2 Guys Talking Baseball
Dallas Danger and Brian Logan discuss the game of baseball. Two fans, two personalities, Two Guys!
2 Guys Talking Baseball
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The excitement of baseball returns as we dive deep into our discussion about the ongoing spring training performances of the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Cubs boasting an impressive undefeated streak, we explore the infectious energy that surrounds their spring camp and the implications it has for the upcoming season. What has changed for the Cubs, and how could this momentum translate into success for the 2024 season?
Conversely, the Dodgers come into spring training with one of the most talented rosters in the league, giving us a candid look into their depth and strategy. We discuss potential standouts, including players like David Bodie, and the role newcomers like Justin Turner play within the team dynamic.
Amidst our diving into player performances, we also reflect on the contrasting cultures and expectations that define both teams, examining how the spirit of competition influences not only gameplay but fan engagement as well. With a focus on what lies ahead for both franchises, we unpack which teams have the potential to dominate their divisions and how these early performances will shape their narratives.
Tune in to join the conversation, gain insights from various angles, and get the latest on the energy and stories emerging from baseball’s beloved spring training. We invite you to subscribe, share your thoughts, and engage as we witness another thrilling season unfolding before our eyes!
Greetings and salutations. Welcome back inside the Three Crow Studios in Morristown, Tennessee. This, as always, is two guys talking baseball. My name is Dallas Danger, if you are not currently aware of that, and I am joined, as always, by my best friend and colleague, who is looking very sharp today in his very own 2GTB t-shirt that I would love to sell you, but you can't currently get them anywhere, and his name is the sea lion, Brian Logan. It's a great week for baseball. Easy for you to say undefeated Cubs, oh yes, we are definitely winning spring training.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we're officially a week into spring training games, which is awesome, and the Cubs are world beaters. The Cubs have yet to lose in spring training. The Dodgers can't seem to figure out how to win. Have yet to win. No, we've won two. Okay, we've won two. We looked great yesterday. Okay, we looked really good yesterday, Won 9-3. Hit some home runs. Hey man, david Bodie, he's not going to be a Dodger in two months, but he's going to be playing Major League Baseball somewhere.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, he's got it, man. He's a pleasure to watch, man.
Speaker 1:Okay, let me amend that statement. He's not going to be a dodger unless he really wants to be a dodger and he accepts a minor league assignment to wait on an injury to get on the big league roster, but I just don't know he might do that, because he went down to uh triple a a couple times for us.
Speaker 1:So uh, you know yeah, but I think that's different. Um, I don't know, we'll see. I don't know much about bode. You know the guy and obviously we don't know what his motivations are, what he's looking for. Obviously he signed. He signed a deal with the dodgers, knowing how little room there is in that position player group right. The interesting thing, though. Interesting thing though Heston Kim in a way looks like a guy who needs to start in AAA.
Speaker 1:Okay, the Dodgers are very high on Kim, but I and I didn't even think about this until Tim Neverett, on the Dodgers broadcast yesterday, I think mentioned that there was a season with the Cubs where Bodie played pretty much exclusively second base and he is having a monster spring so far. I know it's only a week and I get that it's spring training, but with the type of deal that Bodie has signed, all he can do is go out there and have the best spring he can, which he is doing so far. I think he's something like 7 for 12. Yeah, yeah, he's leading the Dodgers in most offensive categories so far.
Speaker 1:Now, granted, he's gotten a lot of playing time, but I could see a scenario where this continues through the whole spring and we're talking about David Bodie as an option at second base for the Dodgers, with Hesong Kim starting in the minor leagues Now. Is that likely to happen? I don't think so, but could I see a path where we get there? Yeah, I can kind of see a path where David Bode ends up on this roster on opening day, and that's really interesting to me. You obviously have really great feelings about David Bode and you know he came up with the bases loaded yesterday and I was like here we go, bode with the bases loaded.
Speaker 2:We've seen this before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we know that move. Yeah, so it's been fun. You know and I say this every year at spring training there's always a guy or two every spring training that catches your attention that you're not really thinking about. That isn't a big part of the plan for your team, in my case, the dodgers. You know a couple. A couple springs ago it was Cody Thomas who went on to play a little bit with the A's. Last I checked I think he was playing in Korea last year. But this year so far for me as a Dodger fan watching, you know, every day the talking point with the Dodger spring training in arizona right now is david bode yeah, david bode, he's swell, he's a good player yeah, he's just uh, he's doing really well.
Speaker 1:He's having a great spring no, he really is.
Speaker 2:I thought I'd get a bigger laugh out of that oh sorry well. No, he brings a lot of heart to the game and that's why I love watching him play. Yeah, he hustles and a lot of those games that he helped win for the Cubs was just a regular mundane day and he just exploded out of nowhere. You don't ever see him coming. He's there and like bam, so I can see where they got bases loaded. You're like, here we go.
Speaker 1:Seven for his first 11 might get him a job. But doing that and then taking the extra base which he's been doing, and and and, like you said, being one of those hustle guys, that doesn't. That doesn't kick the gear down just because it's spring training, you know, because again he's trying to. I mean, even if he knows in the back of his mind he's not going to be a dodger. Somebody is going to need a david bode. Yeah, coming out of spring somebody's going to get hurt, somebody's not. Somebody, somebody else's, you know, another team's option at third base or first base or wherever is not going to live up to the expectation and they're going to be a little more expendable. The problem with the Dodgers is we've got a major league roster of position players. So, barring an injury, there's not really an easy path for Bodie to get on the roster on opening day. But again, even if he knows already he's not going to be a Dodger, he's auditioning for other teams and their scouts, yeah yeah, yeah, I mean, they're always looking.
Speaker 2:He's a guy on the bubble, as they say, and I don't think it's ready to burst for him. I think it's going to continue floating him upward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if he keeps this up, he's definitely going to find a job, and I hope he does. He seems like a swell guy, as you said, and a good ball player, a good guy to have around, yeah. But let's talk about the Cubs for a minute.
Speaker 2:Okay, they're basically 7-0,. Basically, I mean I don't want to go out there and say that we won that one, but it was a tie and they gave up. We weren't ahead on points, but we were winning in the morals category. Sure, Whatever you've got to tell yourself. So I mean it's basically 7-0 up there, 6-0-1, officially, Officially, officially. But I mean they's basically 7-0 up there, 6-0-1, officially, Officially, officially.
Speaker 1:But I mean they didn't get any. But here's the thing, and you know listeners, you can laugh all day about Brian celebrating a spring training record one weekend. But there is an energy, there's a buzz at Cubs camp and that matters. The 6-0-1 doesn't matter, the fact that there is this buzz at Cubs camp. There is this energy and the Cubs feel like a contender. That's big news, Because here's a team that's won 83 ballgames the last two years. They spend a lot of money on a manager who is sort of heralded as one of the great managers in the game, and now they have this offseason where they didn't get everything done. They wanted to done, they wanted to, but they did enough to get this team in a position where you know we're going to be doing our season preview very soon. Yeah, it, within the next, you know, three, four weeks probably, and I'm gonna have a hard time picking anybody but the chicago cubs to win the national league central division. Yep, I agree.
Speaker 2:I mean they're they're they got a good vibe. They're in a good, but the Chicago Cubs to win the National League Central Division Yep, I agree. I mean they got a good vibe. They're in a good place with talent, with new versus veteran talent. I mean they're really putting it together this year and again, if they stay healthy, I think we got a shot at the whole damn thing.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I think so too, and you never know what can happen at the deadline. If they're in it and they've got an obvious need, I think they've still got some prospect capital that they can move to make a deal at the deadline. I mean they could still call me they could.
