think for now is like they're making the most of a bad situation and I'm glad this. [01:17:10] Speaker A: Is actually also forcing the issue on the Ray Stadium. [01:17:16] Speaker D: I think we're gonna get a resolution on this now sooner rather than later rather than this dragging out to. [01:17:21] Speaker A: Well, I think you're gonna get the race or whatever the race are gonna have a new owner soon because I'm. [01:17:26] Speaker D: Gonna have a new owner. They're have a new city. Like I don't see the Tampa thing lasting, you know, much longer than that sale. [01:17:34] Speaker A: Yeah yeah. [01:17:37] Speaker C: I every area everything you guys are saying, I think it's not, it's not a good look. It doesn't. It's also from the player's perspective and especially like so the physical players like on the A's and every, every road team that comes is going to experience this too. Right. It's not like only the age are getting punished. When the Astros go to town, the Yankees come to town. They're also going to be in the rinky dink minor league locker room with less, less amenities available, less space for. For reporters and, and everything. So I think just overall I think the. The raise one is actually kind of. Obviously it's a force of God situation which no one expected but it's also kind of nice like it's a nice group unity is storyline that the Yankees are allowing one of Their quote unquote rivals to use their facility. Like, so that's at least like some nice unity within Basel, which we don't really see. And I think, I think it's so that one I'm fine with. I just feel bad for the players in August playing in 115 degrees in Florida. [01:18:36] Speaker B: Well, it sucks that the, like the Rays. Sorry. It sucks that the Rays kind of get a bit of an out like this. Their stadium. They say their stadium debacle was ongoing for a number of years. Like they, they get a natural disaster out for whatever you want to see it. But it's been shitty. It's been shitty. People have not been going there. There's been, you know, they had these mock ups of what the stadium was going to look like and what they were going to do. And now they're like, oh, so sorry, Hurricane destroyed our stadium. We have to play minor leagues and now we have to sell the team. Sorry, sorry. You know what I'm saying? But again, it's. It's indicative these two things are a symptom that something is broken with both of these franchises, regardless of, you know, how you want to look at it or not. [01:19:17] Speaker C: Because the worst. They're still going to be profitable, right? [01:19:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:19:20] Speaker C: That's the frustrating thing is that they're not putting the effort in that the Dodgers and the Mets and the Yankees and the Red Sox and these other teams are putting the effort in to be, you know, spend money to make money and they're still going to be profitable without a lack of effort. That's what frustrates fans. [01:19:36] Speaker A: Yeah, I know. This is like also a very different situation. Like situation. When the Blue Jays played in Buffalo for the COVID year. Did. Did we ever hear any player talk about, like bad facilities? The whole thing was like that, or was it they just happy to be playing baseball? You know, I think they're just so preoccupied with. [01:19:59] Speaker C: All right, right. [01:20:00] Speaker A: I was just wondering because that reminds. [01:20:02] Speaker D: Me a little bit not to completely change sports here, but when Katrina hit and they moved the Hornets to Oklahoma City for a year and, oh, yeah, you know, making the most of that situation, but also sort of showcased like, hey, this is a place that would actually be decent at hosting a major league team down the road. So maybe there is some sort of effect of that in Sacramento if it ends up working out. But I'm extremely skeptical. [01:20:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:20:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:20:31] Speaker A: All right, Question five. What's the shocking trade at the deadline? Don't have to give me the full package. Who's the player getting moved. [01:20:42] Speaker C: I think it's Vladdy 100. [01:20:44] Speaker A: Yeah. But, like, is that shocking, though? [01:20:48] Speaker C: I think so, because I think the blue. I think they're gonna fall flat and decide, like, listen, he. He gave it a. He gave it a college try. Gave it a. Six years here with us. We keep. We're getting worse, even though we're spending more and