Episode 005: Spring Training Fever, A Cursed Jersey, and How To Celebrate the World Baseball Classic

Baseball trips are supposed to be relaxing, but tell that to us after a few days of Mets spring training at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie and nights locked into the World Baseball Classic. We’re running on heat, hope, and that specific March feeling where every swing looks like a clue about the season ahead. We talk through what we saw on the field, from Mets bats that pop to the messy little plays that remind you why spring training is equal parts practice and panic.

Then the WBC takes over the brain. Italy vs USA turns into can’t-look-away chaos, we nerd out on tiebreaker math, and we admit we’re rooting for the most entertaining outcomes. From Team Mexico to Team Italy to the Dominican Republic, the energy is the story, and we keep coming back to the same idea: the celebrations, the dugout rituals, and the joy are not extra, they’re the point.

We also get weird with it, because that’s fandom. We draft walk-up music picks, talk players who are making new fans overnight, and we attempt an actual exorcism of a cursed Francisco Lindor jersey by chasing signatures, including Mr Met himself. The road trip swings into culture too, with quick takes on Bruno Mars and an Oscar-movie roundup, plus a Dominican film recommendation that stuck with us.

If you love the Mets, the World Baseball Classic, baseball culture, and the little stories that make the sport feel alive, come hang with us. Subscribe, share this with a fellow baseball sicko, and leave a review, then tell us: which team has the best vibes right now?

Transcript

Spring Training Trip And WBC Chaos

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Welcome everybody, it's another episode of Sad Boys Mets Club. I'm Giovanni Blanco.

SPEAKER_03 0:06

And I'm Franklin Blanco.

SPEAKER_05 0:08

And we are waking up here after a couple days of games at Port St. Lucie Spring Training Mets. That have been really cool and exciting to see. And we have so many things to say, including some things from the field. And overall, I think that it's just positive. Excit about the upcoming season. And uh this trip has been a great one just to even just to chill and and see these games and and catch some of the world baseball classic. But uh what do you think? Tommy.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

I mean, yeah, I would say. As fun as spring training's been, I don't think anything could top the world baseball classic games. No. Those have been insane. I mean, even the ones we haven't gone to. Like last night. Ah. Yeah, last night we caught Italy versus USA. And uh we we were watching for Nolan McLean, and then we just couldn't look away.

SPEAKER_05 1:30

Poor Nolan, um, Mamma mia, what a game. Umolan, uh you know, it just it felt like it wasn't going to be as bad at first. It was gonna be like, you know, we uh I feel like we we saw that first home run, and then we said, hey, no, it's common. This has been happening in all the games that all the pitchers kind of get. And they still win, right? But um, you know, we I know that uh I wasn't necessarily rooting against USA because I wanted I I definitely wanted Nolan to get the win. Um but uh it was what a what a surprise.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

I mean that's the best part of this tournament is that something like that can happen. And I mean the US almost made a comeback, it was just like too little, too late, though that might have saved them uh in the stats at the end. Because there's a there's tiebreaker stats. I'm I'm praying for a tiebreaker because I don't want the US to make it. I think it would be really fun. It would it would be really funny and symbolic if like last year 2023, uh they struck out, their captain struck out for the final out. Um and Aaron Judge was the last person up uh last night and he struck out. So like wouldn't that be really symbolic? Why don't we let that just happen?

SPEAKER_05 3:14

Just play out the way it and it feels like it's gonna.

SPEAKER_03 3:17

I love m Team Mexico and Team Italy. I feel like they're way more interesting than the US team. I just kinda wanna see it, I wanna see it happen. We're hoping for a four to two Mexico win today.

SPEAKER_05 3:34

And then that would just lay it up so there's this the three teams with the three and one.

SPEAKER_03 3:39

Mm-hmm. Three teams with three and one, and it's it just has to be low scoring because it's about the amount of runs they've allowed. Uh, and the US is at eleven, I think. Because it was against Mexico they allowed four, and against uh Italy they allowed eight. So, yeah, so they're or like they're 12. They're like some higher number, but they've played two games, and Italy and Mexico, this is gonna be their second game. Counting. So no matter what, we don't want Mexico to win by like Yeah, it can't be a route.

SPEAKER_05 4:17

It can't be uh beaten. Yeah, it should be should be a 5-3 kind of game.

SPEAKER_03 4:22

Exactly. Looks for you know what? Take it take it to I mean if it goes to extra innings, then the numbers are better because it's run differential compared to out button. So if if it goes to extra if it's like a 0-0 game in the 12th, you know. I'm not complaining. It won't be, but like, because that's not how that's not how these games go.

