2 Guys Talking Baseball
Dallas Danger and Brian Logan discuss the game of baseball. Two fans, two personalities, Two Guys!
2 Guys Talking Baseball
A lot to talk about!
What if we told you that Shohei Otani’s recent game might go down as one of the greatest solo performances in baseball history? Join us on this week's episode of Two Guys Talking Baseball as we break down the latest happenings in the world of baseball, starting with the aftermath of a hurricane in Morristown, Tennessee. We then switch gears to reflect on Shohei Otani's jaw-dropping achievements and the Chicago Cubs' recent elimination from playoff contention. Could future prospects like Alcontra and PCA turn things around for the Cubs? We also ponder Cody Bellinger's future with the team and even entertain the possibility of them pursuing the electrifying Juan Soto.
This episode isn't just about the Cubs and Otani, though. We take a surprising turn by examining the unexpected managerial shake-up with the Cincinnati Reds, dissecting the reasons behind David Bell's dismissal despite his contract extension. Could David Ross or even Joey Votto be the next skipper for this young and talented roster? We explore the support needed for the Reds' stars like Ellie De La Cruz and Hunter Green to truly shine, alongside addressing the financial constraints that plague historic franchises such as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, and Oakland A's. Fan loyalty and ownership's priorities come under the spotlight, especially with the A's potential relocation causing an emotional stir among their dedicated supporters.
Finally, the episode touches on the Washington Nationals disciplining young star CJ Abrams for breaking curfew and what this means for team dynamics. We also dive deep into the cultural impact of Shohei Otani, comparing him to legends like Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. With updates on our Patreon and YouTube channels, we promise fresh and exciting content to keep you engaged, especially as we gear up for more playoff heated discussions in the coming weeks. Tune in for an experience packed with passionate baseball conversations, insights, and a touch of the unexpected!
hello again. One and all this is two guys talking baseball. I almost forgot the name of the show that we're off to a rip-roaring start.
Speaker 2:It's going fantastic already so far.
Speaker 1:We are inside the three crows studios in a very moist morristown, tennessee. That damn hurt, anything's better than moist. That damn hurricane is uh rearing its ugly head at us here in the mountains. Anyhow, my name is Dallas Danger, joined as always by my best friend and colleague, brian Logan.
Speaker 2:Brian hit it, it's a great week for baseball and this time it really is A lot of baseball this week.
Speaker 1:We got all kinds of shit to talk about. We are going to talk a lot about Shohei Otani.
Speaker 2:Of course we are I. What else is there? Is there any other topic?
Speaker 1:yeah, well, many people are taking issue with the fact that there really doesn't seem to be any other topic, but for us this week there are some other topics and, brian, I'm glad you're lighting a cigarette because I'm about to pitch to you. The chicago cubs have officially been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
Speaker 2:I know it's terrible. I mean they were doing so well. I really believe wholeheartedly, with every bit of every ounce of fiber inside me, that if we would have just had two more weeks to play while the other teams weren't, we could have pulled this in. But the league ignored my requests and my facts and everything that I have been sending to them like smoke signals to let them know this.
Speaker 1:but they have turned it down and, unfortunately, the chicago cubs season is mathematically over yeah, it's, it's over, man, and and that is a bit of a shame, because we talked, you know, for weeks here about how the cubs were playing. You know pretty well and and we'regames playing good baseball, fixing their bullpen, but everybody in front of them has been like the hottest team since the All-Star break and they just couldn't. At the end of the day, they couldn't make up any ground.
Speaker 2:No, they just couldn't get in it, no matter how many wins they got. It just wasn't in the cards this year. But I'm feeling great about next year.
Speaker 1:Well, I was gonna ask you know, you know we'll. I'm sure we'll get long-winded about this as we go along and and the offseason comes. But just sort of briefly how are you feeling about the future of the cubs?
Speaker 2:well, if they don't, you know, sell everybody off again. I think the first half we're doing pretty good. Yeah, we got some call-ups with Alcontra's, is that how you say his?
Speaker 1:name yeah.
Speaker 2:Alcontra, yeah, and I've seen him a couple times, so he's a real good kid. You know we've got Hap still if we keep him, and then you know what's going to happen with Belly's exciting, you know, could we maybe get him another year, who knows? Probably not. But there's just PCA coming back next year. Yeah, I mean, the future's just bright for that kid.
Speaker 1:I think PCA is due next year for a breakout year. I mean, I would not be surprised if PCA is an all-star next year and is leading that team in a lot of ways and a lot of categories. It will be interesting to see what happens with Bellinger. He seems to really like it there, but I mean, at the end of the day he's represented by Scott Boris, so you know, who knows what's going to happen with his free agency, because I don't think it went anywhere like they thought it was going to this past offseason. So does Bellinger go to Scott Boris and say look man, I want to get this done quick and I really would prefer to stay in Chicago? Or is he just handing it over to Boris and saying get me the most money, I don't care if I sign April 1st?
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, I mean it's hard to tell. I mean, you know, there's only two people that know, and that's them. And we have to. The rest of us have to wait and see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and and, and here's the thing too, most of Boris's clients held out for more money and didn't sign until late in spring training or after the season had already started. And Bellinger, I think, was the one that it affected negatively the least. Mm-hmm, you know, because you look at Jordan Montgomery you know he was one of the heroes of the World Series champions. He didn't get signed until really late in the game and he's just been off all year. Yeah, you know. So it'll be interesting to see what all the Boris clients you know how that plays out. But yeah, I think that might be the biggest key is are the Cubs interested in keeping Bellinger? You know, I mean and again I saw their name mentioned in the Juan Soto sweepstakes so are they making a real play for him?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean you know, and where again we're back to, where would we put him? And you know, I mean I guess that's great for the team, another get like that, but you know, I don't know, do what.
Speaker 1:I'm on the fence with that one yeah, you know, I'm on the fence with him, with the Dodgers too, and obviously the Dodgers are going to be involved in those conversations. But I don't know, man, I don't know that's going to be. I think the Juan Soto sweepstakes will be the most interesting in free agency, for sure. Yeah, you know, I mean he is a really good player and a personality on top of that. So who knows who knows personality on top of that? So who knows who knows um? And you know, as far as the dodgers go, um, I will, I will hold shohei talk for later, but we're we're looking pretty good, we're playing good baseball.
