On this week’s edition of Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob discusses the importance of the upcoming weekend series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, Paul Skenes' unbelievably mediocre season thus far, and why he was so disappointed that the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays elected not to make a move on Tarik Skubal at the MLB Trade Deadline. Plus, AM570 LA Sports host Tim Cates swings by to discuss the Skubal trade, his expectations for the Dodgers heading into the postseason, and Shohei Ohtani's NL MVP case. Later, New York Amsterdam columnist Jaime C. Harris checks in to share his thoughts on what's next for the New York Yankees, the debut of George Lombard Jr, and much more. Finally, we reveal the eighteenth installment of Rob’s Memory Lane series.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
From the Berkshars 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. You have another hot take? Will
not n ot make the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Show?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Hey me the money, Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Come on, I've been covering Major League Baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
In Detroit, in LA.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I love this game.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Welcome into the podcast, and I'm your host, Rob Parker.
And what a show we have for you today. So
much to do, so little time. We'll talk with Tim
Kites of AM five seventy in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
He'll tell us about the Dodgers.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Their losing streak, the big trade for schoolbl all that
and much more.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Plus we'll go to New York.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
We'll talk with Jamie Harris, the sports editor of the
Amsterdam News.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yankees of course got news about Judge.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Also their prize rookie George Lombard Junior debuted as well.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
We'll get into that, plus much more. Let's go better.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
To lead off, it's getting.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Rocked and keep them on.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major
League Baseball.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Number one, It's hard to believe, but the Dodgers in
the desert taking on the Diamondbacks this weekend starting on.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Friday is a big series.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
I know, the Dodgers coming into Friday have an eight
game lead in the NL West and you're like, eight
games or whatever. They're riding a losing streak and things
just aren't going well. They just got tark Schooble, so
you're like, what's the panic.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
The panic is.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
The Dodgers could wind up being a wild card team
and not have the best record in the NL and
be in a tough spot. So this is a big
series for the postseason seeing where they fit in. The
Dodgers have been scuffling, you know, six straight losses for
(02:23):
this team and this roster and this payroll is a lot.
You don't expect the team of this caliber to be
scuffling like this. Arizona somehow has found its way back
into this jumped over the Padres only eight games behind,
fighting for a wild card.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
So this is gonna be a big series.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
I mean, I mean, could the Dodgers get swept and
be only five games ahead or whatever and continue to swoon,
or is this where they go and get the things corrected.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
It's a big series to watch, so make sure you check.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
It out this weekend, starting Friday, the Dodgers at the
Diamondbacks in the.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Desert Number two.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
I don't want to sell the alarm, but there's reason
for concern with Paul Schemes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher.
On Wednesday, he had another SOSO start, three earned runs
in five innings in a loss. But the numbers really
(03:27):
coming into Wednesday have been really, really bad. This is
a guy people were thinking could be one of the
all time greatest pictures and coming into that start on Wednesday,
his RORA was five point one point eight over his
previous fourteen starts before he gave up the three runs
(03:50):
in five innings on Wednesday night, And you got to.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Think about that.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
That's after posting a one point nine to six RORA
his rookie year and twenty twenty and a one point
nine to seven en route to Asie young last year
in twenty twenty five. Now we're talking about Paul Skins
with a chubby Rray around four for the season. If
you remember, he got beat up in the opener and
(04:17):
really had never been on track this year, which is
crazy to think he had two sub two errays to
start his career. People were ready to say he was
the next Tom Sever. Baseball is something, man, It takes
a long way. It's hard to make sure that you
can be that consistent and that could he could never
(04:37):
The idea was going to be under two r rays
entire career sounds far fetched. But he was off to
an unhittable start and this year is very hittable.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So it's interesting to see how this plays out in
this year. What's happened to Paul Skins this year?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
But he is definitely not the same pitcher as he
was his first two years. Number three, One last thing
about the trade deadline, And we get it.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, most of MLB America.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Threw up in its mouth when it found out that
Schoolboo was going to the Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
The rich get richer.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
We get it, but you do have to do a
deep diving thing to yourself, even if you have to
give up some of your top prospects get and I
get it to Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
If they make a mistake, they can cover it up.
They have a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
If you're Milwaukee or Tampa and it doesn't work out
and schoolbl's just to rental and you don't win and
you give up some of your best prospects, you don't
have a chance to recoup that. But I have to say,
if you're Tampa Bay and you're trying to win a
World Series, sometimes you got to gamble. You got the
risk is worth it to go out and do what
(05:45):
you can to be this close. You know, Judge got
hurt for the Yankees. It gave the Rays a chance
to sneak in maybe win the division this year instead
of the Yankees and have a shot at the World Series.
The American League is wide open. And if you're the Brewers,
who have had nothing but regular season success the last
(06:05):
three or four years, where they're just consistently winning a
lot of games and winning the NL Central, but they
flame out in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Last year. They couldn't hit the Dodgers. There was embarrassing.
They were awful. But adding.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Pieces to this team to try to get you to
that next step. I just wonder, if you're Milwaukee, how
in the world did you not give the Tigers and say,
what do you want from our minor leagues for schoolbl
what do you want? Just take it right? Winning a
lot of games and getting blown out in the postseason
doesn't do it for me.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
So I think.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay they missed golden opportunities, especially Milwaukee
because they have the best record in the National League,
and had they added Schoolboy instead of the Dodgers, I
think they would be the favorites in the National League.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Comes the Big Interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
It's so good.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Now let's welcome into the podcast mister Tim Kates, who
covers the Dodgers for AM five seventy in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Tim, what's happening to my man?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
How are you Rob?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
How you doing? It? Is the end of the world.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
Sky has fallen here in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I already know it. You glutton me. You know you
guys are glutton.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
I said this the other day on KMBC that it's
like going to Mastros and having a big steak dinner
and then wanting to eat like five.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Pieces of cheesecake at the end. When is enough is enough? Tim?