SPEAKER_05 4:48

But now this is where we cut two footage of us listening to the game in the car, and uh as we drive from Fort St. Lucie to Miami, and uh and uh and cursing.

SPEAKER_03 5:06

It's gonna happen. It's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_05 5:10

Well, we have more to talk about as as far as the world based uh world baseball classic is concerned, but uh let's go to us at at Clover Park for a second and uh see how we're feeling there from yesterday's game. This is

Live From Clover Park Game Notes

SPEAKER_05 5:26

Tad Boys Mets Club, and we are doing our podcast straight from Port St. Lucie, just uh hanging out on the hill at Clover Park, checking out the game between the Mets and the Cardinals. Cardinals, yeah. For spring training, and we're so happy to be here and so crazed.

SPEAKER_04 5:44

It is hot though. It is very, very hot.

SPEAKER_05 5:47

It is Florida hot. Humid in places where you're not supposed to feel humidity. But it's beautiful, it's a beautiful day, it's sunny and it's nice out. We're uh chilling on the hill and excited to be able to see these guys spring training.

SPEAKER_03 6:06

This is a fun one. Brett Beatty's right over there. Brett Baby's right there.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Really good.

SPEAKER_03 6:13

You gotta love him.

SPEAKER_05 6:16

So how about this game so far? This is just for the record, it's March 10th. March 10th. Tuesday. Top of the third. Top of the third. Score is four to one. Four to one, yep. Peterson is pitching.

SPEAKER_03 6:30

He's doing okay. Not enough strikeouts, but I don't think he's a big strikeout guy. But he's holding it down.

SPEAKER_05 6:38

Yeah, I mean, he just allowed one hit, I believe, or maybe what one hit, it was a home run.

SPEAKER_03 6:45

Yeah. Wait, he's allowed two hits. Two hits. Two hits. But to be fair, we've gotten seven hits. And he just got another out.

SPEAKER_06 6:54

Yeah. Number 83, third baseman, Ramon Mendoza.

SPEAKER_03 6:58

Highlighted the game so far though. My guy, Alvarez, hitting a home run. Go and D.

SPEAKER_05 7:06

Nice, nice. Lots of hits. Bichette, Polanco, guys that we want to see hit.

SPEAKER_03 7:15

I mean, I'm glad he I'm glad he's hit.

SPEAKER_05 7:18

We should definitely talk Polanco.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

I mean Bichette too. Bichette made like uh Bichette kind of fumble the play.

SPEAKER_05 7:25

Yeah, yeah, which is and so did Peterson.

SPEAKER_03 7:28

But it was it was sad to watch the Bichette play because it was like it's him and a minor league guy, and they both dived for the ball in the league. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's okay. Sometimes there's gonna be hits. There's gonna be the balls that you just can't get. I'm more upset about the Palumpa one.

SPEAKER_05 7:47

Yeah, that was kind of scary. I mean he did a couple.

SPEAKER_03 7:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:50

One that he's just stood there when they threw the ball at him when somebody was trying to steal. But this is why we're here, right? This is why he's doing this, is why he's he's he's gonna beat up first base guy. So let's see.

SPEAKER_03 8:03

Let's Which really it should be like the baby at first, you know.

SPEAKER_05 8:13

We also got to see uh the ship uh the the game last night against the Marlins.

SPEAKER_03 8:17

That game was I like that game a lot because uh we didn't see it, but Benge hit a triple. And it was like it also it wasn't like the triple the Dominican game where it like bounced weird. He just hit the ball really and it was fast. They fumbled him, but he made it work.

SPEAKER_05 8:39

We want to see Benjamin the team, and of course, Tyrone and his on his on his rampage, still hitting proven, proven. I'm wondering, is a case for manifestation. Alright. Polanka's got it good. The case for manifestation, right? Because uh, you know, we we made fun of the whole meme.

SPEAKER_06 9:12

But all those memes that were playing with different things. And now I feel like he's gonna actors in the stack. Alright, Mets fans, we direct your attention to the results. I've seen a few memes in our line. We have Slick Butt behind the city. We're excited to be here. We'll have more talk.

SPEAKER_05 9:35

It was a beautiful day yesterday at uh Port St. Lucie at Clover Park. I have to say that it's uh to watch all these games, it's uh been a privilege to actually be there and be amongst the fans. But it's also been so amazing to watch games that your team wins. I mean, it's like all these games have been so so exciting.

Walk-Up Music Picks WBC Edition

SPEAKER_05 10:01

But I think that uh we should jump into walk-up music, world baseball classic edition. Uh I think that we have to start with uh for me with uh Junior Caminato.

SPEAKER_03 10:24

I mean yeah, we c we kinda have to.

SPEAKER_05 10:30

Do we know his do we know his walk-up music right now?

