July 29, 2025 • 41 mins
Ben Maller talks about Phillies star Bryce Harper going eye-to-eye with commissioner Rob Manfred over the salary cap, why this salary cap chatter from MLB is ultimately a nothing burger, former player turned MLB employee warning the Phillies of the commissioner's power, and more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
He we go.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Welcome, it's our numb ber wan, our number one and
oh what fun it is. Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper
going monol a model, I to eye with Commissioner Rob
Manford over the salary cap. Whose side are you on?
We begin the hour, this hour of the Malor podcast
(00:24):
on this Tuesday, July twenty ninth, with that story why
is the salary cap? Chatter from Major League Baseball ultimately
a nothing burger, and after the Bryce Harper, Rob Manford
brew ha ha, former player Mark du Rosa, who works
for Major League Baseball warned the Phillies of the Commissioner's power.
(00:44):
Now this was taken as a threat by some Phillies players.
Is that how it sounds to you? We'll talk about
that as well. All of it's coming your way right
now here. It is our number one, seeing with the
boss and I love it.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Welcome in the beginning of another night of the Ben
Balor Show. We are in the air, Amy where literally
everywhere we could possibly be, as we are right on
your doorstep, talking and rocking the night away coast to coast,
(01:25):
void the motor and beyond on the mast and breath
taking me powerful microphones of FSR am monating live good
law from the Circle, the Squared Circle of audio Pugilism
from the Fox Sports Radio studios, as approved by Malaprop, Guy, Random, Ryan,
(01:46):
and Fats in Philadelphia. They all approved that. For over
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fasted free back by free road hazard protection with convenient
installation options. I see it. Nod in your head over
there for dog yep and Alfie Alien of pinter loves
the mobile tire installation tire rack dot com the way
(02:10):
tire buying should be. So lot going on. We are
back at it and I love this story. I absolutely
love this story from Philadelphia, and it involves someone we
talk a lot about on this show, and we talked
about this person for many many years. We are in
the doghouse with this sport because of this particular person.
(02:32):
But we'll go to the locker room drama ol rama
in the Delaware Valley. As we have learned through various
reports that the Philadelphia Phillies YouTube kid, he was originally
the YouTube kid. I remember seeing clips on the Internet
of this guy when he was in high school in Vegas.
But Bryce Harper stood nose to news, belly to belly
(02:57):
with the clown commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfraud.
Now this is during a meeting between the commissioner of
Major League Baseball, that would be Manfraud and the team
last week. Now, if you didn't see this or hear
about it, maybe you missed it. We're told that Bryce
Harper ended up getting in the face of Rob Manford
(03:20):
and telling him to get the f out. It's a
Peter to saf he said the forward. He did not
say f he said the He's a grown up. He
said the foulk. We're on radio after I got kids work.
He said, get the f out of our clubhouse. He said,
if Manford wanted to talk about the implication of a
salary cap ooh the boogeyman. Now that confrontation came in
(03:45):
a meeting. We are told that the slimy commissioner of
Major League Baseball is going around trying to improve communication
relationships with every team and all the players. And the
meeting lasted an hour. Must have been very born. My god,
must have that been boring. Anyway, they talked for an hour.
Manford never said the words salary cap in quotes. You
(04:10):
never said that the discussion was about the economics, and
that is what raised the dander of one Bryce Harper,
who loves the Philly fanatic and I love the Philly fanatics,
so I have that in common with Bryce Harper. So
let us discuss the question. Philly star a multi time MVP,
Bryce Harper going eye to eye mono a mono with
(04:35):
Commissioner Rob Manford over the salary cap. Who's side of
you on? I am in the side. Now, I'm gonna
tell you who I think you know who side I'm on.
I've got dog Whistle, art of the Covenant and sopranos,
and we'll put all these things together and we're gonna
make the Gobba gool is what we're gonna make. We're
gonna make the Gobba ghool, all right, So hey, listen,
(04:57):
I am on the side of truth, justice and the
sports talk way. Bryce Harper, Here we go, Price, Here
we go. Yeah, come on, now, I love it. I
love the visual in the cartoon bubble over my head.
It's great. That little clown weasel, your little weasel, Rob Manford, Right,
(05:17):
little clown Commissioner Major League Baseball. There he goes down,
you know, sashchets his way into the Phillies clubhouse, saying,
oh man, I'm just gonna go out there and blow
smoke in that clubhouse and boom boom boom boom boom boom,
nose to nose with Bryce Harper. So good, so good, Bravo, Encore, Encore.
(05:41):
I say, someone had to say, now, I love that
it's Bryce Harper. Bryce Harper doesn't need to do this.
He's already got his money. He's already got the three
hundred million dollar contract. Why is he what's he care?
He got his right. Normally, the way this works is
if you get the bag, you don't care about anyone else.
(06:02):
You got yours, go to each their own, screw everyone else, right,
you got paid. That's it. Do you know how rare
it is that someone gets that kind of wealth to
play baseball and is still out there screaming and barking
and saying, no, we're not doing a salary cap. Normally,
you know this, When you get the bag, you stop
(06:24):
caring about the other players. Anyone who understands basic math,
by the way, not just malar math. Basic math, understands
the cap is cramp like, no one that knows economics
wants the salary cap in baseball. It's the worst thing
in the world. Right, you're just announcing you're an idiot
if you say I want a salary cap, I want
(06:46):
the owners to make more money. That's what you're saying.
You're moron, your dummy, is what you're saying. The salary
cap talk is always a dog whistle, all right, it's
a dog whistle for how can we keep salaries down
from the ownership side, but yet convinced dumb people, the fans,
the idiots, that we're doing the right thing for competitive bounds.
(07:07):
You realize, with no salary cap, baseball has more of
a competitive bounce than any of those sports that have
salary caps. Hello, what does that say? What? The teams
that actually try end up winning have success in baseball.
The problem is not the salarycap. The problem is the
teams that don't give a crap about winning Sacramento or
(07:28):
sacrament of the A is that scumbag John Fisher, the
Marlins in Miami, the Pirates, teams like that. That's the problem.
You can win the Tampa Bay. They don't spend any
real money playing a minor league ballpark now because the
hurricane took out of their stadium. And I know they're
having the greatest year, but considering the amount of money
they spend, they find ways. The Milwaukee Brewers have been
(07:51):
wonderful in recent years, a consistent playoff contender or playoff
team over the last decade or so. They don't spend
a ton of mone. It can be done right, and
you're not. Really the issue is like teams that don't
want to win, that's the problem. It's not the salarycap.
The salary CAP's not gonna fix anything in terms of
(08:13):
whoa competitive bounds. You already have that right. And the
dirty little secret in Major League baseball is that you
look around and you see that the teams that actually
put an effort into it generally find some success. But
you can make a lot of money and have a
(08:34):
baseball team that is just a golden goose without even
There's like seven people that go to Marlins games, and
I know one of them, Marlin's man, And even he
doesn't go to many Marlins games, and he lives in Miami,
but he'd rather travel around the United States and see
games in other stadiums that don't involve the Marlins because
the Marlins blow. And yet the Marlins make money. And
(08:58):
you know, the Athletics left all they made money in Oakland.
Nobody went to the games in Oakland. Nobody's you know,
the Sacramento Minor League ballpark, it's not anyone there. They're
making money because you get the TV money, you get
the national revenue, and in addition, you get the teams
that spend a lot, like the Dodgers and the Mets
and teams like that. They cut your check for not
(09:20):
even trying. Right, you can draw seven hundred and seven thousand,
whatef doesn't matter. Put a crap product, garbage at first base,
trash at second, feces at shortstop, and do do it
third and you will make money. You will absolutely make money.
And while teams that try to win, I think the Dodgers,
the Mets, the Yankees, teams like that, they have to
(09:43):
pay a penalty for these other teams and then they
just pocket the money. That's the dirty little secret in baseball.
I'm Rob Manford. He's never going to address that. Why
would he? All right, why would he?
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I love the fact that Bryce Harper got right in
the face of Rob Manford just threw it down right
and should have tossed him right out there on Broad
Street is what he should have done. Now, the second
page on this why is the salary cap chatter which
is being cranked up? The labor negotiations will take place
in twenty twenty six, so it's not that far away
(10:17):
the end of the twenty twenty six season, which means
they could be there could be a workstoppas prior to that.
Many in baseball are preparing for the nuclear winter. But
why is this salary cab the chatter in Major League
Baseball ultimately a nothing burger. Let me explain this to
you like you're five years old. The reason that this
(10:39):
is a nothing burger. In order for there to be
a serahcab, you would have to have support of the players.
