2 Vintage Sports Guys - Episode 15

Episode 15: Join Joe and special guest host Gerald Brown, on-air talent across SiriusXM NBA Radio, Mad Dog Sports Radio, and ESPN New York Radio. They discuss the NBA Playoffs, MLB oddities after 6 weeks of play, and whatever happened to passing the basketball in the NBA. 

Gerald Brown Links:
https://www.youtube.com/@Theblinesportsshow/featured

Kendall Gill Episode: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xJoONQ3Ndc

Video Podcast: 

https://bzzr.com/creator-studio/content?watch=true&videoId=zAQs65SBDnwSF2AnmTUc

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome back to Two Vintage Sports Guys. This is Joe Rendacci. Uh, my buddy Paul is still on vacay, but I have a very special guest today, Mr. Gerald Brown of Sirius XM. And uh he has a lot of other things under his belt, and I'm gonna kick it off to you.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Joe, it's a pleasure to be on with you. Yes, uh Sirius XM. You can hear me on NBA Radio as well as Mad Dog Sports Radio, talking all sports, and also uh with my co-host uh Rick Mahorn, the bottom line sports show on YouTube, on YouTube.com slash the B Line Sports Show.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Very cool. Do you run into Mad Dog much? I mean uh how often do you see him?

SPEAKER_01 0:48

You know what's so funny? Since COVID, I haven't been in the uh studio in quite some time, but there were times I did see him prior to COVID. So now with the technology, you know, we could be in different places and stuff and make it sound like we're sitting right next to one another. So haven't seen him in a while though, but I have in the past.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

Yeah, I I I spent way to when I was up there when I lived in New York and I was traveling a lot. I spent six hours a day listening to Mike and the Mad Dog from one to, I think it starts, it was one to six and then two to seven for years, uh probably 15 years. And um I would I would schedule meetings around that. I would annoy my wife about around dinner around that. And it just I'm sure you spent many an hour listening to them back in the day.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

Oh, yeah, they were they were definitely the staples of New York's uh sports scene and and definitely iconic individuals, a lot of definite insight on the uh world of sports from both of them.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

Yeah, I I uh I still listen to Frances does podcasts now.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Yes, uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

And uh I'll listen to him. He just got over, I think, knee surgery or something, and they all thought he was dead. It was interesting. Listen to him coming back and telling all the stories that they had about him. But um, yeah, they they they they carried me through years. But they were big on the NBA, we're big on the NBA. Let's discuss the NBA playoffs. Last night we had game three between the Knicks and Philly. Uh I think to nobody's surprise, it's a 3-0 New York lead. They beat them 108-94. Uh, give me some of your thoughts on that.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Uh, very impressive. You can see my backdrop in Madison Square Garden. Uh, very, very impressive in terms of, you know, the biggest thing I want to see, Joe, is how the Knicks would respond in that starting maybe five to 10 minutes of that game. You know, you you you witnessed the Sixers coming out with uh energy, very aggressive. They had hit a lot of big shots. You had some really turnovers by the Knicks and trying to find their way, you know, through that sort of first push and surge by them, but they closed out the quarter very strong. They got their legs behind them. And uh, you know, what really also stood out was the fact that, you know, Mikhail Bridges really stepped up, Noah Giananobi. Um, but you also got contributions from the bench from Landry Shamit, who played very, very well. Uh Jose Alvarado played well, uh, Deuce McBride. So it was a total team effort. And um, they were able to weather the storm. And I think also, too, it was a very, very aggressive game. And I think I'd be very curious to see how game four will be called because that was a very aggressive game. And, you know, thankfully, Carl Anthony Towns, if you're a Knicks fan, was able to avoid falling out of that game. But I was very surprised how physical that game was, which was to the liking of fans of yesteryear, hearkening back to say that uh that's how the NBA used to be. But it was very good and very uh interesting to see how the Knicks played. And uh now they're up 3-0 to see how they can close them out.

SPEAKER_00 3:53

So did you do you think it's close out, or do you think there's some Philly pride and they grab they grab a game and lose this in five?

