This week on Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob gives his take on the resurgence of Gio Stanton in New York, the Blue Jays finally returning home to Toronto, and the Dodgers' unexpected recent slump. Also, Fair or Foul, Betting on the Bases, Pocket Protector Stat of the Week, Diamond Dust.
Guests: Former MLB Player and Manager Rod Allen discusses the Mets firing hitting coach Chili Davis, the Royals surprise start, and if Shohei Ohtani can sustain his two-way stardom for the entire season.
Yankees Beat Writer Erik Boland discusses Gio Stanton's recent tear, what's wrong with Gary Sanchez, and Aroldis Chapman's dominance.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This episode is brought to you by Billions on Showtime,
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brought to you by the United States Forest Service and
(00:43):
the AD Council. From the Berkshires to the Sound, from
wherever you live in MLB America, this is Inside the Parker.
You give us twenty two minutes and we'll give you
the scoop on Major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall
of Fame Order number eighty three. Rob Parker. All right,
(01:05):
welcome into Inside the Parker. I'm your host, Rob Parker.
What a great show we have for you today. Former
Major leaguer and broadcaster Rod Allen drops by the podcast.
Also Eric Boland, who covers the New York Yankees for Newsday.
He'll also tell us how the Bronx bombers are doing
(01:26):
that and much more. Let's go to lead off, it's
getting robbed and keep him on. Rob's hot take on
the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one,
gen Carlos Stanton is striking for the New York Yankees.
(01:48):
What an unbelievable turnaround it has been for the former
National League MVP Stanwood Scotland earlier in the season had
gone through a horrendous slump, but has really turned in
a round and going into Wednesday, ninety had a ten
game hitting streak. Tuesday, ninety went four for five, including
a two run home run against the Astros. He has
(02:10):
a ten game hitting streak. He's raised his batting average
from one fifty eight, a season low where people were
booing him in the Bronx and wanted him off the
team and cut and released and all that nonsense, to
now batting two ninety seven and along with him swinging
the bat well, the Yankees are winning. Going into Wednesday,
(02:30):
they had won four in a row and they had
won six of seven and finally we're over the five
hundred mark this season, so g and Carlos Stanton has
re emerged as a slugger for the New York Yankees.
Number two, the Toronto Blue Jays are going back home finally.
(02:53):
It was announced on Wednesday that the team will move
back to its home in Toronto where since the COVID
they have been misplaced. Displaced, weren't able to play up
in Toronto. So now it looks like they will return
on June first and start playing Major League Baseball again
(03:15):
back in Toronto, instead of they had played in Buffalo,
they had played down in Florida. They were playing all
they were vagabonds, you know, like all over the place.
So I'm sure people in Toronto will be very happy
to get the Blue Jays back some normalcy. Returning as
Canada has opened up the door for the Blue Jays
(03:39):
to return home to Toronto. Number three, the Los Angeles
Dodgers are currently garbage, how about hot garbage. It has
been unbelievably bad for them. They can't hit the bullpen,
can't protect leads. Some of their starters have been knocked
around like ragdall they got off to an unbelievably hot
(04:03):
start fourteen and two, and people were saying the Dodgers
were gonna set the all time win record, and people
were like, they're loaded on paper. Tuesday night they lost
the double headed to the Cubs, and going into Wednesday,
they have just been scuffling and have lost game after
game after game. I get it, the Dodgers have injuries.
(04:24):
I'm not knocking it, I'm not pooh pooing it, but
they still have way too much talent for this team
to be struggling as badly as they have. All teams
go through slumps, but this is a prolonged slump. Nobody
could imagine that the Dodgers would be this bad at
any point during the baseball's regular season. Here comes the
(04:46):
big interview. Listen and Larry, it's so good. All right now,
let's welcome in Rod Allen, a former Major league outfielder
and broadcaster, joining us here on the Inside the Parker Podcast. Rob,
what's going on, my man? Hey? What's up? Buddy? Hey,
I'm in your stomping grounds. I'm in New York City.
(05:06):
So if you hear Cavra two humping them horns like
K two It's not my fault, all right, I got
you be careful out there in the big city, no doubt.
Speaking of the big city, we just saw Chili Davis
and his assistant get fired by the New York Mats. Obviously,
the Mets with scuffling. They have some really good starting
pitching rod, but they've been scuffling offensively, and Francisco Lindor,
(05:29):
who they gave three hundred and forty one million dollars,
was mired in a terrible slump. You are hitting instructor,
you know how how tough it is. Is this just
a game where if things aren't going right, they're gonna
come for somebody's heads and ahead. And that's why Chili
Davis got let go. Well, Chili Davis is a dear
friend of mine. I've known Chili since our minor league
(05:50):
days and we've been great friends since nineteen eighty four.
So you know, I'm in the trenches with Chili. I mean,
I think what happened to Chili here, Rob, it's the
same thing that happened to him in Chica. You've got
a lot of younger players now, and they thought that,
you know, Chili Davis didn't relate to the younger millennial guys.
And I don't know yet, but I've kind of read
the papers here yesterday, and what I'm hearing from their
general manager is that, in a word, what he was
(06:13):
saying is that he wasn't quite prepared, you know, and
there's more information that these players should have. So basically
that tells me that you know, they want more you know,
analytics involved, and maybe Chili wasn't reluctant to do in that,
but maybe he just didn't have that skill. Who knows.
When the guys sixty years old, he's been doing in
a different way, it may be tough to relate in
a different way. But Chili's announces standing hitting coach. He's
(06:34):
been great where everywhere he's been, everywhere body's hit. It's
just one of those things where they had to make
a move earlier. I think. Let me ask you about
the San Francisco Giants. Who are they and what's going
on and how real are they? Rod Well, I mean, Rob,
you know, you can never take a team for granted
in Major League Baseball. You've been covering the game for
(06:55):
a long long time. I mean, you vote for the
Hall of Fame players. I mean, so you're in the know,
and you know when a team gets rolling, like the
Giants are rolling right now, and then you get some
other teams in that division and aren't quite living up
to their expectations, you can start the steam roll and
next thing you know, you're in the hunt. Come July
to trade deadline and your general manager goes out and
they've got a great general manager, and far anxiety goes
(07:17):
out and does something and makes another move or two
and makes you even more better and more competitive. I
like what Crawford's doing, Buster Posey's back this year after COVID.