There is not support of the players. But even if
you could get support of the players, in order for
this to realistically work, you would have to do something
that you will not do. Something you cannot do, something
that you will not do. No matter what happens, you
won't do it. What is that If you want to
(11:01):
have an honest conversation about a salary cap in Major
League Baseball. The owners would have to open the bucks.
They'd have to open the bucks, the bean counters. That's
never gonna happen, never, ever, ever, never. And here's why,
the reason why, and that most of us know this.
They are every team in baseball is making a profit. Now,
(11:23):
not every team makes a big profit, not every team
makes a big profit, but they're making money, boat loads
of money in Major League Baseball. And these owners who
are making money hand over fist while at the same
time pretending like they're bleeding cash and Maron's oh, these
poor teams are losing money. No they're not dummy, No
they're not right. And the books are the holy grip.
(11:46):
I've heard some stuff that I'm not allowed to say
because I don't want to get in trouble with certain people.
But I've heard things over the years involving the books
and the lengths that Major League Baseball has gone to
to make sure the financials don't get out. Some mind
blowing things have passed through my head from people who
work in baseball, the efforts that they have gone to
(12:06):
avoid opening the books. Right, Like, imagine if you peaked
inside John Fisher's financials and realized the Athletics didn't have
to leave Oakland. He was making a lot of money.
He just wants to make more money. And so it's
that whole thing. Right, You're more likely to see the
arc of the covenant than you are the financials of
these these owners that cry they don't have any money.
(12:28):
They treat the financials in baseball like the nuclear launch codes. Okay,
that's what they treat it like. And it is such
a scam. It is such a scam. We need a
cap for parody. We want to have every tream. How
about transformin. It reminds me of that used car salesman
Bud Selik was going around in the early two thousands,
(12:51):
in the nineties and saying, well, we need new stadiums
in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati so we can have good teams
on the field. These teams can win the World Series
if they get those stadiums. They built new stadiums. Guess what,
spoiler alert. The teams blow chunks in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Right,
they suck. And they were taught, all you need is
(13:11):
a new stadium. This is the magic the magic pill.
That's all you need, right, That's all you need. And
so come on, it's nonsense. You don't have it. You
don't have it right now, and yet more teams if
you try, If the Reds and Pirates actually tried, they
would actually find a way to make the postseason. And
we know in baseball just making the postseasons all you
(13:32):
have to do. It's one of those things. It's not
like basketball where or even football where if you're like
a one or two seed you have a very good
chance of going to the NBA Finals, to the super Bowl.
In baseball it doesn't work that way. But again, it
all goes back. You're not going to open the books.
So no matter how much you said, we need to
sell recap and you try to get the dumb fans
behind the morons, all right, people with IQs blow thirty
(13:54):
and you say, okay, it doesn't matter. Right, they're sitting
on gold mines, these owners and crying poverty. Now, I
don't doubt that Scott Boris was behind this leak of
the Bryce Harper story that Scott my opinion. Can't sue
me for my opinion that Scott Boris and his team
leaked that story, because why would Major League Baseball leak
a story about Rob Manford getting into a confrontation with
(14:18):
one of the star players in baseball would never do that,
So it had to come from Bryce Harper's camp, and
Scott Boris is his guy, So it makes a lot
of sense. But look at everything. I mean, they make
so much money in baseball, owning the stadium, the parking lots,
A lot of these teams have their own TV channels.
They've monetized everything. Remember, I went to Wrigley Field when
(14:42):
I was doing stuff in another life, when I did
stuff with the Dodgers. We went there in the nineties
and it was still had the charm of the old
Wrigley Field the way it had always been. I went
there a couple of years ago and it was like
downtown Disney. The Cubs had bought all the property around
wrigley Field ownership and they had put their own branding
on everything and all that, and so it was a
(15:03):
much different experience than it had been in the mom
and pop days. Now final thought, so after the Bryce
Harper Rob Manford confrontation took place. After that, a former
Big league player and now turned gas bag and schill
from Major League Baseball, Mark de Rosa, who works for
(15:25):
Major League Baseball. According to a story on The Athletic
buried behind a paywall, the Old Gray Lady. The New
York Times owns the Athletic anyway, Mark de Rosa, I
was reading this story earlier. I just saw it. So
the story says that he warned. Mark de Rosa warned
the Philadelphia Phillies players of the commissioner's power. He warned them. Now,
(15:52):
this was taken as a threat, according to the way
the story was reported by Evan Drelik, who I briefly
did a radio show with years ago. So is that
how it sounds to you? Mark de ross According to
this story, Mark de Rosa, who works for MLB, he
warned the players that essentially they're messing with the wrong guy.
(16:13):
You're messing with Robmanford. What are you doing? All right?
So the answer to this, how does Yes, it sounds
like a threat. I would absolutely take that as a threat.
This is Sopranos style, is what it is. It's organized
baseball crime. If you will, Manford is the mob boss.
How long have we talked about Rob Manford essentially being
(16:33):
a mob boss of organized baseball? Right? And there you've
got Mark de Rosa, Where is he at? Here. So
you've got Mark de Rosa, who played a Major League
baseball career. Now he works from Major League Baseball. He's
the conciliary, right, He's the he's the fixer, he's the
whisper in this right, and he's he goes in there,
he delivers the message for the mob. Boss is what
(16:55):
he does. And he gets his hands dirty and all that,
but not too dirty. Right, Let's not forget who we're
dealing with here, a right, and what kind of power
Rob Manford has. This is the same Rob Manford, If
I'm wrong, correct me, who shielded the cheating Astros after
the biggest cheating scandal in modern times. A team cheated
(17:19):
in the World Series, not just to get to the
World Chairs. In the World Chairs. It was in the
MLB video highlighting the World Series. And what did Rob
Manford do? He let the players walk free? Al Boovey,
that punk Bregman. Now with the Red Sox Springer, there's
still a few left. He's in Toronto. I let him
(17:40):
all walk free. And why is that? There's a theory
that baseball needed the business partners in Houston to be happy,
and they would have been upset if those guys had
been suspended. There's one theory that's out there. So if
Manford likes you, if he likes you, he'll protect you
like family, just like a good mob movie, right, your family.
(18:03):
Now if you cross him, what happens if you're crossing
Let's see here. Oh, I have an example. Trevor Bauer.
Remember Trevor Bauer, Cy Young winning pitcher, Trevor Bauer. Yeah,
Trevor Bauer, who I think right now is sipping some
saki in Japan rather than pitching in Major League Baseball.
When starting pitching blows Rob Manford commissioner. Now, technically Bauer
(18:26):
is allowed back, but he Bauer did something you're not
supposed to do. He trashed Trevor. Trevor r trashed Rob
Manford every chance he got. So now he's in Japan,
he's pitching on dusty mounds in Mexico. He's probably trying
to get a work visa to pitch in Afghanistan at
this particular point. And that's because he messed with Rob Manford.
(18:47):
No one will touch him because Manford doesn't want him
in baseball. That's the theory, right, and so Manford plays favorites.
And as far as this other guy DeRosa. He doesn't
work for the players anymore. He's a former player. He's
on the payroll for Major League Baseball, all right. He's
sitting there at the MLB Network commentating and apparently giving
(19:08):
friendly warnings. Wink wink, nod nod, like he's reading some
kind of bedtime story. While the message is rather loud
and clear. I think the message is rather loud and
clear here that you don't talk back to the boss
where the boss will get you. Right, you'll be sleeping
with the baseballs if you talk to the boss that
(19:28):
strikes on. We can still, we can still manipulate the
strikes on. We can. You know, next year we can't
do it. But this year we can still manipulate it.
You know, fifty to fifty calls suddenly the empires might
be going going away from Bryce Harper. You're not gonna
get those calls anymore, right, just saying you come at
the King, You come at the King, and they say
your best not miss it is the Ben Malor Show.
(19:50):
What do you think about all that? We'll take your thoughts.
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox is the number
eight seven seven nine nine six six three six, and
also on X at Ben Mahler. If you'd like to
be part of the program, we'll talk a lot about
this sort. It's a good story. Got one of the
highest paid people in baseball, Bryce Harper going after Rob
(20:13):
manfor giving him a dirty word. Dirty word and Rob
Manford lives in a bubble there. This guy, you know,
he is a labor lawyer that was hired in a
labor negotiation as outside council and he just never left.
And he rows up the ranks to become the commissioner
of Major League Baseball and has been poop pooing and
(20:35):
spitting loogi's all over the game ever since. Then eight
seven seven ninety nine on Fox. We love new voices.