SPEAKER_01 4:00

I think the the biggest thing is that Philly Pride, you know, once again, how will they come out? Um, you know, if they can come out and really be aggressive and assertive, you know, with Paul George, he played well. But they went through lulls at times, Joe, where, you know, Tyrese Maxie, uh, it was really kind of hard. I don't we you know, it was kind of hard to try to figure out where Paul George got it really going early, then Joe M and B, but then Tyrese Maxie was mixed in there. I think if they're going to really survive and advance and move to a game uh five, I think Tyrese Maxie has really had to be more assertive. Uh Vijay Edgecomb, obviously he's playing like a rookie, you would expect that. But I think the biggest telling point will be is to see how close the Knicks will keep this game. And if the Sixers are in a space where they have to fight to come back, I wouldn't be surprised if the Knicks close them out. But hey, you just never know. It might go uh, you know, five.

SPEAKER_00 4:58

Yeah, I mean, you never know what it's be like if he if he's if he's healthy and he plays through it, right? He's a force, but there's a lot of ifs uh you know with that. But I think they close him out in four. I think they'd rather get a little rest, let Detroit and Cleveland beat each other up. Uh, where do you see the Detroit-Cleveland series going?

SPEAKER_01 5:19

Well, you know, I you know, Cleveland has been close but no cigar. I think we're we're we're at the point now in James Harden's career. I think, look, he's a bench player. And I mean that in the most respectful way, in terms of what you can expect out of him. I think at this stage of his career, he cannot produce that. And unfortunately, it's been the careless turnovers by the Cavaliers down the stretch. And also, you know, adapting and adjusting to the physicality. You know, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. If you look at that backcourt, it's always been more to be desired from them too. You know, uh, you know, Harden is obviously a guy, it's a former MVP. He's a guy that can be able to score, one of all-time great scorers, but just down the crutch clutch and stretch when they needed him in the clutch, he hasn't been there. Then you look at a guy like uh Donovan Mitchell, where are their signature moments? I just look at the front court of the Cavs going into this series, a very long, finesse type of front court, which uh, you know, Allen as well, Jared Allen as well as Evan Mobley compared to the brute force of the Detroit Pistons. So I wouldn't be surprised, you know, Joe, in this series, that you know, Pistons close them out in four as well. This is a big, big pivotal uh series, uh going back, shifting back to Cleveland. And I think it really starts with game three. If the Cavs can not only play well, but close the Pistons out and at least get one in Cleveland.

SPEAKER_00 6:51

Yeah, I mean, you know, the old cliche, right? The series doesn't start until you lose one at home. So is obviously a big difference. The game three's pivotal at this point, because if Cleveland wins it, then they have the hope of tying it. But obviously, if Detroit takes game three, right, that nobody's ever come back from three of, right? Yeah, and I think the last time it happened in any sports, is it still the no wait? It's not the 2003 Red Sox. Uh I think it might be the Flyers. I think it's the Flyers. I think 2010 Flyers came back, but we've we've just talked about that on another podcast. But yeah, I mean, I I think that Detroit got their legs under them. They should have lost to Orlando in well, what was it like a 26-point lead?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Yes, 24, 26 point lead uh in the third quarter. And you know, uh Orlando really, really just uh let them back in the game. But you know what, Joe? The interesting thing about that series and and specifically that game, and we'll all know about this as we had talked about previously about the Knicks and the Sixers and how it ties in. It's very hard to close a team out, right? It's very, very difficult because one team is going to fight everything possible to avoid that. And unfortunately, if you don't have the experience in closing a team out, it can be very challenging. That's what we witnessed in that Orlando Magic series against the Pistons, in terms of them trying to be able to close them out and not having a guy like a Franz Wagner out there and stuff that was really, really a big, big uh piece in their offense. But uh yeah, with Cleveland, this is a pivotal game, and they got to be able to try to at least win one. But um closeout games are very, very difficult and very taxing.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Yeah, and I and I think I was uh listening to your your I think it was your latest podcast with Kendall Gill about uh coming back from these leads. Or yeah, and I think everything's to me, it looks like everything is like the Boston Celtics are the perfect gauge for this, where they live and die by the three. So you can come back with that three, or you can go ice cold with that three. And you know, it it that's you could turn it quick, or you could the game could be over that quick, right? So I was actually watching the uh I was coming home on a plane from a trip and the 30 for 30 of uh the Lakers, uh Celtics 80s. I don't know if you watched that, it was really good. And you know, you just see the passing between the Celtics and the Lakers, you know, bing, bing, bing, bing, four passes and a dunk, you know. You don't see all the three-point bombs that you see every in every game now, right? And I don't know, I I guess I missed a little of that passing that that used to be used to define the game, especially when the Celtics won whatever it was back in the day, five, six in a row. They passed it, right? And what what I mean, what's your thought about it? It's all like show now, right?