Their pitching has been some of the best pitching in
all of baseball. I don't think people know that, but
they got outstanding pitching and the getting Johnny Quado back,
I think that there tomorrow, so they're only going to
get better. But we'll see. There's another team in the
(07:39):
American League that has come out of nowhere. Nobody thought
that they would be as good as they are, and
that's the Kansas City Royals. Again, what are we missing?
Can they sustain this or is this just a team
getting hot for a short period of time. I just
love what Dayton Moore is doing in Kansas City. He's
the man in charge there, and he's a wonderful general manager.
(08:01):
He's you know, started in Atlanta with John Scherholt and
John Sharholts in the Hall of Fame, and one day
Dayton's gonna be there too. Man. But he I thought
he took advantage rob of the free agent market as
well as anybody in the sport last year. I mean,
there are a lot of free agents out there. He
made some trades. He got Michael A. Taylor, he got
ben In Tende, he rebuilt that bullpen again. But I
(08:23):
think he himself is the main reason why that team
is as good as it is, because of the moves
that he makes. And he's got a good leader again
and Mike mcfini. So I like what Kansas City's doing
for sure. Our guests, his former Major league outfielder and
broadcaster Rod Allan joining us here on inside the Parker.
We know the Dodgers a scuffling, but I want to
(08:44):
go to Dustin May, one of their young pitchers who
they had, you know, really high hopes are on the flamethrowers.
Good to mister Rust of the twenty twenty one season
undergo Tommy John surgery. How big of a blow is
that to the Dodgers. They'll be okay. I mean, I
love Dustin May and I don't want to, you know,
ever make light of anybody getting an injury. But the
(09:06):
Dodgers are so gifted and they're so talented that they
will get back on track. They've lost twelve of their
last sixteen games after winning fourteen of their first sixteen.
I guess, but you know, they've got way too much's talent,
way too many skills. They've lost a lot of one
run games, which tells me that bullpen is not quite
in order. The launce Doc Roberts gets it in order.
The Dodgers gore are going to be as good as
(09:28):
everybody thought they were going to be. Last question, Rod Show, Hey,
ol tany we've seen him. We've seen the guy through
one hundred miles an hour in the game and hit
a home run in the same game. I mean, he's
such a talent. Will he be able to keep this
up all season? He was supposed to start on Wednesday
night again. I would love to see if he could
(09:49):
pull it off for the whole year where he's hitting
and pitching. Do you think this will hold up, he's
must see TV, Rob, And if it does hold up,
we're talking about the MVP in the American League. I
mean for a guy to throw a baseball one hundred
miles an hour and hit the ball four hundred and
fifty feet. And not only that, man, this dude has speech.
He can steal a bag. Man. This guy is a
(10:10):
baseball player, and we've never seen anybody like this in baseball.
I've never seen anybody like this in baseball in my
forty five years. You've never seen anybody like this in baseball.
There's been some guys that can pitch a little bit,
hit a little bit, but nothing like this guy. This
guy is musty TV. And every time I get a
chance to watch him, I turned to the Angels game.
No doubt about it. I'm with you on show. Hey,
(10:32):
Thanks Rod, appreciate your knowledge, my man. We'll talk to
you soon, all right, buddy, thank you for having me.
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Find a forest near you and start exploring at discover
the Forest dot org. Brought to you by the United
States Forest Service and the AD Council. It's time for
the Pocket Protector Centrum. The analytic numbers you need to know? Well,
(12:44):
maybe Anthony Masterson is his name, BS analytics is his game.
What do you got from me? Anthony? We're one month
into the twenty twenty one campaign and we're already seeing
who is benefiting from the truncated twenty twenty season and
maybe a little bit of bad weather. It's the pitchers.
The month of April saw the league hit just two
thirty the lowest league wide batting average since nineteen sixty eight,
(13:07):
the so called Year of the Pitcher, which led to
the lowering of the pitchers mound to level the playing field.
The league on base percentage of three o nine was
also the lowest since nineteen sixty eight, while the league
ops of six ninety eight was the lowest in April
since nineteen ninety two. There were also six thousand, nine
hundred twenty four strikeouts in the month of April and
only five thousand, eight hundred thirty two hits, the first
(13:28):
month in MLB history with one thousand or more strikeouts
than walks. Only twenty seven qualified hitters posted a three
hundred average or better, the fewest since twenty four players
did it in You Guessed It April of nineteen sixty eight.
The nine point three league wise strikeouts per nine innings
was an all time high for the month of April,
continuing a trend where a new record has been set
(13:51):
each of the last five Aprils. We also saw two
no hitters in the month of April for the first
time since nineteen ninety four. And if you count Madison
Bumgarner seven no no, which should be count eventually by
MLB at least I hope, so it'd be the first
year with three April no hitters in MLB history. Are
we well on our way to Year of the Picture?
(14:11):
Part two? The numbers say yes that ball is it
was a big week in the big leagues. Who's who's
a five by? Is it foul? Or is it fair?
And Now from mlbbro dot com, here's JR gamball Yankees
(14:34):
d H G and Carlo Stanton has been on a
tier for the Yankees of late and fans wanted him
out of town not too long ago, and he's carried
the team above five hundred and towards the top in
the Al East? Jr? Is it foul or fair to
say that Stanton could be in the MVP contention? Now fair?
(14:57):
It's a fair ball Byron Buckston and Mike Trout are
both hitting close to four hundred, but their teams don't
respond to their greatness. On the other hand, Stanton's hot
back coincides with the Yankees winning streak. Look at the
numbers during Stanton's ten game hit streak where the Yankees
went seven and three. His slash lines went from one
(15:20):
fifty eight batting average to thirty eight OBP and three
thirty three slugging before the street to two ninety seven
batting average, three forty three OBP and a five forty
five slugging, which is much more like it for three
hundred million dollar man. As mentioned, the Yankees are seven
and three in their last ten games and have elevated
(15:41):
from the seller of the Al East to just two
and a half games behind Boston and charging hard behind
the back of this much maligned player. Yankees fans always
want to choose the player to hate. It's what they do.
