July 18, 2018 • 46 mins
Doug explains what he thinks might be baseball's big problem despite an entertaining home run derby from Bryce Harper. He thinks Le'Veon Bell is mad at the Steelers for their contract offers when he should be mad at someone else. Hall of Famer and MLB on FOX analyst John Smoltz joins the show to talk about Manny Machado's future and if he MLB has a "Mike Trout Problem."
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the best of the Doun Dot Lee Show
on Fox Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio, coming to you from the sunny city
of Los Angeles, California, which may, by the end of
the show be the new home of many Machado Rumors
(00:21):
are Machado Star Shortstop and third Basement for the Baltimorials
headed to Chevez Ravine or Chaurez Ravine. We'll get more
on that. John Spoltz set to join us live from
the All Star Game MLB on Fox tonight. All Star
Game the Festivities, which of course you can see on
(00:42):
Fox Live in d C, which hosted last night's Home
Run Derby, and that's where we'll begin. Bryce Harper has
a comeback wins the home run Derby. UM, I know
this because I read this and I've seen this flash
across my Twitter, not because I watched. I'm not gonna
sit here and tell you what to watch what not
to watch. I'm just gonna tell you that it's a
(01:03):
home run derby. I don't really love it. I'm not
super into it, and and really the tide turned on
me when I watched to home run Derby's in person
as in Kansas City for one and in Anaheim for one.
They're long, they're boring, and they're kind of the same
thing over Like, the beauty to a home run is
(01:23):
the ability to do it when somebody's not trying to
allow you to hit a home run, which runs counter
to what the home run derby is. That's hitting a
home run when all you're trying to do is hit
a home run. That's kind of the opposite of baseball.
Uh Adam Jones from the Baltimorial is gonna join us
next hour. I ask him what he thought of the
(01:44):
home run derby. Center fielder Orioles, five time All Star,
four time Gold Glove Award winner and a guy who
has been rumored to be in trade discussions as well
as the Orioles are trying to sell off a bunch
of pieces and rebuild. But um, there's this, there's this
narrative which I believe to be at least mostly false,
(02:06):
mostly false, and that's that baseball has a Mike Trout problem.
I saw this in the Washington Post Ruler today, that
Mike Trout only has a Q score of twenty two.
Many of you are sitting there going what the hell's
acque score, which kind of makes the point about what
ACCU score is. But acque score is a rating of
(02:28):
sort as to what the overall knowledge of who you
are and what you do is. To the mainstream public,
there's a mathematical formula by which they come up with
your Q score. It is about as accurate as the
weather man is. On the other hand, it brings up
(02:48):
a valid point, which is, hey, Mike trusts the best
player in baseball. He's been the best player in baseball
for about I don't know six years, and even though
he's a first ballot Hall of Famer, if he retired
today in his prime, there are many were told who
don't know who Mike Trout is. Now. There's a bunch
(03:09):
of things at work here. I don't believe it's just
as simple as well, Mike Trout plays for the second
best team in Southern California. Nobody pays attention to him
because of that, and that needs to change, and baseball
needs to change. And to steal from Rocky four, the
US can change, and use can change. Well, else can change?
(03:35):
Does Mike Trout play for the second best team in
Southern California? That calls itself l A even they don't
play in l A. Sure, and is that problematic? Yep.
It's just like trying to build your brand with the Nets,
with the Clippers. It's hard. It's hard. Uh. Those of
us who are Angel fans will point out that the
Angels do have one thing that the Dodgers do not
(03:57):
since n that is a World Series title. Um. Nonetheless,
you cannot. There's there's no way to truly quantify just
how much more important in the overall sports landscape the
Dodgers are to the Angels. But simply saying that, hey,
(04:19):
he plays for the wrong team. Baseball has got to
get him off of that team. Oh yeah, and he's
gotta get him. They gotta get him in the home
run Derby has him in the home run derby. Bryce
Harper was this is a problem. Mike Troud keeps saying
he'll compete and he's got to and know Lebron wasn't
a dunk contest, But there are no We don't build
stars the way the NBA build stars. Got to change that.
(04:43):
I don't think Mike Trout is the problem. I think
Mike Trout is the manifestation of baseball's biggest issue. But
baseball is still wildly popular, wildly popular. The Angewers are
gonna draw three the Dodgers can draw four million people.
In southern California, you can see more, not less baseball
(05:06):
games on TV than you used to, and though the
national ratings aren't high, the local ratings are very high.
It's the provincial sports, also a summer sport, and based
upon how the sports calendar works, there's so many things
that work against baseball. First and foremost is too many
damn games. Been new baseball game this year? How would
(05:27):
you like to go to eighty more? That's the That's
that's what you do. If you go to every home
game like a hundred and sixty two times of anything,
even that seems like a lot. Hundred sixty two in
one year. It's it's insane. There are just just too
(05:50):
many games to keep up with the most important time
of their year conflicts with the beginning of football, which
is become a more popular sport. Even football's numbers are
struggling because there's too much football on TV. What do
you think is gonna happen with baseball on TV when
it's on a hundred and sixty two times, and then
(06:13):
it conflicts with football. Baseball also has struggled to promote
their stars, and though they've tried, they have more playoff
teams by creating a new wild card window that at
times can eliminate, it can backfire. That's what happened the
one time the Angels got to the playoffs. They had
the best record in baseball, and they lost to the
(06:33):
Kansas City Chiefs, who played in the playing game and
should have lost the playing game. Like I say, the Chiefs,
it's the Royals, that's right, the Royals winning the playoffs,
the Chiefs losing the playoffs. Oh, and no, it's true, though,
it's very true, very sadly true. True. It's true. You're
sitting there going he made a good point. There. He
(06:55):
he screwed up, but then he came back and that
was really good. Look, Trout's not the problem. Trout is
the manifestation of all of baseball's issues. Right. Baseball is
kind of torn in that most baseball guys want people
to behave and perform the way Trout does. Ron doesn't
bat flip, Chard doesn't look at me. Trout is not
(07:17):
a Yahoo. Trot has a great spirit, great energy, comes
to the ballpark every day, plays hard, gets on base
nearly fifty of the time he's he steals bases when
people aren't steal is supposed to steal basis. He hits
home runs and he gets on base. He plays a
great center field like dude. He does it all five
tool player and the six maybe most important tool is
(07:39):
he's a great dude who everybody seems to admire, not
resent for his talent. But our culture in this country
sometimes sometimes focuses more on the look at me, guys.
Take a look at Bryce Harper, right like today, Bryce
(08:02):
Harper is a hero dude. He's having a bad year
and his team is underachieving, and he's gonna command a
contract upwards of three maybe four hundred million dollars. But
because he's a look at me, because he's a headben
wearing flag, flag waving dad who frankly didn't follow the
(08:23):
rules of the home run derby last night, he's getting
applauded like he's some American hero and you're like, man,
Mike should really be in the home run derby. So
some of the issue is on us as sports fans
that we we like conflict, we like dudes with issues.
We like egomaniacs, even if we have to point out
(08:44):
that their egomaniacs. All of these things are manifested in
the issue with Trout, who just goes out and balls
out every day and doesn't say a word. We want
him to be something he's not. He's not loquacious, he
doesn't give great quotes. He's better at his position than
(09:07):
Jeter was at his He just plays for the second
team in his market. But like Jeter, doesn't give you
much of anything. So if you want to tell me
that Trout isn't as recognizable as stars and other sports,
that's true. But that's true for all baseball players. If
you want to tell me that Trout is running the
issues because his team is not good enough, that's fine,
(09:28):
that's true. But the truth is that a lot of
people don't know who some of the Cubs are, even
though they won the World Series two years ago. Nobody
knows who nationally who the Indians are. So the the
it's it's not a it's not a magic elixir that
you go into the playoffs and suddenly now you become
a household name. If you want to tell me he
doesn't have a great personality. That's true, and baseball takes
(09:51):
that out of some guys, but that's the way they
want their sport to be portrayed. I just think it's
fascinating the perception of my trout as if baseball has
this trout problem, where the truth is maybe trout is
the answer, not the problem, and the problems are with
us and what we deem to be a success. How
(10:13):
much some some millennial on Twitter knows who you are
should not be the measurement of whether or not baseball
is getting it right. Be sure to catch live editions
of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern
noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app. John Smoltz joins this, of course. Uh, you
make sure and watch the MLB All Star Game tonight
(10:34):
on Fox beginning at eight pm Eastern time. Small to
your entire professional life. People are taught to hit the
top half of the baseball. When did that change? Uh?
Changed right? Arong the time where you just mentioned analytics
and uh the answers to the questions to the test.
You know, I think in this industry and in sports
(10:56):
in general, we have more information than ever before. But
that information, although as you could probably hear it's absolutely
pouring here in Washington right now, is that it exposes things,
and when it exposes things, you try to deal with
the best facet of the game that has gone away,
And fundamentally, a lot of things have gone away because
(11:18):
organizations have adopted a philosophy that basically doesn't punish players
for not doing things, that rewards players for doing the
things they want them to do. And I think long term,
it really does suffer the game. And I think that's
why the game and the Commissioner's office are looking at
different ways to to alter that. As other sports have
done when the game gets a little stagnant or the
(11:40):
game gets a little dull, and other sports have done it.
Baseball has just been slow to make certain adjustments. All right,
So what's what's the adjustment you make when when I
think the biggest season, you tell me if I'm wrong,
You call these games, you watch these games. The biggest
issue is that you know what, what was it last year?
Thirty percent of the time all you need was picture
catcher hitter because of a strikeout, walk, or home run.
(12:03):
How do you and and the lulls in between the
actual action can be long, more so than even the
pitching changes. And I know some of those issues can
be worked through. How do you how do you make
an adjustment? Well, there's there's there's a lot of ways.