trying to spend more, like. But let's get some pitching prospects. [01:21:10] Speaker A: Trading a rental player that, like, you're expecting to walk is not a surprising trade to me. [01:21:16] Speaker C: They're not expecting him to walk. They think he's a lifer. That's why I'm saying it's a shock. I think by June, they won't think he's a lifer. [01:21:23] Speaker A: I think they know that he's not a lifer, bro. [01:21:27] Speaker C: His dad, he's a Canadian citizen. I think they do think he's a lifer. [01:21:32] Speaker A: Then why hasn't he signed ink to paper? [01:21:35] Speaker C: Because Soto didn't sign in four different places. Like, it doesn't matter. [01:21:41] Speaker A: That's so up. That's three different places. Like, if the deal's not done now, I don't think it's getting done. And I think he's gone. [01:21:57] Speaker D: He's Boris, right? [01:21:59] Speaker B: No, no, no, no. He's Magnus. He's not. He's Magnus. [01:22:03] Speaker D: Okay. [01:22:04] Speaker A: That's why I'm saying. [01:22:05] Speaker B: Yeah, if. [01:22:06] Speaker A: If he's not signing by now, I don't think he's gonna be sticking around. [01:22:10] Speaker C: But he. From their perspective, sign in November. I think the Blue Jays truly do think he is coming back as of today, as of our recording, because as of. What is it? March 23rd date, the podcast. [01:22:25] Speaker A: Yeah, well, I don't like to get the actual date. [01:22:27] Speaker D: I agree with Joe in that I think it would be surprising if he gets dealt unless the Blue Jays are, like, really? [01:22:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:22:33] Speaker D: Like, in the gutter, like, 15 games under.500 type of thing, which, you know, hell, they could be. But, yeah, I would be surprised if Vladdy gets moved this summer. [01:22:45] Speaker A: But really, man, thank you, Sam. I just don't. [01:22:48] Speaker D: I got your back. [01:22:49] Speaker A: I just don't like to me that I like. It's just. Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if he got traded for, you know, for any number of reasons. He gets traded. [01:23:03] Speaker C: Would you be surprised if they got traded, Ted? [01:23:06] Speaker A: No. [01:23:06] Speaker D: Ted, who's your shocking trade buddy? [01:23:09] Speaker A: I will show her. Otani Rookie Society. [01:23:15] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, but that's. That's just. I mean, a shocking trade would be like a trade that's unexpected. [01:23:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:23:22] Speaker B: Trade. That. That is Logical for a team. Right. Looking to either shed payroll like it. [01:23:28] Speaker A: Like, or signify a rebuild. Like, if the Tigers didn't go on that run last year and they traded and they traded school, I've been. I'd be like, this doesn't make sense for them to do. Like I would. I. I'd be surprised. But trade for me. Like, sorry, but. [01:23:45] Speaker B: Oh, sorry. [01:23:46] Speaker A: Trading. Yeah. [01:23:48] Speaker C: You're the executive producer. [01:23:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Trading a rental player, that would be a rental for a team is not like a surprising thing for me to see regardless of status is like. The Soto trade was a shocking trade. Even though we all heard the rumors he's. He might be on the move, it was still a shock to me that he. They even went through with it. [01:24:13] Speaker B: All right, how about this is for. [01:24:14] Speaker A: A shocking trade, Ellie De La Cruz. I like it. [01:24:18] Speaker B: No, no, see, because you. There wouldn't be. That wouldn't be shocking. That would be stupid. Right. You wouldn't trade a player. [01:24:23] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:24:25] Speaker B: Again, by the parameters of a shocking trade, it has to be plausible and. And like, make sense in some level. Like, how about the Padres stink and they trade Fernando Tatis to signify a rebuild. Would that be a shocking. [01:24:41] Speaker D: This off season, we're gonna sniff around. [01:24:45] Speaker B: To Tatis trade because again, He's. Yeah, he's 25. How old is he? 26. Young guy. [01:24:52] Speaker A: He's young. He's young. [01:24:54] Speaker B: But now the salary by comparison is not bad. [01:24:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:24:58] Speaker B: He just agencies. He's not now with bad Bunnies agency now who just had their own legal. He with his own legal fight with mlb. So like, he's kind of worn out his welcome in San Diego. And if this Padres, like, suck, they're gonna start a fire sale. [01:25:14] Speaker A: I like that. [01:25:16] Speaker D: 24 mil a year. [01:25:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:25:18] Speaker B: Like comparison. [01:25:19] Speaker A: His contract's a great contract. [01:25:21] Speaker C: People keep saying 20. [01:25:24] Speaker A: People keep saying the Padres are gonna hate that contract. And you know, three years and I'm like, by in three years, players are going to be making like 35 a year. You'll be so happy to have Tatis at 24. [01:25:37] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. 