July 15, 2026 • 42 mins
Tim Benz in for Mark today. Lots of Pirates talk including the Bucco Roundup and a conversation with former Buc Jason Bay.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Some people in sports talk radio would bulk at the
very idea of working today or frankly at all this week.
All Star Break in mid July is notoriously the slowest
week in all of sports. And it's a lot slower
now than it was even twenty years ago when I
used to call off on vacation all the time. This week,
but at least twenty years ago, people cared about the
(00:31):
All Star Game itself, like, for instance, when it was
at P and C Park twenty years ago this week,
But they don't care anymore. They say they care, but
they don't care. What they do care about, though, at
least based on the impression that I got from Fox's
broadcast last night, are feather tipped pens, Pete Crow, Armstrong's
(00:54):
taste in football teams, vintage county fairs, and Kyle Schwarber's
potty mouth. We'll get to all that here on one
O five to nine the X in a little bit.
I'm Tim Ben's filling in for Mark Manaday on the
X Marcus in Columbus. He's at ac DC and he'll
be back in tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
At least.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
There is one sporting event going on today Argentina and
England in the World Cup semifinal. Now two problems with that,
two things in the world that I admittedly know nothing about.
One of them is soccer. The other one is how
to turn the TV on in this studio. Thankfully, at
(01:35):
the last minute, Brian Lamartine from Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine
seventy came in and he got the TV on for me,
so I can at least watch the game. I can
see the score bug, and I can tell you who
scores and when, and I might even be able to
tell you which one is messy. Maybe I'll do my
best and out of commercial breaks. But let's get to
(01:58):
the All Star game last. And despite the lack of
any pirates playing in the game, I did try to watch. Emphasize,
I tried to watch. I made it through half of
the top of the second inning, and then I turned
it off. I almost turned it off when the players
signed their names to that imitation Declaration of Independence thing
(02:19):
with a feather pen. How hokey was that? Like I
was hoping, Mike Trout was gonna go John Hancock right
off the bat and make his signature so big that
no one else could sign it and just move the
process along. Like if he did that on the al
side and the Pirates had replaced Braxton Ashcraft with Joe
Sinston Garcia on the National League side, problem solved. No
(02:43):
more room for either team there. I just say fifteen
minutes on the game. But I didn't turn off the
game because of the lack of Pirates. I turned it
off because of the broadcast itself. I thought it was
a hot mess. That's been a lot of talk today
about how great all the hot mics on the players were.
They tried to do way too much stuff last night
(03:03):
of that broadcast, ten pounds of filler in a five
pound sack. The audio is a mess. It sounded like
an EV car was hovering outside of my living room.
For the first inning, the mics and the players were
all off their levels. For the first two innings, Verlander
was the only interesting guy to listen to, and I
could barely hear them. Everyone's going crazy over the Dylan
(03:24):
Ce stuff. I found it boring. I'm going slider here,
I'm going up and in here, I'm going splitter here,
great good stuff. Joe Davis and John Smoltz are like,
what are we doing here? Why are we here? I
(03:44):
know a lot of people on social media were doing
backflips over that. Personally, I hated it. I hate mics
on players during the game. It just feels intrusive, it's awkward.
You rarely get anything real out of it. It makes
me anxious and uncomfortable, Like I keep waiting for that
Junior Camoniro moment, like where he got drilled in the hand.
That's all I always thinking was gonna happen on every pitch.
(04:05):
I'm like, I don't want to see it. I don't
want to hear it. Although I will say when the
ear piece malfunctioned and fell off of Kyle Schwarber, that
was good. Can we hear that? Please? You enjoying yourself?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
This, this Philadelphia All Star.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Experience, whatever it came out there, you go, there's an
f bomb for the woman and children all across America.
That's what our founding fathers wanted. And I did like
the Bryce Harper striking out thing too. That was kind
of fun.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
That's disgusting.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
That's That's not what I'm saying. But aside from that,
it was multiple channels of audio drowning each other out
empty chatter and Pete crow Armstrong telling us about about
why Matt Forte was his favorite Chicago Bear. But I
just I don't give a crap. What they should do
is mic up those guys, edit it blasted out on
social media Thursday morning or Wednesday morning. That's how you
(05:04):
do that stuff, just like NFL films does. That was
Fox trying to be cool. That was Fox trying to
be hamp and I thought failing miserably. But I don't.
I just let Davis and Smoltz call the game. It's
the All Star game. You have sixty different stories to tell,
all of them all stars. It's not hard to make
the All Star Game interesting, or at least it shouldn't
(05:26):
be that hard. But I think what Fox did yesterday
was an admission of how no one cares about the
game anymore and they had to trick it up to
keep people watching. Personally, it backfired for me because I
just got tired of watching it, like that second ending
when they had miss on one side, Verlander and Schlittler
next to him in the American League dugout the bags
in the plate were all hot, miked Davis and Smoltz
(05:48):
are trying to traffic cop it together. It was just
a train wreck. But I think it was commentary about
how little the game matters and how much they gotta
juice up the conversation because so few of the good
players bother to play. Do you agree or not? Did
you like all that stuff on the All Star Game
last night or not? Eight three to three, four one
two WSDX or four one two three three three ninety
(06:12):
nine thirty nine. Now, as for the game itself, the
Pirates have the highest scoring offense in baseball. They weren't
given a single position player on the team. The nationally
got shut out and posted five hits or something like that.
Four hits, So instant karma is going to get you. Now,
the Pirates themselves, here's my question, my thought of the
(06:35):
day on them. I want Pirates fans, I want the
true believers, I want the optimists, I want the buckle believers.