Speaker 2:I mean they won't. I got to say it they won't, but they could. I mean they won't.
Speaker 1:There's do you do I gotta say it they won't, but they could I was just the filter was catching all the jokes that I don't want to say on this podcast. I'll I'll hit you with them when we're off the air okay, because they're a little stiff, they're a little personal. Oh, you know, oh I don't want to, I don't want, I don't want to lay you out right in front of God and everybody on this podcast All right Any more than I have over the last two years. Yeah, three years Brutal.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So, with all that said about the excitement surrounding the Chicago Cubs right now, there was a great article and I wish I had written down the name of the person who wrote it, but it was on the Athletic basically laying out that Justin Turner, who we talked about last week signing with the Cubs, kind of the pivot from not getting Alex Bregman.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:There's reports now that he turned down quote better offers to play with the Cubs. Quote better offers to play with the cubs. And the quotes in this article, while they were not groundbreaking or anything out of the ordinary language, wise justin turner basically said yeah, I at this point I'm 40 I feel like I still got something to give, and he does. He's been an above average hitter the last three years, um, and, and I want to win. And he said you know, between the fit, he felt like it was a good fit and he felt like this is a team that can, that can, make a deep run in october this year. Yeah, and this is a guy that would know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean very intelligent guy.
Speaker 1:This is well, and that was something that was said in the article too. Maybe Craig Council was quoted, somebody with the Cubs was quoted, basically saying that they don't remember seeing a guy, even in the major leagues, at any point, that had the sense of the game as well as Justin Turner does.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:He can see things before anybody else sees them unfolding in the game. Very intelligent ballplayer, great guy what a teammate you know and has won a World Series, knows what it takes and has had one taken away from him.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, should be a two-time World Series champion, if we're being honest, because he was a part of that great 2017 team as well, but a lot of good Dodger teams he was on Went to LA, resurrected his career from being kind of a fledgling, you know, a David Bode type.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know a guy that was just looking for an opportunity to get back on a major league roster and prove that he could still do it, and he did for a long time with the Dodgers and now he's been jumping around a little bit. He went to Boston, he was in Seattle last year, but for him to come out and just say, yes, it's a good fit, but also I want to make a deep run and I felt like I could do that with the cubs. I think that carries a lot of weight and I think it just adds to the hype and the hoopla and all the excitement surrounding the cubs right now yeah, I mean he, he's coming in right at the right time with the right attitude.
Speaker 2:I think, um, you know we kept saying with the ESOC parade days deal that he wasn't having fun, he wasn't embracing the culture, he wasn't getting what the Cubs are about. You still want to win, but you want to do it in the Cubs kind of way, right, which is, you know, taking it one day at a time and just trying to do your best. You know they'll come, they, they'll go, but stay consistent with it, right. That's the cubs magic, and I think that turner is going to fit in there very well and it's not going to be a repeat of, you know, someone not being happy there sure, I mean, I think, not just the cubs, but with any.
Speaker 1:When you go to a new team you kind of have to adapt to the culture in that clubhouse and with the Cubs you've got decades of culture with the fan base and the ballpark and the identity. There's just a handful of major league teams that you can play 10 years in your career and I'm not taking anything away from anybody who never played for the Cubs or the Yankees or the Dodgers or the Red Sox. You know what I'm saying. But there are certain teams that when you put that uniform on it, puts you at a new level, a different level, not a not even a better level or a higher level, but just a different. There's a different feel to playing for a team with the history and the just the I'm having trouble coming up with the word but there's a passion to the fan base and to the people in that organization that doesn't exist everywhere.
Speaker 2:No, it's different. The way they deal with things is completely different. I mean, it's jolly competitiveness, yeah. If they don't win, it's okay. I think it's the one team that it's okay. If you lose now, not too many times. You know what I'm saying. Well, I'm not giving them permission to be in the cellar, but what I'm saying is is if you go on a little slump there for a couple weeks, it doesn't kill the cubs, right and, it, and, and and.
Speaker 1:it doesn't kill anybody. No, it really doesn't kill the Cubs Right, and it doesn't kill anybody.
Speaker 1:No, it really doesn't, and you and I have had a similar conversation a lot off the air and I'm going to not really argue with you, but I do think after 2016, that mentality has shifted a little bit, because I think before 2016, there was a portion of the fan base that thought, well, I'm never going to see them win one. So when they would blow it or go on a long losing streak or things happen that happen to major league teams, they were just like, yeah, well, at least we're still going to have fun because we're the Cubs Right, exactly what you're saying. But then they win one. Yeah, they put together the team, they win one. And now I think the expectation is higher. Yeah, I think there's a lot of pressure on Craig Council. There's even more pressure on Jed Hoyer, and I think there's an equal amount of pressure on Craig Council. There's even more pressure on the, on Jed Hoyer, and I think there's an equal amount of pressure on the Ricketts right now, because you're right on that precipice now and you've done the. You've done the right things. You know that. And that's the thing is the.
Speaker 1:The Cubs had a good offseason. They they were in the thick of a lot of transactions. They got a lot of guys. We've talked about it over and over but they got their top 20 player that they've been missing. The difference maker guy in Kyle Tucker Right, you know you put pieces around that. You know you go and get Ryan Presley so the back end of your bullpen looks better. You know, and you kind of restructure that bullpen in a lot of ways. You go and you get you trade away a piece that didn't have a spot in your organization anymore and Matt Mervis for a guy that can make a big difference in Vidal Brujan as that utility base runner guy. Now you get a veteran like Justin Turner who's going to contribute, who's going to elevate the culture. Again, we're talking about culture here. The culture of that clubhouse is elevated by a guy like Justin Turner, who has won a World Series, who has had success, who has been all the way to the bottom and stuck with it and got all the way to the top.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, we're talking about a guy not that long ago that was getting down ballot.
Speaker 1:Mvp votes for the dodgers yeah you know justin turner is is if he, you know he may not be a huge difference maker on the field anymore, but he adds to this this whole mix that the cubs have right now, and I think the pressure is on largely because this team could look completely different one year from now. Yeah, you know, kyle Tucker, you guaranteed have him one year. Mm-hmm. Justin Turner's on a one-year deal. Yeah, you know, there's a lot of pieces that you I mean for lack of a better way to put it it's kind of shit or get off the pot time for the Cubs. Yeah. So I think that, while that mentality does exist with the Cubs, still I think there is some pressure.
Speaker 2:Well, there's no more curse to say, well, okay, it was just the curse, we can't win anyway. We did the best we could.
Speaker 1:Right. So now it's got to be somebody's fault when you don't deliver now.