I mean, certainly teams are gonna zig when they zag.
I think that organizationally you can start making that correction. Uh,
(12:24):
just waiting to see who can do it. But from
a from a baseball concept, you know, much like UH,
roster manipulation, some of that if you know it goes
through a season where thirty thirty to thirty five pitchers
per team are are starting to become a norm, that
that is just that is that's got to change. I
mean there it's not all because of injury. It's because
(12:46):
of the style that we're adopting. And if you allow
teams to take advantage of certain rules and and put
guys on the d L that aren't even hurt the
ten d a d L and utilize the d L
and your roster manipulation, this is what you're gonna get.
Based ball is not really been meant to have eight
pitchers per team, five pitchers per team pitch in a game.
(13:06):
But when you go in a cheaper way or in
a way that is more conducive for clubs to run
their teams. You're gonna burn insurn, You're not gonna care
about six to ten years of player usage on your team.
You're just gonna get arms. You're not going to develop them.
You're gonna bypass some byproduct of making great starters instead
of Now we've preconditioned what a player is and isn't.
(13:28):
And I think you take and rob the game of
what's great about it the pictures duel the guys that
that have done what they used to do, and then
the hitter batter matchup. Now you're talking about the elite
hitters are gonna have to face three to four pitchers
per game, tougher to hit, and you talk about the ships.
The shift could go away, that could there's a there's
a there really is a lot of ways that baseball
(13:50):
could adjust to this that would make it, um, you know,
go a little bit smoother and not play as long
and to your point, not have as much lack of action. Yeah,
you know, how do you think taking the shift away
is a good thing? I really do. I don't think
there's a downside in it. I think what baseball was
hoping that would happen as players would self corrected. How
(14:11):
in the world, if you're a baseball player hitting to twenty,
you can be proud of that, and all you gotta
do is adjust to make teams stop shifting you. But
no one did it because no organizations really punishing a
guy for hitting to twenty. It was an embarrassment ten
years ago. You didn't have a roster spot, and just
trying to hit the ball over the shift has become
the philosophy. So guys are lifting the ball more than ever.
(14:32):
But if you reward contact and you reward athleticism, we're
taking away the athleticism of players who play a position.
No longer do you really play a position with the
amount of shifts there are. So I don't see a
downside in that, And and I don't care if people
are going to complain about, well, you're taking strategy away.
They did it in football, they did defensively in basketball,
they've done it in hockey. They've made changes to open
(14:54):
it up. And I think for baseball, if it's not
gonna self correct, then the entities to be are gonna
look at ways to corrected itself and and start putting
the single and the contact back and play. You mentioned
one of every three or four at bats has no action,
and when that continues to be increased like it is,
you're talking about three to four minutes in between action
(15:17):
per game. And I'll tell you that is something that's
got a lot of people concerned. John Smaltz one of
the great all time pictures in recent memory, starter reliever
of course, also damn good golfer and as good an
analysts you'll see. You'll see him tonight calling MLB on
Fox's coverage of the All Star Game. He's joining us
in the Doug Otlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Uh.
The story goes maning Machado, we all knew it was
(15:40):
coming to a head that he'd be moved. Looks like
it looks like the Dodgers are going to be his destination.
Does that fix? You know? They lost Seger, they didn't
have Turner for the first kind of half of the
first half of the season, Kershaw was out with injury.
If that trade is consummated and it becomes official, does
that does that completely changed where the Dodgers Uh look
(16:03):
like they'll be come to fall? Oh? Absolutely. I always
felt like that was the no brainer spot, especially with
court court, the injury to Seeger, and the fact that
you know pretty much Machado is going to be a
free agent no matter where he goes. So I I
really believe that that's a five win advanced to any
team that gets it. That's five more wins. And I'm
(16:24):
not talking about war. I'm talking about legitimately, this player
can help you win five more games by himself because
of his ability offensively and defensively. So it's a game changer.
Just like on the other end, I don't know if
the Mets will ever do it. The biggest game changer
out there for pitching is the Grom who if they
were as someone was able to get to Gram, You've
you've made yourself an elite team, no matter who he
(16:46):
goes to. So that's how much Manny Machado would mean
to a team. Although be it for a half or
a little half, a little less than half of a season,
it's it's a lineup change, it's a defensive change. And
I think that the Dodgers, if they can come up
with a package that Baltimorris is suitable with, and I
think that is a front running Dodgers become the obvious favorites.
(17:09):
All right, let's since it's raining in d C and
we at the game is in d C. And Harper
won the home run derby. We we can't we can't
bury the lead in that here. The Nationals are a
very talented roster. Arguably the best pitcher in baseball, A
guy was a first ballot Hall of Famer insurser based
upon accomplishment. Uh, you have Bryce Harper, you have some
(17:29):
other very good hitters in the lineup, and yet they're
stuck there at five d Is that a fixable situation?
Very much so. I hate to say that too much
of the blame um might fall on one guy, and
I don't think that's fair. But look, Steven Strassburg is
so good, and he is so much of an impact
(17:51):
even though he's the once every five guy. He makes
that rotation dangerous and he has to stay healthy when
he comes back. He has to stay healthy. It's not
the same rotation without him in there. And sure as
are of course and Geo Gonzalez and Rourke. This is
a team that is starting to get healthy, starting to
get its feet under them, and they're not going to
just push a button. I get it, you know, just
(18:12):
because on paper, but because they haven't had the complement
of players that they've needed, and the upstart Phillies and
the Braves have been able to roll in here and
and and cause some panic for him. I think it
becomes increasingly difficult the longer there behind those two teams.
But I still maintained that the Nationals are the team
to beat. And I know that might seem crazy, but
(18:35):
it's still the team that has the most weapons and
the team that if they get healthy, they're gonna be
They're gonna be tough. That is the downpour of a
huge thunderstorm that we are in right now. That's that's
amazing stuff. All right. Yankees are four and a half
back in the Red Sox. And I sit there and
(18:55):
I look at the I look at the Yankees and
obviously they can really really hit, but they're gonna need
some pitching. But how do you do you go out
and get an arm? Like if the gram is not available,
what do you what do you do with the Yankees
in terms of getting pitching to try and load up
for the postseason. You have to get a picture, right.
They can't rely just on their bullpen and their offense.
(19:16):
They need another starting picture and if they can go
get the top flight one, that would be everything. That
would be worth whatever they give up, and I mean
whatever they give up. But if they can't get the
gram or synder Guard or some of those guys, you've
got to go out and get another accomplished arm that's
gonna allow you to avoid a one game play and
you don't want to. You gotta win your division. And
if you win your division, you become an elite team
(19:38):
that can go all the way to the World Series.
So I think the Yankees are in a nice position
with the amount of basic prospects that they have to
make a game change or move. And now is the
time because that offense is not going to win a
World Series by itself, and neither is the bullpen. Uh.
Last thing, Smulty, before you get just dumped down with
(19:58):
all this rain, we'd discussed that. There's been articles. The
Washington Post had one, Other's had one on the Mike
Trout problem. Here he is best player in baseball and
yet not seen as a superstar, the kind of uber
elite star as in some of the other sports. Is
it as simple as he's got to get off of
the Angels and get onto one of these premier teams,
or is there something else that you think has to
(20:20):
change in order for Mike Trout to be as well
known and respected outside of baseball as he is in baseball. Yeah.
I mean his personality is what you would want for
every every team would want to die, obviously, like Mike
Trout tafty obvious, But I think you gotta see him
in the postseason, and he as the West Coast is
a little bit different of a flair for for most
(20:42):
people who don't get to see him on a daily basis.
But I promise you you get this cat in the
world in the World Series, and you get him in
the playoffs, and you see what he can do on
a national stage, everybody's going to opts Absolutely no, Mike Trout.
It's a shame that he's the best player in the
game and that we have to talk about him in
this way, whether it's lack of social media or certain
things which I don't particularly care about. And I think
(21:05):
you know, for Mike Trout and the and the and
the Angels, they've been trying to figure out a way
to get this guy in a winning situation in the
playoffs situation, it's really not worked out at all for
the Angels, and it's a shame because they're losing out
on some of the best years we've ever seen from
a young player, and his attitude has been unbelievable and
(21:25):
really it's it's what you build a club around. So
I think playoffs is something you gotta see from from
Mike Trout could really appreciate the historic numbers he's putting
up in the regular season. There's one number that blows
my mind. And I don't get caught up in a
lot of different analytics stuff. I embrace it, but there
is he has in his entire career do game the
(21:48):
most he's ever gone without getting on base. I mean,
just think about that. Two games in a row is
the most he's ever gone without getting on base. Says
a lot for Mike Trout. How About how about he's
been up with no runners on more than anybody else
in baseball, right, Like it's the we we always used
to look at our bi when we were kids, and
(22:10):
now you're like, well, that doesn't make it doesn't make
any sense. Uh. The Hall of Famer John Smoltz in
um not exactly Chamber of commerce weather out there in
d C. Can't wait to hear the call. Can't wait
to hear the call tonight, we hope from d C.
Thanks so much for joining us. That's Smolt. He's the best.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
(22:31):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app.
I want to understand the Steelers final offer to running
back Levian Bell was five years seventy million with more
than thirty million over two years. Last year it was
five five years sixty million. Instead, he'll earn fourteen point
five in another franchise tag. Alright, So look he's gonna
end up making because he didn't sign last year's deal
(22:54):
which had thirty over two instead, And tell me if
I'm reading this wrong, guys, what do you make twelve
million last year so somewhere in the neighbor to twenty
six and a half instead of thirty and and launched
some sort of long term security. So he's gonna take
the four million dollar hit, although look, the smart thing
(23:16):
would have been franchise tag last year. Get that and
then two years of more guaranteed money thirty million again,
that would have given you a security and it would
lock you in this whole idea, like I want to
be a stealer for life. All right, we gave you
a deal, you'd be a stealer for life. Yeah. So
it was twelve point one last year, it was fourteen
(23:38):
points fourteen point five this year. That's twenty six point
six million dollars my math. Okay, last year was five
years sixty but thirty guaranteed. This year's five years seventy
over thirty guaranteed. And so now like now you're the Steelers,
You're like, look, dude, we're playing on a house money.
