2 Guys Talking Baseball
Dallas Danger and Brian Logan discuss the game of baseball. Two fans, two personalities, Two Guys!
2 Guys Talking Baseball
Episode 47
When the stakes are high in Major League Baseball, sentimentality takes a backseat to performance – a harsh reality we're witnessing across the league this season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made headlines by releasing longtime contributors Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes, signaling their urgent approach to maintaining dominance in a competitive NL West. "This division is really competitive and really tough," acknowledged Andrew Friedman, explaining why promising prospects like Dalton Rushing and Hesung Kim forced difficult roster decisions. Clayton Kershaw's challenging return from multiple surgeries adds another layer of complexity for a team accustomed to October success.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs continue their surprising surge, with Pete Crow-Armstrong establishing himself as MLB's WAR leader and a true five-tool player. The Cubs' offensive explosion – scoring 10+ runs in ten of their first 49 games, their most since 1898 – has positioned them as legitimate contenders. Our hosts debate whether Chicago should immediately pursue a long-term contract with PCA, recognizing him as "the heart and soul of that organization."
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we track the Colorado Rockies' historically disastrous season. At 8-40 with a -153 run differential, they're performing significantly worse than last year's notoriously bad White Sox, prompting darkly humorous speculation about when mathematical elimination might occur. The managerial carousel continues spinning too, with three teams already making changes before June, most surprisingly the underperforming Orioles dismissing Brandon Hyde.
Not all baseball talk needs to be serious, though. We celebrate Boston's Green Monster-inspired City Connect uniforms as a creative triumph and share our enthusiasm for the Yankees' new stadium-shaped popcorn bucket ($14.99 with unlimited refills through the 7th inning). Because sometimes, baseball's simple pleasures – "when the sun goes down, the air conditioning's right, you're just full enough of food, you got a nice cold drink, and you're watching a good game" – remind us why we love this sport in the first place.
What team has surprised you most this season? Share your thoughts wherever you listen to your podcasts!
Hello again. Welcome inside the Three Crows Studios in Morristown Tennessee, beautiful Morristown Tennessee. Another nice sunny day here after some tense moments weather-wise, recently. Anyhow, this is Two Guys Talking Baseball. My name is Dallas Danger and I am joined, as always by my best friend and colleague, the one the only Brian Logan.
Speaker 2:It's a great week for baseball and you forgot to call me the sea lion. I was hoping that that wouldn't come up. Well, it did.
Speaker 1:I get bored really easily. I don't want to do the same intro every week, so I had to mix it up. I'm sorry, Mr.
Speaker 2:Sea Lion. Well, my sea lion following is not going to be happy with you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they'll be all right.
Speaker 2:It was a great week for baseball. There is all kinds of sweeps and just all kinds of things going on, pitching going awry man. I'm excited, very excited, as the blue thunders go over the house.
Speaker 1:Well, I made the comment about the weather and then it's this loud noise as we're starting. It's like, oh God, the tornadoes have finally come. They heard you in their back, yeah, they're at the door, they're just waiting. They're like we're just kind of spinning down here by the ground and as soon as somebody brings it up, we're going Take off, take off, take off. Yeah, I mean a lot to talk about this week, let's just get right into it. Brian, what did you watch on your off day?
Speaker 2:this week. I watched the Braves and the Nationals last night and it was a very good game. Man, you know the Braves really tried. They're trying, I mean they keep losing games but they're putting forth the effort. They really should win, but they can't keep up with the pitching giving up runs. I mean I know that's the whole point. We say that every week and we're going to continue to say that every week, but they gave up three runs in the first or second inning last night, came right back, tied it up and then gave away another home run.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And they ended up losing five to four. Very, very good game. Both teams played well and I enjoyed it. But the Braves man, they've got to figure something out.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean they're improving. The record is better than it was to start the year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a lot better than it was.
Speaker 1:I'm going to look that up right now. Last time I checked they were back over .500. They're sitting at .500. They're in third place. The problem in the National League for a team like the Braves and there's a lot of baseball left, don't get me wrong, we're not scoreboard watching yet, um, not even close. But at this point in the national league if you don't have like a 600 winning percentage, you're out of the playoffs. Yeah, I mean, um, you know the, the giants, uh, currently have the last um playoff spot and they've got like a 582 win percentage and we alluded to this in the offseason and leading into the early stages of this year, the National League is an absolute gauntlet and it's already started and it's just going to continue the whole rest of the way and through October. There's not a lot of easy days playing in the National League right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, not at all. Not at all. It's been tooth and nail, hammer and tong, as they say back and forth.
Speaker 1:So I also watched the braves this week. Um, I tuned in friday. Uh well, from friday the braves at the red socks it was chris sale, last year's national league cy young winner, against my pick to win this year's american league cy young, and that pick's looking pretty good so far. Garrett crochet, yeah, um, they, they. I watched the red socks broadcast.
Speaker 1:They were talking about rookie christian campbell who's been at second base. He's been taking some reps at first. Okay, we talked sort of at length last week about the Rafael Devers saga and everything going on there and you know Devers has made it pretty clear he doesn't really want to move to first base in the middle of the season without the. You know the time to prep and work out and everything. So Campbell is working out at first base and Marcelo Meyer, another one of their top prospects that they're just trying to find a spot for on the big league roster has apparently started playing some at second. So I guess the new plan is get Christian Campbell comfortable at first, get Meyer comfortable at second, call him up and Devers can just DH and we'll figure it out later.
Speaker 1:I guess is kind of what they're going with now, since Tristan Kassas is out for the year, but my big takeaway from that game and part of the reason that I tuned in was the Red Sox have unveiled their new City Connects. They're sharp, aren't they? And man, are they awesome? Yeah, I have a couple times this year had new City Connects with a question mark as a possibility to talk about on the show, but I've just not wanted to be real negative, right, and I was at a point where I was sort of over the whole concept because the execution has really started to not really be there. Yeah, it's felt very much like, well, we're just doing this to sell more jerseys. Really be there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, it's felt very much like, well, we're just doing this to sell more jerseys. And, um, it's not gotten super creative, or you know these, though. This is how you city connect, yeah, so they picked the theme and I heard them talk about how there were some several things on the table having to do with fenway Park. They talked about some you know brick, some other you know elements of the ballpark, but of course, as they should have, they settled on the green monster. So if you've not seen them, they are the green of the green monster. The lettering and the numbers are based off of letters and numbers from the, the manual scoreboard that they still have in in left field. Uh, on the green monster and I just man. These are um, my favorite city connects in a while, in a long while, yeah they're great.
