Episode 55: Is Alex Cora the First or The Last?

Alex Cora and a big chunk of the Boston Red Sox coaching staff got canned over the weekend.  The Jimmies discuss which managers they think might be next.

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Baseball fans and baseball lovers, good day. Thank you for joining us for another episode of the MLB Clubhouse with the Jimmies. We got a manager that got fired after his team scored 17 runs and just completely shellacked another team. And we're gonna talk about some other managers that might be on the hot seat tonight, fellas. There could be quite a few. More to come on that later. But Veriteg was one of the guys. Um Cor Corden? Cronin? Joe Cronin was one of the guys. Um basically Alex Cloro's whole whole crew, they all got let go.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

Just put my sunflower suit into my drink.

SPEAKER_05 1:02

That's like the good old days when I used to take a sip out of the wrong bottle and it was messing up. Oh, yeah, some good stuff, bringing back some good memories there.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

That was noble Wendell letting us know because if he didn't say anything, we probably wouldn't, and all of our listeners would better include. So, Wendell, thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Pissed off. That's JWB, man. Some expensive scotch. I just fucked up.

SPEAKER_05 1:26

At least you can put a little salt in there.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

You say it'll make your seats taste a little better, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:32

All right, the guard dogs go north of the border. Game one was a home run derby as the Guardians and the Jays combined for five homers. Angel Martinez had two of those. Gavin Williams and Max Scherzer both got pumped, but Cleveland's bullpen was better. Toronto took the next two and the series. The Jays may have a new closer in Louis Varland as he got the last two saves of the series. Minnesota and Tampa Bay, the battle of the baby budget in Tampa. Drew Rasmussen and Shane McClanagan both shoved, and Yondi Diaz had the big homer in game three. He's batting about 340 this year. The Rays sweep the Twinkies. LA Angels, the Halos, visit the Royals, and it wasn't pretty, but the Royals got the sweep. Witt Jr. got his first home run of the season on Sunday. That was getting a little awkward. Jackie Caggs hit a game tying homer in the ninth, and Lane Thomas walked it off in the tenth with a big three-run, big fly. Um, New York Yankees at Houston. Every Yankee infielder homered in game one for a 12-4 shellacken. Uh Austin Wells being the go-ahead homer in game two. But Spencer et a get that he was twirling the pill and the pasta in game three. Uh just one run allowed in seven innings, and uh Houston salvages the set. The Yanks end up with two out of three. Washington and Chicago White Sox, the Nats take two out of three. Murakami has 11 dingers on the season, boys. Just a reminder, he was my rookie of the year pick. Um, and then the A's visit our Rangers, and our boys just can't score enough runs, man. The A's end up taking two out of three. Slay Dude, do you have some AL standings for us?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

I do. Speaking of those Yankees right there and the Tampa Bay Rays, they're only separated by one game right now. Baltimore, two games under coming back down to earth. Josh, as you said, Boston, who has now won three in a row, maybe because they have fired their entire staff and from office, maybe, but uh 12 and 17 after winning three in a row. So maybe it tells you how bad it was there. Now we'll get into it. Um, still very surprising they did what they did. I heard a couple theories that I'm sure that y'all heard of, and and maybe why. We'll see if our stories match up. Well, something pretty dumb, I think. You know, for anyways from what I heard. But you know, Yankees are being the Yankees, you know, the only team in the East with a positive run differential right now, which is crazy, but you don't see a lot of positive run differential in the American League very much at all. Because besides the I guess this really the top two teams in the in the NL East, there's um not a lot of teams that are really that over 500. So in the Central, Cleveland's still sticking around right at the 500 mark at 15 and 15. But our new leader in the clubhouse in the central, surprise, surprise, not to you two, because I think y'all both picked Detroit, but we're only 29-30 games in. Detroit is uh not so much playing that well, just taking advantage of a division that's really not playing that good. They're five and five in their last 10, but the three teams below them, Cleveland, Minnesota, and Chicago in this order are on losing streaks of 3-5 and just two games. So the hottest team in that division is the last place team retired for last place because of that sweep, Josh, like you said. Kansas City, if they're gonna do it, they might as well do it against somebody that's in the Rangers division and do it against the A's, or excuse me, the Angels, so that's good. We'll take it. Lone at the top of the NL West are those athletics 15 and 13. Nothing to write home about with the run differential of negative eight. We have a run differential of plus six. That's gonna go down here shortly, I believe, because we have scored no runs, and we're down by four to the Yankees right now. So Rangers still hovering right at 500. Seattle's starting to catch some uh, you know, catch some wind in their cells, although the twins are putting it on them tonight. They just got done sweeping, unfortunately, your Cardinals. But uh Cardinals still window going to it, you know, they're still above 500, and I guess along with everyone else in their stupid division, amazingly. So not a lot of movement at all, really, because of all the teams that are just right around 500 and two that's gonna be. But Josh, you kind of said it. I think Tampa Bay's kind of kind of your your Cleveland, as far as what I think. And you know, those guys got the second best record in the freaking American league right now, and yeah, it's just and one tonight.

SPEAKER_05 6:05

And then yeah, I mean, they just keep getting it done. Well, and they've got a couple of masters with Aranda and Camonero, and then when you've got, and we're all this way, we all like a traditional leadoff hitter. And when you got a guy like Chandler Simpson who can run faster than anybody in the league and he's batting 320, if he learns a little bit better, you know, on base skills and he can get that OBP up to 400, then Camonero and Aranda are going to be driving in a hell of a lot of runs because he is a menace on the base bats. And their pitching has always been really good. You know, it's like a pitching factory down there in Tampa. So um, but yeah, Tampa Bay really playing, I would say above what their roster would tell you. You know what I mean? Especially when you compare them to a team like Baltimore or uh Boston, you know, the names they have on those teams. Um, but uh yeah, Tampa Bay really doing well, and then New York Yankees pretty much just slapping everybody in the face that made fun of them for running it back, you know, saying, you know, let the Phillies take all the heat for doing that shit. We're still pretty good.

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Yeah, I think you know, the one thing about the Tampa Bay is that you know what you're looking at there in the pitching staff is the Dodgers rotation in three years, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:29

Probably a Randon Caminero. Yeah. You know, they one or two of those might sign with the Yankees, you never know. So Muncie and Freeman retire, and then they're Randon Calmonero. There you go. Or maybe they can't afford to pay. Right, exactly. They can't they can't afford to pay anybody because all these deferred salaries they got going on over there. But yeah, I saw tonight when now I was joking with y'all, but I'm really not that far off. The Yankees have hit three home runs. They did those in three three innings without getting out in the fourth. I think the Rangers have hit six home runs this season at home as a team. Wow. Or maybe eight because they were saying that is Josh Young our best player. Yep, yeah. He's batting it. He's the best hitter right now for sure. He's been killing it. Yeah, so as bad as he was doing, but then you know, we were talking about earlier this season when the Yankees they went on their skid, or they now went on a heater at the beginning because they're pitching, and they kind of went on the skid because they weren't hitting. Well, they're hitting now, they're leading the American League of home runs, leading the American League, and it's I mean, it's yeah, so they're they're proving that, like you said, don't make fun of us for running it back. Maybe we knew what we were doing.

