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3 Crows Entertainment Season 1 Episode 34

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What if a simple baseball uniform change could electrify a city's spirit? Join us as we kick things off by celebrating the Chicago Cubs' stunning new powder blue alternate uniforms—a tribute to the city's rich blues music heritage. With excitement buzzing over these sartorial choices, we also dive into the offseason drama, including the Cubs' savvy move to avoid arbitration with star player Kyle Tucker. We can't help but speculate on the ongoing saga surrounding Pete Alonzo and the Mets as spring training draws near, setting the stage for an exhilarating season ahead.

The Los Angeles Dodgers take center stage next, as we revel in their championship season and the thrilling introduction of Teoscar Hernández to their robust lineup. Manager Dave Roberts and GM Brandon Gomes have played pivotal roles in shaping a winning roster—now featuring the likes of Hyesung Kim and the notable trade of Gavin Lux to the Reds. As we reminisce about their unique 2020 championship journey, our anticipation builds for what promises to be yet another exciting year for Dodgers fans, with the potential arrival of Roki Sasaki adding an extra layer of intrigue.

Finally, we pay heartfelt tribute to the legendary Bob Uecker, whose wit and charm left an indelible mark on baseball and entertainment. Remembering his iconic role in the Major League film series and his memorable broadcasting career, we honor Uecker's enduring legacy. On a lighter note, the episode wraps with Brent Rooker's game-changing contract extension with the A's and a playful look ahead to the upcoming season. From player movements to a nostalgic nod at our own baseball "skills," we share our enthusiasm and camaraderie as we gear up for the new chapter of America's favorite pastime.

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Speaker 1:

Hello everyone, welcome inside the Three Crows Studios in Morristown. Tennessee Feels like it's been a while since I said that this is Two Guys Talking Baseball. We are very excited to be back. You know, I don't know, I'm Dallas. That's Brian. If you're listening, you probably already know the drill there, but we want to before we say anything. But before we say anything, let everyone know we appreciate you being cool about us taking a few weeks off. We did one that was a little out of our normal recording. I was kind of remote, but for the most part we've been gone for like four or five weeks and if it could have happened in the last month, to us it has happened. Uh, weather, covid, flat out, just bad days it's. It's all happened to the three crows uh camp over the last month or so, but we're back. We're not going to dwell on any of that. We got a lot to talk about and uh, brian, hit your line.

Speaker 1:

It's a great week for baseball and I'm glad to be back. Yeah, we've had a good couple of weeks since the last time we talked and we've got a lot of ground to cover A lot going on.

Speaker 1:

A lot going on. I've got to say I was really worried when we hit this offseason. The first week was like, oh, all kinds of shit's happening, we're good. Then we had a week or two where it was like, okay, now we're in the offseason, what are we going to talk about? What's everybody really interested in? And since then it feels like there's always something going on this offseason. It's been a very action-packed, so to speak, offseason. Brian.

Speaker 2:

A lot of moves, a lot of shaking, a lot of ups and downs. But yeah, I mean there has been a lot going on that we haven't had to work for stuff to talk about.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we got free agency. We've got guys coming over from other countries. We've got trades out the wazoo. This offseason it feels like yeah a lot of trades.

Speaker 1:

A lot of guys getting new opportunities, you know, moving into 2025. And I mean we are close. We're really close to Major League Baseball. Yes, it's been a busy offseason and we're far from finished I mean we don't even have this on the format but the drama going on with the Mets and Pete Alonzo right now is going to be a big story as we get closer and closer to spring training. And there's no deal and Pete doesn't have a team, and how long is that going to go?

Speaker 2:

Persona non-teamus.

Speaker 1:

I'll be honest, if he's not signed in a week, we'll probably hit that pretty hard and try to figure out what's going on, what's going to happen. But we've got to play catch-up a little bit, so I guess let's just jump right in. We'll start with the Cubs, because we don't have much on the cubs, yeah, uh, this week the. The one piece of really good news for the chicago cubs is they have avoided arbitration with kyle tucker, their new star, who is only guaranteed to be on the cubs for one season. Uh, that's assuming they they don't, things don't go horribly wrong and he gets traded at the deadline, right, right but, one year one year left on the deal.

Speaker 1:

They avoid arbitration. He's going to be a cub. There's not going to be hard feelings, which is all you can get out of an arbitration hearing. Is somebody mad at the other one? Just ask Corbin Burns. A couple years ago, right before he got traded from the Brewers, they had a really nasty arbitration hearing. He was like yeah, that damaged the relationship, yeah, it's not good anymore. So good news for the cubs on that front. And uh, just today, as we're recording, we got some. We woke up to some pretty cool news. Uh, light blue, powder blue is back on the field for the chicago cubs in 2025 yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it's very cool.

Speaker 2:

Um, you know, it's good about tucker that they worked it out and I'm glad to hear about that. Uh, so we can just concentrate on play. But yeah, I love the powder blue alternative jerseys and caps if you've not seen them yet, they're they're to find.

Speaker 1:

The Cubs and Major League Baseball and all the baseball outlets have shared them on their social media accounts. It's the new alternate uniform powder blue and it's a tribute to blues music in Chicago, which you know is pretty cool.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it is pretty cool. I mean, what's more Chicago than blues and cubbies?

Speaker 1:

Yeah, man.

Speaker 2:

You know they're right there, neck and neck together, and I think it's a good marriage. And I just love those uniforms, man. I can't wait to see them play in them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah man, A nice sunny wriggly day game.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm, those powder blues, it's going to look really cool with the multi-color hat where it's uh white on blue with that. That's that. I really like that, that's kind of like a throwback too, and uh, yeah, I just can't wait. I'm gonna have to pick up some merch with that on it too yeah, it's.

Speaker 1:

It's a really nice logo set that they've done for it, really good colors. Obviously we're audio only so we can't really show it to you but, um, if you're interested in seeing them, you know, just just pop over to the cubs. You know the cubs instagram. They did a great little video kind of explaining where the, where everything came from, and I'm sure chris creamer and his crew over at sportslogosnet are, um, are on top of that as well. If you want the, the gory details on every little aspect of the uniform, chris does a fantastic job over there. I've known Chris since I was a teenager, you know, back in the early days of the Internet he had one of those early websites before all the bells and whistles got added, just you know, celebrating sports logos and uniforms. So plenty of info out there on those. But I I suffice to say we both love them, yeah we do?

Speaker 1:

I think they're. They're really cool. They're gonna look good on the field. Um, here's the real question are those better than the city connects?

Speaker 2:

man, I don't know. See, I kind of thought that when I saw them, because at first I thought they were the new city connects then I realized they're the alternate yeah, they're just regular old uniforms.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, city Connects, so they're still going to have the Wrigleyville the Navy. Uh, deal there with the more Chicago colored than Cubs colored, right, but I mean that's the cool thing about these, is you know, you? You talk all the time about wanting to bring back the powder blue, the 82, 83 ones, yeah, and these are really close.