Speaker 1:Um, as we are recording, last night was game two of the series with the Padres. We dropped game one but looked very good. Last night Got the lead a couple times. They tied back up but we answered every time in the bullpen. I mean that bullpen has been nails, just nails, and didn't even use all of the good, trustworthy, high-leverage arms. So there's going to be some guys fresh for tonight's game, which, if the Dodgers win, then that's the division, and then we get to go chill for the weekend in Colorado and have a different sort of game plan heading into, you know, october, yeah, the the postseason, so, um, feeling really good you know about where we're at and um, I just think you know it's. It's it's kind of wild because from my standpoint and I know Dave Roberts has said this in as many words the playoffs have already started for the Dodgers.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because nothing's wrapped up yet and even if it gets wrapped up before Colorado, I think you go into Colorado partially going. Okay, we want to save up as many of our arms as we can. We want to keep some guys off their feet to prevent wear and tear or injury, but at the same time, this is a Dodger team that the last two years has wrapped things up early and then gotten to the playoffs and not been able to match another team's energy, who, who had to play a wild card series, who had to play hard all the way through to get into the playoffs. So I think this year we're, we're, we're, we're at a little bit more of an advantage than we have been the last two years, because, you know, this is just yeah, we're just, you know, playing meaningful games further into September and that's a good thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it keeps you guys sharp and I think that can only help. You know, hopefully they'll just get it done tonight and everything will go swell. Yeah, you know, and there will go swell, yeah, and there will not be any issue and stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah. But I mean, even if, okay, let's say, the Padres win tonight and then sweep the Diamondbacks, which is probably also not going to happen this weekend Even if that's the case, if the Padres don't lose again, all we have to do is win the series in Colorado and it's wrapped up. We strongly now control our own destiny, right? So, yeah, so I'm feeling pretty good and I'm ready for October. Yeah, I'm ready to get it going.
Speaker 2:Yeah me too.
Speaker 1:Because I really like the makeup of this team. I think the Dodgers have added some really good. I mean, just look at last night's game from the pitching side. Jack Flaherty was a deadline acquisition. Michael Kopech, who got the trade excuse me, got the save was a trade deadline acquisition. And then, of course, you know Shohei Otani doing what he does and he was an offseason signing, you know and and Teoscar Hernandez has brought a lot of really positive energy to this team. He was new this year. So the Dodgers took the core we had solidified some of that core with signing Will Smith to an extension and then added to it and added the right guys, it feels like to it. And I can't go without mentioning Tommy Edmond, who was clutch again last night.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just in there just helping the team out yeah, and and, and.
Speaker 1:You know, doesn't matter where he is in the order, doesn't matter what you know righty or lefty on the mound, you know, doesn't matter if he's playing shortstop center field. Wherever they put him, you know he's contributing and and he's he's under team control again next year. So I'm excited to have a full season of tommy edmund on the dodgers.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, that'll be exciting fun to watch yeah so yeah, I mean that's that's gonna beneficial, be beneficial for you guys in october and next year definitely all right.
Speaker 1:So, uh, we're we're gonna blow through some topics here and then we're gonna talk about the, uh, the big news of the week, which was, uh, the shohei otani game. But before we do any of that, a couple of uh housekeeping things. Um, we are aware that there is not a YouTube video this week. We are on the usual YouTube music platform with audio only, but we just had some technical difficulties on our end and thought it would be easier this week to just go audio and skip a week of video. Yeah, and then we're not going to have a new episode next week. I'm going to be out of town, uh, doing a recording session, and we talked about it, and instead of putting a show in the, can you know, this week, we we didn't want to risk one, do it fresh yeah, we not behind.
Speaker 1:We we like to be topical. We didn't want to talk about things that were going to be, you know, moot points, uh, a week. So we're just taking the week off, but obviously there's a lot of baseball that's going to be on next week. So when we come back we'll get caught up on all the. I mean by then we'll be into the second round of the playoffs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we'll have lots to talk about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there'll be a lot going on and a lot to talk about and everything so yeah so no video this week, no episode at all next week. But then we'll be strapped in and ready for the playoffs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep, they're coming, we're ready for them.
Speaker 1:I guess you're officially a Dodger fan. I'm officially a Dodger fan now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was going to wear my Dodger hat and I forgot to put it on. All right, All right.
Speaker 1:Okay, so just you know, a lot went on this week, yeah it sure did.
Speaker 1:The Shohei Otani game. We thought at first like, well, we don't need anything else, we can talk, you know, a whole hour or more about that alone. But then shit just kept happening and yeah, it's all worthy of talking about. So, um, first thing we want to mention is the cincinnati reds have fired their manager, david bell, which you know would make sense, I suppose, until you realize that just a year ago they gave him an extension. Yeah, that would have had him with the team, I think, through 2026 is what I saw. Yeah, um, right, you know, and and this is going to be a little bit of a theme today until we get to Shohei, but I think it's just, I think the ownership viewed it as if we get rid of him, the fans will see him as the scapegoat and distract from the fact that we didn't really do anything to help this team this year, that we didn't really do anything to help this team this year.
Speaker 1:And the Reds have a good young core, led, obviously, by Ellie De La Cruz. But when you look at Mack McClain and Spencer Strider and Hunter Green on the mound, there's good young talent there that they're going to have, you know they're going to have on their roster for, you know, at least the next couple of years. Yeah, they're just not. I don't know man. They're just not doing anything to add to that and help that core. So I don't know, brian, I mean what do you think A manager gets fired a year after getting an extension on a team that you know, when you look at it on paper doesn't seem like they're that far away from really being able to contend in that division yeah, but they really are, and I think firing the the skipper is their way of saying we.
Speaker 2:We might have dropped the ball, like you said, but we're going to pick it up, starting right now, going into next season yeah, I'm interested to see who takes that job too. Well, they were rumored that rossi might be up for the job yeah, I saw his name on a list and that's weird.
Speaker 1:It's a lateral move that it is. As far as I'm concerned, man, um, you know nothing against david bell or david ross, but I, I just, you know, I think that's just passing the buck to somebody else. I don't think that makes that team any better, but I don't know. I mean, I like Rossi, generally speaking baseball guy. I just don't know that he really, I mean and maybe the Cubs, there was just too much pressure there, yeah, because he Too much familiarity. He was one of the heroes of that 2016 team and his office had the W flag that flew when they won the world series on the wall. And you know, I, I just that might have just been timing.
Speaker 2:I, I would be really willing, um, to give rossi another shot yeah, I mean, it'd be interesting to see I don't know if he was that good of a coach to begin with. Um, I think it was um nostalgic and an honor for him, but I think it was just his buddy buddy system. Yeah, yeah, I think that's.
Speaker 1:That's how he got the job yeah, and well, and, and honestly, you know, he got that job pretty much right out of his playing career. Yeah, you know, and and maybe he's further removed from that and learned from the experience with the cubs, and and again, I think I think he's, I think he's worthy of another shot at running the team yeah, I mean, let's try it.