SPEAKER_03 10:33

Uh I believe it is he has an old song in tribute, because all their songs are like very Dominican. Yeah, yeah. They're the one team that really went all like all the other teams are just like, I don't know, just use my normal one. This the team went Dominican, but I don't know if this is his uh walk-up like always. I got it here. Vol Volvere or Volvere, Ruli Petz. I don't I think, I think this is what the internet told me.

SPEAKER_05 11:11

It's a classic, it's a classic. Um you know, rest in peace, Ruby Petis. Um who passed away last year, I think it was last year that he passed away. I think that's why he is there's a song. Yeah, he used to sing for um Rufído Vargas, which is one of the most legendary uh bands in Dominican Republic. But uh that that's crazy. I love that song for the day. It's a kind of romantic song. You know.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

They all are. Well you look at it as they all are. No, it don't matter what's on it.

SPEAKER_05 11:52

It is true. People who love farm animals. But let's let's talk about what we would give him. So personally, uh for me, I know that this is kind of obvious and old school. But given the the the output, I would say Batman Turner's Turner overdrives taking care of business. Just because it's straight up. That's what I that's what he's been in the series.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Taking care of business every day. Taking care of business. Everywhere.

SPEAKER_05 12:29

Plus, I think it's a song that's got a cowbell, and any song that's got a cowbell has got like a has got a good thing going for it. What do you think should be a song?

SPEAKER_03 12:43

I don't know. I have like my answer's kinda kinda lame because it's less about him and more so about the fact that he's like my new favorite Dominican player. So it is just my favorite uh merengue song. Um I'm biased. Uh Suavemente. I really like that.

SPEAKER_05 13:08

I I really like that one. A little Puerto Rican flavor, Mr. Elvis Crespo with Suavemente, the classic, the dance floor jam that people always bust out to you. Uh yeah, I guess I guess everyone you can you can say what you want to say. I don't know. I don't know how to respond to that. But we do have another player that we want to actually add to the walk up music. Close to our heart. The the the Dominican mustache. Austin Wells Dominicano Austin Wells So why you start worse with this one? Because mine is kind of corny too.

SPEAKER_03 14:04

Mine is worse than corny. So like online there's there's a sound where it's like it could be it could be either of this. It could be I know black I Dominican Barbia or how do you know I know Minik Empire? And it cuts from that into this song. It could be cheese, choose, choose, cheese, choose. I feel like that would be perfect for him. How do you know a Dominican poppy? Because not to be mean, he's big, he's like me, he's a little big. He's a little big and we didn't know he was Dominican. So that's funny.

SPEAKER_05 15:05

I I I I go even further back and even cornier. So in the 80s, early 80s, there was a TV show called The Greatest American Hero. And it was about this sort of like bumbling guy. I think it was a reporter, maybe like a news reporter.

SPEAKER_03 15:23

Oh, that that hurts that you're talking about. You're like, you know, when I think of Austin Wells, I think about the show and the lead guy, he was kind of this bumbling fool.

SPEAKER_05 15:31

Well, the song the song the theme song for the TV show was a major hit at the time, and and the it's called Believe It or Not. And I feel like Austin Wells, he didn't have any hits during the whole so far in the world baseball classic. And when he came up that one in the one time and hit that home run, I just wondered what his feeling was, like how he, you know, we talked about how he seems to be like the not the rookie necessarily, but no, he's he's like he he's like the little brother. He's he's he's there's the team, and then there's the little brother Austin Wells, who's kind of brought along because but he's like he's there, he's in awe.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

Yeah, he's in awe every day because he's just he's he's a little guy.

SPEAKER_05 16:21

So my song would be from the theme song the from Greatest America Hero, the song called Believe It or Not. It's just really about the chorus. I never thought I could feel so free flying away all the way everywhere. No, could it be believe it or not? It's just me.

SPEAKER_03 16:57

I like that for him. I like that for him. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 17:04

These it's these uh these games have only produced excitement and and and so much awe in us to to be present.

SPEAKER_03 17:13

I just like to say, going back to that Austin Wells home run, I'm never gonna let this go. I felt that in my bones.

SPEAKER_05 17:20

Yes, yeah, we were there the exact pitch.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

Because he's my soulmate. There was a there was a brain link, there was a mind link. I knew it.

SPEAKER_05 17:29

Also, you also predicted the Tatis one, too. You were like Franklin was next to me. He's like, You should walk him. You should walk him.

SPEAKER_03 17:39

That I I feel like it would have been better. Just take the look, take that one run.

SPEAKER_05 17:44

It's Grand Slam, boom. That's funny. That was good. Let's go back to uh Clover Park for more Mets talk because there's a lot going on.