Speaker 2:uh, I like them because they're great. I like them because they're green. We don't get to see a lot of that in baseball. There's a lot of reds and blues, you know, and purples, but who else has greens, you know? And I think that's a novel idea and really sets them aside from other City Connects.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I liked their old ones too, the yellow and the lighter blue, I mean, because, again, you saw them and you immediately knew who that was, because there was no other uniform that looked like that. Right, and this green, it's green with a little bit of yellow, which you might say, oh well, the A's have that, but this is a lighter shade of green, it's a more muted green. Yeah, it's a more traditional green. Yeah, it's a really good City Connect uniform Pool table felt green.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know. I think the pool table felt's a little darker too. This is a pretty light green, I mean it's, I don't know, they're just great.
Speaker 2:They're just awesome. All I'm saying is is somebody laid down in the outfield the other day and they rolled a ball across them. That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Oh goodness.
Speaker 2:Somebody went to get the sticks and they said, Whoa, hold up there.
Speaker 1:They rack the balls on their chest and they wake up and they're like Hang on a second what's going on here. What are you doing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I'm just saying, you know, it happens.
Speaker 1:Maybe it does. I don't know If you've ever had pool balls racked on your chest. Shoot us a text. Wherever you listen to your podcast, down in the description there's a link to text to guys talking baseball. We'd love to hear your being mistaken for a pool table experience. I mean, can?
Speaker 2:somebody just text us to see if it works. I mean, let's just lay it out on the table.
Speaker 1:I mean we need to know if this feature works. All right, let's kick it into high gear and talk some Cubs, they're world beaters man.
Speaker 2:Yeah take it away. They're looking fantastic, they're sweeping people here and there and the pitching's looking pretty decent and you know PCA is just PCA-ing all over the place. I mean, he's my favorite player now to watch and I can't get enough of him and I can't get enough of the winning Cubs.
Speaker 1:Leading the major leagues in war.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean, he is doing it, isn't he?
Speaker 1:Statistically the most valuable player on the field for any of the 30 teams yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:I mean just this little fella and he is playing with big shoes and big gloves, man yeah, he's great.
Speaker 1:Um, he's really proving, at least at this juncture, to be a five-tool guy. Yeah, hitting for average, hitting for power, got the glove, got the speed. I mean he's just, he's doing it all. I mean he really is doing it all and exciting to watch, he's the song.
Speaker 2:The Go Cubs Go song. It's him Right.
Speaker 1:I mean you don't get any better than that no, and I know we've talked about this before, but the Cubs have got to do everything in their power, even if they've got to wait until the offseason to have these conversations. They've got to get him under contract, Without a doubt. They've got to get him paid and make sure he's going to be there long term. Yes, Because he is just the heart and soul of that organization right now in a lot of ways, and they can really, you know, especially if this is you know they sustain the success he's having. I mean, they've got to build around him, or?
Speaker 1:build in addition to him, you know and have him as a big piece of this team moving forward, but the Cubs offense as a whole is looking really good.
Speaker 2:Tucker's doing Tucker things.
Speaker 1:Yep, I have a stat from Sarah Langs, the great Sarah Langs Slangs on Sports. This is from Blue Sky slings on sports. This is from blue sky. Um cubs have 10 games with 10 or more runs scored. That's the cubs most such performances in their first 49 games since 1898. Yeah, that is a long damn time ago. Yes, it is.
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean, it was three different games back then.
Speaker 1:Well, that's what I'm saying is the game was very different back then. Ten runs was not as challenging to achieve with that sort of regularity, I mean, and that's like 20% of your games, it's like one out of every five games. You're putting 10 runs on the board.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean and that makes you very hard to beat when you do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah hard to beat. Hard to beat a team that's scoring 10 runs a lot, unless you give up 11. Well, you're going to have that, you are, you're going to have that. But yeah, looking good and feeling good, this team has again got a lot of good energy behind it.
Speaker 2:Looking good, Lewis. Feeling good Sweeps One person in the audience will get that Just for you, baby, that's your wheelhouse, that is.
Speaker 1:That's your wheelhouse. But yeah, and I think the most encouraging thing this past week from the cubs was you know we talked about the tough schedule and you know you said if they make it through april at 500, you were going to be pretty happy. Yeah, and they blew the doors off of that. Absolutely the playoff probability now is very high for them just because they've performed so well against good teams. The expectation is now that they're going to cruise the rest of the way. Yep, and they get to the white socks, the crosstown rival, uh, for rivalry weekend crosstown classic yep, and they mowed them over, killed them, wasn't even, wasn't even competitive, nope.
Speaker 2:Nope, and it was so fun to watch too, because that's our big rivalry and they put so much into this little series and they just destroyed them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, just did what you expect a good team like the Cubs to do to a bad team like the White Sox. Yeah, and if the Cubs can continue to do that, they're going to be right where they are now.
Speaker 2:And then they come out of that and they go back down to face the Fish and Florida and they lose big. And then come back last night and just annihilate them. Yeah, so everything they're doing is big winning, losing everything. And that's good, that's real good Sure.
Speaker 1:Well, again, you can't win them all, no. But when you get to teams like this, you've got to win a lot more than you lose, right? And that's how you win division and get seeded highly in the playoffs and get to play more home games than away in the playoffs. Cubs are doing it, man.
Speaker 2:I'm predicting right now we will be in it come playoff time.
Speaker 1:I think you're right. It's hard to imagine this team falling off enough barring some big injuries falling off enough to not be. You know, and here's the thing we talked about the gauntlet in the National League. Unless some things really change, you're going to have to win that Central because the second-place team in the Central is not in the playoffs right now. Yeah, if it were to start today and it does not start today, we've got a long way to go, like I said earlier, but Cubs are doing what they need to do, absolutely, and you've got to feel really good about that.
Speaker 2:I do, I do and the injuries have been at a minimum. We've got Hatt back. He's back and playing well and you know it's only been one game but still he's back and that's good and Suzuki did well playing left for him. And you know it's different defense because Suzuki's not as good as Happy is over there because he's used to being in right. But he played great in response to just being thrown in there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I mean that's the thing too is, you know we'll talk about the Dodgers, but when you look at a team like the Dodgers, who it seems like the last four years have dealt with more injuries than just about anybody else, they don't miss a beat most of the time. Yeah, you know, the it's just next guy up and you've got to have that next guy ready. If somebody's moving out of position because there's an injury, they've got to be ready. Uh, be up to the task and and so far the cubs have been and and that's been really encouraging. Um, so, with with some of the injuries on the pitching side, the cubs have taken a bit of a flyer on kenta maeda who, um, here's the thing about kenta maeda he's never been a great pitcher. He has been above average before. He's been very solid. But injuries, the last little bit have taken their toll.
