On this week’s edition of Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob discusses the swirling trade rumors surrounding Ronald Acuna Jr, Manny Machado's Hall of Fame candidacy, and where MLB got it right with regards to the upcoming MLB All-Star Game. Later, Houston Astros third baseman Cam Smith swings by. Plus, a conversation with AM570 LA Sports Dodgers reporter David Vassegh, Rob's latest appearance on MLB Network, and a bonus edition of the Parker Pushback aimed at Clayton Kershaw's biggest haters.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
From the berkshears 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
voter number fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Come on, I've been covering Major League baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati, in Detroit,
in LA.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I love this game. Let's go. Welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I'm your host, Rob Parker, and what a show we
have for you Today. Astro's right fielder Cam Smith drops by.
We'll talk about his very exciting first year in the
big leagues. Also, the woes with the Dodgers will dive in.
David Vass, a reporter from AM five to seventy LA Sports,
(00:58):
joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Plus I'll have a.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Very special pushback for our Inside the Park producer Rob Gera.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Let's go better up to lead off, it's getting robed
and keep him mind.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major
League Baseball. Number one, we know, we.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Know, the Atlanta Braids are out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And guess what the newspaper scribes or writing like crazy,
that is time maybe for the Atlanta Braves to trade
Ronald Lacuna Junior's had some injuries, but man, what a
career he's had.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
He was Rookie of the Year.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
When a National League MVP, five time All Star came
back late this season, and fans still voted him as
a starter. Scott's a star. He's only twenty seven years old. Also,
there was a story that the Seattle Mariners put together
a grandfather package all kinds of stuff to try to
get him. They've been looking for a big hitter in
Seattle for a long time. But I think the Braves
(02:02):
would be crazy. I still think he hasn't even entered
his prime. Really between twenty seven and thirty two or
thirty three.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
He still has those five or six years to really
be even better than he has been.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I would not, under any circumstance trade Ronald Lecunya.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
The Braves are out of it, had a bad season.
Things fell apart early.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Remember they had that big losing streak to start the season,
and just I understand it. Sometimes you bite the bullet,
you reset. But I'm not nt trading Ronald Acunya number
two Padres third basement Manny Machado having another great year
recently just sit his three hundred and fifty is home run.
(02:45):
Now has three hundred and fifty home runs over two
thousand hits. Only eleven other players have done it in
MLB history, and ten of those eleven are either in the.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Hall of Fame or will be in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
One is kind of linked to the Jews, So we
don't know where that's gonna turn. But you know, people
are saying he didn't have to do anything else the
rest of his career, He's gonna get into the Hall
of Fame.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
That's where I pumped the brakes on that. Many's got
a long way to go.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
He's only thirty two, and I think he still has
to continue to play on and it looks like he's
on track to be a first ballot Hall of Fame.
I'm not disputing that. But this notion he doesn't have
to do anything.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Else and he's automatically in, I don't buy into that.
I saw Andre Dawson it he was a Rookie of
the Year.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
He at four hundred and thirty eight and an nl
MVP four hundred and thirty eight home runs.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
And it took him nine ten years on the.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Ballot to make it to the Hall of Fame. I
just I don't think that you could say Many doesn't
have to do anything else. He is definitely in line
en route to the Hall of Fame. But there's still
work to be done. He's thirty two years old, so
stop and pump the brakes. You don't get into the
Hall of Fame midway through your career. Number Three'll be
(04:00):
in Atlanta for the All Star Game. I can't wait.
The Derby's on Monday. All Star Game is on Tuesday.
Still the best All Star game in pro sports, hands down,
and it's gonna be even better this year. For the
first time since twenty nineteen, team players will wear their
team home or road uniform depending any All Star Game.
(04:22):
It won't be some made up uniform to sell for fans.
For the twenty twenty five All Star Game in Atlanta,
it'll be you know, the Mets home or road uniform,
or the Braves or the Yankees or whatever is.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Aaron Judge will.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Wear the road Yankee uniform because the American League, of course,
will be the visiting team.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And I think that's a great look.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
It really is to see your favorite player wearing your
team's uniform. I think we had gotten away from that
for a few years, and it's good to get back.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
So I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Baseball looked at it and said, yeah, we could probably
sell some jerseys, but let's not do that. Put the
All Star patch on the jersey and call it a day.
So next week we'll have all kinds of stuff from
the All Star Game in Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
I just cannot wait.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
It's so good. All right, now, let's welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Camp Smith, rightfielder for the Houston Astros.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Camp. Thanks for Georgia. Yeah, thanks appreciate it. It has
been a whirlwind, to say the least.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
My god, last year we're playing college baseball. Here you
are in the big leagues having been set, add and
clean up. I mean, I can go ord and on.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
How's it big? Just talk about the experience. Yeah, it's
been a blast.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I think.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I think I have a really good group of guys.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That just great teammates.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
We play selfless baseball.
Speaker 6 (05:49):
Where one through nine.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
I think the battle, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
To get the job that will pass the torch. I
think that's the fullest thing for us. How about the
know for baseball? Where did that come from? Honestly, it
just became natural. I think, you know, I think just
playing over and over again. I think I just foundled
up for the game. Okay, I talked about the Whirlwind
League at that and get a hit. Just take me
through that. That had to be some experience.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Cam Smith turned twenty two in the first spring training
game of the year, and here he is in his.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Big league debut and his first.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Ever at bat crowd ball, right side base hit, one pitch,
one hit, Cam Smith delivers paying your first to third safe.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Welcome to the show, cam Smith, not wasting a second.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
For his first big league hit.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
First pitch hec singles to write, and the Astros had
runners at the corners with one out.
Speaker 7 (06:44):
I was so nervous. I've never been that nervous in
my life. But I knew that they will come and
I had a feeling I'd be as nervous as that.
Why But it was a beautiful moment.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
And when you got to first base, did you think.
Speaker 7 (06:58):
I'm in the big Yeah, I said, Okay, we're here.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Now we're here.
Speaker 8 (07:03):
I don't believable let's talk about your your hitting at
you're batting clean mindset between matting clean, help and just
batting over you.
Speaker 7 (07:18):
Honestly, just we can you know, we can place any
player in any posistance of the lineup.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
And we'll figure out how to get the job done.
I think that's what I said. The best part about
this team is we place helpless.
Speaker 9 (07:29):
It's the Gambler here, Vice president of operations for mlbbro
dot Com and executive producer of the MLB Bro Show
podcast the Mixtape.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Every Friday.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You heard that right.