We don't need the same seven people calling, although they
probably will. You can avoid them calling for a little
bit by stonewalling them at eight seven seven ninety nine
on Fox. Also on X at Ben Mahler, we'll talk
some other things as well, including is John Gruden returning
(20:58):
to coach? Could John Gruden be back the old Raider
coach from back in the day. We'll get to all
that and we will do it next.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Meller
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Hey, we're Covino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We
never have enough time to get to everything we want
to get to.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
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our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, you blobber list lame and me. Well, you know
what it's called over promise. You should be good at
it because you've been over promising women for years.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Well, it's a Cavino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
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you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make sure you
check out over Promise and also uncensored, by the way,
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(22:03):
It's gonna be the best after show podcast of all time.
There you go, over promising, Remember you could see it
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Speaker 2 (22:17):
Bill Miller and you. It is the Ben Malor Show,
just beginning the red Eye flight all night. We thank
you for spending some time with us. Tell a friend
and if they can't listen live a because they worked
a dreaded day shift, they can listen to the podcast
and they'll be up when we're actually done with the show.
(22:38):
It's an amazing concept. In the meantime, you can interact
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Queen Lady Party, Queen the Cheese Curds, and also at
(23:00):
a Brocco fan coming up later this hour, the who
Am I? Game? But right now back to it. We
go all right back to it, and we'd like to
announce all the affiliates. So in the we never really break.
But there was a pause and my favorite part of
(23:21):
the show is the commercials. I love the commercials. I
want more commercials. I tell management to play more commercials.
So I went out of the main studio. I went
out the door. There's a big bank vault door here.
I went down a couple of steps and then I
turned left and then I went down the hall. And
I had two things on my agenda. So I went
(23:42):
down the hall. I went past the little production studio
and no one's there this ghost town here at night now.
So I walked by there, and there's two doors, and
so I walked by both. So then I went to
the bathroom, which is on the right. So I went
to the bathroom and then I washed my hands, and
then I came out of the bathroom and then I
I tried to fill up my cup with water, and uh,
(24:04):
and was grabbed the water. Grabbed the cup and go
fill it up. And so as I was grabbing it,
the cup fell and there is now water all over
the U all over. I was wondering what that calamity
out there was. Yes, yes, there was a loud thump
and my delicious ice water, which I love so much,
(24:26):
and just completely gone. The worst part is we don't
have a mop during the nighttime. We only paper towels. Yeah,
and uh, there's cameras all over this place, so I'm
sure it's recorded. Somebody can go back and look at it. Well,
it's just water. It's a lot of water. I'm gonna
I'm I mean here in a second, it's a lot
(24:50):
of water. It's on the carpet though, so it's not
it's on the carpet. It And uh, yeah, I mean
I think we're the only ones here. There's no one
really else in the building, and if someone else is
in the building, we're going to get in trouble. So
I think we're okay. I literally had no time. Just
right moments before Bill Miller started talking, all of a
(25:11):
sudden there was this major calamity, which is quite quite unfortunate.
So I'd like to have a moment of sounds for
my cup of water that we lost. It was a
good cup of water. It would have helped me out
a lot. But unfortunately that cup of water has bit
the dust and will never be had again. So there
is that. Anyway, we began this hour ranting about Rob
(25:34):
Manford and Bryce Harper having there back and forth as
we yap away here and ferg Dog says the way
Bryce Harper stood up to Rob Manford reminds me a
lot of you. Ben. I remember when you cussed out
Don Martin after he removed the popcorn machine from fsr's
break room. I was very brave of you. I was
(25:55):
not Don Martin. That was somebody else. But we used
to have a boss here that would not allow popcorn.
That was the one rule they had. Who it doesn't
work here anymore. I get it, though, because if you
burn pops microwave, its stained. That's why he would not
allow popcorn. And everyone said the greatest boss ever but
did not like popcorn. Late Night Drug tester says, I
stand with Bryce Harper and the players. If he has
(26:16):
time in the off season, could he talk to my
bosses and see if my paychecks can get off the
salary cap for hey, I'm right there with you. I
don't understand people that want a salary cap. I think
there's a lot of dumb people out there. That's why
it is. I just don't get it. I just don't understand.
King Rory writes and says the brewers owner is so cheap?
(26:37):
How chimp is he? He was caught stealing sand for
his own California house. I remember that story. If he
was they needed Sandy stole it. If he doesn't want
to buy sand, I don't expect him to open up
the check book for the big name players. Yet, thanks
to the farm system and great coaching, the Brewers find
a way to win. Stuck in Sacramento, rights In and
(27:00):
says a magical A plus on the Mallard monologue, Rob
manfraud was lucky it was Bryce Harper in his face.
If it were me and he was at the Sacramento
Grade School ballpark, I'd pay homeless people on crack to
pin the pos if you know what I mean. Commish
(27:21):
down while some bum gives him a Sacramento A's tattoo
on his neck. All right, Very nice, Chip and the
Q says A plus on the Malta of monologue. Someone
claim the Arc of the Covenant is located in an
Ethiopian church? Is that right? Is there really okay? Brock writes,
(27:43):
In says another great night here on the Ben Mather Show,
and uh says Dion Sanders seems like he's doing all right.
I saw that the Big Review revealed the Dion had cancer,
says Aaron Rodgers is just gonna suck it up from
Terry Bradshaw. I think he's coming on last night show.
We've moved on, Brock. That's like we're doing a lot
(28:03):
of you're doing that Aaron Rodgers thing was last night.
So with that, all right, what else do we have.
Let's go to the phone. So let's say hello, Ja Dominic.
Who's in Seen City? And Dominic is next? What's going on? Dominic? Welcome,
you're on Fox.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
How's it going?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Welcome? What's going on? Talk to.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
It's a little bit about what you were talking with.
These players, everybody's making it out. Players are the bad guys,
they're the greedy ones. How about these owners. Guy out
in Pittsburgh, I remember seeing something hasn't given a multi
year contract in about ten years.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Yeah, no, no, yeah, yeah, And they have a beautiful
ballpark in Pittsburgh. It's unbelievable, it's awesome. And the teams blows.
But yeah, no, listen, these teams are making money they
won't talk about and I'd like to think the majority
are on the side every business. I'm not saying you
should just frivolously spend money. Everyone's got a budget, right,
(28:58):
Dominic like, whatever you do, whether your mom and pop
pizza Rea or a major league baseball team, you have
a budget. But you shouldn't have a hardline budget and
it shouldn't be a salary cap. You don't need it.
It's unnecessary.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
And then what it kind of sucks about baseball is
you get these teams that you said about Milwaukee. They
don't spend, they don't spend, but they produce every year.
Tampa Bay doesn't spend, doesn't spend. They got these guys
coming up every year that's end up trading off in
great paintings. So yeah, because they gets the way when
not spending. And then they say, oh, well look at
Tampa Bay, look at Milwaukee's. It's not that they're not spending.
(29:33):
It's that they have some coaches, they have a good
box to send, they have the right brains in place
to get away with it.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Well, that's true. And the other thing that annoys me,
Dominic is have you noticed teams like the Red Sox
and the Dodgers try to copy Tampa Bay and some
of these other teams what they're doing. Like the Dodgers
they just flat out hired the guy from Tampa Bay,
except they got money, so they spend money. But then
they still try they try to do they try to
do it both ways. They try to do it like
Tampa Bay, but then they a big money mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
So here you man, is that the age don't come
here because it's how cheap that this guy is. I'm
so excited with this team. They got so many great, great,
great players if they were to come out to Vegas day.
But the John Fisher guys find a way to mess
you up.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Oh, they'll spend some money when they get to Vegas
because they have to. They'll sign a free agent or
two because they'll try to. It'll sign some of these
young guys to extensions because they have to have to
try to give the illusion John Fisher that they're in
it and they're gonna win in Vegas and they're committed
to Vegas. And they'll say, well, we got all this
money in Vegas and all that. So yeah, all right,
(30:40):
two things. First of all, I love that you're a
new voice. That's great, you're not one of the regulars.
And number two, your phone blows, so please get a
better phone. Okay, I thank you, all right, buddy, go away, Dotty,
thank you all right, that's a terrible phone. Good call,
terrible phone. Is that possible to have a good call
on the terrible phone? Is it conceivable that both those
things could be true?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
No?
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Possibly not possibly not? Uh fird dog says, rest in
peace to the cup of water, and he's a morning
the ice water, delicious ice water that is now soaking
into the carpet. It lived a good life. The ice
melting in the water. What a waste of good hyation.
(31:24):
It's not right. There's a drought. That water could have
helped someone starving for water, dehydrating out in the desert,
but instead that water met its demise at the Premiere
Networks in the kitchen that looks like a smurf kitchen,
and just fell down in a panic mood, trying to
(31:49):
grab the cop It's gonna be okay, Lorain. It is
gonna be missed, but I'm gonna go hang out with
one of its relatives. Another cup of water, and I'll
fill that cup with delicious ice and more water, and
we will say God bless that cup of water, and
we'll move on, but we'll never forget the water we
(32:12):
left behind. Hellelujah, helllllujah. All right, let's say hello to
any meaning money. But let's go to Flexus, America's favorite
drag queen caller, never on topic. Felexis is an agenda caller.