Speaker 1:Eventually was let go by the Tigers after being moved to the bullpen Not looking great. Let's see where that ERA ended up for this year so far 788 after a 609 last year. That was only in 29 games last year. That's the thing. Only in 29 games last year. That that's the thing. Um, the last season that Maeda was above average. Well, he was above average in 2023 um, just barely, but he he had a 160 ERA plus in 2020 in the shortened season. So then that was five years ago. Since then, the most games he's pitched in a season is 29, which was last year, which is not bad, you know, especially for a starter. Um, I don't know, it just seems like he's not been right since that injury a few years ago. But Cubs get him on a minor league deal, you know it's a safe deal.
Speaker 1:It's a very safe deal for the Cubs and if there's anything left in the tank, this could help them. Listen, there is not a world, I don't think, where Kenta Maeda gets a start in the playoffs for the Cubs, because if the injuries get that bad, I think this falls apart for the Cubs on the pitching side. But he can bridge that gap and get you to October still with the division lead, still in playoff position. Eat some innings, you know. Yeah, I don't hate this deal for the Cubs. No, I don't hate this deal for the Cubs.
Speaker 2:No, I don't hate it either, and it might be something where he comes up for the middle of the season and then he's not necessarily on the roster come playoff time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean this could be a temporary thing while we bring Kate Horton along or while we get Imanaga healthy and then we move on. But so every team's got to do that throughout the year. Well, and it seems like a deal where.
Speaker 2:What do we?
Speaker 1:have to lose Totally. I don't think there's anything for the Cubs to lose here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nothing at all, it's all plus. If he's got just a little bit, then that works out.
Speaker 1:And if he doesn't, I mean I don't think he ever gets to the big league roster Right. I think this is very much a guy that they're going to start him out in Iowa and maybe see how he does there and bring him along slowly.
Speaker 1:I mean, and this might be the last time- we talk about Kittimae Could be, it could be nothing, but that's a name especially for me from a Dodger perspective that I perked up a little bit when I thought, oh yeah, that I perked up a little bit when I thought, yeah Well, but also you got to say, knowing Jed Hoyer, he might be pitching tonight.
Speaker 2:You never know.
Speaker 1:I mean, crazier things have happened, yeah yeah, but it's interesting to watch and speculate, to say the very least Absolutely, and you know, by all accounts, all accounts, a good teammate, a good guy, um, so somebody that that you're gonna like having around, and and uh, so we're, we're, definitely hoping for the best from kenta maeda. Yeah, absolutely all right. You got anything else on the cubs?
Speaker 2:just Just go, cubs go. Just keep on doing what you're doing, boys.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, it has been a tough week to be a Dodger fan.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got to open up this part of the conversation by pissing you off and saying I think they're a third-place team. Shit, I do Something doesn't change soon. They're a third-place team, Look man.
Speaker 1:Okay, before I debunk that nonsense, let's lay out what's happened. So one week ago, while we were on the air, we found out that Dalton Rushing was going to be called up to make his Major League debut and I immediately started trying to figure out how that was going to be called up to make his major league debut. And I immediately started trying to figure out how that was going to happen, because the word on Dalton rushing up to this point has been trying to find him another position other than catching Right, because there was a bit of a log jam at the top in the catching department for the Dodgers, with Will Smith being under contract for the next 10 years and Austin Barnes sort of being the longtime backup, you know, but contributor for the Dodgers. And while we were still on the air, we got the news of the corresponding move, which was Austin Barnes was DFA'd. The news of the corresponding move, which was Austin Barnes was DFA'd. This is not surprising because of Barnes' performance as of late.
Speaker 1:This was surprising in the fact that it happened really at all. We've seen the Dodgers hold on to guys, give guys a lot of rope and try to keep the core of the team together. Austin barnes was the longest tenured position player on on the team. I think he was in his 11th year with the dodgers, so you know that was pretty jarring and shocking and it immediately sort of opened up the door of well, now we've got in the coming days. At that point tommy edmund is scheduled to be back and to oscar hernandez is also scheduled to come back. What are those moves going to be? We knew James Altman was going to go down. That was pretty obvious when you looked at the active roster. But when Tommy Edmond comes back, we get another. And this wasn't even a DFA. It's being framed as a DFA by a lot of people and a lot of good baseball journalists, but it was not a DFA.
Speaker 1:Chris Taylor was outright released and I think that was just as simple as the Dodgers saying look, we're going to buy you out of the contract, we're going to pay you what you're owed and we're going to let you go get an opportunity to catch on somewhere else. However that works out for you, right, we're not going to make you go through this process and all this. We respect you enough to say we're just. We're just going to cut ties completely and let you move on. And we're going to move on and hopefully chris taylor can catch on somewhere else and find some success.
Speaker 1:Um, with another team and you know that one, while less shocking, you know, because had they been done in opposite order, chris taylor would have been more shocking. Right, because I don't think any dodger fan envisioned either of these guys being dfa'd or released or let go in any way. But andrew friedman talked publicly about the fact that this division right now is really competitive and really tough and they felt a sense of urgency. They couldn't just keep guys that weren't performing on the roster when you've got Hesung Kim in the minors, who comes up and is batting over 400, and Dalton Rushing, who's this great prospect who could be your backup catcher and then maybe play the outfield another day a week and get regular at bats and contribute and has contributed more already than austin barns was previously. So the dodgers are feeling the heat a little bit yeah, they got a lot going on over there.
Speaker 2:I mean a lot and that's and it's not all good, though I mean not to be a whole thing, but I see what you're saying.
Speaker 1:They're circumstantial of what's going on here well, you know, then, then we, we get swept over the weekend by the angels at home. Yeah, which was bad. Well, it's not good by any means. It's something that hasn't happened in a very long time. But I think the Dodgers are just sort of.