SPEAKER_05 8:39

Yeah. So uh I have a question because I don't always get to watch the Ranger games. I have the MLB TV or whatever it's called, the MLB app. So I can watch pretty much everything except the Astros and the Rangers, right? Because the blackout stuff. Um did I see Jock Peterson batting in the two-hole the other day?

SPEAKER_00 8:59

Yes, what are we doing? Exactly. I would say, well, it's because Langford's out, right? So they had him in the two-hole, and and so from what I've read, he Schumacher's trying to put people that take pitches around people that are free swingers, yeah. And jock jock will work the count, right? Yeah, and Seeger is somebody who he's 90 90 99% of the time Seager swings at the first pitch. Oh, yeah, yeah. So then you've got that. And Berger will work the count on you a little bit. Um but so that's that's that was from what I've read, that's that was his thought process, not to put, you know, because because Lankford's the same way, he'll he'll swing it, he'll swing it pretty much anything. The only difference is he doesn't put it in play in a in a good way, is nearly as much, you know. I mean, I get I guess it's time to I mean, again, we're 30 games in, but is is Seeger at 32? Is he is his bat slowing down enough to where he's just not the player he was because I don't remember him ever having like a 210 batting average or whatever he's hitting. Um and I I believe the other night in the middle of the game, at one point his batting average actually may have dipped below uh 200.

SPEAKER_05 10:21

Oh, yeah, that's pretty rough for Seeger. I don't remember any stretch like that in his entire career. Um, but at the same time, if you got Jock Peterson batting in front of you, and I don't even know who's batting behind him, um I guess burger probably. Yeah, I mean I put burger over Seeger all day.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Well that that that night, um actually that that moved Young up to the forehole. Okay, and even our hottest hitter. I'm still thinking it was yeah, it was Nemo, Peterson, Seeger, and and then Young. And something you just wonder if uh, you know, Young had been hitting fifth, five, and six, and he got into this hot streak, and you know, when you're in the forehole, you get pitched two differently. Yeah, you know, and you your your mindset is different. You know, I remember one time I I guess when I was shit, 13 14 years old or whatever, got into a hot streak, and the coach moved me up to the leadoff spot, and I'm like, what the hell? You know, just let me drive. Yeah, it just changes your uh your whole outlook when you get into a different spot in the lineup and you're used to hitting, you know, I was usually like six or seven, and then all of a sudden I'm leaving up. You know, just the whole the whole thing changes, so I don't know, we'll see.

unknown 11:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 11:42

All right, so we talked a little bit about Boston, how they let go of half their coaching staff. So my question for you guys is for the American League specifically, are there any other coaches that y'all would think are in the hot seat?

SPEAKER_00 12:00

So I think the one thing for me, the question that you would ask is, you know, and we heard Joe Davis tell the story, ad nauseum about the Blue Jays manager, and if if I get a hit this time, I'm gonna retire as a player and become a manager. But you know, the Blue Jays have spent a ton of money. Yeah. And I get they were one out away from the World Series. I mean, it was it was the Rangers all over again, right? They were one out one out away from the World Series last year on two separate occasions. And but the year before that, with kind of the same roster, they got a little bit better pitching, but they didn't even make the playoffs, and you know, they they got shut out by the freaking Red Sox tonight, five to nothing. So I you know, I think he's he's somebody that um, you know, and I don't know what his contract is, and I'm not really sure what the Blue Jays do with manager, you know, there's a lot of teams out there that just won't eat a manager's contract for nothing, right? Especially when your payroll's at three 300 million, like the like the Jays are. Yeah. Um, but I but I think out of everybody in them in the American League, um it's him, you know, may may maybe Houston, but you know, they can't be holding, I don't even know who the Astros manager is, but that team sucks, so it's not the manager's fault. But you know, yeah, for for me in the American League, I think it's uh I think it's uh the Blue Jays, if anybody. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 13:34

What about you, Slate, dude?

SPEAKER_02 13:35

I'm looking down, is it uh Quitaro or whatever? Matt Quotaro, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 13:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

I mean, you know, he he did do a good job after he was hired, you know, having a good turnaround season, I think, in 24. But like we said, you know, that was the that was the Bobby Witt coming out party season. Uh last year, they didn't, you know, they didn't make the playoffs, and and this year, after maybe some higher expectations, I mean they're 11 and 17. They are tied with Chicago White Sox half game behind Houston as far as the worst worst team record-wise. Now, how hard is it to look into it 28 to 30 games into a season, right? Well, that's the big shock with that obviously lost the game, right? So but um, yeah, I guess for me out of all of them, just because his other teams kind of are maybe performing as normal. I do like Wendell's take, you know, even though you would think that you know, the defending American League champs, maybe that everyone would be safe from a managerial and front office standpoint. But yeah, they said what we tried to improve on what we did last year by spending the money and bringing the players in. And it's like, hey, when you look up and you're already six games out of first place, right? And you know, month full first full month into the season. But I guess for me, I guess it would be Gotaro or whatever, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 14:55

Yeah, so you got so you got Joe Espada out of Houston, which he was the bench coach, that's right. Through the trash can incidents and all that, and he's been, I think he's been their coach for like three, three or four seasons now. Um so uh I guess they are playing. I mean, they're just they're hitting, they're actually hitting the hell out of the ball, they just can't pitch worth a damn. And Hunter Brown um being on the I. L is not gonna help that. And I think Schneider in Toronto, I think they did put a roster together that can win. And I think he does have a pretty good grip on that clubhouse, and I think the guys like him a lot, but they have just been they've got an entire rotation on the I. And guys, I there's two players that I think their teams are hurting very, very badly by not re-signing them, and I think Toronto has won by not bringing Bichette back. Yep. And oddly enough, I think it's the Mets for not bringing Alonzo back and signing Bichette instead.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

Yeah, well, you could make a case, and I know he's probably out of everybody you mentioned, by far the biggest jackwagon, but you could make the case that the Astros miss Fromber as much as any anybody you just listened to.