SPEAKER_04 17:57

We

Mets Camp Cuts Lindor Update

SPEAKER_04 17:58

continue here with more talk here at Sad Boys Sad Boys Mets Club from Port St. Lucie. Almost can't speak. This heat is getting to me.

SPEAKER_03 18:10

Yeah, it is it is definitely hot. Right now, we are at the back end of the field, right by where they're playing some simulation games, including Lindor making some health recovery. I think it might be his first time back on the field, even his first simulation game.

SPEAKER_04 18:30

That's and that's great news because everything is on his fashion.

SPEAKER_03 18:37

He's making great recovery. I still think he's gonna be back by the last thing.

SPEAKER_04 18:45

Well, here we are, and we also like to talk about uh Tom, no?

SPEAKER_03 18:51

Yeah, the the Mets have started finally cutting down the people at camp. I think we're down to like 63 people. Uh and one of the people, the the biggest person we cut is Jonah Tom.

SPEAKER_04 19:03

Yes, especially for us fans who wanted to see him kind of be at least on the periphery of the team. But he needs the time.

SPEAKER_03 19:12

I think we know that was gonna happen because he just needs more time to develop the memories. Everybody's treating it like uh big massive deals, but we all know. We don't know where he was going, because he just needs the salmon.

SPEAKER_04 19:29

He's gonna be there for us when we need him. Um let's let's uh let's talk about your Lindor jersey.

SPEAKER_03 19:37

Okay, so gonna hand this over to you. Today we're on a quest. The Lindor jersey the cursed Lindor jersey. We're trying to do an exorcism. Um hopefully get somebody to sign it. I think that might fix it. Let's see. Because I wanna I wanna have this jersey, but it's too cursed. I can't even I couldn't even risk wearing it today.

SPEAKER_04 20:02

Yeah, yeah, we we uh frankly got close for a second. Maybe possible Mrs. Met signature, but she she walked away.

SPEAKER_03 20:10

Yeah, cuz it's cause I'm not a kid.

SPEAKER_04 20:16

We're hoping we're hoping for luck, and we're also hoping for tomorrow night getting in Venezuela versus Dominican Republic in Miami. We'll drive back.

SPEAKER_03 20:26

We just need to get in, so we don't even need seats.

SPEAKER_04 20:28

We don't need seats. We just want to watch the game there, be in be in the mix.

SPEAKER_03 20:32

Hey, we didn't even sit down in that first game. Nope, nope.

SPEAKER_04 20:38

So come on, universe. Come on, Mets versus Metsiverse. Is it a thankful Metsiverse? I'm feeling Metsy. Let's get Metsy.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

Let's Mets uh Let's make it happen.

SPEAKER_05 20:53

Alright, y'all. Lots going on in the Mets camp, but uh all positive, all positive. Let's uh talk about our favorite players this week. Players of the week, and we'll combine that with Frankie's wishes. Basically, we'll just say that these are Frankie's wishes because these are his players of the week, and we'll just stick with that.

SPEAKER_03 21:16

I mean, I do have I do have one wish, and it's for the DR to win.

SPEAKER_05 21:21

That's yeah, yeah, that's uh that's a no-brainer. I mean, we do have one wish, but by the time this airs, we will know if we got that wish true, which is basically we want to see the game tonight of Dominican Republic versus Venezuela. This is one last push, and this is a push that's going into the subconscious because right now we're just saying it to ourselves. But we've been saying it all along, and we've been hoping, wishing trying to create this situation to happen. Hopefully we'll be able to see them tonight. That's tonight. We're gonna drive back to Miami and cross our fingers and see what happens. Um maybe we should have we should have done a GoFundMe or something.

SPEAKER_03 22:07

Yeah, I'm I think yeah, I want I want to see that game. I want us to win that game. I want us to win the whole tournament. And I want Team Mexico to beat Team Italy today. Four to two.

SPEAKER_05 22:27

Yeah. Four to two, five to three, keep it low. Two to one. Two to one. I don't know. Why why not? And watch this get interesting after.

SPEAKER_03 22:39

That's what I want to see. So players of the week. Players of the week. So normally it's player of the week, but it's been such a week. I have three guys. It would be four, but we already did Austin Wells. He's always he's always my number one. Let's get the obvious right out of the way. Junior Camarero is I like he's one of those players where I don't really pay attention to the Rays. Because it's the Rays, they're like the Marlins, but they're not even in our division. So I have less of a reason to care. No, no offense to them. I just think the branding used to be better. Now they're just kind of like, yeah. Oh it's all about the branding. But they they they had to do it. It was like a whole curse. But anyways, he had like 45 home runs last year. And I didn't really I I knew theoretically of him, but I didn't have that connection because I did know that there was like Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero. Those are like I I I knew that there was a guy. I knew there were two guys who hit really well on that team, but I did not connect at all, but it was Camonero and then the World Baseball Classic. And he's just hit after home run after home run.