Speaker 1:You know, the pitching's not looked great. Don't get me wrong, I'm not. I'm not glossing over the fact that the pitching is a bit of an issue right now. You know, kershaw comes back, and because he's Clayton Kershaw, he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. This is his first start, after two surgeries in the offseason and all this. He's Clayton Kershaw, so if he doesn't throw a no-hitter, the internet is on his back. Yeah, and he's used to that. I'm sure he's not even paying attention, right, he's just showing up to work every day and doing what he needs to do. But Dustin May has fallen off a little bit. The bullpen is not really what the bullpen should be. There's some injuries there too that we're working through. I just think the Dodgers are in a little bit of a transitional phase right now, and I think we're just getting all the infinity stones in place so that we can take on the world. Okay, I think that's all it is. I don't think—I mean I'm not hitting the panic button.
Speaker 2:I'm not hitting the panic button either, but I watched Kershaw pitch and I felt bad for him. I felt bad for his kids. He was terrible and I think he knew he was. I mean, he just did not have any control over it and just he wasn't Kersh. And I hope that that's just a one-off coming back. You know the one night coming back. But what if it isn't? That's the question I'm posing. What if we get him in there next time and he's not the wonder boy?
Speaker 1:So four innings pitched, five runs on five hits, three walks, two strikeouts and gave up a home run. Not great, no, not great. But you know, could have been a lot worse. Yeah, it could have been. And again, I think that gets blown out of proportion, again from an optics standpoint, because we're talking about one of the greatest pitchers of all time.
Speaker 2:Right and I still say that he's the best left-hander. I agree with that statement that you made last week. He's the best left-hander. I agree with that statement that you made last week. And maybe the expectations are too much for him and that it's our fault. You know we expected way too much from him, but I expected him to come out there and just be a world-beater.
Speaker 1:Well, your expectations were a little high, I think, probably. You know the velocity's not there anymore. I think he's still figuring his way. You know figuring out how to deal with that. It's just.
Speaker 2:Well the way okay. I've seen a lot of Cubs over the years pitching, stay one year longer than they should have and be disastrous to the club, and I really hope that's not what's going on with Kersh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, time will tell. Yeah, you know we're going to see, you know, I don't know. And I don't know, you know, when we get to October. Obviously injuries are going to play a role in this, but if we get some guys healthy on the pitching side, what is Clayton Kershaw's role in October?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know I go right back to what we were just saying. This is no longer an organization that feels like they can keep Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes on the roster for the sentimental value and for the people Right. You know it's coming down to what you do on the field and if this is what Kershaw is now, I don't know. Yeah, and don't get me wrong, they're not going to outright release Clayton Kershaw. That ain't happening.
Speaker 2:No, no, not going to outright release Clayton Kershaw. That ain't happening. No, no, not at all.
Speaker 1:He'll make the call, yeah, but I can see a scenario where we get Snell back, maybe we get Glass now back, and this becomes a. We need Kershaw out of the bullpen, you know, or as a piggyback guy or as a, I don't know. You know, I just and I think Kersh is going to be okay with that if that's the situation Right. You know, we still have Landon Knack starting games or taking the bulk of games. You know Matt Sauer is still on the roster. I mean, there's a lot of things that you know, a lot of guys that are going to be moved out of the way before.
Speaker 1:Clayton Kershaw, without question. Oh yeah, I agree, because there's still the track record. You still want him in the room and it's one start, right, it's one start first, one back and again, it wasn't just one surgery, it's two surgeries after a surgery last year too, yeah, you know, injuries just piled up on him a little bit and I think he's just got to get comfortable and healthy and trust that these parts of his body are not going to break down on him. You know, just by him giving 100%, yeah. So again.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, it's a miracle that he came back after two surgeries. Yeah, I mean a lot of pitchers want to come back.
Speaker 1:Right, especially at you know what? Is he 37? Yeah, at this point. So you're totally right. Let me look that up real quick so I don't misspeak. 37, okay, yeah, 37 years old, obviously, his bet, I mean, and I think he knows this. Um, best days are behind him, right, but I I have a hard time believing that clayton kershaw can't contribute to a, to a championship team. Yeah, I just, I feel like there's still plenty left in the tank there. Uh, it's just, we just got to be a little patient. I know, I know he is who he is and I know I know the expectation is really high. But we, we gotta just take a breath, calm down. It's one start. You know the angel series is one series. Yeah, one weekend out of a long year, and um just trust that this team is going to get put together. Um, and here's the thing, if there's still holes and question marks, in a couple months, friedman and the front office, they're going to go out and make trades and get help. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So you know, Do you think they'll nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem?
Speaker 1:I think that's exactly what they're attempting to do right now. I think that's why Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes aren't on this roster anymore. Right, it's because they're trying to nip it in the bud now and they're trying to keep this team in first place. And you know, that was something else that Andrew Friedman spoke about was the importance of winning the division, and they see themselves as a division champion. That's the goal. That's goal number one is to win the division and put yourself in a good position in October, because you know, I know we got swept at home by the Angels, but you still want to play more at Dodger Stadium than you're on the road when it comes to October. Oh, absolutely, you want to be in that atmosphere.
Speaker 1:You want to be at home and than you're on the road when it comes to October, oh, absolutely, you want to be in that atmosphere. You want to be at home and you know I think any team would say that but especially the Dodgers, who you know have the best attendance numbers. You know the last several years of anybody in the major leagues and you know players talk about how loud Dodger Stadium gets and what a tough place it is to come in as a visitor and play, and you know that's where you want to be playing the bulk of your games in October if you're the Dodgers, and the way to do that is to go win the division and win as many games as you can. But at the same time we talk about Dave Roberts and the philosophy and the fact that they don't have to try to win every game in May. They're good enough that they're still going to be there.
Speaker 1:But this division is a problem. I mean it's stacked. I mean there's four teams in this division that it's not that far-fetched to see in the playoffs. Yeah, and not just in the playoffs, but making a run Right. You know the Padres are a pain in the ass. Like usual. I think the Giants are better than some people thought they would be and haven't you know slowed down. And then the Diamondbacks are there too, and you know that's who the Dodgers have right now and they've played the Dodgers really tough. So this is a tough, tough division and you're right, if this continues for a long period of time, the Dodgers start slipping in the standings.
Speaker 2:Third place. Third place, brother.
Speaker 1:It's painful to look at, but in in about a month we may have to start talking about it well, we'll talk about it in a month because when I look at the standings I still see the dodgers is the first line of that division.
Speaker 2:So I mean, I, I get that, but I watched the game and was like kersh buddy, whoo, whoo. I looked up one time and the kids were eating nachos and I was like, oh, that's not good. That's not good when the baby boy is rather eating the nachos than watch Daddy Pig. Kids got to eat, man. Well, that's true, kids got to eat.