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Well, apparently it's not.
Speaker 6 (07:42):
Enough because they've lost six in a row now, Rob
and you look back to a month ago. This is
a team that had a fourteen game lead in the
NL West and now it's down to eight and it
could go down to five if they get swept again
in this three game series this weekend in Phoenix against
the Diamondbacks.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Yeah, it is interesting and where things are going.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
But the Tarik School, well, obviously the Dodgers will always
mention as a suitor, you know what I mean. And
then with the idea of Otani not pitching again because
of what you know, these nagging injuries that have kind
of hampered him and taking him off the mound. Schooble
made his debut against the Cubs, gave up two runs,
they lost.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
He was fine and he's a great pitcher. We know that.
Is this is this a rental or is this long term?
How do you see schoolbol fitting in with the Dodgers?
Speaker 6 (08:32):
Well, I think for the immediate, you know, now, this
was a rental, and depending on what happens with the CBA,
what happens in twenty twenty seven, we'll find out that's
down the road. Certainly they got the money to pay
him if he wants to, you know, to come back
and sign with the Dodgers and free agency, but for now,
this was a need Rob.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I know people look at it as well.
Speaker 6 (08:49):
They're just trying to keep him away from the Brewers
and everybody else the Tampa Bay Rays, And I think
that was probably the thinking a couple of weeks ago
when they had a double digit lead and things were
training in the right to action as far as health
with this Dodgers team. But the reality is, you don't
know what you're gonna get with Tyler Glass now when
he comes back from his backspasts. Blake Snell wasn't sharp,
(09:10):
but is supposed to come back now off the injured list,
but he hasn't given you much in twenty twenty six.
The reality is Justin Robleski has been an All Star
this year, but how much does he have left in
the tank. He's already surpassed career highs and innings and
starts and we're only in the early part of August
and he hasn't looked sharp his last two starts.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Ubleski, his last two starts, he's given up like eight
or nine home runs.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
He can't keep the ball in the yard.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
The reality is the pitching is not great right now,
and Otani you don't know if he's coming back.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
So they needed Terrek School.
Speaker 6 (09:44):
This wasn't a preventive defensive strike from you know, Andrew
Freeman and Brandon Gommebs in the front office to keep
him away from Milwaukee. This was a reality they need
another front end starting pitcher. You know, we can list
the names they've got, but the reality is health wise
and where they're at on this day in August, there's
a lot of question marks, and so they needed him.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Let's look at the team overall, and one of the
big you know, pushbacks on the Dodgers is, you know,
they've always had these farm systems and players, and they
used to win.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
The Rookie of the Year like every year.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
At one point, the Dodgers used to develop so many
great players and now you look at this team, it's
more like a transactional team. Tim everybody's from somewhere else.
I think Piez and Smith are like the only homegrown
pieces to the Dodgers. Now, just how this team feels
(10:38):
or does it feel like that or do they feel
like Dodgers.
Speaker 6 (10:43):
They feel like Dodgers, and you know it's not the
Dodgers of the eighties and nineties. This isn't you know,
Garvey sa Lopes and you know that whole group of
the seventies and early eighties. This is certainly a different
era baseball.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
We all know that.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
And they've tried to sprinkle in young guys with the veterans.
You mentioned Andy Popter. Justin Robleski's a guy who they
have developed. He was basically injured at Oklahoma State. They
developed in the last three years and brought him up
to the big leagues. So they've sprinkled in those guys.
But certainly they go out and get the big guys
in free agency, and they bring in a Mookie Bets
who Boston didn't want anymore. You know, we know the
(11:17):
history with what happened with Freddie Freeman in Atlanta. So
they've gone out and gone a really good job of
doing both, I think. But it's not the old school
Billy Ashley, Eric Carrolls, Mike Piazza. You know, this is
the early nineties, and we're just gonna run out a
bunch of rookies of the year in a row because
what did he get them?
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Though?
Speaker 6 (11:32):
Didn't get him anything. He had a twenty seven to
twenty eight year gap in between World Series appearances. Reality is,
this is baseball now. You got to do both. You
gotta be active in free agency. You gotta spend. They
do a really good job of that, and the fact
is they develop and look who they flipped to get
Trek Scoble, a pair of minor leaguers that they then
flipped a couple of years ago, and a Matt Baty
deal with the Padres to get River Ryan's I Air
(11:54):
Hope was a trade for Michael Bush in the Chicago Cubs.
And then the young kid they sent the third piece
was a guy they drafted in the third around a
couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So they do a really good job.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
At developing, but then seeing what they've got, bringing in
other pieces and then flipping them for big team, big
time level talent.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Guests on Inside the Parkers Tim Kats from AM five
to seventy LA Sports here in Los Angeles covered the Dodgers,
and I do want to get back here, Tim to
a couple of players. You mentioned Mookie Betts.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Where is he?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
I mean, we saw a spark for a little bit,
but the last couple of years, Remember we was sick
at the beginning of last season, never really had could
get it.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Going or have the kind of year that we know.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
This guy is by all indications headed to the Hall
of Fame, you know, with the career he's had. But
the last two years have been disappointing. Would you say
that's fair?
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I think absolutely Offensively he has struggled. And last year
he was the first guy to admit in And it
was right around this time last year Rob that he said,
all right, just forget it.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Whatever happened offense will be great.
Speaker 6 (13:01):
I'm gonna be a team player and it's gonna you know,
scrub and or RaSE what's happened up until this point.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
And he had a good finish to the season.
Speaker 6 (13:07):
And you know, you look at what Mooki did making
the transition from right field to second base to now shortstop.