The momentum that they got going against the Brewers, is
that going to carry over to the second half of
the season or not. Was that flair that they set
up that good times are coming right before the All
(06:57):
Star break? That sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, as Mark
likes to say, was that one of their many false dawns?
Or is that an actual harbinger of things to come
here in the second half, they went to their credit
eight and five into the All Star Break, thirteen games,
all of which came against teams that had better records
(07:18):
than them when their series started. They're all teams in
at least the NL Wild Card mix, all teams at
five hundred or better at the time that they played them.
My guess is they'll probably come out of the break
now and go five and seven and their next twelve
games that they have coming out against the break because
they're playing very familiar teams to that, very similar teams
(07:40):
to that, teams that look a lot like the ones
that they just played. They got the Guardians, they got
the Yankees, they got the Cubs, the Diamondbacks. But tell
me what you think is that sweep of the Brewers
sustainable enough to get them into a playoff slot by
the trade deadline? Agust third, four to one, two three three,
(08:02):
three ninety nine, thirty nine, you call, now, get on hold.
I'll explain my stance. As hot as the Pirates' bats
may be, that's no easy task to sustain that hitting stretch.
(08:23):
There's no easy task to sustain that much momentum. Offensively
because I mean, the calendar didn't do them any favors.
They shut down their role after they won three in
a row at home against the Brewers, who are leading
the NL Central. Not only that, but the Bucks, like
(08:45):
I said before, one eight to thirteen overall against Milwaukee
and against the Braves and against the Phillies and Nationals
all before the break. However, the Pirates managing to be
above five hundred for that difficult of a block of time,
they did so with the offense. And over the last
fifteen days, no one, no single team out there, has
(09:06):
scored more runs than the Pirates. And that effort is
noteworthy given that the Pirates offense has continued to sizzle
along despite o'deo Cruz being hurt, Spencer Horowitz being hurt,
Connor Griffin being hurt Andy Rodriguez. So whatever pixie dust
that's been sprinkled on the Pirates' bats better have remained
(09:30):
there during the break, because they're about to go through
a very similar stretch to the one they just completed.
You open up Friday against Cleveland, they're fifty one and
forty six. Then you go to New York to play
the Yankees. They're fifty four and forty two. Those two
teams are the top two teams in the wildcard race
right now in the ale at the break, did you
come home? You play Chicago? They're in the National League
(09:52):
wildcard slot. You get the Diamondbacks after that. They're right
behind the Pirates in the wildcard race. I think they're
forty nine and forty seven. I believe all that means
the Pirates, their first dozen games on the break are
currently against teams above five hundred. None of those contests
would be against teams currently in a playoff spot. So
(10:16):
they open up the second half two games behind Miami
for that last wildcard slot, and Saint Louis is wedged
in between them and the Cardinals are five games above
five hundred. So the Pirates have to keep hitting despite
all these injuries. The starting rotation has to perform closer
to the level of expectation that was set for it
in March, and the bullpen needs outside help because it
(10:40):
simply isn't good enough as currently constructed. That's where Ben
Sherrington comes in. Hopefully he's looking right now for help,
like literally right now as you're listening, because this twelve
game slog that they've got to open up the second
half of the season. That's to go a long way
(11:01):
toward determining how much the Pirates are really in this
playoff race and what direction they're gonna take. By August third, again,
I've got the Pirates five and seven in these twelve
Everything balances out. They're the Costanza of baseball. It all
evens out. Was that that was Jerry? Actually that was
That's right. That episode was Jerry. Everything even out for Jerry.
(11:22):
Had a friend go up, had a friend go down.
It was George going up. It was a lane going down,
lost twenty bucks, found twenty bucks in his suit. Like
that's that's who the Pirates are. They're that Seinfeld episode.
Everything balances out. Get a little hot, go a little cold,
Somebody gets back in the line. If somebody gets hurt,
this picture picks up the slack like Braxton Ashcraft. Mitch
(11:44):
Keller gets worse. Greg Risoto does a little bit better
in the bullpen than as Santana does worse. Get a
little bump from Endy Rodriguez. Henry Davis goes into a slump.
Henry Davis gets hot and he gets hurt. Like they
are the Seinfeld balancing team. So my guess is they
did better and expected in that thirteen game stretch before
the All Star Break. They'll probably wane in the twelve
(12:06):
game stretch coming out of the All Star break. Four
one two, three three three ninety nine thirty nine or
eight three to three four one two wxdx. The big
question is Cruise when he comes back, which of these
hot hitters sits? And we're not there yet. Doesn't sound
(12:28):
like they're gonna come back, at least for the Cleveland series,
probably not for the Yankees series, but Mangam will probably
sit a bunch once Cruz comes back. He's been hot.
He'll go back to being a role player. Valdez. Does
he sit against righties for Mangum on occasion? Does the
Zena ever play again, even though he appears to be
figuring things out a little bit? Maybe at some point
(12:53):
oh Her or Horowitz is gonna have to sit against
a rity that gets problematic, doesn't it. So it's like,
how how much of a concession do you make for
O'Neal Cruz and how much of a coincidence is it
really that they've been this hot and haven't missed Cruise
as much as a lot of Pirates fans were panicking
that they would when he got hurt in the first place.
(13:15):
You're starting to hear Cruise's name brought up as somebody
that might dangle for Mason Miller or somebody else out there.
I don't think the Pirates would ever bring themselves to
do it, but I'd consider it. I'd certainly consider it
for Mason Miller. And speaking of that, we come back
in the Bucko Roundup. There's a weird twist to the
Mason Miller trade talks. We'll discuss that. We come back
(13:36):
one five nine The X Bucko Roundup, Tim Benson from
Mark Maddenday one five.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Nine The X.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
About twenty minutes in England and Argentina. I'll keep you
up to day. In the World Cup game, it's scoreless
again at the nineteen thirty seven mark of the first half.
