October 23, 2025 • 32 mins
On this week’s edition of Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob is joined by USA Today MLB columnist Rob Nightengale to discuss all the latest managerial hirings around Major League Baseball and preview the upcoming World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Later, Rob hits us with his latest appearance on MLB Network.
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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.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Here's Baseball Hall of Fame voter number fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 3 (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. I love this game.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Let's go.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. Welcome
to the World Series edition of Inside the Parker and Man.
Game one of the twenty twenty five World Series the
Los Angeles Dodgers the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, Game
(01:08):
one in Toronto. We're gonna go to Toronto and talk
to Bob Nightingale, of course, the fine baseball columnists from
USA Today.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
We'll get a preview.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
We'll do that, plus we'll have my latest appearance from
MLB Network on MLB Now, that and much more.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
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 (01:40):
Now let's welcome into the podcast. Bob Nightingale, one of
the best baseball writers in the country, of course for
USA Today. He's a columnist there, and he's in Toronto
for a Game one of the World Series, of course,
Friday night, the Dodgers and the Blue Jays.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
How you doing, Bob? How are you?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Yeah? Doing great?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Thanks?
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Rob?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
All right? Always always great?
Speaker 5 (02:03):
All right.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I don't know. I mean, I thought it was gonna
be Seattle and the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I really did.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
When they won the first two games in Toronto, Bob
and the Blue Jays showed me something, winning four of
the last five, including a Game seven and down three
to one in the seventh inning.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
What about this Blue Jay team?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
They seemed like they they're destined.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Well, I thought they were going to be in the
World Series.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
I thought I would say, they're playing the World Series
against the Dodgers or the Phillies, right, you know that
was the real World Series, like a year ago, the
real World Series as the Potteris and Dodgers. Uh, Bluechers
is the best team. I thought the Blue Jays playing
the Dodgers makes a much better World Series than with Seattle.
Nothing against Seattle, but I think if Seattle just got there,
(02:47):
it's said, oh, we finally made our first world series.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I sing in the cake.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
I think this would be a much better series because
they're they're loaded offensively than a lot of stars.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, there are a lot of ours, for sure. The
only thing I will say, and I hear you, it
could have been great Seattle, just like the Cinderella story,
the small market against the you know, evil empire, the
Dodgers that spend a gazillion dollars. That could have made
for an epic story. You know, I don't know, it
(03:19):
could have been a lopsided world series.
Speaker 6 (03:20):
But it's just like, ah, you know, we have David
versus Gliath and the Dodger Brewers. Now you've got you know,
Gliath versus Gliath. I mean the Blue Jays. They could
have had Otani. They tried, they could have had Yamamoto.
You know, they tried, they were they were right during
the bidding, and they get the number five payroll. So, uh,
you know, these two big markets are going at it
(03:41):
and should be fun to watch.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, let's talk about uh, the Dodgers, and I know
that they've had an easy road for the most part
through the postseason, the Reds weren't ready for prime time.
They beat the Phillies. The Phillies beat them really one game,
and that was really it. And then the Brewers, to me,
were their bats were dead. I get the Dodgers have
(04:05):
good pitching, Bob, but they scored one run in each game,
lost the game on a basis loaded walk, another throwing
error in Game three. I don't know if Brewers just
weren't did to me were no shows against the Dodgers?
Was it just dominant Dodger pitching? Or were the Brewers
no shows to you?
Speaker 4 (04:26):
Well? I think third World Series was being the Cubs.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Once they beat the one, they won the division, then
oh my gosh, now they gotta play the Cubs again.
Once they knocked them off in a great five game series,
then it was almost like, Okay, whatever happens happens. If
they get swept, they get swept. So I'm not saying
they laid down or anything like that, but emostly in stuff,
their heart and soul was in that Cub series, and
(04:50):
I think they're kind of mostly drained after that thing.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, Dodgers, are you worried about their offense? Blue Jays
are averaging six and a half in the postseason the
Dodgers at around four. I think, uh, you know Otani
before that game for Bob Not he had struck out
sixteen and out of thirty four bats at one point
was batting one fifty eight. Freddy had the one home
(05:17):
run against the Brewers, but really hadn't done anything. I
guess Mookie was their most productive hitter, but the offense
to me, just hasn't been that great.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
That hasn't.
Speaker 6 (05:28):
I mean, Phillies pitched great against them. Hey, the Brewers
they pitched good against him too, But yeah, I agree,
I mean, uh, you know, they I don't think they
can hit worse than they have they you know, did okay?
Uh you know, I think we'll see those Blue Jays,
can you know, shut them down like like the Brewers
and Phillies you know pretty pretty much did Uh. I'll
(05:49):
be interested in how his layoff effects of Dodgers. I
think that's just where Blue Jays could have unvantaged because
they're still red hot and going to the series where hey,
the Dodger could not have been better. So now we'll
see in the layoffs throws them off, think a little bit.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
The thing that's crazy and I saw this on MLB network, Bob,
is the teams meeting in the World Series.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I think it's happened four.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Times where one team swept the championship series, right.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The league Championship Series.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Sure, the team played seven games, and in those four
matchups of those four World Series, the teams that played
seven games all won and none of them went the distance.
In the World Series, they won pretty easily, like in
five games or you know, like around that. And you
think that has something to do with the layoff and
just the way we're you. Baseball is an everyday kind
(06:45):
of thing, and you take four or five days off,
it isn't the best thing.
Speaker 6 (06:49):
Yeah, you do get a little rusty in hey, I
mean give and those two great Tiger teams they swept
in the ALCS and because I stayed Detroit for seven
eight days at time there and uh, they did everything
possible to stay ready, but they couldn't. And they looked
terrible on both those World service So who knows, maybe
the same thing can happen here. Uh, you know, had
(07:11):
the Dodgers. To be honest, the Dodgers did not want
to play the Blue Jays. They wanted to stay home.
They would have had a home fell advantage, would had
easy place at Seattle, stay in the same time zone. So,
you know, spite a little bit of a downer for them,
Let's say, oh, I, you're not gonna take a five
hour flight to Toronto.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
No, no doubt to get about it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Our guess is Bob Nightingale from USA today of course
to find baseball columns joining us here on inside the Parker, Bob,
Let's let's look at the Dodgers' bullpen. I know they
didn't really get taxed or used in the Brewers Series,
but if the Blue Jays can get to their starters, uh,
(07:51):
and get to that bullpen, is that an advantage for Toronto?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yeah, it's gotta be.
Speaker 6 (07:58):
I thought before the postseason started the Dodgers were gonna
blow two games in a bullpen. You three times now
they had them on you know, the opposing teams had him,
had him on the ropes and couldn't just come through.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
So they've got away with it so far.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
But it's hard to believe that bullpen will be you know,
constant through through the World Series. Uh. You know a
rookie Sasaki, Yeah, nice week or so, but you know,
it doesn't have the experience of doing it. There's really
nobody in that bullpen that you can just point at
and say, oh, I know he's going to close it out.