Hasn't been a toll on him? Has it been taxi
mentally and physically? Maybe a little bit. But I think
he's done a pretty good job defensively, certainly, you know,
a gold gut, gold glove consideration a year ago. The
offense is the struggle, and whether it's the age, whether
it's the toll, whether it's the mental aspect could be
(13:30):
all those combined. Rob, But up until the last game
of this game series against Chicago, he was hitting like
one fifty five over the last two and a half weeks,
just not really good at all. And they're trying to
find different spots from the lineup. He's batting second, batting sixth,
batting seventh, so Dave Roberts is trying to figure out
how to get him out of this funk. Yesterday, or
the last game against Chicago, Ridley feel he had four
(13:50):
hits and hit the ball really hard. And the day
before Rob he was asked, are you doing something differently?
Is it your mechanics, is your approach? What is it
at the plate? He said, I'm hitting the ball hard,
I'm squaring it up. I'm just not finding green grass.
And he was right. He was hitting it just right
at guys, and sometimes that's just baseball over the course
of one hundred and sixty two. Sometimes it finds grass,
sometimes it doesn't. And I think the day after he
(14:11):
said all that, all of a sudden he's got a
four hit game, So maybe this is something he can
build on, But certainly offensively, this is not the Mookie
of Boston. This isn't Mookie of twenty twenty twenty one,
twenty two. This is a different Mookie, best at a different
part of his career.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Tim kats Am five seventy LA Sports Here in Los
Angeles covers the Dodgers. Does a great job. Tim, Always
a pleasure, my man.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Thank you, You're the best. Rob, talk to you.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
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 or new.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Now let's welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Jamie Harris, of course, the sports editor of the amsterdamn
News in New York.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Jamie, what's happening, my man? How are you? I'm great, Rob,
great man? How you doing?
Speaker 7 (14:57):
Brother?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Always good when talks some Yankees and what's happening in
the Bronx.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Some good news.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Aaron Judge has been out since May, which is just
incredible how long he's been out now, but he has
been cleared to do some light activities. What's the latest
or people optimistic? I think Judge even said he's gonna
be He's gonna make it back.
Speaker 7 (15:19):
Oh, he definitively said he's going to be back. And
you know yesterday he did, like you said, Rob, some
light work on the field. He you know, certainly is
you know, determined that he will be back on the
field and contributing to the scene.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
You know, it's interesting, Robert.
Speaker 7 (15:34):
I'll go back to a column he wrote at the
start of the season, and you predicted that this was
going to be Judge's season, he was gonna win the
MVP and this would be the year that the Yankees
won the World Series. Now the MVP obviously is out
of the question. He hasn't played since May thirty first,
And the irony is he said the injury. He traces
the injury back to April twenty six when he dole
(15:55):
for a ball in the outfield. So he played a
full month, over a month with that injury. But I
still think Rob and so that the odds makers that
the Yankees, our team that will be in the World
Series is certainly have a good chance of being the
World Series. And I think that is due to Judge
coming back, and also the pitching.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
The starting pitching is off the chain.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I think people have no like they go into the
and the American League, nobody will be able to stack
up with their starting I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I don't think so. Starting pitching in the al and
we're gonna get back to the Yankees.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But one thing really quickly I want to touch on
you being in New York the Amsterdam News covering New
York teams is the Mets took a different approach. Look
at what the Red Sox fire Corpra, the Phillies fire
Thompson and and both of those teams turned their seasons around.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
The Mets waited, waited, waited. Maybe they wouldn't have got there.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
But I didn't understand the Colins Mendoza how long they
waited before they finally pulled the trigger. And I think,
if you're a Red Sox fan and people were questioning
ownership and blaming all, how could you fire Cora and
all that, it actually worked.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
Yeah, And I was one of those who questioned the
firing corps. Obviously he had the respect of the players.
Remember when he was fired the players, which is usual,
particular trivia Crevor's story, they were very outspoken about, you know,
the commitment and dedication to Cora, and that it was
in his fault and essentially implicitly but pointing fingers toward
the front office. Now, my front office has done a
(17:31):
really good job. And Rob, I'm one who said, while Mendoza,
you know, certainly is not case. He's singler Whitey hers All.
I said, Mendoza could not be ascribed all the blame
for what is taking place with his team. You look
at David Stearns, He's done a terrible job.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
I mean, and I don't disagree. I don't disagree with that,
but I do believe that.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
And here's the only reason why I pushed back on
the Mendoza and them is they got Juan Soto last year,
had the best record in June last year, and then cratered,
you know, didn't make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You remember they went to Miami, they had.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
To win one game. They couldn't win a game and
Miami got swept. Didn't make the playoffs with Juan Soto.
Then you couple that with the start of this year,
which was just god awful, and some the manager, if
you're gonna give him credit when they win or go
to the NLCS, he got to get some blame when
things don't go right either.
Speaker 7 (18:25):
And let's remember they they barely made it to the NLCS.
They you know, they had to win, you know, the
games at the end of the season, went down to
the to the last game, and of course Lindor was
phenomenal two years ago and they made it to the NLCS,
wound up losing to the Dodgers. But I agree, I
said Mendoza had to go too, because listen, someone has
to be held accountable. But I also think that you
(18:45):
have to look at Stearns. Remember last year two years
ago when you mentioned that season, you know, they caught
lightning in the bottle with Severarino and some other guys.
He tried to do it again with Frankie Montage was terrible.
The signings were awful. The pitching was abominable last year,
Rob and the same thing this year. They just they
haven't been able to pitch, you know, inconsistent offense. Lindor
has been hurt, He's back in the lineup now, now
(19:07):
Soto's out, and so yeah, we could you know, and
I'm not saying injuries with the cause they just have
been a bad scene structurally from top to bottom. And
I think you have to take a look at every
aspect of organization from scouting.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Now do like the young kids bench and you and
you have played well.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
But you have to look at the entire organization and
this has been an organizational failure as opposed to your
singing managerial failure.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I agree.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
I agree, it's all and the manager has to take
some blame as long as as well as the general manager.