There's an agenda caller. Felexus only wants to talk about
what Felexus wants to talk about. Hello, Felexus, Welcome, Hello,
(32:33):
then Hilo Rena Hello TV Fromontana in Hello world. But
you know, I looked at the schedule for Ben.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
You know, I am the queen of the mafia.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yes, you're part of Bill's, part of Bill's mafia. So
you just decided to look at the schedule. The schedule
has been out since like April, but you just are
I assumed that March. Maybe you just decided to look
at the Bill schedule. So you're a real Bills fan,
man I am. Yeah, So you want to play the
Bill schedule a game? You want to do that?
Speaker 5 (33:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Fifteen three is so they're gonna go fifteen and three. Yeah,
because they are eighteen games. Oh, I didn't know they
added And you see that they added an eighteenth game.
Nobody else has that. We're the only ones. We're the
only ones that have that. Nobody else has that. So
the Bills. They're so good they're gonna play eighteen games.
The other team's gonna play seventeen games. Oh man, you
(33:29):
have a sports show.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
You don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Oh, you know what, that's right. I forgot. In week
seven the Bills play bye week. That's who they play.
They play the bye week in week seven, that's right now.
The only way you lose the bye week is if
a couple of starters get arrested or get injured, so
then you lose the bye week. But outside of that,
you're gonna win the bye week. So that's a win.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
And two or three or whatever. You don't even know
you You just want to get your voice on the air.
You have nothing to say. Admit that right now, right
I want to give my voice, and your voice is
on the air. And that's not true. That's a lie.
We love you, you loves a strong emotion. I don't
know that I would use the emotion love. I don't
(34:11):
know that I would say that. You show you are
You've been on the show so long. I look at
a drawing of you that the mad clown made. If
I when I go into my my home remote studio, there,
don't go there don't go there. You don't like that drawing.
It's not very it's not very flattering, But there is
(34:33):
a drawing of what you just depiction of what you
possibly look like. You're a you're a person of mystery.
You would admit that flexis. We don't know a lot
about you in terms of your appearance, but we know
you're a drag queen. We know you're you're hanging out
there and in the Buffalo area, so we know that
about you and you you have been calling a long
time though you go way back. Many people retire from
(34:54):
the show. What what I am the grandma of this
show and.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
You've been thank grandma.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Oh yeah, you never messed with grandma. You never mess man.
So I had two Russian grandmas. You definitely don't miss
with a You don't mess with a Russian grandma, don't scary. Yeah,
my dad's mom was born in a place called Chernobyl.
You know what happened in Chernobyl? Bombs boom, a nuclear
power reactor malfunction. Gone, can't visit Chernobyl. The other one.
(35:25):
I don't even know what town she was born in.
But yeah, so there you go. Anyway, all right, thank
you all right, I'm done with you, go away. There's
a felexus outstanding. So John Gruden, John Gruden exiled, suing
the NFL. That's not going particularly well. So what's going
on with John Gruden. Well, he's revealed a plan to
return to coaching. Gruden was hired by the Raiders before
(35:49):
the twenty eighteen season. He was fired and a as
Brent Musburger said, a takedown like a mob style hit job.
In twenty twenty one, and he made a guest appearing
at Lions training camp on Monday, and he talked about
his plan to return to coaching. He said, hopefully I'm
not done. I'm about to make a comeback. I'm working
(36:12):
hard and maybe get one more shot. But hopefully some
of these guys that fell off my branch, if you
say it that way, maybe they can hire me because
I am looking for a job. So that's Gruden saying, Hey,
I'd like to get out of this whole barstool thing
and I'd like to get a coaching job in the NFL.
So he wants one of his old mentors. When there
(36:32):
are a lot of Gruden people in the NFL. Could
Sean McVay with the Rams hire John Gruden to be
an assistant for the la Rams developing hot dot dot.
We'll see what happens. Time now for the who am I? Game?
This is where we pretend to be somebody else. So
I've got twenty six career home runs of four hundred
(36:53):
and fifty feet including the playoffs. This goes back to
the start of twenty eighteen. That is though, that's four
more than any else since the start of the twenty
eighteen season. Who am I again? I've got twenty six
career home runs of four hundred and fifty plus feet
including the playoffs. That's four more than anyone else since
the start of twenty eighteen. Who am I who? We'll
(37:14):
get to that the answer if you know it on
x at Ben Maller and we will do it next.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maller
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Bill Miller. Here it is the Ben Maler Show, up
all night, every single night. Be sure to subscribe to
the Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel. To justify the lights
and cameras in the studio, Just search Fox Sports Radio
on YouTube. You'll see the very best. That means as goes.
All the rest videos of gasbags, blowhards, and know it
all is after you subscribe to Fox Sports Radio on YouTube.
(37:45):
Click that little bell icon, Yeah you know what I'm
talking about on the homepage turns on all the notifications
so you have easy access to future Mallard monologues and
other blowhards. Now back to it Hi, Back to here
we go, and before we get to the payoff on
the whom I game, we have the tire rack play
(38:06):
of the night. The tire rack play the night we
go to Major League Baseball The men is Soult twins
taken on the Boston Red Sox and one brooks Lee
getting it done.
Speaker 5 (38:23):
Take a listen the pitch swung on and looked into
left field, that has a chance that finds the grass picked.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Up by the end one run scores.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
Here comes Willie Castro Hill score and Brooksley on the
same day as Buddy gets traded to Detroit ends up
celebrating a walk off victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
All right, the great Jordan Hicks coughing up the fur
ball for the Red Sox as he continues to suck
with different teams. But brooks Lee the two run single
there for the Twinkies bottom of the ninth and the
Twins win at a ninety minute rain delay prior to
that game or in that game all right time now,
that was the ti Iraq play today. For over forty years,
ty iraq has been helping customers find the right tires
(39:05):
for how, what and where they drive. Ship fast and
freeback by free road hazard protection with convenient installation options
like mobile tire installation. Ty iraq dot Com the way
tire buying should be. And here we go with a
who am I? Game? So I've got twenty six twenty
six career home runs of four hundred and fifty feet
(39:25):
or better including the playoffs. That is four more than
anyone else since the start of the twenty eighteen season.
I was barely alive in twenty eighteen. That was so
long ago. Who am I? That is the question? What
is the answer? Scrooge in the Bay Area going with
the iconic porn collector Hideki Matsui. Who else do we have?
Bobby and Florida says Jimmy Superflies snooker is the answer?
(39:48):
Great name? Milkman Mike in Colorado says the batman Joe
Clark is the answer. Michael Pennex Junior from Shane and
Des Moines just Josh as the w NBA is the
Who else do we have? A cup of waters cousin
cup of Juice from ferg Dog. Who else you have out?
Benito says, the answer is Benny versus the Penny Season
(40:10):
three from Your Lips to God's Ears? Benito? May that happen?
What else do we have? Andy in Line o' lakes says,
I'm going with the Boogeyman. He is, well, that does
look like the Boogeyman. Andy, that's my interpretation of the Boogeyman,
mister nice guy. Going with the guy that had one
of the great porn mustaches of all time for the
Minnesota Twins. Shane Mack was an outfielder for the Twins
(40:32):
Back and Shane in the nineties. Shane Mack look him up,
Alf the Alien Opiner Going with David Hasselhoff, the greatest
lifeguard in the history of lifeguards? Who else do we have? Brewers?
Beryl Man from King Rory Dak Prescott, who is thirty
two today? Here we go Bay City, Tony says one
Baron Gear one of the great fat athletes of My Life,
(40:54):
Juan Baron Gear the Hulk from Big Greg in Iowa.
Tim McCarver from I forty eight. A man that could
do you asked Tim McCarver, I interviewed years. You know
a few times over the years. You'd asked him one question,
he'd give you about three or four minutes on one question.
It was great. We love those kind of guys. Could
just keep going on. He'd ask himself questions. Eileen says,
(41:16):
I would prefer to hear Felex's his voice on Dominic
in Sin City's phone. Wow, that's a low blow by Eileen.
John Jaha from James, Spike Dudley from Far Out, Dave
Andrew and the Bear says Ryan Samberg, who passed away today.
That's true. We'll talk more about him later. What about
you have the right off Vin Diesel? Then Vin Diesel. No,
(41:38):
it is Ronald Akuda Junior or the Atlanta Raves is
the biggest our guy post long home runs, and he's
dancing somewhere. He's dancing right now.
He we go.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Welcome, it's our numb ber wan, our number one and
oh what fun it is. Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper
going monol a model, I to eye with Commissioner Rob
Manford over the salary cap. Whose side are you on?