No Pirates in the All Star Game to play anyway.
Yesterday Brax n Ashcraft was there, Paul Skeens was there.
He's not a Yankee yet. You might have heard about that. Yeah,
that got some chatter. We'll get to that. At the
(14:08):
four o'clock hour. Our oldest Chapman ex Pirate everybody's wondering
if he'll get delts, but the Red Sox have been
playing better. Chapman two thirds of an inning, struck out
a guy he got into the game. Mason Miller, the
local kid who ended up going to Waynesburg, just faced
one guy struck him out, of course, on four pitches,
three of them for strikes. Mason Miller is now the
(14:30):
coveted guy. Every single Pirates fan is salivating over the
notion of him getting dealt. There are trade conversations hither
and yawn about Mason Miller. And I know we always
played grita van Fleet coming into the Bucko round it,
but justin if we're gonna talk about Mason Miller, I
think I need the accompanying music. If people are gonna
(14:51):
think about him coming to Pittsburgh, there we go. Oh
(15:43):
can you imagine that at PNC Park, when Pittsburgh's own
Mason Miller will be coming out of the bullpen to
save games. If these guys are somehow still in it
when it matters, Oh, that would hit so big, it
would be perfect. He's got to bring the intro with
him if he comes back, right, I would obviously the
(16:06):
Padre games as you started doing that. He could have
gone with grete Van Fleet for all I know at
this point, but if he does, he should bring it
here if it happens. The thing is, though, like I
don't know what the Pirates have that the Padres would want,
and I would imagine ONEO Cruz would have to be
involved in that deal if there were to be a deal,
if it's not gonna be one of their best prospects,
(16:27):
none of whom that they ever want to give up anyway,
I think that the Padres would prefer to get high
end prospects, but they're not gonna give up Hernandez. If
it's not Hernandez, then who do they want. I wouldn't
give up Hernandez either. I'd consider Cruz, honestly I would,
but I wouldn't give up Hernandez. They need Hernandez because
he's gonna be the next Skeens. He's gonna be the
(16:48):
next beacon of hope.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
He's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
The next syllable unseen, unwrapped toy that everybody can say.
He will be the difference, you know, for the first
four years that he's here, and then he gets Delta
Whallex Skeens would be depending on what happen is after
the work stoppage, and we'll get into the whole. He's
a future Yankee conversation, like I said in about half
an hour. But the weird hitch to the Mason Miller
thing that's come up is the Yankees are this rumored
(17:14):
destination for him. John Hayman wrote about it in New
York Post. And David Bednar has been awesome lately. He
hasn't given up an earned run. I believe since May eighteenth,
he hasn't blown a save. Since May seventeenth, He's up
to eighteen saves. His era is like two seventy now.
(17:35):
After a lousy start, he's been really good all of
a sudden again for New York. And they're talking about
making him the eighth inning guy and then Miller the closer.
I don't know if that's gonna work. I know they're
trying to recreate Mariano Rivera to John Wetland back in
the day, but I don't know that that's gonna work.
(17:56):
Four one two three three three ninety nine thirty nine
or eight three three four to one two w XDX.
I think Bennar's a closer. I don't think he thrives
in the same role as a setup guy as he
does as a closer. I don't think it's We've seen
(18:17):
little snippets of that. We've seen little pieces of that,
and to me, it just doesn't click the same way
for him as he does when he's a closer. So
I don't know what do they do. They move Bednar
to make him the closer, and then they get another
eighth inning guy back in the deal, Like the Pirates
could swing that, give you somebody and give you Soto
(18:39):
and then bring back Bednar to be the closer. You
could do that. That would work. I think about that,
but I don't think that's where the Yankees heads are
on it. I mean they might try to shoehorn that in.
I just Bednar is a seventh or eighth inning guy.
I have to squint see that because when we saw
(19:01):
it here at times we saw him in non save situations,
he didn't look as sharpest. Chuck wants to talk about
the Pirates in Bethel Park. Hichuck, you're on one of
five ninety X.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Hey, Tim first and foremost yellow Knife.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Good just good to hear from me again.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, I think we might have come up with a
solution for Henry Davis as batting was he should just
pretend like he's gonna lay a pun down each time
and then the next betch you at the home run.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
You know, I think there's a little something to him
coming alive here, like I said, And he's one of
these guys that you can't necessarily count on sustaining the
hot streak. Like I was talking about before, there are
some guys who just might be at their hottest in
the season right now, and it happens to have coalesced
when other guys are down, so it looks like they're
in a better shape than what they are. But like, oh, her,
he's not gonna have ten RBIs. Again, I don't know
(19:51):
if you're gonna get twenty or fifteen more homers from
Brandon Low in the second half of the season like
he got twenty one going into the All Star break.
Davis could be a guy who at least gets up
to two hundred to ten and maybe that offsets whatever
you don't get from Rodriguez. Still gotta see Rodriguez start
to hit right handed a little bit. But this is
what I was talking about with the Seinfeld thing. It
(20:13):
always evens out even Stephen like that. That's why they
are a five hundred team, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Right, Yeah, I got a trade proposal one. I think
that San Diego right now they're they're looking for hitting,
So I would I would pack at Jonio Cruise with
this Murph Gray guy. This this prospect is shooting up
their ranks a third base prospects at parts he just
kind of moved up the double A. But uh, and
then maybe a couple of pictures because San Diego is
(20:40):
looking for hitting. I would throw a Cruise, but either cruising.