100. And like, he, you know, like. So that would be a shocking one. Right, because everybody would assume like Xander or Arise or other name. But no, they would probably like, that would signify like, we're open for business. [01:25:52] Speaker C: That trainer's table in the Bronx is going to be busy though, with Tatis and Stanton and Judge and Cole. [01:26:00] Speaker D: Can we get confirmation on that it. [01:26:03] Speaker C: Has that outfield injury in history? [01:26:05] Speaker A: I believe it's the thumb is the problem for Tatis. Or something. I can't remember. [01:26:10] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, yeah. I mean, it would be. It'd be fun. [01:26:15] Speaker A: That's such a great. Yeah. I have to. I have to look at the screen. It's. They have to be well kept beards. [01:26:26] Speaker C: So you'd have to. But his hair. Would he have to chop? [01:26:29] Speaker A: Oh, I think he. Yes. You still have to cut the hair. [01:26:32] Speaker D: I think it's whatever Aaron Judge decides. Honestly, he seems to be the one behind all this. [01:26:37] Speaker C: That's fair. [01:26:38] Speaker A: Not Devin Williams. [01:26:39] Speaker B: You're not saying it wasn't Devin Williams holding sway with the impetus. [01:26:44] Speaker D: I think Aaron Judge was like, I mean, do you want to lose more guys? Because we have a stupid beard policy that's definitely illegal if it gets challenged in the federal court. [01:26:54] Speaker C: Judge was like, listen, I look pretty hot in the off season. I'm just gonna throw it out there with my. With my beard. So if we could look. [01:27:03] Speaker A: Yeah, that's exactly what he said. [01:27:05] Speaker C: He does look pretty handsome in the off season with that beard, though. All right. [01:27:09] Speaker A: I don't know what numbers. Oh, go ahead. No, what do you got? [01:27:13] Speaker D: Yeah, I think the Cubs are going to stink, but I don't think Kyle Tucker getting flipped would really meet the parameters of shocking trade here. [01:27:20] Speaker A: No, no, I. That would actually be a shock to me because it's like, they have the money to keep them long term. They express. [01:27:26] Speaker D: They want to keep them, but they're very, very cheap. [01:27:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:27:31] Speaker D: And, like, I think they could probably. Assuming they're like third or fourth in the Central in July. I could see them being like, hey, the only good bat is up for grabs. Who wants him and getting a haul. My shocking trade is going to be the Orioles finally accumulating some of their prospects and trying to do something this year. [01:27:51] Speaker A: You don't know who or what I'm gonna. [01:27:54] Speaker D: No, I'm gonna say Jackson Holiday, and you're gonna play this the sound. [01:27:57] Speaker A: But no, I think they should. [01:28:02] Speaker D: They're not trading Henderson. They're not trading Rutchman, even though he really took a step back last year. Holiday, even though he stunk when he came up, like, obviously still has major prospect pedigree. [01:28:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:28:15] Speaker D: Like we were saying earlier, the Orioles rotation is horrific. And if they're in it and the fans are getting antsy because they didn't spend any money all off season. And there's enough pressure. I could see them flipping Holiday for someone who's gonna sort of step into the Burns role. [01:28:32] Speaker A: Can't wait for Jackson Holiday to be a Dodger and Tony Gonsolin trotting out game one of the ald. [01:28:39] Speaker D: Not. Not Tony Gonsolin. No, like a. [01:28:41] Speaker A: Like a. I'm ready. Like, I'm ready for Dylan. It's gonna be for Dylan Cease. Right. That's what we're all assuming. [01:28:51] Speaker D: Michael King, I think could be someone they take a flyer on. Like, we're going sail mode. Like Roz is implying, like. [01:28:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't