Speaker 1:Because that's the thing is we're not the only ones that are going to be picking the Cubs to win the division and make runs. So now, when you don't deliver and you lose Kyle Tucker and you know these are all hypotheticals, but you can't blame the curse anymore. No, you can't, and you know you paid all this money for a manager. Is it his fault? It's the last year of jed hoyer's deal with the cubs. Is it his fault? You know what I'm saying? Like somebody's got to. If they don't, if they don't at the very least win this division this year and they had the team healthy for most of the year somebody's on the chopping block.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, no, I agree, I agree. But getting back to the culture thing, you know Joe Girardi came over I think it was last season season, before last, and he was doing some commentary on some games and stuff and he had been with the Yankees organization for a while and then just doing some front-end office work stuff with the Cubs, but they started putting him on the broadcast. Well, he's very knowledgeable, but he's also like paint drying and I love him to death. I love to watch him play and what he says is very poignant, but it's Mr Serious all the time. So they have a thing when the Cubs are losing, they call quality baby. They just get a shot of a baby and they're like, oh, that's a quality baby. To break up the monotonous, they just do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and joe gerardi got confused. He's like what, I don't get it. He's like I don't. So he's burying this baby, right. But they just showed and they're trying to jd's trying to explain it to him and it took him a couple of games there to realize oh, when we lose we're not really that mad, we're just going to play some games, right. And I think that sometimes people come in and don't adapt to the yes, we're going to win, yes, we're taking this as serious as any other club, but also we're not really going to play it up like we are. You know, I think that's the the dynamic of the cubs culture of, yes, we're expected to win, we should win, but we're not going to focus on that publicly right the, the lovable losers, the lovable losers.
Speaker 2:That way, we're still still doing the gimmick, you know, and I think that helps them a lot. What's the deal with my hands, have you?
Speaker 1:noticed that I've explained it and I don't know what I'm doing with these things, but anyway, they're all over the place. Since you can't see us, I'm peeling the layers of an onion. Since you can't see us, brian has gotten very. He's talking with his hands a lot today, which is funny. I'm the one who had a Red Bull for the first time in years and he can't quit. I don't know what to do with my hands ricky bobby but no man, I think you know.
Speaker 1:I think the cubs entering the 2025 season are one of the more interesting teams yeah you know, um, because again we went from the deadline last year and I bring this up a lot, but I think it was a huge moment for this organization where Jed Hoyer just looks completely defeated and he basically just says I tried, we tried, and nothing came together. So for him to have the offseason that he did as a GM or whatever his title is, president of baseball operations, whatever he is, I think it's commendable. But now you know what I mean. Now the wheels hit the pavement, yeah, and they've got to deliver. Yeah, and I think they have to deliver, at the very least a division title, without a doubt.
Speaker 1:You've got to show kyle tucker that there's a there's a reason to stay, to stay, yeah, or consider staying at the very least. Because here's the thing at the end of the day, I think kyle tucker has made it very clear. They're not going to get a team-friendly extension in the middle of the season. Yeah, he's going to hit the open market and at that point are the cubs going to pay him? Probably not. No, somebody else is going to pay him more, yeah, but if you can convince him that there's something brewing here, at the very least I mean, best case for the cubs they just go win it all.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then he goes. Well, I got to stay. Now we're on to something.
Speaker 2:That's my best case scenario.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We just win the whole damn thing. And then he's like, oh, I can't go nowhere.
Speaker 1:Well, that'd be great it would. That'd be great, it would.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Got to get through a lot of I mean A lot you of. I mean a lot, you know we, we, we've talked the last few weeks about the gauntlet that the national league is going to be, and and I realized the other day, we've barely mentioned the philadelphia phillies, yeah, who went out and got better. Yeah, you know, and, and good grief, that national league is going to be tough, yeah it's going to be the best year for baseball of all time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you've said that a lot. I'm predicting that for this year. That's great man. They're going to make more money. They're going to sell more tickets. We're going to drink more beer.
Speaker 1:You're going to drink some beer?
Speaker 2:I'm not drinking any beer. We're going to drink more beer. We're going to drink more than we did last year.
Speaker 1:We're going to have more fun than we did last year. We're going to score more runs than we did last year. I think it's going to be a good year for the Cubs. I think it has the potential to set them on a trajectory toward being a consistent contender, and that's good. That's a good thing.
Speaker 2:They're always in the talk, but they're always the second tier of the talk, and that's got to change. They need to be in there with the Dodgers and the Mets and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:I think the big thing with the Cubs, especially the last couple years, there were a lot of ifs. Yeah, if we get the old Cody Bellingllinger back, if we find something with bellinger, if this goes right or if that happens, I don't think those ifs exist anymore. Yeah, I think you know the one if, and it's your favorite, if if this team stays healthy, yep, they don't have an excuse. No, no, the excuses are gone for the cubs. So, and again, you got nobody to blame anymore.
Speaker 2:So so, if they don't deliver the you know there's, I think there's going to be wholesale change well, I think too, with the spring training games that we have had, um, because everybody's got the same opportunity. Everybody's coming in with the same, you know, lack of injury or potential for injury. You know, um, I think the, I think the cubs are pacing themselves. What am I trying to say? I'm trying to say that they're coming in there and pacing themselves with an attitude of we all have nothing to lose, right, we all have a spot. Like the Dodgers, you come in. We were talking they don't. You know where are you going to find a spot? I mean, you might be the best unsigned ball guy there is, but I mean, look at who else is signed Cubs. I don't think has that. I think literally anybody could just make this team right now. That's on the spring training team yeah, there's some room there.
Speaker 1:I think there's some room, and well, it took me a while to say all that. That's okay, you got there that's what matters um but again, you know, and and that's I think that's the one bugaboo If the injury bug does bite them, I don't think they have the depth to get through that like the Dodgers have.
Speaker 2:Well, no, no, that's two totally different cases. I mean, the Dodgers are basically two professional teams.
Speaker 1:Especially in that pitching room.
Speaker 2:I mean it's like, oh okay, well, you don't want to play this guy, fuck it, let's play this guy oh well, that's no better. Well, I guess you should have thought about that then, shouldn't you? Well, you don't have to get hot about it, I am, I'm hot about it. Well, let's talk about the dogs. They're like five deep on every position. They're so deep you can't even get a job selling the beer.
Speaker 1:There's a three-month waiting list just to sell a beer at Dodger Stadium.
Speaker 2:Dodger dogs are already being sold on consignment. You've got to get a Dodger dog off of eBay. It's deep. There's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:It's deep.
Speaker 2:Hurting Linda, I'm hurting. The Dodgers are killing me. Okay, let's talk about the Dodgers.
Speaker 1:Let's end this and talk about the Dodgers. So, Dodgers, you know, things are looking pretty good for the Dodgers. The one, I think, sort of question mark right now is Bobby Miller who, as of yesterday, still in concussion protocol. He's throwing, not in games yet.
Speaker 2:He knocked his brains out is what's happened there. Well, he got, and that's sad.
Speaker 1:He took a hard hit. Yeah, bad, took a real hard hit.
Speaker 2:We joke a lot that that could have killed a normal man. It could kill him yeah, easily. Yeah, I mean it it was right off his forehead right and bubbled up right, I mean as soon as immediately, yeah, immediately immediately.
Speaker 1:So, um, but you know, I like I mean, tony gonsolin has looked and I think what everybody was looking for with him was sort of some command and some control and he's just attacking the strike zone every pitch and that's great. That's what you've got to do. And you know, Dustin May looks like Dustin May and again, I think his best path to contributing on this team winning another World Series this year is in the bullpen. We'll see if that comes to fruition. I think the Dodgers are more concerned with stacking as many healthy starters as they can, based off of last year.
Speaker 2:You could take the Dodgers and divide them by three and field three different teams and they all three would have the potential barring injury to be contenders. Yeah, that's how good they are. I mean it's just a deep roster, deep, very deep. I mean it's like I'm not even trying to make jokes now.