Speaker 2:

Actually, I think they're better.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's a nice modernized version. There's not the weird yellow that doesn't show up anywhere else like there were on those and all that. So, yeah, I think these are cool uniforms. I'm really looking forward to seeing them on the field. Yeah, me too. You think they'll wear them in japan I don't know.

Speaker 2:

That would be really cool if they did. I'm gonna say, in japan they're probably gonna wear their traditional yeah, it'll be the, it'll be the classic.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, look for both, both teams, I would, I would assume.

Speaker 2:

But I, I'd like it if they started off that you know out the rip. That'd be cool. Huh, it'd be very cool. I'd be ecstatic. Yeah, man.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, cubs are stacking uniforms. Now they got some decisions to make. I wonder if the starting pitcher, when they're at home, still gets the say.

Speaker 2:

It used to be the deal. Yeah, I think that's how that works.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I know to some degree it is because one of the reasons that the Dodgers were so quick to change their city connects was the previous ones, the blue that just said Los Dodgers, which were cool and a good nod to the community out there in LA that supports that team and the story of where Dodger Stadium was built and that relationship. And then you get into Fernando bringing people back and we could take the whole hour on that story. But anyways, julio Arias gets his second slap on the wrist for domestic violence and he sort of loved those uniforms, wore them as much as he could, I think, really, really anytime he started at dodger stadium, we, we were wearing those and then they were like, well, let's, let's maybe go a different direction with these city connects and kind of forget about those, uh, those previous ones. But uh, yeah, I'd say it'll be the classic looks dodgers cubs in japan oh yeah, without a doubt.

Speaker 2:

I mean they almost have to, because it's, you know, ceremonial in japan yeah, we're, we're like two months from that. I know man we're getting really.

Speaker 1:

I mean, you know the day the days are dwindling, that stand between us and I know regular season baseball I know we're in.

Speaker 2:

I can't wait to do a full season this year. It's going to be incredible and uh, covering the whole shooting match.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, assuming we don't lose our minds or go completely broke more than we already are. Patreoncom slash 2GTV All right, so let's talk some Dodgers Holy cow, do we have some shit to talk about with the Los Angeles Dodgers dodgers? Holy cow, do we have some shit to talk about with the los angeles dodgers? Um, since the last time we did a podcast, um, a lot has happened. Uh, tay oscar hernandez officially introduced at his press conference with his new deal and, um, I, I loved it because you know, uh, it was teo himself, manager dave roberts and then the general manager, brandon gomes, who has kind of taken on more of, because it was Tao himself, manager Dave Roberts and then the general manager Brandon Gomes, who has kind of taken on more of these public-facing engagements from Andrew Friedman, his boss, who's kind of seen as the mastermind behind the way the Dodgers operate in the front office.

Speaker 1:

Everybody, all three people on that panel, sort of made it sound like this was going to get done. There was never any worry in anybody's mind, which we sort of assumed. Hey, let's celebrate the World Series win. Let's enjoy that. Let's get through the holidays. Teo's a big family guy, like a lot of players are. Let's get the holidays out of the way and theno's a big family guy, like a lot of players are. Let's get the holidays out of the way and then let's, then let's really talk about it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think that's how this all kind of came to be and the how the deal got done and, um, it was just nice to hear teo talk about what, what the dodgers meant to him and what the what the championship season meant to him, and and really the the biggest thing for me was me was he got asked about the fan support and he basically said, well, that was everything. Without that he was like I wouldn't have had this great season, I wouldn't be in the position I'm in, we wouldn't have won at all and keeping the core together from this championship team, obviously adding making some changes, which we'll get into plenty of that here in just a minute. But, brian, you know Mike Vanik shout out to Mike, the grand poobah of Pirate Flag Radio, our daily home. Yeah, you know he texted me and we were chatting a little bit about the Rokey Sasaki stuff which we'll definitely get into um at some point here today. But but he, he, he was like you know this team and I said, yeah, man, this team stays healthy. Yeah, this could be a historically good ball club.

Speaker 2:

Oh, absolutely, it's um stacked, just stacked. I mean, where's the weakness? That's the. Where's the weakness? That's the question. There isn't one.

Speaker 1:

Well, yeah, because you could point to last year's team. You could obviously point to the starting pitching, right, but that was all just due to injury and in spite of that, this team still won a World Series, yeah, and looked like the best. Get past the Padres the rest of the way. This looks like the best team, yeah, every day. You know what I mean, even in losses. You know everything that happened. The Dodgers looked like the best team out there, yeah, you know. So I think that's the case again this year. Hopefully there's more health. You know, after the last two years, I can't deal with any more of this. You know, 10th, 11th, 12th guy on the depth chart starting games in the playoffs yeah, um, that was tough tough to deal, you know, um, but, but.

Speaker 1:

But it all gets forgotten when, when you, when you hang a banner and you give everybody rings and you have the parade, which was the big deal with this championship, because you know we won it in 2020, but there was no parade, there was no real celebration with the city and yeah, so Tao's back officially. That's great.

Speaker 2:

The season was like a good tattoo. It is a beautiful piece of art that hurt like hell. And then, when you were done, you forgot it hurt like hell and you were just happy with the picture you had. Yeah, 100%.

Speaker 1:

That's a great way to put it, man. That's a great way to put the. And I'll never forget the 2024 season. If you want to hear our thoughts on that, we did a whole episode on the Dodgers winning the World Series. Yeah, Obviously, I'm happy as a clam, Love it, Love the way this team's doing business and I love that they're setting themselves up to be successful for a long time. You know, I think this ownership group is saying no, look, as long as we own the team and we plan to own it forever this team's going to compete and we're going to try to win every year and, um, it's still baseball, you're not going to win it every year, but this team's going to be in the conversation, moving forward.

Speaker 1:

Um, so let's talk a little bit about this 2025 roster and how it's shaping up, all right. Um, so we, we sort of shock everybody in the 11th hour, on the last day of his window to sign, and we, we get hysung kim star from korea, sort of a contact first guy, not not going to give you any power, not really an offensive piece, and this is a guy that plays defense at a really high level and if you kind of, if you get anything offensive out of him, it's just icing on the cake. Um, really team-friendly deal, less than five million a year, and uh, and then, as soon as that happens, everybody's going hang on, we got a lot of guys that can play second base.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1:

A lot of guys, so I think that was when everybody started going what's the next move?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, what's the next move? Is it part of a bigger picture?