It was a Rod and now with Stanton. But this
guy has pedigree, He's a former MVP, and he can
(16:03):
flat out play. He hasn't been healthy and now he
looks like he's healthy enough finally to do what he
wants to do as a player and what he's more
than capable of doing as an elite slugger and black Knight.
In the game, everyone was calling him a boom, a
bus player. He only hits homers or strikes out. But
he went four for five last night and he has
(16:26):
obliterated that narrative by spraying the ball to all fields,
on the ground and in the air. He has three
or more hits in four of his last five games.
That doesn't sound like a one dimensional hitter than me.
If the Yankees continue to rise in the standings and
Stanton continues to rank at this pace, then you have
(16:46):
to put him into the MVP conversation because his back
has elevated the Yankees out of the dog drums, and
that's what they pay him the big bucks for. So
people can stop asking Stanton here to stay and it's
found for anybody to think otherwise. Money into more money.
(17:08):
Now it's time for betting on the bases with Dave Gascott.
Love that I hate doing this, but I have to
do it since they've been laboring as of late. In fact,
over the last couple of weeks, I'm taking the Angels
at home against the Dodgers on Friday Night. Biggest reason
for that is the pitching for Los Angeles has been good,
but they're banged up. They've got eight guys right now
on the Angel lists and their offense just is not
(17:30):
in gear. Chotani, Anthon Rendona. Of course, the league MVP
and Mike Trout. I'm taking the Angels in the home
game to open up things on a Friday night, Yankees
and Nationals as well. I'm taking the Yankees in the
home game against the Washington Nationals. Too many bats in
the interleague matchup. I think Patrick Corbin and as eight
ten l RA are gonna get roughed up in this thing. Also,
I'm taking a road dog in the San Diego Padres.
(17:53):
They head to the Bay Area against the San Francisco Giants.
Blake Snell has been good so far this year, only
has a one er no record. The LRA thought three
fifty one. I'm taking the Padres and the Friars in
this one to win up in the BA Area. That's
it for now. Let's make some coin and I'll see
again back next week. See you. When Rob was a
newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto, if I'm writing,
(18:15):
I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer and broadcaster older
new Now, let's welcome into the podcast, Eric Boland, who
has covered the New York Yankees for Newsday and Eric,
welcome to the podcast. How are you. I'm doing great, Rob,
really really glad to Tarque thanks for having me on.
No doubt how many years has it been now that
(18:37):
you've covered the Bronx Bombers, because it seems like fifteen,
but it might be less than that. It's less than that,
Rob but slightly less. My first year was two thousand
and nine, so this is years thirteen for me. Okay,
that's not pretty. That's not bad for a guest from me,
But I know it's been a long time, and love
to get your insight on the Yankees, who all of
(18:59):
us going into Wednesday night a red hot and you know,
started to play better baseball. First, let's start with gen
Carloston and what he's done with his ten game hitting streak.
What's happened, what's changed for him? You know, he talks
repeatedly about adjustments that he's made in his swing and
(19:21):
his approach, going back to you know, the right before
this ten game hitting street, he was in one of
the worst slumps of his career. It was two for
thirty three, I believe, or two for thirty one, something
like that. When the Yankees hit the road for an
eight game trip a week and a half or so ago,
he was hitting one fifty eight and was a complete mess.
And of course getting booed on a nightly basis here
(19:42):
at the stadium, which goes back to early his first
here at pin Stripes. But you know, things changed, and
I think that, you know, with the opposing team scouts
that I've talked to that follow the Yankees to say that,
you know, it's almost as simple as being a little
bit more selective and not going outside of the zone
chasing bad pitches, which you know, we've seen quite a
bit from not only John Carlos Stanton but a lot
(20:05):
of his teammates early on in this season. But he
certainly seems to have recaptured some of the form that
made him an MVP talent back in twenty seventeen with
the Marlin and it's coincided rob with the rest of
the offense, which had been in a horrible almost three
and a half four weeks slump to start the season. Everyone,
(20:25):
well maybe not everyone, but but quite a few of
those guys Stanton front and center in that are starting
to emerge from those uh, you know, horrible first few
weeks of the season. No doubt, Eric, what about Gary Sanchez,
what's happened to him? We know he can hit some
long balls, he started off the season with a few
but the batting average batting one eighty going. I think
(20:47):
he's batting one eighty going into Wednesday night. Is he is?
This is just who he going? Is he's going to
be or not? You know, I don't think so, Rob,
I still and maybe I'm in a dwindling minority. I
think that he can be a quality big league catcher
on an everyday basis. And I believe that because I've
(21:08):
seen it. We haven't seen it in a couple of years,
but we haven't seen it, and Scoutson and a talent
value from other teams believe that too. And I really
am starting to think Rob with him, that he might
be the classic and I hate the cliche, and you'll
probably smile when I say it, but he might be
the classic change of scenery guy where he goes almost
(21:31):
anywhere else and every bat, every wild pitch, every pass ball,
every inning is not looked at as a referendum on
his career, because that's really the situation he's at now
with the Yankees and Yankee fans. He far and away,
in my thirteen years covering this team is the most
polarizing Yankee, even when he was doing really well, there
(21:53):
was a segment of the fan base that just didn't
like him, and that that has grown exponentially obviously as
he struggled last couple of years. So, you know, his
number one backer in the organization has always been Brian Cashman,
which is a good person to have as your number
one backer. But but indications are is that that's wavered
a little bit as he has struggled in recent years.
(22:16):
He would not be banished to the bench the way
he has without Cashman, you know, giving the ok on
something like that. And really the state back to the
sixty game season last year, Rob when he got benched
for the first time. I think it was in you know,
maybe I guess when the Yankees were in Baltimore, And
of course Kyle Tigashioka caught five of the seven Yankees
playoff games. So you know, you can almost look as
(22:37):
what's happened this year as in inevitability. Even though Sanchez
was told and given the starter's job coming out of
spring training, you could kind of see this coming that
if he did struggle, and he did at the play,
that Higashioka was probably going to take over. Is a
season long, you know, I don't know. We're still only
you know, a month and a month in a week
(22:58):
into the regular season, but I would not be shocked
if this is Gary Sanchez and last year with the Yankees.