SPEAKER_01 9:54

It's show time everywhere with three-point bombs, but whatever happened to passing, like yeah, you you know what's interesting is the fact is that you talk about that and you look at the Knicks series, how you know, I think the the changing point in their sort of playoff run was perhaps maybe game four of their first round series against Atlanta. And I gotta give credit, and we all should give credit to Mike Brown, to be able to change that offensive uh scheme up because they automatically went from a spacing of, you know, having Jalen Brunson be a guy that was initiating that offense to now they have Carl Anthony Towns up at the top facilitating that offense. I think in game uh four, he had a triple-double, you know. So now being able to pass the ball, but you're right, teams uh it and I guess it goes into today's analytics where you try to just get up as many shots as possible, as opposed to having someone that's a facilitator, someone that can pass the ball and making sure that we have a lot of ball movement. I think that was the kind of uh the risk, the renaissance of the Golden State Warriors with their small ball. They were constantly passing the ball, a lot of movement. And uh we've moved away even furthermore from that. But uh, yeah, you're you're you're right in terms of the passing ability and the offensive schemes in terms of just you know sharing the basketball. But now it's you know, three-point shots, dribble, dribble, dribble, and then shoot the ball uh as a bailout three. And you know, that's kind of the bit in the MO for a guy like James Harden. Yeah, exactly. Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

All right, and let's jump over into the West. So with the West, we got the six-seed Minnesota Timberwolves. Uh Anthony Edwards, you know, came back for game one, stole a win over the two-seed Spurs. Uh, and then we saw that even up. So I can't really decide. I kind of picked Minnesota before this series, but what's your thoughts on it?

SPEAKER_01 11:52

You know, I at one point when I saw that the um Minnesota Timberwolves lost their front court at one uh backcourt, excuse me, with Dante T. Vicinzo, and then um, you know, Anthony Edwards was supposed to be out for a while. I said they perhaps maybe didn't have a chance. Then they were able to take game one, a great, great uh, you know, defensive scheme by Chris Finch and the Timberwolves uh coaching staff. They were able to take game one, then they lose game one, game two, and then obviously looking at this series, you know, conventional wisdom would say when you look at the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wambiamba, uh Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, a relatively young team, right? And you mentioned about the Celtics and the Lakers. Uh, I would throw the Pistons in there as well, where you had to go through some losses to order to gain some experience. But when it comes to San Antonio Spurs, Joe, I'm I'm looking at them and I think that they might be the anomaly where this series and pretty much setting up for a possible tension showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder, that they could be prime that for a dynasty run starting uh this uh come this current playoffs. And I look at San Antonio, it's really led by a guy like Victor Wembiamba and what he's able to do. Because think about it this way: when we look at great players in the past, we've always looked at them from the offensive side of the ball. Wembyamba is a player that he doesn't have to uh affect the game just on the offensive side. Like he doesn't have to go out and score 30 plus in order for the Spurs to win. He can be a guy that affects the game solely on the defensive side, which kind of harkens back to a guy that won several championships, the great and late great Bill Russell, where he's a guy that's going to dominate the game on that defensive side. And they have enough talent with De'Aaron Fox, Stefan Castle, Dylan Harper, among others, to be able to get it done on the offensive side. But uh the Spurs, I think we need to pay a closer attention to them because we could be bearing witness to a dominant, a dominant, a dynasty, and a dominant run by the Spurs, led by Victor Wembiamba, uh, for years to come. Because they're first and foremost, outside of that, you have three players in Harper, Castle, and Wembiamba. They're all on rookie contracts. So they're able to get this championship. Uh it's going to be a very, very ugly, ugly situation in the Western Conference, let alone the NBA. But I like the Spurs, and I'm sorry for a long-winded answer. I like the Spurs in this series, and um, they seem like they're just doing everything that they need to do and keep continuing to get better.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