This is my Mario Rovera and the Blue Jays don't
have that guy either. But I think these eighth and
(08:35):
nineteen things could be dicey for both teams.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
How about that.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
I'm going to get back to the Blue Jays and
George Spring of course with the big three run home
run that sealed it for.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
The Blue Jays.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And he was bad last year and I know he
was banged up too, but what a comeback this year
for him, Like, like he really to me and we
know how great Vladdie Junior is and whatnot, but he
was a huge part of this Blue Jay I'm surprised
(09:08):
with you that he was able to bounce back, you know,
just late in his career.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
He's played a long time.
Speaker 6 (09:14):
Yeah, good for him, and you're right, he hasn't lived
up to that contract and this year had a monster year.
Uh you know, great postseason obviously, maybe the second biggest
home run after Joe Carter's and uh, yeah, it's good
to see you, good guy. And you know, when he's
thirty five years old. You don't see it often, so yeah,
good for him, and uh, you know, all eyes will
(09:35):
be on him in this little serious I mean, he's
the guy who single Hanley destroyed him in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
He's with the Astros.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, no doubt about it. Hey, Bob, let's check in
before we get your World Series pick. I'll check in
on a couple of things going on. Baseball wise. Tony
Vottello was hired Tennessee balls coach who's now going to
be the San Francisco Giants manager an unpressed a debt at.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Higher in baseball.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Crazy to me, But I just want to get your
take on this hire by the San.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Francisco Yeah, I think it's wild.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
I mean, like you said, this guy never guy, never
played professionally, never coached professionally, never managed professionally.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
It's a it's a massive gamble.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
I think you know, Hey, Buster, Posey's putting his job
on the line in this one, so you know, and
plus you're paying the big time money.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
He's the top five highest paid managers in the game.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
A lot of Bob, Come on, Bob, that's crazy.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
It is.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
He's making three and a half million there has never
been a first year manager's made over a million and
a half.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
So every manager now who's.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
Look runs their owners and say, wait a minute, now
they're paying this guy who has zero experience this kind
of money. I want to raise right now. I want
an extension right now. No, it's a massive gamble. I mean,
is he really going to have the veterans fall online?
You know, our guys gonna say, uh, hey, wait, man,
now who are you?
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Let's see. I don't so that college stuff is going
to work in in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
It is one of the craziest things I've ever seen.
It really is, And this is gonna be I'm with you.
I think Buster Posey uh has put his job on
the line. If this thing is a massive a failure,
I don't know how you go back. And here's mother thing, Bob,
real quick is can the Giants really have a learn
(11:25):
on the job manager when you're in a division with
the Dodgers and the Padres. I just that's the part
that I don't get if I'm a Giants fan, is
that we're a farm team. Now we're training guys against
some big boys like.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
That, I know, and then you're another thing too is.
You're telling me you're not gonna give Bruce Bochi you
wanted to manage that team. You're gonna tell Bruce Bochi
was going to the Hall of Fame. No, we don't
want you. We want a guy who's never done before. Massive,
massive risk. I would have hired Bruce Bochie in a heartbeat.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, the guys been the five World Series and one
four of them. He might be the best manager, right,
deb We've seen I mean, you know in the modern
Europe Dus Bochie.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
It's the gambler here. Vice president of Operations for mlbbro
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Speaker 3 (14:07):
You get your podcast. Uh, let's go to the Los
Angeles Angels coach Suzuki. Suzuki was hired as manager. Uh
what do you make of that? Again, the guy who
didn't manage, but of course by a long career in
the major leagues as a catcher.
Speaker 6 (14:25):
Yeah, I mean it's like, you know, the Battello things crazy.
It's crazy to see a guy take a contract for
one year, you know, and if you didn't take it
to get to someone else, you know, obviously Polos wasn't
going to do that. I don't think they ever got
to the money part, you know, with a Tory Hunter.
You know, you know, Hans Azuki is a nice hire,
but you still have poll holes and Hunter.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Uh, we'll see.
Speaker 6 (14:46):
I mean one year thing is like, you know, you're
not putting a lot of faith in him doing a
lot of faith you give him a four or five
year deal. And I'm sure Suzuki is saying to himself,
wait him, mante now I get a one year deal.
Vattello gets three years that kind of money plus a
vesting option. I'm sure Suzuki's not making you know, more
than one and a half. Uh yeah, and his contract
(15:08):
just goes through, uh, you know with with perrymanes in too.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
So this is a big this is a big year
for both those guys.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
And Bob also tell me about the Texas Rangers who
hired Skip Schumacher to replace Bruce Bochie down there in Arlington.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Good hire, good higher, I mean he, Uh, everybody won
this guy. The Baltimore Oriols went hard after him. He
would have got a he got more money and more
authority from the Rangers because of the Ools.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Won them so bad.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, he's got a great baseball acumen, did a great
job in Miami and that thing you know, turned upside
down on him. And uh, no, I think I think
it's a very good hire. I think he'll be outstanding.
You know, I'm sure I should have taxed I text
a bunch of different managers. I should have texted him saying,
you're gonna go in ask for raids now when you
see what I know.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I know a lot of them got to be chafed
by by the money that Fortello got.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
In San Francisco, because that is just wow.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
One last thing on the managing thing, and you mentioned
him Albert Pooholz, who was supposedly up with this Angel
job that didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
His name was mentioned by the Orioles.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I don't think he has been interviewed formally right by
the Orioles yet.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
No, you got interviewed yesterday by the by the Podres.
That has been his only interview besides the in the
Angels job. I think the Potters will be interesting. At first,
I said, what, how does that make sense? But if
you want to got to get you know, instant respect
and you want to go, yeah, you got Manny Machado
and in Fernando disease playing win him at Now I
(16:41):
respect this guy. This guy is a legends going to
the Hall of Fame. It'd be interesting and the weird
part would be, you know used part of ways with
the Cardinals. How your bringing another cardinal legends?
Speaker 4 (16:53):
That would be funny.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, last thing here before we get your prediction on
this World Series.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Today it was bombshell news in the NBA with the gambling.
And we know part of it, Bob was you know,
a poker with the mob, but there was sports gambling
as well that was involved there. And I'm just wondering
from the baseball side, you know, I always question all
the sports taking the gambling money, getting in bed with gambling.
(17:23):
We know the whole Pete Rose saga. And how at
one point Major League Baseball, if you remember, wouldn't even
let Mickey Mantle or Willie May's Greek people right at
the casinos in New Jersey. They couldn't go to old
timers game, they couldn't wear baseball parafern anything. They were
like get lost. And this has happened in the NBA.