I would go Cruise Florentina or Cruise and Murph Gray
and a few throw thrown a couple other prospects. It'd
be worth it just to hear the Greta Vans should
go it.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
No, that's no, we have corn coming in.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Well.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I guess you could go with Credit Van Fleet if
you wanted to. But the Korn song to me would
hit real big here. Thanks Juck, appreciate it. Four one two, three, three,
three ninety nine to thirty nine. We got to step aside.
Jason Bay, former Pittsburgh Pirates All Star coming up next.
Twenty years ago this week, the All Star Game at
PNC Park two thousand and six. There was the big
debut on a national stage really for PNC Park. Jason
(21:18):
Bay was a part of it because during the All
Star week, when there's nothing else going on currently, you
bask in the glory days of the past, and Jason
will help us do that when we come back on
one O five ninety x three o'clock hour of the
Mark Badden Show. All Star Game last night as the
National League loses four to nothing to the American League.
(21:41):
Twenty years ago. It was the All Star Game here
in Pittsburgh two thousand and six, the first one ever
hosted at PNC Park. Before that, of course, the memorable
nineteen ninety four All Star Game, the last one at
three Rivers, but it was the first time a lot
of people got to see P and C Park on
(22:02):
a national stage. It was only five years old at
that point, and two Pirates were in that game, Freddy Sanchez,
who we're going to hear from a little bit later
on in the show for the last Word, and our
guest at this time, Jason Bay, outfielder made three All
Star Games in his career, two with the Pirates. The
year before in Detroit and that two thousand and six
(22:23):
game at P and C Park. Jason, great to have
you on the show today. Thanks for reminiscing with us,
and let's start right there. What do you remember about
the vibe about the scene that year at P and
C Park for its first All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I mean, you know, it's interesting because those years leading
up to that for me and Pittsburgh and for a
while there we you know, we weren't a playoff team, right,
and so that was the first time you know that
I had really kind of felt that palpable buzz in
the city about sports, you know, if that makes sense.
(22:59):
You know, we had just kind of been grinding regular
season wise, and all of a sudden you get dropped
in it's like proverbial, like worse to first, all of
a sudden you just get boom, overnight, there's this massive buzz.
And that was something that kind of stuck with me
because we hadn't had that, you know, I hadn't had
that in Pittsburgh and my tenure there, and so it
(23:20):
was very It was fun because it was obviously very different.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
You had been at the All Star Game the year
before in Detroit. Did that sort of ready you for
what you were going to see the next year, even
though it was a totally different thing with your team
as the host city.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Yeah, that was it was different because it was the
first year.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I was in Detroit. You know, I was still maybe
it's my second.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Year full year in the league, and I just kind
of felt I felt like a fan there, to be
honest with you, you know, in the clubhouse with Poohols
and all these guys, and just like, I'm still trying
to get a foothold on my career and try to
you know, make this a lengthy, a lengthy career. And
so it was more, you know, just kind of feeling
around and kind of get an idea of like where
you kind of stand in this whole thing, and and
(24:10):
also realizing.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
That you deserve, you know, man, I deserve to be here.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
And I think the second go around, I had already
experienced that once and so that the second time I
felt a little more comfortable, you know, I kind of
you know, I felt like I belonged.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
And obviously being at home, you know, that was a
big deal.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
You know, Obviously there was a lot of demands on
time for anyone that has they're also a game of
their home park.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
There's demands on you know. I had so much family
and friends come out obviously, which.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Is great, and then obviously local media things like that,
So it was it was a whirlwind. I do remember
that because it was like super busy time for me
and the city. But it was actually when the game
started it was like, okay, right now, I can just
get to this because there's been a lot of lead
up up to it.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Jason Bay with us. Jason, talk a little bit more
about what you learned, if you did learn something from
that trip to Detroit or your experience for the next
game in Pittsburgh. I know that's a frequent question that's
asked of younger players when they make All Star teams.
And to your previous quote what you said about, you know,
just being around pool holes and some other guys in
(25:18):
the locker room, do you actually take stuff away baseball
stuff away from those experiences, and if so, what were
those things that you remember taking away from those games.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
I think the biggest thing for me was, like I
said earlier, it was just that part of kind of belonging.
And you know, I think sometimes some guys have some
imposters syndrome.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Ya, guys.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
There they're in their eighth, tenth, twelfth Fall Star game,
and there you are with a year or two in
the big leagues, and all of a sudden you're there too,
and you know, you kind of kind of figure out
where you fit into that whole thing.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And so that was the biggest part for me.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
It was just after the first but that was kind
of like the introduction, you know, and that was after
they had had the tie, and so there was I
didn't end up playing that game. I think a lot
of other people ended up making a bigger deal than
I thought it was. You know, I was one of
those just kind of happy to be here and whatever
you need me to do things.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, we were all mad, were my parents.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
But you know, for again, it was just it was
you know, whether you play or not, you still get
that All Star designation. And then that's why the next time,
you know, going to Pittsburgh and starting knowing all of that,
you know, knowing that what you're getting into is a
lot more helpful. But yeah, for me, it was just
more about kind of knowing that you belong to be
there and that it was it was deserved.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
That was also the year where they tried something different
with the home run contest, right, weren't you like representing Canada.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah that was that was a debacle.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
For you or for the whole contest.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
No, for me personally, I think I think it went over.
They were trying to they were trying to promote the WBC,
so they had like eight different nations represented. And I mean,
while I hit some home runs, I'm not a batting
practice home run hitter.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
And so they were trying to.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Get a lot of the guys that already had made
the teams that were going to make the teams already
going to be there to participate in this.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
And so I agreed to and then did no prep
for it.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Not that you can really prep for it, but just
you know, I Detroit at that time was a cavernous ballpark,
and you can pull up the video. I think I
went second and Bobby Abrady went first, and I think
he broke a record. His bat started flaking a party,
hit like twenty four home runs, remember that, standing there waiting,
And then I went out there and put up a zero,
(27:32):
and it was the most the happiest zero of my life.