We begin the hour, this hour of the Malor podcast
(00:24):
on this Tuesday, July twenty ninth, with that story why
is the salary cap? Chatter from Major League Baseball ultimately
a nothing burger, and after the Bryce Harper, Rob Manford
brew ha ha, former player Mark du Rosa, who works
for Major League Baseball warned the Phillies of the Commissioner's power.
(00:44):
Now this was taken as a threat by some Phillies players.
Is that how it sounds to you? We'll talk about
that as well. All of it's coming your way right
now here. It is our number one, seeing with the
boss and I love it.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Welcome in the beginning of another night of the Ben
Balor Show. We are in the air, Amy where literally
everywhere we could possibly be, as we are right on
your doorstep, talking and rocking the night away coast to coast,
(01:25):
void the motor and beyond on the mast and breath
taking me powerful microphones of FSR am monating live good
law from the Circle, the Squared Circle of audio Pugilism
from the Fox Sports Radio studios, as approved by Malaprop, Guy, Random, Ryan,
(01:46):
and Fats in Philadelphia. They all approved that. For over
forty years, tire Raq has been helping customers find the
right tires for how, what and where they drive. Ship
fasted free back by free road hazard protection with convenient
installation options. I see it. Nod in your head over
there for dog yep and Alfie Alien of pinter loves
the mobile tire installation tire rack dot com the way
(02:10):
tire buying should be. So lot going on. We are
back at it and I love this story. I absolutely
love this story from Philadelphia, and it involves someone we
talk a lot about on this show, and we talked
about this person for many many years. We are in
the doghouse with this sport because of this particular person.
(02:32):
But we'll go to the locker room drama ol rama
in the Delaware Valley. As we have learned through various
reports that the Philadelphia Phillies YouTube kid, he was originally
the YouTube kid. I remember seeing clips on the Internet
of this guy when he was in high school in Vegas.
But Bryce Harper stood nose to news, belly to belly
(02:57):
with the clown commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfraud.
Now this is during a meeting between the commissioner of
Major League Baseball, that would be Manfraud and the team
last week. Now, if you didn't see this or hear
about it, maybe you missed it. We're told that Bryce
Harper ended up getting in the face of Rob Manford
(03:20):
and telling him to get the f out. It's a
Peter to saf he said the forward. He did not
say f he said the He's a grown up. He
said the foulk. We're on radio after I got kids work.
He said, get the f out of our clubhouse. He said,
if Manford wanted to talk about the implication of a
salary cap ooh the boogeyman. Now that confrontation came in
(03:45):
a meeting. We are told that the slimy commissioner of
Major League Baseball is going around trying to improve communication
relationships with every team and all the players. And the
meeting lasted an hour. Must have been very born. My god,
must have that been boring. Anyway, they talked for an hour.
Manford never said the words salary cap in quotes. You
(04:10):
never said that the discussion was about the economics, and
that is what raised the dander of one Bryce Harper,
who loves the Philly fanatic and I love the Philly fanatics,
so I have that in common with Bryce Harper. So
let us discuss the question. Philly star a multi time MVP,
Bryce Harper going eye to eye mono a mono with
(04:35):
Commissioner Rob Manford over the salary cap. Who's side of
you on? I am in the side. Now, I'm gonna
tell you who I think you know who side I'm on.
I've got dog Whistle, art of the Covenant and sopranos,
and we'll put all these things together and we're gonna
make the Gobba gool is what we're gonna make. We're
gonna make the Gobba ghool, all right, So hey, listen,
(04:57):
I am on the side of truth, justice and the
sports talk way. Bryce Harper, Here we go, Price, Here
we go. Yeah, come on, now, I love it. I
love the visual in the cartoon bubble over my head.
It's great. That little clown weasel, your little weasel, Rob Manford, Right,
(05:17):
little clown Commissioner Major League Baseball. There he goes down,
you know, sashchets his way into the Phillies clubhouse, saying,
oh man, I'm just gonna go out there and blow
smoke in that clubhouse and boom boom boom boom boom boom,
nose to nose with Bryce Harper. So good, so good, Bravo, Encore, Encore.
(05:41):
I say, someone had to say, now, I love that
it's Bryce Harper. Bryce Harper doesn't need to do this.
He's already got his money. He's already got the three
hundred million dollar contract. Why is he what's he care?
He got his right. Normally, the way this works is
if you get the bag, you don't care about anyone else.
(06:02):
You got yours, go to each their own, screw everyone else, right,
you got paid. That's it. Do you know how rare
it is that someone gets that kind of wealth to
play baseball and is still out there screaming and barking
and saying, no, we're not doing a salary cap. Normally,
you know this, When you get the bag, you stop
(06:24):
caring about the other players. Anyone who understands basic math,
by the way, not just malar math. Basic math, understands
the cap is cramp like, no one that knows economics
wants the salary cap in baseball. It's the worst thing
in the world. Right, you're just announcing you're an idiot
if you say I want a salary cap, I want
(06:46):
the owners to make more money. That's what you're saying.
You're moron, your dummy, is what you're saying. The salary
cap talk is always a dog whistle, all right, it's
a dog whistle for how can we keep salaries down
from the ownership side, but yet convinced dumb people, the fans,
the idiots, that we're doing the right thing for competitive bounds.
(07:07):
You realize, with no salary cap, baseball has more of
a competitive bounce than any of those sports that have
salary caps. Hello, what does that say? What? The teams
that actually try end up winning have success in baseball.
The problem is not the salarycap. The problem is the
teams that don't give a crap about winning Sacramento or
(07:28):
sacrament of the A is that scumbag John Fisher, the
Marlins in Miami, the Pirates, teams like that. That's the problem.
You can win the Tampa Bay. They don't spend any
real money playing a minor league ballpark now because the
hurricane took out of their stadium. And I know they're
having the greatest year, but considering the amount of money
they spend, they find ways. The Milwaukee Brewers have been
(07:51):
wonderful in recent years, a consistent playoff contender or playoff
team over the last decade or so. They don't spend
a ton of mone. It can be done right, and
you're not. Really the issue is like teams that don't
want to win, that's the problem. It's not the salarycap.
The salary CAP's not gonna fix anything in terms of
(08:13):
whoa competitive bounds. You already have that right. And the
dirty little secret in Major League baseball is that you
look around and you see that the teams that actually
put an effort into it generally find some success. But
you can make a lot of money and have a
(08:34):
baseball team that is just a golden goose without even
There's like seven people that go to Marlins games, and
I know one of them, Marlin's man, And even he
doesn't go to many Marlins games, and he lives in Miami,
but he'd rather travel around the United States and see
games in other stadiums that don't involve the Marlins because
the Marlins blow. And yet the Marlins make money. And
(08:58):
you know, the Athletics left all they made money in Oakland.
Nobody went to the games in Oakland. Nobody's you know,
the Sacramento Minor League ballpark, it's not anyone there. They're
making money because you get the TV money, you get
the national revenue, and in addition, you get the teams
that spend a lot, like the Dodgers and the Mets
and teams like that. They cut your check for not
(09:20):
even trying. Right, you can draw seven hundred and seven thousand,
whatef doesn't matter. Put a crap product, garbage at first base,
trash at second, feces at shortstop, and do do it
third and you will make money. You will absolutely make money.
And while teams that try to win, I think the Dodgers,
the Mets, the Yankees, teams like that, they have to
(09:43):
pay a penalty for these other teams and then they
just pocket the money. That's the dirty little secret in baseball.
I'm Rob Manford. He's never going to address that. Why
would he? All right, why would he?
Speaker 1 (09:54):
So?
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I love the fact that Bryce Harper got right in
the face of Rob Manford just threw it down right
and should have tossed him right out there on Broad
Street is what he should have done. Now, the second
page on this why is the salary cap chatter which
is being cranked up? The labor negotiations will take place
in twenty twenty six, so it's not that far away
(10:17):
the end of the twenty twenty six season, which means
they could be there could be a workstoppas prior to that.
Many in baseball are preparing for the nuclear winter. But
why is this salary cab the chatter in Major League
Baseball ultimately a nothing burger. Let me explain this to
you like you're five years old. The reason that this
(10:39):
is a nothing burger. In order for there to be
a serahcab, you would have to have support of the players.
There is not support of the players. But even if
you could get support of the players, in order for
this to realistically work, you would have to do something
that you will not do. Something you cannot do, something
that you will not do. No matter what happens, you
won't do it. What is that If you want to
(11:01):
have an honest conversation about a salary cap in Major
League Baseball. The owners would have to open the bucks.
They'd have to open the bucks, the bean counters. That's
never gonna happen, never, ever, ever, never. And here's why,
the reason why, and that most of us know this.