SPEAKER_05 16:12

That's a good point. They're catchers don't. Or one of them. Um, but yeah, I mean, that's that's another good point, Pops. Um so I would say I agree with the Lane. I think Schneider, they just got bit hard by the injury bug. And I don't think it's kind of like the Braves last year. I don't think anybody was really blaming you know Snit Kicker for everything that went on last year. He's not you know throwing the steroid pills down Profar's mouth, and um, you know, he's not out there, you know, tearing up guys' elbows and stuff like that. But um, you know, I think I think pops kind of to what you were saying. I think also the fact that they were the American League champs last year, and it's early in the season, probably does give him a little bit longer leash.

SPEAKER_02 17:10

We really need to come on here and and make fun of Peterson more. He just hit pinch hit home run, by the way. So now it's a solo shot. We're still losing 4-1. Well, every time we give him crap, he goes, he goes, he hits a yard bomb. We have to give him crap, he has to be playing the Yankees, and it has to be during the podcast. Other we could just do that six days a week.

SPEAKER_03 17:32

He would be a better hitter.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

So I never I was I was they were showing highlights of him at the game last week, and he was he's was wearing number four, and this year he's wearing number three, and I'm like, what the hell did why did he change numbers? And then we looked up and it was touch. Oh, yeah. He's wearing he's wearing four this year, yeah. But his number in um Pittsburgh was 22, so I don't know who wears who wears 22 for the Rangers. Is it anybody that's a big deal? It's not a I know it's not a retired number.

SPEAKER_05 18:05

22. What's Evan Carter?

SPEAKER_00 18:09

He's 32, isn't he?

SPEAKER_05 18:11

Yeah, 32.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

Yeah, Langford's 36, Young is six. Is it Cer's five?

SPEAKER_05 18:20

Yeah, probably. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

He's called Mint X. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 18:27

It was just oh no, 22's uh lighter now. Remember he's black, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

Yeah, yeah, and he had just changed the 22, so he did for his dad or something, right? So yeah, obviously McCutz wasn't gonna uh step on that.

SPEAKER_05 18:43

So I thought it was maybe he went um uh Jock Peterson went from 4x to 3x jersey size. That could be part of it.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

You might have done that before they signed cut and made four available.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Look, dude, this is only we're not yeah, resizing your jersey. It's the only thing we got available for you.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

You know, there's a there's a surcharge for 4x and not for 3x.

SPEAKER_03 19:09

So you need to you need to downfind exactly.

SPEAKER_05 19:14

All right, so uh any other American league managers we should be worried about. Venable's probably gonna be a White Sox manager for life. Um AJ Hinch, I got a feeling if if Detroit doesn't do something with Scoobyl and Fromberg, I gotta maybe maybe he's on the hot seat after this season. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

That's a possibility, but nothing's gonna happen until after the year for sure. I mean, they're gonna let him go through the season. Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_05 19:41

Yeah, and then uh yeah, Torkelson's finally started hitting a little bit. Um, he had uh we'll talk about him in the in the NL recap because they played in Cincinnati. So um, yeah, I see uh I I think Yellow Rhine on Quitaro Espada and maybe a little bit of Schneider, but I think I think Schneider would be like if the if Toronto had like an epic like tanking, and you know, they're 20 games under 500 by the all-star break, then they may start letting some people go. So we'll see. All right, let's get into an analogy.

SPEAKER_02 20:21

What I heard on the radio about that Cora deal, I don't know what one do I heard about too. I think it was on a ticket, uh that I guess that he kept batting Trevor's story second, and he was batting like below 200. And people are the higher ups or general manager, whatever it is like, hey, you need to switch to lineup up, and he just kept plugging him in there at that same spot, supposedly that was the straw that broke the camel's back, and this they were like, if you're not gonna listen to us or whatever, dude, you're out of here.

SPEAKER_05 20:49

So, I mean, there's there's so number one, the entire Red Sox lineup's batting under 200, except we're a brave. Um and Jaron Duran has finally started to pick it up a little bit, but um I think that's a problem with the front office, not a problem with core. I guess let me know what y'all's thoughts are, but I don't think I think when a front office takes a lineup card out of a manager's hand, that it's over they might as well, they might as well fire him, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:22

You've lost the depth absolutely, yeah. Yeah, and and but you know, I mean, Trevor Story is a proven MLB veteran, 10, 12 years, and you and and if you're not gonna give that guy 30 games uh to figure shit out, then I mean, come on, man.

SPEAKER_05 21:37

Yeah, so that's because they got the pitcher in the front office trying to do that shit, but yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

You know, it's like we we were talking, right? I mean, I I I I th I thought that they actually did a pretty good job of putting a team together. You know, they got Gray, they got Herrera, or whatever his name is, the catcher. Yeah, St. Louis Yeah,

SPEAKER_05 22:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

Yeah. And you know, I mean, like, you know, obviously they could do something, they got an extra outfielder, and they're you know, they're they need to quit sitting on that and figure out wh who and what they're gonna get for that. And you know, I mean it's uh it's hard to fault any team for not signing a 32-year-old third baseman who spends half his time on the DL to a$300 million contract, it just is, right? So uh, you know, uh so I thought the front office did what they were supposed to do, and you know, if you're not gonna give you that money into a team and you're not gonna give you know fairly proven manager who took your team to the playoffs last year more than 30 games, then you know that's a good point, very good point.

SPEAKER_05 22:47

But pops we have talked and we talked a lot really when was Devers traded last year, like it was June, May, June, late May, early June, somewhere there, yeah. So, and we talked about the Red Sox, and and yeah, they went on a little run, and and actually Alex Coras said that he thinks they're a better team, and maybe that's just him, you know, fighting for his team.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

But it's hard to say that any team's better without probably probably that's what Breslau told him to say, right?

SPEAKER_05 23:15

Yeah, but Devers being a top, I would say top 10 hitter in the league pretty easily. You know, it's tough that your team's to say your team's better without him, but um it's just like this this kind of cancerous thing with with the Boston um organization. And you know, it's it's we talked about it. It started with Nomar back in the early 2000s, Nomar and Danny, and then um, you know, go you go a few years where you kind of suck, and then you've got the Mookie years, and then you've got this the Xander Bogart years, and um and even even Big Big Game Nate, right? Huh? Even Big Game Nate, yeah, even the Red Sox. They just I it's almost like they play like they're some mid to small market team, and they don't want to go out. I mean, having said that, yes, they they had Devers on a big contract, but I mean, traded him away as quickly as they could, you know. And they need this whole we don't do no trade clauses, and essentially lost Bregman, but you didn't even offer Bregman the highest amount, yeah. You know, so you've got a bunch of young guys that really don't know how to go through this, the ups and downs of a baseball season, and you're putting Roman Anthony at the forefront of your team, the face of your franchise. And I mean, what did he have? 50-something games, 70-something games last year. I mean, the sophomore slump was coming.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

So you know, and and Devers was what a year and a half into his eight or ten years deal.