Speaker 2:Maybe they hadn't met him and that was his dinner for the day. I'm sure that kid eats more than his share of food. Oh, I'm sure, I. I'm sure that kid eats more than his share of food. Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure he doesn't want for anything.
Speaker 1:No man, if he wants some nachos, get him some nachos, that's it. That's it, I'd like some nachos.
Speaker 2:Talking about the Braves, last night they had a camera shot of a kid, maybe 11 years old, and he had an Atlanta Hawks or Atlanta Falcons football helmet on at the baseball game. And we were like to be a kid, you know, to just be able to wear a football helmet to a baseball game. I mean that kid's really dialed in man, he's on his game, but, yeah, the Dodgers can turn this around very easily. I'm just starting to get worried, but we do have plenty of time before, you know, panic creeps in and let's just hope they get back on track before that becomes a reality.
Speaker 1:Well, it's not all bad. Dalton rushing comes up has looked really good. I thought his first game he looked really comfortable. Yeah, he did. He looked loose, he looked like he belonged there and that's important. That's why I made it a point to make sure I watched that game Right. I wanted to see the body language. I wanted to see the look on his face. I wanted to see how he was interacting with, you know, his teammates and the opposing players and the umpires and just everybody else on the field, to see how he was handling that moment.
Speaker 2:And he, I mean, he was ready in that moment and he, I mean he was ready, what was it? A double or a triple that he legged out and on the first, first little bit, and and you, you could just tell at that moment he was at home, that he was comfortable yeah, I mean I can't remember it was a double.
Speaker 2:I want to say it's a triple, but I don't think I think it was a double. Okay, I think it was a double. But yeah, he just looked very smooth when he did it. Most importantly, he looked like he had been there before, and that's the name of the game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, I mean just a really good. Sorry I'm flitting around on the iPad. I apologize, I'm not being the best host right now, but, um, it wasn't that day. I'm trying to find the, the numbers from his, from his debut I mean if dave doesn't seem worried about all this.
Speaker 2:So if dave is not worried about it, I guess we really shouldn't be I mean, that's certainly one way to look at it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm having. I don't know, but Rushing has looked good and he's performed at the plate. I think he's still I mean, this goes without saying in a way but it's worth bringing up, and this could be part of Kershaw's struggles too.
Speaker 1:I think Rushing is still learning how to command a pitching staff and call a game at the big league level. All right, it looked like there were some guys having some trouble on the mound that maybe it was like, okay, how much of this is them and how much is the game plan and the game calling and how much of that is in Dalton Rushing's hands and how much are they shielding him from that? Yeah, you know, Now don't get me wrong. If Kershaw wanted to shake off Dalton Rushing, he absolutely was going to do that. Yeah, and get away with it. You know. But it's. Chris taylor and austin barnes weren't playing a lot, but replacing them in the room is gonna is gonna come with a little bit of a transitional phase yeah it.
Speaker 1:It's felt very much this this past week. It's felt very much like the end of an era. It's like this is the moment where we've gone from the team that was put together that got us to this point. Now we're really, really fully leaning into the evil empire identity and saying, look, the sentimental doesn't matter anymore, because we have to win this tough division and we have to continue. We have to keep our spot because there's there's all these teams coming for our spot and gunning for the dodgers. And if we want to keep that spot and continue to be what we've been for the last decade plus, we cannot let guys rot on the bench because they've they've had big moments for us or they've been in that room for so long Right.
Speaker 1:And I think that while those are tough decisions and they're going to be heavily criticized by some, I think those are the right calls being made by the Dodgers. And we saw in the offseason they won the World Series in spite of all the troubles and all the drama and all the injuries. They still won it all, but they went out in the offseason and got better. And that's all they're doing here is they're saying I know it's May, but we got to get better, and we can get better by moving guys out of the way and calling guys up that are ready to perform at the big league level. And that's been the case because, again, hesong Kim and Dalton Rushing have forced the issue. They've forced the issue.
Speaker 1:They've really made these decisions that much more difficult on the Dodgers front office and the coaching staff and everybody involved in making roster moves, and that's a good thing. That's a very good thing. Obviously, you've got the stars, you've got Otani, mookie, freddie, but you need those guys underneath that. You need the guys coming off the bench and not playing every day. You need them contributing, you need them, um, making positive contributions, uh, to, to, to, to wins, and, and, and that's what so far has song kim and dalton russian rushing have done yeah, and and thank goodness they've done it.
Speaker 2:um, they, they've needed that. I that's the thing that's keeping them in this, yeah Is players like that and moments like that they're creating.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and look, edmund and Teoscar are back, but they're very much slow playing it. They both got a night off last night. They're not just coming right back in to playing every day and their usual selves. This is sort of a slow burn and you know, when they get comfortable and they get back and they get in shape, they're going to be just fine. Yeah, you know, this is still a team that I'm putting up against anybody else in the majors on any given day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean time will tell. We will see. You know, is it temporary and will they be able to be the Dodgers we know they can be?
Speaker 1:Absolutely, Absolutely. So that's what's going on in Dodger land right now and again, it's not been a great week and the dogs have big opinions about it, but I'm not hitting the panic button. I think we're far from that point and I definitely don't think this is a third-place team, even in this division. Well, like I said, we'll see. You want to put some money on it?
Speaker 2:Well, I'll bet your money on it. That's what I thought.
Speaker 1:That's what I thought. All right, it is time for our new favorite segment. It is time for White Sox Watch.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:The 2025 Colorado Rockies are on White Sox Watch because just last year we saw the worst team in Major League history, the 2024 White Sox. So now, every week, we are comparing where that team was and where this team is. So one year ago on this day, the White Sox were 15 and 34. That's a 306 win percentage. They were 17 games out of first place with a negative 100 run differential. Doesn't get much worse than that. Does it? Well, let's see? Does it? It sure does, because the car hold my beer. The colorado rockies are currently 8 and 40. Wow, that's a 167 win percentage. They are already 21 and a half games out of first place, man, and they have a negative 153 run differential. I mean, I think I could find it is May 21st for crying out loud.
Speaker 2:I think I could find you know seven more guys and we could win at least eight games out of four.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you think you could find seven guys for eight total. Play a man down and be better than the Rockies are right now.
Speaker 2:No, I'm counting you in there, unless you want to be the manager, and in that case I'm going to need eight guys.
Speaker 1:I want to be in the front row eating popcorn, right, right okay. And hot dogs.
Speaker 2:Well then we're going to need nine guys, okay, but I think we could win eight games. I mean, I think we could luck up and win eight games.