This is great. It does hurt the Steelers against the
cap more so than when you have a deal with
(24:01):
a big signing bonus. What I think is fascinating is, um,
so many people are missing the point or maybe missing
we're we're missing, even Levyan is missing what they should
be arguing for. The Levy on Bell argument is no
(24:22):
different than the Jimmy Graham argument of a couple of
years ago with the Saints is that hey, I shouldn't
be played like a running back. I shouldn't be paid
like a tight end. I should be paid like a playmaker.
Jimmy Graham. I'm more of a wide receiver than I
am a tight end. I shouldn't be paid like a
(24:43):
tight end. Levan Bell, I'm both a running back and
a wide receiver. I should be paid money commensurate with
that of a wide receiver. And you know what, it's
not a crazy argument, but you're making the argument to
the wrong people by rule by rule in the NBA
(25:05):
and in the in the National Football by rule, if
you don't sign your if you don't sign your contract
and you become a franchise TAGGI contract extension, become a
franchise taggy, your salary is roughly the average of the
(25:28):
top five salaries at your position. I find it comical
that NFL players want to break through the mold because
they think there's something more than they are, when by
rule and by collectively bargained upon rule, you are, in fact,
you are, in fact deemed to be a singular position player.
(25:55):
They keep getting into these ugly fights with their with
the teams that pay them and want to give them
longer term deals. Instead, what they should be getting in
fights with is the NFL p A and how the
c b A is worded. That's what should be happening,
(26:17):
but absolutely should be happening. So this laby On deal,
you know, he seems like he was offered a fair
deal last year. Seems like he's offered a fair deal
this year. He chose not to sign it. He's not
apparently going to come to camp. I don't think the
Steelers are terribly bummed that he won't come to most
of camp because you don't want him to get hurt anyway.
He just wanted to be, you know, ready at the
(26:40):
right time. But this I should be paid at a
contract commensurate with something other than pine position. Why are
you arguing with your team about that? That deal was
agreed to by the nfl p A. By the nfl
(27:06):
p A. That's it. And so what if I was
Levy on Bell, that's me arguing the validity of that
rule with the police officer instead of trying to get
that rule changed. And the difference is, well, it's really
hard to get a law changed in your state. It's
(27:27):
not that not nearly as difficult when you have this
much better ill will to go and say like, hey, guys,
next time we do the c b A or next
time there's some sort of issue that we can change
on the fly. Why don't we change on the fly
the fact that when you're a franchise tagg e, you
(27:48):
have to it has to be with one position. It
has to be one position. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug gott Leap Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the I Heart Radio WOP. Let's talk some baseball, though
with a guy who I find to be fascinating to
watch play and sometimes even better to talk baseball with.
He's a five time All Star, he's a four time
(28:09):
Gold Glove Award winner. He's the center fielder for the
Baltimore Orioles. Two thousand thirteen Silver Slugger Adam Jones joins
us on The Doug Gottlieb Show. We want you to
know that every tweet Instagram hashtag Hats Off for Heroes
t Mobile will donate one dollar to Team Rubicon throughout
the entire regular MLB season. Team Rubicon is a veteran
(28:31):
lead disaster relief organization that works throughout the United States.
I appreciate you joining us, Adam. Let's start with last night,
how would you What were your thoughts on the Home
run Derby. Um, I didn't watch. I didn't watch it,
so UM, slap me for not watching it. But uh,
(28:53):
from what I heard this morning that it was electrifying.
And um, i've seen the results and some of the
highlights is more and and that Bryce wanted so that's
awesome for that he wanted from hometown guy. Um want
of the leading bolt getters. And uh, and I'm sure
that people had a lot of a lot of good memories.
(29:13):
I had a lot of family in town, so we
were just up at the pool, barbecue and out and
minding our business. Hey can I I said this and
start the show. I didn't watch either because because you're
you're not You're like, honestly, you're not offending me. Some
people get super into it, and I just I just
don't like, it's not no disrespect to him or do
(29:35):
his dad, you know, serve enough taters for him. But
that to me is not really kind of what the
art of it. And I've I've seen enough home run Derby's.
They go on long enough like they're cool if you
get into it, but it's not. I'm just not into it.
I think it's refreshing to hear. Uh, you feel you
feel the same. Um, okay, so were you grilling last
night or did you have somebody else grilling for you?
(29:55):
It was a team effort, you know. I had the
chef and myself were ordered some food. Um, you know,
it goes a bunch of kids around. We're just trying
to have a good time and get our minds away
from away from the game for a couple a couple
of days and just try to have a good family
time and enjoy the kids watching them swim. What's this
(30:18):
like for you going through a season to which the
O's are clearly rebuilding. Uh, there are a lot of
talk about people like you, people like Manny going elsewhere,
like what's it what's it like to beat your gather out?
Your friends, your family? I'm sure they want to know
what you think of that. Do you say, hey, we
ain't talking baseball today. Do you allow people to talk
about it? What's what's that like for you? Well? The
(30:40):
thing is going to the year we were not having
a plan of rebuilding. I just think that how we've
performed in our records indicating that we're gonna have to
trade some guys and get some pros, get some young
new fresh chalel in here, which happens. Um, it's exciting.
At the same time, we've had a really good run
(31:01):
with the group that we've had, and you know, sometimes
you sometimes breakups happen, you know, free agencies looming for
I think four or five players, so things like that
have to happen, and it's bitter sweet. But as long
as the organization tries to put, you know, put some
good prospects, trade for some good prospects and some major
(31:22):
lye ready talent, then um, hopefully the fan base will
understand what the moves are going to be made and
for the future. Have they Have they told you about
your personal feature? No, no discussions have been made about
my personal future. But uh, I know a whole the
majority of the cards, if not all of them. So
let's see what happens open the next two weeks or
(31:44):
even all the way to August. Lady first, because the
nonwaver trade deadline is also a very important day to
no question. I mean, look, Justin Verlander obviously got sent
to Houston last year. Is that is that the determinant
is like, look, I don't really want to move, but
if you're gonna send me somewhere, it better be somewhere
where I get a chance to win the whole thing. Yeah,
and then where is the ship? Where is that place at?
(32:05):
You know, people say, I want you to go win
the ring, but where's that at? There's no definite. Um,
there's an opportunity to get to the postseason and roll
the chance, roll the dice with some good guys. And
that would be the only way I would even propose
even to think of a trade, because it makes no
point for me to go somewhere and not be playing
in the playoffs. And you know, when you when you
(32:26):
control the cards, you kind of have that. No, just
control the cards. So just see what plans they have,
you know, hopefully. You know, I've said it many times
that you know, if they wanted to do something like
Chapman did where they Yankees trade him, but they got
an unreal prospect back in glabor touri As, then he
came right back. I mean, I'm not saying that I'm
gonna command a Glabora touris type of one overall prospect.
(32:49):
But um, for myself, Machado, Britain and Brock. You know,
I think that the Orioles that they trade all four
of us or three of us um. They should be
able to get back some prize talent because of the
talent that we're passing on to another organization, no question
about it. Adam Jones join his four time gold glover
as well. I want to ask you about metrics. Uh,
(33:10):
some of some of the metrics say, you know, look,
you're not the center fielder you used to be. People
who watch you every day, people watch you every day,
like look, some of it's about alignment. You know, the
the Ohs play you very shallow in center field, so
of course your metrics and getting the deep balls, you're
not going to be as good. How would you personally
evaluate yourself defensively now as opposed to defensively in terms
(33:32):
of you have a sterling reputation. Do you think you're
not as good as you used to be? Well, as
you get older, every team slows down to a tad um.
I don't like to make excuses or throwing anybody under
the bus and that regards because you know, it's known
that it's been a revolving door defensively in right field.
(33:53):
Since mart As is left should have signed Mark casus
Um left field. We got train man c me out there.
He's he's by trade of first baseman. He's playing less
field for us. He goes out there and give his
effort every single day. So I respect that a lot
of that. But he's a first baseman and he's a
first basement by trade. But we have CD at first,
so we won't just batting the lineup. If when you
(34:15):
can hit, you find a way to uh to put
you out there. Um, but you know it's it's I
played with a lot of different guys over the last
four years. Um yeah, I'm not gonna say that, whatever
the numbers say, I'm not gonna disagree with him. Um.
I know, I still believe that I'm stifferent go out
there in place in the field every day. Um, But
at that same time, father time is catching up. I
(34:38):
get a little bit more tired out there just because
you know, a lot of endings wracked up, a lot
of time on my feet. Um. But I's been a
very advocate of if there's someone that's better in the
organization that's gonna come up and stay up, then that
will make the move to another position a lot easier
opposed to just saying let's move you just because because
when once someone's moves. Um, it's not like you can
(35:00):
go back. So when you know, I'm when Tori moved
to write, he had Mike Trout to solidify that. Now,
I'm not saying we have anybody like Mike Child, but
if et Cedric Mullins comes up and he's ready to
play centerfield, he puts together good at bats after that bat. Hey,
if if he's the man to take the range of
the leadoff, heit are going into the futures interfielder. With
(35:21):
all due respect, I'll gladly move if I'm here. Um
after this year, um, Adam Jones of the Baltimoreal's All Star,
four time gold Glover joining us Doug Gotlip Show, Fox
Sports Radio. You know, essentially, you guys have been a
playoff team. Obviously, you know Zack didn't pitch and um,
and and that's still I'm I'm sure something that that
that drives him uh in in a close out game. UM,
(35:45):
but you've you've been in those games before, and you
bring up Trout and there are many that believe, Hey,
here's Trout and he's kind of in this abyss of
being arguably the best player in the game, but playing
a team that's not a playoff team, does he in
two years, you know, push to to move to a
team that, uh is more is more likely to make
the playoffs more often. How would you like if you're
(36:08):
gonna pull some of these guys aside the man he's
aside and what's really important? How important is it to
make a mark in the postseason as opposed to just
being a dominant regular season player and doing the best
you can with the organization. That's a good question. I mean,
right now, Trout is for themselves in line of one
of the greatest players to every play simple as that. Um,
(36:32):
He's he's like paid Manning, minus the opportunity to get
to the to the championships, to the playoffs. I mean.