Speaker 1:I mean it is a deep roster Very yeah, and we're about to be at that point every year where we look at the Dodgers and go how are they finding room? Yeah, how are they finding room for everybody? Yeah, and the Dodgers are the kings of roster construction because they find a way to make it work. And I think there are some guys obviously there's the David Bodys and the Eddie Rosarios of the world who are with the Dodgers in camp right now, but in a month they're going to be playing somewhere else, yeah, but I think there's other guys that maybe were not expecting the Dodgers to move on from that. They might move on from, and it's going to be interesting to see how they put it all together. But so I say all that to say we talked at the very beginning, at the very top of the show. The Cubs are 6-0-1, haven't lost in spring yet the Dodgers are 2-5, I think, which is whatever, it's not a wins and losses time of year.
Speaker 1:But there is a movement now amongst some Dodger fans who are paying attention. How funny would it be for the Dodgers to have this big offseason. They sign everybody, they're the evil empire, they're terrible for the game of baseball, and then the Dodgers finish last place in the Cactus League. That'd be funny, it'd be great, right, it'd be awesome. It's like back in the 90s and I'm only going to talk football briefly, but back in the 90s, when the Cowboys were the team every year but they'd go 0-4 in the preseason every year, but then they'd dominate and win the Super Bowl. It's got that kind of feel to it, which I think is great, um well, they don't.
Speaker 2:I'm not gonna say they don't have to try as hard as others, because that's not fair. That's not a fair assessment at all, but it's. They're so deep that they almost don't have to try as hard. And they're the world here. I got it. They're not taking themselves super seriously. Well, they are, they're doing business, but they're not going. Well, we're the world champions and we're gonna come out here and destroy you, right? They're just doing their thing and and and tweaking out what they need to tweak out in the preseason right, because it's february.
Speaker 1:Right, it's february, and the dodgers have always and and one of the things that makes dave roberts such a great manager is he doesn't manage to win every game right, right, you know, the dodgers go down five, six runs in the first couple innings. Dave roberts will completely change what he's doing. Yeah, because he's thinking well, I'm going to start managing tomorrow's game, right, and next week's game, now, you know, because there's 162. You don't have to win every day.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know, you just have to win most of the time and you're fine One out of every two, three out of every four, five out of every seven.
Speaker 2:That all you gotta do and you got it.
Speaker 1:I mean for an entire summer. You know, listen without ailment, win, loser, draw. At this point I'm just happy we've got games to watch every day. Me too, I'm happy to see some of these guys coming off of injuries, looking looking so sharp and ready to go. And yeah, me too I'm happy to see some of these guys coming off of injuries, looking looking so sharp and ready to go. And yeah, you know, I think tyler glasnow was pretty happy with his outing the other day, which is promising for the dodgers and well, it really has been a great week.
Speaker 2:This for the first time in a long time. It has been a great week for baseball this week. Yeah, I mean there's been some really cool things going on, and you know, I mean I've just watched the dodgers and the cubs, but I mean I assume there's other teams well you need to start watching other teams they're just jobbers for the, for the cubs and the.
Speaker 1:You need, you need to get used to watching other teams, pal, because that's that's a big part of our season. We We've already decided.
Speaker 2:I know, I know, no, I'm ready. I'm just saying I mean.
Speaker 1:Well, I'm not, because here's the thing I've barely been paying attention to these games. Right, I'm not, I mean, I'm still.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean the way y'all been losing.
Speaker 1:I don't blame the winter cobwebs off. I got to get used to paying attention to these games, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, we beat you the first two in spring training and we're going to beat you the first two in the season.
Speaker 1:That's going to be tough for y'all, it's going to deal a blow to your fragile ego. If the Cubs win both games of that Tokyo series, I'm not going to be able to be in the same room with you for the rest of the season.
Speaker 2:I'm going to quit watching. I mean, that's my whole. My season boils down to two games. We win them, suckers, and we're. It's a success.
Speaker 1:That first game is going to be awesome Yamamoto and Imanaga going at it. Crowd's going to be on fire for it, yep.
Speaker 2:And here's the thing it's going to be a blowout. It's going to be like 14 to 10.
Speaker 1:That's not really a blowout. I mean, it's a high-scoring affair, but a four-run game is not exactly a blowout.
Speaker 2:It's going to be a high-scoring, well-mannered frivolity.
Speaker 1:See, I think it's going to be the opposite. I think it's going to be very low scoring. I think the bullpens are going to decide it. You know, I think Yamamoto and Shota are both going to come out and make a statement.
Speaker 2:I think they're going to be great for four and a half. I think they're going to keep them in there for two more, and then all hell's going to break loose.
Speaker 1:See, but I think if both teams get six innings out of their guy, I think it's going to be tight, because I think both these bullpens, if they're set up to only have to cover seven, eight and nine, you're throwing your best guys out there.
Speaker 2:I know. I just think we're expecting this big pitching duel, which we're going to get, but I think it's not going to be exactly what we think we're going to get. I think they're going to get hits off of them.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, no, there'll be hits. I just don't know that it's going to be 14 to 10. Well, we'll see, we'll see. I'm not a gambling man, but I'm almost ready to put some money on the table, are you really? I'll come up with a more creative bet, a better bet, a better bet than money. Okay, wow, if you have ideas for the bet we can make about the score of the first game of the year in Tokyo, please let us know. I'm at Dallas, danger. I'm easy to find, just send us a text message. Oh yeah, go to. I'm at Dallas, danger.
Speaker 2:I'm easy to find. Just send us a text message.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yeah. Go to your favorite podcasting app. Go to an episode and the first thing in the description is send us a text message.
Speaker 2:I dare somebody send me a text message. Brian's just dying to use this feature. I wish somebody had texted me Something.
Speaker 1:Anything All right.
Speaker 2:For the love of God just send a text.
Speaker 1:You got anything else on the Dodgers? You've been watching them a little bit. You got anything else on the Dodgers?
Speaker 2:right now they're looking good, I mean, I love that Hope kid. He's my favorite.
Speaker 1:Zaire Hope is really impressive, didn't you say?
Speaker 2:we had him at one point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was one of the returns in the Michael Bush trade. Did he play for the Smokies? Did I see him? No, I don't think he got as high as Double A. Let me I'll look it up.
Speaker 2:Because there were a couple of good kids like Nelson and them were on that team.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nelson Velasquez, who's with the Royals now. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, burrell was there at the time, but I can't remember if hope was one of the kids or not. I don't think he was.
Speaker 2:I think he's a little too young to have gotten to double a, but I'm gonna look right now while you're doing that. Speaking of the smokies, the smokies have a brand new uh shop that's in the west town mall and this is huge because this is the first time they've marketed their stuff on campus up near UT. So it was interesting to see them change from Kodak location and the way they marketed it to now going up there, the big time in Knoxville, and how they're marketing themselves there.
Speaker 1:So Zyre Hope only played in the Arizona Complex League, which is rookie ball with the Cubs. He's only been as high as single A with the Dodgers. He played in Rancho last year, which is low A. So he's fresh. I mean he's a couple years away but man, has he been impressive, impressive. He's been very impressive really. A pro, a really promising young player who, um, one of two things is going to happen either room is going to open up in that dodger outfield and he's going to be a star for the dodgers, or or he's going to be a big piece of a trade to get the dodgers somebody at the deadline to put this team over the top. But I just I got a feeling they're going to hang on to Zyre Hope. Yeah, I hope they do?