know. [01:29:00] Speaker D: I think it's time for the Orioles to sort of put up or shut up. And I think we're gonna find out this year if they're just gonna be prospect hoarders forever or actually go for it. [01:29:09] Speaker A: For me, letting Burns walk is the put up, a shut up moment for me. But, like, they still have. [01:29:17] Speaker D: We wanted to go back to Arizona. [01:29:19] Speaker A: Yes, yes. That's a fair point. But, yeah, allegedly. Allegedly. [01:29:23] Speaker B: All right. [01:29:24] Speaker A: I don't know what my last question is because I had to change it because originally I had written down. I couldn't think of a sixth question. And it's. Let's just do today's immaculate grid or whatever is actually what's written down, but I believe. Oh, is Sunday night. Is Sunday Night baseball dying good with MLB has backed out of their contract? Or allegedly, they had mutually agreed to cancel the contract. After this season, Sunday Night baseball will no longer be a MLB mainstay. [01:29:59] Speaker D: I don't want to give too much away here, but I do know for a fact that a certain network that also broadcast the Olympics is putting a bid in on Sunday Night Baseball. [01:30:08] Speaker C: Wow. You're really not giving out too much information. [01:30:11] Speaker D: I can't say which one. [01:30:12] Speaker A: I can't say which one the International Olympic Committee is gonna be broadcasting Sunday Night Baseball. [01:30:20] Speaker D: Right. Obs is getting. [01:30:25] Speaker A: It's just like, I'm talking about, like, the espn. I want to be clear. I meant, I mean, like the ESPN project. [01:30:33] Speaker D: And on the one hand, like, I mean, we all sort of grew up on watching baseball tonight in that era of ESPN with, like, they really had a vested interest in growing the game, and that clearly wasn't there anymore. It's basically the Stephen A. Smith talks about NFL and NBA network. Like. Like, I don't think ESPN and MLB were good partners anymore, but I do think if Sunday night baseball ends up on, like, Roku TV or Peacock or something like that, that's also really bad for the game. [01:31:04] Speaker A: Yeah, well, Peacock tried to, like, Sunday morning, have your tea and crumpets baseball show or whatever. [01:31:12] Speaker D: And for us, abhorrent. Yeah, I think it was two years, but the. The numbers were really really bad. So I don't know what Roku's numbers were this year. Picking up the same package, but. [01:31:22] Speaker A: Oh, I didn't even know that it still was around. [01:31:27] Speaker D: Oh, no. The Yankees played a horrific game on Roku this year, so that's why I remember it. [01:31:30] Speaker A: Okay. [01:31:32] Speaker D: But yeah, I think that, like, ESPN was not good for MLB anymore, but also MLB being more insular is also not good for the growth of the game. [01:31:42] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, it's still, it's still. It's getting so much more difficult to find, you know, all the different streaming platforms. You know what I'm saying? Like, we're getting so, like, Yankees play game. [01:31:57] Speaker A: Well. [01:31:57] Speaker B: Yeah. But like, it's still, like, it still meant something, right? Like, you knew ESPN is still the. Whatever. It's not the, the prestige channel it used to be, but it still kind of was like a thing. Right. Sunday night baseball, espn, like, it's been, we grew all grew up with it. Everybody from, you know, our generation or younger or like the old baby boomers could still find know that every. The best game was on ESPN on Sunday nights or the marquee games or. And it's still kind of, kind of crappy that it's going away. And I understand why it's going away. I understand why the couple is getting divorced. Right. They no longer see eye to eye and they're agreeing to see other people. I get all that. But it's still kind of shitty. It's still not a good thing when Apple TV picks up this package and now we have Sunday Night Baseball on Apple TV or Prime or even NBC. You know, they, you know, it's no offense. [01:32:47] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:32:49] Speaker B: Network that's bidding on this package. But like, I don't know, it's. It's just. I don't know, it's just not cool. It's not cool. And I don't know if it's good. I know why they're breaking up. I just don't, you know, I'm gonna miss it. And I don't know if it's good. [01:33:03] Speaker C: You know, I think, I think one thing that could have helped baseball is