Speaker 9 (07:42):
Every Friday, we bring you the best from the world
of black and Brown baseball. We cover the seven point
two percent of melanated Major leaguers from soup to nuts,
but with our own cultural flair and unique voice, will
take you on a ride reflecting on the accomplishments, clutch moments,
and contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe
(08:06):
into baseball.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
From Mookie Wilson to Mookie.
Speaker 9 (08:09):
Betts, Doctor k to Doctor Styx, from bro Bombs to
stolen bases to black Aces. We're live at the ballparks
and also bringing you segments like Classic Hits with David Grubb,
The Black Ace Report, the Rundown, the walk off, and
going Deep, just to name a few of the segments
(08:29):
that truly capture the voice of black baseball. If things
get out of hand, as the Boss Rob Parker, he's
kicking up dust, we will gladly pay you on Tuesday
from an MLB bro doubleheader today. Remember the heart of
the game lies in the diversity of the game and
the spirit of Black baseball that dates back to.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
The Negro leagues.
Speaker 9 (08:50):
I the Gambler, your friendly neighborhood diamond checker, making sure
that you stay on top of the game and in
touch with the soul of MLB, bucking up for a
wild baseball journey, showing respect to the Ogs, and highlighting
the new breed of melanated Malma. Robins first thing through
MLB's pipeline, all pitching with the sound of Black baseball.
(09:13):
We got the best starting five in the business. Listen
to the MLB Bro Show podcast the Mixtape on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto.
If I'm writing, I'm ripping, Let's bring in a writer
or broadcaster old.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Or new Now, let's welcome in David Basse.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
He covers the Los Angeles Dodgers for AM five seventy
LA Sports.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Dave, what's happening? Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 10 (09:48):
Hey, great to be on with you.
Speaker 11 (09:49):
Rob.
Speaker 10 (09:49):
The day after Kenley Jansen saved US four hundred and
sixty third game last night for the Angels.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Very nice, A big milestone, no doubt, But the Dodgers
haven't had.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
A milestones and that's where we want to start.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Coming into Friday when they open up a three game
series in San Francisco against the Giants. The Dodgers have
lost six in a row, three to the Astros and
then they lose the three in Milwaukee. What's happening with
the Dodgers right now? Teams go through patches. We saw
the Yankees, we saw the Mats. We've seen some good teams.
(10:24):
What's happening with the Dodgers.
Speaker 10 (10:26):
Well, they're hurt, they're banged up, and I know everybody
talks about their pitching, Rob, but their position player group
is now all of a sudden, really banged up. Freddie
Freeman slumping, and you don't go from leading the major
leagues in batting average to all of a sudden becoming
a two hundred hitter in the last month without there
being something wrong, and I think we all forget that
(10:46):
he did have surgery on that right ankle. He's tried
to play through it. He told me it takes an
hour and a half to get ready for games as
far as treatment for that right ankle, So you would
imagine that's affecting him. Taoscar Hernandez has been and playing
hurt for the last you know, I would say better
part of a month with the left groin injury. He
wanted to make the All Star team. He wanted to
(11:07):
make a push. He played through it and it didn't
work out. He's not going to be on the All
Star team. And then he felled a ball off the
top of his left foot Saturday or Sunday at Dodger
Stadium and hasn't been in the lineup for the last
four games. And then he got Max Munsey out for
a month with the left knee bone bruise. And Tommy
Edmond's been dealing with some stuff with his right foot.
(11:29):
So there are a banged up group, and you know
they're getting their pitching back. Snell's pitching in Rancho Kucamonga tonight.
Tyler Glassnow pitched yesterday in Milwaukee. Blake Trnin had his
first rehab starts. So the pitching's on its way back.
They just got to get this position player group healthy again.
And by the way, Keyk's on the il too.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Speaking of the All Star Game, he did mention that
Mookie Betts not voted in, not selected as a reserve,
first time in eight years, not going to the All
Star Game. And we know he started off with an illness,
got off to a rough, you know, played pretty good
in the beginning and then a slump. He's had an
uneven season with Mookie bet.
Speaker 10 (12:13):
I would call it an average season. Rob. He's been
average all year long, and it feels like he's been
playing from behind all season when he got sick before
the team went to Tokyo and then now you know
he just the defense at shortstop's been fine. It's just
a hitting. I mean, he's a two point fifty hitter.
His ops is suvering around seven hundred. If that's not average,
(12:35):
I don't know what is. And that's not certainly the
Mookie Bets that we have known his entire career, even
last year when he was playing shortstop and really learning
that position on the fly. He was one of the
best hitters in baseball last year. So it's kind of
a lazy take by fans that say that it's the
position that's affecting him, because he proved last year he
can hit and play that position, and now he's playing
(12:58):
that position really well and he's not hitting. So yeah,
that's a big problem. Oh, Tani Betts Freeman, they haven't
clicked at the same time more than a week at
a time this year.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, let's talk about old Tawny as well.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Coming into Friday, batting average under two eighty. I know,
he's had a lot of home runs, a lot of
solo home runs.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Yeah, you know, people still say he's the National League MVP.
His RBIs are way down from a year ago.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Where are you on what kind of season he's had,
because it doesn't feel like an MVP season to me.
Speaker 10 (13:33):
Yeah, well, he's pitching again, so it's hard to say
that it's not an MVP season. So I mean that
just puts them in a different stratosphere. But I agree
with you. The thirty one home runs not as many
impactful home runs as a year ago. At this time.
But you can't take away having more home runs before
the All Star Break than any other Dodger in franchise
(13:54):
history thirty one.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (13:56):
I just think that the Dodgers bottom of the order
hasn't been getting on base and turning the lineup over
as much as they were last year. We're seeing Otani
leadoff not only the first inning, but a lot of
innings this year, and that's not something that the Dodgers
want to see. And I actually did some research on this.
Rob Gary Cohen actually brought this up when the Mets
(14:18):
were in town, and it bears repeating that last year,
on average, the number three hitter in Major League Baseball
had just or the leadoff hitter compared to the number
three hitter on average in Major League Baseball last year
only had thirty three more played appearances. So there's an
argument to be made that Otani, especially the days that
(14:41):
he's pitching, maybe it would make more sense for him
to hit third, to be able to get guys like
Bets and Freeman on base ahead of him.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
I like that plan.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
That's a great number and has some great research there.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Our guest is David Vasse.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
He's a reporter who covered the Los Angeles Dollars Dodgers
for AM five seventy LA Sports. Last thing, Dave Clayton
Kershaw got a special invitation to the All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
You know a lot of times. It's only happened three times.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
I think it was Miguel Cabrera and Albert Poohols. So
these are guys who are going into the Hall of Fame.