Speaker 1:

Well, we'll get to that. But the next move was trading Gavin Lux to the Reds and I have mixed feelings. First off, I am the biggest Gavin Lux supporter on planet Earth. I love that dude. Yeah, I like him too and I think he's a damn fine ball player and I think, if things go well for him in Cincinnati especially in that ballpark because we forget all the time that Dodger Stadium is a pitcher's park Good pitchers do really well at Dodger Stadium. Great American Ballpark is a lot more hitter-friendly, Smaller, A lot more balls flying out of that place. I really like Gavin's chances of being an impact guy for Cincinnati and I really think playing for Terry Francona is going to be really good for him, Because I think Francona is going to bring something very different than Dave Roberts to the table in that leadership role and I think if Gavin Lux can get on board with that, I think they're going to do well together. So all the best to Gavin. It's going to be weird not seeing him on the Dodgers a little bit.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, seeing him in red.

Speaker 1:

Well, you know, I saw the first you know Photoshop, you know of him in the red uniform and it just I I don't know man. You know, when cody bellinger went to the cubs I went that makes sense. That looks right. Yeah, that feels right. First time I saw him in that uniform, gavin looks with the reds. It's gonna take me a little bit longer and I'm gonna have to really get used to that one. Yeah, um, because he went through so much and through every down the dodgers stuck by him and he always had a spot, so, um, I think he's gonna do good over there?

Speaker 1:

I think so too. I think he's gonna do well with with the reds and I think, um, I don't know, man, I. So here's the thing. So Diego Cartier gets DFA'd, and a couple years ago this is like top prospect in the Dodgers system, one of the top prospects in baseball, and he has backslid, terrible, terrible. You add to that the dodgers had this log jam of catchers with nowhere for him to go, because will smith is going to be the guy for the better part of the next decade. He's inked up, yep, now.

Speaker 1:

Now does he go to first base when freddie freeman's out of the picture? You know we'll see, but for now he's the guy at catcher. Yeah, he's, he's starting the majority of the games at catcher and austin barnes. The backup is is. He's got some job security, um, because of everything he brings to the table. But cartia, really interesting, he ends up getting traded to the, to the twins, and, and you know we've moved on from cartia. But at a certain point I'm going what's the next move? What are? What is all this leading up to? Because I just don't see, and maybe I'm completely wrong. I have been before and I will be again, but I don't see Hyesung Kim as the everyday second baseman when he's making $4 million a year. And you've got this lineup.

Speaker 2:

I don't know, man, it just doesn't fit in the equation, does it? You're paying all these other guys and going to slide him in there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I just don't know what the bigger plan is, and that's okay, I don't have to know. And there's a lot of offseason left and I still feel like, if the Dodgers showed up with this team that we have right now, we're still the favorites. Oh yeah, I don't think that's changed, but I don't know. Man, I just don't know. I hate saying this because I don't think this is anybody's mindset at all, but it very much feels like if we keep Gavin Lux, let's just say we keep Gavin Lux. Kim is a backup, he's a bench piece, which we got plenty of, but he's another bench piece, defensive replacement type guy. Gavin Lux is your everyday second baseman.

Speaker 1:

This Mookie Betts experiment at shortstop doesn't go the way we want it to and we have to again reverse course. Okay, what do you do? Yeah, what do you do? Yeah, what do you do? At that point it almost feels like they're saying well, at least this way, if Mookie can't hack it, it's shortstop and we want to move him back to second, where we got it figured out. And I don't think that's anybody's mindset with this. I mean, I really think the idea is making the team better, putting the best roster you can out there to try to defend this championship, which you thought winning one was hard. Winning two in a row is just incredibly hard might as well be impossible.

Speaker 1:

yeah, if you're not, you know the first off. The last time it was done was the yankees in the early 2000s, which was one of the greatest teams ever put together, and prior to that I think it was the Big Red Machine. I mean, we're talking about the teams that are viewed as the greatest teams in baseball history, are winning it back-to-back and I'd sit here right now and tell you this dodgers run is going to go down with those teams I think it will, I think it would definitely will, for it's all said and done but they almost have to win back-to-back years to get that conversation jump started yeah, you've got a, you got to come back and and win another one and just to, so people can take it seriously, instead of like, well, you know, it's been so many years since they've done this.

Speaker 1:

To take them seriously, they're gonna have to win two in a row yeah, because you still, you still, to some degree, have people discounting this because of the whole 2020 thing, and we're not going to get into that. I don't think it's hard to figure out how I feel about that. Uh, brian, I don't think it's hard to figure out how I feel about that. Uh, brian, I don't think it's hard to figure out how you feel about that yeah you know there were 30 teams vying for the same thing, same thing.

Speaker 1:

So the dodgers were the best and they want it and you can't try to take it away from just because you don't like it, right? Um, yeah, man, it's just. I I don't know, know, and we've not seen really anything since to better put these pieces together in a way that we're going to understand what the mindset is. But again, we're close to spring training. We're going to know soon enough. I just it. Really, to me personally, it sucks a little bit. Gavin Lux is gone now.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Yeah, it's kind of disappointing. I mean, he was part of the crew, part of the boys there, so it's going to be different, to say the very least.

Speaker 1:

Beyond that, I don't think we've seen Gavin Lux's best baseball yet.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

I still think there's more in the tank and I think that as I look up at Pete and Johnny Bench, I think the Reds might have gotten away with one.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I really believe in Gavin Lux and and good for the Reds man, they're going for it and, as I say every time we talk about anybody in the National League Central in a very winnable division, they are going for it. Yeah, yeah, and they're doing it their way because they're not going to go out and sign Juan Soto. The Reds are not going to be that team. They were not one of the teams down to the wire here that we're going to talk about with Roki Sasaki, you know. But I think the best way I heard it put and I wish I could remember who I heard say this was because there's a lot of talk about where is Gavin Lux going to fit in positionally and there's been some talk about super utility, which, if you've been paying attention to the Dodgers, makes no sense, because everywhere but second base he's been at the major league level, he has not looked good defensively.

Speaker 1:

The Reds. They needed good ballplayers and they went out and they got a good ballplayer, a really good ballplayer, because that's what I believe Gavin Lux is. So we'll see. We'll see what the lineup looks like. We'll see what the defensive layout is for the Dodgers as we get closer to opening day. But here's the big news in Dodger land, all right.

Speaker 2:

What is the big news? Hit me with it, because this has been some pretty good news so far.

Speaker 1:

Well, roki Sasaki, yeah, 23 year old pitching phenom from Japan, okay, get you up to speed. If you're not familiar, we assume if you're listening to this show you are. But we also know that every now and then people tune into pirateate Flag looking for their heavy metal and they have to listen to us talk about baseball instead. So if you haven't turned it off, roki Sasaki, phenom pitcher viewed by many as potentially, at some point when he fully develops, has a chance to be the best pitcher in the world.