SPEAKER_05 24:10

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Caminero, I think he's gonna have a stellar year, too. It just feels good. I feel like uh all this uh energy, all these players that have been in the world baseball classic in in all the teams I really like. They're gonna kick starve. They're gonna like those uh there were a couple guys on the Italian team last night. Jack Caglione. Caglione, man.

SPEAKER_03 24:30

Oh shoot. That's the guy I was forgetting. That was my fourth player, Jack Caglione. Alright, let's get to him then. Because he's gonna be he's my bounce back guy of the year, because he had a rough start, but that was because he literally went from like being drafted to the major. Like he was he was straight pipeline up because he was so good, and he will be so good. Like this is gonna be his year. As much as I hate the Royals, I don't really hate them. I'm kind of impartial, but then there's like some bias because of the 2015s. Yeah, so it's like they also have Marte now, so yeah, and they have yeah, they have Marte, they have Bobby Wood Jr. who I have a personal grudge against because he's too he's too good of a player. So I I can't say in good confidence that we have the best shortstop, even though I love Lindor, because it's like it's physically impossible to be a better shortstop than Bobby Wood Jr. So it's like but I think it's gonna be good. It's gonna be big. Yeah, Jack Aglione is gonna be bounced back, and he was really good last night. Stupid last night, stupid.

SPEAKER_05 25:41

Also the first baseman, and that's that's my third guy. Or Italy for the win. Yeah. What was his name?

SPEAKER_03 25:55

The first baseman was Vinny Pasquantino. Pasquantino. Pasquatch.

SPEAKER_05 26:00

Yes. Uh is he the guy? He was the guy that was giving everybody the espresso and the and the kisses and stuff.

SPEAKER_03 26:08

He was there just to do the splits every inning. He did the splits, sometimes multiple times in the inning, and then afterwards hit nothing at all. He's still he's still zero hits and the whole class. Italy has a 3-0 record, and he has not had a single hit. But every time somebody gets a home run, he takes them back. Espresso shot, kiss, kiss. He's like the soul of that team.

SPEAKER_05 26:36

Well, I mean, they said that last night, that it's like you would have never predicted that they would have had eight runs on the bottom half of the order.

SPEAKER_03 26:44

The first four players hadn't gotten a hit at all. That's that's amazing. And I I have seen as well, it is really funny, people have been making jokes that that entire roster is just Vinnie Pasquantino and all of his Italian contacts. Like they just look through his phone, they were like, this guy's Italian.

SPEAKER_05 27:04

It's his it's a it's a bread. They just they just uh share Italian jokes and memes. It's like hey guys, the world baseball classic is coming up. Hey Tony, hey, you want to play? But uh I I love that for him. That's just that's amazing. I think, and I think that it again it's just good energy overall, and it's just people are gonna carry it into the season. Who are the other players for you?

SPEAKER_03 27:30

Last guy. Because it's an insane stat line. O'Neal Cruz. He's my guy. He was gonna be my pick. He's got a cruise player of the week, yeah. He has a perfect batting average. He has only only two at bats or three at bats, or something like that. He's had like that's literally what it is. He's had like three at bats, two of them are home runs, and the other one was a hit.

SPEAKER_05 27:53

Like he and he hit the hardest home runs. It was like the strongest home runs so far.

SPEAKER_03 27:59

This the it almost broke through the roof of Lone Depot. Like it was Yeah, that's you're right. It's like Junior Camanaro and O'Neill Cruz are the hardest hitting guys, yeah, yeah. Like ever in the world baseball class. Like they they mash. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_05 28:16

Yeah, I mean, uh, we were there with my brother-in-law, Amari, at the at the Dominican Games, and uh he used to we're gonna interview him in the future because he used to be a former player, and he was saying that Cruz was a shortstop and they put him in center field, and it kind of messed up his season a little bit, which is still he was still like a good, he was still like above average.

SPEAKER_03 28:41

Yeah, he used to be elite, and then he had like a wild back.

SPEAKER_05 28:46

I feel like he's coming back. He's he's a monster. Which actually should lead us right into the Dominican word of the week.

Dominican Word Of The Week

SPEAKER_05 28:57

The Dominican word of the week. Alright. The Dominican word of the week is an easy one. It's Pela. P-E-L-A. Pela, Pela Pela, Pela. And that's just been all the games the Dominican Republic has played. It's Bela means beating. It means a hurtin'. It means you got a whooping. It means uh you got you got your ass served. To you uh but uh Pela. The Dominican Republic. I mean, the game so far. Three games, all double digits.