Speaker 2:I mean, and this might be the perfect team to try that out on no, no harm, no foul you know another name I saw on that list that I thought was even more interesting.
Speaker 1:Who's that?
Speaker 2:joey v thought was even more interesting. Who's that? Joey Votto Wow that is interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, here's my thing with Votto. I don't know that he wants to manage the Reds Right. I mean, maybe he does I could be wrong.
Speaker 2:That seems like a lot of stress for him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know if he's into that, just having to do the press conferences every day.
Speaker 1:Well, think about what he said when he retired. He very much sounded like a guy that wanted to put baseball behind him and try something else, even if that's just going home and finding a hobby that doesn't land you on TV. Just like maybe I want to go fishing, maybe.
Speaker 2:I want to go. He wants to be a fly fisherman yeah, or collect stamps or something.
Speaker 1:He's going to make lures all day. Joey Votto is weird, but like he's in the best way possible, like that's a compliment when I say he's a weird guy.
Speaker 2:Well, the thing is, is that all the lures look like baseballs to the fish? I mean and I would know because I'm the C-line we established that, but anyway, no, I mean Joey Votto, I don't think would be a fit for the whole situation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just I don't know either. That was the most interesting name because it's like I don't know that Joey Votto wants to manage in the major leagues.
Speaker 2:I mean it's nice to be asked, but I don't think he's going to do it. I mean I could be wrong. Yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 1:Time will tell and I'm sure this will not be the only managerial opening by the time we're back in two weeks talking into these microphones. Right right, you know.
Speaker 1:I don't know, yeah, it's very interesting. And the Reds, you know the Reds have been very exciting the last couple years, I think, and they've invigorated that fan base a little bit, yeah. But I mean, I'm not super connected to the Cincinnati Reds and their fan base, but I get the feeling that the impression, just like the general baseball fan of any team or just that likes the game in general, I think there's a foregone conclusion that Ellie's going to walk. Yeah, he's not sticking around. The first time he hits free agency he is gone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, you know, I think, okay, and this is just my opinion about the fan base, Emotionally speaking only, not factual, just emotions the Cincinnati Reds fans think the Big Red Machine was the greatest baseball team of all time, Right? So every team that comes in there gets compared to that unfairly and unjustly. So they may be used to, you know. They see the team and go, oh well, we're going to watch, but it's not who we want it to be.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I guess that's true, and that's got to be tough for the players because I mean they're getting compared to something that's long gone, that they'll never be that, though.
Speaker 1:now there's a whole slew of Reds fans who have never seen the Reds any good in their lifetime. Right, you know what I mean. I think that's more of what's going on there, and this is a fan base that when they come up with Ellie De La Cruz and Spencer Steer and Matt McClain, just sort of come out of nowhere. It seemed like, at least from the outside, looking in and you get this Hunter Green who just throws rockets at you. You know, um, and is in, is in the Cy Young conversation. He's not going to win it, but but he he's probably in the top four or five and in in El Cy Young this year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, there's reasons to get excited, especially again if you're used to this team just not being any good at all. Um, so, yeah, it's, it's, it's gonna be, you know, does a new manager mean that's the only move? Does a new manager mean change across the board? You know I'd hate to see this team, you know, sitting where they are. I'd hate to see them start a rebuild. Yeah, or you know already.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I don't think they need a rebuild. I mean, I think they're closer to having it than they are than needing to rebuild.
Speaker 1:Right and I think that's my entire point is if the ownership will get behind this team they've got and get them one or two pieces. And I'm not saying go get Juan Soto, necessarily, or even like Teoscar Hernandez, I'm just saying go out and shape up the team, get a couple of role player guys or guys that fit specific needs in your team and build around what you've got because I think the Reds have an opportunity here to do that to not spend the same money that the Yankees or the Dodgers or even the Cubs are going to go out and spend.
Speaker 2:But spend a little bit of money and it can go a long, long way yeah, yeah, I agree with that sentiment, and we'll just have to wait and see what they end up doing yeah, so, uh, so, and I, and, and, as much as I think david ross deserves another shot, david bell is going to get another job in baseball. Yeah, probably so do you think I got a shot at becoming the skipper for the?
Speaker 1:cincinnati reds. I told you this when I texted you about david bell getting fired. No, I don't think you got much shot man I.
Speaker 2:I made it all the way to the dugout in the last time when they hired Dusty Baker.
Speaker 1:You say last time, as if it hadn't been 20 years since they hired Dusty Baker.
Speaker 2:Well, that was where I was.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:In the dugout.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of piss-poor ownership in the major leagues, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a guy by the name of Rowdy telez who I like a lot. I like rowdy, he's a cool, cool player, a lot of fun to watch. And rowdy telez was sitting at 421 plate appearances this season. And if he had gotten to 425 that's right, four more plate appearances, which is basically one more game he would have have earned a $200,000 bonus. Well, instead the Pirates decide they were going to DFA Rowdy Talaeus. Wow, and that is just Wow.
Speaker 1:I mean Low down, right Did they think we wouldn't figure it out, Like did they really think they weren't going to get any pushback on this ridiculous move? I mean, they're saving money and there is flat-out being cheap, and this is just flat-out being cheap and not hiding it. No, it's like they don't care.
Speaker 2:He got screwed is what he did. Let's just call it the way we see it 100% he got screwed. They could have let him go one more game, but they knew, they knew yeah.
Speaker 1:No, it boggles the mind. How mad do you think he?
Speaker 2:is today.
Speaker 1:You know, I imagine that there was some frustration. But these guys are pros, they understand the business of baseball and I'm not going to sit here and say that I think Rowdy Tellez saw it coming, but I don't even know if he's that surprised by this. I mean, this is an ownership group that you know. I mean an historic franchise, to start with, who you know. There's history there. There's the we Are Family teams. You know Roberto Clemente, willie Stargell, the Doc Ellis no-hitter that is now famous because he has told the story that he was tripping on acid when he threw his no-hitter. Yeah, you know, I mean there's a lot of good history for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but they're just not keeping up financially with these other franchises.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, they're not, and that's showing all these teams that it's coming out about their cheapness or their money-handling decisions, and they're showing that that's probably what got the teams where they were at.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I mean, that's just it. It's almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yeah, you know, these teams are doing these shady things and it's just—it's very pay-no-mind to the man behind the curtain. But then the man behind the curtain comes out and does a dance on stage and you know, it gets a little hard to ignore in some of these situations yeah, I mean it's just blatantly obvious right there.
Speaker 2:I mean, look at the numbers.
Speaker 1:I mean four more and he'd had it one more game, one more game, one more game, and he'd had that 200 extra 200 000 yeah, which is probably used as his tax money right to pay his tax bill to profit from the other.