All right, last thing, Man, George Lombard, junior rookie makes
his debut with the Yankees. Come on, man, hitting the
home run, playing short start, making plays. You know I
was there when Jeter made his debut and and you
(19:51):
know he wound.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Up playing twenty years there.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
My god, I know people are going crazy a little too.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
I don't want to.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
I want to pump the brakes. But Lombard Jr. Is
off to a great start, especially with the glove. The
home run always is going to be great as a
Bronx bomber. But just tell me what your impressions of
him are so far to Yankees number one prospect is
a big league.
Speaker 7 (20:12):
Well, Rob, I'm not because you're my brother, but you
you know you wanted to esteem sports writers with baseball
riders in the country. You've been around Rob's stadiums and
teams where young guys make their debut, guys who you
know have so much promise. You know, the fans are
looking forward to, you know, that young man stepping on
the field and saying like you did. That guy may
be in that position for fifteen years. And Lombard is
one of those guys, and obviously there should be excitement.
(20:34):
But he looks the part. He has the swag physically,
you can see the stature and the tools and the
skills are there. And I think what will keep him
in the lineup because young guys are going to struggle
at the plate. His defense, which is another Yankee issue.
They have been a poor defensive team and so he
looks like he can help solidify that middle infield, and
I think that will keep him in the lineup. And
(20:55):
I do think he'll ultimately hit. But so look at
the prospect that you've seen Countess Rob more than you
can remember come up. You just say, Buck O'Neill used
to say that, you know, just some guys you can
see they just have that in factor. He just seems
to have it. So I expect Lombard to not be
overwhelmed to play and to play well, particularly on a
defense and defense where they.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Really need him. No doubt, he looks.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Vaute.
Speaker 7 (21:20):
People was terrible, So he can't be worse than Anthony
Bowl and what's.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Crazy always and I think I know everybody piles on voting.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Now.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
I do have a soft spot from him for one reason.
He did want a gold Glove as shortstop. It's not
easy to want a gold glove, yes, at short you
know what I mean, And he did. Can't take that
away from him. But something happened and he just couldn't
make the plays like he used to. But I think
people are trying to make it like he was never good.
(21:48):
And I'm going to push back on people. You don't
win a gold Glove by accident, that's all.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
No, not a short stop, And you don't have to
push back on me. I said. It's somewhere facetiously, but
and I always wonder it's confounding. He looked so good,
like you said, early on when he won the gold Glove,
and then he you know, in the subsequent years, uh,
you know, his fielding has been problematic and and conversely,
I think it's affected him at the plate. I do
think Volpi ultimately will go somewhere else and play, you know,
(22:16):
And I've said this, Rob I thought the Yankees waited
too long to trade him. It was evident that he
was not going to be that long term shortstop.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (22:23):
And I think they were just with Domingaz. They gave
Domingaz opportunity after opportunity, and so they obtually both of
them the triple A. Domingaz was supposed to be the
next Mickey Mantle, right, and.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I know, and he never turned into that. Ye, he
never turned into that. So that happens. He won the
good outfielder.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
And and and and I thought when he misplayed that
ball in right field, that was it.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Like he missplayed the ball that cost him.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And I thought to myself, you can't let that ball
get by you, Jamie. You know, you know, man, God,
you cannot that ball cannot get by you. And and
he let it get by him, And I was like,
and the Yankees probably threw their hands off as well.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
All right. His name is Jamie Harris.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
One of the best in the business, sports editor of
the Amsterdam News. Man, my boy, we've been buddies for
forty years, thirty five years service.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Salute rob Man.
Speaker 7 (23:17):
Keep doing your thing, whether I'm proud and listen, I
do think And let me close with this. The Dodgers
they got screwball. But I do think, and I'm a
Mets fan. I mean on the best. I think the
Yankees pitching we talk about the close of the season
is gonna stack up.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Okay, I got you on the record there. His name
is Jamie Harris. Thank you, buddy.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
It's time for a trip down memory lane. Here on
Inside the Parker.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Ron Parker has covered Major League baseball for forty years. Now,
let's relive a memorable moment of his career.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
The toughest baseball column I ever had to write was
about Hank Aaron.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I had to take him the task, and I did
the lake.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Hank Aaron has legendary status in Major League baseball three
zero five lifetime batting average, three thousand, seven hundred and
seventy one hit, seven hundred and fifty five home runs, two.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Thousand, two hundred and ninety seven RBI.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
He made the All Star team twenty five times.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Still I had to write it.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Enter two thousand and seven, Barry Bonds is in hot
pursuit to break Hank Aaron's home run record. It's gonna happen,
and Hank Aaron was asked about it, and he was noncommittal.
He didn't condemn Bonds for the juice allegations, and he
didn't embrace Bonds for what he was about to accomplish.
(24:47):
And for that reason I wrote in my column that
Hank Aaron was a coward. And when I use that word,
it was about the idea of him not taking a
stand about his record. I didn't say he had to
embrace Barry Bond's, but he had to have a take
because it was his all time record. As you can imagine,
(25:12):
I was trashed. Columns were written about me. I was
ripped on the radio and the television. What drove me
to write this column was simple. When Hank Aaron was
about to pass Babe Ruth, people tried to discredit him
and his pursuit of the all time home run record,
and I thought, here we go again in the case
(25:35):
of Barry Bond. It was the toughest column I ever wrote,
but I still think to this day it had to
be written. It struck conversation and engage people in the
whole debate about the all time home run leader.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
And that is a good column.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
In the words of New York TV legend the Lady
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Rob Parker out d can't Davin? This could be an
inside of Parker.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
See you next week, same bat time, same bat station,
From the Berkshars 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. You have another hot take? Will
not n ot make the playoffs?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Show?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Hey me the money, Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Come on, I've been covering Major League Baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
In Detroit, in LA.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I love this game.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Welcome into the podcast, and I'm your host, Rob Parker.