Guess is Eric Boland, who of course covers the New
York Yankees for Newsday. Tell me about the pitching we
know about Garrett Cole. Uh, Corey Kluber, how does he
fit into the Yankees rotation? Well, he starting with each
(23:22):
start better and better. You know, Rob, I know you
follow this club pretty closely. For the first five weeks,
it was Garrett Cole and everybody else, and not in
a positive sense. You know, nobody was giving length. They
were having to go into the pot bullpen far earlier
on a nightly basis than they would have liked because
regardless of who they were trotting out there, other than
(23:42):
Garrett Cole, it was a struggle for that picture to
even finish five innings. Uh. Klueber was terrific. His last
time out really looked like his his former cy young self.
He won two of those, of course with Cleveland. And
you know, the Yankees have believed all along that a
a healthy Corey Kluber, and they obviously believe that he
(24:03):
is healthy that he would slot in as really almost
a co eighth with Cole. Cole is certainly at another level. Well,
Jacob Degraham is as at a singular level, and then
you know Cole is probably right behind him. But they
felt a healthy Corey Kluber. Uh, it really was a
one A one B and Klueber's last outing, Um, he
certainly looked like that that picture. So if you look
(24:26):
at it collectively with the Yankees, and a lot of
it has to do with the bullpen obviously, but uh,
you know, they've got the lowest dra in the American
League and you know, there's no reason to think that's
not going to continue. And what's really scary for for
opponents in the AL is that it seems like it's
only a matter of time and it's already started in
the last week or so, as if the offense does
(24:47):
the same. I was going to ask you about that bullpen,
and of course A Waldre's Chapman and company. H where
is he? Uh? You know, I know he's had his
postseason struggles and things like that, but he looks like
he's uh where the Yankees need him to be. Rob
I'm sorry, you cut out a little bit. Was it
(25:07):
a Chapman question? Yeah, I was asking you about a
roller Chapman and where is he? We know the bullpen
is really good for the Yankees. Yeah, I mean he's lucky.
He he looks like the best closure in baseball right now.
And the numbers are just off the charts, no matter
which ones you look out. Obviously, the strikeouts to in
his pitch jumps out the most. But he added a splitter,
(25:30):
which is a pitch that he's kind of been refining
and developing the last couple of years, and it's there,
and it's there with his plush fastball which has always
been there, throws out regularly, you know, ninety nine, one
hundred and one, followed by a slider that's turned into
a plus pitch for him, and then he's added the splitter,
and so he's got three plus pitches basically that he's
coming on the bullpen with. In a bullpen full of
(25:55):
really good arms, he still stands out as above the
rest of them because of that splitter that he has.
All Right, His name Eric Boland, the great baseball beat
writer who covers the New York Yankees for Newsday. My friend,
we appreciate you so much. Eric. Thanks for stopping by,
(26:17):
Rob my friend defending that too long. Look forward to
seeing you in person an All Star Games soon, no
doubt I'll see you in Denver. Look forward to it, Rob.
It's Jones and for baseball fans, take on the game
we love. Hello everyone, this is Jones MLB bro content reporter.
(26:40):
I woke up today and I have flashbacks of the
twenty fourteen and twenty fifteen seasons. Were both the Giants
and the Royals man in the World Series. Two teams
who most people considered to be shoeovers on paper, are
both at the top of their respective divisions. The Giants,
they showed a pitching is the key to winning. Through
twenty five games on the season, the starting rotations R
is a two point two. The Royals, on the other hand,
(27:02):
show the speed kills they aren't third in the majors
and stolen bases. Both teams display that they can win
in other ways outside of just hitting home runs. Even
though they have contrasting styles and they have their own
separate approaches, they both have been able to reach the
same destination on the season. That destination being winning. Did
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brings you compelling, real life adoption stories told by the
families that live them, with commentary from experts. Visit adopt
us Kids dot org slash podcast or subscribe to Navigating
Adoption presented by adopt us Kids, brought to you by
the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for
Children and Families, and the ad Council. What grows in
the forest trees, sure no one else grows in the forest.
(28:28):
Our imagination, our sense of wonder and our family bonds
grow too, because when we disconnect from this and connect
with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is
closer than you think. Find a forest near you and
start exploring. I discover the forest dot Org, brought to
(28:49):
you by the United States Forest Service and the AD Council.
Now bring in the closer. Here's why MLB is better
than the NFL or NBA, and it isn't even close.
Here's reason number eight hundred and fifty one why baseball
(29:10):
is better than the NBA and the NFL. Thank you
so much New York Yankee fans. They did not let
up when the Astros showed up in the Bronx. Yes,
the Bronx cheer was in full effect. They just kept
booing them, and booing them and booing them. The fans
didn't get a chance to do it last year because
(29:31):
of COVID and no fans at the ballpark, but the
Yankee fans did not miss their moment to let the
Astros have it. They felt they got cheated in that
year twenty seventeen in the ALCS when the Yankees lost
to the Astros and in fact didn't win a game
in Houston in that seven game series. So Yankee fans,
(29:55):
bravo to you. The Astros deserved to get their boots
tour all over the United States, and the Yankee fans
in the Bronx did not disappoint. In the words of
New York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you
(30:17):
for your time this time until next time. Rob Parker out,
he can't get it. This could be an inside of
Parker to see you next weekend, same bad time, same massination.
(30:53):
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tune in. Adoption of teams from foster care is a
topic not enough people know about, and we're here to
change that. I'm April Dinuity, host of the new podcast
Navigating Adoption, presented by adopt us Kids. Each episode brings
you compelling, real life adoption stories told by the families
(31:39):
that live them, with commentary from experts. Visit adopt us
Kids dot org, slash podcast, or subscribe to Navigating Adoption,
presented by adopt us Kids, brought to you by the
US Department of Health, the Human Services Administration for Children
and Families, and the AD Council. Look for your children's
eyes and you will discover the true magic of a forest.
(32:01):
Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discover
the Forest dot org, brought to you by the United
States Forest Service and the ad Council.