if Garrett Cole threw that no hitter on Apple. Because it would have been an outrage if only, you know, a hundred thousand people got to see one of the. [01:33:19] Speaker D: Best pictures when judge was like one away from the record. They had a game on Apple Apple, and there was like outrage upon outrage. Like, oh, how are you not letting like yes or ESPN or whatever simulcast in? [01:33:32] Speaker A: I think wasn't pool hosts. [01:33:34] Speaker D: I think if that had happened. It would have been similar. Like yes, meltdown. [01:33:38] Speaker C: It would have killed some of the streaming momentum if no hitter. [01:33:42] Speaker A: It was Pujols's milestone homer on Apple tv. [01:33:45] Speaker D: Oh yeah, that two homer game was on Apple. [01:33:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:33:49] Speaker A: Where he got. [01:33:50] Speaker C: So let me flip the question around to you, Ted. Instead of if Baseball Tonight is bad now, which we can all agree and like it's been bad. It's been, it's been strained for a couple years especially we used to watch that product for, you know, for a living. [01:34:02] Speaker A: Well, I like, I just, the booth was like not fun. Right? [01:34:06] Speaker C: So instead of saying what's bad about now? What used to be good about Sunday night baseball that is no longer is because we can't just say yeah, oh, Carl Ravage is not, it's not Joe Morgan or whatever. Like there has to be something else. [01:34:21] Speaker A: It was, it was such the, like coupling with Baseball Tonight. Like it's, it's, it's the, it's the investment of espn, not Carry. Obviously they have more vested interest in other avenues. I'm not going to go into them because there's a whole other can of worms that I don't want to get into. But like they have no vested interest in showing off baseball. It always, it got to the point where Sunday night baseball just felt like I'm just here so I don't get fined, right? Like it's just like they're doing it because it's the contractual obligation because they kept playing musical chairs with the broadcast booth. They, they were like there was never any real consistency. But with that booth, the booth, it would always vary from good to okay to not great. The bad, the down, my bad. I also feel like the mixing is always so bad for Sunday night baseball that like you hear like a home. [01:35:25] Speaker D: Run and it bomb went off and. [01:35:28] Speaker A: It sounds like you're about to get shot in the back of the head. And then like I just feel like I'm. I know this is not a purely ESPN only thing. I hate the on field interviews. These guys are trying to play of the game where it's like with like the things are on like these games. I know it's 162 games and these games are what, one out of 162 for a lot of these teams. Obviously they only show like maybe 10 teams anyways on Sunday night baseball. But these games do matter. Like if you, if like it has never happened, I don't think. But could you imagine if it ever happened? It's never happened. Independent race or like for the, for the division on the line, you're talking to, you know, whoever in your ear. And I know like Miguel Rojas did the funny, Sorry guys, I have to make a play real quick. Could you imagine if he air mailed that throw? Dodgers lose that game by a run and they're now a wild card instead of like winning the division. Yeah, I know, obviously could have won another game, whatever. But like, I, I do think you. [01:36:42] Speaker C: Hit the nail on the head. The issue with Sunday baseball is a lack of interest. When we were growing up, when I was 12, 13 years old, watching baseball tonight, I was watching that same hour run from midnight to 1 and 1 to 2 or 2 and like just watching the same highlights and hearing the same joke. They already recorded. Recorded because you could tell that they were interested in baseball. They were interested in telling you and recapping the day. And as the money got so huge, they, they, and the money they got from other sports meant they stopped caring as much about baseball that you could tell that ESPN is not interested in broadcasting baseball anymore. They're doing it because they have to. And so I don't know if the, I, I don't know if they're like, the resolution is to like make Sunday Night Baseball and MLB Network products, like, because I'd rather that instead of Apple TV or Prime or Roku or whatever. Because most people can get access to the network. Not everybody, but at least it is like we know, we know the MLB