(17:45):
We've seen a player band in the NBA and there's
a story out there about class with the Guardians and
he's being investigated. How big of a bombshell could just
wind up being in Major League Baseball, Bob, especially when
to me, there's a real risk of the temptation of guys,
(18:06):
you know, wanting to make a prop better or let
their friends know or inside information.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Is this going to be an issue?
Speaker 6 (18:15):
Oh, and it's give me an issue. I mean, you
can't tell me that there's not trainers, clubhouse guys, bat boys.
They know the insane information. They know who's in the
lineup before it comes out. They know a lot of things. Uh,
no baseball is you know open up to this, and uh,
you know, shame on them. Because it's it's going to happen.
And here's Claus say he was, you know, he was
(18:36):
on the path to the Hall of Fame. I mean,
no doubt, unbelievable clothes, making six million a year, and
I'm sure you know, I don't know, but he probably said, Okay,
I'll help out our friend. You know, what's what's one ball?
Speaker 4 (18:47):
They throw balls? You know you do that, and.
Speaker 6 (18:51):
Uh no, it looks bad to the investigation go this long,
you got to think they're both done for life, and
uh it's unbelievable and you can't think that. Okay, just
see these two. No, they're open a Pandora's box here.
Who knows what's gonna happen in the future. But yeah,
I mean, you know, then it gets ugly. And the
last thing people want is to find out a player
(19:11):
or managers throwing games.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
No doubt, it can mess with the integrity of the game.
All right, thanks for your insight. There one last thing,
your World Series prediction. I'm gonna go first, Bob, and
then I'm gonna let you go. I'm gonna take the
Blue Jays in five games. I don't think the Dodgers
have enough hitting. I think the Dodger pitching looked crazy
dominant because the Brewers' bats were dead. Not to say
(19:34):
that the Dodgers don't have pitching, but I think this
Blue Jay team offensively is crazy and I think they're
gonna hit. And I got the Blue Jays in five.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
What about you?
Speaker 6 (19:45):
I remember hot streak. I missed only one so far
in this postseason. I'm going Dodgers and six.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Which one did you miss? Real quick before you give
me your take on the.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Dodgers, Clevean Detroit. I had Cleveland Beandie Trait. Okay, I
kind of followed you. I was kind of down in Trait,
especially the way they finished.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
But they were bad. I was, I was, I was.
I was wrong too, but I I just couldn't see it.
I just thought they were so bad.
Speaker 6 (20:09):
Yeah, but they trade. I mean, I mean, Dodgers are
a better team. But yeah, I think it's definitely going
at lean six. Uh good, good, go seven. But you know,
you may be right. I mean what we talked about
earlier with the team coming off a emotional series, going
against the team with the week off, Uh, they you know,
Toronto's gotta play well here.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
They can't do with it against how they can't.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
They can't lose the first two games. I agree, they
will not win a World Series there, and the chances
of them losing both I don't see.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
If they grab game.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
One, it's going to be interesting to see how the
Dodgers respond and where the offense is.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
But Bob, I hear you.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
The Dodgers on paper, they're going against history.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Bob.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
The last National League team to repeat was what team.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
You're big, your all, big red machine. Seventy five seventy
six Reds.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
That'slie. Isn't that unbelievable?
Speaker 4 (20:58):
That's used that.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
I like that stat, burn the Yankee stat because you're
talking about fifty years Nation League team.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
No, I like that one, burning the Yankee one, the.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Yankee one by it's been twenty five years, right, ninety
thousand and one to three in a row, ninety eight,
ninety nine and two thousand. But my god, the Reds
one is crazy for the National League. So we shall see, Bob,
always a pleasure, my man. Enjoy the World Series. I'll
see you in Los Angeles. I'll miss the first two
games in Toronto, and I'll see you for Game three
(21:28):
here in LA.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
All right, buddy, all.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Right, Look forward to it.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
In case you missed Rob Parker on the MLB networks,
here's his latest appearance on mL Dina.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
All right, time for the showdown, and we welcome in
our buddy Rob Parker.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Rob, how are you today? I'm doing great, Steve, how
are you?
Speaker 7 (21:48):
I'm doing great. I've been looking forward to this. Tell you,
I've been looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
This all day long.
Speaker 7 (21:52):
And so all right, you're here to throw cold water
on Shohil Tani's and I'll see us Game four performance
where he hit three home runs, went six shutout innings
of two hit baseball, didn't walk anybody, struck out ten go.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I just I want to put some context on it.
I'm not here to say that he's not a great player.
It was great to watch. It wasn't the greatest of
all time postseason game or baseball game. People were at
the hyperbolegue wanted to say that they had never seen
anything great like this. It's just not true. We could
go back to even Rick Wise with the Phillies in
(22:29):
nineteen seventy one. He hit two home runs, pitched a
complete game, right a no hitter, a no hitter which
was one walk away from a perfect game. With two
home runs. Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on three
and second of pitches against three different pitches pitchers in
(22:50):
the World Series.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
He throws six shutout innings. I can't remember with Reggie
that day.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
You wait a minute, here's the whey. I'm going to
throw you the water on your six shutout innings. Okay,
against the Milwaukee Brewers, the team.
Speaker 7 (23:02):
Of the best record in the National League, just just
to be not actually best record all the baseball go ahead, Okay.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
But at that point when they played that game, they
were bat dead, they were already done. He didn't do
anything special because like now, shut them down.
Speaker 7 (23:19):
He went six innings, struck out ten, and hit three
home runs. He did something special. And so Reggie hit
three home runs on three straight pitches. That's not any
better than No Tani hitting three home runs on more
than three pitches and striking out ten and six shutout innings.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
And so it's if it's not.
Speaker 7 (23:38):
The best postseason performance ever, then you can give it
to Rick Wise with two home runs compared to the
three and front he's a no hitter.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Okay, that was really great.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
So it's is it the second best performance ever in
the history of the postseason, Like, what's better Don Larson
threw a perfect game, didn't hit three home runs? Like
what if it's.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Not the best the second?
Speaker 7 (23:59):
Give me an because right.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Now, Gigson in nineteen sixty seven, in Game seven of
the series.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
He pitched a complete game, ten strikeouts and also hit
a home run in that game.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
This is a World Series.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
So he matched Otani in the strikeout category and hit
two fewer home runs. But it's the World Series that
I'm with you, so we can give that. So you've
got two performances that you think are better than Otani's,
but it is one of the best ever performances in
the postseason. Would you agree with that?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Okay, it ranks in there. I just want to put
context because people were saying, oh, with this performance, it's
clear now that he's the greatest player who ever played
Major League baseball. I'm gonna pump the brakes on that
he's not even amongst the top four your war leaders
all time in baseball. I could go on and on
(24:51):
and on. It's so premature. I understand the excitement about
a guy who can pitch and hit like Otani, but
come on, we're not going to bury the last one
hundred years in baseball and act like he just showed
up and nobody else was any good.