Speaker 2:Sure I?
Speaker 1:mean well, I don't know, for a guy like rowdy to less 200 grand is I mean that's, that's substantial. Well, yeah, I mean it's substantial for anybody. Well, yeah, I mean that's a lot of money you know, uh, I, I don't know, I, I, and, and, and here's the thing I don't know, and here's the thing I don't know what can be done about these lousy owners, you know? Yeah, I just hate it for the fan bases.
Speaker 2:I know it's terrible to have to deal with an ownership partnership that is not on the pace with what's going on. The reality. Yeah, so that the fans can enjoy the game.
Speaker 1:Now they've got to worry about this shit all the time, yeah, and beyond, enjoying the game, buying into and investing into the team. Yeah, I mean, these are franchises with loyal fan bases. Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Oakland A's who we'll talk about here in a moment have really devout fan bases. Yeah, devout fan bases.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, and they're just they're just it's like these teams just don't care about the fans at all. I know they don't. They care about the bottom line.
Speaker 1:You know and, and I get you know, you got to pay attention to the bottom line. Um, but good grief, I mean, where's the line here?
Speaker 2:where's the line?
Speaker 1:yeah, to what end is what I'm trying to say. You know where does it end. Are you ever going to allow your team to be any good? Or, every time you get close, are you just going to sabotage yourself? Right, right right.
Speaker 1:You know and I'm going to go out of order here but we're on a roll with this ownership talk, roll with this, uh, ownership talk. So, uh, we are. We are, as we're recording, tonight will be the final home game in the oakland coliseum for the oakland a's and this, you know I'm not going to go down the rabbit hole. You know you can find all this information about the saga of the a's leaving oakland and the disaster that has followed. The plan right now is for them to play in a minor league ballpark while a minor league team is also playing there. That's going to be a disaster. It's going to be bad. It's bad for the schedule, it's bad for the players. But you know we've talked a lot about John Fisher and his bullshit in Oakland. So what I want to talk about is the fact that the Oakland baseball fans have kind of rallied around each other and you know this last homestand obviously it's been well attended Tonight, I'm sure is going to be completely sold out.
Speaker 1:There's probably going to be people trying to climb the walls and sneak in. Just say you were there. Yeah, there's already been. I've seen a video of this and I also saw a tweet last night that there was a guy in the parking lot that had stolen a stadium seat and there were six security guards or cops chasing him around the parking lot. Good for him. You know, I've seen some players take some mementos.
Speaker 1:I should say, and I can't remember the guy's name, but one of the pitchers for the A's got the. It was a sign. That was a map of all the food in the ballpark.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, that's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:So you know, and what a sad day for the city of Oakland.
Speaker 1:What, a sad day for that fan base, again, a very devout fan base that just a few years ago was dealing with a team that was like making the playoffs and, and you know, had a shot. Um, and and again, the the ownership just pulls the rug out, right out from under them and now all these fans are sort of left without a team and, yeah, and you know, I think some of them will latch on somewhere else. Some of them may follow the a's to sacramento and and ultimately, I guess vegas is still, yeah, up in the air. But that's the plan. Um, I, I don't know. Again, I I hurt for the fan base because this is a city that the ownership is framing, that it's the city's fault. Yeah, and you're basically saying it's the fan's fault. You know, when you say it's the city's fault, what do you really mean?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're saying it's the fan's fault for not coming and, you know, spending the money and putting them in the bracket to where they can afford to pay the taxes that they're trying to get out of with the city and where the city's not friendly. Yeah, because that's how that works.
Speaker 1:Well, here's the thing there's 30 major league teams. Every damn one of them is owned by a billionaire.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Every one of them, because you have to be. You have to be a billionaire to own one of these teams. I've never in my life seen more billionaires crying that they're broke. Well, yeah, you know, spend a little damn money. You want to make money? Spend some money. Yeah, it's ridiculous. And to take a team away from Oakland just to go put it in a minor league ballpark in Sacramento and hope that you get a deal done in Vegas which, again, last I read, is still not a done deal, right, you know, I saw some A's fans saying they think there's like a 30% chance that the A's actually do play in Oakland next year. Oh well, still you know, oh so.
Speaker 2:So maybe a big to-do about nothing. Well, and that's Until they've stole all the seats and there's nowhere to sit Well yeah, they're going to tear that place down tonight.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think it's the Rangers who they're playing. We're sort of like given a security brief about the last game and what to do when the people run on the field. Well, who knows what's going to happen.
Speaker 2:I'm going to watch that game because I want to see what happens.
Speaker 1:It might be going on right now.
Speaker 2:Well, we'll have to check and see our schedule. I'm checking right now, but that's the good thing about having the MLB app, because you can watch the games anytime you want, and that's free MLB, yes.
Speaker 1:That's free. Let me see Ta-da-da-da. No, no, there it is. Yeah, they're in warm-ups right now.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:That game's probably coming on. I would imagine maybe 4 o'clock. I knew it was a day game, but the Pacific time zone, yeah. So it's going to be rowdy in Oakland today, that's for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah without a doubt I mean especially at the end there's going to be a lot of emotional folks out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I saw Mark Kotze, the team's manager, said the team he wasn't sure if he was going to speak on the microphone, but the team was definitely going to come out and salute the fans. They owed them at the very least, the players coming out and thanking them, Because the A's have been in Oakland for decades.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my whole life.
Speaker 1:Have won World Series and won a lot of big games in that Coliseum. You think about Ricky Henderson and Raleigh Fingers and just the countless guys.
Speaker 2:Reggie.
Speaker 1:Jackson, that have played legends of the game, that have played in that Coliseum. Yeah, it's just a real shame. It's a real shame and I don't know. I want MLB owners, I want billionaires to do a little better. I know that's asking too much.
Speaker 2:I'll fax them all and see if they can get them on the same meeting program. I'm pretty good with them. Other than me asking for that extension and not getting it, they've given me everything else I've asked for.
Speaker 1:Just don't use Tim Horner's fax machine. Yes, don't use that.
Speaker 1:That's the fax machine I still use. I'm the one that has it. It's your fault, sorry if you're not aware of our silly inside jokes. All right, uh, one more thing before we get into the, uh, the, the meat of the matter today, so to speak. Uh, washington's star, young star, cj abrams um, he was, he was sort of the crown jewel in the return in the juan soto trade with the padres. He was an all-star this year, really starting to come into his own, and this is a guy that the nationals have seemingly, um, made it clear they want to build the future of the club around. Right, so they're in Chicago playing your Cubbies. Cj Abrams is spotted at the casino until 8 am. Okay, on the day that there's a 1 pm ball game, ooh, rough Five hours. That gives him five hours to get any sleep, any rest and do all of his pregame work.