SPEAKER_05 24:59

Yes, it's not like it was the last two years of his deal. Yeah, yeah, pretty crazy stuff. And he's playing first base in San Francisco.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

Yeah, there's something dis and and I don't know if Cora is trying to dance to marching orders, and this year he just decided F that, I'm not gonna do that anymore. It's my team, or it's or it's not. And the front office decided it's not, it's not, yeah, and and good luck with finding somebody else to step into that position long term, right? Outside of just an inter interim basis.

SPEAKER_05 25:35

But yeah, that steaming pile of shit. Good luck. I think it's Chad Tracy. I think that's yeah, former Arizona Diamondback's great. Um, so oh no, it's not that Chad Tracy, it's a different Chad Tracy.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Yeah, I saw uh something on Twitter today said, here's Chad Tracy's first lineup, and somebody came in and said, You mean Craig Breslau's first lineup?

SPEAKER_05 25:59

That's probably pretty accurate. Um, let's get into a little national league. All right, Detroit at Cincinnati. Uh, Riley Green, Baez, Torkles, and Carpenter all homered for the Tigers in game one. But there was a Homer BOGO all night in Cincinnati as McLean and Nathaniel Lowe both hit two homers. Lowe's second was a walk-off against future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen. Game two, McGonagall laid off with a homer. But Sal Stewart said, I'm a better rookie than you. He had a three-run jack and five RBIs in that game. Our boy, Nathaniel Lowe, De La Cruz, and Friedel all homered as well. And then former Ranger, great Nathaniel Lowe did it again. Him and JJ Blade Blade, both homered in game three. But how you lee gets his first MLB homer to take the lead. Torkelson Homered in his fifth straight game for a little bit of insurance as Detroit salvages the set. And it's double headers and double jeopardy in Queens over the weekend. And this team swept the match for the first time since May of 2018. Question: Who is Kolorodoraki? Powerhouses in Atlanta. No, Atlanta takes two out of three because the Phil's just can't hit or pitch or catch or throw, and the Braves do all of the above. Um, my black and gold in the land of milk and cheese, Paul Skins is really good. He took a perfecto into the seventh in game one. It was NL Central small ball in game two as Brian Reynolds and Nick Gonzalez singled in three runs combined in the tenth. But the Pirates ain't gonna hear, they're not here to show anybody up, so they let the brew crew have at least one at home. Kyle Harrison, former Red Sox, by the way, he had 12 Ks in six innings, and the Pirates take two out of three. The Mariners take it to the poor old Redbirds. Raleigh and Naylor have finally started hitting. Um they both had some dingers in this series, and we all know what the Seattle pitching staff can do. But guess who's above 500? I'm not gonna steal your thunder pops. We'll hear it in the standings. And the Cubbies at the LA Dodgers for a little NLCS preview. Cubbies win game one for a 10-game heater, but games two and three were all Dodgers 12-4 and 6-0. Justin Robleski had a has a 1.5 ERA because LA needed more pitching depth. Um, Dodgers end up taking two out of three. Giants take two out of three from Miami because they had to. They're playing with a little chip on their shoulder. We'll see where that gets them. And then San Diego played Arizona and Mexico, which happens to be the capital of LA, so that's pretty weird. Uh, they split a stupid little two-game set. I hate those things. Um, but Mason Miller has pitched 13 in the third innings, fellas. Three hits, two walks, 27 strikeouts. He's pretty good. He is an absolute freak of nature. Pops, I know you got some standings for me.

SPEAKER_00 29:14

All right. So in the A in the NL East, the Bravos become the first team in Major League Baseball to get to the 20-win plateau. Uh, a couple of games ahead of the Dodgers. Um, Braves are basically laying claim to the best team in the National League. Uh, as best you can do that with 29 games played. Uh, nobody else in the division is above 500. Uh, the Phillies and Mets, we will discuss them later. For sure. Um the in the central, you know, the Reds keep holding on. Um, you know, they did get into positive run differential with all the home runs that they hit over the over the weekend, but holding down a one-game lead over the over the Cubs, who after their 10-game winning streak, uh, have lost their last two. But you know, from where they were at two weeks ago, they've kind of got into a situation position where we kind of figured they would be uh Pirates uh hanging in there two and a half games out. They lost uh tonight to the Cardinals, who are in fourth place, two games ahead, but two games uh over 500. Cardinals got swept by the Mariners and then came come right back to win tonight. So uh, you know, we'll see how they go. I kind of thought it looks like the Cardinals, everything had kind of caught up to the Cardinals, and then uh, you know, they go out and beat a pretty pretty solid ball club tonight. So we'll see how that goes. And Brewers again, again, uh NL Central, everybody above 500. So it's pretty pretty pretty wild. Uh Dodgers uh, you know, one won their last two. Uh if they win tonight, they'll be at uh, and I'm not even sure that they're playing, but uh their next win will be their their 20th. Uh the Padres keeping pace, uh half a game behind. The Diamondbacks three and a half out. Uh the Giants uh won two in a row. They're they're they're climbing the ladder. We'll see how they go. And uh, you know, the Colorado Rocky, who got their second sweep of the year um against the Mets. Um, you know, and they're only three games below 500. Uh 11 negative 11 run differential, which is I believe this time last year, they were about 111 negative run differential. Uh so you know their their improvement has been startling. Uh uh again, you know, they're they're gonna be they're probably gonna be finished uh fourth at best in that division, but most likely fifth. But uh it'll be interesting to see uh what how they how they roll roll forward. But yeah, I think you want to hear a fun fact about the Rockies?

SPEAKER_05 31:54

Sure. So they just got their 13th win over the weekend, right? Do you know when they got their 13th win last year? Probably the all-star break. Middle of June. Middle of June. Yeah, so five, six weeks earlier than they did last season. What's that roughly 30, 35 games? Pretty good. Yeah, pretty good three.

SPEAKER_00 32:18

Uh, you know, I you know, I think uh National League again appears to be much much stronger top to bottom than the American League. We'll see how that goes, but you know, um a couple of a couple of teams to talk about here in just a just a second.

SPEAKER_05 32:32

So absolutely. So um we'll we'll stay with the theme of uh managers getting fired. So um I guess I mean there's two blatant choices here, I would say. Um, you know, I think in the central, since everybody's got a winning record, privilege probably don't have to spend a whole lot of time on any of those guys. You know, they're probably for manager of the year, any any given one of them. I would I would say uh how what's his name in Milwaukee? Uh Pat Murphy.