So with San Antonio up 2-1 game four, Minnesota, is it a must for Minnesota to pull this out if they're gonna have any shot at this? They're not coming back from 3-1.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

Yeah, I think so. And I think at the end of the day, you know, when you have a uh obviously a talent deficit in which Minnesota, you know, when it's compared to San Antonio, I think it's just fighting a fight. You know, we didn't get swept, you know, a gentleman's sweep if it happens. But uh, you got to look at this and just hang your hat. And unfortunately, Minnesota is a very, very tough team and a very talented team. Um, you look at it, nobody really even talks about they've been to two consecutive Western Conference finals. But um, like I just mentioned, you're going up against a talent that is something that you know we've never seen before. Victor Wimbiyamba, and then all the, oh, by the way, the other added pieces around them. So uh I think it's over for the Timberwolves.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Yeah, and I think you made a good point about how Edwards has to, you know, you have to go through some tough teams to get the experience to take the next step. And then I, you know, if I'm staying in the 80s, I'm remembering Jordan trying to get through the bullies from Detroit, Lambier, Isaiah, all of them until he did, right? And then they start, they win their six. But um, yeah, I know Edwards uh gets the uh Stephen A. Smith uh Jordan comparisons all the time. I'm still hearing that. And uh I like them, but let's stop comparing against the likes of Jordan and and everybody. Yeah, we need to stop that. All right, and then the last one there, Oklahoma City, as you mentioned, the thunder up two games uh on the on LeBron and the Lakers. I mean, I don't think there's anybody that does didn't think Oklahoma was wasn't winning this from the beginning. Now they're up to oh, does Los Angeles win the first one at home, make this look more interesting than it'll be, or is this a 3-0 and then just discussing sweep?

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Well, I think they're in a similar situation, like the uh Cleveland Cavaliers in terms of must-wins, you know, going down 3-0 to the Thunder is uh pretty much the nail in the coffin, if you will. And when you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder, they perhaps out of all the playoff teams thus far, um, they've been the most efficient, you know, where they haven't had any lulls. They've been very, very consistent and knowing who they are and played some competitive basketball, but really sticking to who they are and doing what they do best. You look at the Phoenix Sun series and that first round matchup, it kind of reminds me of what the situation is with the Lakers, where you your best isn't just isn't good enough, right? You just gotta play pretty much an almost perfect game. And I think with the Oklahoma City Thunder and as far as the Lakers, the Lakers are just gonna have to either have play the best game that they could possibly play, and maybe the Thunder are pretty much will play down to the level of the Lakers. But I look at the Thunder and I look at the Lakers and I think that clearly, hands down, this is a must-win game for them, and especially without Luka Doncic being available among others. Um, it's a tall task for LeBron and Austin Reeves and those guys. And I think it really showed it is uh it reared his ugly head in the game in the game too, where there was a lot of questionable calls, and the Lakers and Austin Reeves really had a lot of things to say to the officials. It just lets you know that they're fighting and looking for some type of you know, uh inkling of being able to make this series competitive.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

Got it. So if we look at our crystal ball ahead, make some predictions. Let's just say it's uh, I think we agreed it's Detroit, New York going in the Eastern Finals. What's your pick there? Oof.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