Speaker 1:I don't know, man. I mean we talk so much about how tough the division is and I mean they're the one exception in the division right now. Everybody else is in the playoff hunt, winning games, playing great, looking good, feeling good, and the Rockies are just not any of that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But I don't know. I don't know if nine guys off the street could do any better.
Speaker 2:I don't know, we'll see. I mean, let's round them up. If you know nine guys and you think you can win eight ball games, contact us at pirate flag no, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1:Oh, that was almost a great room yeah, it was right so uh, yeah, the uh. The rockies are well on their way to a worse season. I mean this is baffling. I mean we talked so much about the White Sox last year and how bad they were and part of that was I didn't dream that we would ever be here again in our lifetime.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean this is gotten out of control. Yeah, it's bad, it is really bad. I want to see Okay, I'm just going to look real quick I want to see where the how the white socks are doing compared to last year oh, they're a lot better. I mean, they gotta be right they have the exact same record, do they? 15 and 34? Well, 17 games out, which is exactly where they were last year at this time.
Speaker 2:Wow Well they're consistent.
Speaker 1:Their run differential's a little better. Well, that's good. They're only negative 56. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:So that's you know, Maybe we could have a B team playoff like the loser division? You know, did they do that in Little League? I don't remember.
Speaker 1:They did that in wrestling.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, like amateur wrestling.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:They would take all so that everybody was in the tournament. They would have a B division and it was all the losers, right, right, the losers bracket.
Speaker 1:Right. Well, unfortunately for the White Sox and the Rockies, they would definitely be in the losers bracket.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, definitely my goodness.
Speaker 1:Well, we're going to keep up with the Rockies all season and, I don't know, maybe the new manager is going to make a difference and get them over the hump. Maybe they'll go on a little bit of a heater and win some ballgames.
Speaker 2:They haven't won a series all year yet, but I still want to know at what point are they going to be mathematically eliminated?
Speaker 1:yeah, that's going to be soon. It's got to be soon. Right, it's going to be I mean sooner than you think like tuesday all right.
Speaker 2:Um, good good news, boys is, is we can go home early for the season. Bad news is we gotta stay and play a hundred more games.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I gotta do some digging and see what the earliest anyone's ever been mathematically eliminated and none of the hundred is gonna count at all, but you gotta play because we're paying you yeah, still gotta. That's the thing man is is to be in that clubhouse and still have to show up every day and play. Yeah, knowing the situation you're in well, they can't be dialed in.
Speaker 2:I mean they got to be so far dialed out. I mean, you know they, they need some live chickens, some statues, some rum. They need to really get in on this thing and turn this thing around.
Speaker 1:Yeah, something's got to change quick for this Rockets team.
Speaker 2:And it's got to be something supernatural, because they're just not getting it done in the practical.
Speaker 1:At some point, like at what point does the coaching staff start going look, guys, we're not going to be in the playoffs, we're not going to win a lot of ball games, but we've got to start winning more games so that we are not the worst team ever? Like at what point do you start preaching that and say, guys, we've just got to win today?
Speaker 2:Well, at what point do you put all the names in a hat and just start pulling them out for random positions, or put them up on a dartboard and just throw the darts to see who plays where?
Speaker 1:yeah, I don't know I don't know, couldn't get much worse. No, no, I mean eight and forty yeah, yeah was it kiki that pitched this week.
Speaker 2:I think rojas pitched rojas, that's who it was and what. Nobody having any more fun than him pitching.
Speaker 1:No, he loves it.
Speaker 2:Oh, he was smiling ear to ear. He threw seriously like a 25-mile-an-hour fastball and just started laughing. He almost hits a batter and the guy has this look like what the hell yeah yeah, can't even put it over the plate when he was 25. It was setting up for his curve Right.
Speaker 1:Brushing him off the plate so he can paint the outside corner.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:All right, we got some more negative stuff we want to get out of the way. We promise we'll end on a fun note because we have some concession talk, which we always love doing, yep, but man, and you made a comment when this news broke that this is really early for us to have three managers fired already. Yeah, but the orioles have fired brandon high now, with the pirates and derrick shelton and the rockies and bud black. It was a little bit different because those teams weren't supposed to be any good. This was almost inevitable in those scenarios. The orioles have been good and we're supposed to be good again this year, and that has just not been what's taking place. Yeah, and all of a sudden, brandon hyde is out of a job. Um, and he deserves a lot of credit for what he did with this team through a rebuild. He was there through a rebuild, basically, but now I mean it just wasn't supposed to be this way.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, ashley was like let's watch some of the Orioles in the beginning and I was like, yeah, and she lost interest. So that tells you, right there, what's going on inning. And I was like, yeah, and she lost interest. So that tells you, right there, what's going on. They can't, you know, they're just not playing well, and who wants to watch them lose all the time if they're not your team? Um, I mean, it's, it's a lot of firings a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's three and we're not even through may yet.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, I mean, the chopping block is real boys.
Speaker 1:Now here's the real difference. The real difference comes in the offseason, when these three jobs are probably open, because the three guys replacing the fired managers are likely just interim to get you through the rest of the year, and this Orioles job looks really enticing to a manager looking for a job. Yeah, so you know, we'll see how many openings there are when we get to that point, but it's hard to envision another team's managerial position coming available. That's more enticing for for a potential manager than this orioles club.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I would say a new guy would come in there thinking that it would be easily turned around. I mean it should be right. I mean they got all the tools. Well, they need some pitching. Well, everybody needs pitching.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but they really need pitching. Yeah, Like some teams need a little bit of pitching. They need a whole new staff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we should rename of pitching they need a whole new staff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, uh, we shouldn't rename the show. Who needs pitching this week? Yeah, yeah, um it. I just it's gotten ugly for the orioles and it's gotten ugly fast. Um, you know this. This is looking more and more every day like a last place team. Um, I mean, there's six and a half games out of fourth place. Yeah, I mean one and nine in their last ten. They've lost eight in a row. That's tough, it's just not looking good.
Speaker 1:I mean, how do you keep a good morale and come out and say, well, today's the day, boys, today's the day you know, and now there's an expected win-loss, yeah, where they can kind of figure out like you know oh well, you know you've won 15, but you really were only supposed to win 12.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it's like, okay, you're overperforming a little bit. This team is right where they're expected to be. Their expected win-loss is 15 and 32, and their real win-loss is 15 and 32. They just are not getting the job done. And this pitching staff is abysmal for the Orioles, and you know, look, they got to go get some pitching. They have to, or this is going to spiral.