Speaker 7 (25:07):
So I'm rick Wise's performance was in June, wasn't It
wasn't a playoff performance.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 7 (25:17):
You just told me that it mattered for Bob Gibson
because his performance was in the World Series. But you
said it doesn't matter that Rick Wise his performance was
in June. So what does matter?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
O tany what matters, Steve? I'll give you what matters.
The Brewers were bat dead when Otani faced him, because
we saw Yamamoto pitcher a nine in a complete game.
We saw a Snell pitch eight innings. Thes had nothing
going to He didn't shut down some great juggernaut offense.
Speaker 7 (25:48):
Hold that thought, yeah, hold that. I mean, they were
the best record in all of baseball this year, the
Milwaukee Brewers. But hold that thought that. You're right, the
Dodger starting pitchers were great. So far, we'll get to that.
So let me ask you this. The Giants make a
unique and out of the box hiring a Tony Vitello
as their new manager, coming from University at Tennessee.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
What do you think of the hiring.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Terrible, hiring, bad hiring, bush league, hier bush league.
Speaker 8 (26:14):
Yes, Buster Posey, this will be, mark my words, the
beginning of the end, because there's no way you can
make this hire, Steve when the Giants are in the
division with the Dodgers and with the Padres and the
tradition of that franchise.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Also, they've had Bruce Bouch. You might go down as
the greatest manager ever who managed that team. And for
Buster Posey to go out and get and do something
novel and trying to be different and hip in that
division with what's at stake and those fans in San Francisco,
they deserve better, and this is He's fine as a
(26:55):
college coach, but no experience in the major leagues. This
is not where you learn. If this was Tampa Bay
or some franchise like that, maybe I would buy it,
but not in San Francisco.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I don't buy it.
Speaker 7 (27:07):
Steve Well, you can make a case he's one of
the best college coaches in baseball. They went to won
the College World Series and he's done a great job
turning that program around. He's been fantastic. It is out
of the box. I don't disagree with you. It is
a bold hiring from Buster Posey. I mean he managed,
He coached sixty five games this year for Tennessee. He's
(27:29):
going to have to manage one hundred and sixty two.
Managing the weekend is different than managing, you know, seven
days a week for twenty six weeks of trying to
put this all together. So I don't disagree. It is
a bold hiring, and we have to wait and see
how this plays out. There's no question about that. But
I want to give him a chance because if it
does work, you're going to see more of that happening
because it is copycat league.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
And if it doesn't work, Buster Posey will lose his gig.
It's just a big gamble in that division with the
Padres and Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
That's the other part that you have to add to it, Steve.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
You not have somebody learn on the job in that division.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
I mean, I don't disagree.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
Now, part of the issue is though he does have
an ownership stake, and so can an owner fire himself
as general manager. That'll be interesting to see down the road.
All right, So let me ask you this. The Dodgers pitching,
they are unbelievable. They're starting pitching so far. But you're
not buying the hype how come?
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Because I think it had more to do with the
Brewers than it did with the Dodgers pitching. And I'm
not saying that the Dodgers pitching on paper isn't good,
but I don't know if it's as good as it
was against the Brewers. The Brewers couldn't get anything going.
They scored one run in each game, barely. They barely
lost Game one. If you remember Game one, they lost
(28:45):
on the bases loaded walk. They lost with the bases
loaded and their player swinging with a ball over his
head to lose that game. They're losing Game three on
a pickoff throw. They lose that game three to one.
They can't muster anything. And the Blue Jays are way
better as far as right now scoring runs. They're averaging
(29:06):
six and a half.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Runs in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
That's unheard of, Steve, And I'm telling you to Dodgers
won't be able to control that lineup like they did.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
The Brewers, So you blame the Brewers offense and don't
credit the Dodgers pitchers for that performance. Now, you do
know that Glass now Otani and Snell are one, two three,
when it comes to strikeouts per nine innings, not just
in the playoffs, not just the ear but in the
history of baseball with one hundred start minimum, they're one,
(29:36):
two and three in strikeouts per nine innings, and so
the fact that they dominated the Brewers is not a surprise.
They are three of the best strikeout pitchers in all
of baseball. Now, I agree that they're going to have
a challenge against the Blue Jays because the Blue Jays
don't strike out. They have the lowest wifth rate of
any team in baseball, and so they're going to try
to put it in play. But we can't diminish what
(29:58):
the pitchers have done for the Dodgers. They beat the
Brewers because their pitching was so good, not because the
Brewers weren't good enough. They beat the best team in
all of baseball and swept them in the series. So
I look at it a little bit differently than you.
I want to get to this one though. Can the
Dodgers bats beat the Blue Jays arms in this series?
The Blue Jays offense is there, but can they neutralize
(30:20):
the offense and can the pitching for the Jays stop
the Dodgers offense?
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Absolutely I think that's a week. There's been a week
spot for the Dodgers. If you look at their offense.
I told you about Game one against the Brewers. They
went on on a basis loaded walk. They win Game
three three to one on a pickoff.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Throw that goes down to right field.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Otani before Game four, where people wanted to crown him
the greatest ever, was batting one point fifty eight. At
one point had struck out sixteen out of thirty four times,
which just all over the place was it was so bad.
He went out and took batting practice to try to
get it back going. And because he was so off kilter,
(31:03):
Freddie Freeman hasn't been the same. Mookie's been the only
guy probably hitting for them, but their lineup has been sketchy,
and I don't think that they're gonna be able to
score enough runs to beat the Blue Jays.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
Give me a quick prediction before we let's go.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
I want to say the Blue Jays in five. You
know what, I'm gonna stay Blue Jays in five. The
Dodgers win one game and that's it, and you know
what that means. It'll mean that again. The last time
a National League team won back to back world series
will remain as Cincinnati Reds in nineteen seventy five and
(31:39):
nineteen seventy six.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
That's how long.
Speaker 7 (31:41):
It's been interesting, Rob, thanks so much, appreciate it very much.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Thank you, h Steve, Thank you buddy. In the words
of New York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking
you for your time this time until next time, Parker out.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
He can't get it.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
This could be an inside the Parker.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
See you next week, same bat time, same Matt 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.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Now.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Here's Baseball Hall of Fame voter number fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 3 (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. I love this game.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Let's go.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. Welcome
to the World Series edition of Inside the Parker and Man.