Speaker 1:I do some of my best work on five hours sleep well that may be, but he breaks curfew because these teams you know these players have curfews when they're on the road, right even though they're grown-ass men right, that's just part of it, right, and when I first brought this to your attention, brian, I really expected you to go one way on this, and you kind of went the whole opposite way well, the sea line is unpredictable.
Speaker 2:The sea line is unpredictable so tides can flow in any direction.
Speaker 1:So so let's hear your thoughts on cj abrams now. Uh, I should mention, got sent down to triple a for like a day because they had one game left or whatever, and now he's at single A with no games to play for the rest of the season and is going to lose like $30-some thousand in Major League pay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, see, okay, here's the thing. He's a grown-ass man, he's capable of taking care of himself until he gets to the game and messes up. See, I think that's where I have the disconnect. Had he done that and went to the game and just played, horrible then.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now tear his ass, but give him the benefit of the doubt he might be able to do both because he's an adult I think the problem you run into there is this slippery slope of if you let it slide for him, yeah, you gotta let it go for everybody. Then everybody's like well, then I'll do whatever I want, and, and as long as I can show up and play the game, yeah, you know, and maybe cj abrams is good enough to get by doing that, but other guys on the team maybe aren't. Yeah, I think it's more about the example you're setting. You know, I could see that this is a young ball club overall.
Speaker 1:I mean, there's not a ton of veteran leadership on the Washington Nationals right now, Right, and that's just how they've been doing business. We've already ranted about shitty owners and so I don't want to get down that anymore. But I don't know. I'm more inclined to go. You know what. We're investing all this time and money in you. You are the future of this franchise. When we set a time for you to be back at the hotel and you don't make it, I think you deserve to lose some money. Well, yeah, I agree, Because that's the thing is. Yeah, he's missing the games, but if he's staying at the casino until 8 when you've got a 1 pm day game, does he really want to play those games in the first place? No, no.
Speaker 2:He was concentrating on gambling.
Speaker 1:So let's hit him where it hurts in the wallet, yeah, and so I'm sort of all for this, okay, you know, because I don't think the nationals are one of those teams where the ownership is just like pinch every penny, no matter what. I think this is a team that's trying to sneak back into contention while also keeping watch of that bottom line. You know the the way the a's were doing business for years before John Fisher just you know, screwed the pooch there. The way that the Tampa Bay Rays do business every single year, right.
Speaker 1:They don't spend a damn dime.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But they have a system, you know, and a program where they can contend, and I think the Nationals are trying to figure that their way. You know. Know, figure out a way to do that that works for them, right. So so I'm all for this move, I, I think it was the right call um, and now I think the rest of that clubhouse is going okay. You know, we can have fun, we can go out when we're in in different cities, but but curfew, curfew matters yeah, because you'll be sent down and then left for dead.
Speaker 1:Because if they'll send their all-star and their face of the franchise down, no one's safe. Nobody's safe if they don't follow the rules.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no, they broke it off ending. That's what they did. How?
Speaker 1:did that series go with the Nationals?
Speaker 2:I think they took two out of three.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so yeah.
Speaker 2:Didn't hurt the team. It was two out of three and I'm pretty sure it was them. I don't know, it's been so many days ago.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's been a while.
Speaker 2:All these games are starting to run together. Well, it's been a long season, it's been a long season and then I got football games. I'm watching. So it's all going together and then you've got to throw in the wrestling. You know my God, it's just a lot.
Speaker 1:Football.
Speaker 2:Fucking football. I watch more sports on television than a normal human being is awake. Yeah, I think that's fair. That is fair. It is fair. I will watch a game or six.
Speaker 1:All right, I think we've gotten to the main event of the show this week. What would that be? That would be the unicorn Shohei Otani. Did he do something?
Speaker 2:He did some crazy shit is what he did. Hey, well, it's the first time hearing about it. No, seriously, seriously, it was amazing yeah, um, the shohei otani game.
Speaker 1:Uh, it's been talked about to death, but we do this show once a week and it's our turn to talk about it. And and that's what we're gonna do, because shohei otani goes six for six two doubles, three home runs, two stolen stolen bases, 10 RBIs, four runs scored and 17 total bases. In addition to that, he did this in the game where he founded the 50-50 club, became the first guy who had ever, in one season, hit 50 home runs and stolen 50 bags, and that win clinched the playoffs for the Dodgers and stamped Shohei Ohtani going to the postseason for the first time in his career.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, I mean, it's single-handedly the greatest performance in baseball history.
Speaker 1:I think I think you're right and I've knocked that around in my head a lot the last week and I just don't know that anybody's ever had a better day. And here's the thing. You know, jerry Harrison Jr, on the postgame show for the Dodgers, said well, just wait until next year when he goes four for four and drives in a bunch of runs and hits some homers and steals some bases and throws a no-hitter. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean that's wild. I mean we still talk about Reggie Jackson's three home runs in 77, 78. I don't remember it's one of those years it runs together. But I mean this blows that out of the water.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's broken the record for most games in a single season where he hit a home run and stole the base in the same game. Okay, uh, passed ricky henderson for that and he's still going. The 17 total bases was is the most ever in a game by someone who stole two bags. Right, uh, by the way, no one had ever hit three home runs and stole two bags in the same game. He broke three Dodger records in that game. He became the all-time single-season home run leader when he hit 50, because that passed Sean Green who had the record with 49. It's the most extra base hits in a game by a Dodger and the most RBI in a game by a Dodger. I mean, he is just flat out going out there and just constantly doing shit. We've never seen before Putting a cleat through the old record book. He really is, and you know what's he going to do in October.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when they turn him loose.
Speaker 1:He is so pumped up. He is showing emotion in a way that we've never seen in these games. Down the stretch, I can't wait.
Speaker 2:No, it's going to be an amazing thing to see and he's only going to get better next year. Yeah, I mean, that's going to be amazing to see that happen, what you described, with him pitching and hitting and everything. Yeah, he's literally doing it all.
Speaker 1:Deion Sanders. I saw this the other day. Deion compared him to Michael Jordan and Tom Brady Because he said Shohei Otani's going out there and doing things we've never even fathomed. Right, and you know, tom Brady is a decent example, but I think Michael Jordan is a much bigger example from a cultural standpoint. Right, because here's the thing If you are a fan of the NBA right now, the fact that all these international players are playing in the NBA like the best players in all the world it doesn't matter what country you're from. If you can ball, you're in the NBA. Now. Right, do you know why? Because Michael Jordan and his global impact when he played and I'm not going to get into the LeBron conversation, this isn't a basketball podcast I just know I experienced jordan in a big way because when I was growing up, he, he was like elvis, yeah, you know, um, everything he did was newsworthy, right, uh, good, bad or indifferent.