They are every team in baseball is making a profit. Now,
(11:23):
not every team makes a big profit, not every team
makes a big profit, but they're making money, boat loads
of money in Major League Baseball. And these owners who
are making money hand over fist while at the same
time pretending like they're bleeding cash and Maron's oh, these
poor teams are losing money. No they're not dummy, No
they're not right. And the books are the holy grip.
(11:46):
I've heard some stuff that I'm not allowed to say
because I don't want to get in trouble with certain people.
But I've heard things over the years involving the books
and the lengths that Major League Baseball has gone to
to make sure the financials don't get out. Some mind
blowing things have passed through my head from people who
work in baseball, the efforts that they have gone to
(12:06):
avoid opening the books. Right, Like, imagine if you peaked
inside John Fisher's financials and realized the Athletics didn't have
to leave Oakland. He was making a lot of money.
He just wants to make more money. And so it's
that whole thing. Right, You're more likely to see the
arc of the covenant than you are the financials of
these these owners that cry they don't have any money.
(12:28):
They treat the financials in baseball like the nuclear launch codes. Okay,
that's what they treat it like. And it is such
a scam. It is such a scam. We need a
cap for parody. We want to have every tream. How
about transformin. It reminds me of that used car salesman
Bud Selik was going around in the early two thousands,
(12:51):
in the nineties and saying, well, we need new stadiums
in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati so we can have good teams
on the field. These teams can win the World Series
if they get those stadiums. They built new stadiums. Guess what,
spoiler alert. The teams blow chunks in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Right,
they suck. And they were taught, all you need is
(13:11):
a new stadium. This is the magic the magic pill.
That's all you need, right, That's all you need. And
so come on, it's nonsense. You don't have it. You
don't have it right now, and yet more teams if
you try, If the Reds and Pirates actually tried, they
would actually find a way to make the postseason. And
we know in baseball just making the postseasons all you
(13:32):
have to do. It's one of those things. It's not
like basketball where or even football where if you're like
a one or two seed you have a very good
chance of going to the NBA Finals, to the super Bowl.
In baseball it doesn't work that way. But again, it
all goes back. You're not going to open the books.
So no matter how much you said, we need to
sell recap and you try to get the dumb fans
behind the morons, all right, people with IQs blow thirty
(13:54):
and you say, okay, it doesn't matter. Right, they're sitting
on gold mines, these owners and crying poverty. Now, I
don't doubt that Scott Boris was behind this leak of
the Bryce Harper story that Scott my opinion. Can't sue
me for my opinion that Scott Boris and his team
leaked that story, because why would Major League Baseball leak
a story about Rob Manford getting into a confrontation with
(14:18):
one of the star players in baseball would never do that,
So it had to come from Bryce Harper's camp, and
Scott Boris is his guy, So it makes a lot
of sense. But look at everything. I mean, they make
so much money in baseball, owning the stadium, the parking lots,
A lot of these teams have their own TV channels.
They've monetized everything. Remember, I went to Wrigley Field when
(14:42):
I was doing stuff in another life, when I did
stuff with the Dodgers. We went there in the nineties
and it was still had the charm of the old
Wrigley Field the way it had always been. I went
there a couple of years ago and it was like
downtown Disney. The Cubs had bought all the property around
wrigley Field ownership and they had put their own branding
on everything and all that, and so it was a
(15:03):
much different experience than it had been in the mom
and pop days. Now final thought, so after the Bryce
Harper Rob Manford confrontation took place. After that, a former
Big league player and now turned gas bag and schill
from Major League Baseball, Mark de Rosa, who works for
(15:25):
Major League Baseball. According to a story on The Athletic
buried behind a paywall, the Old Gray Lady. The New
York Times owns the Athletic anyway, Mark de Rosa, I
was reading this story earlier. I just saw it. So
the story says that he warned. Mark de Rosa warned
the Philadelphia Phillies players of the commissioner's power. He warned them. Now,
(15:52):
this was taken as a threat, according to the way
the story was reported by Evan Drelik, who I briefly
did a radio show with years ago. So is that
how it sounds to you? Mark de ross According to
this story, Mark de Rosa, who works for MLB, he
warned the players that essentially they're messing with the wrong guy.
(16:13):
You're messing with Robmanford. What are you doing? All right?
So the answer to this, how does Yes, it sounds
like a threat. I would absolutely take that as a threat.
This is Sopranos style, is what it is. It's organized
baseball crime. If you will, Manford is the mob boss.
How long have we talked about Rob Manford essentially being
(16:33):
a mob boss of organized baseball? Right? And there you've
got Mark de Rosa, Where is he at? Here. So
you've got Mark de Rosa, who played a Major League
baseball career. Now he works from Major League Baseball. He's
the conciliary, right, He's the he's the fixer, he's the
whisper in this right, and he's he goes in there,
he delivers the message for the mob. Boss is what
(16:55):
he does. And he gets his hands dirty and all that,
but not too dirty. Right, Let's not forget who we're
dealing with here, a right, and what kind of power
Rob Manford has. This is the same Rob Manford, If
I'm wrong, correct me, who shielded the cheating Astros after
the biggest cheating scandal in modern times. A team cheated
(17:19):
in the World Series, not just to get to the
World Chairs. In the World Chairs. It was in the
MLB video highlighting the World Series. And what did Rob
Manford do? He let the players walk free? Al Boovey,
that punk Bregman. Now with the Red Sox Springer, there's
still a few left. He's in Toronto. I let him
(17:40):
all walk free. And why is that? There's a theory
that baseball needed the business partners in Houston to be happy,
and they would have been upset if those guys had
been suspended. There's one theory that's out there. So if
Manford likes you, if he likes you, he'll protect you
like family, just like a good mob movie, right, your family.
(18:03):
Now if you cross him, what happens if you're crossing
Let's see here. Oh, I have an example. Trevor Bauer.
Remember Trevor Bauer, Cy Young winning pitcher, Trevor Bauer. Yeah,
Trevor Bauer, who I think right now is sipping some
saki in Japan rather than pitching in Major League Baseball.
When starting pitching blows Rob Manford commissioner. Now, technically Bauer
(18:26):
is allowed back, but he Bauer did something you're not
supposed to do. He trashed Trevor. Trevor r trashed Rob
Manford every chance he got. So now he's in Japan,
he's pitching on dusty mounds in Mexico. He's probably trying
to get a work visa to pitch in Afghanistan at
this particular point. And that's because he messed with Rob Manford.
(18:47):
No one will touch him because Manford doesn't want him
in baseball. That's the theory, right, and so Manford plays favorites.
And as far as this other guy DeRosa. He doesn't
work for the players anymore. He's a former player. He's
on the payroll for Major League Baseball, all right. He's
sitting there at the MLB Network commentating and apparently giving
(19:08):
friendly warnings. Wink wink, nod nod, like he's reading some
kind of bedtime story. While the message is rather loud
and clear. I think the message is rather loud and
clear here that you don't talk back to the boss
where the boss will get you. Right, you'll be sleeping
with the baseballs if you talk to the boss that
(19:28):
strikes on. We can still, we can still manipulate the
strikes on. We can. You know, next year we can't
do it. But this year we can still manipulate it.
You know, fifty to fifty calls suddenly the empires might
be going going away from Bryce Harper. You're not gonna
get those calls anymore, right, just saying you come at
the King, You come at the King, and they say
your best not miss it is the Ben Malor Show.
(19:50):
What do you think about all that? We'll take your thoughts.
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox is the number
eight seven seven nine nine six six three six, and
also on X at Ben Mahler. If you'd like to
be part of the program, we'll talk a lot about
this sort. It's a good story. Got one of the
highest paid people in baseball, Bryce Harper going after Rob
(20:13):
manfor giving him a dirty word. Dirty word and Rob
Manford lives in a bubble there. This guy, you know,
he is a labor lawyer that was hired in a
labor negotiation as outside council and he just never left.
And he rows up the ranks to become the commissioner
of Major League Baseball and has been poop pooing and
(20:35):
spitting loogi's all over the game ever since. Then eight
seven seven ninety nine on Fox. We love new voices.
We don't need the same seven people calling, although they
probably will. You can avoid them calling for a little
bit by stonewalling them at eight seven seven ninety nine
on Fox. Also on X at Ben Mahler, we'll talk
some other things as well, including is John Gruden returning
(20:58):
to coach? Could John Gruden be back the old Raider
coach from back in the day. We'll get to all
that and we will do it next.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Meller
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Hey, we're Covino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We
never have enough time to get to everything we want
to get to.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in
our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, you blobber list lame and me. Well, you know
what it's called over promise. You should be good at
it because you've been over promising women for years.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
Well, it's a Cavino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk
life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing
about something or we didn't have enough time, it will
continue on our after show called over Promised. Well, if
you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make sure you
check out over Promise and also uncensored, by the way,
so maybe we'll go at it even a little harder.