You know, I a couple weeks, maybe last week I would have said Detroit, right? Last week I would say Detroit. But I think, Joe, what the Orlando Magic in their defeat really showed me and showed a lot of us. I question the Detroit Pistons perimeter shooting to be consistent, right? Duncan Robinson, Dennis Jenkins, they've been playing very, very well. But there were moments in that series against the Magic where that three-point shot or the perimeter shot wasn't consistent. I look at the Knicks, look, Carl Anthony Towns, uh, you you're gonna need OG Ananobi. The physicality, Tobias Harris has been having this sort of uh resurgence and his playing, he's been a key for the Pistons. I like the Knicks in that series, you know. I I like the Knicks uh in that series maybe going six or seven over the Detroit Pistons.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

It'll be interesting. I mean, again, back to an earlier point. The Knicks have a little bit of the experience going through this last year, right? And Detroit went from, you know, nowhere to everywhere this year. I I think they found their legs by the end of the Orlando series, but let's see what they're doing when they're facing the Knicks now. So I I really I I don't know there, but Thunder and in your case, San Antonio, and and again, I picked Minnesota, but it that that was a coin flip. I I just think the Thunder beat either of them. Uh are you sticking with San Antonio and Wemby or or are you going Thunder?

SPEAKER_01 20:02

Yeah, I'm I'm going I'm going San Antonio, and I think that series is going to be maybe five. I think it's probably going to be six games, maybe seven. I think clearly the NBA and all of us NBA fans would love to see two series and two conference finals that really, really are extended. Um, I just think that when you look at the San Antonio Spurs and you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder, they're a mirror image of each other. The only difference, and it's it's obviously Sam Presti has has mentioned that the way the Thunder were constructed was obviously utilizing the model of the San Antonio Spurs. And when I look at the Spurs, the biggest difference is their perimeter defenders are much better offensive scorers. They're guys that they can create their own shots as opposed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it's uh it's a little bit more challenging. Both teams can really defend, but I think when it comes from an offensive standpoint, the wings and the perimeter players for the Spurs have a little bit more. And then just as I alluded to, you got Victor Wembyamba, who is potentially a unicorn or whatever. How do you stop that guy that obviously he can do whatever he needs to do on the offensive side? But if he is not, you know, effective on the offensive side, he's still a guy that poses a big, big threat protecting that basket. And I think also, too, just what we have Wembyamba, look, he's a guy that's still frail. He's still growing into his body, believe it or not. But um, I think it's gonna be a very competitive series, and I think clearly I would have San Antonio moving on to the NBA Finals.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Very cool. And then obviously, final question who's holding up the uh trophy there.

SPEAKER_01 21:50

Man, uh, you know, New York is long suffering, Joe.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

And I mean, it's I I was a long suffering fan forever, the days of Isaiah.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

And Larry Brown and I used to be a ball boy many years ago with the New York Knicks and uh Charles, you know, and Patrick and those guys. And I know what you know winning means to the city of New York, and you know it as well. I I have to say, I would say I'd say the Spurs in six.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Yes. All right. I'm going thunder all the way. Thunder and in yeah, six sounds about right. So we will see what happens there. All right, and uh let's just wrap this up and jump into a little MLB. Uh I think there's been some I'm gonna give you three fascinating kind of stats here. One, the American League out of their 15 teams, only four have a record above 500 right now. This this this parody, you want to call it early, we're almost 40 games in, right? Um, but four teams out of 15 in the American League are above 500. And to you, does that scream parody or bad? Like what is it?

SPEAKER_01 23:10

I think, you know, I think if I if I'm being honest, it perhaps maybe a combination of both. Where look, I've been a long time major league baseball fan, and and really uh looking at the job the commissioner has done, Rob Manfred, and really just trying to re-energize the sport. Uh is a sport that you know has fallen behind NFL. Uh, you look at the NFL now, even though the season is not in play. I mean, they're they're still dominating over the offseason in the NBA. I just baseball got lucky past couple of years with the World Series, you know, in terms of having Yankees, Dodgers, and then this past year you had Dodgers and Blue Jays and made it uh an international World Series. But I the the biggest thing that I goes back I go back to, and I think it's affected this early baseball is having the season start in March, late to mid to late March. And and and look, you know, you're right. It's it's not a cold weather sport. Look what it did, you know. No, and and look, I forgive me. The Mets, some of the struggles, I'm not gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 24:23