Speaker 1:

He could have stuck around in Japan for another year or two and gotten a contract that would have rivaled or surpassed what Yoshinobu Yamamoto got, because he would have hit as a veteran free agent and there's no limit to what you can pay him. He opts instead and somehow talks his Japanese team into posting him early, and he's just an amateur. He's an international amateur, like these 16-year-old kids from the Dominican and from Venezuela who are also getting signed up now. So it's all about that international bonus pool and we're not going to get in the weeds on that, because that's not what's important here. What's important is everybody had a shot at this guy because there was not a bidding war, right, you can only pay him so much and everybody's got that much, so he has his initial meetings. We hear that 20, 20 quote-unquote teams or so sent in packages. We're going were there really 10 teams that didn't even try? Were there really 10 teams that said, well, we're not even going to send them a package?

Speaker 2:

yeah, it doesn't make any sense right, it doesn't make much sense.

Speaker 1:

So who knows if that's a real 20 or a ballpark 20 or what? Uh, we hear about some meetings. The cubs are involved, all these teams are involved and and we're not getting much. We've been told by Joel Wolfe, who is Roki Sasaki's agent. He, he, wants to go. It's not about money, it has nothing to do with if he's the only Japanese guy or if there's other Japanese guys. He's looking for the team that can make him what people believe he can be and that's the best pitcher in the game of baseball spanning the whole globe, because that's where you end up. If you're, that guy is in Major League Baseball, right. And if you believe what we're being told about what is motivating this process, the dodgers make a ton of sense yeah, because the way they develop pitchers more than anybody else, right?

Speaker 1:

yep, it's the dodgers. If that, if that's really what you're after, it's the dodgers. So we start going through this process and then, you know, a few nights ago, we start hearing oh well, this team's out, and that team's out and this team's out. So then you start doing the math and you're going okay, well, now we're down to these teams. And at that point we're going we got four, we got the dodgers, the padres, the blue jays and the cubs. And we hear okay, cubs are out yep cubs have been informed.

Speaker 1:

they they're not getting him. We're down to three finalists. I have heard just between today you know, traveling to the studio today and having all this other shit going through my head that has nothing to do with baseball or this podcast. I just haven't taken the time to really look and see where this is coming from. But I've heard from people that wouldn't just say it that the Padres have been informed, they're out. Yeah, so now let's just for the sake of conversation. We're down to the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Speaker 2:

Which not going to San Diego is a big help for Dodger fans Very popular with that.

Speaker 1:

I'll be honest with you At this point. If that news is true, I don't care which team he goes to. I'm just glad he's not going to San Diego, right to where he can do the most damage against the Dodgers. Yeah, and so I don't have to hear that fucking fan base squawk about it.

Speaker 2:

They'll have a parade.

Speaker 1:

Well, they were already lining up for the parade. Yeah, hugh Darvish was the Grand Marshal.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, they do love a good parade over there. It's good grief.

Speaker 1:

You don't have to do much to get a parade in San Diego. You got to win two in fucking LA to get a parade. I mean, you get a wild card spot and they're marching in the streets in San.

Speaker 2:

Diego.

Speaker 1:

But that's how hungry that fan base is, that's how hungry that team is, and they got their own drama going on right now. That's something we haven't really talked a lot about. But there's ownership drama with who controls that team and that's going to freeze some things. So let's talk about this. The Dodgers are in it. We don't have to really get into that. Okay, this is a team that, if you want to be a better baseball player and you get the opportunity to do it in LA, that's probably where you should do it. Yeah, ask Justin Turner. Ask Max Muncy. Ask Evan Phillips. Ask Chris Taylor. The list goes on and on and on. Ask the guys that a lot of their development was with the Dodgers and there was no room for them on the big roster and they went somewhere else, like Michael Bush, who's a Cub now and is a big part of that ball club and is going to help them win a lot of ball games. Yes, definitely we love him. Yeah, he's fantastic Great ball player. Yeah, he's fantastic Great ball player. But I just the.

Speaker 2:

Toronto Blue Jays, I know.

Speaker 1:

That just seems random to me too. The we Tried World Champions. I think I stole that too. Sorry, jake and Jordan, on the Barbercast if that was your thing, and I just stole it on the Barbercast if that was your thing, and I just stole it. But these guys are right there for everybody and they just haven't got the big fish yet. I mean Otani they had us believe in last year. Otani was on the plane to Toronto. I mean, that's how close they theoretically, hypothetically, were to Otani last year.

Speaker 2:

Right, you know, and they're in on Soto and they're in on all this stuff, you know.

Speaker 1:

But they're not bringing any of it home. But how are they in this conversation with the Dodgers? That's what I want to know. I want to know what it is about the Blue Jays that are keeping them around, because I look at that organization and I love the Blue Jays.

Speaker 1:

There was a period of time a couple years ago where I was watching some Blue Jays games. They were my AL team. I was really invested when they had the whole infield that all their dads were guys I watched growing up. You know Bichette and Shaw and Guerrero Jr and Biggio. When that was their infield it was like man I'm, you know. And they had Teoscar and Lourdes Curiel. They had all these great guys. I just don't see a team that if I'm Roki Sasaki, if I'm 23 years old and I'm coming to this country and I'm leaving a lot of money on the table to bet on myself and say who is going to get me to that next big contract? When I hit free agency at the normal age that most guys hit free agency and get my one opportunity to get paid, who's going to get me that contract?

Speaker 2:

Is it the Blue Jays? No, I don't see that. I mean it's got to be LA, right? I mean they can't develop. Nobody develops better than they do.

Speaker 1:

And is there a mystery team that we don't know about? Right?

Speaker 2:

right, you know He'll go to the Angels.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, Can you imagine? Yeah, and then he'll be a, a huge star. And the dodgers will you know? In a few years, the dodgers will pay him 400 million dollars to not be an angel anymore.

Speaker 1:

and it'll be the same thing with otani yeah yeah, which otani is the closest thing we have to compare this to right at the end of the day, you know, because I mean it's totally. It's a totally different process now than it was when Otani was going through this. But that's why this is such news is because there are things that casual baseball fans have never cared about. Yeah, for instance, the signing window for international free agents, the posting process, the fact that you can trade international bonus pool money, which the Blue Jays have now done. They've made a trade, they've taken on some salary, but they've picked up some international bonus pool money that's going to get them more money. They can pay Roki Sasaki basically Right To keep it from getting two in the weeds on that whole process, because it's very convoluted and confusing and I don't understand it most of the time. I just, the closer we get to this, the more I'm going. How is he going to sign anywhere else?

Speaker 2:

I know, I agree, I totally agree it. Just when you lay it out on paper it almost looks like a foregone conclusion. But that's what's great about baseball, is you never know?

Speaker 1:

Well, exactly, and you know there's always some X factor. There's always some X factor. And you know, with Otani, if when Otani signed out of Japan and there was a DH in the National League, he might have been a Dodger from the word go Right, because the appeal of the Angels was they're an American League team, they've got the DH, he can try the two-way thing, mm-hmm, which was very important to him. If you really read up on Otani's backstory and where he came from in Japan and everything leading up to him getting the $700 million contract that blew everybody's mind and broke the internet and, depending on who you ask, broke baseball. That was important to him to do both and we don't have that now. This isn't a factor. We've been told very little again about what Roki Sasaki's looking for, but I just I don't know, man.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean, we don't know exactly what he other than being developed for the future. We don't know what he wants. You know, there might be something that's just not being said.