I just wanted that over with and as fast as
it could possibly be done, and it was. I helped
coach a high school baseball team. I tell a lot
of these kids that they hit as.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Many home runs in the home run derby as I did.
So it's it lives on.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
That was like still a swing format then. It wasn't
clocked yet, was it Like did you just take swings
and you never done?
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Yeah, you got to.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
If you hit a home run, it didn't count as
an out, right, so you just kept and if you
didn't hit one out.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Uh, you know, it was it was an out.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
And I remember I was kind of in the cage
warming up, and Jim Edmonds was like nervous and I'm like.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah, and he was like I don't worry, you know what.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
He whatever, whatever, whatever you can do has already been done,
you know, Like you hit zero, it's been done multiple times,
Like whatever, right, And I'm like that's fair. And so
I remember I got up there and they had stuck
these cameras into maybe the first thing they had done it.
They had buried the cameras in the third and first
baseline right by the batter's box, so you could kind
of get that view straight straight up into the into
(28:35):
the hitting zone, and my first swing, I absolutely torched
the ball. I missed the third base camera by about
two inches. And then I got real nervous because I
was like, man, no, I don't think I was sort
of blown up a camera before, and so it was,
it was, it was, it was.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
It was a great way to start.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Jason Bay, I guess we're talking about the memories of
the twenty six All Star Game at P and C Park,
So let's get to this one. We spent a lot
of time talking about your experience in Detroit the year before.
Now were you asked to do the home run hitting
contest again the next year? I don't remember.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Oh yeah, no they were again. They wanted, you know,
the hometown. They wanted, they desperately.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Wanted, and I was like, I'm never doing that again.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
And the MLB kept at they kept asking, and I
was holding strong not to mention it was just kind
of at home. Like I said, there was already like
a lot of demands on the time and all this stuff,
and I was just like, I can't add that.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I did not want to add that to my plate
right now.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
So they came at me pretty hard multiple times, and
I was like, guys, I'm not doing that ever again.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
So they tried.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
They ended up with I'm just looking at the list here, Cabrera, Wright, Howard,
and Berkman. They ended up pitting for the National League?
Was it Berkman? Then that replaced you?
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Maybe I have that's a good quote. I don't.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I never was actually in and the thing before they
announced it, you know, they were kind of trying to
get guys, and so they never announced it.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
I remember David. I remember Wright did pretty well.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Yeah, right, had a homer in the game, and he
also finished second to Howard. I mean, I remember Howard
hitting all sorts of moon shots, and I think Ortiz
almost hit the broadcasters in center field, like he almost
hit John Crock or something if I remember right.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
I don't remember, but that does all add up.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
What do you remember about the game itself?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Kind of just crazy. It was field Gardner.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
We did a little speech before the game, and this
is kind of where we're doing the whole like it,
you know, it matters for home field advantage.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Tight, Yeah, Game seven in the World Series home field advantage.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Yeah, and so I remember that, and then yeah, I
just remember I heading out there.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
I played right, field because Alfonso Soriano had to play left.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Uh, and that was that was new.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
That was a very interesting look for me, just seeing
P and C from the right from right field, I'd
never you know, other than shagging balls or VP or
something out there, I had never done that, and so
that was a That's one of the big takeaways I
had was just how uncomfortable I was out in the
right field. Because as well, it probably looks easy, it's
(31:04):
it's a lot when you're staring at the same thing
for thousands of games, it's it's tough.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And so that was a big one. And then yeah,
it was just I mean, uh, the energy.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
My kids still kind of bring up some clips from it,
you know, Carrie Underwood singing the national anthem. I gotten
People magazine in the background. I never thought that would happen,
you know, just little things like that. But as far
as the game, you know, I don't remember much about it.
It was kind of just flying by and those games
with the pitching there is, you know, and and as
(31:35):
you know, those those games and end up going pretty
fast for the most part, they're just go, go go,
And so it all kind of went buying a blur
and It's one of those things too. I think that
people say it all the time, but at the time,
it just kind of like it happened, Okay, great, and
we move on, you know, like next next one's our
next regular season game. And then once you're out of
the game or way past, that is a much better
(31:56):
time to kind of look back on it and remember
all these things that were like, wait a minute, that
she was pretty cool, But at the time it was
just kind of the next thing on the on the schedule.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Well, Garner gave you some runway because you had three
at bats. Do you remember the hitoff holiday, I do.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
Because that was the only that was the only uh.
I was playing three All Star games. That was the
only hit I got, So I do remember that. It
was a little squibber up the middle, but I didn't
telling anyone it was a bullet. They don't know, but.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Yeah, it was, uh, yeah, it was, you know.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
And that's the other thing too, is you're I think
a lot of those games are just with every pitcher
every inning is a new All Star arm, and so
your thoughts of even trying to do well in an
All Star game, it's just more about save and face
and it was like, oh, you know, the guys are
going up there and trying to work on at bats
and stuff, and so it was the first two at
one or two at bats, I'm just like happy. It
(32:46):
almost felt like you're happy to be there, and then
after that you're kind of like, Okay, now there's a
job to do with this.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Kenny Rogers and Johann Santana were the other two guys
that you faced that night.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
It was remember Johann, you do what do you remember
about that at I know, I know I struck out
my first.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Two at bats.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
I think it was I actually think Halliday was in between.
I think it was Rogers first. According to the box score.