SPEAKER_03 29:37

Well, that's the craziest stat to me. All double digits. It's like it's like been like 40 runs in three games. It's insane. It is insane, it is insane.

SPEAKER_05 29:49

So that's the word of the week, Dominican word of the week, Bela. Use it in a sentence. Hey, um no. I just think the worst things I should just keep keeping my mouth shut. Uh all right. So I

Bruno Mars Thoughts And Oscar Movies

SPEAKER_05 30:08

believe now we can uh maybe it's a good time to talk about uh movies. We like to talk about things like movies and music. We uh we wanted to talk about the new Bruno Mars record. I feel like we haven't really given it a proper listen. We have listened to it. I just wanted to kind of go through the songs a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 30:25

I think I've given it two, but they kind of blend it together. Like I've I've I've listened to it over twice, I think.

SPEAKER_05 30:31

Yeah. I mean uh he's definitely it's like Bruno Mars uh goes to East LA kind of vibe. Uh it's romantico, and it's just like a lot of Latin flavor in it.

SPEAKER_03 30:46

It to me it I it felt like like every time in recent years, he's been very influenced by the people he's worked with. Like he's done he's been doing a lot of collaborations, and so everything feels very different. And this one felt like I mean it literally felt like his older stuff when he was doing it all alone, but if he like but now, like literally just yeah, he's doing it alone, he grew up. It felt a lot like silksonic, but without the sauce, so it's still got like without the silk, yeah, exactly. It's it's still really like he's still really good. Yeah, it's less funky, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:29

It is less funky, it's very and I feel like it's less hooky too. There weren't to me any uh there were just a few major hooky moments.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

You're not for cha cha cha with me.

SPEAKER_05 31:47

I look every song I have to say, every song I was singing instantly, so it's not that. It's like he's got hooks for days. So 2016. Yeah, I love it. It's just that you know, like that what was the song of Lady Gaga? I mean to me that's like such a strong, well-written song as far as like how to like grab your your all your emotion and your heart and your strings and your soul. It's just like that kind of stuff. And and many of his songs in the past. And I think that that uh it's not that the songs aren't as hooky. I just feel like that the style might be over how do you say it? Just kind of like taking over the actual hooks. Like, so there's I'm getting more of the flavor of it and not necessarily the content.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

I wish it was more Latin. That's my biggest complaint. He was teasing us.

SPEAKER_05 32:47

It is, it is, it is light, it is Latin light. But again, we're you know, we're complaining about I'm not complaining, it's just like this is like a super salad picking of like one of the best artists of our generation. Yeah, yeah, he truly is, and great songwriter, super, super amazing pop writer, knows how to write a catchy song. Knows. Knows like yes. So that was a little there you go. We had a little Bruno Brothers review in. Let's talk, let's talk movies real quick before we get in trouble.

SPEAKER_03 33:26

I mean, honestly, I think the music front was better than the movie front for me, because this was this was a rough one. I would I was like I was offset by sickness last week, so my movie watching has kind of been like a little rougher as I'm getting back into the groove of things. But there were like I still definitely tried to watch some good movies, and they just didn't turn out that good. Like, I'm trying to watch all the Oscar nomination movies before the Oscars, which is I'm kinda running out of time, so that's flight home. Gonna yeah, at least like three or four. But I tried to watch on the flight here, I watched Sentimental Value, and I'm I realized like I just can't do like the just talking movies about like family trauma. Like I it happened with it's like there was a movie, it's like the three his three daughters or something like that. It was like uh Natasha Leone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was a Netflix movie, I think it was. Yeah, yeah. And I really didn't like that because it's like it's just not for me. Like, I don't like sitting around and watching other people sit around and mope about their generational trauma. I like I like I like a movie about general like I I like a movie that has some flavor. Like I like a little miss sunshine.

SPEAKER_05 35:01

If we're doing family, like yeah, let's take let's I like if we're doing family trauma, let's take it on the road.

SPEAKER_03 35:07

Yeah, like make it make something happen. That's just me though. It and the the problem is like I like it, but it was a really well-made movie. I just didn't like it. So it's like it's a weird place to be in sentimental value. Oh it's like it's a weird spot to like I don't mind that it's getting like all the Oscar nods. Like, I think that's fair. I just didn't like it. So that was that was kind of a shame. The worst part is I think the best movie I watched so far this week has been Surfsaw, which is kinda rough, but it's a good it's a good movie.

SPEAKER_02 35:45

What can I say? It's a good movie.