Speaker 1:And here's the other thing Are they going to be sellers at the deadline? I mean because they have a rich position player group. Now that group is not performing up to expectations, but there are guys on this team that, if they get dealt to, a contender, could be contributors, could make a contending team better, and maybe the Oriolesoles say all right, let's, let's take some offers and kick the can down the road and get some prospects, maybe get some pitching prospects for some of these, um, this plethora of position player depth that we kind of have, and, and, and you know, kick the rebuild two, two, three years down the road. I don't know that that's what they're going to do, but I don't think it's out of the question.
Speaker 2:I think one of these three teams is going to experience a mass exodus of players. I think they're going to come in and just try to rebuild the hell out of them, and the Orioles might be the one.
Speaker 1:Maybe. Maybe because the other two don't seem interested in spending money or making moves or any of that. No, they're just going through the motions, kind of yeah, but the Orioles, you know, and this is an owner who has put himself out in the public eye, he's made himself very visible and he has not really spoken publicly since the firing of the manager and you know, the baseball barbie cast covered this and and they kind of made the point of like you can't have it both ways. Yeah, you can't just be, you know dancing in the crowd and and and you know making bobbleheads of yourself when things are going good and then, when things go bad, just disappear into the background. Yeah, you can't have it both ways, it's one or the other.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And if you want to be the public-facing guy, you got to kind of come out and eat this and own it.
Speaker 2:I hear the bobbleheads this season have frowns on their faces, whereas in Colorado they haves on their faces, whereas in Colorado they have bags on their heads on the bobbleheads.
Speaker 1:Well, as we continue this week's edition of who Needs Pitching, the Phillies have entered this conversation because, in a year where their bullpen has really underperformed, their closer, jose Alvarado, has now been suspended 80 games for PEDs and will not be eligible for the playoffs upon his return.
Speaker 2:You know how you could avoid all that, tell me you could just put everybody on the gas.
Speaker 1:They can't suspend. All of us, they can't suspend everybody, let's all take them.
Speaker 1:But this is a huge blow. I mean, this was basically the one reliable reliever this team had. You know, they kind of redid this bullpen and the guys that were still there have not been up to snuff. And Jordan Romano, who they brought in, has been really bad. And now you don't have your closer who has been the one reliable arm in relief. Now, look, they got eight or ten starters and come playoff time some of those starters are going to be in the bullpen, but you, you still got to.
Speaker 1:You still got to close out games yeah and this is probably this is looking like a playoff team. I mean, they, they, they're right there with the mets and the nl east and um winning a lot of ball games and um, you know, obviously they're doing it by scoring a lot of runs, but um, you, you still, you still got to piece it together and and get through, get through games, and I mean, you still got to go get the other team out yeah, I mean.
Speaker 2:But the phillies are pesky, they're the eastern version of the padres.
Speaker 1:They're, they're always going to be in it and they're always going to be annoying yeah, they kind of do have that vibe, but this is also a team that's been really close and is not 1-1 in recent memory and I think the front office and the ownership is highly motivated.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you know, I mean I don't know that there's going to be good relief help on the market at the deadline. I don't know that there's anybody that's got a guy on the last year of a contract that they see as expendable, that they can get something back for that's going to be able to help this team. They kind of are now stuck with what they've got in a lot of ways and um well, that's the thing we might.
Speaker 2:Should talk about that in future episodes. Uh, with everybody needing pitching what you know, what's actually there right now it's easy to say, well, everybody needs pitching. Well, you know, is there enough to go around?
Speaker 1:yeah, there's only so much to go around. Yeah, that's very evident these days, and this is not good for the Phillies.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:It's just bad, and you know look.
Speaker 2:I keep hearing Pete's voice ringing in my ear saying it's all about pitching and nothing else matters. Well, yeah, but what about nothing matters, kid um?
Speaker 1:okay, pete. Damn, since pete came up, we have not covered any of the pete rose stuff, for a myriad of reasons. Um, if you want to know, especially brian's stance on pete rose, um and his place in in the history of the game, that's in the archives from when pete passed away. Yeah, um, we are not gonna chew our food twice and we're not gonna get political on this show it's just not gonna happen. Yeah, um, and there's too much of that surrounding this story for us to feel comfortable covering it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've already said it.
Speaker 1:Everybody else is covering the change in the policy surrounding the lifetime ban list and death. Everyone else has covered it. You can go listen to anybody else to hear about that. They've all covered it. You can go listen to anybody else, uh, to hear about that. Um, they've, they've all covered it. We're, we're just not gonna.
Speaker 2:We're just not gonna talk I will say this about shoeless joe, though that kind of makes me happy. We we haven't talked about shoeless joe, so that's not chewing our food twice, but I'm I'm happy for him. I mean not that he would know, because he's been deceased for quite some time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure, but that's all we're going to say on that, absolutely, and that's why we've not been covering it, even though it's been a big story. Yeah.
Speaker 2:In the game of baseball. We've already covered it before it was news.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know we also cover our opinion on should he or will he be in the Hall of Fame and all that. It's all in the archives. So if you want our opinion on that, go check that out. Yeah, all right, let's end on an upbeat note. Let's do it. It feels like it's been a few weeks since we had exciting new concession items to talk about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know we have talked about hot dogs so much on this show that I miss my ballpark hot dogs. I've been having to get them from dairy queen.
Speaker 1:I've cheated and they've been yummy. Hey man, next month we've got appalachian lady. I know we can go to we can go to a fly boys game and get a hot dog?
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely, and I'm going to eat a plethora of them, a plethora, a plethora of hot dogs.
Speaker 1:You put the wrong emphasis on the wrong syllable, but the Yankees have introduced some fun new souvenir concession items, one of which we saw on social media this past week. It is a popcorn bucket shaped like Yankee Stadium. It's gold, which is kind of cool. Nice look, almost sandstone. I have done the research, as I always do, and found that this I don't know how big this bucket is other than the visual. I haven't got like a measurement on it. How big is your bucket? Well, this bucket in particular is $14.99, which I was a little surprised. I was expecting it to be a little more and that might seem like a lot for popcorn. Until you find out that you know, in addition to getting to keep this really cool souvenir, once you've eaten all the popcorn, you get free refills until the seventh inning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I mean that's amazing. That right there for me is a definite buy, because if I'm gonna eat a bunch of popcorn, then not only do I get the souvenir uh thing to take home, but you know, I can refill it. I can refill it right before the game's over and take it home. Take some extra popcorn home, well, I mean before the seventh inning. Well, you're right, but I mean what's two innings? Okay? Yeah, I mean it's so big, if you're looking at it that way. Yeah, so you could eat it and then take some with you or you could just keep it. Bottomless Popcorn bowl.