But one thing about the Angels and Mr Moreno is
that they are always active into looking into try and
better the team, and they have the pay row flexibility
to be able to go sign guys making fifteen to
twenty plus million dollars. We don't have that luxury. UM.
(36:55):
I would love to see Trout in the postseason. I
think it's good for baseball. He's he is the best
player and very well and you can argue it, but
you're probably gonna lose it um. But he you know,
he needs to be in the playoffs. He needs to
be on the biggest stage. She needs to be uh
and in that situation, because that's what you want to see.
You want to see the game's best, no matter what
sport it is, in the post in the postseason. You know,
(37:18):
you see how good he is. We want to We
want to see that when it really matters. We don't
want We loved see it in June, but I think
a lot of us, and not myself included as a
fan of baseball, I want to see him play in
October and a couple of years and fourteen we had
a chance to play against each other, but they didn't
make it through against Kansas City and we had to
(37:38):
face Kansas City touring to us Adam Jones joining us
on the Doug Gotlip Show. You're still excited about that?
I miss your fifth All Star game? It still I'm
not in it. You already I've done five. I understand you.
Still does it? Does it still bring me? Because my
my thought is this, when when we grew up, you
(37:59):
didn't have have interleague play. Then they had interleague play
and was fun. Now there's then inter League series every week, right,
and every series there's an interleague series, and and and
because you can watch the games on your phone or
on on any you know, if you really like baseball,
you can watch. There's not the same sense of hand
never get to see these guys play against one another.
(38:21):
Does it still does the All Star Games still have
the lure that it had when you were a kid
or when in oh nine when you first made it.
I do, I mean, I'm still a big kid to
it to this fact. The things that have changed, obviously
to the social media, the popularity um behind it. You know,
each team now has during batting practice, you go to
each individual teams in Instagram, you can see basically everything
(38:45):
besides the player showering. That's how intimate and everything has gotten,
which I don't personally like, but just part of the
evolution of the game and part of the social media
and the reach to the fans because they said baseball
is born, so now the reach to the to the
everyday fan is in east. Um. But me no, I'm
I'm still a big kid to this game. I treat
(39:06):
it as a game. It's very frustrating, obviously, because we
all want results in the win but sheer opportunity to
play it. I still approach it every single day as
a little kid, you know, like the first day when
I got called up, and I think that that's what
I passed along to a lot of my teammates is
we get it. We're gonna have families, We're gonna go
to charles and tribulations off the field. On the field, Um,
but once you're between the lines, you've got a chance
(39:29):
to be a big kid and do something special. So
take those three hours to uh to try and do it.
The last thing I want to ask you, um Opening
Day this year, you hit a walk off home run
to win the game. I think, I think if there's
one feeling, everyone would like to know what that's like.
Obviously doing like in the playoffs would be, but to
to hit to the ball that ends a baseball game, Yes,
(39:50):
what's that feeling? Like? I kind of blinked out eleventh
Opening Day and that's the last thing I was thinking
that was gonna happen. I thought we was gonna win
the game at the ninth inning when scope pad bases loaded. Um,
but I was presented with another opportunity and UH just
came through, you know, it's it's still real to be
able to play this long. Um. Some people take things
(40:13):
for granted. UM, I have not taken these eleven years
in the big leagues for granted at all. So just
you just have to approach it like that, because one
day it's gonna come to an end and you won't
you won't have all these cool clubhouses, the cool charter
flights and uh, you know, people screaming, screaming your name.
One day that's all going to end. So just try
and take it all. You know. I know I'm older now,
but trying and take it all as stride as I
(40:35):
did when I was a twenty five year old and
trying to just appreciate as long as I can. That's
pretty awesome. That's that's really amazing. Um. Okay, for every
tweet Instagram posted this tag hashtag Hats off for Heroes,
t Mobile will donate one dollar to Team Rubicon throughout
the entire regular MLB season. Is a veteran lead disaster
relief organization that works throughout the United States. Why did
(40:57):
you want to be involved, uh with this relief fund? Well,
I mean a military family, my dad twenty two years,
my brother seventeen, years. So anything that's with the military,
it's definitely gonna hit home. Um, I have a lot
of friends that are in service right now, and that
sir got back home and told me stories of you know,
(41:18):
told many things. I never thought that out here, and
they've told me things they've seen that they never thought
they'd seen. So to be able to support my friends
and family and you know countless not just Americans, but
people who fight for everybody's freed up for their respective countries. Um,
that's important, and I respect, I said it was the
last question I lied. I gotta ask you this, how
do you maintain this balance? Right? Like, look, do you
(41:41):
make a lot of money? You've got a lot of
the claim the numbers would sit put there with anyone
who plays your position during this period of time. Five
all stars, four gold gloves, um. And yet everything I read,
everything I hear, everything I see is like, here's still
a regular dude, right, You're still maintain kind of the
balance of being a father, being a you know, being
(42:03):
a guy. But but that's not everybody. And you understand
even in your sport, that's not everybody. How do you
maintain that the balance? My wife does a good job
at home, make sure that I'm as stress free as possible. Um.
I got my brothers and cousins who stay on me.
They aren't they aren't the yes man around me in society. Um,
(42:27):
I just got a good balance away from the ballpark.
And I understand. When I'm at the ballpark is yes, sir,
and you know, whatever can I get you, Mr Jones
and all that kind of stuff. But at home is
shut up. You go clean that up, and the revolte
the roles are reversed. So it kind of creates a
very good dynamic and a very good balance. So when
I go home, you know, I'm just a regular, regular person.
(42:47):
I'm just dad and husband, and uh that makes it
very simple. Kind of sounds like you you moved in
on the cooking last night after you weren't happy with
whatever's going on with the grill work. That's just kind
of what it feels like to me. Uh yeah, listen,
enjoy your time off. It's well deserved, and let's let's
catch up in the second half of the season. Whether
you're wearing the black and orange or another color, we
(43:08):
appreciate you join us on Fox Sports Radio anytime. Talk
too soon, All right, No, no doubt Adam Jones joining
us on the Doug Gatlip shows. Fox Sports Radio has
the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all
of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and
within the I Heart Radio app. And now Chris Carter,
part of First Things First, was on earlier today. He
(43:31):
had this to say about the potential for Kawhi Leonard
to be traded to the Toronto Raptors. For Kauai, it
says that money is not his number one motivator. He
believes in his heart of hearts that in Los Angeles
he'll be a happier person that's playing basketball with the Clippers,
are with the Lakers. He spent most of his time
(43:52):
in the San Diego area. He loves that area. Kauai
is not the type of person that by the external
things that he's motivated. Actually, last week he went to Vegas.
It was too chaotic form he planned on staying longer.
Left after one night there um with some friends. So
Kauai is not the normal superstar where he's looking for
(44:12):
the limelights, he's looking for the tension, or he's looking
for those Max dollars. You can call me, don't call
Kauai call me and I'll let you know he's not
going to Toronto. So all these three team scenarios things
like that, Yeah, okay, like all that sounds good, but
the player has said that he's not going to play.
It's not a Paul George situation. I have warned people.
(44:34):
Uh that's that's Chris Carter from Fox Sports and first
things First, This from Brian Windhorse on Adrian wo Zanowski's podcast.
I think they the Raptors are in the driver's seat
for Kauai because I think the Lakers have given up,
the Sixers have given up, and with the Nets, Bulls,
Hawks spending their cap space, it makes it harder to
assemble a multi team trade. I think the Raptors are
(44:54):
in the driver's seat. Again, all of this comes down
to whether or not Kawhi Leonard will play for Raptors.
The Raptors may have the best offer out there, but
it doesn't really matter if it's not like I ain't going,
which makes next week even more interesting. They have a
training camp in Vegas with USA Basketball Pops. The coach, obviously,
(45:19):
Pop going down to San Diego to meet with Kauai
was not just about the Spurs, but also probably about
USA basketball, to which I'm sure Kauai said like, hey,
look I'll still play for you. You gotta get this
thing done. So deadlines bring deals, and that's one kind
of soft deadline that could be hardened because there's gonna
(45:42):
be no Lebron. Do they want Kauai? There, will Kauai participate?
Chris Carter is pretty locked in on this. The these
sources here, and you can tell me I love this idea.
What Chris Carter is a football guy, he doesn't, dude.
We all when you've been in this business for ten
fifteen years, we know people across a bunch of different sports.
That's just the way it is. I tell people all
(46:03):
the time. The first person I ever heard say now
it was in Miami, but it was done was Chris
Carter and it was a week before it was announced
for for Lebron James. I can tell you things gonna
go on in baseball and in football because I've been
doing this a long time. You crossover, You get to
know people, They get to trusting you, and you should,
and they want their information out there. Chris seems to
(46:26):
know what's going on with Kauai and Kawai saying not
feel in Toronto. The the fascinating part is Kauai is
a low profile guy, and I do think whether you're
playing with Lebron or not playing with Lebron, you can't
keep a low pro in Los Angeles. But it's harder
to do so than you think.