Speaker 2:I got a feeling there's hope for hope. There is hope, there's hope. I knew this girl when I was growing up in high school. Her name is Hope Blankenship. There was always hope, so just wanted to let you know there's always always hope.
Speaker 1:All right, shout out to my friend when was the last time you talked to hope blankenship? About 35 years ago.
Speaker 2:That's what I figured, but here's the thing. I remember her name, yeah, yeah so that that tells you I mean, there's yeah, that's something. Yeah, that tells you something, right there all right, so all the names I know that's one of them.
Speaker 1:That's true okay, moving on. Yeah, let's move on. Um, so this, uh, this kind of um, this news broke last week and we just had a lot to talk about last week and it didn't quite make the cut. So I wanted to touch on it this week, where we didn't have as much going on on our format. We've talked a ton about what's going on with the athletics formerly of Oakland and I don't want to spend a ton of time on what's going on there because we've talked it to death and I really, you know, it would be nice to have Mike Vanik here to talk with us about this because I would love his take on it.
Speaker 1:The A's are not going to be utilizing an elephant logo of any kind in Sacramento. And if you are not familiar, the A's, there it is. In 1902, new York Giants manager John McGraw told reporters that Philadelphia manufacturer Benjamin Scheib, who owned the controlling interest in the athletics, had a quote white elephant on his hands, end quote due to the fact that the A's, who were in the new American League, were making headlines by buying up contracts of top players. This is to me, the white elephant is an identity piece of the A's. This is a part of who they are at their core. This goes back to 1902.
Speaker 1:And for me and I said this on Blue Sky when I saw the news if they're not even acknowledging the white elephant, if they're not identifying as the white elephant anymore, to me what is the point? What's the point of the athletics so they're playing in a minor league park in Sacramento for at least the next couple years? You know the goal. I guess what's going to happen or might not happen at this point is they're going to be in Vegas with a new ballpark. Let's just, from this point on in the conversation, let's assume that the A's are going to get it done and get the new ballpark in Vegas in 2028 or whenever. Brian, do you just personal opinion? Do you think, when they get to Vegas, that they should completely change the identity of the team and not be the A's anymore?
Speaker 2:I think they're going to. I mean, you get rid of the white elephant. That's the last vestige of hope, pun intended, and this whole saga. I mean they're stripping away all of their identity, piece by piece, layer by layer. And the athletic name is the next to go. They're going to be the High Rollers or something. They're going to change their name and it's going to be a whole new thing and at this point it needs to be.
Speaker 2:I think so too, and I'm sorry, mike, I know this is hurting you deeply, but they are gutting that thing and I think we're just getting ready. It's an expansion team without being an expansion team.
Speaker 1:I think, personally, for people like Mike Vanik who, if you're not familiar, we had him on the show to talk all things A's, I don't know, a month or so ago. Yeah, it should be easy to find in the archives if you, if you want to go back and listen to that. It was a great conversation and, uh, mike has a wonderful perspective, being from oakland, being a former season ticket holder who has, who has all these great life memories in the coliseum and you know, surrounding this team. I think the best thing they can do for the fans they've left behind now because they've already left those fans behind the fans are not following this team to Sacramento and to Vegas. The Oakland fans are not A's fans anymore.
Speaker 1:Mike himself has changed allegiances and he's a Dodger guy now. Yeah, he already was into the Dodgers and he gets into why in that conversation, if you want to go back and listen to it. But I think the best thing they can do for those fans they've left behind is not remind anybody that this team used to be the Oakland A's. Yeah, and I think when they get to Vegas I think they now are they going to spend the money to rebrand? Probably not, because you know you've got to threaten legal action to get this team to spend money on players, much less a rebrand.
Speaker 2:They're going to have to rebrand, they're going to have to. I would guess the city of Vegas would want them to rebrand so that the city, um, the um, not the commonwealth, but the what's the group of businesses that get together, that the better business bureau. But no, it's like that. Chamber of commerce. Chamber of commerce I imagine the chamber of commerce, in order to to push tourism, will want to have a well-branded team. I mean, not just come out and see these fucking guys.
Speaker 2:You know it's hey, come see the high rollers. Hey, come be a high roller, whatever.
Speaker 1:Sure, that's a terrible name by the way I know it is.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying, you know, come see the crap tables, I don't know, but still they're going to have to rebrand it and it's going to have to be something cool, because they're already starting to leg down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know I agree with a lot of what you're saying. I don't know that they're going to do it. I just don't believe in that organization in any way to do anything correctly at this point.
Speaker 2:Do you think that when they get to Vegas, that the ball girls are going to be like showgirls? No, I don't think that at all. Well, they're everywhere else in Vegas. Why wouldn't they be on the baseball field? What are we doing here? What are we talking about? We're talking about rebranding the A's.
Speaker 1:You want showgirls to be the ballgirls.
Speaker 2:I think it's a good start. I mean we can have ball guy night too. I mean I'm not discriminating against that, we can. I'm saying we need to add a taste of Vegas to this team, because this team needs help.
Speaker 1:I think people in Vegas would argue against that. Okay, because I think people in Vegas want you to know that they are more than a place to go gamble and see showgirls?
Speaker 2:I don't know about that.
Speaker 1:I've been to Vegas many, many times, Right but you're not from there, you don't live there, you go to visit, so you do all the Vegas touristy shit. Right, right, right right. I don't think they're going to brand anything to do with cards or gambling or any of that. If they rebrand, it's going to be a whole new identity, whole new color scheme maybe, but again, I don't believe in this organization to do anything correctly anymore.
Speaker 2:Right, well, they could be the desert scorpions. That would be cool.
Speaker 1:That would be cool brown uniforms we don't need another team wearing brown. You know I'm all about. That's the last damn thing. Let's brand it in brown and yellow. That's the last thing we need is another team wearing those horrid colors.
Speaker 2:Anyways, sorry, that was a tangent I got us on, it's quite all right.
Speaker 1:It's quite all right, we could use it.
Speaker 1:Oh we're doing great. No, man, I just hate it. I hate it. I hate it for the fans, I hate it. Yeah, you know, and this is just another slap in the face. It is. It's another slap in the face to say we are abandoning our history and our identity. Yeah, for money, when all they had to do was stick a white elephant on the sleeve of the jersey. Yeah, you know, and they're doing a Sacramento-based logo on the sleeve and it's just like man, make up your mind. Yeah, are you the Sacramento A's or are you not? You know, pick a lane, john Fisher, you bum, I'm over it. I'm over talking about the A's man. I'm just over it. I'm sick of it. I wish that it never got to this point and I wish that somebody had stepped in and not allowed all this to go down. But here we are.
Speaker 2:Well, they wouldn't sell us the team. I mean mostly because we didn't have any money. Well, I was going to say, but I mean that wasn't their only reason.
Speaker 1:If you want us to buy the A's, please head to patreoncom slash 2GTB. Please head to patreoncom slash 2GTB.
Speaker 2:If we buy the A's, we're having ball girls that were showgirls, goodness. Yes, I'm not saying dress them anyway, they can still wear baseball uniforms. I'm just saying showgirls, I like a good showgirl, believe me, I know I like that movie.
Speaker 1:Elizabeth Berkley oh yeah, the least hot girl from Saved by the Bell does the.
Speaker 2:Showgirls movie Right right.
Speaker 1:But she did it with all of her heart. Did they not have Tiffany? Amber Thiessen's?
Speaker 2:phone number. No, no, no, she was still. Brian Austin Green wasn't having it Hell.