Game one of the twenty twenty five World Series the
Los Angeles Dodgers the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, Game
(01:08):
one in Toronto. We're gonna go to Toronto and talk
to Bob Nightingale, of course, the fine baseball columnists from
USA Today.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
We'll get a preview.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
We'll do that, plus we'll have my latest appearance from
MLB Network on MLB Now, that and much more.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
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 (01:40):
Now let's welcome into the podcast. Bob Nightingale, one of
the best baseball writers in the country, of course for
USA Today. He's a columnist there, and he's in Toronto
for a Game one of the World Series, of course,
Friday night, the Dodgers and the Blue Jays.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
How you doing, Bob? How are you?
Speaker 4 (01:59):
Yeah? Doing great?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Thanks?
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Rob?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
All right? Always always great?
Speaker 5 (02:03):
All right.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I don't know. I mean, I thought it was gonna
be Seattle and the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I really did.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
When they won the first two games in Toronto, Bob
and the Blue Jays showed me something, winning four of
the last five, including a Game seven and down three
to one in the seventh inning.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
What about this Blue Jay team?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
They seemed like they they're destined.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
Well, I thought they were going to be in the
World Series.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
I thought I would say, they're playing the World Series
against the Dodgers or the Phillies, right, you know that
was the real World Series, like a year ago, the
real World Series as the Potteris and Dodgers. Uh, Bluechers
is the best team. I thought the Blue Jays playing
the Dodgers makes a much better World Series than with Seattle.
Nothing against Seattle, but I think if Seattle just got there,
(02:47):
it's said, oh, we finally made our first world series.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I sing in the cake.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
I think this would be a much better series because
they're they're loaded offensively than a lot of stars.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, there are a lot of ours, for sure. The
only thing I will say, and I hear you, it
could have been great Seattle, just like the Cinderella story,
the small market against the you know, evil empire, the
Dodgers that spend a gazillion dollars. That could have made
for an epic story. You know, I don't know, it
(03:19):
could have been a lopsided world series.
Speaker 6 (03:20):
But it's just like, ah, you know, we have David
versus Gliath and the Dodger Brewers. Now you've got you know,
Gliath versus Gliath. I mean the Blue Jays. They could
have had Otani. They tried, they could have had Yamamoto.
You know, they tried, they were they were right during
the bidding, and they get the number five payroll. So, uh,
you know, these two big markets are going at it
(03:41):
and should be fun to watch.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Yeah, let's talk about uh, the Dodgers, and I know
that they've had an easy road for the most part
through the postseason, the Reds weren't ready for prime time.
They beat the Phillies. The Phillies beat them really one game,
and that was really it. And then the Brewers, to me,
were their bats were dead. I get the Dodgers have
(04:05):
good pitching, Bob, but they scored one run in each game,
lost the game on a basis loaded walk, another throwing
error in Game three. I don't know if Brewers just
weren't did to me were no shows against the Dodgers?
Was it just dominant Dodger pitching? Or were the Brewers
no shows to you?
Speaker 4 (04:26):
Well? I think third World Series was being the Cubs.
Speaker 6 (04:29):
Once they beat the one, they won the division, then
oh my gosh, now they gotta play the Cubs again.
Once they knocked them off in a great five game series,
then it was almost like, Okay, whatever happens happens. If
they get swept, they get swept. So I'm not saying
they laid down or anything like that, but emostly in stuff,
their heart and soul was in that Cub series, and
(04:50):
I think they're kind of mostly drained after that thing.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, Dodgers, are you worried about their offense? Blue Jays
are averaging six and a half in the postseason the
Dodgers at around four. I think, uh, you know Otani
before that game for Bob Not he had struck out
sixteen and out of thirty four bats at one point
was batting one fifty eight. Freddy had the one home
(05:17):
run against the Brewers, but really hadn't done anything. I
guess Mookie was their most productive hitter, but the offense
to me, just hasn't been that great.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
That hasn't.
Speaker 6 (05:28):
I mean, Phillies pitched great against them. Hey, the Brewers
they pitched good against him too, But yeah, I agree,
I mean, uh, you know, they I don't think they
can hit worse than they have they you know, did okay?
Uh you know, I think we'll see those Blue Jays,
can you know, shut them down like like the Brewers
and Phillies you know pretty pretty much did Uh. I'll
(05:49):
be interested in how his layoff effects of Dodgers. I
think that's just where Blue Jays could have unvantaged because
they're still red hot and going to the series where hey,
the Dodger could not have been better. So now we'll
see in the layoffs throws them off, think a little bit.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
The thing that's crazy and I saw this on MLB network, Bob,
is the teams meeting in the World Series.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I think it's happened four.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Times where one team swept the championship series, right.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
The league Championship Series.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Sure, the team played seven games, and in those four
matchups of those four World Series, the teams that played
seven games all won and none of them went the distance.
In the World Series, they won pretty easily, like in
five games or you know, like around that. And you
think that has something to do with the layoff and
just the way we're you. Baseball is an everyday kind
(06:45):
of thing, and you take four or five days off,
it isn't the best thing.
Speaker 6 (06:49):
Yeah, you do get a little rusty in hey, I
mean give and those two great Tiger teams they swept
in the ALCS and because I stayed Detroit for seven
eight days at time there and uh, they did everything
possible to stay ready, but they couldn't. And they looked
terrible on both those World service So who knows, maybe
the same thing can happen here. Uh, you know, had
(07:11):
the Dodgers. To be honest, the Dodgers did not want
to play the Blue Jays. They wanted to stay home.
They would have had a home fell advantage, would had
easy place at Seattle, stay in the same time zone. So,
you know, spite a little bit of a downer for them,
Let's say, oh, I, you're not gonna take a five
hour flight to Toronto.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
No, no doubt to get about it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Our guess is Bob Nightingale from USA today of course
to find baseball columns joining us here on inside the Parker, Bob,
Let's let's look at the Dodgers' bullpen. I know they
didn't really get taxed or used in the Brewers Series,
but if the Blue Jays can get to their starters, uh,
(07:51):
and get to that bullpen, is that an advantage for Toronto?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yeah, it's gotta be.
Speaker 6 (07:58):
I thought before the postseason started the Dodgers were gonna
blow two games in a bullpen. You three times now
they had them on you know, the opposing teams had him,
had him on the ropes and couldn't just come through.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
So they've got away with it so far.
Speaker 6 (08:13):
But it's hard to believe that bullpen will be you know,
constant through through the World Series. Uh. You know a
rookie Sasaki, Yeah, nice week or so, but you know,
it doesn't have the experience of doing it. There's really
nobody in that bullpen that you can just point at
and say, oh, I know he's going to close it out.
This is my Mario Rovera and the Blue Jays don't
have that guy either. But I think these eighth and
(08:35):
nineteen things could be dicey for both teams.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
How about that.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
I'm going to get back to the Blue Jays and
George Spring of course with the big three run home
run that sealed it for.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
The Blue Jays.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And he was bad last year and I know he
was banged up too, but what a comeback this year
for him, Like, like he really to me and we
know how great Vladdie Junior is and whatnot, but he
was a huge part of this Blue Jay I'm surprised
(09:08):
with you that he was able to bounce back, you know,
just late in his career.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
He's played a long time.