This is the best of the Doun Dot Lee Show
on Fox Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show,
Fox Sports Radio, coming to you from the sunny city
of Los Angeles, California, which may, by the end of
the show be the new home of many Machado Rumors
(00:21):
are Machado Star Shortstop and third Basement for the Baltimorials
headed to Chevez Ravine or Chaurez Ravine. We'll get more
on that. John Spoltz set to join us live from
the All Star Game MLB on Fox tonight. All Star
Game the Festivities, which of course you can see on
(00:42):
Fox Live in d C, which hosted last night's Home
Run Derby, and that's where we'll begin. Bryce Harper has
a comeback wins the home run Derby. UM, I know
this because I read this and I've seen this flash
across my Twitter, not because I watched. I'm not gonna
sit here and tell you what to watch what not
to watch. I'm just gonna tell you that it's a
(01:03):
home run derby. I don't really love it. I'm not
super into it, and and really the tide turned on
me when I watched to home run Derby's in person
as in Kansas City for one and in Anaheim for one.
They're long, they're boring, and they're kind of the same
thing over Like, the beauty to a home run is
(01:23):
the ability to do it when somebody's not trying to
allow you to hit a home run, which runs counter
to what the home run derby is. That's hitting a
home run when all you're trying to do is hit
a home run. That's kind of the opposite of baseball.
Uh Adam Jones from the Baltimorial is gonna join us
next hour. I ask him what he thought of the
(01:44):
home run derby. Center fielder Orioles, five time All Star,
four time Gold Glove Award winner and a guy who
has been rumored to be in trade discussions as well
as the Orioles are trying to sell off a bunch
of pieces and rebuild. But um, there's this, there's this
narrative which I believe to be at least mostly false,
(02:06):
mostly false, and that's that baseball has a Mike Trout problem.
I saw this in the Washington Post Ruler today, that
Mike Trout only has a Q score of twenty two.
Many of you are sitting there going what the hell's
acque score, which kind of makes the point about what
ACCU score is. But acque score is a rating of
(02:28):
sort as to what the overall knowledge of who you
are and what you do is. To the mainstream public,
there's a mathematical formula by which they come up with
your Q score. It is about as accurate as the
weather man is. On the other hand, it brings up
(02:48):
a valid point, which is, hey, Mike trusts the best
player in baseball. He's been the best player in baseball
for about I don't know six years, and even though
he's a first ballot Hall of Famer, if he retired
today in his prime, there are many were told who
don't know who Mike Trout is. Now. There's a bunch
(03:09):
of things at work here. I don't believe it's just
as simple as well, Mike Trout plays for the second
best team in Southern California. Nobody pays attention to him
because of that, and that needs to change, and baseball
needs to change. And to steal from Rocky four, the
US can change, and use can change. Well, else can change?
(03:35):
Does Mike Trout play for the second best team in
Southern California? That calls itself l A even they don't
play in l A. Sure, and is that problematic? Yep.
It's just like trying to build your brand with the Nets,
with the Clippers. It's hard. It's hard. Uh. Those of
us who are Angel fans will point out that the
Angels do have one thing that the Dodgers do not
(03:57):
since n that is a World Series title. Um. Nonetheless,
you cannot. There's there's no way to truly quantify just
how much more important in the overall sports landscape the
Dodgers are to the Angels. But simply saying that, hey,
(04:19):
he plays for the wrong team. Baseball has got to
get him off of that team. Oh yeah, and he's
gotta get him. They gotta get him in the home
run Derby has him in the home run derby. Bryce
Harper was this is a problem. Mike Troud keeps saying
he'll compete and he's got to and know Lebron wasn't
a dunk contest, But there are no We don't build
stars the way the NBA build stars. Got to change that.
(04:43):
I don't think Mike Trout is the problem. I think
Mike Trout is the manifestation of baseball's biggest issue. But
baseball is still wildly popular, wildly popular. The Angewers are
gonna draw three the Dodgers can draw four million people.
In southern California, you can see more, not less baseball
(05:06):
games on TV than you used to, and though the
national ratings aren't high, the local ratings are very high.
It's the provincial sports, also a summer sport, and based
upon how the sports calendar works, there's so many things
that work against baseball. First and foremost is too many
damn games. Been new baseball game this year? How would
(05:27):
you like to go to eighty more? That's the That's
that's what you do. If you go to every home
game like a hundred and sixty two times of anything,
even that seems like a lot. Hundred sixty two in
one year. It's it's insane. There are just just too
(05:50):
many games to keep up with the most important time
of their year conflicts with the beginning of football, which
is become a more popular sport. Even football's numbers are
struggling because there's too much football on TV. What do
you think is gonna happen with baseball on TV when
it's on a hundred and sixty two times, and then
(06:13):
it conflicts with football. Baseball also has struggled to promote
their stars, and though they've tried, they have more playoff
teams by creating a new wild card window that at
times can eliminate, it can backfire. That's what happened the
one time the Angels got to the playoffs. They had
the best record in baseball, and they lost to the
(06:33):
Kansas City Chiefs, who played in the playing game and
should have lost the playing game. Like I say, the Chiefs,
it's the Royals, that's right, the Royals winning the playoffs,
the Chiefs losing the playoffs. Oh, and no, it's true, though,
it's very true, very sadly true. True. It's true. You're
sitting there going he made a good point. There. He
(06:55):
he screwed up, but then he came back and that
was really good. Look, Trout's not the problem. Trout is
the manifestation of all of baseball's issues. Right. Baseball is
kind of torn in that most baseball guys want people
to behave and perform the way Trout does. Ron doesn't
bat flip, Chard doesn't look at me. Trout is not
(07:17):
a Yahoo. Trot has a great spirit, great energy, comes
to the ballpark every day, plays hard, gets on base
nearly fifty of the time he's he steals bases when
people aren't steal is supposed to steal basis. He hits
home runs and he gets on base. He plays a
great center field like dude. He does it all five
tool player and the six maybe most important tool is
(07:39):
he's a great dude who everybody seems to admire, not
resent for his talent. But our culture in this country
sometimes sometimes focuses more on the look at me, guys.
Take a look at Bryce Harper, right like today, Bryce
(08:02):
Harper is a hero dude. He's having a bad year
and his team is underachieving, and he's gonna command a
contract upwards of three maybe four hundred million dollars. But
because he's a look at me, because he's a headben
wearing flag, flag waving dad who frankly didn't follow the
(08:23):
rules of the home run derby last night, he's getting
applauded like he's some American hero and you're like, man,
Mike should really be in the home run derby. So
some of the issue is on us as sports fans
that we we like conflict, we like dudes with issues.
We like egomaniacs, even if we have to point out
(08:44):
that their egomaniacs. All of these things are manifested in
the issue with Trout, who just goes out and balls
out every day and doesn't say a word. We want
him to be something he's not. He's not loquacious, he
doesn't give great quotes. He's better at his position than
(09:07):
Jeter was at his He just plays for the second
team in his market. But like Jeter, doesn't give you
much of anything. So if you want to tell me
that Trout isn't as recognizable as stars and other sports,
that's true. But that's true for all baseball players. If
you want to tell me that Trout is running the
issues because his team is not good enough, that's fine,
(09:28):
that's true. But the truth is that a lot of
people don't know who some of the Cubs are, even
though they won the World Series two years ago. Nobody
knows who nationally who the Indians are. So the the
it's it's not a it's not a magic elixir that
you go into the playoffs and suddenly now you become
a household name. If you want to tell me he
doesn't have a great personality. That's true, and baseball takes
(09:51):
that out of some guys, but that's the way they
want their sport to be portrayed. I just think it's
fascinating the perception of my trout as if baseball has
this trout problem, where the truth is maybe trout is
the answer, not the problem, and the problems are with
us and what we deem to be a success. How
(10:13):
much some some millennial on Twitter knows who you are
should not be the measurement of whether or not baseball
is getting it right. Be sure to catch live editions
of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three pm Eastern
noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app. John Smoltz joins this, of course. Uh, you
make sure and watch the MLB All Star Game tonight
(10:34):
on Fox beginning at eight pm Eastern time. Small to
your entire professional life. People are taught to hit the
top half of the baseball. When did that change? Uh?
Changed right? Arong the time where you just mentioned analytics
and uh the answers to the questions to the test.
You know, I think in this industry and in sports
(10:56):
in general, we have more information than ever before. But
that information, although as you could probably hear it's absolutely
pouring here in Washington right now, is that it exposes things,
and when it exposes things, you try to deal with
the best facet of the game that has gone away,
And fundamentally, a lot of things have gone away because
(11:18):
organizations have adopted a philosophy that basically doesn't punish players
for not doing things, that rewards players for doing the
things they want them to do. And I think long term,
it really does suffer the game. And I think that's
why the game and the Commissioner's office are looking at
different ways to to alter that. As other sports have
done when the game gets a little stagnant or the
(11:40):
game gets a little dull, and other sports have done it.
Baseball has just been slow to make certain adjustments. All right,
So what's what's the adjustment you make when when I
think the biggest season, you tell me if I'm wrong,
You call these games, you watch these games. The biggest
issue is that you know what, what was it last year?
Thirty percent of the time all you need was picture
catcher hitter because of a strikeout, walk, or home run.
(12:03):
How do you and and the lulls in between the
actual action can be long, more so than even the
pitching changes. And I know some of those issues can
be worked through. How do you how do you make
an adjustment? Well, there's there's there's a lot of ways.
I mean, certainly teams are gonna zig when they zag.