Speaker 1:I would take Lark Voorhees over Elizabeth Berkley in that movie.
Speaker 2:Of course, but Elizabeth Berkley was great in that movie. That is a cult favorite movie. That is an actual good story. I'm so excited, I'm so.
Speaker 1:Okay, we have Speaking of tangents. Boy, We've jumped the shark this week Again. How many times can you jump?
Speaker 2:the shark and still be on the air. Look who's swimming by it's Shark.
Speaker 1:He just went over our heads, See you.
Speaker 2:Shark. We'll see you next week when we do this all over again.
Speaker 1:All right, let's move on to something a little more fun to talk about. Okay, brian, your favorite Major League ball player, yep One, bryce Harper Yep Won. Bryce Harper Yep. Now has a Philly Fanatic tattoo on his wrist. I think it's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:I think it's very cool. I like it. I think it's very cool. I've thought about getting Clark the Bear put on my hand at some point. Sure, sure, you know. But I'm glad that he did that, I'm glad he got him. You know, maybe that'll give him the incentive to get through the season. Here we go.
Speaker 1:No, I think it's awesome, I think, bryce Harper's love affair with Philadelphia. I don't think anybody expected it to get to this level, yeah, when he signed that deal and he has made the Phillies a contender. They've been to a World Series. They haven't won one yet, but I don't see any reason why they can't, right, you know, soon. I mean, this is a good ball club and Bryce Harper is a big part of that. Right, and this is great man. I mean, the Fanatic is the most iconic mascot in sports. You know, I don't think there's a ton of argument there. Right, it is. And for for bryce and the fanatic to be seemingly this like best friend duo, like I just picture them linked together I picture them double, like like the fanatic got the the tattoo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that was great that was great, that they they put bryce's face on on the fanatics arm too. That was great. But I just picture them like having an apartment together and like sitting around late at night watching tv, playing video games, eating snacks yeah, just hanging out the uh san diego chicken calls and tries to come over, and they're just like no, no, no, no, no, they they prank, call the san die chicken.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's like he just wants them to leave him alone.
Speaker 1:They call and they're like, yeah, we'd like a 10-piece with mashed potatoes and corn and the chicken's just like. Guys, you got to stop calling. The wife is getting really upset about this.
Speaker 2:He's like Lawler wasn't even this bad to me back in 83. That's a deep cut, if any of y'all remember that oh goodness, Goodness, gracious, but yeah, I think this is very cool.
Speaker 1:I think Bryce has done a lot for the city of Philadelphia. He's done a lot for the Phillies and you know and again, this is a ball club we have- not brought up, but they are right there in that conversation in the national league. Yeah, um, we'll get more into our predictions and all that later on.
Speaker 1:It's actually almost criminal how little we talk about the phillies it kind of is I mean, they are a really good ball club and bryce harper is a hell of a player well, I will say this, if you will recall, back when we came back middle of last season, yeah, and we started doing this show again, we did mid-season predictions for how the year was going to go and, if you, if you will recall, we both picked the phillies to win the national league at that point yeah, yeah, but he just didn't see the mets coming well, and the dodgers didn't choke yeah, yeah, I mean you know it, the dodgers had to break that spell of of losing in the division series.
Speaker 1:yeah, you know, um, they, the dodgers, had to prove that they were who they were supposed to be. Yeah, you know, not even who they claimed to be. But just you know, the narrative around the Dodgers was they were unbeatable and they proved that that was kind of right, right, but didn't have to go through the Phillies to do it Right, right. And I think that helped because, again, again really good ball club in philadelphia and, um, you know they, they picked up a few good pieces this offseason and added to what they already had. Again they went out and got better, which, um, you know, two other teams in their division did the same thing the braves and the mets. You know, that's that's gonna that's gonna be a tough division, that national league east it sure is it is it's, that's gonna.
Speaker 2:That's gonna be a tough division that National League East. It sure is it is.
Speaker 1:It's going to be fun to watch it's going to be very fun, and Bryce Harper is going to be doing it with a fanatic tattoo on his wrist. Yeah, so very cool, easy to find. If you haven't seen it yet, I'm sure MLB has posted it on their socials. The Phillies, as we mentioned, the Fanatic, had a little fun and they put Bryce's face on his wrist, which was hilarious and very Philly Fanatic-esque. Speaking of mascots, did you see that the Braves unveiled a new spring training specific mascot? No, don't remember his name, I haven't even seen what he looks like, but there is no mascot in the history of the world that I despise more than blooper. He's a hack, he's a wannabe and he talks way more shit than he can back up.
Speaker 1:Wow, I know there was heat between you two and if tommy lasorda was still alive, the guy in the blooper suit would be a different guy, because tommy would have beat his ass at the all-star game at dodger stadium a couple years ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So the Braves don't need another smart-ass mascot to post on social media.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's a female mascot and it's his girlfriend. That's all he needed.
Speaker 1:Well, I think it's a palm tree. Oh, so kudos to the Braves for having a mascot. That is something and isn't just a Philly fanatic ripoff, right. You know, come on, man Bush League for having a mascot, that is something and isn't just a mask, a philly fanatic ripoff, right you know, come on man. Bush league, bush league, nonsense what's your favorite mascot? Mine's ringside, ricky I'd want to think about that. Okay, I'd want to think about that favorite mascot, favorite mask yeah, I want some time to think about that one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we used to. We used to mess with uh the mascot in johnson city a lot, yeah, well, when they were the cardinals it was jc the cardinal. Now it's a dog named private. I think it's based off a real dog too, too. I think there's like a story behind that too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we had Homer at the Smokies. Yeah, and Homer liked me a lot.
Speaker 1:You know, there used to be a guy and I think he was just like a team employee, an intern or something, but they would put him in this crude. It wasn't even like a costume, it was like a hood with a cape to make him look like an eagle, okay, and they would give him a. They serve mellow mushroom pizza at the ballpark. They would give him a whole pizza and he would run around and people would just scream and he would. You know, he'd pick the loudest fan to give the pizza or whatever. Right. And this dude, whoever he was, became that character, that eagle. Yeah, every time they did it, and Jen hates it because it's loud. Yeah, I loved it when he did it, and Jen hates it because it's loud. Yeah, I loved it when he did it. Now it's just the girl with the microphone, just kind of like slowly walking around and it's not that exciting, yeah, but that guy was like sprinting back and forth and like it was cool.
Speaker 1:It was very cool. I hope they get somebody to do it this year that makes it their own as Brian tries to burn the studio down with a cigarette. Yeah, I'll have to think about favorite mascot.
Speaker 2:Have you seen that commercial for one of the medicines? And it's for the guy whose hand twitches? I don't think so. Okay, so it's a big deal. There's a name for it. I have it a little bit. It just your nerves will jerk and your hand will just get out of control for a minute. The guy on the commercial was funny, though, because he's trying to get water and he's all messed up. But anyway, yeah, that's what just happened is my hand uh twitched and I burnt the house down. Oh, excellent, excellent, excellent. That's good radio, pal, good, good, wholesome radio, good radio.
Speaker 1:All right. So last thing on the docket today and I put this last on purpose Okay, as we talked about last week, the automatic ball and strike system is being tried out in spring training right now. Yeah, it's been in the minor leagues for a year or two and we were very pro, all for it. We've been super critical of the umpire umpiring crew the last couple years. Yes, um, I at one point said they're the worst they've ever been. And again, I'm waiting for someone to show me the numbers to prove me wrong bunch of communists.