You can just say it. Yeah, second grade, hang on, hang on, hang on. Second grade, my son came home crying, and I said, What what happened? And he goes, a little he goes, a Yankee kid came up and said, Mets stands for my entire team sucks. And I put my arm around my son and I said, Son, that's true, just deal with it.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

But you know that it's just it's been tough that you have the Mets and the Yankees, and these guys are playing cold weather games, and Major League Baseball dropped the ball with that. And I'm sorry, like I can't understand why if you're going to have baseball start late March, early April, why just have these East Coast teams, i.e., the Mets and Yankees, playing night games when you could have them playing afternoon games? Like, go back to what the Chicago Cubs used to do where you have the afternoon games, it's warmer and it just seems unfortunate. And like you said, yeah, it's it's part parody. But I just think it's clearly difficult to really get into a real good rhythm when baseball is a warm weather sport. And it's just been challenging. But, you know, on the flip side of that, I also believe it's parody. Look, it's very competitive. I think outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers, if you look at this uh past offseason, you know, a lot a lot of teams really just kind of stored money in their their war chests to prepare for what has been discussed at a potential lockout and and work stoppage. So um I you know that that really just got me off to a bad, bad start of the season that you're starting the season March 25th, and I was like, no, it's too cold. It's too cold.

SPEAKER_00 25:58

I I advocate to go back to 150 games, but they'll never do it, they'll never take less money for less games. But realistically, they were fine when they used to play 150. And again, I go by old sayings every team basically will win 50, lose 50. It's what you do with the other 50. Yes, right. So let's see what happens with that. But two other things. Um, the Cubs won 10 in a row for the second time this year. How like how does that happen? I know my Mets can lose 12 in a row easily because they're good at that. But how do you win 10 games a row twice within the first 40 games? That's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

It's a lot, it's a competitive, uh, you know, I think that's the first time since 1935 uh in which that has happened. Look, baseball, it's it's very competitive. I think obviously a lot of the peers have now accepted the fact is that we're playing more interleague play. I don't even know if you call it inter league play. So, you know, you you're you're facing certain teams and stuff, and and and I think look, it's it's been very good. You know, as I said, I'm a Yankee fan, and I I've been very, very surprised with a lot of the decisions that they made in free agency and what they have done with that that that pitching staff. But you know, you're gonna have anomalies like the Chicago Cubs and what they've been able to do winning those 10 games. But yeah, it's it I think a lot of that scheduling is all predicated on the fact is that you know, opening up so early and then still playing a game in very, very, you know, frigid conditions that get some of these things are just like head scratches, but go figure, you know.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Yeah, and um in the same token, then the Reds who started out hot lost 10 in a row. So it's funny how these teams are are streaking in both good and bad ways, right? Uh another thing was, and I'll mess this name up, Jacob Mizarowski from Milwaukee starting pitcher, threw 10 pitches of at least 103 miles per hour yesterday, topping off at 103.6. Now, it's my view that that's a bad thing because they're bringing up these. I mean, he's a starter, but they're bringing up all these relievers nowadays to just throw as fast as they can, and they have no control, and that's why everybody's getting hit a lot more in the last three years, if you look at the stats, because they have no control. They all can throw 100 miles an hour, they just don't know where it's going. Right? It's like it's like Charlie Sheen is wild thing in major league, right? Breaking um the bet the uh sign in the back. But I think they need to go back, they're all gonna, they're all gonna wind up with like Tommy John surgery now is not a rarity. It's almost let's schedule for me to get my Tommy John surgery once or twice in the first few years of my career. And and funny enough, and I did a podcast on it uh recently, Tommy John lives around my corner. I I I did I interviewed him about uh last month on this, and I'm like, what do you think about like having a surgery named after you? He goes, Well, I used to hate it, but now that's the only way they'll remember me. So what's your thoughts on on? I mean, they need to go back to junk pitching, you know, Tom Glavin, uh Maddox, just paint the edges along the long the anciety to your career. What's your thought about throwing 10 pitches at 103 miles per hour?