SPEAKER_02 33:07

Yes, Pat Murphy. Yeah, he's got his not just pocket pancakes, he's got a pocket tortoise.

SPEAKER_05 33:13

Yeah, um because the Brew Crew's in last place, but they've got a winning freaking record.

SPEAKER_00 33:18

They got a winning winning record. And and you know, and the brewers have it depends on his contract, but they they just don't let money go. That they don't they don't pay people to not vote for them, right?

SPEAKER_05 33:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so I mean it takes us. I I could say there's probably one team in the NL West, and then I would say there's two in the NL East, two two pretty big ones. So it pops up that you started off.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Yeah, you know, but Vitello obviously is the one in the NL West that you're talking about. Uh, but you know, they're on a two-game winning streak, they closed the gap to within uh two games. You know, maybe maybe they'll get all that worked out. Um, you know, it's hard for the Giants to give up on Vitello after you know Posey got on there and said that you know this is the greatest manager ever since like Casey Stingle or whatever. Yeah, and we're ready to go.

SPEAKER_05 34:12

Uh so what's crazy, Pops, is the is the the Giants I've noticed, they really are playing with a little chip on their shoulder. I saw a little bit of old school baseball when they were playing the Dodgers. Um uh Dalton Rushing was mouthing something to Jung Hu Lee when he slid past home. Dalton Russ, Dalton Rushing started, who's the catcher for the Dodgers? Started started chirping. And then his next at bat, Logan Webb drills him right in the ribs, and then you see him do a takeout slide, which is a huge no-no nowadays takeout slide at second base where he's five feet from the bag and takes out uh Adamus at shorts. So I don't know, maybe he's firing the boys up.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

Yeah, we'll see. We will see. And and then, you know, obviously uh in the Phillies in the Mets or the other two we're talking about, you know, I just the Phillies are old, they didn't do anything uh to get better. The their pitching has gotten worse, except for uh it's just gotten worse. Everybody sent Sanchez is kind of holding his own, but you know, even he's had a tough go. Uh top topper is probably gonna be the one to pay the price for the for the for the front office not doing anything.

SPEAKER_05 35:32

And then which is odd because I think they signed him to an extension right before the season started.

SPEAKER_00 35:37

They they did, you know, they should they they should have spent that money on players, but they did not. Uh you know, I obviously spent money on Schwarber, but you know, he he he he he was already there, right? I mean, he didn't he didn't he's not gonna make them any any better. And again, like we were talking about earlier. Here's a guy who's had a career year and is aged 33 or 34 season. He's not going to have another one. So um, you know, they're they're pot committed to him, and you know, it's just not doing them any good. You know, we we kind of debated uh the the stat of batting average on balls and play. And obviously 30 games in, there's a lot of different, there's a lot of noise in there, but the Phillies can't catch anything, right? And whether it's whether it's a break, whether it's you know, whatever you want to call it, right? Every everything that somebody gets the bat on is fallen in, you know, 35% of the time, right? So you you're just not gonna win many games on that. And then on the flip side, uh when they put a ball in play, it's only dropping in 26% of the time.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:38

Right. So that that that math does not math. And I I know we got Justin over there as who's the uh the team accountant, but uh even he would agree with that, that that math doesn't work. So not a winning formula, it's not a winning formula, and then uh, you know, what's his name, Carlos Martinez or whatever, the the Mets manager.

SPEAKER_05 36:58

Oh Marmole. Yeah, no, no, Mendoza.

SPEAKER_00 37:01

Marmole is Mendoza, yeah, Mendoza, currently Mendoza. Yeah, I mean there's a part of me that's as much as the money as the Mets spent, but there's a part of me that's surprised he outlasted Cora, right? I mean and and again, it's not his I mean, who who knows whether Bachet is fully healthy or not, but you know, he's barely hitting his weight, and then you know they got Soto on the DL on the IL, so you know, but they're just no nobody's playing well for the Metropolitan. So again, I think Mendoza's gonna be the one. But you know, you lose, uh, but you know, you signed Freddie Freddie Peralta. I mean, there's they brought some guys in, yeah. They they lost Diaz, and nobody's surprised that Devin Williams sucks, right?

SPEAKER_05 37:47

But um But I think a lot of people are surprised that this team has not been hitting.

SPEAKER_00 37:53

Oh, 100, oh yeah. And you gotta wonder if what's that? What what what is that about? I mean, and is it games they've scored one run or fewer? Well, they they lost a double header to the Brockies yesterday, and they scored a combined one run in both games. Yeah, so frustrating. Colorado Rocky. One run in two games. Yeah, and and Rockies are not known for their pitching, just in case you were curious. Not usually, no. So uh I mean those are the two raging out there in the National League to me.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

I mean, it's like you said, it's just obvious before you even prefaced it and asked us what we thought. I mean, you look at a team that what they did. The Mets lose 12 in a row, or what was it?

SPEAKER_00 38:42

Uh I believe that is correct, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:44

Yeah, and then I mean, they're so brutal out there, right? In New York, no matter what team you're on, uh, they're trying to blame the new mayor for it because he came and hugged the Met Met. And they're saying this dude's never Mondami's never allowed back in the Mets Stadium ever again because uh he did that, and then they lose 12 in a row. And then, yeah, but we talked about it earlier. I mean, in the first series of the season, you got this you know, superstar in Bachette that you've signed to go along with, you know, after that guy Juan Soto and all this stuff, and the dude's getting booed the first series of the season. I mean, oh can't we can warrant this stuff a little? Even Ranger fans against the Reds was booing Jock Peterson. Okay, we can warrant that stuff, but when you're out in New York, it's brutal. And and I think that, you know, like Pop says that they're just their expectations are high. I think did all of us maybe pick them to win the division? I'm pretty sure I did. Yeah, I think. Just based on the year they had last year, and then the people we know that stuck to lose, like you said, the polar bear. I think you made a really good point saying that two teams struggling, you know, as goofy as it is, even though we're talking about how the Phillies did nothing but resign a couple of their people, would have been to re-sign you know, Alonzo and and Toronto re-signed Bachet, which is which is definitely, you know, brings up a good point, but it's just it's so crazy. I think you got but Sanchez out there and and Philly pitching, and other than that, I mean, I don't know if there's really any high points on that team right now. And you know, there's something else that the Phillies and the Mets have in common is they got two former Texas Rangers that the Rangers did not want anymore, one that was traded to let one.

SPEAKER_00 40:23

I know. I mean, though, and those are black holes in their lineup, absolutely Garcia and Zivium.