Speaker 6 (09:14):
Yeah, good for him, and you're right, he hasn't lived
up to that contract and this year had a monster year.
Uh you know, great postseason obviously, maybe the second biggest
home run after Joe Carter's and uh, yeah, it's good
to see you, good guy. And you know, when he's
thirty five years old. You don't see it often, so yeah,
good for him, and uh, you know, all eyes will
(09:35):
be on him in this little serious I mean, he's
the guy who single Hanley destroyed him in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
He's with the Astros.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, no doubt about it. Hey, Bob, let's check in
before we get your World Series pick. I'll check in
on a couple of things going on. Baseball wise. Tony
Vottello was hired Tennessee balls coach who's now going to
be the San Francisco Giants manager an unpressed a debt at.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Higher in baseball.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Crazy to me, But I just want to get your
take on this hire by the San.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
Francisco Yeah, I think it's wild.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
I mean, like you said, this guy never guy, never
played professionally, never coached professionally, never managed professionally.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
It's a it's a massive gamble.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
I think you know, Hey, Buster, Posey's putting his job
on the line in this one, so you know, and
plus you're paying the big time money.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
He's the top five highest paid managers in the game.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
A lot of Bob, Come on, Bob, that's crazy.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
It is.
Speaker 6 (10:32):
He's making three and a half million there has never
been a first year manager's made over a million and
a half.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
So every manager now who's.
Speaker 6 (10:38):
Look runs their owners and say, wait a minute, now
they're paying this guy who has zero experience this kind
of money. I want to raise right now. I want
an extension right now. No, it's a massive gamble. I mean,
is he really going to have the veterans fall online?
You know, our guys gonna say, uh, hey, wait, man,
now who are you?
Speaker 4 (10:57):
Let's see. I don't so that college stuff is going
to work in in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
It is one of the craziest things I've ever seen.
It really is, And this is gonna be I'm with you.
I think Buster Posey uh has put his job on
the line. If this thing is a massive a failure,
I don't know how you go back. And here's mother thing, Bob,
real quick is can the Giants really have a learn
(11:25):
on the job manager when you're in a division with
the Dodgers and the Padres. I just that's the part
that I don't get if I'm a Giants fan, is
that we're a farm team. Now we're training guys against
some big boys like.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
That, I know, and then you're another thing too is.
You're telling me you're not gonna give Bruce Bochi you
wanted to manage that team. You're gonna tell Bruce Bochi
was going to the Hall of Fame. No, we don't
want you. We want a guy who's never done before. Massive,
massive risk. I would have hired Bruce Bochie in a heartbeat.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Yeah, the guys been the five World Series and one
four of them. He might be the best manager, right,
deb We've seen I mean, you know in the modern
Europe Dus Bochie.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
It's the gambler here. Vice president of Operations for mlbbro
dot Com and executive producer of the MLB Bro Show
podcast The Mixtape. Every Friday, you heard that right, Every Friday,
we bring you the best from the world of Black
and Brown Baseball. We cover the seven point two percent
(12:31):
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our own cultural flair and unique voice, will take you
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contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe into baseball.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
From Mookie Wilson's to Mookie.
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(13:14):
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He's kicking up dust. We will gladly pay you on
Tuesday from an MLB bro doubleheader today. Remember the heart
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Speaker 2 (13:30):
The Negro leagues.
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Speaker 3 (14:07):
You get your podcast. Uh, let's go to the Los
Angeles Angels coach Suzuki. Suzuki was hired as manager. Uh
what do you make of that? Again, the guy who
didn't manage, but of course by a long career in
the major leagues as a catcher.
Speaker 6 (14:25):
Yeah, I mean it's like, you know, the Battello things crazy.
It's crazy to see a guy take a contract for
one year, you know, and if you didn't take it
to get to someone else, you know, obviously Polos wasn't
going to do that. I don't think they ever got
to the money part, you know, with a Tory Hunter.
You know, you know, Hans Azuki is a nice hire,
but you still have poll holes and Hunter.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Uh, we'll see.
Speaker 6 (14:46):
I mean one year thing is like, you know, you're
not putting a lot of faith in him doing a
lot of faith you give him a four or five
year deal. And I'm sure Suzuki is saying to himself,
wait him, mante now I get a one year deal.
Vattello gets three years that kind of money plus a
vesting option. I'm sure Suzuki's not making you know, more
than one and a half. Uh yeah, and his contract
(15:08):
just goes through, uh, you know with with perrymanes in too.
Speaker 4 (15:12):
So this is a big this is a big year
for both those guys.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
And Bob also tell me about the Texas Rangers who
hired Skip Schumacher to replace Bruce Bochie down there in Arlington.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
Good hire, good higher, I mean he, Uh, everybody won
this guy. The Baltimore Oriols went hard after him. He
would have got a he got more money and more
authority from the Rangers because of the Ools.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Won them so bad.
Speaker 6 (15:37):
Yeah, he's got a great baseball acumen, did a great
job in Miami and that thing you know, turned upside
down on him. And uh, no, I think I think
it's a very good hire. I think he'll be outstanding.
You know, I'm sure I should have taxed I text
a bunch of different managers. I should have texted him saying,
you're gonna go in ask for raids now when you
see what I know.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
I know a lot of them got to be chafed
by by the money that Fortello got.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
In San Francisco, because that is just wow.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
One last thing on the managing thing, and you mentioned
him Albert Pooholz, who was supposedly up with this Angel
job that didn't happen.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
His name was mentioned by the Orioles.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I don't think he has been interviewed formally right by
the Orioles yet.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
No, you got interviewed yesterday by the by the Podres.
That has been his only interview besides the in the
Angels job. I think the Potters will be interesting. At first,
I said, what, how does that make sense? But if
you want to got to get you know, instant respect
and you want to go, yeah, you got Manny Machado
and in Fernando disease playing win him at Now I
(16:41):
respect this guy. This guy is a legends going to
the Hall of Fame. It'd be interesting and the weird
part would be, you know used part of ways with
the Cardinals. How your bringing another cardinal legends?
Speaker 4 (16:53):
That would be funny.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, last thing here before we get your prediction on
this World Series.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
Today it was bombshell news in the NBA with the gambling.
And we know part of it, Bob was you know,
a poker with the mob, but there was sports gambling
as well that was involved there. And I'm just wondering
from the baseball side, you know, I always question all
the sports taking the gambling money, getting in bed with gambling.
(17:23):
We know the whole Pete Rose saga. And how at
one point Major League Baseball, if you remember, wouldn't even
let Mickey Mantle or Willie May's Greek people right at
the casinos in New Jersey. They couldn't go to old
timers game, they couldn't wear baseball parafern anything. They were
like get lost. And this has happened in the NBA.