I don't want to see this every year, every time
somebody's older or whatever. It's got to be somebody special
and he deserves it, especially on the heels of three
thousand strikeouts, which only twenty pitchers have done, and four
(15:32):
left handers. So I applaud the commission on this, and
Clayton's having a decent year as well.
Speaker 10 (15:37):
Yeah, it's not like he has a five era, Rob,
it's just the fact that he hasn't had as many
starts as other pitchers. If he did, he would be
more than deserving to be part of the All Star team.
And I think that's what Rob Manfred's recognizing here. The
biggest difference between Kershaw and pool Hols and Cabrera back
in twenty two is that Kershaw has not made any
(15:58):
sort of announcement he is retiring at the end of
this year. Those two guys did so. I guess Rob
Manfrien's taking it upon himself just in case this is
Kershaw's last year, which it very well might be, to
be able to give him this celebration.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
And you know what, you're right about that. And here's
the only thing coming off. The celebration of the three
thousand strike ups look like a playoff game from what
I watch this fear, I think that's what you want
to capitalize on. That's why it makes sense, even if
he maybe pitches another year or something, but that makes sense,
and then you don't have to do it next year.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Dave, thanks so much for all the insight. Man. We
appreciate you, and we'll see you out at the ballpark.
Speaker 11 (16:41):
All right.
Speaker 10 (16:41):
Rob, thanks a lot for having me on. You're the best.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
In case you missed Rob Parker on the MLB nex Words,
here's his latest appearance on Mlbina.
Speaker 11 (16:53):
Showdown Time.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
Rob Parker's back as he is every week.
Speaker 11 (16:56):
Rob, great to have you back on the show.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
What's up, b K? How are you?
Speaker 11 (17:00):
We have good topics? This is good.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
I'm excited about this. This was a wrinkle I did
not expect automatic ball strike challenge system in the All
Star Game. They did it in spring training, They're going
to use it in the All Star Game.
Speaker 11 (17:12):
You like it?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I don't like it, but I understand they want to
put it out there so all the fans who were
watching the All Star Game can maybe get used to it.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
And go, hey, I like this. Here's my issue.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
It's real simple.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
People are human.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
We make mistakes.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Nobody's perfect. I get it.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You see a bad call by an umpire, you show
it a thousand times. You don't many times they get
it right. You don't replay every time they get it right.
Speaker 11 (17:40):
Exactly.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
You're arguing for this system, by the way, you have
a challenge system. Yes you are. Because you have a
challenge system. They get them almost all of them right.
And if you think they get it wrong, instead of
showing it a thousand times.
Speaker 11 (17:52):
Go to your head, challenge it perfect.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Give me the game that was ruined by a strike
call BK in your in your life that you watch.
Speaker 11 (18:02):
All right, give me some time. I'll come back with
a hundred one.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
You can't think of one because it hasn't detracted.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
From your offs of the late nineties, we've seen the
braves painting the outside the party on not even touching
the zone. Lots of game. One game off the top
of my head was it was at the Levon Hernandez.
Game was at the Tom Glavin game. There's lots of game.
Give me a second to think about it. Doing a
little research, I'll come up with one hundred games that
you say, come on, and lots of calls, change games.
(18:33):
Just give the challenge. Two challenges maybe three. What they're
gonna do, let's share, and so don't beef about the
strike call anymore.
Speaker 11 (18:41):
Challenge it and if you're right, you're right.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Here's the other thing, too, are pictures just going to
nibble and just hit the hit have to hit the corner.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
And and that's.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
The idea, isn't that pitching Like, oh no, I'm going
to actually let the strike zone and get a strike call.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Imagine that I want the ball over to play. I
want the hitters to swing it.
Speaker 11 (19:01):
That's right, that's the idea. This will bring them to it.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
And if they the umpires are very good, they miss
one two calls a day, that's it. But if it's
in a big spot, challenge it turn it around. Just
like a bad call at first base. Now we don't
even blink. They turn it around. They go, oh, by
the way, we've overturned the call.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
Now we got the right call. It's easy, kay.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
You watch the NFL. They have replay.
Speaker 11 (19:23):
With the NFL.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Look at baseball, maybe they do and then you know,
and in baseball sometimes they go to New York and
they don't quite get it right. But you're looking at
a replay a dozen times, and once you're looking a
dozen times, you know it's it's a hair off. You're fine.
Same thing with the strike zone. It might be a
hair off. Instead of griping about it getting thrown out,
challenge it.
Speaker 11 (19:42):
That's all I think it works. Did I win you
over on that? No, you did not give it some thought.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Watch it for we all start a game. But I'm
not happy about it.
Speaker 11 (19:52):
You'll get there, He'll get there. He's close. He's getting close.
Got to absorb.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
Rob doesn't take these in right away. How about Jose
Ramirez voted in as a starter. He's been a little
banged up. He wants to rest up to play for
Cleveland for the second half.
Speaker 11 (20:04):
I'm good with this.
Speaker 6 (20:05):
By the way, if you're not having it mean home
field advantage for the league.
Speaker 11 (20:09):
He's loyal to Cleveland. I'm good with that.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
I'm not good with it at all. One of the
parts of your job is.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
To help represent baseball, and the All Star Game is
about the fans, and you should respect the fans who
have voted you in.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
And it's one thing, b kay.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
If he was scuffling right now Zer for ten, you
could obviously see struggling.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He's mashing.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
He's got three home runs in his last three games.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
He's got six RBIs, five hits. He's playing well. So
this idea that he's not one hundred.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Percent of not playing well if I saw numbers to
justify it, and then I look at guys like Aaron
Judge and Otani and those guys who play one hundred
and fifty nine games, they go to the All Star Game,
they do all the things that you need to do
to represent the game. Never disc count the fans. And
if I'm a fan, I don't know if I would
(21:03):
ever vote for Jose Ramierrez again, because this is an opportunity.
Go to the All Star Game in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Have you won it?
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Bat, take the field with your teammates, and then step
down and then say I'm good for to night.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
That's all I'm asking.
Speaker 6 (21:18):
Okay, you know what, You're right? Absolutely, thank you see
how easily it was for me. How about the automatic
ball strike? Will you give me that one?
Speaker 11 (21:24):
Now?
Speaker 6 (21:25):
Was right?
Speaker 11 (21:25):
I would know I was right on that, But you
were right on that one? Sold right. You have an.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
Obligation responsibility baseball as a whole. You can say, who
will miss Jose Ramirez? That's not the point you voted
him in. You're right, all right, Jan Soto? Not an
All Star game, not an All Star for the National
League now and losing money on it. I want to
run this sound. Body's taking a little bit of flak
for this. Let people judge for themselves. Here's what Juan
Soto said about not being a National League All Star.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Would you have Lake to make yields her team? What
you think, technician?