SPEAKER_03 35:49

Um oh and The Lost Bus was another Oscar movie that I watched that was really bad because it's like it's it's like if you take the just talking and then you get rid of the talking, and then you're like, oh no, we need to do something. So they like then they put it on the road, and then there's just nothing. It's like it's no say it's about Matthew McConaughey driving a school bus full of kids in them into a wildfire. Not alright, not alright, not alright. Not alright. I mean, that was I will say this, that was one of my favorite reviews. Was somebody was like, I'll ride, all ride, all right. But it was it was a rough week for me, movie-wise, but I'm I'm turning that around next week. It's gonna be all all four stars are above.

SPEAKER_05 36:40

Well, I I didn't get a chance to watch a movie this week, and I'm going to just defer to because it's the world baseball classic and we've been entrenched in Dominican culture. My favorite Dominican movie of all time.

SPEAKER_03 36:55

One of my favorite movies of all time, if we're talking about the same. No, you're probably not. You're probably not.

SPEAKER_05 37:01

You're talking about baseball and Dominican. There's only No, no, no. It's not a baseball movie, but it's uh it's a it's not a baseball movie. It's just the best, for me, the best Dominican movie that's ever been made. It's called Nueva York. Nueva York. It's like N-U-E-N-O-Y-O-L. Uh and uh Marty, which is uh one of the best best comedians of all time from Dominican Republic, was a star and co-wrote it and uh with Agil Muniz. Um it's just a story about a guy who's trying really hard to make his life better. So he he he tries every which way possible to go to New York to come. It's an you know the sort of uh the immigrant story, right? He comes to New York, and of course, life is not the the sort of like the American dream is not the easy, achievable, fun thing that it feels like from the outside and the sort of the lessons that are learned with that. But it's a comedy as well, heartfelt, um, just really well made, even though super low shoestring budget, kind of crazy, you know, situation and circumstances of how it was filmed. It's just uh it's one of my favorite movies of all time. Uh Nueva York. Um Search It Out. What what movie were you thinking?

SPEAKER_03 38:32

I thought you were talking about Sugar.

SPEAKER_05 38:33

Oh no, sugar's a whole different thing. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 38:36

We're talking about baseball and Dominican. That's the only movie I think of.

SPEAKER_05 38:40

Yeah, I mean, but that's that's a it's a it's uh it's not a fun movie. It is not a fun movie, but it's a real one. It's it feels very weird real. And also the people were real players in it. Um, so that was kind of cool. But uh there are other movies too as well. We'll get into that. We should probably talk about baseball movies next week. Let's talk about Sugar next week. Because there's another one that I'd like to bring up. Um that was about uh where they followed these Dominican players, these kids, like kids growing up all the way through. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh it's kind of crazy. But um let's go back to the field. Let's go back to Clover Park.

The Jersey Curse Gets Lifted

SPEAKER_05 39:17

Um, and uh let's see what the what the status is of that mysterious jersey, the Kinect jersey. The curse Judaser's jersey. Sad boys Mets Club. Here we are at the end of the game. Mets won 5-1, right?

SPEAKER_03 39:34

They beat the Cardinals from you know, it was it's spring training.

SPEAKER_05 39:40

Things happen. But uh, but we're here to report that Frankie's mission to reverse the curse on the on the Kinect jacket on the Kinect jersey.

SPEAKER_03 39:51

I'm hoping it works out. I know we just have to wait and see. But Jacob Ryan, Brian Hudson, and Mr. Met. Mr. Metz! I was looking for Mrs. Met too, but I think Mr. Met is a massive lunch. I'm happy.

SPEAKER_05 40:06

So I believe that this is good luck for us and and all Mets fans, and and we might have to change the name of this podcast next year. Who knows? I'm so glad that we got those. Well, you got those signatures. It's a good sign, especially that that you got Mr. Met in particular, because I feel like that's the big one. Mr. Met after the grimace needs to get his mojo back.

SPEAKER_03 40:35

Well, Mr. Met has never had mojo. That's not what he's about. Honestly, Mr. Met is a chud, and that's why we love him.

SPEAKER_05 40:43

But what I'm saying, what I'm trying to say here is that two goals were achieved here. I feel like getting Mr. Met's signature on your jersey is a good sign. We we uh we uh lift that curse off the Kinect jersey, but also his connection to us will bring his our mojo and we will give him our energy, and uh I think Mr. Met is gonna have a great year.

SPEAKER_03 41:15

Anything's better than last year falling off the stage. You still haven't seen that, right? Oh my god.

SPEAKER_05 41:21

Oh no more falls this year, no more falls. Let's let's end this on some uh world baseball classic talk.

SPEAKER_03 41:30

Okay.