Network is interested in broadcasting baseball, right? So like, they'll have people that are excited to actually be there and aren't just collecting a paycheck because they're contractually obligated to be in Minnesota on a Sunday night. Like, so I think whoever ends up with Sunday Night baseball, if it does continue, like, they have to actually be interested and want to make us want to watch the game with them, which ESPN has not had it for a decade. [01:38:10] Speaker B: That, that is beautiful, Joe. You treat it like the marquee. Treat it like the marquee event that it's supposed to be. You know what I'm saying? Like, treat it with the response. [01:38:18] Speaker A: Yeah, so I, I, this is not part of the question. And obviously this is more endemic of the state of baseball than, you know, ESPN making these decisions because obviously Fox has these choices to make in their Saturday, Saturday games that they broadcast. Is the, it is part of the problem seeing Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox for, you know, four straight weeks, part of the problem of fading interest in these games being shown on, you know, the marquee matchups, which, let's be honest, they are they. And they're getting the treatment that they should. But like at a point, I can only watch so many Red Sox. [01:39:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:39:09] Speaker A: Games with these, with this booth that is uninterested. [01:39:12] Speaker B: I think it's the same issue. I think it's the same instrument. It's the, it's a combination of lazy producing and just not knowing the sport because there are other marquee games. Right. But the ESPN executives who are maybe not as invested into the sport, maybe not that invested in, in, in like the storylines or, or what teams are good. They just pick the names that they know. You know what I'm saying? Like, yo, pick the name. Pick give me a Tom Cruise movie. Give me, you know, give me a known star and then I will air it. You know, rather than like being invested in who is an up and coming team like the Tigers are. I keep going back to Tigers. The Tigers are an exciting team. Give me a Paul Skeens Pirates game on Sunday Night Football. I will. Sunday Night Baseball. I would watch that. That is a marquee game for me. [01:39:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:39:57] Speaker B: You know what I'm saying? Like there's many other marquee games that don't, that don't, you know, feature teams that are, you know, the quote unquote, big market, big popular teams. And it's just a. Indicative of like, just a lack of, you know, just having real baseball people in charge of these decisions. It's just ESP us whoever Stephen A. Smith wants to watch that Sunday, that's who. I think that's in his contract actually. And 100 million. I think that he gets to choose. [01:40:25] Speaker A: Choosing Sunday Night Baseball. Now, Joe, I have a, I do have a counter question for actually I really loved your answer. But like if MOV Networks has Sunday Night Baseball, where am I supposed to watch Fever pitch for the 80th time? Where am I supposed to watch the Sand Basel documentary? There's millions. Yeah. Where am I supposed to watch? That is true. [01:40:49] Speaker C: I, I'd watch. There's so many baseball. I'd never seen the Natural till. Yeah. Honestly. So that's a good question. Although. So an answer your question. No, I do not think it is good for baseball that Sunday baseball is dying. I think it's, it's, it's unavoidable at this point just because of their lack of interest. But yeah, it's the, the alternative of having a vibrant, thriving Sunday night baseball community would be better than what we have right now. [01:41:25] Speaker A: Processing all the answers, processing the answers. Congratulations Roz, for winning today's episode. I can't think of a better person to have a question for next week's episod episode. Next episode. I'm sure it's a topic you know so much about. I will text you on the side to ask you to inquire about the question. I will remind you that the question does not have to be topic specific. [01:41:57] Speaker B: Interesting. I can't wait. [01:42:01] Speaker A: Everyone, thank you so much for listening to this episode. Share it if you don't, it's fine. I'm not going to do anything. It's your life. Do, rate it. Do all the things that help with SEO. I guess. I don't know. I don't know how this stuff works. I've been your host, Ted. The last piece of media I watched was Judd Apatow's 1995 classic Heavyweights.