Speaker 1:

And again, this is a huge bet on himself. Oh yeah. Because, he could have pitched another year or two in Japan and been a huge free agent and made hundreds of millions of dollars Excuse me, hundreds of millions of dollars. Probably would have got $400 million, yeah, assuming nothing crazy happens in Japan and he still continues to show the promise. I mean, I think in two years he's the highest-paid pitcher in.

Speaker 2:

Major.

Speaker 1:

League history. Yeah, because that's what Yamamoto is now at $325 or whatever he got.

Speaker 2:

Right so.

Speaker 1:

I don't know, man, it's going to be interesting. So I don't know, man, it's going to be interesting. I think now that, theoretically, the Padres are out of this conversation, I don't care, I'd love to obviously just keep bringing. Come on everybody.

Speaker 2:

You just don't want him to go to the.

Speaker 1:

Padres. I just don't want him. I didn't want him on the Padres because that was going to be a problem. That was going to be a problem because that was. I mean, and that's the difference here, For a team like the Padres, for a team like the Blue Jays, Roky Sasaki changes the trajectory of the entire franchise. Yeah, yeah it definitely does.

Speaker 2:

I mean, it puts them in a whole different angle it does.

Speaker 1:

And let me finish my point, it's not that move for the Dodgers. No, it's not. Because here's the thing he goes to the dodgers he might not even start the year in the big leagues, right, because he's an international amateur. He's gonna have minor league options. This isn't a guy you have to put in your rotation day one. You think the blue jays are gonna put him in the rotation day one? Probably, right, I mean I would. But the dodgers can go if it's about the development, if it's about the destination and not the journey there.

Speaker 1:

He might not be on the opening day roster because there's and there's all these factors with the dodgers. You know otani didn't pitch last year. He's got to get to, I think, 20 innings before they get that extra roster spot of him being a two-way player where he's not taking a pitcher spot. Okay, you know otani has to take one of your coveted roster spots as a pitcher until he gets to 20 innings. And he's not pitching until at least may, we heard. And he's probably not going to be pitching seven innings right off the bat. Yeah, four or five is all you're going to get out of Otani for the first few starts. So it's going to be a while I mean, it's going to be the summer before they get that extra roster spot. There's just a lot going into this.

Speaker 1:

Roki Sasaki decision. Yeah, from all angles, from everybody's vantage point, and again, would love to have him as a Dodger, not saying I don't want him because I do. Yeah, I want the Dodgers to assemble the fucking Avengers and do this again. Why not? Let's just do it. But if he's not going to the Padres, I'm kind of down for a mystery team that we're not talking about.

Speaker 2:

Just for the pure excitement of it.

Speaker 1:

Just to be able to go well, what, yeah, what just happened? Kind of like we had with Corbin Burns, with the Diamondbacks we're going Arizona yeah, nobody was talking about Arizona, yeah. And then you get the story and it's like, oh well, that made perfect sense. He just had more kids, he lives in Arizona, he can be with the kids more. Yeah, it just made a ton of sense. But when you hear the news you're going. I didn't have that on my bingo card.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, it was random.

Speaker 1:

It was a little random. So all's well in Dodger land at the end of the day. I just you know. I want to see how Hysong Kim fits into this equation. I want to know is Kike Hernandez going to be a Dodger? I want to know is Chris Taylor going to continue to be a Dodger? There are still some unanswered questions when you really get down to the brass tacks of this Dodger roster for 2025.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

So all right. So I think we can move on from the Dodgers and unfortunately we have some more sad news to talk about Bob Euchre. Mr Baseball, famously played Harry Doyle in the Major League franchise, which I think is what he's probably most well-known for. But beyond that— Well.

Speaker 2:

Mr Belvedere.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, mr Belvedere, I'm a little too young for Mr Belvedere. Yeah, mr Belvedere, I'm a little too young for Mr Belvedere. Yeah, but that was big.

Speaker 2:

It was huge, it was a big deal. That was the number two behind who's the Boss.

Speaker 1:

It was a big deal, yeah, but all the while, while he's doing all these media things, you know he was on Johnny Carson all the all the time and you know, just just uh, in commercials and movies and tv and he's doing all that, he's doing all that while continuing, for you know what was it? 60 years, or whatever? Uh, he was.

Speaker 1:

He was a brewers broadcaster yeah, the voice of the brewers you know, uh, right up until the the last time the brewers a game he was on the call. Yeah, one of the most likable guys in baseball history had this great Self-deprecating comedy about his playing career. That was always hilarious. And man, just a guy. And that's the thing you know if you're a little young for what Euchre did away from the field. This one still hits because he was still around.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Again. The last time the Milwaukee Brewers played a game, he was still around. Yeah, again, the last time the milwaukee brewers played a game, he was on the call. Yeah, and now, at the age of 90, bob euchre has passed away. Um, a national treasure, one, I mean we're gonna get into it. Um, I, I'm gonna give you the floor, but before I do I want to share a quote from Pat Murphy. Current Brewers manager has now famously won manager of the year in the National League in his first year with Milwaukee. This is what Pat Murphy had to say One of a kind is somehow an understatement, and I think that wraps it up as succinctly as possible.

Speaker 1:

Yes, absolutely, because Euchre was so one of a kind that he transcends that turn of phrase. And I think that wraps it up as succinctly as possible. Yes, absolutely, because Euchre was so one-of-a-kind that he transcends that turn of phrase. Yeah, you can call him a legend, and that's just not quite good enough. You can say he's one-of-a-kind, and again, it's somehow an understatement. So, brian, give me what you got on the great, now late, bob Euchre.

Speaker 2:

I loved him. I loved his comedy. Smart enough to know to make himself the butt of the jokes. Everybody in sports brags about how great they are. What about the guy who brags about how bad he was? The lowest batting average of all time. He had a quick quip for just about every situation. So he was a very witty man, very intelligent, and it is a wrestling connection with the two WrestleManias he did with WrestleMania III, I believe was his first one, yeah, with Andre and him. He was doing the thing with Moolah which was classic, so so that hits that.

Speaker 2:

but I mean Major League is his iconic role yeah you know, and he, he added the narration to that film which really, uh, got the struggle and got the movie over well, and to my understanding there wasn't a lot of hit.

Speaker 1:

uh, a lot of what he said was not scripted. Oh yeah, they just kind of turned the mic on and let him do it and chopped it up and went with it.