SPEAKER_05 40:28

And Garcia, man, he's he's changed his swing up a little bit, and man, it's he he never had a terribly pretty swing, but man, it is he's like Chris Davis lost up there.

SPEAKER_00 40:42

And who's the guy the Phillies lost to the Red Sox, the pitcher? Ranger. Yeah. Well, Suarez. Yeah. And that's another one. I mean, you know, another thing with the Red Sox, the Red Sox front office pocket is you know, they went out and they signed that guy, and the Phillies let him go, knowing they weren't gonna have Wheeler until the All-Star break. I mean, what the hell? Yeah. And excuse me. I mean, when you lose out on a long-term deal to the Red Sox, you ain't putting any money. No, you can let that happen. Oh, 100%. You were letting that guy go.

SPEAKER_05 41:21

Yeah. But what's what's scary about all this, guys, is if they don't get it figured out, right? We're 30 games in. Maybe it's just it's an April curse, and Bryce Harper's gonna be the Bryce Harper of old and Schwarber's gonna stop striking out and stocking it out. Is that a joke? Are we on SNL? Is this punk? If they don't get out of it, is you have so many of these guys locked up for so many years. They just Sanchez and Lozardo, and Schwarber got a five-year leave, and you've got I think Bryce is there till 2032 or something.

SPEAKER_00 42:01

Yeah, I think barely halfway through his 15-year contract they signed him through.

SPEAKER_03 42:06

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:07

So it could get ugly if they don't get it turned around.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

Yeah, because to your point, what the Phillies are putting on the field today is what the Phillies are gonna be putting on the field in 2032.

SPEAKER_02 42:19

Yeah, right after a long time, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:22

Minus Zach Wheeler. Unless they just trade everybody, right?

SPEAKER_05 42:27

Yeah, yeah. Well, I think Zach Wheeler. It would be pennies on the dollar if they did. Yeah, I think Zach Wheeler's already said that after 2027 when his contract's up, he's retiring. I mean, he's like 38, I think.

SPEAKER_00 42:39

Yeah. Whatever I do, I'm not playing for the Phillies anymore.

SPEAKER_05 42:44

Yeah. Um, so uh so who do we think goes first? You pops, you think Mendoza goes before Topper? I do. What about you?

SPEAKER_00 42:55

At least at least Topper has a track record, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:59

Yeah, so does Mendoza, just uh the bad one.

SPEAKER_02 43:02

Yeah, last year, I guess, when they they got hot at the right time and you know made it into the playoffs or whatever. But yeah, I think that I think that I think the Mets too. I mean, both Philly and New York are historically very tough markets to be in, whether you're playing, whether you're managing, or whatever it is. So it's probably the two worst markets that you could be in to be having the years these these teams are having, especially with the recent success, especially for or not recent, long-term success for Philadelphia, not so much for the Mets, but higher profile job, they might want to bring in a high profile name to uh I mean, obviously not this year. If he gets fired, they'll do the intern thing like uh you know Boston's doing. But I think just with the the money that was spent in New York and the expectations that that team has, that if they something doesn't happen, they're gonna have to do something to to try to try to light a fire under that team to get them to start winning.

SPEAKER_05 43:56

Alex Korra?

SPEAKER_02 43:57

Maybe he can I mean If your manager gets fired uh 30 games into the season, right? I think as any player you're going, shit. I mean, it could be me tomorrow, too.

SPEAKER_00 44:07

Yeah, you know, I mean, there was plenty of speculation out there that there were half a dozen teams that would fire Cora and kick their manager off the planet today.

SPEAKER_05 44:15

I'm sure. I'm sure. I'm sure. And look, guys, the good news is with them firing all those people, put your app in. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 44:23

Yeah, there you go. Well, Veritek didn't get he didn't get fired, he got reassigned because not even the Red Sox front office wanted to be the ones that fired fired a legendary Jason, Jason Veritek.

SPEAKER_05 44:37

Not without Boston Storm in the Capitol, hell no. Um, so all right, so I think honestly, Mendoza, he looks like he would like cry tears of joy if they fired him at the moment. I think he I'm surprised he hasn't quit yet.

SPEAKER_02 44:55

I'm gonna deal with this crap anymore.

SPEAKER_05 44:57

All right. But yeah, I think uh Topper seems like just an old school baseball guy that's just kind of like, screw it. If they fire me, they fire me. We're gonna go out there and play ball.

SPEAKER_00 45:10

That's the way baseball go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:13

So um, yeah, I think I'm in agreement. I think Mendoza's he's probably the next one. And I don't think it's a very long leash, guys. I really don't after the epic collapse at the end of last season. Um and sure, it's tough when your$800 million man is on the shelf for a couple weeks, and now you got Lindor on the shelf for a couple of weeks with uh I think he did the same thing at catch trainer. So when you're two big guys, not in there at the same time, and Bo Bachet, frankly, hasn't been normal Bo Bachet yet this season. And he doesn't look like he's getting around good, he doesn't look like he's running well. He's very, very behind on fastballs. I know he kind of sprays the ball all over the field, but I see him like way, way behind.

SPEAKER_00 46:05

Well, you wonder if he didn't set his rehab back by playing through the postseason last year.

SPEAKER_05 46:13

Yeah, that's a good point. Fair point. All right, well, that's some good stuff, fellas. How about we do Pops? You're up, worst of the week. Who needed a little help this week?

SPEAKER_00 46:28

Let me get my stuff. Yeah, it's interesting. I just the the um people that are the best are a lot easier to figure out than the people that suck.

SPEAKER_02 46:45

Yes, yes, they are.

SPEAKER_00 46:47

Have you noticed that? Um you guys were you know, I think um so in the National League, uh I had to go with Owen Casey. 118, two for 17, uh, seven strikeouts. Um, you know, the Marlins were on a pretty good roll. And then um, you know, now they're two games under 500, but they they were looking for him to continue on some of his early early season success. So he kind of he struggled a little bit, you know, could have gone Matt Chapman with uh as an honorable mention, uh, but the Giants did did all right.

SPEAKER_05 47:36

And then uh's hitters broke out this week. They did. They did.