Speaker 1:And you know that's the other thing with shohei. It's his first year with a new team. It's his first year in the National League. He had all that drama with the Ipe Mizuhara scandal and the gambling stuff and in spite of all of that, he's still doing all these things. I mean this guy is a robot, he is not human. He's not human. I mean, mere men are not supposed to be able to do what Shohei Otani is just going out there and doing every single day.
Speaker 1:It is remarkable to see players in the game going yeah, I mean I'm just glad he's on our team because Shohei's you know, I mean Mookie literally said that's why he got $700 million. Yeah, was to carry us and that's what he's doing. Yeah, and I think it's taking the pressure off of Mookie and Freddie a little bit, because now they don't have to be the guy, because Shohei is the guy, right, all caps, like the guy. So they just have to go out there and perform behind him a little bit. And you know, in the bottom of the order for the Dodgers is setting the table for Shohei, you know, and the bottom of the order for the Dodgers is setting the table for Shohei, you know, um, yeah, I mean, but there's so much, there's so much meat on the bone with this game, but but I want to talk about, uh, you didn't get to see it live. You were out doing some things and I and I texted you and said you have to watch this game when you get home, right you?
Speaker 1:have to, and I was like yes, I'm getting there super quick yeah, and it was great because, uh, it was, it was an eastern time zone game. Um, well, because they were in miami. So I got to do something that I don't get to do very often, and that is watch an entire game, from start to finish, with my partner, who is not a, not a night owl. She goes to bed super early, um, you know, she was a public school teacher for 10 years and just got programmed to wake up in the morning and go to bed, you know, at a decent hour. So when the game starts at 10, she'll see the, she'll see the first couple innings maybe, and she goes to bed. Yeah, so getting to experience that with her was amazing, and just getting to see it live, as it happened, was remarkable. I mean, just a moment. I will always remember where I was, yeah, and a game that we're going to talk about forever.
Speaker 2:Oh, forever, and you got to see it first run. I got to see it on an hour delay but still first run of you know seeing it. Yeah, I mean that's going to be the highlight of highlights.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just really spectacular. You talk for a little bit, talk about your experience watching the game and just you know what it meant for you as a non-dog.
Speaker 2:Well, the last home run he hit. I couldn't believe it. I was like my God another one, you know and then driving in all those RBIs, which was great, you know. The Dodgers beat him with the rest of the team and he beat him by himself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the other thing. The dodgers scored 20 runs in that game. So he he okay, he drove in 10 and three times he drove himself in, so he drove somebody else in seven times and scored four runs. So he, he had a part in 11 runs. The dodgers scored nine runs that didn't have anything to do with Shohei Ohtani and that would have won them the game. Yeah, if everything else was equal and Shohei goes 0-4. They still would have won. I mean, they still win the game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, and that's amazing on both levels that the team wasn't struggling. And okay, let me see what I'm saying A lot of times in the past, when we've been going for these home run records, the team suffers. The team was very strong and he was able to do his thing, support them and then they supported him.
Speaker 1:Well, here's okay. Here's the thing I can envision. A headline Shohei otani goes six for six, two doubles, three home runs, two stolen bases, 10 rbis, four runs, 17 total bases and the angels lose 11 to 10. Yeah, I mean how many? I know he never did those numbers because nobody'd ever done those numbers. But how many times did we see shohei have a shohei like game and the angels couldn't get the job done right? They didn't support their end. You know, um, jack flaherty in this game had a great start. You know, uh, maybe not great, but good enough. You know, uh, six innings, three runs allowed and and with this offense, I'll take that every day in october yeah, six innings, six innings, three runs not ideal, but I'll take that every, every game in the playoffs yes, absolutely so uh, it was a team win, which is crazy to think, because shohei just yeah, uh, annihilated him just completely annihilated.
Speaker 2:it did the single I know I keep saying it, but the single greatest performance in baseball history and I don't say that lightly. I mean I've seen Pete Rose hit his hit, I've seen Otana in my lifetime and the Cubs win and I just think of all the people that never got to see that.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, it's wild man. And here's the craziest thing he was a couple feet from four home runs because the first ball he hit to lead off the game just barely missed, just barely missed it. Yeah, um, he also was like an inch or two away from the cycle because he got thrown out at third trying to stretch that double because joe was trying to figure out how to uh get him the credibility for it.
Speaker 2:uh, you know, so he could get the cycle. That's the only thing he didn't do, yeah it's unbelievable, really, really.
Speaker 1:Just you know, I mean I don't know what else to say about it it just it was that amazing, it was that awe-inspiring.
Speaker 2:Yes, it was must-see. You couldn't take your eyes away from it.
Speaker 1:One of those days where you're really happy that Joe Davis was on the call. Yeah, joe and Oral were perfect, you know. Yeah, and just the story that Joe told after the fact leading up to that last at-bat and shout-out to Chris Taylor, because if Chris Taylor doesn't get that base hit in the ninth inning.
Speaker 2:Oh no, he sets it up, sets it all up, tees it all up for him.
Speaker 1:I mean base hit in the ninth inning. He sets it up, sets it all up, tease it all up. For him, I mean heaven forbid.
Speaker 2:He was only five for five with, uh, two home runs. I know right what a what a mediocre outing that was.
Speaker 1:Yeah but uh, you know, uh, good on chris taylor. Yeah, get him to the plate.
Speaker 2:One last yeah, got him right up there. And joe was so excited.
Speaker 1:He was like yes, yes, yes, yeah, the call was just so perfect, man. I mean just unbelievably good stuff from Joe Davis and Oral. And man, the other thing with this game you've got to mention Skip Schumacher, the Marlins manager. Right, because he could have walked him, could have walked him twice. Right, because he could have walked him, could have walked him twice. And before that, um, fifth at bat, joe and oral are talking about, well, are they going to walk him? Right, are they even going to let him see a pitch? And in the middle of that conversation, the dodgers home broadcast cuts to skip schumacher in the dugout and they catch him on camera saying, fuck that. I have too much respect for this guy for that shit now. Yeah, and they went after him, yep and Got burnt.
Speaker 1:Well, here's the thing. After the game, skip Schumacher in his press conference said look, it wasn't the right karma move, it wasn't the right baseball move, it wasn't the right baseball gods move. And again, if the Marlins are in it and it's a closer game, I mean they're walking him.
Speaker 2:Oh, without a doubt they are.