(17:45):
We've seen a player band in the NBA and there's
a story out there about class with the Guardians and
he's being investigated. How big of a bombshell could just
wind up being in Major League Baseball, Bob, especially when
to me, there's a real risk of the temptation of guys,
(18:06):
you know, wanting to make a prop better or let
their friends know or inside information.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Is this going to be an issue?
Speaker 6 (18:15):
Oh, and it's give me an issue. I mean, you
can't tell me that there's not trainers, clubhouse guys, bat boys.
They know the insane information. They know who's in the
lineup before it comes out. They know a lot of things. Uh,
no baseball is you know open up to this, and uh,
you know, shame on them. Because it's it's going to happen.
And here's Claus say he was, you know, he was
(18:36):
on the path to the Hall of Fame. I mean,
no doubt, unbelievable clothes, making six million a year, and
I'm sure you know, I don't know, but he probably said, Okay,
I'll help out our friend. You know, what's what's one ball?
Speaker 4 (18:47):
They throw balls? You know you do that, and.
Speaker 6 (18:51):
Uh no, it looks bad to the investigation go this long,
you got to think they're both done for life, and
uh it's unbelievable and you can't think that. Okay, just
see these two. No, they're open a Pandora's box here.
Who knows what's gonna happen in the future. But yeah,
I mean, you know, then it gets ugly. And the
last thing people want is to find out a player
(19:11):
or managers throwing games.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
No doubt, it can mess with the integrity of the game.
All right, thanks for your insight. There one last thing,
your World Series prediction. I'm gonna go first, Bob, and
then I'm gonna let you go. I'm gonna take the
Blue Jays in five games. I don't think the Dodgers
have enough hitting. I think the Dodger pitching looked crazy
dominant because the Brewers' bats were dead. Not to say
(19:34):
that the Dodgers don't have pitching, but I think this
Blue Jay team offensively is crazy and I think they're
gonna hit. And I got the Blue Jays in five.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
What about you?
Speaker 6 (19:45):
I remember hot streak. I missed only one so far
in this postseason. I'm going Dodgers and six.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Which one did you miss? Real quick before you give
me your take on the.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Dodgers, Clevean Detroit. I had Cleveland Beandie Trait. Okay, I
kind of followed you. I was kind of down in Trait,
especially the way they finished.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
But they were bad. I was, I was, I was.
I was wrong too, but I I just couldn't see it.
I just thought they were so bad.
Speaker 6 (20:09):
Yeah, but they trade. I mean, I mean, Dodgers are
a better team. But yeah, I think it's definitely going
at lean six. Uh good, good, go seven. But you know,
you may be right. I mean what we talked about
earlier with the team coming off a emotional series, going
against the team with the week off, Uh, they you know,
Toronto's gotta play well here.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
They can't do with it against how they can't.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
They can't lose the first two games. I agree, they
will not win a World Series there, and the chances
of them losing both I don't see.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
If they grab game.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
One, it's going to be interesting to see how the
Dodgers respond and where the offense is.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
But Bob, I hear you.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
The Dodgers on paper, they're going against history.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Bob.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
The last National League team to repeat was what team.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
You're big, your all, big red machine. Seventy five seventy
six Reds.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
That'slie. Isn't that unbelievable?
Speaker 4 (20:58):
That's used that.
Speaker 6 (21:01):
I like that stat, burn the Yankee stat because you're
talking about fifty years Nation League team.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
No, I like that one, burning the Yankee one, the.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Yankee one by it's been twenty five years, right, ninety
thousand and one to three in a row, ninety eight,
ninety nine and two thousand. But my god, the Reds
one is crazy for the National League. So we shall see, Bob,
always a pleasure, my man. Enjoy the World Series. I'll
see you in Los Angeles. I'll miss the first two
games in Toronto, and I'll see you for Game three
(21:28):
here in LA.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
All right, buddy, all.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Right, Look forward to it.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
In case you missed Rob Parker on the MLB networks,
here's his latest appearance on mL Dina.
Speaker 7 (21:41):
All right, time for the showdown, and we welcome in
our buddy Rob Parker.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Rob, how are you today? I'm doing great, Steve, how
are you?
Speaker 7 (21:48):
I'm doing great. I've been looking forward to this. Tell you,
I've been looking forward to.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
This all day long.
Speaker 7 (21:52):
And so all right, you're here to throw cold water
on Shohil Tani's and I'll see us Game four performance
where he hit three home runs, went six shutout innings
of two hit baseball, didn't walk anybody, struck out ten go.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
I just I want to put some context on it.
I'm not here to say that he's not a great player.
It was great to watch. It wasn't the greatest of
all time postseason game or baseball game. People were at
the hyperbolegue wanted to say that they had never seen
anything great like this. It's just not true. We could
go back to even Rick Wise with the Phillies in
(22:29):
nineteen seventy one. He hit two home runs, pitched a
complete game, right a no hitter, a no hitter which
was one walk away from a perfect game. With two
home runs. Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on three
and second of pitches against three different pitches pitchers in
(22:50):
the World Series.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
He throws six shutout innings. I can't remember with Reggie
that day.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
You wait a minute, here's the whey. I'm going to
throw you the water on your six shutout innings. Okay,
against the Milwaukee Brewers, the team.
Speaker 7 (23:02):
Of the best record in the National League, just just
to be not actually best record all the baseball go ahead, Okay.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
But at that point when they played that game, they
were bat dead, they were already done. He didn't do
anything special because like now, shut them down.
Speaker 7 (23:19):
He went six innings, struck out ten, and hit three
home runs. He did something special. And so Reggie hit
three home runs on three straight pitches. That's not any
better than No Tani hitting three home runs on more
than three pitches and striking out ten and six shutout innings.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
And so it's if it's not.
Speaker 7 (23:38):
The best postseason performance ever, then you can give it
to Rick Wise with two home runs compared to the
three and front he's a no hitter.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Okay, that was really great.
Speaker 7 (23:48):
So it's is it the second best performance ever in
the history of the postseason, Like, what's better Don Larson
threw a perfect game, didn't hit three home runs? Like
what if it's.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Not the best the second?
Speaker 7 (23:59):
Give me an because right.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Now, Gigson in nineteen sixty seven, in Game seven of
the series.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
He pitched a complete game, ten strikeouts and also hit
a home run in that game.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
This is a World Series.