This episode is brought to you by Billions on Showtime,
starring Paul Giamati and Corey Stole in the new high
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(00:43):
the AD Council. From the Berkshires to the Sound, from
wherever you live in MLB America, this is Inside the Parker.
You give us twenty two minutes and we'll give you
the scoop on Major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall
of Fame Order number eighty three. Rob Parker. All right,
(01:05):
welcome into Inside the Parker. I'm your host, Rob Parker.
What a great show we have for you today. Former
Major leaguer and broadcaster Rod Allen drops by the podcast.
Also Eric Boland, who covers the New York Yankees for Newsday.
He'll also tell us how the Bronx bombers are doing
(01:26):
that and much more. Let's go to lead off, it's
getting robbed and keep him on. Rob's hot take on
the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one,
gen Carlos Stanton is striking for the New York Yankees.
(01:48):
What an unbelievable turnaround it has been for the former
National League MVP Stanwood Scotland earlier in the season had
gone through a horrendous slump, but has really turned in
a round and going into Wednesday, ninety had a ten
game hitting streak. Tuesday, ninety went four for five, including
a two run home run against the Astros. He has
(02:10):
a ten game hitting streak. He's raised his batting average
from one fifty eight, a season low where people were
booing him in the Bronx and wanted him off the
team and cut and released and all that nonsense, to
now batting two ninety seven and along with him swinging
the bat well, the Yankees are winning. Going into Wednesday,
(02:30):
they had won four in a row and they had
won six of seven and finally we're over the five
hundred mark this season, so g and Carlos Stanton has
re emerged as a slugger for the New York Yankees.
Number two, the Toronto Blue Jays are going back home finally.
(02:53):
It was announced on Wednesday that the team will move
back to its home in Toronto where since the COVID
they have been misplaced. Displaced, weren't able to play up
in Toronto. So now it looks like they will return
on June first and start playing Major League Baseball again
(03:15):
back in Toronto, instead of they had played in Buffalo,
they had played down in Florida. They were playing all
they were vagabonds, you know, like all over the place.
So I'm sure people in Toronto will be very happy
to get the Blue Jays back some normalcy. Returning as
Canada has opened up the door for the Blue Jays
(03:39):
to return home to Toronto. Number three, the Los Angeles
Dodgers are currently garbage, how about hot garbage. It has
been unbelievably bad for them. They can't hit the bullpen,
can't protect leads. Some of their starters have been knocked
around like ragdall they got off to an unbelievably hot
(04:03):
start fourteen and two, and people were saying the Dodgers
were gonna set the all time win record, and people
were like, they're loaded on paper. Tuesday night they lost
the double headed to the Cubs, and going into Wednesday,
they have just been scuffling and have lost game after
game after game. I get it, the Dodgers have injuries.
(04:24):
I'm not knocking it, I'm not pooh pooing it, but
they still have way too much talent for this team
to be struggling as badly as they have. All teams
go through slumps, but this is a prolonged slump. Nobody
could imagine that the Dodgers would be this bad at
any point during the baseball's regular season. Here comes the
(04:46):
big interview. Listen and Larry, it's so good. All right now,
let's welcome in Rod Allen, a former Major league outfielder
and broadcaster, joining us here on the Inside the Parker Podcast. Rob,
what's going on, my man? Hey? What's up? Buddy? Hey,
I'm in your stomping grounds. I'm in New York City.
(05:06):
So if you hear Cavra two humping them horns like
K two It's not my fault, all right, I got
you be careful out there in the big city, no doubt.
Speaking of the big city, we just saw Chili Davis
and his assistant get fired by the New York Mats. Obviously,
the Mets with scuffling. They have some really good starting
pitching rod, but they've been scuffling offensively, and Francisco Lindor,
(05:29):
who they gave three hundred and forty one million dollars,
was mired in a terrible slump. You are hitting instructor,
you know how how tough it is. Is this just
a game where if things aren't going right, they're gonna
come for somebody's heads and ahead. And that's why Chili
Davis got let go. Well, Chili Davis is a dear
friend of mine. I've known Chili since our minor league
(05:50):
days and we've been great friends since nineteen eighty four.
So you know, I'm in the trenches with Chili. I mean,
I think what happened to Chili here, Rob, it's the
same thing that happened to him in Chica. You've got
a lot of younger players now, and they thought that,
you know, Chili Davis didn't relate to the younger millennial guys.
And I don't know yet, but I've kind of read
the papers here yesterday, and what I'm hearing from their
general manager is that, in a word, what he was
(06:13):
saying is that he wasn't quite prepared, you know, and
there's more information that these players should have. So basically
that tells me that you know, they want more you know,
analytics involved, and maybe Chili wasn't reluctant to do in that,
but maybe he just didn't have that skill. Who knows.
When the guys sixty years old, he's been doing in
a different way, it may be tough to relate in
a different way. But Chili's announces standing hitting coach. He's
(06:34):
been great where everywhere he's been, everywhere body's hit. It's
just one of those things where they had to make
a move earlier. I think. Let me ask you about
the San Francisco Giants. Who are they and what's going
on and how real are they? Rod Well, I mean, Rob,
you know, you can never take a team for granted
in Major League Baseball. You've been covering the game for
(06:55):
a long long time. I mean, you vote for the
Hall of Fame players. I mean, so you're in the know,
and you know when a team gets rolling, like the
Giants are rolling right now, and then you get some
other teams in that division and aren't quite living up
to their expectations, you can start the steam roll and
next thing you know, you're in the hunt. Come July
to trade deadline and your general manager goes out and
they've got a great general manager, and far anxiety goes
(07:17):
out and does something and makes another move or two
and makes you even more better and more competitive. I
like what Crawford's doing, Buster Posey's back this year after COVID.
Their pitching has been some of the best pitching in
all of baseball. I don't think people know that, but
they got outstanding pitching and the getting Johnny Quado back,
I think that there tomorrow, so they're only going to
get better. But we'll see. There's another team in the
(07:39):
American League that has come out of nowhere. Nobody thought
that they would be as good as they are, and
that's the Kansas City Royals. Again, what are we missing?