SPEAKER_00 47:48

Just to make TJ happy, we'll we'll we'll take uh uh no, never mind. I already took a National League guy. Uh Lawrence Butler of the Athletics. Um that guy is a from a physical specimen, that guy is a flipping beast. Yeah, uh, but fortunately he did not turn loose on us in uh when the A's were here in uh in Texas last week. 167, three for 18, six strikeouts. Uh nothing to show from a power standpoint. So a nice little struggle. Um and then, you know, I took from a pitching standpoint, so I kind of sorted it a little bit differently, but you know, again, kind of the same thing. There wasn't anybody that really kind of just stuck out. Um you know, in the in the American League, I took uh Keeter Montero for Detroit, uh, two starts, 506 ERA, 1.22 whip. Um, just just really did not have a good week. And then, you know, in the National League, I wound up with uh Carmen Malazinsky, uh of the Pirates. I think it's I think it's Majinski. I think it's Majinski. All right, made two starts, but only got eight innings. Era was over 10. Uh Whip was of almost two. Uh just you know, for a team, and and he'd been doing well earlier. You know, he had done well until this past week, and for a team that's really riding riding their arms, um, that was probably quite the disappointment. Probably because the pirates had probably one of their worst worst weeks of the of the season, actually.

SPEAKER_05 49:34

Just be more like Paul Skeens and Mitch Keller. He'll be there.

SPEAKER_00 49:37

That'll do.

SPEAKER_05 49:38

Mitch Keller's having a hell of a year, by the way. Our former Ranger great.

unknown 49:42

Who?

SPEAKER_05 49:42

Mitch Keller. Having a hell of a year. All right. Well, that brings us to the best of the best. Lady, who do you got for the players and the pitchers of the week?

SPEAKER_02 49:52

So we can start out in the National League for um a team that is in the toughest division in baseball, but also uh teams doing well. Team the at least one of us, maybe me, picked as a playoff team, but you have Josh and they'll have to help me with this one. Delmaro Vargas. Oh, yeah. Dildomaro Vargas.

SPEAKER_05 50:15

Yes. So breakout season.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

Yes. Well, all he did. Wasn't he in that 70s show? Yeah, Wilder Valdorama, you're right. Oh, okay. No, but say that was the case. I I understood the reference immediately, didn't I? But all he did was go eight for 22, seven runs scored, four home runs, 12 RBIs, added a double and triple in there for a team that is 15 and 12 above 500. Just uh would be leading a couple different divisions in baseball if you weren't in the best division, and the stupid San Diego Padres who thought we were gonna suck. Or the thought was gonna suck, right?

SPEAKER_05 50:55

Yeah, and let and unless he didn't get a hit like yesterday or tonight, I think he started the season off with like a 19-game hitting streak.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

If I remember right. And so for the American League, for me, it was tough. So Carlos Cortez there for the A's, who we got to see this week. You know what? Looking at overall, okay, I think that he's gonna have to be my winner. I was gonna change it. I thought I was gonna pick Spencer Torkleson for Detroit. Yeah, he went nine for 23, six RBIs, five home runs, six runs. But I think I'm gonna have to actually agree with MLB and pick Cortez just because he had 13 hits this week. 13 for 24, 7 RBIs, three home runs, four runs scored. Let's go ahead and add in two doubles and a triple. I mean, so that's who I had, and that is exactly who the American, or excuse me, who major league baseball picked for both those as well.

SPEAKER_05 51:51

And what's crazy, Slay, dude, is the A's are gonna have to find a spot for Cortez to get playing time because they have all those other guys that can knock the ball around too. I mean, where does has he been playing third?

SPEAKER_00 52:02

Keep going like that, yeah. Okay. Well, he looks like Guy Fieri, so he just needs to put his start cooking for them. But he had what a two two home run, four RBI game against uh EO.

SPEAKER_02 52:15

Oh, yeah. I mean, a lot of people have been having those type of games against EO so far this year. He's struggling, but it is what it is. My pitchers of the week. Let's give it to the one of those guys from the El Colorado rookie. So he went Chase Dolander, right? So he gave up one earn run and one earn run and two starts, okay? 13 innings. He did pitch uh home against San Diego against the Mets. He gave up one earn run and two starts and went one and one this week because he pitches for the Colorado Rockies. Okay. So, but uh I always like you know, I've given a couple awards to Rockies and Nationals or maybe White Sox. Hey, you gotta reward those guys for doing something good.

SPEAKER_05 53:02

Yeah, well, and the and we talked about the Rockies figuring out, you know, deciding that they they're gonna try to figure out what actually wins in Colorado. You know what helps? Chase Dollinger throwing 100 miles an hour. Yeah, that plays in just about every stadium.

SPEAKER_02 53:17

Yeah, well, and then we talked about him earlier, Josh, when you were going to the American League uh recap. I hate to do it because uh you know Astros sucks so bad, but we'll give it to Spencer out again, didn't we? Right. All he did was get two wins against uh first place New York team. I think snapped a winning streak for New York by doing that. That had to have been on Sunday. Yeah. And all he did was shove it up their butts for seven innings, one on a run, eight K's, and also got to win that a Cleveland team that is what half a game out of first right there. And and you were talking about it, Josh, that you know, Houston is a team that can hit. They're having a real tough time right now with their injuries and just with the folks that are in there as far as the pitching. And for someone to give you those those two starts in a week where your team has been very bad and hurting on the mountain, I think it's pretty well deserving for him to get AL, if not major league pitcher of the week, based on based on those stats.

SPEAKER_05 54:13

Yeah, he definitely got some high fives from the boys in the dugout. For sure. All right, well, thank you for that, fellas. Pops, you said you had some trivia for us. What's your guy?

SPEAKER_00 54:24

I do. All right, so this one is right up Justin's alley. Uh-oh. We'll start off with this one. That'd be Korean or Japanese player or something. Yeah. Who was the first Texas Ranger to hit a home run in an all-star game?

SPEAKER_02 54:45

Bobby Bell.

SPEAKER_00 54:47

No.

SPEAKER_02 54:51

Is it in the 70s guessing? No. Holy no. No. Wando?

SPEAKER_00 55:00

No. Rafael Palmero? No. You're swinging all around it.

SPEAKER_02 55:08

Oh man. It wouldn't have been now. Blaylock was too late, right? Young was too late.

SPEAKER_00 55:14

It was after, it was before Blaylock, yes. 92. 92 Ranger? Yes.

unknown 55:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 55:24

So Will Clark was still a giant. He once criticized the Yankees for complaining about all they care about is winning.

SPEAKER_02 55:37

Was that Palmer?

SPEAKER_00 55:39

No.

SPEAKER_02 55:39

No, that's gonna guess Dean Palmer.

SPEAKER_05 55:43

That's who I would have guessed. All they care about is winning. 92. Was it Kinsei? He wasn't a ranger in 92, was he?

SPEAKER_00 55:58

He was not. But they did cross paths. They crossed paths. In the trade. They were traded for one another. Sierra?

SPEAKER_02 56:16

Sierra. Oh, Sierra, huh? Ruben Sierra. Nice. Very nice.