Speaker 2:

Well, I mean, it's one of those things in entertainment. Why wouldn't you just turn him on and point him in the right direction? Yeah, I mean, like I said, he was just so quick-witted that you know everything he said was hysterical and you know he's in the front row in baseball heaven now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, man, he's on the call up there with Vin and some of the other greats. But yeah, you talk about the wrestling connection and if you're new to this show, brian and I come from humble beginnings. Our first meeting was because of professional wrestling and that you know. Every year around WrestleMania there's the oh well, let's show you the pageantry of what we're talking about. Let's show you the celebrity connection to WrestleMania.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that clip of Andre choking him and then the yeah, it plays in that package every year and will as long as there's a wrestlemania. Yep, yep, yep iconic. Iconic is the correct word it's an iconic moment in the history of wrestlemania. You know it's from the early days of WrestleMania when the celebrity was kind of like. It was almost a need, Because that's the precipice of wrestling becoming a part of the mainstream and the zeitgeist and all that. It had been a more localized, regionalized thing up until that point.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And you know to hear the guys, the people involved in wrestling, talk about what it was like to be around him and how great he was to deal with and how easy it was to get good stuff out of him. You know I always with Bob Uecker, I always think about one of my you know low-key, favorite movies of all time Major League Three. Back to the Minors, yeah, which if you've never seen it you gotta watch it. And if you have seen it but you've only ever watched it, sober, I suggest partaking in your thing of choice and a lot of it and then watching I'd ever seen, because it's so ridiculous it it almost doesn't even make any sense. Yeah, but it's perfect. But you know, I mean there's all the great lines. I mean everybody goes to just a bit outside. I mean the guys actually call that in games now because of Bob Uecker and Harry Doyle. It's iconic. But I mean I love the welcome back to Major League Baseball, sort of Sort of. And the you know dynamite drop in Monty, that broadcasting school was really paying off.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that was a good one and the one where he goes, oh shit.

Speaker 2:

And Monty kind of looks at him and he goes eh, nobody's listening to this anyway, we can relate to that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, man, I mean it's hard to quantify how great Bob Euchre was because nobody else ever did what he did. I mean he blazed a path all his own. One of the things I always love to say about people like Bob Euchre if you can say anyone is like Bob Euchre is it was a life well lived. He got every drop out of that 90 years that he could squeeze.

Speaker 2:

Well, you know, the thing with him too, with his persona is and this is real brilliance, his persona is and he did, and this is real brilliance. He was, like I said, he break he. He bragged about being the worst baseball player, right, he's the common man. He could come up to the guy at the grocery store and be standing in line and be like you know what's? The first time I've ever stood in line, you know.

Speaker 1:

I used to be in the front row.

Speaker 2:

You know what I mean. So he was the common man, could see himself talking to Uke. Yeah, and that's the key. Not only did he make himself iconic, he made himself accessible. A hundred percent man, yeah, and that just added to the lure of his mystique.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, man, yeah Was teammates with Hank Aaron. I mean just was there for some of the great and one of my favorite I want to make sure I get this in before I forget. One of my favorite things in the lore of Bob Euchre is the famous Cardinals team picture where he and Bob Gibson are holding hands. No real story behind it, just are they're about to snap the picture. He's next to this, like you know, a guy who is famous for being intimidating on the mound. They changed the mound because of Bob Gibson. And you just says, hey, let's hold hands. Yeah, and you know they got in all the trouble and it was the big, you know. Whatever.

Speaker 2:

It just sums it up, man, yeah it just sums it up.

Speaker 1:

I don't think he took any of this too seriously, man. Yeah, I think he just wanted to be Uke and that's it.

Speaker 2:

Well, I would assume and I feel comfortable in speculating on this that he was probably the same guy in his living room as he was on the mic or in the commercials that he was just getting paid to be him yep and that's you know.

Speaker 1:

You don't have that much anymore and you know, through all the celebration of his life, through all the stories and the memories, I haven't seen one person try to say well, but there was this.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, there's no bad words about him. He's just one of those guys everybody loves.

Speaker 1:

There's no baggage. Yeah, there's no baggage, there's no. Well, but this, and we can't celebrate him without talking about this thing that he did negatively. Nobody's got a bad word to say about the guy. Well, I mean he aired all of his flaws in his shtick you know, but that's the thing is like he wasn't that great of a big leaguer. That's the worst thing you can say about him. And, like you said, that was his whole shtick.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know every, every beer commercial, every time he was in front of the camera you know, I want to say my favorite bit, and I can't remember the exact number, I'm close, so it's it's negligible, but like he batted 0.72 his his year, I think, was what he claimed I mean, can you imagine that? That is just incredible. I mean that's unfathomable for a position player to bat that.

Speaker 1:

But he was a catcher. But he was, yes, and at the time, you know, at the time you didn't have to be that good as a catcher, as long as you were getting the job done behind the plate and he was good behind the plate, absolutely. All right, his rookie year, he hit .250.

Speaker 2:

.250.

Speaker 1:

Okay, maybe I got the joke wrong 1962, he played 33 games and in 71 played appearances he had 16 hits for a 250 batting average. I mean, for his career he was a 200 hitter. Okay, okay, he was the line as a hitter. Well, I mean, and look at what it forged well, you know, if he was any good, I don't know what would we have gotten the same experience, you know.

Speaker 1:

I mean that's all part of the story, you know, and, and a guy that didn't have to hit really well at the big league level to leave a lasting impression on all of us and to be a part of the story of this great game he's a hall of famer won the ford frick award. You know? Um, just um man. I mean I know we've said a lot, but what can you say that's not already been said about right?

Speaker 2:

exactly? I mean, what can be said that he, that he didn't say himself that made him so endearing? Yeah, 100%.

Speaker 1:

So rest in peace to Bob Euchre. He will certainly be missed in Milwaukee and throughout baseball, and you know we will speak about him and laugh at his jokes and watch his movies. Quote him, quote him. Oh my gosh, we're going to quote him. We're going to quote him. Yeah, till the end of time, man. Yeah, till the end of time. So, yeah, you got anything else on Uke before we move?

Speaker 2:

on. Just I will personally miss him very much.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely man. Every time Uke made it into the mainstream baseball media. You know what I mean. It was so cool to see Paul Skeens, you know, when the Pirates went to Milwaukee he was like I want to go up and meet him. I want to go up and shake his hand and say hi.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

You know, and Skeens is the type of guy that nowadays, when he says, hey, I want to meet at a FaceTime with somebody, you know the powers that be make it happen, oh yeah. But to have that connective tissue, we go from a story about him being in a team picture with Bob Gibson all the way until he's calling Jackson Churrios first at bats and Paul Skeens wants to go out of his way on game day to meet him.

Speaker 2:

Well, he bridged the gap of decades and generations and we're running out of people that can do that. So it's. I know we've already said he'll be missed. He will definitely be missed, but he's an important figure because what is going to be lost by his story is not being told in the locker room, because I imagine he had stories for everybody. Oh, of course, you know. Yeah, so it's. It's rough for the young players that didn't get to be around him yeah, and not just I was.