Can they sustain this or is this just a team
getting hot for a short period of time. I just
love what Dayton Moore is doing in Kansas City. He's
the man in charge there, and he's a wonderful general manager.
(08:01):
He's you know, started in Atlanta with John Scherholt and
John Sharholts in the Hall of Fame, and one day
Dayton's gonna be there too. Man. But he I thought
he took advantage rob of the free agent market as
well as anybody in the sport last year. I mean,
there are a lot of free agents out there. He
made some trades. He got Michael A. Taylor, he got
ben In Tende, he rebuilt that bullpen again. But I
(08:23):
think he himself is the main reason why that team
is as good as it is, because of the moves
that he makes. And he's got a good leader again
and Mike mcfini. So I like what Kansas City's doing
for sure. Our guests, his former Major league outfielder and
broadcaster Rod Allan joining us here on inside the Parker.
We know the Dodgers a scuffling, but I want to
(08:44):
go to Dustin May, one of their young pitchers who
they had, you know, really high hopes are on the flamethrowers.
Good to mister Rust of the twenty twenty one season
undergo Tommy John surgery. How big of a blow is
that to the Dodgers. They'll be okay. I mean, I
love Dustin May and I don't want to, you know,
ever make light of anybody getting an injury. But the
(09:06):
Dodgers are so gifted and they're so talented that they
will get back on track. They've lost twelve of their
last sixteen games after winning fourteen of their first sixteen.
I guess, but you know, they've got way too much's talent,
way too many skills. They've lost a lot of one
run games, which tells me that bullpen is not quite
in order. The launce Doc Roberts gets it in order.
The Dodgers gore are going to be as good as
(09:28):
everybody thought they were going to be. Last question, Rod Show, Hey,
ol tany we've seen him. We've seen the guy through
one hundred miles an hour in the game and hit
a home run in the same game. I mean, he's
such a talent. Will he be able to keep this
up all season? He was supposed to start on Wednesday
night again. I would love to see if he could
(09:49):
pull it off for the whole year where he's hitting
and pitching. Do you think this will hold up, he's
must see TV, Rob, And if it does hold up,
we're talking about the MVP in the American League. I
mean for a guy to throw a baseball one hundred
miles an hour and hit the ball four hundred and
fifty feet. And not only that, man, this dude has speech.
He can steal a bag. Man. This guy is a
(10:10):
baseball player, and we've never seen anybody like this in baseball.
I've never seen anybody like this in baseball in my
forty five years. You've never seen anybody like this in baseball.
There's been some guys that can pitch a little bit,
hit a little bit, but nothing like this guy. This
guy is musty TV. And every time I get a
chance to watch him, I turned to the Angels game.
No doubt about it. I'm with you on show. Hey,
(10:32):
Thanks Rod, appreciate your knowledge, my man. We'll talk to
you soon, all right, buddy, thank you for having me.
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the Forest dot org. Brought to you by the United
States Forest Service and the AD Council. It's time for
the Pocket Protector Centrum. The analytic numbers you need to know? Well,
(12:44):
maybe Anthony Masterson is his name, BS analytics is his game.
What do you got from me? Anthony? We're one month
into the twenty twenty one campaign and we're already seeing
who is benefiting from the truncated twenty twenty season and
maybe a little bit of bad weather. It's the pitchers.
The month of April saw the league hit just two
thirty the lowest league wide batting average since nineteen sixty eight,
(13:07):
the so called Year of the Pitcher, which led to
the lowering of the pitchers mound to level the playing field.
The league on base percentage of three o nine was
also the lowest since nineteen sixty eight, while the league
ops of six ninety eight was the lowest in April
since nineteen ninety two. There were also six thousand, nine
hundred twenty four strikeouts in the month of April and
only five thousand, eight hundred thirty two hits, the first
(13:28):
month in MLB history with one thousand or more strikeouts
than walks. Only twenty seven qualified hitters posted a three
hundred average or better, the fewest since twenty four players
did it in You Guessed It April of nineteen sixty eight.
The nine point three league wise strikeouts per nine innings
was an all time high for the month of April,
continuing a trend where a new record has been set
(13:51):
each of the last five Aprils. We also saw two
no hitters in the month of April for the first
time since nineteen ninety four. And if you count Madison
Bumgarner seven no no, which should be count eventually by
MLB at least I hope, so it'd be the first
year with three April no hitters in MLB history. Are
we well on our way to Year of the Picture?
(14:11):
Part two? The numbers say yes that ball is it
was a big week in the big leagues. Who's who's
a five by? Is it foul? Or is it fair?
And Now from mlbbro dot com, here's JR gamball Yankees
(14:34):
d H G and Carlo Stanton has been on a
tier for the Yankees of late and fans wanted him
out of town not too long ago, and he's carried
the team above five hundred and towards the top in
the Al East? Jr? Is it foul or fair to
say that Stanton could be in the MVP contention? Now fair?
(14:57):
It's a fair ball Byron Buckston and Mike Trout are
both hitting close to four hundred, but their teams don't
respond to their greatness. On the other hand, Stanton's hot
back coincides with the Yankees winning streak. Look at the
numbers during Stanton's ten game hit streak where the Yankees
went seven and three. His slash lines went from one
(15:20):
fifty eight batting average to thirty eight OBP and three
thirty three slugging before the street to two ninety seven
batting average, three forty three OBP and a five forty
five slugging, which is much more like it for three
hundred million dollar man. As mentioned, the Yankees are seven
and three in their last ten games and have elevated
(15:41):
from the seller of the Al East to just two
and a half games behind Boston and charging hard behind
the back of this much maligned player. Yankees fans always
want to choose the player to hate. It's what they do.
It was a Rod and now with Stanton. But this
guy has pedigree, He's a former MVP, and he can
(16:03):
flat out play. He hasn't been healthy and now he
looks like he's healthy enough finally to do what he
wants to do as a player and what he's more
than capable of doing as an elite slugger and black Knight.
In the game, everyone was calling him a boom, a
bus player. He only hits homers or strikes out. But
he went four for five last night and he has
(16:26):
obliterated that narrative by spraying the ball to all fields,
on the ground and in the air. He has three
or more hits in four of his last five games.