Speaker 1:we're not going to debate communism on this show, so shut up. Um. I wanted to give equal time to the other side of the debate because I I heard and read a lot of opinions that were different than mine and Brian's on this new, and it's not going to be in the regular season, it's just something they're trying out in spring training and not even in every park. Max Scherzer not my favorite guy in the majors, but a respected veteran and a big advocate for the players union as well yeah, he basically came out and said look, we're all human, we want to be judged by humans, and I get that. But what really got me is I was listening to the Baseball.
Speaker 1:Barbie cast another amazing baseball podcast and Jake Mintz, one of the hosts, who I love. He and Jordan Schusterman do a fantastic job. If you listen to one baseball podcast a week and it's not us, but it's them I'm not offended because I listen to one baseball podcast a week and it's not us, but it's them. I'm not offended because I listen to them every episode, but my feelings are a little hurt if you do it. I'm sorry You'll hurt Brian's feelings, but I'll understand, I mean we won't be offended, but I'll be sad.
Speaker 1:He basically said look, this is all in the name of the truth. We want the truth. Is it really a ball or is it really a strike? The point he made was basically I don't care about the truth, because what happens, brian Logan, yes sir, when we get a strikeout, looking to end a World Series, to win a World Series, ball hits the mitt, umpire, rings the guy up, elation. Everybody said, well, hold on, wait a second. Batter's challenging Now we got to wait 20 seconds before we can celebrate this world series. Are we taking that out of the game in the name of the truth? And if we are going to do that, is that the right thing to do?
Speaker 2:well, no, I I putting it that way. I mean the drama is what I watch the game for. That would be horrible. That's a good way to start a riot, sure, especially at a World Series game. Yeah, but I do like the call though. So I think, even though it's in that case, it's not good. I still the good outweighs the bad. Okay, because I see both sides I do too. Good outweighs the bad.
Speaker 1:Okay, because I see both sides. I do too. I'm very pro ABS system. I'm very pro this technology being utilized. I'm very pro the challenge because it doesn't eliminate the human element completely.
Speaker 1:But there are also some that think that if we implement this in the regular season and in the playoffs, we're one step closer to humans not calling balls and strikes at all. Yeah, and a lot of people have a problem with that, and the more I hear their takes on it, the less I like the idea of 10, 15, 20 years down the road. This becomes how we call all balls and strikes Right. So again, I just wanted to give the other side of this debate equal time, because I found it really fascinating that there were some forward-thinking people Max Scherzer's a pretty forward-thinking guy as far as baseball players go, jake Mintz and Jordan Schusterman who disagreed on this as well, but Jake is a very forward, progressive-thinking baseball reporter and I was a little surprised at how much resistance there is to this. And I'm not saying they've changed my mind, but I am thinking about it a little differently now yeah, it is a good point that they've made.
Speaker 1:They brought up the other thing I saw and I didn't look this up to know how true this is. But a lot of people are taking issue with the fact that the ABS defines the strike zone differently than the rulebook does.
Speaker 2:Right, right, you can't have that.
Speaker 1:So, you know, are we even within the rules? You know the confines of the rulebook with this new system.
Speaker 2:Well, if we're not, we've got to change the rulebook.
Speaker 1:Well, and that's the thing. Do we change the rulebook or do we change the ABS? I don't know, man. I think we're at an impasse with this and I don't know where we go from here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we go full robot up the best of both worlds.
Speaker 1:Patreoncom slash 2Gb to hear brian's um plans for robot umps. Maybe the most ridiculous conversation we've ever had on this show you think I mean, we've had some pretty ridiculousness I mean, that's that, that's, there's some competition, don't get me wrong. Yeah, but in my humble opinion, as someone who has sat at this microphone for now, the 39th episode, yeah, spread out over, you know, going on three years.
Speaker 2:It's the longest I've been employed without being fired in my life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's amazing when you're self-employed, you don't make any money. How long you can keep a job? Damn right, I don't know, man, tell me what you think, tell me what you're feeling on on all this. You know, because I, I, just I, I'm. I'm more on the fence today with this whole thing than I've ever been um, and I just don't know where I going to land when it's all said and done, Well, we have to watch the drama of the picking of the strike zone.
Speaker 2:We're going to have to maneuver with them until they decide what the strike zone is, and then we're going to have to get used to this is just the definitive way to do it. And then we're going to have to get used to this is just the definitive way to do it. I think that it's just. We've embraced it so fully that now we're seeing it. Well, this can't be perfect. It's got to be something wrong with it. Let's nitpick it apart. I still think it's a good thing.
Speaker 1:I don't know that we're nitpicking, though. I mean I don't think these are nitpicky opinions. I think I mean that, yeah, is it nitpicky to say that the rule book, strike zone and this are different? Sure, you know, because to me that's not a reason to kill it. Yeah, but all these other things, all these other arguments, all these other points of view are making me go huh. Maybe there's something to just letting the humans do the job, and Jake did make the point. If the issue is the current crop of umpires, instead of replacing them with technology, let's just get better umps.
Speaker 2:Can't we do both? Can't we get better umps and technology?
Speaker 1:But if you get better umps, do you need the technology now? But if you get better umps, do you need the technology now? See, my thing with the ABS was we have the technology and we're not getting the calls right. So let's get the calls right. But if we're going to restructure the umpiring crew at large and get better umpires and push these umpires to do better, better umpires and push these umpires to do better, I'm totally fine with abandoning the automatic ball strike system in the major leagues.
Speaker 2:I think you had the automatic ball strike to make them remember every game, every pitch. They have to do their job and I think that that's part of exactly why we need it. Um, we don't want another Joe West situation.
Speaker 1:Oh God or Angel Hernandez.
Speaker 2:Or Angel Hernandez, and that was we needed a better person, and they hid behind the umpire league.
Speaker 1:Union Union yes, that's the other part of this that nobody has talked about yet. The umpires are unionized, just like the players are, and there is a collective bargaining agreement between that union, the umpires union and the league, just like there is the players union in the league. Now, is it as crucial, is it as big of a deal when those two sides don't see eye to eye? I don't know. I don't know that we've ever had to worry about that until now. Right, so we might be about to learn the strength, or lack thereof, of the umpire union. Yeah, because I don't see them taking this and just accepting it. I don't see them taking this lightly. I don't see them taking this lightly because, again, it does sort of set the tone for eventually, the ABS is calling every ball and strike.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's overkill.
Speaker 1:Well, I do too, especially now that I've heard these again, these other perspectives of people that are not, as for it, right, and Jake Mintz even said he wanted to like it more than he does.
Speaker 1:He tries really hard to accept it and to and to like it, and he just doesn't yeah so listen, at the end of the day they're not going to make everybody happy, and they know that they're I mean rob manfred's the commissioner. They day they're not going to make everybody happy, and they know that I mean Rob Manfred's the commissioner they know they're not going to do anything that makes everybody happy. I personally, again, am really conflicted now and I don't know exactly how to feel about it yeah.
Speaker 1:I will bring this up. So Friday or Saturday very early on second or third game of the spring for the Dodgers. They're on the road, they're in a ballpark that does not have the ABS challenge system, so it is not in play for this game. Kike Hernandez, first at bat, gets a questionable call, turns and looks at the ump, taps his helmet and the ump has to look at him and go. Kike can't do that today and they had a little conversation after the at-bat as Kike's walking back to the dugout because I think he did eventually strike out, yeah, and it wasn't anything too tense, but for spring training, you know, you don't expect to see a batter and an umpire having a lengthy conversation in in spring right?