Speaker 1:

Their stories, yeah, stories that you you wouldn't believe if you weren't there right, you know or if he wasn't telling you right out of the horse's mouth. Yes exactly so yes, definitely going to be missed. And got to 90, man, yeah, that's lived a lot of life and a lot of good life and should be celebrated, absolutely 100% should be celebrated, all right. So some more minor stuff we're going to touch on, because I have learned my lesson about ending with people dying. We're not going to end.

Speaker 1:

We're not going to do that we're not going to end on a sad note. We got a couple of free agency things. Well, an extension and a free agency thing to talk about. Let's start with Brent Rooker. Five years, $60 million extension with the A's the A's of no city, they're just the A's. They don't have no city, they're just the A's.

Speaker 2:

Just the A's. They don't have a home.

Speaker 1:

They're going to play in Sacramento, but they're not the Sacramento A's, they're just the A's now, just the A's.

Speaker 1:

And we've talked ad nauseum about the A's situation and what a tragedy it is. We are going to try our best to move on and talk about the A's like they're any other ball club. Now, yeah and yes, the A's are trying to spend as much money as they can to get away from this grievance with the Players Association. All that we know we get it. We understand why this extension happened. But it is a very good thing that Brent Rooker got five years and $60 million. And here's why Brent Rooker and a lot of people see this contract and they go well, that's not that big of a deal. Yeah, well, rooker wasn't going to be a free agent that was going to garner a huge contract anyways. So for him to get five years I think he's 33. He's getting paid to play baseball for the a's until he's 38 years old. This was his opportunity to get as big a contract as he could and he got it.

Speaker 1:

And I think there's some performance incentives that can get this thing up to like 80 or 90 million by the end of it. Okay, but this was great. Rooker seems like solid guy. He's the type of guy you want being your guy. If you're the A's, you're not going to go get Soto or Otani or Betts or anybody on that level. As far as the echelon of player, brent Rooker's not going to be a Hall of Famer. But for the next few years, while all this is getting sorted out and you're hopefully getting eventually to a new ballpark in vegas, the people in sacramento go. Okay, I know that if I go to a couple games this year and a couple games next year and a couple games the year after that or whatever it is, I'm gonna see brent rooker every time and if's healthy, you know what I mean. Good for Brent Rooker man.

Speaker 2:

Get paid, Get paid that's the name of the game. Get paid, Enjoy the game. Get paid first and then don't worry about it and enjoy the game and play like a kid.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, man, and keep doing what you're doing, because Brent Rooker's been playing. I mean, he's been hitting the ball really well, yeah, a lot of power, and was a guy that got talked about as a trade piece for a while, yeah, and never, for whatever reason, got moved. You know, dodged that bullet, being even anywhere close to a star with the A's and not getting traded. Yeah, but yeah, and it's good for the A's, it's good for the A's to have this guy to hold up and say, look, we know we get it. You know we got a lot of bad press. You can't comment on any of our posts on social media all the comments are turned off, but he's the face of this.

Speaker 1:

Whatever this is now, you know this team, this organization on the field, brent Rooker is your guy now and that's good. That's good for the A's, that's good for young fans in Sacramento going to games, young fans in Vegas assuming that all still goes through in a few years, you know, because by that time he's going to have been the face of the franchise for years yeah, you know, yeah, he'll be tenured. So you'll be able to say oh well, come see brent rookard you know, even if he's not, you know, because, who knows?

Speaker 1:

he might not age that well. That's another reason this extension was not huge money. Right, he's not. He's the type of player that's just not going to age well past 35. We get all that, but you know, I'm happy. I'm happy about this, I'm happy that the A's are being forced to spend a little bit of money and I'm happy for Brent Rooker man. I'm happy for baseball that this happened. This is a good deal. This is a good thing, and I wanted to talk about it because I wanted to showcase, you know, something good. You know a lot again surrounding the A's. Organization is not good, but this is all very good.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's very good, I mean, and it'll be good that he got his money and he can go concentrate on playing. Like we said, they need a franchise player, so that's good that they've got that and locked that up during this other mess that they've got themselves Right, yeah. So yeah it's good, good on him.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, all good man, happy for Rooker, and I mean he's got at least one more good year in him. I think he's really been. I mean he's got at least one more good year in him. I think he's really been. I mean he's just one of those guys that's a late bloomer and was never going to get that big contract because by the time he got to free agency he was going to be too old, probably. Honestly, if he's on a bigger club, probably going to turn into one of those year-to-year guys.

Speaker 1:

Well, let's take a flyer one year, 10 million on brent rooker, and if we get anything, great, and if we don't, man, we're not really out anything. Yeah, it's just money is is, you know you'll hear a lot with, with teams that have money. You're right, you know and all. And let's just be honest, all these guys, all these teams, have money. Of course they do. It's just you, just how much are they going to show you they have and how much are they going to sit on? Yeah, so, yeah, good for Rook, good for the A's. Haven't said good for the A's in a while, so it's nice to say good for the A's.

Speaker 2:

It feels weird saying that it does. It doesn't roll off the tongue the way that you would think.

Speaker 1:

No, it's a weird thing to say, but good, good for the a's, the, the california a's or the, not even that.

Speaker 2:

No, they're just the a's, just the a's, just the a's.

Speaker 1:

Yeah all right. So one more free agent contract I want to talk about a little bit, and that is justin verlander, future hall of famer a a guy who's going to hit some milestones that you could argue. He's the last guy ever in the history of the game to hit as a pitcher One year, $15 million. He is a San Francisco Giant, yeah, boo. Well, a couple things to talk about here. Okay, the first thing is this leaves the baltimore orioles as the only team in the major leagues who wear orange that justin verlander has not played for. Okay, yeah, this guy must really like orange or he doesn't want to buy new shit. Right, right, everything just matches.

Speaker 2:

I don't matter, it doesn't matter where I go, but it's got to be an orange team.

Speaker 1:

Got to be some orange yeah.

Speaker 2:

I got a whole closet full of it.

Speaker 1:

Every undershirt I own is orange.

Speaker 2:

I'm not buying new undershirt.

Speaker 1:

But the other interesting thing here, speaking of the Orioles, one year 15 million is what they gave Charlie Morton. Yeah, charlie Morton, who just had a pretty solid year under the radar. A little bit, yeah. And one year $15 million is what the Detroit Tigers gave Alex Cobb earlier this offseason.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, who do you think got the better deal?

Speaker 1:

It's hard to say. It's hard to say and I'm going to be very interested to watch these three and compare them as the season goes on If Justin Verlander's getting one year 15,. I think the O's and the Tigers got pretty good deals on Morton and Cobb. Yeah, just because there was a period of time last year where it looked like Verlander didn't have anything left in the tank. Yeah, you know, and I'm not going to bet against this guy. He's been very good for a very long time and he's the type of guy that, at his age and he is I'm going to look it up real quick if my phone will load. Justin Verlander, that's not what I want. I want.