Speaker 7 (21:54):
And I think it's a lot of money on the table.
Speaker 11 (21:57):
If other sheep I.
Speaker 6 (21:58):
Make it, he gets off one hundred thousand dollars bonus.
If he goes to the All Star Game, he makes
fifty one million a year.
Speaker 11 (22:05):
But you know what, all right, I'll go first.
Speaker 6 (22:07):
I respect that this guy's a mercenary. I respect he's
a professional. Baseball player. He plays for money. I'm fine
with this. He misses the hundred you can tell he's
kind of joking, but he misses the one hundred grand.
Speaker 11 (22:18):
I'm good with that. B Kay.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
You don't have to say everything out loud. We know
he makes money, he plays baseball for a living.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
We know their bonuses written in Everything. Doesn't have to
be that.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
How about this answer, b K, Hey, you know what,
it would have been awesome to represent the New York
Mets in this organization right at the.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'm disappointed that our fans won't see me there in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
My god, that's so hard.
Speaker 11 (22:47):
That's a better answer, I'll give you that. Yeah, you're
winning all these that's a better answer. But you know
what I have.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
I have never had a problem like this whole thing
with college sports, and now now it's a total mess.
But I've always appreciated they play for money. That's where
they're playing. It's their job, and we'd all do it
if we could. I don't mind a guy saying, hey,
you know what that's costing me money. I'm good, but
you're right, that's a better answer. But that's actually how
he felt. I like an honest answer. That was his
(23:13):
honest answer. So I don't want to punish the God
give me the bland vanilla. Oh, I want to do
it for our fans and robbing an opportunity, you turn
them into, you know, a vanilla personality after taxes.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
That's like thirty five gram Really.
Speaker 11 (23:25):
Is that gonna have shaken your life for him?
Speaker 6 (23:27):
You know he's thinking of what he could do with it,
by the way, you feel the same way.
Speaker 11 (23:30):
All right, how about this one this one time? You
know how I am.
Speaker 6 (23:34):
I killed the picture win. I killed it dead about
ten years ago. This one time, though, it bothers me.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Justin Verlander, I don't want to hear that you said
it doesn't matter now all of a sudden, because it's
Justin Verlander.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Yes, now you are upset that and you want to
talk about winds. I thought winds don't matter.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
They don't accept for a guy a long time starter
going to Cooperstown, which is what Justin Verlander is. And
I'm just it does bother me too that he's.
Speaker 11 (24:03):
Oh and seven.
Speaker 6 (24:04):
He pitched decently yesterday drops to oh and seven.
Speaker 11 (24:07):
It's just wrong.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Take a look at this his career two years ago,
his career winning win loss record was two hundred and
sixty two and one forty seven. So he's not exactly
Whitey Ford, but he's on the board with Whitey Ford.
In fact, he'd be right below Randy Johnson two years ago,
just below Randy Johnson at six forty six. Now he's
down to six thirty. Like, do we care in the
(24:29):
big picture? Not a hell of a lot. But Verlander
did want to get to three hundred wins. He's pitching okay,
not great, he's oh and seven, So yes, that bothers me,
and I know it bothers him.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I get it, and he did. He only gave up.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Two armed runs yesterday at six and it was a
quality start. So I understand that you hope, you know
that when you get out there and give your team
a quality start, you have a better chance than losing
thirteen to nothing or whatever the school was.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
But my point is, uh, yeah, do matter? And I
get it.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Finally, I think you're your understanding that you.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Do want to win.
Speaker 11 (25:05):
To understand, I just never understood it before.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
No, you know what, I it's not what we told
me that wins don't.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
Make because they're not indicative of your performance. Most of
the time, but some of the time, like over the
breadth of an eighteen year career, he's got you know again,
two hundred and sixty two wins, one hundred and forty
seven losses. All right, now, the wins losses are telling
the story. So I think of going, oh and seven,
excuse it poorly, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Well, here's the other thing. Did you look at his
chubby four point seven zero eer right this year? I
mean it's not great.
Speaker 11 (25:38):
No, no, he's not great. He's below league average.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
What should his record really be?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
And I I looked at his game logs here and four.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
One run.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
It wasn't terrible, right, three and four, four and four
would be fine, right, oh and seven, it's excuse the other, right,
which is my point with the picture win. The picture
win is that it will skew wildly and not it
be indicative of your performance.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Right.
Speaker 12 (26:00):
Well, I'm nobody who covered Justin Berlander from day one
in Detroit. I saw most of his career and he's
going to the Hall of Fame, and ultimately that's all
that matters.
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Yeah, you know what, you It means something to be
up on that list, to be up there with Jan
Mareschal to be up there chasing Whitey Ford, even Kershaw's
up there, it's something. Hey, you know what, you were
right on two of these, So that's good. That's a
good batting average.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I thought I was four for four, did you?
Speaker 11 (26:27):
You're two for four at best. That's your your win
loss percentage matters. It matters to you. There you go, Rob,
great having you back on. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
RBK always all right, this is bolooning. It's the Parker pushback.
Shut the Here.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Rob tackles the outlandish takes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
You idiot, shut up.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
This week, I'm pushing back on inside the Parker Producer
Rob Gara better known as Rob.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
G on The Odd Couple radio show.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yes, because when he heard the news that Clayton Kershaw
got the Special Commissioner invitation to be in the All
Star Game, he pooh poohed it. He didn't think that
it should be right, that Clayton Kershaw didn't deserve it,
and he couldn't be more wrong. Clayton Kershaw is a
(27:20):
having a decent year, but more importantly, he had a
milestone that Baseball needs to applaud and recognize. And the
All Star Game is the perfect setting to do that. Kershaw,
of course, struck out his three thousand career batter. Only
twenty pitchers in the history of this game have ever
done that, only four guys who are South Paul's doing it,
(27:43):
so it's a special honor. It only makes sense whether
Kershaw pitches next year or not, or this might be
his last year, who knows, it's still the right time.
Here's a chance to put him on the front stage,
on the big stage, in front of everybody, and let
him take a bow. I'm Rob Parker, and that's my pushback,
(28:05):
especially on Rob Garra. In the words of New York
TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your
time this time until next time, Rob Parker out d
can't Davin.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
This could be an inside
Speaker 2 (28:25):
The Parker See you next week, same bat time, same
Matt station.