Speaker 1:Then you take it home and you wash it out and you let it dry and you can keep your remote controls and your TV guide in there. Absolutely, that's very cool or your change.
Speaker 2:Ice cream Make it an ice cream bucket, if you like a little bit of ice cream here and there.
Speaker 1:Or if you like a carton of ice cream in one sitting, but not eating it right out of the carton.
Speaker 2:I resemble that remark.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's a lot of things you can do with this bucket. Once you eat the popcorn and bring it home, you wash your car with it. Sure, if you really want to. Yeah, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't either.
Speaker 2:but you could trick or treat in it.
Speaker 1:No, listen, I definitely think this is a buy. Yeah, I mean this is, you know, that's not a bad concession price at the ballpark, especially if you get as much popcorn as you want. I've read online that this is not something you have to go to one specific place in the stadium to get. It's pretty much everywhere you can get popcorn in the ballpark has this option.
Speaker 2:And that makes it nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so it's super convenient. While you're there, um, you know, 14.99, you got a couple kids. Yeah, you know they, they eat all that popcorn. Hey, just go get you a refill. You know, run up there and get you a refill, have some more popcorn and and and and, you're happy and you didn't spend that much money no, no, it's a definite buy.
Speaker 2:For me too. It was almost a definite buy, just on the bowl alone.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, this is on MLB's social media. If you've yet to see it, it's a really nice-looking souvenir popcorn bucket.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it looks just like Yankee Stadium.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's great, you know, and you know, one of the more iconic-looking ballparks from the outside, even the new one. They kind of did a good job of keeping that element, giving it that old school ballpark look. You know, just a really refreshing new souvenir concession item, in my opinion. Just really, really cool and uh, yeah, I think I think it's a resounding yes, a resounding buy from uh, two guys talking baseball let's buy it, we'll take it you got to go to new york city, the bronx, to get it.
Speaker 1:But if you're already there or if that's or if that's your thing, yeah, not really mine. But if it's your thing, yeah, 14 really mine. But if it's your thing, yeah.
Speaker 2:Do you know why I won't go to New York?
Speaker 1:Tell me why you won't go to New.
Speaker 2:York Because they closed my favorite Toys R Us in Yonkers. It's no longer there. It was two stories Toys R Us. I loved it. Anytime I was up above the Mason-Dixon line and up in that area, I would drive extra just to go there. Yeah, up above the mason dixon line and up in that area, I would drive extra just to go there. Yeah, it was amazing and they closed it and I'm just not going up there no more well they, they closed all the toys.
Speaker 1:Rss pal, I know, but that was my favorite and yonkers is quite a, quite a haul from the bronx no, it's, it's almost all the way.
Speaker 2:They're nowhere close to each other.
Speaker 1:Yeah, some guy from New York is yelling at his phone right now listening to this, those Southern boys don't know where. He's in a Southern accent. Yeah, he's got a Southern accent.
Speaker 2:Them Southern boys don't know where they're going.
Speaker 1:All right, well, that's all we had planned to talk about. Brian, you got anything to get off your chest before we head on our way today?
Speaker 2:I just want to say and I experience this ever so often during the summer, where the sun goes down, the air conditioning's right, you're just full enough of food, you got you a nice cold drink and and you're watching a good game and there's nothing that beats that you do. It's that moment where you look around you're, you're content for a moment and you're like man, it's like third inning, I got six more innings before I have to go back to reality.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, that's a great feeling it is a really good feeling and we've hit that time of year Hopefully the tornado watches and warnings.
Speaker 2:We're not really used to that in Tennessee but yeah, I'm watching the game last night. It's like the eighth inning and you know we're about to wrap this thing up. I'm hoping the Braves are going to pull this out and it's. It's coming Right and Ashley goes into full panic attack and I'm like can you not wait an inning before you go into?
Speaker 1:this panic attack.
Speaker 2:She's like don't you hear that I'm like, yeah, but let's focus one thing at a time.
Speaker 1:We'll shelter in place in a minute.
Speaker 2:Yeah, give me, give us, let me get through this game and then we'll we'll move into the bathroom oh goodness gracious, all right.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks as always for listening. Thanks as always to pirate flag radio for putting up with our shenanigans and, uh, I don't know man making us a part of the family, even though, yeah, we love being a part of the family, we are for sure yeah, it's, it's great, uh, if you're uh, if you want some, uh, if you want some wrestling talk throughout your week.
Speaker 1:Brian has a new podcast called Making the Towns with Brian Logan, where he's going through his books and covering every match of his 30-plus year career in professional wrestling and we're about to get to some really good stuff where he encountered some future megastars in professional wrestling. I'd say most of you, if you are familiar at all with wrestling, have heard of Chris Jericho and that's available wherever you get your podcasts as well, making the towns with Brian Logan. And if you're just so loyal to Pirate Flag, you can listen on Pirate Flag 2 every day at 11 am and new episodes on Saturdays, similar to how this show operates on Pirate Flag Radio. And yeah, we got a lot going on in the world. We're just getting started with the summer and the real part of the baseball season.
Speaker 2:The meat and potatoes of the season.
Speaker 1:Yeah, totally. The meat and potatoes portion of the year is upon us and, man, I feel like we've just got so much to talk about each and every week.
Speaker 2:I know we do, it's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yep, every time I make a format with all this stuff to talk about every week, I think about the off season and how challenging that was to get through. But uh, no more, it is. Uh, it is. It is almost summer. We're, we're right here, baseball season in full effect, and we'll be back next week. I have a challenging schedule next week, but I made it a point to not miss. Next week we're going to do a podcast and it'll be a little bit later in the week next week than it has been recently, but that's just how it's going to be moving forward. No change on the schedule for Pirate Flag. That's going to remain the same. But if you listen on the podcast apps, as soon as we publish each and every week, it'll be more like Friday next week than it's been Wednesday recently.
Speaker 1:But, anyways, enough about my schedule. We'll be back next week to talk I mean, I don't know, man, we're going to talk more Rockies, for sure. Oh, yeah, absolutely, and more Cubs and Dodgers, and then whatever else presents itself between now and then. But yeah, yeah, we'll be back with more baseball before you know it. So for brian, I'm dallas, we'll see you at the ballpark.