I think that organizationally you can start making that correction. Uh,
(12:24):
just waiting to see who can do it. But from
a from a baseball concept, you know, much like UH,
roster manipulation, some of that if you know it goes
through a season where thirty thirty to thirty five pitchers
per team are are starting to become a norm, that
that is just that is that's got to change. I
mean there it's not all because of injury. It's because
(12:46):
of the style that we're adopting. And if you allow
teams to take advantage of certain rules and and put
guys on the d L that aren't even hurt the
ten d a d L and utilize the d L
and your roster manipulation, this is what you're gonna get.
Based ball is not really been meant to have eight
pitchers per team, five pitchers per team pitch in a game.
(13:06):
But when you go in a cheaper way or in
a way that is more conducive for clubs to run
their teams. You're gonna burn insurn, You're not gonna care
about six to ten years of player usage on your team.
You're just gonna get arms. You're not going to develop them.
You're gonna bypass some byproduct of making great starters instead
of Now we've preconditioned what a player is and isn't.
(13:28):
And I think you take and rob the game of
what's great about it the pictures duel the guys that
that have done what they used to do, and then
the hitter batter matchup. Now you're talking about the elite
hitters are gonna have to face three to four pitchers
per game, tougher to hit, and you talk about the ships.
The shift could go away, that could there's a there's
a there really is a lot of ways that baseball
(13:50):
could adjust to this that would make it, um, you know,
go a little bit smoother and not play as long
and to your point, not have as much lack of action. Yeah,
you know, how do you think taking the shift away
is a good thing? I really do. I don't think
there's a downside in it. I think what baseball was
hoping that would happen as players would self corrected. How
(14:11):
in the world, if you're a baseball player hitting to twenty,
you can be proud of that, and all you gotta
do is adjust to make teams stop shifting you. But
no one did it because no organizations really punishing a
guy for hitting to twenty. It was an embarrassment ten
years ago. You didn't have a roster spot, and just
trying to hit the ball over the shift has become
the philosophy. So guys are lifting the ball more than ever.
(14:32):
But if you reward contact and you reward athleticism, we're
taking away the athleticism of players who play a position.
No longer do you really play a position with the
amount of shifts there are. So I don't see a
downside in that, And and I don't care if people
are going to complain about, well, you're taking strategy away.
They did it in football, they did defensively in basketball,
they've done it in hockey. They've made changes to open
(14:54):
it up. And I think for baseball, if it's not
gonna self correct, then the entities to be are gonna
look at ways to corrected itself and and start putting
the single and the contact back and play. You mentioned
one of every three or four at bats has no action,
and when that continues to be increased like it is,
you're talking about three to four minutes in between action
(15:17):
per game. And I'll tell you that is something that's
got a lot of people concerned. John Smaltz one of
the great all time pictures in recent memory, starter reliever
of course, also damn good golfer and as good an
analysts you'll see. You'll see him tonight calling MLB on
Fox's coverage of the All Star Game. He's joining us
in the Doug Otlip Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Uh.
The story goes maning Machado, we all knew it was
(15:40):
coming to a head that he'd be moved. Looks like
it looks like the Dodgers are going to be his destination.
Does that fix? You know? They lost Seger, they didn't
have Turner for the first kind of half of the
first half of the season, Kershaw was out with injury.
If that trade is consummated and it becomes official, does
that does that completely changed where the Dodgers Uh look
(16:03):
like they'll be come to fall? Oh? Absolutely. I always
felt like that was the no brainer spot, especially with
court court, the injury to Seeger, and the fact that
you know pretty much Machado is going to be a
free agent no matter where he goes. So I I
really believe that that's a five win advanced to any
team that gets it. That's five more wins. And I'm
(16:24):
not talking about war. I'm talking about legitimately, this player
can help you win five more games by himself because
of his ability offensively and defensively. So it's a game changer.
Just like on the other end, I don't know if
the Mets will ever do it. The biggest game changer
out there for pitching is the Grom who if they
were as someone was able to get to Gram, You've
you've made yourself an elite team, no matter who he
(16:46):
goes to. So that's how much Manny Machado would mean
to a team. Although be it for a half or
a little half, a little less than half of a season,
it's it's a lineup change, it's a defensive change. And
I think that the Dodgers, if they can come up
with a package that Baltimorris is suitable with, and I
think that is a front running Dodgers become the obvious favorites.
(17:09):
All right, let's since it's raining in d C and
we at the game is in d C. And Harper
won the home run derby. We we can't we can't
bury the lead in that here. The Nationals are a
very talented roster. Arguably the best pitcher in baseball, A
guy was a first ballot Hall of Famer insurser based
upon accomplishment. Uh, you have Bryce Harper, you have some
(17:29):
other very good hitters in the lineup, and yet they're
stuck there at five d Is that a fixable situation?
Very much so. I hate to say that too much
of the blame um might fall on one guy, and
I don't think that's fair. But look, Steven Strassburg is
so good, and he is so much of an impact
(17:51):
even though he's the once every five guy. He makes
that rotation dangerous and he has to stay healthy when
he comes back. He has to stay healthy. It's not
the same rotation without him in there. And sure as
are of course and Geo Gonzalez and Rourke. This is
a team that is starting to get healthy, starting to
get its feet under them, and they're not going to
just push a button. I get it, you know, just
(18:12):
because on paper, but because they haven't had the complement
of players that they've needed, and the upstart Phillies and
the Braves have been able to roll in here and
and and cause some panic for him. I think it
becomes increasingly difficult the longer there behind those two teams.
But I still maintained that the Nationals are the team
to beat. And I know that might seem crazy, but
(18:35):
it's still the team that has the most weapons and
the team that if they get healthy, they're gonna be
They're gonna be tough. That is the downpour of a
huge thunderstorm that we are in right now. That's that's
amazing stuff. All right. Yankees are four and a half
back in the Red Sox. And I sit there and
(18:55):
I look at the I look at the Yankees and
obviously they can really really hit, but they're gonna need
some pitching. But how do you do you go out
and get an arm? Like if the gram is not available,
what do you what do you do with the Yankees
in terms of getting pitching to try and load up
for the postseason. You have to get a picture, right.
They can't rely just on their bullpen and their offense.
(19:16):
They need another starting picture and if they can go
get the top flight one, that would be everything. That
would be worth whatever they give up, and I mean
whatever they give up. But if they can't get the
gram or synder Guard or some of those guys, you've
got to go out and get another accomplished arm that's
gonna allow you to avoid a one game play and
you don't want to. You gotta win your division. And
if you win your division, you become an elite team
(19:38):
that can go all the way to the World Series.
So I think the Yankees are in a nice position
with the amount of basic prospects that they have to
make a game change or move. And now is the
time because that offense is not going to win a
World Series by itself, and neither is the bullpen. Uh.
Last thing, Smulty, before you get just dumped down with
(19:58):
all this rain, we'd discussed that. There's been articles. The
Washington Post had one, Other's had one on the Mike
Trout problem. Here he is best player in baseball and
yet not seen as a superstar, the kind of uber
elite star as in some of the other sports. Is
it as simple as he's got to get off of
the Angels and get onto one of these premier teams,
or is there something else that you think has to
(20:20):
change in order for Mike Trout to be as well
known and respected outside of baseball as he is in baseball. Yeah.
I mean his personality is what you would want for
every every team would want to die, obviously, like Mike
Trout tafty obvious, But I think you gotta see him
in the postseason, and he as the West Coast is
a little bit different of a flair for for most
(20:42):
people who don't get to see him on a daily basis.
But I promise you you get this cat in the
world in the World Series, and you get him in
the playoffs, and you see what he can do on
a national stage, everybody's going to opts Absolutely no, Mike Trout.
It's a shame that he's the best player in the
game and that we have to talk about him in
this way, whether it's lack of social media or certain
things which I don't particularly care about. And I think
(21:05):
you know, for Mike Trout and the and the and
the Angels, they've been trying to figure out a way
to get this guy in a winning situation in the
playoffs situation, it's really not worked out at all for
the Angels, and it's a shame because they're losing out
on some of the best years we've ever seen from
a young player, and his attitude has been unbelievable and
(21:25):
really it's it's what you build a club around. So
I think playoffs is something you gotta see from from
Mike Trout could really appreciate the historic numbers he's putting
up in the regular season. There's one number that blows
my mind. And I don't get caught up in a
lot of different analytics stuff. I embrace it, but there
is he has in his entire career do game the
(21:48):
most he's ever gone without getting on base. I mean,
just think about that. Two games in a row is
the most he's ever gone without getting on base. Says
a lot for Mike Trout. How About how about he's
been up with no runners on more than anybody else
in baseball, right, Like it's the we we always used
to look at our bi when we were kids, and
(22:10):
now you're like, well, that doesn't make it doesn't make
any sense. Uh. The Hall of Famer John Smoltz in
um not exactly Chamber of commerce weather out there in
d C. Can't wait to hear the call. Can't wait
to hear the call tonight, we hope from d C.
Thanks so much for joining us. That's Smolt. He's the best.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
(22:31):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app.
I want to understand the Steelers final offer to running
back Levian Bell was five years seventy million with more
than thirty million over two years. Last year it was
five five years sixty million. Instead, he'll earn fourteen point
five in another franchise tag. Alright, So look he's gonna
end up making because he didn't sign last year's deal
(22:54):
which had thirty over two instead, And tell me if
I'm reading this wrong, guys, what do you make twelve
million last year so somewhere in the neighbor to twenty
six and a half instead of thirty and and launched
some sort of long term security. So he's gonna take
the four million dollar hit, although look, the smart thing
(23:16):
would have been franchise tag last year. Get that and
then two years of more guaranteed money thirty million again,
that would have given you a security and it would
lock you in this whole idea, like I want to
be a stealer for life. All right, we gave you
a deal, you'd be a stealer for life. Yeah. So
it was twelve point one last year, it was fourteen
(23:38):
points fourteen point five this year. That's twenty six point
six million dollars my math. Okay, last year was five
years sixty but thirty guaranteed. This year's five years seventy
over thirty guaranteed. And so now like now you're the Steelers,
You're like, look, dude, we're playing on a house money.