From the berkshears 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
voter number fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Come on, I've been covering Major League baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati, in Detroit,
in LA.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I love this game. Let's go. Welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
I'm your host, Rob Parker, and what a show we
have for you Today. Astro's right fielder Cam Smith drops by.
We'll talk about his very exciting first year in the
big leagues. Also, the woes with the Dodgers will dive in.
David Vass, a reporter from AM five to seventy LA Sports,
(00:58):
joins us.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Plus I'll have a.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Very special pushback for our Inside the Park producer Rob Gera.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Let's go better up to lead off, it's getting robed
and keep him mind.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major
League Baseball. Number one, we know, we.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Know, the Atlanta Braids are out of it.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And guess what the newspaper scribes or writing like crazy,
that is time maybe for the Atlanta Braves to trade
Ronald Lacuna Junior's had some injuries, but man, what a
career he's had.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
He was Rookie of the Year.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
When a National League MVP, five time All Star came
back late this season, and fans still voted him as
a starter. Scott's a star. He's only twenty seven years old. Also,
there was a story that the Seattle Mariners put together
a grandfather package all kinds of stuff to try to
get him. They've been looking for a big hitter in
Seattle for a long time. But I think the Braves
(02:02):
would be crazy. I still think he hasn't even entered
his prime. Really between twenty seven and thirty two or
thirty three.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
He still has those five or six years to really
be even better than he has been.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
I would not, under any circumstance trade Ronald Lecunya.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I get it.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
The Braves are out of it, had a bad season.
Things fell apart early.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Remember they had that big losing streak to start the season,
and just I understand it. Sometimes you bite the bullet,
you reset. But I'm not nt trading Ronald Acunya number
two Padres third basement Manny Machado having another great year
recently just sit his three hundred and fifty is home run.
(02:45):
Now has three hundred and fifty home runs over two
thousand hits. Only eleven other players have done it in
MLB history, and ten of those eleven are either in the.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
Hall of Fame or will be in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
One is kind of linked to the Jews, So we
don't know where that's gonna turn. But you know, people
are saying he didn't have to do anything else the
rest of his career, He's gonna get into the Hall
of Fame.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
That's where I pumped the brakes on that. Many's got
a long way to go.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
He's only thirty two, and I think he still has
to continue to play on and it looks like he's
on track to be a first ballot Hall of Fame.
I'm not disputing that. But this notion he doesn't have
to do anything.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
Else and he's automatically in, I don't buy into that.
I saw Andre Dawson it he was a Rookie of
the Year.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
He at four hundred and thirty eight and an nl
MVP four hundred and thirty eight home runs.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
And it took him nine ten years on the.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Ballot to make it to the Hall of Fame. I
just I don't think that you could say Many doesn't
have to do anything else. He is definitely in line
en route to the Hall of Fame. But there's still
work to be done. He's thirty two years old, so
stop and pump the brakes. You don't get into the
Hall of Fame midway through your career. Number Three'll be
(04:00):
in Atlanta for the All Star Game. I can't wait.
The Derby's on Monday. All Star Game is on Tuesday.
Still the best All Star game in pro sports, hands down,
and it's gonna be even better this year. For the
first time since twenty nineteen, team players will wear their
team home or road uniform depending any All Star Game.
(04:22):
It won't be some made up uniform to sell for fans.
For the twenty twenty five All Star Game in Atlanta,
it'll be you know, the Mets home or road uniform,
or the Braves or the Yankees or whatever is.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Aaron Judge will.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Wear the road Yankee uniform because the American League, of course,
will be the visiting team.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
And I think that's a great look.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
It really is to see your favorite player wearing your
team's uniform. I think we had gotten away from that
for a few years, and it's good to get back.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
So I love that.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Baseball looked at it and said, yeah, we could probably
sell some jerseys, but let's not do that. Put the
All Star patch on the jersey and call it a day.
So next week we'll have all kinds of stuff from
the All Star Game in Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
I just cannot wait.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 4 (05:17):
It's so good. All right, now, let's welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 5 (05:21):
Camp Smith, rightfielder for the Houston Astros.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
Camp. Thanks for Georgia. Yeah, thanks appreciate it. It has
been a whirlwind, to say the least.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
My god, last year we're playing college baseball. Here you
are in the big leagues having been set, add and
clean up. I mean, I can go ord and on.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
How's it big? Just talk about the experience. Yeah, it's
been a blast.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I think.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
I think I have a really good group of guys.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That just great teammates.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
We play selfless baseball.
Speaker 6 (05:49):
Where one through nine.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
I think the battle, you know.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
To get the job that will pass the torch. I
think that's the fullest thing for us. How about the
know for baseball? Where did that come from? Honestly, it
just became natural. I think, you know, I think just
playing over and over again. I think I just foundled
up for the game. Okay, I talked about the Whirlwind
League at that and get a hit. Just take me
through that. That had to be some experience.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Cam Smith turned twenty two in the first spring training
game of the year, and here he is in his.
Speaker 4 (06:20):
Big league debut and his first.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Ever at bat crowd ball, right side base hit, one pitch,
one hit, Cam Smith delivers paying your first to third safe.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
Welcome to the show, cam Smith, not wasting a second.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
For his first big league hit.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
First pitch hec singles to write, and the Astros had
runners at the corners with one out.
Speaker 7 (06:44):
I was so nervous. I've never been that nervous in
my life. But I knew that they will come and
I had a feeling I'd be as nervous as that.
Why But it was a beautiful moment.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
And when you got to first base, did you think.
Speaker 7 (06:58):
I'm in the big Yeah, I said, Okay, we're here.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Now we're here.
Speaker 8 (07:03):
I don't believable let's talk about your your hitting at
you're batting clean mindset between matting clean, help and just
batting over you.
Speaker 7 (07:18):
Honestly, just we can you know, we can place any
player in any posistance of the lineup.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
And we'll figure out how to get the job done.
I think that's what I said. The best part about
this team is we place helpless.
Speaker 9 (07:29):
It's the Gambler here, Vice president of operations for mlbbro
dot Com and executive producer of the MLB Bro Show
podcast the Mixtape.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Every Friday.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
You heard that right.
Speaker 9 (07:42):
Every Friday, we bring you the best from the world
of black and Brown baseball. We cover the seven point
two percent of melanated Major leaguers from soup to nuts,
but with our own cultural flair and unique voice, will
take you on a ride reflecting on the accomplishments, clutch moments,
and contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe
(08:06):
into baseball.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
From Mookie Wilson to Mookie.