(22:03):
It's gonna be the best after show podcast of all time.
There you go, over promising, Remember you could see it
on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen over Promised with
Cadino and Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
Bill Miller and you. It is the Ben Malor Show,
just beginning the red Eye flight all night. We thank
you for spending some time with us. Tell a friend
and if they can't listen live a because they worked
a dreaded day shift, they can listen to the podcast
and they'll be up when we're actually done with the show.
(22:38):
It's an amazing concept. In the meantime, you can interact
with us on the phones at eight seven seven ninety
nine on Fox, also on X at Ben Mahlor that's
at Ben Mallor can say at Lorena the FSR Tech
Queen Lady Party, Queen the Cheese Curds, and also at
(23:00):
a Brocco fan coming up later this hour, the who
Am I? Game? But right now back to it. We
go all right back to it, and we'd like to
announce all the affiliates. So in the we never really break.
But there was a pause and my favorite part of
(23:21):
the show is the commercials. I love the commercials. I
want more commercials. I tell management to play more commercials.
So I went out of the main studio. I went
out the door. There's a big bank vault door here.
I went down a couple of steps and then I
turned left and then I went down the hall. And
I had two things on my agenda. So I went
(23:42):
down the hall. I went past the little production studio
and no one's there this ghost town here at night now.
So I walked by there, and there's two doors, and
so I walked by both. So then I went to
the bathroom, which is on the right. So I went
to the bathroom and then I washed my hands, and
then I came out of the bathroom and then I
I tried to fill up my cup with water, and uh,
(24:04):
and was grabbed the water. Grabbed the cup and go
fill it up. And so as I was grabbing it,
the cup fell and there is now water all over
the U all over. I was wondering what that calamity
out there was. Yes, yes, there was a loud thump
and my delicious ice water, which I love so much,
(24:26):
and just completely gone. The worst part is we don't
have a mop during the nighttime. We only paper towels. Yeah,
and uh, there's cameras all over this place, so I'm
sure it's recorded. Somebody can go back and look at it. Well,
it's just water. It's a lot of water. I'm gonna
I'm I mean here in a second, it's a lot
(24:50):
of water. It's on the carpet though, so it's not
it's on the carpet. It And uh, yeah, I mean
I think we're the only ones here. There's no one
really else in the building, and if someone else is
in the building, we're going to get in trouble. So
I think we're okay. I literally had no time. Just
right moments before Bill Miller started talking, all of a
(25:11):
sudden there was this major calamity, which is quite quite unfortunate.
So I'd like to have a moment of sounds for
my cup of water that we lost. It was a
good cup of water. It would have helped me out
a lot. But unfortunately that cup of water has bit
the dust and will never be had again. So there
is that. Anyway, we began this hour ranting about Rob
(25:34):
Manford and Bryce Harper having there back and forth as
we yap away here and ferg Dog says the way
Bryce Harper stood up to Rob Manford reminds me a
lot of you. Ben. I remember when you cussed out
Don Martin after he removed the popcorn machine from fsr's
break room. I was very brave of you. I was
(25:55):
not Don Martin. That was somebody else. But we used
to have a boss here that would not allow popcorn.
That was the one rule they had. Who it doesn't
work here anymore. I get it, though, because if you
burn pops microwave, its stained. That's why he would not
allow popcorn. And everyone said the greatest boss ever but
did not like popcorn. Late Night Drug tester says, I
stand with Bryce Harper and the players. If he has
(26:16):
time in the off season, could he talk to my
bosses and see if my paychecks can get off the
salary cap for hey, I'm right there with you. I
don't understand people that want a salary cap. I think
there's a lot of dumb people out there. That's why
it is. I just don't get it. I just don't understand.
King Rory writes and says the brewers owner is so cheap?
(26:37):
How chimp is he? He was caught stealing sand for
his own California house. I remember that story. If he
was they needed Sandy stole it. If he doesn't want
to buy sand, I don't expect him to open up
the check book for the big name players. Yet, thanks
to the farm system and great coaching, the Brewers find
a way to win. Stuck in Sacramento, rights In and
(27:00):
says a magical A plus on the Mallard monologue, Rob
manfraud was lucky it was Bryce Harper in his face.
If it were me and he was at the Sacramento
Grade School ballpark, I'd pay homeless people on crack to
pin the pos if you know what I mean. Commish
(27:21):
down while some bum gives him a Sacramento A's tattoo
on his neck. All right, Very nice, Chip and the
Q says A plus on the Malta of monologue. Someone
claim the Arc of the Covenant is located in an
Ethiopian church? Is that right? Is there really okay? Brock writes,
(27:43):
In says another great night here on the Ben Mather Show,
and uh says Dion Sanders seems like he's doing all right.
I saw that the Big Review revealed the Dion had cancer,
says Aaron Rodgers is just gonna suck it up from
Terry Bradshaw. I think he's coming on last night show.
We've moved on, Brock. That's like we're doing a lot
(28:03):
of you're doing that Aaron Rodgers thing was last night.
So with that, all right, what else do we have.
Let's go to the phone. So let's say hello, Ja Dominic.
Who's in Seen City? And Dominic is next? What's going on? Dominic? Welcome,
you're on Fox.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
How's it going?
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Welcome? What's going on? Talk to.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
It's a little bit about what you were talking with.
These players, everybody's making it out. Players are the bad guys,
they're the greedy ones. How about these owners. Guy out
in Pittsburgh, I remember seeing something hasn't given a multi
year contract in about ten years.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Yeah, no, no, yeah, yeah, And they have a beautiful
ballpark in Pittsburgh. It's unbelievable, it's awesome. And the teams blows.
But yeah, no, listen, these teams are making money they
won't talk about and I'd like to think the majority
are on the side every business. I'm not saying you
should just frivolously spend money. Everyone's got a budget, right,
(28:58):
Dominic like, whatever you do, whether your mom and pop
pizza Rea or a major league baseball team, you have
a budget. But you shouldn't have a hardline budget and
it shouldn't be a salary cap. You don't need it.
It's unnecessary.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
And then what it kind of sucks about baseball is
you get these teams that you said about Milwaukee. They
don't spend, they don't spend, but they produce every year.
Tampa Bay doesn't spend, doesn't spend. They got these guys
coming up every year that's end up trading off in
great paintings. So yeah, because they gets the way when
not spending. And then they say, oh, well look at
Tampa Bay, look at Milwaukee's. It's not that they're not spending.
(29:33):
It's that they have some coaches, they have a good
box to send, they have the right brains in place
to get away with it.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Well, that's true. And the other thing that annoys me,
Dominic is have you noticed teams like the Red Sox
and the Dodgers try to copy Tampa Bay and some
of these other teams what they're doing. Like the Dodgers
they just flat out hired the guy from Tampa Bay,
except they got money, so they spend money. But then
they still try they try to do they try to
do it both ways. They try to do it like
Tampa Bay, but then they a big money mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
So here you man, is that the age don't come
here because it's how cheap that this guy is. I'm
so excited with this team. They got so many great, great,
great players if they were to come out to Vegas day.
But the John Fisher guys find a way to mess
you up.
Speaker 2 (30:18):
Oh, they'll spend some money when they get to Vegas
because they have to. They'll sign a free agent or
two because they'll try to. It'll sign some of these
young guys to extensions because they have to have to
try to give the illusion John Fisher that they're in
it and they're gonna win in Vegas and they're committed
to Vegas. And they'll say, well, we got all this
money in Vegas and all that. So yeah, all right,
(30:40):
two things. First of all, I love that you're a
new voice. That's great, you're not one of the regulars.
And number two, your phone blows, so please get a
better phone. Okay, I thank you, all right, buddy, go away, Dotty,
thank you all right, that's a terrible phone. Good call,
terrible phone. Is that possible to have a good call
on the terrible phone? Is it conceivable that both those
things could be true?
Speaker 4 (31:00):
No?
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Possibly not possibly not? Uh fird dog says, rest in
peace to the cup of water, and he's a morning
the ice water, delicious ice water that is now soaking
into the carpet. It lived a good life. The ice
melting in the water. What a waste of good hyation.
(31:24):
It's not right. There's a drought. That water could have
helped someone starving for water, dehydrating out in the desert,
but instead that water met its demise at the Premiere
Networks in the kitchen that looks like a smurf kitchen,
and just fell down in a panic mood, trying to
(31:49):
grab the cop It's gonna be okay, Lorain. It is
gonna be missed, but I'm gonna go hang out with
one of its relatives. Another cup of water, and I'll
fill that cup with delicious ice and more water, and
we will say God bless that cup of water, and
we'll move on, but we'll never forget the water we
(32:12):
left behind. Hellelujah, helllllujah. All right, let's say hello to
any meaning money. But let's go to Flexus, America's favorite
drag queen caller, never on topic. Felexis is an agenda caller.