That doesn't sound like a one dimensional hitter than me.
If the Yankees continue to rise in the standings and
Stanton continues to rank at this pace, then you have
(16:46):
to put him into the MVP conversation because his back
has elevated the Yankees out of the dog drums, and
that's what they pay him the big bucks for. So
people can stop asking Stanton here to stay and it's
found for anybody to think otherwise. Money into more money.
(17:08):
Now it's time for betting on the bases with Dave Gascott.
Love that I hate doing this, but I have to
do it since they've been laboring as of late. In fact,
over the last couple of weeks, I'm taking the Angels
at home against the Dodgers on Friday Night. Biggest reason
for that is the pitching for Los Angeles has been good,
but they're banged up. They've got eight guys right now
on the Angel lists and their offense just is not
(17:30):
in gear. Chotani, Anthon Rendona. Of course, the league MVP
and Mike Trout. I'm taking the Angels in the home
game to open up things on a Friday night, Yankees
and Nationals as well. I'm taking the Yankees in the
home game against the Washington Nationals. Too many bats in
the interleague matchup. I think Patrick Corbin and as eight
ten l RA are gonna get roughed up in this thing. Also,
I'm taking a road dog in the San Diego Padres.
(17:53):
They head to the Bay Area against the San Francisco Giants.
Blake Snell has been good so far this year, only
has a one er no record. The LRA thought three
fifty one. I'm taking the Padres and the Friars in
this one to win up in the BA Area. That's
it for now. Let's make some coin and I'll see
again back next week. See you. When Rob was a
newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto, if I'm writing,
(18:15):
I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer and broadcaster older
new Now, let's welcome into the podcast, Eric Boland, who
has covered the New York Yankees for Newsday and Eric,
welcome to the podcast. How are you. I'm doing great, Rob,
really really glad to Tarque thanks for having me on.
No doubt how many years has it been now that
(18:37):
you've covered the Bronx Bombers, because it seems like fifteen,
but it might be less than that. It's less than that,
Rob but slightly less. My first year was two thousand
and nine, so this is years thirteen for me. Okay,
that's not pretty. That's not bad for a guest from me,
But I know it's been a long time, and love
to get your insight on the Yankees, who all of
(18:59):
us going into Wednesday night a red hot and you know,
started to play better baseball. First, let's start with gen
Carloston and what he's done with his ten game hitting streak.
What's happened, what's changed for him? You know, he talks
repeatedly about adjustments that he's made in his swing and
(19:21):
his approach, going back to you know, the right before
this ten game hitting street, he was in one of
the worst slumps of his career. It was two for
thirty three, I believe, or two for thirty one, something
like that. When the Yankees hit the road for an
eight game trip a week and a half or so ago,
he was hitting one fifty eight and was a complete mess.
And of course getting booed on a nightly basis here
(19:42):
at the stadium, which goes back to early his first
here at pin Stripes. But you know, things changed, and
I think that, you know, with the opposing team scouts
that I've talked to that follow the Yankees to say that,
you know, it's almost as simple as being a little
bit more selective and not going outside of the zone
chasing bad pitches, which you know, we've seen quite a
bit from not only John Carlos Stanton but a lot
(20:05):
of his teammates early on in this season. But he
certainly seems to have recaptured some of the form that
made him an MVP talent back in twenty seventeen with
the Marlin and it's coincided rob with the rest of
the offense, which had been in a horrible almost three
and a half four weeks slump to start the season. Everyone,
(20:25):
well maybe not everyone, but but quite a few of
those guys Stanton front and center in that are starting
to emerge from those uh, you know, horrible first few
weeks of the season. No doubt, Eric, what about Gary Sanchez,
what's happened to him? We know he can hit some
long balls, he started off the season with a few
but the batting average batting one eighty going. I think
(20:47):
he's batting one eighty going into Wednesday night. Is he is?
This is just who he going? Is he's going to
be or not? You know, I don't think so, Rob,
I still and maybe I'm in a dwindling minority. I
think that he can be a quality big league catcher
on an everyday basis. And I believe that because I've
(21:08):
seen it. We haven't seen it in a couple of years,
but we haven't seen it, and Scoutson and a talent
value from other teams believe that too. And I really
am starting to think Rob with him, that he might
be the classic and I hate the cliche, and you'll
probably smile when I say it, but he might be
the classic change of scenery guy where he goes almost
(21:31):
anywhere else and every bat, every wild pitch, every pass ball,
every inning is not looked at as a referendum on
his career, because that's really the situation he's at now
with the Yankees and Yankee fans. He far and away,
in my thirteen years covering this team is the most
polarizing Yankee, even when he was doing really well, there
(21:53):
was a segment of the fan base that just didn't
like him, and that that has grown exponentially obviously as
he struggled last couple of years. So, you know, his
number one backer in the organization has always been Brian Cashman,
which is a good person to have as your number
one backer. But but indications are is that that's wavered
a little bit as he has struggled in recent years.
(22:16):
He would not be banished to the bench the way
he has without Cashman, you know, giving the ok on
something like that. And really the state back to the
sixty game season last year, Rob when he got benched
for the first time. I think it was in you know,
maybe I guess when the Yankees were in Baltimore, And
of course Kyle Tigashioka caught five of the seven Yankees
playoff games. So you know, you can almost look as
(22:37):
what's happened this year as in inevitability. Even though Sanchez
was told and given the starter's job coming out of
spring training, you could kind of see this coming that
if he did struggle, and he did at the play,
that Higashioka was probably going to take over. Is a
season long, you know, I don't know. We're still only
you know, a month and a month in a week
(22:58):
into the regular season, but I would not be shocked
if this is Gary Sanchez and last year with the Yankees.
Guess is Eric Boland, who of course covers the New
York Yankees for Newsday. Tell me about the pitching we
know about Garrett Cole. Uh, Corey Kluber, how does he
fit into the Yankees rotation? Well, he starting with each
(23:22):
start better and better. You know, Rob, I know you
follow this club pretty closely. For the first five weeks,
it was Garrett Cole and everybody else, and not in
a positive sense. You know, nobody was giving length. They
were having to go into the pot bullpen far earlier
on a nightly basis than they would have liked because
regardless of who they were trotting out there, other than
(23:42):
Garrett Cole, it was a struggle for that picture to
even finish five innings. Uh. Klueber was terrific. His last
time out really looked like his his former cy young self.