And what a show we have for you today. So
much to do, so little time. We'll talk with Tim
Kites of AM five seventy in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
He'll tell us about the Dodgers.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
Their losing streak, the big trade for schoolbl all that
and much more.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Plus we'll go to New York.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
We'll talk with Jamie Harris, the sports editor of the
Amsterdam News.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Yankees of course got news about Judge.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Also their prize rookie George Lombard Junior debuted as well.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
We'll get into that, plus much more. Let's go better.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
To lead off, it's getting.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
Rocked and keep them on.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Rob's hot take on the three biggest stories in Major
League Baseball.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
Number one, It's hard to believe, but the Dodgers in
the desert taking on the Diamondbacks this weekend starting on.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Friday is a big series.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
I know, the Dodgers coming into Friday have an eight
game lead in the NL West and you're like, eight
games or whatever. They're riding a losing streak and things
just aren't going well. They just got tark Schooble, so
you're like, what's the panic.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
The panic is.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
The Dodgers could wind up being a wild card team
and not have the best record in the NL and
be in a tough spot. So this is a big
series for the postseason seeing where they fit in. The
Dodgers have been scuffling, you know, six straight losses for
(02:23):
this team and this roster and this payroll is a lot.
You don't expect the team of this caliber to be
scuffling like this. Arizona somehow has found its way back
into this jumped over the Padres only eight games behind,
fighting for a wild card.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
So this is gonna be a big series.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
I mean, I mean, could the Dodgers get swept and
be only five games ahead or whatever and continue to swoon,
or is this where they go and get the things corrected.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
It's a big series to watch, so make sure you check.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
It out this weekend, starting Friday, the Dodgers at the
Diamondbacks in the.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Desert Number two.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
I don't want to sell the alarm, but there's reason
for concern with Paul Schemes, the Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher.
On Wednesday, he had another SOSO start, three earned runs
in five innings in a loss. But the numbers really
(03:27):
coming into Wednesday have been really, really bad. This is
a guy people were thinking could be one of the
all time greatest pictures and coming into that start on Wednesday,
his RORA was five point one point eight over his
previous fourteen starts before he gave up the three runs
(03:50):
in five innings on Wednesday night, And you got to.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Think about that.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
That's after posting a one point nine to six RORA
his rookie year and twenty twenty and a one point
nine to seven en route to Asie young last year
in twenty twenty five. Now we're talking about Paul Skins
with a chubby Rray around four for the season. If
you remember, he got beat up in the opener and
(04:17):
really had never been on track this year, which is
crazy to think he had two sub two errays to
start his career. People were ready to say he was
the next Tom Sever. Baseball is something, man, It takes
a long way. It's hard to make sure that you
can be that consistent and that could he could never
(04:37):
The idea was going to be under two r rays
entire career sounds far fetched. But he was off to
an unhittable start and this year is very hittable.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So it's interesting to see how this plays out in
this year. What's happened to Paul Skins this year?
Speaker 4 (04:54):
But he is definitely not the same pitcher as he
was his first two years. Number three, One last thing
about the trade deadline, And we get it.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
You know, most of MLB America.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Threw up in its mouth when it found out that
Schoolboo was going to the Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
The rich get richer.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
We get it, but you do have to do a
deep diving thing to yourself, even if you have to
give up some of your top prospects get and I
get it to Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
If they make a mistake, they can cover it up.
They have a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
If you're Milwaukee or Tampa and it doesn't work out
and schoolbl's just to rental and you don't win and
you give up some of your best prospects, you don't
have a chance to recoup that. But I have to say,
if you're Tampa Bay and you're trying to win a
World Series, sometimes you got to gamble. You got the
risk is worth it to go out and do what
(05:45):
you can to be this close. You know, Judge got
hurt for the Yankees. It gave the Rays a chance
to sneak in maybe win the division this year instead
of the Yankees and have a shot at the World Series.
The American League is wide open. And if you're the Brewers,
who have had nothing but regular season success the last
(06:05):
three or four years, where they're just consistently winning a
lot of games and winning the NL Central, but they
flame out in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
Last year. They couldn't hit the Dodgers. There was embarrassing.
They were awful. But adding.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Pieces to this team to try to get you to
that next step. I just wonder, if you're Milwaukee, how
in the world did you not give the Tigers and say,
what do you want from our minor leagues for schoolbl
what do you want? Just take it right? Winning a
lot of games and getting blown out in the postseason
doesn't do it for me.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
So I think.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
Milwaukee and Tampa Bay they missed golden opportunities, especially Milwaukee
because they have the best record in the National League,
and had they added Schoolboy instead of the Dodgers, I
think they would be the favorites in the National League.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Comes the Big Interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
It's so good.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
Now let's welcome into the podcast mister Tim Kates, who
covers the Dodgers for AM five seventy in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Tim, what's happening to my man?
Speaker 1 (07:15):
How are you Rob?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
How you doing? It? Is the end of the world.
Speaker 6 (07:18):
Sky has fallen here in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
I already know it. You glutton me. You know you
guys are glutton.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
I said this the other day on KMBC that it's
like going to Mastros and having a big steak dinner
and then wanting to eat like five.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Pieces of cheesecake at the end. When is enough is enough? Tim?
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Well, apparently it's not.