Speaker 9 (08:09):
Betts, Doctor k to Doctor Styx, from bro Bombs to
stolen bases to black Aces. We're live at the ballparks
and also bringing you segments like Classic Hits with David Grubb,
The Black Ace Report, the Rundown, the walk off, and
going Deep, just to name a few of the segments
(08:29):
that truly capture the voice of black baseball. If things
get out of hand, as the Boss Rob Parker, he's
kicking up dust, we will gladly pay you on Tuesday
from an MLB bro doubleheader today. Remember the heart of
the game lies in the diversity of the game and
the spirit of Black baseball that dates back to.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
The Negro leagues.
Speaker 9 (08:50):
I the Gambler, your friendly neighborhood diamond checker, making sure
that you stay on top of the game and in
touch with the soul of MLB, bucking up for a
wild baseball journey, showing respect to the Ogs, and highlighting
the new breed of melanated Malma. Robins first thing through
MLB's pipeline, all pitching with the sound of Black baseball.
(09:13):
We got the best starting five in the business. Listen
to the MLB Bro Show podcast the Mixtape on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto.
If I'm writing, I'm ripping, Let's bring in a writer
or broadcaster old.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Or new Now, let's welcome in David Basse.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
He covers the Los Angeles Dodgers for AM five seventy
LA Sports.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Dave, what's happening? Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 10 (09:48):
Hey, great to be on with you.
Speaker 11 (09:49):
Rob.
Speaker 10 (09:49):
The day after Kenley Jansen saved US four hundred and
sixty third game last night for the Angels.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Very nice, A big milestone, no doubt, But the Dodgers
haven't had.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
A milestones and that's where we want to start.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Coming into Friday when they open up a three game
series in San Francisco against the Giants. The Dodgers have
lost six in a row, three to the Astros and
then they lose the three in Milwaukee. What's happening with
the Dodgers right now? Teams go through patches. We saw
the Yankees, we saw the Mats. We've seen some good teams.
(10:24):
What's happening with the Dodgers.
Speaker 10 (10:26):
Well, they're hurt, they're banged up, and I know everybody
talks about their pitching, Rob, but their position player group
is now all of a sudden, really banged up. Freddie
Freeman slumping, and you don't go from leading the major
leagues in batting average to all of a sudden becoming
a two hundred hitter in the last month without there
being something wrong, and I think we all forget that
(10:46):
he did have surgery on that right ankle. He's tried
to play through it. He told me it takes an
hour and a half to get ready for games as
far as treatment for that right ankle, So you would
imagine that's affecting him. Taoscar Hernandez has been and playing
hurt for the last you know, I would say better
part of a month with the left groin injury. He
wanted to make the All Star team. He wanted to
(11:07):
make a push. He played through it and it didn't
work out. He's not going to be on the All
Star team. And then he felled a ball off the
top of his left foot Saturday or Sunday at Dodger
Stadium and hasn't been in the lineup for the last
four games. And then he got Max Munsey out for
a month with the left knee bone bruise. And Tommy
Edmond's been dealing with some stuff with his right foot.
(11:29):
So there are a banged up group, and you know
they're getting their pitching back. Snell's pitching in Rancho Kucamonga tonight.
Tyler Glassnow pitched yesterday in Milwaukee. Blake Trnin had his
first rehab starts. So the pitching's on its way back.
They just got to get this position player group healthy again.
And by the way, Keyk's on the il too.
Speaker 4 (11:50):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Speaking of the All Star Game, he did mention that
Mookie Betts not voted in, not selected as a reserve,
first time in eight years, not going to the All
Star Game. And we know he started off with an illness,
got off to a rough, you know, played pretty good
in the beginning and then a slump. He's had an
uneven season with Mookie bet.
Speaker 10 (12:13):
I would call it an average season. Rob. He's been
average all year long, and it feels like he's been
playing from behind all season when he got sick before
the team went to Tokyo and then now you know
he just the defense at shortstop's been fine. It's just
a hitting. I mean, he's a two point fifty hitter.
His ops is suvering around seven hundred. If that's not average,
(12:35):
I don't know what is. And that's not certainly the
Mookie Bets that we have known his entire career, even
last year when he was playing shortstop and really learning
that position on the fly. He was one of the
best hitters in baseball last year. So it's kind of
a lazy take by fans that say that it's the
position that's affecting him, because he proved last year he
can hit and play that position, and now he's playing
(12:58):
that position really well and he's not hitting. So yeah,
that's a big problem. Oh, Tani Betts Freeman, they haven't
clicked at the same time more than a week at
a time this year.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, let's talk about old Tawny as well.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Coming into Friday, batting average under two eighty. I know,
he's had a lot of home runs, a lot of
solo home runs.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Yeah, you know, people still say he's the National League MVP.
His RBIs are way down from a year ago.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Where are you on what kind of season he's had,
because it doesn't feel like an MVP season to me.
Speaker 10 (13:33):
Yeah, well, he's pitching again, so it's hard to say
that it's not an MVP season. So I mean that
just puts them in a different stratosphere. But I agree
with you. The thirty one home runs not as many
impactful home runs as a year ago. At this time.
But you can't take away having more home runs before
the All Star Break than any other Dodger in franchise
(13:54):
history thirty one.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (13:56):
I just think that the Dodgers bottom of the order
hasn't been getting on base and turning the lineup over
as much as they were last year. We're seeing Otani
leadoff not only the first inning, but a lot of
innings this year, and that's not something that the Dodgers
want to see. And I actually did some research on this.
Rob Gary Cohen actually brought this up when the Mets
(14:18):
were in town, and it bears repeating that last year,
on average, the number three hitter in Major League Baseball
had just or the leadoff hitter compared to the number
three hitter on average in Major League Baseball last year
only had thirty three more played appearances. So there's an
argument to be made that Otani, especially the days that
(14:41):
he's pitching, maybe it would make more sense for him
to hit third, to be able to get guys like
Bets and Freeman on base ahead of him.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
I like that plan.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
That's a great number and has some great research there.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Our guest is David Vasse.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
He's a reporter who covered the Los Angeles Dollars Dodgers
for AM five seventy LA Sports. Last thing, Dave Clayton
Kershaw got a special invitation to the All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
You know a lot of times. It's only happened three times.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
I think it was Miguel Cabrera and Albert Poohols. So
these are guys who are going into the Hall of Fame.
I don't want to see this every year, every time
somebody's older or whatever. It's got to be somebody special
and he deserves it, especially on the heels of three
thousand strikeouts, which only twenty pitchers have done, and four
(15:32):
left handers. So I applaud the commission on this, and
Clayton's having a decent year as well.