SPEAKER_05 56:24

I got his autograph. I got his autograph when he came in and ate at the IHOP there in Arlington. Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 56:33

All right. Trivia question number two. Since 2000, there are three players that have played a minimum of 2,000 games with the same team. Name them.

SPEAKER_02 56:49

Since 2000? Yes. Mike Trout?

SPEAKER_00 56:53

No.

SPEAKER_02 56:54

What?

SPEAKER_00 56:56

2,000 games. So just think if you played every game, you're talking about 12 seasons, 10, 11, 12 seasons? Alright, so Altuve? That's one. Uh Alrapull Holes. Same team, but he split his games between the Rangers or the Cardinals and them. It was his team, one of his teammates. Yachty. Rapul spent half of his career, he signed a 10-year contract with the Angels. One more. One more.

SPEAKER_05 57:45

Two thousand games.

SPEAKER_03 57:56

Mickey.

SPEAKER_00 57:57

No.

SPEAKER_02 57:59

He's Marlin for a while, right? But that's good. I like that.

SPEAKER_05 58:10

I don't think Jose Ramirez isn't that high, is he, with Cleveland? No. I think he's like 1600. Machado split too much time with other teams. I don't think Bryce honestly has been doing it long enough to have 2,000 games with one team.

SPEAKER_00 58:39

Cincinnati Reds. Cincinnati Reds. Joey Vano? That's nice. Joey Vano. Joey Vano. Who's probably the answer for every Cincinnati Red question? Pretty much, right? Uh Joe Maurer at 1858 and Todd Helton at 1901 was another one. Oh, Todd Helmer.

SPEAKER_05 59:08

Man, what a stud. Yeah. He got into the hall, didn't he? A few years ago? Helton, yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:16

Deserving that today. Yeah. All right. One last one. Let's do it. All right. So there are four pitchers in the live ball era. So live ball era is since 1920. Four pitchers who have recorded a sub 2.0 ERA in their age 23 season or younger.

SPEAKER_05 59:37

Oh. Age 23 or younger. False Keynes.

SPEAKER_00 59:42

That's one.

SPEAKER_05 59:45

Doc? Good one? That's two. That's two. 23 or younger. Sub sub two ERA? Sub two ERA. Oh man.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:02

I don't think. Was Verlinger that low? Yeah, one from the 60s and one from the 70s. I don't know why this is sounding right to me. Vita Blue. That's number three.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:15

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:16

Rookie of the Year, MVP Cy. No, he wasn't MVP and Cy Young Award in uh 2000, in 1971.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:25

Okay, so we're missing the 60s. Sub to E R A, younger than 23. Did Seaver start real young? He did, but it's not him. Is it the guy I always I always forget? Carleton?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:49

No.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:52

60s. How old was Sandy?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:58

He was old. He st he started late because he was wild all over the place in the minor links. Was he a Red Sock? No, he was a California angel.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:17

Oh God, a California angel.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:25

Oh, this is yeah, the sixties, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:32

I mean, Drysdale, he didn't start off as an angel, did he?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:36

No.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:39

I want to say he was a dodger his whole career. Okay. Angel. Angel in the 60s. Yeah, Angel's pitching in the 60s, not my strongest. No.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:51

I figured that'd be right up both y'all's alley, man. Telling you too.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:57

Uh yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:59

Is he a Hall of Famer? No. No. Cy Young Award winner. Pitch for the Angels, Pitch for the Twins. Most of his career with the Twins? About 50-50.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:22

Bly Levin pitched forever, but he's a Hall of Famer now, isn't he? He is a Hall of Famer and he didn't start until the 70s with the Twins. Yeah. Angels and Twins.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:33

I got nothing. Yeah, it's probably not a name you guys are familiar with. Maybe. Dean Chance. No. No. Don't know. He had uh basically one or two really, really good seasons, and then that was that was kind of it. Basically a 500 pitcher, other than that. But he did. 1964 had a sub sub two ERA at the age of 23. Nice.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:00

I got one for y'all. Okay. So Nicholas Kurtz, first baseman for the A's, has walked in. Um, I don't know if he played tonight, but as of Sunday, he had walked in 19 straight games, which is a Oakland franchise record for consecutive games with at least one walk. Whose record did he break?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:25

Ricky Anderson.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:26

Yes. Very nice. From 1993. Yep. Which what might was that the season he stole like 130 bags?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:39

Yeah, I want to say that was 90 or 91.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:43

That's crazy. Right. He was stealing 100 bags left and right. All right. Well, that's all I got, fellas. Y'all got anything? Did we miss any managers? Anyone getting fired?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:56

I don't, I don't, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:58

You know what sucks is we didn't talk about any of the stupid front offices getting fired. Maybe that's a different episode for later on. Maybe somebody's present in a baseball operations ought to get the get the bad end of that stick one one time soon. Maybe Breslow.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:16

Yeah, well, you know, I think it's just it's been an interesting season. Uh Athletic came out with their power rankings today. They had the Braves number one, put them ahead of the Dodgers who were number two. Wow. 29, 29 and 30 are the you know, the Reds, uh, the Mets and the Phillies. It's wild. It is wild.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:36

Their records would say so, right? I mean, aren't the Mets bottom of the bottom in baseball?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:42

Yeah. Yeah. I believe I believe that both of them are having uh the fewest fewest wins tied for the fewest wins in Major League Baseball.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:52

That's a hefty payroll. But as we've been talking about, maybe that's really good for the upcoming negotiations. When you've got a team that's spending$400 million a year and they're in the cellar, got the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds at the top of the NL Central Division, where everybody's good, apparently.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:15

Let's go. Maybe we won't miss baseball after all.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:19

They are the only two teams in Major League Baseball that are not in double-digit wins. Wow. Pretty terrible. We'll see. Yeah. All right. Uh Rangers have the time run at the plate. Are they there? Is that game already over?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:35

Well, nope, you're right. Chisholm just booted a ground ball that would have ended the game. So those guys on first and third, and our hopes rely on Ranger Great Osuna.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:47

All right. Could have done without that. But pretty good game plan hit it to jazz.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:55

All right. Well, thank you everybody for listening. We appreciate y'all supporting the show. If you like what we're doing, check us out on X, on Instagram, on Facebook. Give us a like, give us a subscription, leave us a comment, let you know, let us know that you like what we're doing, or let us know if you don't like what we're doing, and maybe we can change some stuff around for you. But uh thank you all for listening again, and we will talk to you again. For sorry, I didn't introduce y'all at the beginning either. So for the Slay dude, Justin Slay and Wendell Pops Patterson. I'm Josh Patterson. Thank y'all, and we'll talk to you again next week.