SPEAKER_01 29:30

You know, it it's um it's exciting, you know. I think those guys, look, I mean, he did it against my Yankees yesterday, and and and uh, you know, uh, you know, really was able to uh slow them down. But the biggest thing is that no matter how hard these guys throw, you know, this is the professionals, this is Major League Baseball, and these guys are able to hit that pitching at that speed. And obviously, the biggest thing is you're gonna have to learn how to pitch, right? So you look at a young man like Cam Schlitter, who uh, you know, had the remarkable, you know, um start in the playoffs against the Boston Red Sox. He threw a hundred some pitches, a hundred miles per hour pitches. He throws hard, I believe. He's going today. But you're also gonna have to utilize learning how to pitch. So, you know, relievers at one point, yeah, you could throw 100 miles an hour, uh, i.e., a rolls chapman. You know, we've heard of a lot of those guys, but I hearken back to some of the guys that were, you know, good pitchers that learn how to be able to last in major league baseball. If you're a starter pitcher or if you're a reliever, I mean, think about a guy like Bruce Souter. You know, the great Bruce Souter, how, you know, again, with that fork ball and the splitter, being able to have different pitches because at this level, guys can hit fastballs no matter how fast you throw them, but you got to be able to have another pitch in your arsenal. So um, you know, it's unfortunate, but concudos to uh Ms. Roski with the uh Milwaukee Brewers and stuff. But I think also true is being able to have movement on your pitches and being able to pitch, but you got to be able to have that fastball. So I think that's an opener to get you there. But what will keep you in Major League Baseball is being able to pitch and have alternate pitches besides the fastball.

SPEAKER_00 31:27

Yeah, I agree. And I think one of the best examples, and I'm not taking anything away from Nolan Ryan, who's an all-star, you know, classic Hall of Famer, but we know all the strikeouts. But when you look at his record, like wins and losses on most years, and again, my last moment of glory was my 86 meds. And when we faced him in Houston, he was one of the Houston starters, we were more afraid of Mike Scott and his illegal spitter or whatever he was throwing out there that particular year, right, than we were with Nolan Ryan, because he'll strike out 10 to 12 a game and still lose that game 70% of the time, right? Because of what was happening when he wasn't striking the people out. So it's obviously not just just about strikeouts, but um, yeah, that was an interesting thing. Yeah, that that's uh that's what I thought was interesting going on, MLB. Before we wrap this up, did you want to cover anything else? Uh any other thoughts with MLB?

SPEAKER_01 32:24

No, I I think you know what? I'm I'm I'm always pulling for Major League Baseball. I mean, I love the summer and I love America's pastime. And what once was America's pastime, I still believe it's a great, great sport. Um, you know, hoping that the Yankees are able to, you know, win another World Series. But I'm also one hoping that, you know, we don't find a work stoppage. And, you know, I hope baseball is able to figure it out. And if you're gonna have an extended playoffs where you want to get a lot of your high market, your big market franchises into the playoffs, um, just got to make sure that again, avoid the early start to the major league baseball season. If you're gonna do something, I know at one point there was a way you could perhaps have the East Coast teams out west or playing in dome stadiums. Just go back to let's start somewhere second or third week in April. And even if it extends the season and stuff, I just don't think it's a great idea to do that because again, a lot of these uh losses and some of these things that have transpired, I would really put a lot of it on weather, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:31

Yeah, and I I make no excuses for the horrible Mets in their 12-game losing streak this year, but there definitely was some weather-related issues, but the same teams had to come in and sweep them. So, you know, it is what it is. But hey, this was great. I want to thank you for uh being a special guest host this week. I'd love to have you back uh another time. Uh any any final thoughts you want to give to the audience?

SPEAKER_01 33:58

Hey, Joe, I really appreciate being on with you. This was a great, great experience. And uh I'm always honored and and and more than happy to come back on and talk some sports and uh definitely appreciate the time and look forward to doing it again.

SPEAKER_00 34:12

All right, all right, people go out there. Make sure you follow him and follow me. We'll I'll have the links uh with with the replay, and you all have a great weekend.