I thought it was Rogers first, then you singled, and
then Santana struck you out.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
Okay, yeah, that that makes sense. I forgot about Kenny Rogers. Yeah,
that was that good year, But I think right I did. Yeah,
And I think that's why, you know, getting voted in
by the fans at the home ballpark and then you know,
like you said, Garner basically giving me some runway, you know,
with the three at bats.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
I think that with the home thing, you know, being
at home or whatever. You know, it was a it was.
I mean, he was a good He was a good
dude for that for sure.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Are you a Pearl Jam fan? And do you remember
Eddie Vedder campaigning for you at Melon Arena during that summer?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
I do. I am a Pearl Jam fan. Uh still am.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
Uh he was actually at that the US Belgium FIFA
game and uh he was up on the he was
on the on the scoreboard a lot. Uh he gets
he gets a lot of a lot of pub here.
But yeah, I was a Pearl Jam fan my whole life.
And I do remember that. You know, he's huge baseball guy,
big sports guy, and so that's another thing that you know,
(34:12):
as part of that whole journey. There was a lot
of things that went into that, especially being in you know,
Pittsburgh's not La New York, you know, one of those
massive markets, and so I think that every every little
campaign helped.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
I was at that show. I'm trying to remember him
doing that. I'm struggling, or were you there or were
you guys on the road.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
No, I obviously no, I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
I don't know if we were in town or if
we we probably weren't in town, but I do remember
getting multiple multiple messages, text calls about it, which was
kind of cool because I mean, I don't know Eddie personally,
you know, exchanged pleasantries here or there or something through
mutual people. But so that was kind of to me anyway,
(34:57):
unprompted or prompted from somebody that wasn't in my in
mic corner.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Last couple of things here, Jason Ga Jason Baher guests
talking about the twenty h six All Star Game at
P and C Park. What do you remember about Freddy's
season that year and how good he was?
Speaker 4 (35:13):
I remember him well, Freddy and then Jack too that
one season.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
They both had the two hundred hits.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
It was just the ability to put the barrel on
the baseball was I tell the story all the time.
I mean, it doesn't matter how you do it, but
there's a knack to it. Dustin Bedroia had it. You know,
There's there's just certain guys that can figure out how
to get the barrel of the baseball, of the bat,
sorry to the baseball. And that year Freddy, it's like
(35:40):
you couldn't miss it was super fun to watch, you know,
and a little bit like me too, Like you know,
Freddy wasn't a. He wasn't a first round draft pick.
He was you know, he wasn't one of these can't
miss guys and so uh he was a grinder and
he that year was one of those things I think
where every thing came together for him and its super
(36:02):
fun to hit behind that and watch.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Do you remember Michael Young's hit to win it for
the AL I do. That was Trevor Hoffman. Oh two,
And he got that hit to right center for.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
A million dollars.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
If you had asked me where Michael Young hit the ball,
I would have said it on the right field too,
So that's our Yeah, these are funny.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Some of the names I haven't heard of in a while.
This is interesting.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
There were fifteen Hall of Famers in that game. And
I remember back the ninety four game in Pittsburgh at
three Rivers before the Strike, which is regarded by many
as one of the best All Star games ever, especially
for the cast that was there. There were eighteen uh
in that game, So you guys rivaled that, and that
eighteen list doesn't even count a Rod and Manny. So
(36:46):
I mean, like you got you played amongst some all
time greats in that game. Do you ever like take
a second to look at that roster and say, wow,
I played with these guys.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Yeah, it came across.
Speaker 4 (36:57):
I came across an Instagram feed the other day and
it was like that they keep showing these random starting
lineups from these All Star games, and like I said,
I remember myself and if you, but like that one
those six one came across my feed and I had
to show my kids. I was like, you don't know
who any of these guys are, but this is like
a video game, Like this is a joke, and I'm
(37:18):
not talking about myself. I'm talking about everybody else on here.
I mean, this is is crazy. But at the time,
you know, that was just that was it. You showed
you did that. But to looking looking back on it now,
you know, I remember now that we're talking about I
got to hit off Halliday.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I went rounded first.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
I came back and David Ortiz gave me this huge
bop on the top of the helmet, and I was
just like, man, I've I've made it.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Like this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
I'll wrap up with this because you brought it up
and you talked about how you were immersed in what
that city was like for a big time sports event
and what the stadium in particular was, like, did you
get an opportunity to watch the thirteen game against the
Cincinnati Reds the Equato drops the ball game, or you know,
did you did you take it any of the any
(38:02):
of the playoff games to see what p and C
Park looked like when it was playoff ball here?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Absolutely? So.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
The I live in Seattle now, I obviously follow the Mariners,
but the other team that I follow closer.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
And it is is Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
As there is my dad always says a soft spot
in my in his heart and mind, and so I so,
you know, we had that run.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
When I was there, we weren't very good, and all of.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
A sudden, you know, years go by and I'm kind
of out of baseball, but it's like, oh wow, like
it's still fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
I was there.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
I came to do something where to present schemes.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
With as a thing.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Yeah yeah, yeah, And I'm staying right by the hotel
and the lineup to get his bobble head that morning,
which I'm sure it was.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
It was a huge thing in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
Was it was almost like a freaking playoff game, like
the buzz and the excitement, and I tell people, you know,
people like, oh, we lived in Pittsburgh, what's that Like,
I'm like, it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
I mean, it's it's a sports town.
Speaker 4 (39:03):
It's very kind of down to earth fan base and
down to earth people, and so I think everyone's just
looking for that, whatever the team is, you know, to
get that excitement because it's there. And I kind of
feel like lately it's it's been a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Well, Jason, thanks a lot for the time, greatly appreciated.
Did your parents ever forgive Tony LaRussa?
Speaker 2 (39:24):
I don't think so, did you? I did?