Speaker 6 (07:42):
Enough because they've lost six in a row now, Rob
and you look back to a month ago. This is
a team that had a fourteen game lead in the
NL West and now it's down to eight and it
could go down to five if they get swept again
in this three game series this weekend in Phoenix against
the Diamondbacks.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Yeah, it is interesting and where things are going.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
But the Tarik School, well, obviously the Dodgers will always
mention as a suitor, you know what I mean. And
then with the idea of Otani not pitching again because
of what you know, these nagging injuries that have kind
of hampered him and taking him off the mound. Schooble
made his debut against the Cubs, gave up two runs,
they lost.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
He was fine and he's a great pitcher. We know that.
Is this is this a rental or is this long term?
How do you see schoolbol fitting in with the Dodgers?
Speaker 6 (08:32):
Well, I think for the immediate, you know, now, this
was a rental, and depending on what happens with the CBA,
what happens in twenty twenty seven, we'll find out that's
down the road. Certainly they got the money to pay
him if he wants to, you know, to come back
and sign with the Dodgers and free agency, but for now,
this was a need Rob.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I know people look at it as well.
Speaker 6 (08:49):
They're just trying to keep him away from the Brewers
and everybody else the Tampa Bay Rays, And I think
that was probably the thinking a couple of weeks ago
when they had a double digit lead and things were
training in the right to action as far as health
with this Dodgers team. But the reality is, you don't
know what you're gonna get with Tyler Glass now when
he comes back from his backspasts. Blake Snell wasn't sharp,
(09:10):
but is supposed to come back now off the injured list,
but he hasn't given you much in twenty twenty six.
The reality is Justin Robleski has been an All Star
this year, but how much does he have left in
the tank. He's already surpassed career highs and innings and
starts and we're only in the early part of August
and he hasn't looked sharp his last two starts.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Ubleski, his last two starts, he's given up like eight
or nine home runs.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
He can't keep the ball in the yard.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
The reality is the pitching is not great right now,
and Otani you don't know if he's coming back.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
So they needed Terrek School.
Speaker 6 (09:44):
This wasn't a preventive defensive strike from you know, Andrew
Freeman and Brandon Gommebs in the front office to keep
him away from Milwaukee. This was a reality they need
another front end starting pitcher. You know, we can list
the names they've got, but the reality is health wise
and where they're at on this day in August, there's
a lot of question marks, and so they needed him.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Let's look at the team overall, and one of the
big you know, pushbacks on the Dodgers is, you know,
they've always had these farm systems and players, and they
used to win.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
The Rookie of the Year like every year.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
At one point, the Dodgers used to develop so many
great players and now you look at this team, it's
more like a transactional team. Tim everybody's from somewhere else.
I think Piez and Smith are like the only homegrown
pieces to the Dodgers. Now, just how this team feels
(10:38):
or does it feel like that or do they feel
like Dodgers.
Speaker 6 (10:43):
They feel like Dodgers, and you know it's not the
Dodgers of the eighties and nineties. This isn't you know,
Garvey sa Lopes and you know that whole group of
the seventies and early eighties. This is certainly a different
era baseball.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
We all know that.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
And they've tried to sprinkle in young guys with the veterans.
You mentioned Andy Popter. Justin Robleski's a guy who they
have developed. He was basically injured at Oklahoma State. They
developed in the last three years and brought him up
to the big leagues. So they've sprinkled in those guys.
But certainly they go out and get the big guys
in free agency, and they bring in a Mookie Bets
who Boston didn't want anymore. You know, we know the
(11:17):
history with what happened with Freddie Freeman in Atlanta. So
they've gone out and gone a really good job of
doing both, I think. But it's not the old school
Billy Ashley, Eric Carrolls, Mike Piazza. You know, this is
the early nineties, and we're just gonna run out a
bunch of rookies of the year in a row because
what did he get them?
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Though?
Speaker 6 (11:32):
Didn't get him anything. He had a twenty seven to
twenty eight year gap in between World Series appearances. Reality is,
this is baseball now. You got to do both. You
gotta be active in free agency. You gotta spend. They
do a really good job of that, and the fact
is they develop and look who they flipped to get
Trek Scoble, a pair of minor leaguers that they then
flipped a couple of years ago, and a Matt Baty
deal with the Padres to get River Ryan's I Air
(11:54):
Hope was a trade for Michael Bush in the Chicago Cubs.
And then the young kid they sent the third piece
was a guy they drafted in the third around a
couple of years ago.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So they do a really good job.
Speaker 6 (12:02):
At developing, but then seeing what they've got, bringing in
other pieces and then flipping them for big team, big
time level talent.
Speaker 4 (12:09):
Guests on Inside the Parkers Tim Kats from AM five
to seventy LA Sports here in Los Angeles covered the Dodgers,
and I do want to get back here, Tim to
a couple of players. You mentioned Mookie Betts.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Where is he?
Speaker 4 (12:27):
I mean, we saw a spark for a little bit,
but the last couple of years, Remember we was sick
at the beginning of last season, never really had could
get it.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Going or have the kind of year that we know.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
This guy is by all indications headed to the Hall
of Fame, you know, with the career he's had. But
the last two years have been disappointing. Would you say
that's fair?
Speaker 6 (12:50):
I think absolutely Offensively he has struggled. And last year
he was the first guy to admit in And it
was right around this time last year Rob that he said,
all right, just forget it.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Whatever happened offense will be great.
Speaker 6 (13:01):
I'm gonna be a team player and it's gonna you know,
scrub and or RaSE what's happened up until this point.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
And he had a good finish to the season.
Speaker 6 (13:07):
And you know, you look at what Mooki did making
the transition from right field to second base to now shortstop.