Speaker 1:uh, first off, love it, love everything about it. Kike is the man untouchable in my view would have to do something really despicable for me to uh to not be his biggest fan anymore. Love me some, kike. Love that he. And here's the thing he knew. He knew they didn't have the challenge system. He just wanted to be a smartass. Well, yeah, and challenge the call and do it in a way that wasn't going to get him tossed out of a spring training game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot, much easier than if you call him that word.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're not going to get into that.
Speaker 2:That'll get you thrown out every time.
Speaker 1:Just watch Bull Durham if you don't know what we're talking about. But yeah, man, I'm really interested to see where this goes. I'm really interested to see how we utilize this technology moving forward, Because again it sounds like there's a strong, large contingent of baseball people fans and writers and people closely connected to the sport who are not really in favor of this and don't really see. I think, at the end of the day, I think there are a lot of people that see a solution but not a problem being fixed. I think people see a solution that is going to cause more problems in the future. And again, I see that side of it. Right, I really do. I want us to get the calls right. If a strikeout looking is going to end the World Series, let's take 15 seconds and make sure we got the call right.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know um, I said world series and I thought of one more thing that I didn't put on the format. Okay, so nester cortez, former yankees pitcher, who came into the game to face freddie freeman with the bases loaded and ended up one pitch later losing the game yeah, in the greatest moment in world series history a clip we're going to see over and, over and over. For the rest of time it will live in infamy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, see infamy.
Speaker 1:Nestor Cortez seems to think that the New York Yankees were a better team and if a couple of things had just fallen their way, then they would have won the World Series.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like maybe them scoring more points than the other team.
Speaker 1:That'll get you every time. Maybe them not blowing a five-run lead in one inning because they couldn't play the game.
Speaker 2:You will lose 100% of the games. You don't score more points than the other team yeah, I mean, how ridiculous is nester court?
Speaker 1:here's the thing, nester. You got out. You got out of pinstripes. You're in milwaukee now. You got a fresh start. You don't even have to be that good anymore. Yeah, you can go, be bad and nobody's going to care in Milwaukee. Just settle down over there, at least not in the way they do in Yankee Stadium. Yeah, just shut up and play. Just shut up. You got bested. Here's the thing. And the Dodgers have come out and said this the scouting report on the Yankees for that series was they're going to mess up, just hit the ball to them and let them do it Right. And that's what happened. And that's exactly what happened.
Speaker 2:It's really Judge's fault for dropping that ball.
Speaker 1:Well, and Cole's fault for not covering first base, and I mean that one inning there's like three or four things you can point to and go. If that had gone yeah, okay, think, but but it didn't. Yeah, they didn't execute. They got there and they didn't execute. So I don't know man, he's in milwaukee. Love me some. Bob euchre oh, I got another euchre thing here in a minute. I keep thinking of things, but I think I'm gonna give nestor cortez the trojan ends boner of the week on this okay because just shut up, you don't have to say anything.
Speaker 1:You don't have to say anything about it yeah you can just go. You know, you call anaheim witness protection. He's in witness protection in milwaukee. Oh yeah, yeah, come on, man. You're not in Yankee Stadium anymore. You don't have to smoke the hopium of the pinstripes anymore.
Speaker 2:Speaking of smoking hopium.
Speaker 1:Just shut up.
Speaker 1:So, Dodgers were at the Brewers yesterday and if you've not seen any Brewer games in the spring, they have Bob Euchre's signature on the grass behind home plate right. Super cool, super classy. It's going to be a season of that. All year they're going to be celebrating Uke, and they should, not just this year but every year moving forward. So the Mendoza line, the famous Mendoza line, the famous Mendoza line, which typically refers to a 200 batting average, is named after Mario Mendoza, whose career batting average was like two, 15. So, number one, it already doesn't make sense. Secondly, mendoza hated it. He hated that. That's what you know, that that's what he got remembered for. Rick Monday is on the broadcast for the Dodgers and he says he had had a lot of conversations with Uke, because Bob Uker's career batting average is exactly 200. Okay, and he said he asked Uke, how would you feel if we renamed it the uker line? And bob was like I would be incredibly honored. Yeah, because you know uke's whole personality was his, was self-deprecating about his playing.
Speaker 2:That was his shtick.
Speaker 1:That was his shtick the whole time be every beer commercial in the 80s and every, you know, the whole time, whole time, the whole way.
Speaker 2:WrestleMania. He did the whole thing at WrestleMania, the whole shtick with Uker was how bad he was as a player.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so I move that we rename the 200 batting average the Uker line.
Speaker 2:I second it.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Let's put it up the flagpole and let's vote on it. Fans Send us a text. I'm looking for Rex to get his vote. He'll vote with us.
Speaker 1:Well, we have a quorum. Yes, we have decided. Two Guys Talking Baseball has now officially decided that we're going to rename the Mendoza line the Euchre line. Yes, yes, and you heard it here first folks. Well, if you watched the Dodger-Brewer game yesterday, you heard it there first.
Speaker 2:Don't let the facts stand in the way of a good story.
Speaker 1:We're making it official, yes, because we have that power as the hosts of this show. So we would appreciate it and we would thank you to, instead of referring to it as the Mendoza line from here on out, referring to it as the Euchre line in memory and to honor the late great Bob Euchre.
Speaker 1:A moment of silence, all right, and with that I was going to see how long you'd let it go, and with that you got anything else. Brian, I went off on several tangents there, but you got anything else. Yourian, I went off on several tangents there, but, uh, you got anything else. You want to get off your chest this week? No, I.
Speaker 2:I just can't wait to uh get this show in the can so I can go watch the cubs win again today. Yeah, you just keep talking like that we're winning spring training.
Speaker 1:Brother, if we know anything about the cubs, it's going to come crashing down and it's going to hurt inside.
Speaker 2:Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun dun.
Speaker 1:And, on that note, thanks as always for listening. How come we always go off the air when I start singing? I'll tell you when we're off the air. I don't want to offend you in a public forum. Alright, thanks as always for listening. Thank you to Pir pirate flag radio for putting up with our shenanigans, uh, and airing this show every day and uh, if you want to support us, we would really appreciate it. Head over to patreoncom, slash 2gtb. I am working on some new things for patreon.
Speaker 1:We're going to start, um, as we get into the season, we're going to start more regularly updating the patreon and I'm already planning on the uh stuff for the backyard, so we're definitely doing that yeah, we might just do a whole segment from the from the back porch, yeah, on a regular basis once we get that, yeah, once we get that cooking pun intended, yeah, but uh, yeah, we'd really appreciate it if you've head over there right now.
Speaker 1:Our original 11 episodes from 2022 are over there, including Brian's epic rant about robot umpires. Yeah, when we talked about the college baseball and some things he does, we talked to someone who had just that week or the week before had visited their 30th Major League ballpark and we talked about all the great adventures that he went on in ballparks, including some overseas trips, which was a great conversation. Tons of fun stuff over there. We've done some extra videos and things like that, which, again, we're going to continue to add to patreoncom, slash 2GTB and, yeah, with that, we'll be back next week with whatever happens in the next seven days in baseball. We're always here to talk about ridiculous things that Nestor Cortez says, yep, all right. Well for Brian, I'm Dallas, we'll see you at the ballpark.