This is great. It does hurt the Steelers against the
cap more so than when you have a deal with
(24:01):
a big signing bonus. What I think is fascinating is, um,
so many people are missing the point or maybe missing
we're we're missing, even Levyan is missing what they should
be arguing for. The Levy on Bell argument is no
(24:22):
different than the Jimmy Graham argument of a couple of
years ago with the Saints is that hey, I shouldn't
be played like a running back. I shouldn't be paid
like a tight end. I should be paid like a playmaker.
Jimmy Graham. I'm more of a wide receiver than I
am a tight end. I shouldn't be paid like a
(24:43):
tight end. Levan Bell, I'm both a running back and
a wide receiver. I should be paid money commensurate with
that of a wide receiver. And you know what, it's
not a crazy argument, but you're making the argument to
the wrong people by rule by rule in the NBA
(25:05):
and in the in the National Football by rule, if
you don't sign your if you don't sign your contract
and you become a franchise TAGGI contract extension, become a
franchise taggy, your salary is roughly the average of the
(25:28):
top five salaries at your position. I find it comical
that NFL players want to break through the mold because
they think there's something more than they are, when by
rule and by collectively bargained upon rule, you are, in fact,
you are, in fact deemed to be a singular position player.
(25:55):
They keep getting into these ugly fights with their with
the teams that pay them and want to give them
longer term deals. Instead, what they should be getting in
fights with is the NFL p A and how the
c b A is worded. That's what should be happening,
(26:17):
but absolutely should be happening. So this laby On deal,
you know, he seems like he was offered a fair
deal last year. Seems like he's offered a fair deal
this year. He chose not to sign it. He's not
apparently going to come to camp. I don't think the
Steelers are terribly bummed that he won't come to most
of camp because you don't want him to get hurt anyway.
He just wanted to be, you know, ready at the
(26:40):
right time. But this I should be paid at a
contract commensurate with something other than pine position. Why are
you arguing with your team about that? That deal was
agreed to by the nfl p A. By the nfl
(27:06):
p A. That's it. And so what if I was
Levy on Bell, that's me arguing the validity of that
rule with the police officer instead of trying to get
that rule changed. And the difference is, well, it's really
hard to get a law changed in your state. It's
(27:27):
not that not nearly as difficult when you have this
much better ill will to go and say like, hey, guys,
next time we do the c b A or next
time there's some sort of issue that we can change
on the fly. Why don't we change on the fly
the fact that when you're a franchise tagg e, you
(27:48):
have to it has to be with one position. It
has to be one position. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Doug gott Leap Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and
the I Heart Radio WOP. Let's talk some baseball, though
with a guy who I find to be fascinating to
watch play and sometimes even better to talk baseball with.
He's a five time All Star, he's a four time
(28:09):
Gold Glove Award winner. He's the center fielder for the
Baltimore Orioles. Two thousand thirteen Silver Slugger Adam Jones joins
us on The Doug Gottlieb Show. We want you to
know that every tweet Instagram hashtag Hats Off for Heroes
t Mobile will donate one dollar to Team Rubicon throughout
the entire regular MLB season. Team Rubicon is a veteran
(28:31):
lead disaster relief organization that works throughout the United States.
I appreciate you joining us, Adam. Let's start with last night,
how would you What were your thoughts on the Home
run Derby. Um, I didn't watch. I didn't watch it,
so UM, slap me for not watching it. But uh,
(28:53):
from what I heard this morning that it was electrifying.
And um, i've seen the results and some of the
highlights is more and and that Bryce wanted so that's
awesome for that he wanted from hometown guy. Um want
of the leading bolt getters. And uh, and I'm sure
that people had a lot of a lot of good memories.
(29:13):
I had a lot of family in town, so we
were just up at the pool, barbecue and out and
minding our business. Hey can I I said this and
start the show. I didn't watch either because because you're
you're not You're like, honestly, you're not offending me. Some
people get super into it, and I just I just
don't like, it's not no disrespect to him or do
(29:35):
his dad, you know, serve enough taters for him. But
that to me is not really kind of what the
art of it. And I've I've seen enough home run Derby's.
They go on long enough like they're cool if you
get into it, but it's not. I'm just not into it.
I think it's refreshing to hear. Uh, you feel you
feel the same. Um, okay, so were you grilling last
night or did you have somebody else grilling for you?
(29:55):
It was a team effort, you know. I had the
chef and myself were ordered some food. Um, you know,
it goes a bunch of kids around. We're just trying
to have a good time and get our minds away
from away from the game for a couple a couple
of days and just try to have a good family
time and enjoy the kids watching them swim. What's this
(30:18):
like for you going through a season to which the
O's are clearly rebuilding. Uh, there are a lot of
talk about people like you, people like Manny going elsewhere,
like what's it what's it like to beat your gather out?
Your friends, your family? I'm sure they want to know
what you think of that. Do you say, hey, we
ain't talking baseball today. Do you allow people to talk
about it? What's what's that like for you? Well? The
(30:40):
thing is going to the year we were not having
a plan of rebuilding. I just think that how we've
performed in our records indicating that we're gonna have to
trade some guys and get some pros, get some young
new fresh chalel in here, which happens. Um, it's exciting.
At the same time, we've had a really good run
(31:01):
with the group that we've had, and you know, sometimes
you sometimes breakups happen, you know, free agencies looming for
I think four or five players, so things like that
have to happen, and it's bitter sweet. But as long
as the organization tries to put, you know, put some
good prospects, trade for some good prospects and some major
(31:22):
lye ready talent, then um, hopefully the fan base will
understand what the moves are going to be made and
for the future. Have they Have they told you about
your personal feature? No, no discussions have been made about
my personal future. But uh, I know a whole the
majority of the cards, if not all of them. So
let's see what happens open the next two weeks or
(31:44):
even all the way to August. Lady first, because the
nonwaver trade deadline is also a very important day to
no question. I mean, look, Justin Verlander obviously got sent
to Houston last year. Is that is that the determinant
is like, look, I don't really want to move, but
if you're gonna send me somewhere, it better be somewhere
where I get a chance to win the whole thing. Yeah,
and then where is the ship? Where is that place at?
(32:05):
You know, people say, I want you to go win
the ring, but where's that at? There's no definite. Um,
there's an opportunity to get to the postseason and roll
the chance, roll the dice with some good guys. And
that would be the only way I would even propose
even to think of a trade, because it makes no
point for me to go somewhere and not be playing
in the playoffs. And you know, when you when you
(32:26):
control the cards, you kind of have that. No, just
control the cards. So just see what plans they have,
you know, hopefully. You know, I've said it many times
that you know, if they wanted to do something like
Chapman did where they Yankees trade him, but they got
an unreal prospect back in glabor touri As, then he
came right back. I mean, I'm not saying that I'm
gonna command a Glabora touris type of one overall prospect.
(32:49):
But um, for myself, Machado, Britain and Brock. You know,
I think that the Orioles that they trade all four
of us or three of us um. They should be
able to get back some prize talent because of the
talent that we're passing on to another organization, no question
about it. Adam Jones join his four time gold glover
as well. I want to ask you about metrics. Uh,
(33:10):
some of some of the metrics say, you know, look,
you're not the center fielder you used to be. People
who watch you every day, people watch you every day,
like look, some of it's about alignment. You know, the
the Ohs play you very shallow in center field, so
of course your metrics and getting the deep balls, you're
not going to be as good. How would you personally
evaluate yourself defensively now as opposed to defensively in terms
(33:32):
of you have a sterling reputation. Do you think you're
not as good as you used to be? Well, as
you get older, every team slows down to a tad um.
I don't like to make excuses or throwing anybody under
the bus and that regards because you know, it's known
that it's been a revolving door defensively in right field.
(33:53):
Since mart As is left should have signed Mark casus
Um left field. We got train man c me out there.
He's he's by trade of first baseman. He's playing less
field for us. He goes out there and give his
effort every single day. So I respect that a lot
of that. But he's a first baseman and he's a
first basement by trade. But we have CD at first,
so we won't just batting the lineup. If when you
(34:15):
can hit, you find a way to uh to put
you out there. Um, but you know it's it's I
played with a lot of different guys over the last
four years. Um yeah, I'm not gonna say that, whatever
the numbers say, I'm not gonna disagree with him. Um.
I know, I still believe that I'm stifferent go out
there in place in the field every day. Um, But
at that same time, father time is catching up. I
(34:38):
get a little bit more tired out there just because
you know, a lot of endings wracked up, a lot
of time on my feet. Um. But I's been a
very advocate of if there's someone that's better in the
organization that's gonna come up and stay up, then that
will make the move to another position a lot easier
opposed to just saying let's move you just because because
when once someone's moves. Um, it's not like you can
(35:00):
go back. So when you know, I'm when Tori moved
to write, he had Mike Trout to solidify that. Now,
I'm not saying we have anybody like Mike Child, but
if et Cedric Mullins comes up and he's ready to
play centerfield, he puts together good at bats after that bat. Hey,
if if he's the man to take the range of
the leadoff, heit are going into the futures interfielder. With
(35:21):
all due respect, I'll gladly move if I'm here. Um
after this year, um, Adam Jones of the Baltimoreal's All Star,
four time gold Glover joining us Doug Gotlip Show, Fox
Sports Radio. You know, essentially, you guys have been a
playoff team. Obviously, you know Zack didn't pitch and um,
and and that's still I'm I'm sure something that that
that drives him uh in in a close out game. UM,
(35:45):
but you've you've been in those games before, and you
bring up Trout and there are many that believe, Hey,
here's Trout and he's kind of in this abyss of
being arguably the best player in the game, but playing
a team that's not a playoff team, does he in
two years, you know, push to to move to a
team that, uh is more is more likely to make
the playoffs more often. How would you like if you're
(36:08):
gonna pull some of these guys aside the man he's
aside and what's really important? How important is it to
make a mark in the postseason as opposed to just
being a dominant regular season player and doing the best
you can with the organization. That's a good question. I mean,
right now, Trout is for themselves in line of one
of the greatest players to every play simple as that. Um,
(36:32):
He's he's like paid Manning, minus the opportunity to get
to the to the championships, to the playoffs. I mean.