WBC Predictions And A Case For Joy

SPEAKER_03 41:31

I was thinking we could just look and do a re-re-prediction because we already made that first prediction. We were kind of right in a lot of ways. You specifically, because you were still you didn't want to count out Puerto Rico, yeah, and they've kind of they've only lost once. They've they've made it.

SPEAKER_05 41:49

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They could they they moved on.

SPEAKER_03 41:52

So So right now, as it stands, Venezuela, Dominican Republic are both making it. Yeah, Japan and Korea have both made it. Italy, USA, and Mexico. We have to wait on tonight. That's the interesting one. I personally, I'm putting out into the world I think Italy and Mexico are gonna make it. I think everything's gonna go perfectly, Italy and Mexico make it, and then it's gonna be Puerto Rico and either Canada or Cuba because they're tied and they're playing a game. I think it's gonna be Canada because I don't think no offense to Cuba, I don't think they deserve to recover from that Cincinnati Redshib and loss, because that was that that was rough. Yeah. Like we there are games for teams for countries to qualify back into the world baseball classic. I feel like there are games that should qualify draw out. You you have to like prove yourself after that. That was that was embarrassing. But I still think the Dominican Republic is gonna win today. I think they're gonna play Korea, they're gonna win, and then they're gonna play. I think Mexico is gonna be the top of the division, and Mexico is gonna play Canada and win. And then I think the DR is gonna play Mexico and win. I think this is gonna be a really fun game. And on the other side, I think that Japan is gonna make it. I think it's gonna be Japan beats Venezuela. It's gonna be a crazy game.

SPEAKER_05 43:33

So there's no there's no scenario that the Dominican Republic plays the US.

SPEAKER_03 43:38

Well, there is, and it's if the US makes it, but I'm hoping that doesn't happen. I'm I'm holding out for that to not happen.

SPEAKER_05 43:47

Because that's what I predict. I predict it's gonna be Dominican Republic versus the USA.

SPEAKER_03 43:52

Well, it's gonna be a great game, but like and I predict a payla. I mean hey, if Italy can do it. We're basically Italian. Half the people there have Italian names. There you go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 44:13

I was born in Brooklyn. Hey, Tony. Hey, Giovanni, Giovanni. This is my the story of my life. It's like Paison. I was like, nah.

SPEAKER_04 44:26

Like nah.

SPEAKER_05 44:29

I want to end on a positive note, not that we haven't been positive, but uh, I just wanted to carry something. This is something I'm gonna see. If I can talk about it elsewhere as well, but I just there's something about these games that we've been watching, even these the spring training games, the energy of some of the players, some of the young players. Like to to watch these spring training games, and and as the innings go, they just bring out these at least it turns into like little league games. But some of these players are just like really giving their all and their like their enthusiasm, their energy. That that vibe, those vibes are just like hitting hard. The Dominican team is just off the charts with the energy and the celebrations, and and there's been some some like uh criticism about it. And it's oh the oh, because people are yeah, they're just celebrating too much, and it's just like, you know what? To me, 2026, from here on out, it's gonna be all about the celebration. It's gonna be all about, you know what, something good happens, let's let's let's shout it out. Let's say, wow, that was amazing. Let's like hug, let's, let's give each other espresso shots, let's kiss, let's, let's, uh, let's dance, let's do selfie shots, let's do the cannon, you know, let's do the let's celebrate. I mean, to me, I'm I want what was that pitcher do it?

SPEAKER_03 46:01

He like hit a full, he did like roll the dice, and like put that was my favorite thing when that pitcher left. He did like a whole routine.

SPEAKER_05 46:09

I just like the laying down the cannon and then just letting it go and the boo kind of thing. I just feel like the world is so crazy and there's so many bad things, and and you know, we can only do so much, but we can do a lot. But part of that is keeping the energy and the the positivity for those who are who need it. You know what I mean? Because I feel like we're we we can feel defeated, we can feel like beat down, we can feel like helpless, like we can't do anything about what's going on. We can. It's everything is in our hands. We have the power. I don't care what anybody says, we have the power for everything, for life, for for social issues, political ones, personal ones. You have the power, we have the power. But in order to get that power, in order to recognize that power, we need to be in a state of of positivity. And and and uh in this team, I mean, and just the feel overall of the world baseball classic, but this team, this Dominican team, this energy is the energy I'm taking for the rest of my life. And I just wanted to end on that note because it's just like it's um the vibe is everything, the vibe is everything. That's all I have to say. I agree. So we end it here, yeah. Alright. Sad Boys Mets Club once again, special road edition. Um, thank you for being here with us. I'm Giovanni Blanco.

SPEAKER_03 47:53

I'm Franklin Blanco.

SPEAKER_05 47:55

Let's go Mets.

SPEAKER_03 47:58

That's always next year. That's right.