Speaker 10 (15:37):
Yeah, it's not like he has a five era, Rob,
it's just the fact that he hasn't had as many
starts as other pitchers. If he did, he would be
more than deserving to be part of the All Star team.
And I think that's what Rob Manfred's recognizing here. The
biggest difference between Kershaw and pool Hols and Cabrera back
in twenty two is that Kershaw has not made any
(15:58):
sort of announcement he is retiring at the end of
this year. Those two guys did so. I guess Rob
Manfrien's taking it upon himself just in case this is
Kershaw's last year, which it very well might be, to
be able to give him this celebration.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
And you know what, you're right about that. And here's
the only thing coming off. The celebration of the three
thousand strike ups look like a playoff game from what
I watch this fear, I think that's what you want
to capitalize on. That's why it makes sense, even if
he maybe pitches another year or something, but that makes sense,
and then you don't have to do it next year.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Dave, thanks so much for all the insight. Man. We
appreciate you, and we'll see you out at the ballpark.
Speaker 11 (16:41):
All right.
Speaker 10 (16:41):
Rob, thanks a lot for having me on. You're the best.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
In case you missed Rob Parker on the MLB nex Words,
here's his latest appearance on Mlbina.
Speaker 11 (16:53):
Showdown Time.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
Rob Parker's back as he is every week.
Speaker 11 (16:56):
Rob, great to have you back on the show.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
What's up, b K? How are you?
Speaker 11 (17:00):
We have good topics? This is good.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
I'm excited about this. This was a wrinkle I did
not expect automatic ball strike challenge system in the All
Star Game. They did it in spring training, They're going
to use it in the All Star Game.
Speaker 11 (17:12):
You like it?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I don't like it, but I understand they want to
put it out there so all the fans who were
watching the All Star Game can maybe get used to it.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
And go, hey, I like this. Here's my issue.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
It's real simple.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
People are human.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
We make mistakes.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Nobody's perfect. I get it.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
You see a bad call by an umpire, you show
it a thousand times. You don't many times they get
it right. You don't replay every time they get it right.
Speaker 11 (17:40):
Exactly.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
You're arguing for this system, by the way, you have
a challenge system. Yes you are. Because you have a
challenge system. They get them almost all of them right.
And if you think they get it wrong, instead of
showing it a thousand times.
Speaker 11 (17:52):
Go to your head, challenge it perfect.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Give me the game that was ruined by a strike
call BK in your in your life that you watch.
Speaker 11 (18:02):
All right, give me some time. I'll come back with
a hundred one.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
You can't think of one because it hasn't detracted.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
From your offs of the late nineties, we've seen the
braves painting the outside the party on not even touching
the zone. Lots of game. One game off the top
of my head was it was at the Levon Hernandez.
Game was at the Tom Glavin game. There's lots of game.
Give me a second to think about it. Doing a
little research, I'll come up with one hundred games that
you say, come on, and lots of calls, change games.
(18:33):
Just give the challenge. Two challenges maybe three. What they're
gonna do, let's share, and so don't beef about the
strike call anymore.
Speaker 11 (18:41):
Challenge it and if you're right, you're right.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
Here's the other thing, too, are pictures just going to
nibble and just hit the hit have to hit the corner.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
And and that's.
Speaker 6 (18:52):
The idea, isn't that pitching Like, oh no, I'm going
to actually let the strike zone and get a strike call.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Imagine that I want the ball over to play. I
want the hitters to swing it.
Speaker 11 (19:01):
That's right, that's the idea. This will bring them to it.
Speaker 6 (19:04):
And if they the umpires are very good, they miss
one two calls a day, that's it. But if it's
in a big spot, challenge it turn it around. Just
like a bad call at first base. Now we don't
even blink. They turn it around. They go, oh, by
the way, we've overturned the call.
Speaker 11 (19:17):
Now we got the right call. It's easy, kay.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
You watch the NFL. They have replay.
Speaker 11 (19:23):
With the NFL.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Look at baseball, maybe they do and then you know,
and in baseball sometimes they go to New York and
they don't quite get it right. But you're looking at
a replay a dozen times, and once you're looking a
dozen times, you know it's it's a hair off. You're fine.
Same thing with the strike zone. It might be a
hair off. Instead of griping about it getting thrown out,
challenge it.
Speaker 11 (19:42):
That's all I think it works. Did I win you
over on that? No, you did not give it some thought.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Watch it for we all start a game. But I'm
not happy about it.
Speaker 11 (19:52):
You'll get there, He'll get there. He's close. He's getting close.
Got to absorb.
Speaker 6 (19:55):
Rob doesn't take these in right away. How about Jose
Ramirez voted in as a starter. He's been a little
banged up. He wants to rest up to play for
Cleveland for the second half.
Speaker 11 (20:04):
I'm good with this.
Speaker 6 (20:05):
By the way, if you're not having it mean home
field advantage for the league.
Speaker 11 (20:09):
He's loyal to Cleveland. I'm good with that.
Speaker 3 (20:12):
I'm not good with it at all. One of the
parts of your job is.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
To help represent baseball, and the All Star Game is
about the fans, and you should respect the fans who
have voted you in.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
And it's one thing, b kay.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
If he was scuffling right now Zer for ten, you
could obviously see struggling.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
He's mashing.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
He's got three home runs in his last three games.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
He's got six RBIs, five hits. He's playing well. So
this idea that he's not one hundred.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Percent of not playing well if I saw numbers to
justify it, and then I look at guys like Aaron
Judge and Otani and those guys who play one hundred
and fifty nine games, they go to the All Star Game,
they do all the things that you need to do
to represent the game. Never disc count the fans. And
if I'm a fan, I don't know if I would
(21:03):
ever vote for Jose Ramierrez again, because this is an opportunity.
Go to the All Star Game in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Have you won it?
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Bat, take the field with your teammates, and then step
down and then say I'm good for to night.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
That's all I'm asking.
Speaker 6 (21:18):
Okay, you know what, You're right? Absolutely, thank you see
how easily it was for me. How about the automatic
ball strike? Will you give me that one?
Speaker 11 (21:24):
Now?
Speaker 6 (21:25):
Was right?
Speaker 11 (21:25):
I would know I was right on that, But you
were right on that one? Sold right. You have an.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
Obligation responsibility baseball as a whole. You can say, who
will miss Jose Ramirez? That's not the point you voted
him in. You're right, all right, Jan Soto? Not an
All Star game, not an All Star for the National
League now and losing money on it. I want to
run this sound. Body's taking a little bit of flak
for this. Let people judge for themselves. Here's what Juan
Soto said about not being a National League All Star.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Would you have Lake to make yields her team? What
you think, technician?