Speaker 7 (24:12):
So he matched Otani in the strikeout category and hit
two fewer home runs. But it's the World Series that
I'm with you, so we can give that. So you've
got two performances that you think are better than Otani's,
but it is one of the best ever performances in
the postseason. Would you agree with that?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Okay, it ranks in there. I just want to put
context because people were saying, oh, with this performance, it's
clear now that he's the greatest player who ever played
Major League baseball. I'm gonna pump the brakes on that
he's not even amongst the top four your war leaders
all time in baseball. I could go on and on
(24:51):
and on. It's so premature. I understand the excitement about
a guy who can pitch and hit like Otani, but
come on, we're not going to bury the last one
hundred years in baseball and act like he just showed
up and nobody else was any good.
Speaker 7 (25:07):
So I'm rick Wise's performance was in June, wasn't It
wasn't a playoff performance.
Speaker 3 (25:13):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 7 (25:17):
You just told me that it mattered for Bob Gibson
because his performance was in the World Series. But you
said it doesn't matter that Rick Wise his performance was
in June. So what does matter?
Speaker 3 (25:26):
O tany what matters, Steve? I'll give you what matters.
The Brewers were bat dead when Otani faced him, because
we saw Yamamoto pitcher a nine in a complete game.
We saw a Snell pitch eight innings. Thes had nothing
going to He didn't shut down some great juggernaut offense.
Speaker 7 (25:48):
Hold that thought, yeah, hold that. I mean, they were
the best record in all of baseball this year, the
Milwaukee Brewers. But hold that thought that. You're right, the
Dodger starting pitchers were great. So far, we'll get to that.
So let me ask you this. The Giants make a
unique and out of the box hiring a Tony Vitello
as their new manager, coming from University at Tennessee.
Speaker 4 (26:07):
What do you think of the hiring.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Terrible, hiring, bad hiring, bush league, hier bush league.
Speaker 8 (26:14):
Yes, Buster Posey, this will be, mark my words, the
beginning of the end, because there's no way you can
make this hire, Steve when the Giants are in the
division with the Dodgers and with the Padres and the
tradition of that franchise.
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Also, they've had Bruce Bouch. You might go down as
the greatest manager ever who managed that team. And for
Buster Posey to go out and get and do something
novel and trying to be different and hip in that
division with what's at stake and those fans in San Francisco,
they deserve better, and this is He's fine as a
(26:55):
college coach, but no experience in the major leagues. This
is not where you learn. If this was Tampa Bay
or some franchise like that, maybe I would buy it,
but not in San Francisco.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I don't buy it.
Speaker 7 (27:07):
Steve Well, you can make a case he's one of
the best college coaches in baseball. They went to won
the College World Series and he's done a great job
turning that program around. He's been fantastic. It is out
of the box. I don't disagree with you. It is
a bold hiring from Buster Posey. I mean he managed,
He coached sixty five games this year for Tennessee. He's
(27:29):
going to have to manage one hundred and sixty two.
Managing the weekend is different than managing, you know, seven
days a week for twenty six weeks of trying to
put this all together. So I don't disagree. It is
a bold hiring, and we have to wait and see
how this plays out. There's no question about that. But
I want to give him a chance because if it
does work, you're going to see more of that happening
because it is copycat league.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
And if it doesn't work, Buster Posey will lose his gig.
It's just a big gamble in that division with the
Padres and Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
That's the other part that you have to add to it, Steve.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
You not have somebody learn on the job in that division.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
I mean, I don't disagree.
Speaker 7 (28:06):
Now, part of the issue is though he does have
an ownership stake, and so can an owner fire himself
as general manager. That'll be interesting to see down the road.
All right, So let me ask you this. The Dodgers pitching,
they are unbelievable. They're starting pitching so far. But you're
not buying the hype how come?
Speaker 3 (28:24):
Because I think it had more to do with the
Brewers than it did with the Dodgers pitching. And I'm
not saying that the Dodgers pitching on paper isn't good,
but I don't know if it's as good as it
was against the Brewers. The Brewers couldn't get anything going.
They scored one run in each game, barely. They barely
lost Game one. If you remember Game one, they lost
(28:45):
on the bases loaded walk. They lost with the bases
loaded and their player swinging with a ball over his
head to lose that game. They're losing Game three on
a pickoff throw. They lose that game three to one.
They can't muster anything. And the Blue Jays are way
better as far as right now scoring runs. They're averaging
(29:06):
six and a half.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Runs in the postseason.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
That's unheard of, Steve, And I'm telling you to Dodgers
won't be able to control that lineup like they did.
Speaker 7 (29:15):
The Brewers, So you blame the Brewers offense and don't
credit the Dodgers pitchers for that performance. Now, you do
know that Glass now Otani and Snell are one, two three,
when it comes to strikeouts per nine innings, not just
in the playoffs, not just the ear but in the
history of baseball with one hundred start minimum, they're one,
(29:36):
two and three in strikeouts per nine innings, and so
the fact that they dominated the Brewers is not a surprise.
They are three of the best strikeout pitchers in all
of baseball. Now, I agree that they're going to have
a challenge against the Blue Jays because the Blue Jays
don't strike out. They have the lowest wifth rate of
any team in baseball, and so they're going to try
to put it in play. But we can't diminish what
(29:58):
the pitchers have done for the Dodgers. They beat the
Brewers because their pitching was so good, not because the
Brewers weren't good enough. They beat the best team in
all of baseball and swept them in the series. So
I look at it a little bit differently than you.
I want to get to this one though. Can the
Dodgers bats beat the Blue Jays arms in this series?
The Blue Jays offense is there, but can they neutralize
(30:20):
the offense and can the pitching for the Jays stop
the Dodgers offense?
Speaker 3 (30:25):
Absolutely I think that's a week. There's been a week
spot for the Dodgers. If you look at their offense.
I told you about Game one against the Brewers. They
went on on a basis loaded walk. They win Game
three three to one on a pickoff.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Throw that goes down to right field.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Otani before Game four, where people wanted to crown him
the greatest ever, was batting one point fifty eight. At
one point had struck out sixteen out of thirty four times,
which just all over the place was it was so bad.
He went out and took batting practice to try to
get it back going. And because he was so off kilter,
(31:03):
Freddie Freeman hasn't been the same. Mookie's been the only
guy probably hitting for them, but their lineup has been sketchy,
and I don't think that they're gonna be able to
score enough runs to beat the Blue Jays.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
Give me a quick prediction before we let's go.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
I want to say the Blue Jays in five. You
know what, I'm gonna stay Blue Jays in five. The
Dodgers win one game and that's it, and you know
what that means. It'll mean that again. The last time
a National League team won back to back world series
will remain as Cincinnati Reds in nineteen seventy five and
(31:39):
nineteen seventy six.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
That's how long.
Speaker 7 (31:41):
It's been interesting, Rob, thanks so much, appreciate it very much.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Thank you, h Steve, Thank you buddy. In the words
of New York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking
you for your time this time until next time, Parker out.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
He can't get it.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
This could be an inside the Parker.
Speaker 4 (32:04):
See you next week, same bat time, same Matt station.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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