Hasn't been a toll on him? Has it been taxi
mentally and physically? Maybe a little bit. But I think
he's done a pretty good job defensively, certainly, you know,
a gold gut, gold glove consideration a year ago. The
offense is the struggle, and whether it's the age, whether
it's the toll, whether it's the mental aspect could be
(13:30):
all those combined. Rob, But up until the last game
of this game series against Chicago, he was hitting like
one fifty five over the last two and a half weeks,
just not really good at all. And they're trying to
find different spots from the lineup. He's batting second, batting sixth,
batting seventh, so Dave Roberts is trying to figure out
how to get him out of this funk. Yesterday, or
the last game against Chicago, Ridley feel he had four
(13:50):
hits and hit the ball really hard. And the day
before Rob he was asked, are you doing something differently?
Is it your mechanics, is your approach? What is it
at the plate? He said, I'm hitting the ball hard,
I'm squaring it up. I'm just not finding green grass.
And he was right. He was hitting it just right
at guys, and sometimes that's just baseball over the course
of one hundred and sixty two. Sometimes it finds grass,
sometimes it doesn't. And I think the day after he
(14:11):
said all that, all of a sudden he's got a
four hit game, So maybe this is something he can
build on, But certainly offensively, this is not the Mookie
of Boston. This isn't Mookie of twenty twenty twenty one,
twenty two. This is a different Mookie, best at a different
part of his career.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Tim kats Am five seventy LA Sports Here in Los
Angeles covers the Dodgers. Does a great job. Tim, Always
a pleasure, my man.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Thank you, You're the best. Rob, talk to you.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
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 or new.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Now let's welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Jamie Harris, of course, the sports editor of the amsterdamn
News in New York.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Jamie, what's happening, my man? How are you? I'm great, Rob,
great man? How you doing?
Speaker 7 (14:57):
Brother?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Always good when talks some Yankees and what's happening in
the Bronx.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Some good news.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Aaron Judge has been out since May, which is just
incredible how long he's been out now, but he has
been cleared to do some light activities. What's the latest
or people optimistic? I think Judge even said he's gonna
be He's gonna make it back.
Speaker 7 (15:19):
Oh, he definitively said he's going to be back. And
you know yesterday he did, like you said, Rob, some
light work on the field. He you know, certainly is
you know, determined that he will be back on the
field and contributing to the scene.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
You know, it's interesting, Robert.
Speaker 7 (15:34):
I'll go back to a column he wrote at the
start of the season, and you predicted that this was
going to be Judge's season, he was gonna win the
MVP and this would be the year that the Yankees
won the World Series. Now the MVP obviously is out
of the question. He hasn't played since May thirty first,
And the irony is he said the injury. He traces
the injury back to April twenty six when he dole
(15:55):
for a ball in the outfield. So he played a
full month, over a month with that injury. But I
still think Rob and so that the odds makers that
the Yankees, our team that will be in the World
Series is certainly have a good chance of being the
World Series. And I think that is due to Judge
coming back, and also the pitching.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
The starting pitching is off the chain.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
I think people have no like they go into the
and the American League, nobody will be able to stack
up with their starting I don't.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
I don't think so. Starting pitching in the al and
we're gonna get back to the Yankees.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But one thing really quickly I want to touch on
you being in New York the Amsterdam News covering New
York teams is the Mets took a different approach. Look
at what the Red Sox fire Corpra, the Phillies fire
Thompson and and both of those teams turned their seasons around.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
The Mets waited, waited, waited. Maybe they wouldn't have got there.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
But I didn't understand the Colins Mendoza how long they
waited before they finally pulled the trigger. And I think,
if you're a Red Sox fan and people were questioning
ownership and blaming all, how could you fire Cora and
all that, it actually worked.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
Yeah, And I was one of those who questioned the
firing corps. Obviously he had the respect of the players.
Remember when he was fired the players, which is usual,
particular trivia Crevor's story, they were very outspoken about, you know,
the commitment and dedication to Cora, and that it was
in his fault and essentially implicitly but pointing fingers toward
the front office. Now, my front office has done a
(17:31):
really good job. And Rob, I'm one who said, while Mendoza,
you know, certainly is not case. He's singler Whitey hers All.
I said, Mendoza could not be ascribed all the blame
for what is taking place with his team. You look
at David Stearns, He's done a terrible job.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
I mean, and I don't disagree. I don't disagree with that,
but I do believe that.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
And here's the only reason why I pushed back on
the Mendoza and them is they got Juan Soto last year,
had the best record in June last year, and then cratered,
you know, didn't make the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
You remember they went to Miami, they had.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
To win one game. They couldn't win a game and
Miami got swept. Didn't make the playoffs with Juan Soto.
Then you couple that with the start of this year,
which was just god awful, and some the manager, if
you're gonna give him credit when they win or go
to the NLCS, he got to get some blame when
things don't go right either.
Speaker 7 (18:25):
And let's remember they they barely made it to the NLCS.
They you know, they had to win, you know, the
games at the end of the season, went down to
the to the last game, and of course Lindor was
phenomenal two years ago and they made it to the NLCS,
wound up losing to the Dodgers. But I agree, I
said Mendoza had to go too, because listen, someone has
to be held accountable. But I also think that you
(18:45):
have to look at Stearns. Remember last year two years
ago when you mentioned that season, you know, they caught
lightning in the bottle with Severarino and some other guys.
He tried to do it again with Frankie Montage was terrible.
The signings were awful. The pitching was abominable last year,
Rob and the same thing this year. They just they
haven't been able to pitch, you know, inconsistent offense. Lindor
has been hurt, He's back in the lineup now, now
(19:07):
Soto's out, and so yeah, we could you know, and
I'm not saying injuries with the cause they just have
been a bad scene structurally from top to bottom. And
I think you have to take a look at every
aspect of organization from scouting.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Now do like the young kids bench and you and
you have played well.
Speaker 7 (19:21):
But you have to look at the entire organization and
this has been an organizational failure as opposed to your
singing managerial failure.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
I agree.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
I agree, it's all and the manager has to take
some blame as long as as well as the general manager.