Speaker 7 (21:54):
And I think it's a lot of money on the table.
Speaker 11 (21:57):
If other sheep I.
Speaker 6 (21:58):
Make it, he gets off one hundred thousand dollars bonus.
If he goes to the All Star Game, he makes
fifty one million a year.
Speaker 11 (22:05):
But you know what, all right, I'll go first.
Speaker 6 (22:07):
I respect that this guy's a mercenary. I respect he's
a professional. Baseball player. He plays for money. I'm fine
with this. He misses the hundred you can tell he's
kind of joking, but he misses the one hundred grand.
Speaker 11 (22:18):
I'm good with that. B Kay.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
You don't have to say everything out loud. We know
he makes money, he plays baseball for a living.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
We know their bonuses written in Everything. Doesn't have to
be that.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
How about this answer, b K, Hey, you know what,
it would have been awesome to represent the New York
Mets in this organization right at the.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
I'm disappointed that our fans won't see me there in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
My god, that's so hard.
Speaker 11 (22:47):
That's a better answer, I'll give you that. Yeah, you're
winning all these that's a better answer. But you know
what I have.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
I have never had a problem like this whole thing
with college sports, and now now it's a total mess.
But I've always appreciated they play for money. That's where
they're playing. It's their job, and we'd all do it
if we could. I don't mind a guy saying, hey,
you know what that's costing me money. I'm good, but
you're right, that's a better answer. But that's actually how
he felt. I like an honest answer. That was his
(23:13):
honest answer. So I don't want to punish the God
give me the bland vanilla. Oh, I want to do
it for our fans and robbing an opportunity, you turn
them into, you know, a vanilla personality after taxes.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
That's like thirty five gram Really.
Speaker 11 (23:25):
Is that gonna have shaken your life for him?
Speaker 6 (23:27):
You know he's thinking of what he could do with it,
by the way, you feel the same way.
Speaker 11 (23:30):
All right, how about this one this one time? You
know how I am.
Speaker 6 (23:34):
I killed the picture win. I killed it dead about
ten years ago. This one time, though, it bothers me.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Justin Verlander, I don't want to hear that you said
it doesn't matter now all of a sudden, because it's
Justin Verlander.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
Yes, now you are upset that and you want to
talk about winds. I thought winds don't matter.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
They don't accept for a guy a long time starter
going to Cooperstown, which is what Justin Verlander is. And
I'm just it does bother me too that he's.
Speaker 11 (24:03):
Oh and seven.
Speaker 6 (24:04):
He pitched decently yesterday drops to oh and seven.
Speaker 11 (24:07):
It's just wrong.
Speaker 6 (24:08):
Take a look at this his career two years ago,
his career winning win loss record was two hundred and
sixty two and one forty seven. So he's not exactly
Whitey Ford, but he's on the board with Whitey Ford.
In fact, he'd be right below Randy Johnson two years ago,
just below Randy Johnson at six forty six. Now he's
down to six thirty. Like, do we care in the
(24:29):
big picture? Not a hell of a lot. But Verlander
did want to get to three hundred wins. He's pitching okay,
not great, he's oh and seven, So yes, that bothers me,
and I know it bothers him.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
I get it, and he did. He only gave up.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Two armed runs yesterday at six and it was a
quality start. So I understand that you hope, you know
that when you get out there and give your team
a quality start, you have a better chance than losing
thirteen to nothing or whatever the school was.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
But my point is, uh, yeah, do matter? And I
get it.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Finally, I think you're your understanding that you.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
Do want to win.
Speaker 11 (25:05):
To understand, I just never understood it before.
Speaker 3 (25:07):
No, you know what, I it's not what we told
me that wins don't.
Speaker 6 (25:11):
Make because they're not indicative of your performance. Most of
the time, but some of the time, like over the
breadth of an eighteen year career, he's got you know again,
two hundred and sixty two wins, one hundred and forty
seven losses. All right, now, the wins losses are telling
the story. So I think of going, oh and seven,
excuse it poorly, That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
Well, here's the other thing. Did you look at his
chubby four point seven zero eer right this year? I
mean it's not great.
Speaker 11 (25:38):
No, no, he's not great. He's below league average.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
What should his record really be?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
And I I looked at his game logs here and four.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
One run.
Speaker 6 (25:48):
It wasn't terrible, right, three and four, four and four
would be fine, right, oh and seven, it's excuse the other, right,
which is my point with the picture win. The picture
win is that it will skew wildly and not it
be indicative of your performance.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Right.
Speaker 12 (26:00):
Well, I'm nobody who covered Justin Berlander from day one
in Detroit. I saw most of his career and he's
going to the Hall of Fame, and ultimately that's all
that matters.
Speaker 6 (26:10):
Yeah, you know what, you It means something to be
up on that list, to be up there with Jan
Mareschal to be up there chasing Whitey Ford, even Kershaw's
up there, it's something. Hey, you know what, you were
right on two of these, So that's good. That's a
good batting average.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
I thought I was four for four, did you?
Speaker 11 (26:27):
You're two for four at best. That's your your win
loss percentage matters. It matters to you. There you go, Rob,
great having you back on. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
RBK always all right, this is bolooning. It's the Parker pushback.
Shut the Here.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Rob tackles the outlandish takes in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
You idiot, shut up.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
This week, I'm pushing back on inside the Parker Producer
Rob Gara better known as Rob.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
G on The Odd Couple radio show.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yes, because when he heard the news that Clayton Kershaw
got the Special Commissioner invitation to be in the All
Star Game, he pooh poohed it. He didn't think that
it should be right, that Clayton Kershaw didn't deserve it,
and he couldn't be more wrong. Clayton Kershaw is a
(27:20):
having a decent year, but more importantly, he had a
milestone that Baseball needs to applaud and recognize. And the
All Star Game is the perfect setting to do that. Kershaw,
of course, struck out his three thousand career batter. Only
twenty pitchers in the history of this game have ever
done that, only four guys who are South Paul's doing it,
(27:43):
so it's a special honor. It only makes sense whether
Kershaw pitches next year or not, or this might be
his last year, who knows, it's still the right time.
Here's a chance to put him on the front stage,
on the big stage, in front of everybody, and let
him take a bow. I'm Rob Parker, and that's my pushback,
(28:05):
especially on Rob Garra. In the words of New York
TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your
time this time until next time, Rob Parker out d
can't Davin.
Speaker 3 (28:23):
This could be an inside
Speaker 2 (28:25):
The Parker See you next week, same bat time, same
Matt station.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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