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Yeah, Like I said, it was more people in adam
At than I was.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
But if it.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Was my if that was the only one I ever
went to, maybe I look at it differently. But I
got to I got to start two times after that,
so it was just a footnote.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Jason Bay, former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, flashing back to the
two thousand and six All Star Game at P and
C Park here on one O five nine the X.
Thanks Jason, and when we come back. More of those
ESPN dot com positioned by position, NFL rankings and another
position another player not necessarily cast in a great light
(40:06):
from the Steelers. We'll have that for you next one
oh five nine. The X brought to you by Danny's
Pizza and Hogy's Family owned and operated since nineteen sixty
Route eighty eight in Bethel Park. Tim Benz in for
Mark today, and I noticed over at ESPN dot com
they're continuing to do their position by position player rankings
(40:30):
across the NFL. Jeremy Fowler, formerly of this parish, at
ESPN dot com has been in charge of that, and
we've seen less than flattering rankings for a lot of
defensive players. TJ. Watt dropped from number two to number seven,
with somebody there at ESPN saying he's clearly on the decline.
Cam Hayward or he was left out of the top ten.
(40:52):
He wasn't even mentioned an honorable mention to Joey Porter
Junior at the corner back. But Patrick Queen he got
honorable mention in inside linebacker today. Surprised he did and
Cam didn't. But here's what one unnamed AFC personnel evaluator
said quote, He's very good when he turns it on
(41:12):
and uses his speed and strength. His play is too
inconsistent for my taste, I think for that of a
lot of people in Pittsburgh. Two for that matter, as
a tandem Queen and Peyton Wilson, they were expected to
take a bigger step last year. They didn't, especially against
the run. They were twenty seventh in a run stop
(41:36):
win rate as a tandem twenty eight point nine percent
last season. For the inside linebackers and for the Steelers
defense overall, they love to see some more big plays
from Queen two. In his first two years at Pittsburgh,
Queen it's just two sacks, three forst fumbles, two fumble recoveries,
and no interceptions. He was second on the team with
(41:56):
one hundred and twenty tackles behind Wilson. Eight of those
went for Law. But yeah, if this defense is gonna
get better, by the way, this just shows you the
different level of perception of the Steelers defense everywhere else
as opposed to what it is here. Everybody here in
Pittsburgh thinks it was just the offense and Mike Tomlin's
view of offense that was holding back the Steelers last year.
(42:17):
That certainly didn't help. But the defense isn't as good
as we cook it up to be. And I think
the way everybody else perceives the Steelers defense versus the
way that we do is evidence of that. Four one
two three three three ninety nine thirty nine or eight
three three four one two w XDX stay with us
(42:39):
in just thirty seconds, did you hear Paul Skeens is
gonna be a Yankee one oh five nine the X
Some people in sports talk radio would bulk at the
very idea of working today or frankly at all this week.
All Star Break in mid July is notoriously the slowest
week in all of sports. And it's a lot slower
now than it was even twenty years ago when I
used to call off on vacation all the time. This week,
but at least twenty years ago, people cared about the
(00:31):
All Star Game itself, like, for instance, when it was
at P and C Park twenty years ago this week,
But they don't care anymore. They say they care, but
they don't care. What they do care about, though, at
least based on the impression that I got from Fox's
broadcast last night, are feather tipped pens, Pete Crow, Armstrong's
(00:54):
taste in football teams, vintage county fairs, and Kyle Schwarber's
potty mouth. We'll get to all that here on one
O five to nine the X in a little bit.
I'm Tim Ben's filling in for Mark Manaday on the
X Marcus in Columbus. He's at ac DC and he'll
be back in tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
At least.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
There is one sporting event going on today Argentina and
England in the World Cup semifinal. Now two problems with that,
two things in the world that I admittedly know nothing about.
One of them is soccer. The other one is how
to turn the TV on in this studio. Thankfully, at
(01:35):
the last minute, Brian Lamartine from Fox Sports Pittsburgh nine
seventy came in and he got the TV on for me,
so I can at least watch the game. I can
see the score bug, and I can tell you who
scores and when, and I might even be able to
tell you which one is messy. Maybe I'll do my
best and out of commercial breaks. But let's get to
(01:58):
the All Star game last. And despite the lack of
any pirates playing in the game, I did try to watch. Emphasize,
I tried to watch. I made it through half of
the top of the second inning, and then I turned
it off. I almost turned it off when the players
signed their names to that imitation Declaration of Independence thing
(02:19):
with a feather pen. How hokey was that? Like I
was hoping, Mike Trout was gonna go John Hancock right
off the bat and make his signature so big that
no one else could sign it and just move the
process along. Like if he did that on the al
side and the Pirates had replaced Braxton Ashcraft with Joe
Sinston Garcia on the National League side, problem solved. No
(02:43):
more room for either team there. I just say fifteen
minutes on the game. But I didn't turn off the
game because of the lack of Pirates. I turned it
off because of the broadcast itself. I thought it was
a hot mess. That's been a lot of talk today
about how great all the hot mics on the players were.
They tried to do way too much stuff last night
(03:03):
of that broadcast, ten pounds of filler in a five
pound sack. The audio is a mess. It sounded like
an EV car was hovering outside of my living room.
For the first inning, the mics and the players were
all off their levels. For the first two innings, Verlander
was the only interesting guy to listen to, and I
could barely hear them. Everyone's going crazy over the Dylan
(03:24):
Ce stuff. I found it boring. I'm going slider here,
I'm going up and in here, I'm going splitter here,
great good stuff. Joe Davis and John Smoltz are like,
what are we doing here? Why are we here? I
(03:44):
know a lot of people on social media were doing
backflips over that. Personally, I hated it. I hate mics
on players during the game. It just feels intrusive, it's awkward.