Speaker 1:Because that's the right baseball move. If you need to win that game or stay in that game, the right move is after he goes four for four and it's like there's no way to get this guy out, we're just going to put him on. But Skip saw that the only way this game mattered is in what Shohei was doing and, as he put it himself great day for the game of baseball and Major League Baseball, just a tough day for the.
Speaker 2:Marlins yeah, what a quote. That is a great quote. I mean, he's a pro and he did the right thing and let him bat. They made history, too, in a bad way, but they're now in a bad way, but in sure you know, but they're.
Speaker 1:They're now in a trivia question, yeah mike bowman will be remembered forever as the guy that gave it up, and we'll see that clip of him putting his hands on his head and watching the ball fly forever, yeah, forever, man, and, and. You know, and, and, and, and you know, um locked on dodgers did a cool little segment where they talked about, like um, you know, bobby, bobby Thompson and Ralph Branca used to do autograph signings together. Branca embraced the fact that he gave up that famous home run. Right, you know, there have been other guys that have given up historic home runs and you remember them for that and they sort of hang their hat on it yeah you know, is it?
Speaker 1:is it the type of history you, you, dream of making? No, but it's still good history but, it's still history and it's still these great moments. You're a part of and and, and mike bowman will be a part of that forever. Now, hopefully, he, he, you know takes it in stride and embraces it. But, yeah, just a remarkable day for the Dodgers, for Shohei and for baseball.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, I don't think he's going to sit there and dwell on it. I think it was a happy moment of the other team and just another day at work for him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just, you know, the greatest individual game we've ever seen and maybe the greatest we'll ever see, maybe, maybe, um till he does something again next, sure, and who knows if anybody else is ever going to go. 50, 50, right, you, you sort of argued with me and said somebody else will do it yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2:I mean, now that exists, people will be shooting for it. I mean I remember when it was, you know, 30-30 and 40-40 was unheard of, you know. I mean he ain't got much time, but he still ain't done. It could be a lot more.
Speaker 1:That's true, yeah, yeah, he's at. What is he at now? 53 and 56 yeah something like that. I don't know, I don't even know how to find that, um quickly, but you know, uh, yeah, he's definitely 56 stolen bases because he's now tied with ichiro for the most in a season by a japanese-born player. So you know, add another fucking record to his, to his cap, this, pin that one on the board, will you? Hey, mets fans is franc. Is Francisco Lindor still the MVP because he plays defense?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think so. Yeah, no, he's the MVP.
Speaker 1:He's got to get that Unanimously. If he is not the unanimous MVP, I'm going to somebody's house.
Speaker 2:Yes, we will send them an angry fax.
Speaker 1:No violence. I just want to be like dude, what were you thinking? What are you thinking? How is anybody and you know that was the other thing too is uh.
Speaker 1:So there's two, there's two, um, two entities that calculate war baseball reference, which is the one I tend to use because I like baseball reference better than fangraphs. And then there's fangraphs fangraphs war is a little bit more uh, puts a little bit more stock on defense and, honestly, if you really evaluate it, it kind of overvalues defense. Because Francisco Lindor, while he is a solid defender at a premium position like shortstop, he's not a great elite type of defender but he does play defense and he plays a premium position. So in Fangraff's war he was ahead of shohei otani and in baseball reference war, shohei was ahead and the margins were about the same. So when you put the two together they were on level footing as far as war is concerned.
Speaker 1:Right after this game it's not even close anymore. Yeah, I believe I like he's way ahead. I mean he had .7 war in this one game. Yeah, .7 war in one game. I mean it raised his batting average over .300. It raised his OPS over 1,000 again. I mean it just put him on a different level than everybody else, except maybe Aaron Judge. If you want to argue that, right. But aaron judge isn't still in 50 bags, right, and aaron judge is not going to be the ace of the yankees pitching staff next year, right?
Speaker 1:I mean, this is just a guy. Again, he's doing stuff on a consistent basis, every single day. It seems like he does something that not only has never been done but, as primetime put it, we we've never even fathomed could be done, right?
Speaker 2:before. Right, yeah, I mean, that's the thing again. We, we are repeating it because it's true that, uh, their star, you know, creating new standards, new new glass ceiling for everybody yeah, and and the impact this has on the game, we're gonna start to see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because and and we've talked about it here a lot, because this is a stance I'm very passionate about baseball and they're doing a lot. I'm not saying that nothing's been done in this. They're moving in the right direction, but baseball for a long time has lost the best young athletes in the country to other sports. This, I think, helps baseball get some of those guys because they're watching Shohei Ohtani, they're idolizing Shohei Ohtani, they're molding their own game after Shohei's. So this is huge. And as we sort of get ready to wrap things up for the week, brian, I want to ask you this when it's all said and done, and we've got, you know, as long as health is is there, we've got at least nine more years of shohei otani oh, I know, with the dog.
Speaker 2:Yeah, without a doubt. I mean he is hopefully here to stay. I mean this is just what he did this year. What's he going to do four years from now?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So my question to you, brian, is when it's all said and done, is Shohei Ohtani the greatest baseball player to ever live? Yes, absolutely yeah, I think so too, and I don't hesitate to say yes either too, and I and I don't hesitate to say yes either. Yeah, I mean I. I just think.
Speaker 1:I mean you can point at babe ruth, but babe ruth had the home runs, and, and pretty much nothing else right, yeah, he pitched a little bit and he was a decent pitcher when he pitched, but when he started hitting, like you know, multiples uh of anybody else as far as home runs was concerned, he kind of didn't pitch anymore. Yeah, um, so he's gonna pitch again yeah and, and and has pitched better than babe ruth so far in the first six years of this. Uh, this shohei otani experiment?
Speaker 2:yeah, I mean, he's we're gonna say there's, there's gonna be a generation that doesn't know who babe ruth even is. Oh, I don't know about that. They're going to stop mentioning him and mention Ohtani more. Wow, until it's just lowered and raised.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I mean, and that's a possibility. I mean, you know, I think Shohei Ohtani, because you could argue that Babe Ruth was the most feared hitter of all time.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know, I mean, listen, barry bonds is the actual answer to that. But a lot of people want to discount barry bonds because of the steroid stuff and I understand that I don't agree, but I understand, right, uh, because I, I saw, you know, as a kid I saw all of barry bonds's career, basically, and he was, he was that guy before the steroid stuff yeah he was one of the most feared hitters of all time, even before he didn't have a neck anymore yeah, you know um, wow, just shoya otani is um and and and I want to say this because there's a lot of backlash from certain fan bases and certain fans in general.