All right, last thing, Man, George Lombard, junior rookie makes
his debut with the Yankees. Come on, man, hitting the
home run, playing short start, making plays. You know I
was there when Jeter made his debut and and you
(19:51):
know he wound.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Up playing twenty years there.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
My god, I know people are going crazy a little too.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
I don't want to.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
I want to pump the brakes. But Lombard Jr. Is
off to a great start, especially with the glove. The
home run always is going to be great as a
Bronx bomber. But just tell me what your impressions of
him are so far to Yankees number one prospect is
a big league.
Speaker 7 (20:12):
Well, Rob, I'm not because you're my brother, but you
you know you wanted to esteem sports writers with baseball
riders in the country. You've been around Rob's stadiums and
teams where young guys make their debut, guys who you
know have so much promise. You know, the fans are
looking forward to, you know, that young man stepping on
the field and saying like you did. That guy may
be in that position for fifteen years. And Lombard is
one of those guys, and obviously there should be excitement.
(20:34):
But he looks the part. He has the swag physically,
you can see the stature and the tools and the
skills are there. And I think what will keep him
in the lineup because young guys are going to struggle
at the plate. His defense, which is another Yankee issue.
They have been a poor defensive team and so he
looks like he can help solidify that middle infield, and
I think that will keep him in the lineup. And
(20:55):
I do think he'll ultimately hit. But so look at
the prospect that you've seen Countess Rob more than you
can remember come up. You just say, Buck O'Neill used
to say that, you know, just some guys you can
see they just have that in factor. He just seems
to have it. So I expect Lombard to not be
overwhelmed to play and to play well, particularly on a
defense and defense where they.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
Really need him. No doubt, he looks.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Vaute.
Speaker 7 (21:20):
People was terrible, So he can't be worse than Anthony
Bowl and what's.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Crazy always and I think I know everybody piles on voting.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Now.
Speaker 4 (21:27):
I do have a soft spot from him for one reason.
He did want a gold Glove as shortstop. It's not
easy to want a gold glove, yes, at short you
know what I mean, And he did. Can't take that
away from him. But something happened and he just couldn't
make the plays like he used to. But I think
people are trying to make it like he was never good.
(21:48):
And I'm going to push back on people. You don't
win a gold Glove by accident, that's all.
Speaker 7 (21:53):
No, not a short stop, And you don't have to
push back on me. I said. It's somewhere facetiously, but
and I always wonder it's confounding. He looked so good,
like you said, early on when he won the gold Glove,
and then he you know, in the subsequent years, uh,
you know, his fielding has been problematic and and conversely,
I think it's affected him at the plate. I do
think Volpi ultimately will go somewhere else and play, you know,
(22:16):
And I've said this, Rob I thought the Yankees waited
too long to trade him. It was evident that he
was not going to be that long term shortstop.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (22:23):
And I think they were just with Domingaz. They gave
Domingaz opportunity after opportunity, and so they obtually both of
them the triple A. Domingaz was supposed to be the
next Mickey Mantle, right, and.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I know, and he never turned into that. Ye, he
never turned into that. So that happens. He won the
good outfielder.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
And and and and I thought when he misplayed that
ball in right field, that was it.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Like he missplayed the ball that cost him.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
And I thought to myself, you can't let that ball
get by you, Jamie. You know, you know, man, God,
you cannot that ball cannot get by you. And and
he let it get by him, And I was like,
and the Yankees probably threw their hands off as well.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
All right. His name is Jamie Harris.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
One of the best in the business, sports editor of
the Amsterdam News. Man, my boy, we've been buddies for
forty years, thirty five years service.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
Salute rob Man.
Speaker 7 (23:17):
Keep doing your thing, whether I'm proud and listen, I
do think And let me close with this. The Dodgers
they got screwball. But I do think, and I'm a
Mets fan. I mean on the best. I think the
Yankees pitching we talk about the close of the season
is gonna stack up.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
Okay, I got you on the record there. His name
is Jamie Harris. Thank you, buddy.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
It's time for a trip down memory lane. Here on
Inside the Parker.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Ron Parker has covered Major League baseball for forty years. Now,
let's relive a memorable moment of his career.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
The toughest baseball column I ever had to write was
about Hank Aaron.
Speaker 3 (23:55):
I had to take him the task, and I did
the lake.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Hank Aaron has legendary status in Major League baseball three
zero five lifetime batting average, three thousand, seven hundred and
seventy one hit, seven hundred and fifty five home runs, two.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Thousand, two hundred and ninety seven RBI.
Speaker 4 (24:16):
He made the All Star team twenty five times.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Still I had to write it.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Enter two thousand and seven, Barry Bonds is in hot
pursuit to break Hank Aaron's home run record. It's gonna happen,
and Hank Aaron was asked about it, and he was noncommittal.
He didn't condemn Bonds for the juice allegations, and he
didn't embrace Bonds for what he was about to accomplish.
(24:47):
And for that reason I wrote in my column that
Hank Aaron was a coward. And when I use that word,
it was about the idea of him not taking a
stand about his record. I didn't say he had to
embrace Barry Bond's, but he had to have a take
because it was his all time record. As you can imagine,
(25:12):
I was trashed. Columns were written about me. I was
ripped on the radio and the television. What drove me
to write this column was simple. When Hank Aaron was
about to pass Babe Ruth, people tried to discredit him
and his pursuit of the all time home run record,
and I thought, here we go again in the case
(25:35):
of Barry Bond. It was the toughest column I ever wrote,
but I still think to this day it had to
be written. It struck conversation and engage people in the
whole debate about the all time home run leader.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
And that is a good column.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
In the words of New York TV legend the Lady
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Rob Parker out d can't Davin? This could be an
inside of Parker.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
See you next week, same bat time, same bat station,
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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