He won two of those, of course with Cleveland. And
you know, the Yankees have believed all along that a
a healthy Corey Kluber, and they obviously believe that he
(24:03):
is healthy that he would slot in as really almost
a co eighth with Cole. Cole is certainly at another level. Well,
Jacob Degraham is as at a singular level, and then
you know Cole is probably right behind him. But they
felt a healthy Corey Kluber. Uh, it really was a
one A one B and Klueber's last outing, Um, he
certainly looked like that that picture. So if you look
(24:26):
at it collectively with the Yankees, and a lot of
it has to do with the bullpen obviously, but uh,
you know, they've got the lowest dra in the American
League and you know, there's no reason to think that's
not going to continue. And what's really scary for for
opponents in the AL is that it seems like it's
only a matter of time and it's already started in
the last week or so, as if the offense does
(24:47):
the same. I was going to ask you about that bullpen,
and of course A Waldre's Chapman and company. H where
is he? Uh? You know, I know he's had his
postseason struggles and things like that, but he looks like
he's uh where the Yankees need him to be. Rob
I'm sorry, you cut out a little bit. Was it
(25:07):
a Chapman question? Yeah, I was asking you about a
roller Chapman and where is he? We know the bullpen
is really good for the Yankees. Yeah, I mean he's lucky.
He he looks like the best closure in baseball right now.
And the numbers are just off the charts, no matter
which ones you look out. Obviously, the strikeouts to in
his pitch jumps out the most. But he added a splitter,
(25:30):
which is a pitch that he's kind of been refining
and developing the last couple of years, and it's there,
and it's there with his plush fastball which has always
been there, throws out regularly, you know, ninety nine, one
hundred and one, followed by a slider that's turned into
a plus pitch for him, and then he's added the splitter,
and so he's got three plus pitches basically that he's
coming on the bullpen with. In a bullpen full of
(25:55):
really good arms, he still stands out as above the
rest of them because of that splitter that he has.
All Right, His name Eric Boland, the great baseball beat
writer who covers the New York Yankees for Newsday. My friend,
we appreciate you so much. Eric. Thanks for stopping by,
(26:17):
Rob my friend defending that too long. Look forward to
seeing you in person an All Star Games soon, no
doubt I'll see you in Denver. Look forward to it, Rob.
It's Jones and for baseball fans, take on the game
we love. Hello everyone, this is Jones MLB bro content reporter.
(26:40):
I woke up today and I have flashbacks of the
twenty fourteen and twenty fifteen seasons. Were both the Giants
and the Royals man in the World Series. Two teams
who most people considered to be shoeovers on paper, are
both at the top of their respective divisions. The Giants,
they showed a pitching is the key to winning. Through
twenty five games on the season, the starting rotations R
is a two point two. The Royals, on the other hand,
(27:02):
show the speed kills they aren't third in the majors
and stolen bases. Both teams display that they can win
in other ways outside of just hitting home runs. Even
though they have contrasting styles and they have their own
separate approaches, they both have been able to reach the
same destination on the season. That destination being winning. Did
(27:23):
you know Amazon provides ways of working that fit your lifestyle.
They know you value your time outside of work, juggling families, school, friends,
or other activities. That's why they offer a variety of
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(27:43):
want a career that fits and adapts to your lifestyle,
head to Amazon dot com slash apply. Amazon is a
proud equal opportunity employer. Adoption of teams from foster care
is a topic not enough people know about, and we're
here to change that. I'm April Denuity, host the new
podcast Navigating Adoption, presented by adopt us Kids. Each episode
(28:04):
brings you compelling, real life adoption stories told by the
families that live them, with commentary from experts. Visit adopt
us Kids dot org slash podcast or subscribe to Navigating
Adoption presented by adopt us Kids, brought to you by
the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for
Children and Families, and the ad Council. What grows in
the forest trees, sure no one else grows in the forest.
(28:28):
Our imagination, our sense of wonder and our family bonds
grow too, because when we disconnect from this and connect
with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is
closer than you think. Find a forest near you and
start exploring. I discover the forest dot Org, brought to
(28:49):
you by the United States Forest Service and the AD Council.
Now bring in the closer. Here's why MLB is better
than the NFL or NBA, and it isn't even close.
Here's reason number eight hundred and fifty one why baseball
(29:10):
is better than the NBA and the NFL. Thank you
so much New York Yankee fans. They did not let
up when the Astros showed up in the Bronx. Yes,
the Bronx cheer was in full effect. They just kept
booing them, and booing them and booing them. The fans
didn't get a chance to do it last year because
(29:31):
of COVID and no fans at the ballpark, but the
Yankee fans did not miss their moment to let the
Astros have it. They felt they got cheated in that
year twenty seventeen in the ALCS when the Yankees lost
to the Astros and in fact didn't win a game
in Houston in that seven game series. So Yankee fans,
(29:55):
bravo to you. The Astros deserved to get their boots
tour all over the United States, and the Yankee fans
in the Bronx did not disappoint. In the words of
New York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you
(30:17):
for your time this time until next time. Rob Parker out,
he can't get it. This could be an inside of
Parker to see you next weekend, same bad time, same massination.
(30:53):
If you love to be remembered as the person who
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To order today, visit one hundred flowers dot com slash
tune in. That's one eight hundred flowers dot com slash
tune in. Adoption of teams from foster care is a
topic not enough people know about, and we're here to
change that. I'm April Dinuity, host of the new podcast
Navigating Adoption, presented by adopt us Kids. Each episode brings
you compelling, real life adoption stories told by the families
(31:39):
that live them, with commentary from experts. Visit adopt us
Kids dot org, slash podcast, or subscribe to Navigating Adoption,
presented by adopt us Kids, brought to you by the
US Department of Health, the Human Services Administration for Children
and Families, and the AD Council. Look for your children's
eyes and you will discover the true magic of a forest.
(32:01):
Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discover
the Forest dot org, brought to you by the United
States Forest Service and the ad Council.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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