But one thing about the Angels and Mr Moreno is
that they are always active into looking into try and
better the team, and they have the pay row flexibility
to be able to go sign guys making fifteen to
twenty plus million dollars. We don't have that luxury. UM.
(36:55):
I would love to see Trout in the postseason. I
think it's good for baseball. He's he is the best
player and very well and you can argue it, but
you're probably gonna lose it um. But he you know,
he needs to be in the playoffs. He needs to
be on the biggest stage. She needs to be uh
and in that situation, because that's what you want to see.
You want to see the game's best, no matter what
sport it is, in the post in the postseason. You know,
(37:18):
you see how good he is. We want to We
want to see that when it really matters. We don't
want We loved see it in June, but I think
a lot of us, and not myself included as a
fan of baseball, I want to see him play in
October and a couple of years and fourteen we had
a chance to play against each other, but they didn't
make it through against Kansas City and we had to
(37:38):
face Kansas City touring to us Adam Jones joining us
on the Doug Gotlip Show. You're still excited about that?
I miss your fifth All Star game? It still I'm
not in it. You already I've done five. I understand you.
Still does it? Does it still bring me? Because my
my thought is this, when when we grew up, you
(37:59):
didn't have have interleague play. Then they had interleague play
and was fun. Now there's then inter League series every week, right,
and every series there's an interleague series, and and and
because you can watch the games on your phone or
on on any you know, if you really like baseball,
you can watch. There's not the same sense of hand
never get to see these guys play against one another.
(38:21):
Does it still does the All Star Games still have
the lure that it had when you were a kid
or when in oh nine when you first made it.
I do, I mean, I'm still a big kid to
it to this fact. The things that have changed, obviously
to the social media, the popularity um behind it. You know,
each team now has during batting practice, you go to
each individual teams in Instagram, you can see basically everything
(38:45):
besides the player showering. That's how intimate and everything has gotten,
which I don't personally like, but just part of the
evolution of the game and part of the social media
and the reach to the fans because they said baseball
is born, so now the reach to the to the
everyday fan is in east. Um. But me no, I'm
I'm still a big kid to this game. I treat
(39:06):
it as a game. It's very frustrating, obviously, because we
all want results in the win but sheer opportunity to
play it. I still approach it every single day as
a little kid, you know, like the first day when
I got called up, and I think that that's what
I passed along to a lot of my teammates is
we get it. We're gonna have families, We're gonna go
to charles and tribulations off the field. On the field, Um,
but once you're between the lines, you've got a chance
(39:29):
to be a big kid and do something special. So
take those three hours to uh to try and do it.
The last thing I want to ask you, um Opening
Day this year, you hit a walk off home run
to win the game. I think, I think if there's
one feeling, everyone would like to know what that's like.
Obviously doing like in the playoffs would be, but to
to hit to the ball that ends a baseball game, Yes,
(39:50):
what's that feeling? Like? I kind of blinked out eleventh
Opening Day and that's the last thing I was thinking
that was gonna happen. I thought we was gonna win
the game at the ninth inning when scope pad bases loaded. Um,
but I was presented with another opportunity and UH just
came through, you know, it's it's still real to be
able to play this long. Um. Some people take things
(40:13):
for granted. UM, I have not taken these eleven years
in the big leagues for granted at all. So just
you just have to approach it like that, because one
day it's gonna come to an end and you won't
you won't have all these cool clubhouses, the cool charter
flights and uh, you know, people screaming, screaming your name.
One day that's all going to end. So just try
and take it all. You know. I know I'm older now,
but trying and take it all as stride as I
(40:35):
did when I was a twenty five year old and
trying to just appreciate as long as I can. That's
pretty awesome. That's that's really amazing. Um. Okay, for every
tweet Instagram posted this tag hashtag Hats off for Heroes,
t Mobile will donate one dollar to Team Rubicon throughout
the entire regular MLB season. Is a veteran lead disaster
relief organization that works throughout the United States. Why did
(40:57):
you want to be involved, uh with this relief fund? Well,
I mean a military family, my dad twenty two years,
my brother seventeen, years. So anything that's with the military,
it's definitely gonna hit home. Um, I have a lot
of friends that are in service right now, and that
sir got back home and told me stories of you know,
(41:18):
told many things. I never thought that out here, and
they've told me things they've seen that they never thought
they'd seen. So to be able to support my friends
and family and you know countless not just Americans, but
people who fight for everybody's freed up for their respective countries. Um,
that's important, and I respect, I said it was the
last question I lied. I gotta ask you this, how
do you maintain this balance? Right? Like, look, do you
(41:41):
make a lot of money? You've got a lot of
the claim the numbers would sit put there with anyone
who plays your position during this period of time. Five
all stars, four gold gloves, um. And yet everything I read,
everything I hear, everything I see is like, here's still
a regular dude, right, You're still maintain kind of the
balance of being a father, being a you know, being
(42:03):
a guy. But but that's not everybody. And you understand
even in your sport, that's not everybody. How do you
maintain that the balance? My wife does a good job
at home, make sure that I'm as stress free as possible. Um.
I got my brothers and cousins who stay on me.
They aren't they aren't the yes man around me in society. Um,
(42:27):
I just got a good balance away from the ballpark.
And I understand. When I'm at the ballpark is yes, sir,
and you know, whatever can I get you, Mr Jones
and all that kind of stuff. But at home is
shut up. You go clean that up, and the revolte
the roles are reversed. So it kind of creates a
very good dynamic and a very good balance. So when
I go home, you know, I'm just a regular, regular person.
(42:47):
I'm just dad and husband, and uh that makes it
very simple. Kind of sounds like you you moved in
on the cooking last night after you weren't happy with
whatever's going on with the grill work. That's just kind
of what it feels like to me. Uh yeah, listen,
enjoy your time off. It's well deserved, and let's let's
catch up in the second half of the season. Whether
you're wearing the black and orange or another color, we
(43:08):
appreciate you join us on Fox Sports Radio anytime. Talk
too soon, All right, No, no doubt Adam Jones joining
us on the Doug Gatlip shows. Fox Sports Radio has
the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all
of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot com and
within the I Heart Radio app. And now Chris Carter,
part of First Things First, was on earlier today. He
(43:31):
had this to say about the potential for Kawhi Leonard
to be traded to the Toronto Raptors. For Kauai, it
says that money is not his number one motivator. He
believes in his heart of hearts that in Los Angeles
he'll be a happier person that's playing basketball with the Clippers,
are with the Lakers. He spent most of his time
(43:52):
in the San Diego area. He loves that area. Kauai
is not the type of person that by the external
things that he's motivated. Actually, last week he went to Vegas.
It was too chaotic form he planned on staying longer.
Left after one night there um with some friends. So
Kauai is not the normal superstar where he's looking for
(44:12):
the limelights, he's looking for the tension, or he's looking
for those Max dollars. You can call me, don't call
Kauai call me and I'll let you know he's not
going to Toronto. So all these three team scenarios things
like that, Yeah, okay, like all that sounds good, but
the player has said that he's not going to play.
It's not a Paul George situation. I have warned people.
(44:34):
Uh that's that's Chris Carter from Fox Sports and first
things First, This from Brian Windhorse on Adrian wo Zanowski's podcast.
I think they the Raptors are in the driver's seat
for Kauai because I think the Lakers have given up,
the Sixers have given up, and with the Nets, Bulls,
Hawks spending their cap space, it makes it harder to
assemble a multi team trade. I think the Raptors are
(44:54):
in the driver's seat. Again, all of this comes down
to whether or not Kawhi Leonard will play for Raptors.
The Raptors may have the best offer out there, but
it doesn't really matter if it's not like I ain't going,
which makes next week even more interesting. They have a
training camp in Vegas with USA Basketball Pops. The coach, obviously,
(45:19):
Pop going down to San Diego to meet with Kauai
was not just about the Spurs, but also probably about
USA basketball, to which I'm sure Kauai said like, hey,
look I'll still play for you. You gotta get this
thing done. So deadlines bring deals, and that's one kind
of soft deadline that could be hardened because there's gonna
(45:42):
be no Lebron. Do they want Kauai? There, will Kauai participate?
Chris Carter is pretty locked in on this. The these
sources here, and you can tell me I love this idea.
What Chris Carter is a football guy, he doesn't, dude.
We all when you've been in this business for ten
fifteen years, we know people across a bunch of different sports.
That's just the way it is. I tell people all
(46:03):
the time. The first person I ever heard say now
it was in Miami, but it was done was Chris
Carter and it was a week before it was announced
for for Lebron James. I can tell you things gonna
go on in baseball and in football because I've been
doing this a long time. You crossover, You get to
know people, They get to trusting you, and you should,
and they want their information out there. Chris seems to
(46:26):
know what's going on with Kauai and Kawai saying not
feel in Toronto. The the fascinating part is Kauai is
a low profile guy, and I do think whether you're
playing with Lebron or not playing with Lebron, you can't
keep a low pro in Los Angeles. But it's harder
to do so than you think.
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