Speaker 2:

The fans love it when we Google.

Speaker 1:

He's 41. He's going to be 42 soon. Yeah, in about a month Justin Verlander is going to be 42. And he's the type of guy that can still get the job done at that age, because he kind of comes from a dying breed of pitcher where you don't have to throw your hardest stuff the first time you warm up when you get to spring training. Right, he's figured this out a little bit, so I this could be a really good deal for the giants, and it could just be another thing we forget in 365 days.

Speaker 2:

I don't know yeah, we're gonna have to keep our eyes on it and check it out and see what happens and who who got the best of the deals there.

Speaker 1:

I will never say I hope someone gets hurt, because that's just not how I feel about life, right, but if he stays healthy this year and I've got to watch him pitch a bunch, yeah bummer. I just don't want to look at Justin Verlander anymore. I don't particularly like that guy yeah it's, it's, it's. It's sort of the opposite of christian walker. Because christian walker, I was like all right, he's not gonna be with the diamondbacks anymore. I might actually get to like him yeah then he signs with the astros.

Speaker 1:

I was like, well, I guess I'm just meant to hate christian walker. He's done. I want to like him I want to like him.

Speaker 1:

I want to like him. He seems like a cool guy, Damn good ball player. But no, no, I got to hate him. Yeah, Verlander, I'm kind of okay with him going to the Giants, because I don't think, you know, because I remember there was a period of time where you know, not this offseason, but you know recently where it was like, well, maybe the Dodgers should get something out of Verlander, and I was like, oh God.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you don't want that.

Speaker 1:

Don't want that again. Yeah, sort of saw that with Max Scherzer. That didn't go over great. I mean Scherzer did all right for us, he pitched well, but it just wasn't a good fit.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And I definitely don't want Justin Verlander on the Dodgers. Just no, thank you, not interested. But I'm going to have to look at him a lot this year. Yeah, because in 13 games, how many times is he going to pitch for the Giants against the Dodgers? You know, probably a couple times at least At least. And if he's not pitching, they're probably going to be talking about him. Of course they're going to be talking about him. So you know, I don't know. We'll see how that goes. Yeah, it's going to be again. We've seen so much movement this offseason and there's so much going on and so many guys are swapping teams and not just free agency, but all these trades we've had. I'm ready to get to it man.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I am too. Let's bring on the season.

Speaker 1:

February 20th, cubs and Dodgers in Arizona. Baby Yep, I'm ready.

Speaker 2:

I am too man.

Speaker 1:

And I said it after the Tay Oscar news broke. I was like all right, as far as I'm concerned, the offseason can be over. Let's get it, let's run this back, yep.

Speaker 2:

Yep, it's time, it's time, it's baseball time soon.

Speaker 1:

it doesn't feel like it outside no, but that's okay. Well, it's gonna change, it's I bet it's a lot warmer in arizona oh, I guarantee it is so, yeah, without a doubt days are getting a little longer. Sun's staying out a little bit later. That's been nice, you know. Yeah, we're getting where we're. The dark times are ending soon.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and we're getting into baseball spring training weather.

Speaker 1:

We really are, man. Well, it's nice to be back in the studio it is nice.

Speaker 2:

It's been too long and we have missed our audience and we hope you've missed us.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we hope so, and if you're listening to this and you haven't missed us, then I don't know. To hell with you, I guess. Yeah, I mean, we're still here, man, and you know I got it. We shouted him out earlier, but Mike Vanik has been super supportive of us taking time.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, he's been great Doing things. You know, taking care of other business and not necessarily doing a show every week. And you know we appreciate Pirate Flag Radio a bunch. We're very happy to be a part of Pirate Flag Radio, where we are featured every day. Brian, they play us every day.

Speaker 1:

Oh, God help them Every single day, every day. New episode on Saturday on Pirate Flag, or, as you know, if you're hearing us, you can listen to us wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, you got anything else this week, man. Anything you want to get off your chest.

Speaker 2:

They can't get enough of the sea lion.

Speaker 1:

I'll tell you that, the sea lion. Well, if you like what you hear, just keep tuning in. More than anything, man, you know, let Pirate Flag know you like us If you listen on Pirate Flag Radio every week or every day or whenever you listen. And you know, if you want to support us a little bit, we could sure use it. Patreoncom slash 2GTB. I will be here at the Three Crow Studio facilities for a couple days. I would imagine at some point we're going to shoot something for Patreon. Yeah, might as well, right, might as well. We don't have anything better to do.

Speaker 2:

If we had the stuff, we should just go out and play catch and just film it, because that would be riveting.

Speaker 1:

It would be a disaster. Yeah, it would be a disaster.

Speaker 2:

I have to go over to my neighbor's field because I don't have a big enough yard to play catch.

Speaker 1:

You got a big enough yard for the two of us. Yeah, good grief, we don't need anything bigger than that. Yeah, I'm not trying to cover all that ground. Yeah, I don't know that I can throw a ball with this arm anymore.

Speaker 2:

This arm's kind of janky. I haven't thrown a ball in forever.

Speaker 1:

But I know exactly where my glove is. Yeah, I know exactly where it's at. If you just said, hey, bring your of, I said I got it. Yeah, I'm glad you didn't say that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How long would it take us to stretch and warm up to get to a point where we wouldn't die by?

Speaker 2:

throwing a baseball. I'm not gonna stretch and warm up. That defeats the the purpose. There I'm like the german athletes I don't stretch, I stretch as we go.

Speaker 1:

Stretch as we go. Patreoncom slash 2GTB. If you want to see some bonus content and help us out a little bit, we don't jack the price up, man. It's really a negligible amount every month to be a part of that Patreon and I know I've been promising for a long time. But we're going to get back on the Patreon a little bit, especially once the season gets started and we've got a lot to talk about. Each and every week we're going to man you know what? We might watch Major League Three again. Yeah, just get good and stoned and watch Major League Three.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, I think that's a great idea.

Speaker 1:

Talk about that for a little while on the microphones and put that on Patreon, I think. So A little teaser for you See. Yeah, we know how to do this. Yeah, we know a thing or two, all right, well, thanks so much for listening. We appreciate you all very much. Once again, we want to thank Pirate Flag Radio for making us a part of their weird little family that we're such a part of now and, man, I don't know, by this time next week we're going to know who Roki Sasaki's playing baseball for.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so that'll be exciting to talk about.

Speaker 1:

on the next one, yeah, and we're getting closer Every day. We get closer to Major League games. Man, tokyo Series is coming up real soon. Spring training games before that. Yeah, yeah, that's games before that. Yeah yeah, that's all we got this week. So for Brian, I'm Dallas. We'll see you at the ballpark. We'll see you at the ballpark.

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