Speaker 1:Number one there was a federal investigation, not a league investigation, not a local beat cop investigation. A federal investigation that found no evidence that shohei otani was responsible for any of the gambling stuff, right? So? So get that shit out of your mouth. Yeah, there's no evidence. You can't call somebody guilty with no evidence, right? And if a federal investigation says, oh, it's a covert, shut the fuck up. Shohei didn't do anything wrong. Shohei's most trusted confidant stole from him, yeah, and took advantage of him, mm-hmm. And then he turned around and had this season, yeah, and is doing these things just put it behind him and just moved on so let's just, let's just shut up about that.
Speaker 1:The other thing is, if you claim to love baseball, no matter who your team is, no matter how much you hate the dodgers and that's fine if you hate the dodgers, there's a reason they're so hated it's because they're that damn good. But if you claim to love the game of baseball and you cannot appreciate what we're seeing from shohei otani, just go watch football. Yeah, just go watch football and it's okay. It's okay to to not not be a baseball fan, yeah. But if you claim to be a baseball fan and you claim to love the game of baseball and you are not gushing about shohei otani and what he is is is meaning to the game right now then I I don't know what to say to somebody. Is somebody like you?
Speaker 2:yeah, there's nothing you can say. I mean it's not a logical argument. So you know, the logical argument is to talk about what's been accomplished and the record's getting broke you know, I mean, and again I talked about what de, about what Deion Sanders says.
Speaker 1:Deion is known as a superior athlete.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:He played in the NFL and Major League Baseball at the same time.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:You know, that's remarkable, and he's always said the hardest thing he ever tried to do in sports was hit a baseball. Yeah, and that same guy who has that level of respect for baseball when he played another sport at a very high level, for him to come out and compare Shohei to Michael Jordan and Tom Brady and these cultural phenomenon type of athletes, that says it all to me. And again, I'm inclined to agree with you that, when it's all said and done, when Shohei hangs them up, we're going to be talking about him as the greatest player of all time. Yep, and that covers some ground.
Speaker 2:That covers a lot of ground.
Speaker 1:Better than Babe Ruth, better than Josh Gibson, better than Willie Mays, better than Hank Aaron you name it, yeah, shohei's better.
Speaker 2:And the numbers support that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they do and they're going to continue to support that. I feel like, yeah, I agree. And you can be mad that a DH is going to win MVP, but here's the thing he's not a DH as much as he's a pitcher recovering from UCL surgery. Yeah, there's a difference. Yeah, there's a difference. Yeah, there's a difference. You know, no disrespect to anyone who's ever DH'd, but Big Papi Edgar Martinez, you know they weren't doing this.
Speaker 2:No, they sure weren't. They weren't close.
Speaker 1:And the other thing that I think people don't want to acknowledge is that if Shohei was an outfielder, he'd be one of the best outfielders we've ever seen. He's just good at everything he does he has all the tools, he's got the arm, he's got the speed and the athleticism. He could play any of the three outfield spots and be very good. Oh yeah absolutely and probably by the end of this 10-year contract he's going to be playing outfield because I don't think he's pitching the full 10 years.
Speaker 2:No, I don't think he is either, and that's interesting that he's going to go, that that's a possibility for him to go out in the field and play, and it's highly likely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think at some point you're going to see him in center field or left field. It's just inevitable, inevitable. You know he's not going to pitch forever. The wear and tear is going to get him, and you know. Just to put a bow on it, a lot of people were up in arms about the amount of money Shohei Otani got. I think the Dodgers already have what they're going to owe him in deferred money after the fact sitting in an account somewhere.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I agree with that They've made so much money off of Shohei Otani and still going to All the Japanese companies, you know, that want a footing or have a footing in the United States, you know, and all those corporate partnerships and you know. Then you look at the jersey sales and all the other. I mean you know the giveaways. They've done a Shohei Otani hat. They've done a Shohei Otani hat. They've done a Shohei Otani shirt. They've done two bobbleheads already, yeah, and it's chaos at Dodger Stadium people trying to get those.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know the Dodgers are making money hand over fist.
Speaker 2:Not to mention the 50-50 merchandise that came out immediately.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and was ready to roll and there's some cool 50-50 stuff. Yeah, there is.
Speaker 1:I looked at it. I don't know where I'd put a decal like a window decal and they had some other things. But they have a magnet and I was like, okay, I could put a magnet on the fridge and get away with that, that'd be okay, that'd be okay. But yeah, a remarkable uh and a remarkable game and we're gonna see shohei in october for the first time and that was sort of the story of the last world baseball classic was. This is as close as shohei's ever been to playing postseason baseball and he showed up then and was sort of the star of the whole tournament, right, you know. And then he comes in and pitches that ninth inning and strikes out Mike Trout, which is a moment, another moment we'll never forget, right To win the World Baseball Classic. But yeah, I'm really excited to see what he excuse me, what he is capable of doing when the lights are the brightest.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's going to be fun, definitely fun.
Speaker 1:All right, you got any more ground to cover, brian, I feel like we talked about a lot in a short period, me you and PCA.
Speaker 2:We've covered it all. There is no more land that needs to be covered, because the rest is all water.
Speaker 1:All right, well, thanks as always for listening. More land that needs to be covered because the rest is all water. All right, well, thanks is uh, as always, for listening. We, uh, we love you guys and we appreciate uh every download, every listen. You can follow the show on twitter 2gtb pod brian is at three crows, bri I am at dallas danger.
Speaker 1:2gtbcom is sort of the hub to get you to you know all the, all the different podcasting platforms, direct links to that, as well as a direct link to the store. If you want to bypass the main website, 2gtbstore, go, take a look around. We've got something for you, something for your friends, something for your family, something for your pet friends. We got, uh, we got a little bit of everything over there and, uh, that and patreoncom slash 2gtb. Those are the two best ways to support us financially. If you're digging what we're doing, um, patreon is uh got a lot of cool stuff already and we're gonna, we're gonna get back to uh trying to add, you know, on a regular basis. We haven't in a while, but uh, we're definitely, um, you know, I'm getting settled into uh, some new, a new schedule and and all that and and. Once the off season comes, we're going to be coming up with a lot of, uh, fun, wacky ideas for not only the main podcast feed, but, uh, patreon as well.
Speaker 1:Right, and uh and again youtube. Uh, if I know we're not doing the YouTube video format this week, but if you would go over to YouTube and subscribe, that'd be really cool. We're trying to do some cool things on YouTube that we just don't have the capability of doing until we get our subscriber count up. So, whether you enjoy us on YouTube or not, it would mean a lot to us. I say, if you would go over and subscribe. And, yeah, just what a week. And yeah, just one more reminder no episode next week, but we'll be back in two weeks to talk the playoffs and whatever else comes up in the world of baseball. But yeah, for Brian, I'm Dallas, we'll see you at the ballpark.