There's an agenda caller. Felexus only wants to talk about
what Felexus wants to talk about. Hello, Felexus, Welcome, Hello,
(32:33):
then Hilo Rena Hello TV Fromontana in Hello world. But
you know, I looked at the schedule for Ben.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
You know, I am the queen of the mafia.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yes, you're part of Bill's, part of Bill's mafia. So
you just decided to look at the schedule. The schedule
has been out since like April, but you just are
I assumed that March. Maybe you just decided to look
at the Bill schedule. So you're a real Bills fan,
man I am. Yeah, So you want to play the
Bill schedule a game? You want to do that?
Speaker 5 (33:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Fifteen three is so they're gonna go fifteen and three. Yeah,
because they are eighteen games. Oh, I didn't know they
added And you see that they added an eighteenth game.
Nobody else has that. We're the only ones. We're the
only ones that have that. Nobody else has that. So
the Bills. They're so good they're gonna play eighteen games.
The other team's gonna play seventeen games. Oh man, you
(33:29):
have a sports show.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
You don't know.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Oh, you know what, that's right. I forgot. In week
seven the Bills play bye week. That's who they play.
They play the bye week in week seven, that's right now.
The only way you lose the bye week is if
a couple of starters get arrested or get injured, so
then you lose the bye week. But outside of that,
you're gonna win the bye week. So that's a win.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
And two or three or whatever. You don't even know
you You just want to get your voice on the air.
You have nothing to say. Admit that right now, right
I want to give my voice, and your voice is
on the air. And that's not true. That's a lie.
We love you, you loves a strong emotion. I don't
know that I would use the emotion love. I don't
(34:11):
know that I would say that. You show you are
You've been on the show so long. I look at
a drawing of you that the mad clown made. If
I when I go into my my home remote studio, there,
don't go there don't go there. You don't like that drawing.
It's not very it's not very flattering, But there is
(34:33):
a drawing of what you just depiction of what you
possibly look like. You're a you're a person of mystery.
You would admit that flexis. We don't know a lot
about you in terms of your appearance, but we know
you're a drag queen. We know you're you're hanging out
there and in the Buffalo area, so we know that
about you and you you have been calling a long
time though you go way back. Many people retire from
(34:54):
the show. What what I am the grandma of this
show and.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
You've been thank grandma.
Speaker 2 (35:01):
Oh yeah, you never messed with grandma. You never mess man.
So I had two Russian grandmas. You definitely don't miss
with a You don't mess with a Russian grandma, don't scary. Yeah,
my dad's mom was born in a place called Chernobyl.
You know what happened in Chernobyl? Bombs boom, a nuclear
power reactor malfunction. Gone, can't visit Chernobyl. The other one.
(35:25):
I don't even know what town she was born in.
But yeah, so there you go. Anyway, all right, thank
you all right, I'm done with you, go away. There's
a felexus outstanding. So John Gruden, John Gruden exiled, suing
the NFL. That's not going particularly well. So what's going
on with John Gruden. Well, he's revealed a plan to
return to coaching. Gruden was hired by the Raiders before
(35:49):
the twenty eighteen season. He was fired and a as
Brent Musburger said, a takedown like a mob style hit job.
In twenty twenty one, and he made a guest appearing
at Lions training camp on Monday, and he talked about
his plan to return to coaching. He said, hopefully I'm
not done. I'm about to make a comeback. I'm working
(36:12):
hard and maybe get one more shot. But hopefully some
of these guys that fell off my branch, if you
say it that way, maybe they can hire me because
I am looking for a job. So that's Gruden saying, Hey,
I'd like to get out of this whole barstool thing
and I'd like to get a coaching job in the NFL.
So he wants one of his old mentors. When there
(36:32):
are a lot of Gruden people in the NFL. Could
Sean McVay with the Rams hire John Gruden to be
an assistant for the la Rams developing hot dot dot.
We'll see what happens. Time now for the who am I? Game?
This is where we pretend to be somebody else. So
I've got twenty six career home runs of four hundred
(36:53):
and fifty feet including the playoffs. This goes back to
the start of twenty eighteen. That is though, that's four
more than any else since the start of the twenty
eighteen season. Who am I again? I've got twenty six
career home runs of four hundred and fifty plus feet
including the playoffs. That's four more than anyone else since
the start of twenty eighteen. Who am I who? We'll
(37:14):
get to that the answer if you know it on
x at Ben Maller and we will do it next.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Ben Maller
Show weekdays at two am Eastern eleven pm Pacific.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Bill Miller. Here it is the Ben Maler Show, up
all night, every single night. Be sure to subscribe to
the Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel. To justify the lights
and cameras in the studio, Just search Fox Sports Radio
on YouTube. You'll see the very best. That means as goes.
All the rest videos of gasbags, blowhards, and know it
all is after you subscribe to Fox Sports Radio on YouTube.
(37:45):
Click that little bell icon, Yeah you know what I'm
talking about on the homepage turns on all the notifications
so you have easy access to future Mallard monologues and
other blowhards. Now back to it Hi, Back to here
we go, and before we get to the payoff on
the whom I game, we have the tire rack play
(38:06):
of the night. The tire rack play the night we
go to Major League Baseball The men is Soult twins
taken on the Boston Red Sox and one brooks Lee
getting it done.
Speaker 5 (38:23):
Take a listen the pitch swung on and looked into
left field, that has a chance that finds the grass picked.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
Up by the end one run scores.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
Here comes Willie Castro Hill score and Brooksley on the
same day as Buddy gets traded to Detroit ends up
celebrating a walk off victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
All right, the great Jordan Hicks coughing up the fur
ball for the Red Sox as he continues to suck
with different teams. But brooks Lee the two run single
there for the Twinkies bottom of the ninth and the
Twins win at a ninety minute rain delay prior to
that game or in that game all right time now,
that was the ti Iraq play today. For over forty years,
ty iraq has been helping customers find the right tires
(39:05):
for how, what and where they drive. Ship fast and
freeback by free road hazard protection with convenient installation options
like mobile tire installation. Ty iraq dot Com the way
tire buying should be. And here we go with a
who am I? Game? So I've got twenty six twenty
six career home runs of four hundred and fifty feet
(39:25):
or better including the playoffs. That is four more than
anyone else since the start of the twenty eighteen season.
I was barely alive in twenty eighteen. That was so
long ago. Who am I? That is the question? What
is the answer? Scrooge in the Bay Area going with
the iconic porn collector Hideki Matsui. Who else do we have?
Bobby and Florida says Jimmy Superflies snooker is the answer?
(39:48):
Great name? Milkman Mike in Colorado says the batman Joe
Clark is the answer. Michael Pennex Junior from Shane and
Des Moines just Josh as the w NBA is the
Who else do we have? A cup of waters cousin
cup of Juice from ferg Dog. Who else you have out?
Benito says, the answer is Benny versus the Penny Season
(40:10):
three from Your Lips to God's Ears? Benito? May that happen?
What else do we have? Andy in Line o' lakes says,
I'm going with the Boogeyman. He is, well, that does
look like the Boogeyman. Andy, that's my interpretation of the Boogeyman,
mister nice guy. Going with the guy that had one
of the great porn mustaches of all time for the
Minnesota Twins. Shane Mack was an outfielder for the Twins
(40:32):
Back and Shane in the nineties. Shane Mack look him up,
Alf the Alien Opiner Going with David Hasselhoff, the greatest
lifeguard in the history of lifeguards? Who else do we have? Brewers?
Beryl Man from King Rory Dak Prescott, who is thirty
two today? Here we go Bay City, Tony says one
Baron Gear one of the great fat athletes of My Life,
(40:54):
Juan Baron Gear the Hulk from Big Greg in Iowa.
Tim McCarver from I forty eight. A man that could
do you asked Tim McCarver, I interviewed years. You know
a few times over the years. You'd asked him one question,
he'd give you about three or four minutes on one question.
It was great. We love those kind of guys. Could
just keep going on. He'd ask himself questions. Eileen says,
(41:16):
I would prefer to hear Felex's his voice on Dominic
in Sin City's phone. Wow, that's a low blow by Eileen.
John Jaha from James, Spike Dudley from Far Out, Dave
Andrew and the Bear says Ryan Samberg, who passed away today.
That's true. We'll talk more about him later. What about
you have the right off Vin Diesel? Then Vin Diesel. No,
(41:38):
it is Ronald Akuda Junior or the Atlanta Raves is
the biggest our guy post long home runs, and he's
dancing somewhere. He's dancing right now.
Host
Ben Maller
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