You rarely get anything real out of it. It makes
me anxious and uncomfortable, Like I keep waiting for that
Junior Camoniro moment, like where he got drilled in the hand.
That's all I always thinking was gonna happen on every pitch.
(04:05):
I'm like, I don't want to see it. I don't
want to hear it. Although I will say when the
ear piece malfunctioned and fell off of Kyle Schwarber, that
was good. Can we hear that? Please? You enjoying yourself?
Speaker 2 (04:18):
This, this Philadelphia All Star.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Experience, whatever it came out there, you go, there's an
f bomb for the woman and children all across America.
That's what our founding fathers wanted. And I did like
the Bryce Harper striking out thing too. That was kind
of fun.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
That's disgusting.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
That's That's not what I'm saying. But aside from that,
it was multiple channels of audio drowning each other out
empty chatter and Pete crow Armstrong telling us about about
why Matt Forte was his favorite Chicago Bear. But I
just I don't give a crap. What they should do
is mic up those guys, edit it blasted out on
social media Thursday morning or Wednesday morning. That's how you
(05:04):
do that stuff, just like NFL films does. That was
Fox trying to be cool. That was Fox trying to
be hamp and I thought failing miserably. But I don't.
I just let Davis and Smoltz call the game. It's
the All Star game. You have sixty different stories to tell,
all of them all stars. It's not hard to make
the All Star Game interesting, or at least it shouldn't
(05:26):
be that hard. But I think what Fox did yesterday
was an admission of how no one cares about the
game anymore and they had to trick it up to
keep people watching. Personally, it backfired for me because I
just got tired of watching it, like that second ending
when they had miss on one side, Verlander and Schlittler
next to him in the American League dugout the bags
in the plate were all hot, miked Davis and Smoltz
(05:48):
are trying to traffic cop it together. It was just
a train wreck. But I think it was commentary about
how little the game matters and how much they gotta
juice up the conversation because so few of the good
players bother to play. Do you agree or not? Did
you like all that stuff on the All Star Game
last night or not? Eight three to three, four one
two WSDX or four one two three three three ninety
(06:12):
nine thirty nine. Now, as for the game itself, the
Pirates have the highest scoring offense in baseball. They weren't
given a single position player on the team. The nationally
got shut out and posted five hits or something like that.
Four hits, So instant karma is going to get you. Now,
the Pirates themselves, here's my question, my thought of the
(06:35):
day on them. I want Pirates fans, I want the
true believers, I want the optimists, I want the buckle believers.
The momentum that they got going against the Brewers, is
that going to carry over to the second half of
the season or not. Was that flair that they set
up that good times are coming right before the All
(06:57):
Star break? That sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, as Mark
likes to say, was that one of their many false dawns?
Or is that an actual harbinger of things to come
here in the second half, they went to their credit
eight and five into the All Star Break, thirteen games,
all of which came against teams that had better records
(07:18):
than them when their series started. They're all teams in
at least the NL Wild Card mix, all teams at
five hundred or better at the time that they played them.
My guess is they'll probably come out of the break
now and go five and seven and their next twelve
games that they have coming out against the break because
they're playing very familiar teams to that, very similar teams
(07:40):
to that, teams that look a lot like the ones
that they just played. They got the Guardians, they got
the Yankees, they got the Cubs, the Diamondbacks. But tell
me what you think is that sweep of the Brewers
sustainable enough to get them into a playoff slot by
the trade deadline? Agust third, four to one, two three three,
(08:02):
three ninety nine, thirty nine, you call, now, get on hold.
I'll explain my stance. As hot as the Pirates' bats
may be, that's no easy task to sustain that hitting stretch.
(08:23):
There's no easy task to sustain that much momentum. Offensively
because I mean, the calendar didn't do them any favors.
They shut down their role after they won three in
a row at home against the Brewers, who are leading
the NL Central. Not only that, but the Bucks, like
(08:45):
I said before, one eight to thirteen overall against Milwaukee
and against the Braves and against the Phillies and Nationals
all before the break. However, the Pirates managing to be
above five hundred for that difficult of a block of time,
they did so with the offense. And over the last
fifteen days, no one, no single team out there, has
(09:06):
scored more runs than the Pirates. And that effort is
noteworthy given that the Pirates offense has continued to sizzle
along despite o'deo Cruz being hurt, Spencer Horowitz being hurt,
Connor Griffin being hurt Andy Rodriguez. So whatever pixie dust
that's been sprinkled on the Pirates' bats better have remained
(09:30):
there during the break, because they're about to go through
a very similar stretch to the one they just completed.
You open up Friday against Cleveland, they're fifty one and
forty six. Then you go to New York to play
the Yankees. They're fifty four and forty two. Those two
teams are the top two teams in the wildcard race
right now in the ale at the break, did you
come home? You play Chicago? They're in the National League
(09:52):
wildcard slot. You get the Diamondbacks after that. They're right
behind the Pirates in the wildcard race. I think they're
forty nine and forty seven. I believe all that means
the Pirates, their first dozen games on the break are
currently against teams above five hundred. None of those contests
would be against teams currently in a playoff spot. So
(10:16):
they open up the second half two games behind Miami
for that last wildcard slot, and Saint Louis is wedged
in between them and the Cardinals are five games above
five hundred. So the Pirates have to keep hitting despite
all these injuries. The starting rotation has to perform closer
to the level of expectation that was set for it
in March, and the bullpen needs outside help because it
(10:40):
simply isn't good enough as currently constructed. That's where Ben
Sherrington comes in. Hopefully he's looking right now for help,
like literally right now as you're listening, because this twelve
game slog that they've got to open up the second
half of the season. That's to go a long way
(11:01):
toward determining how much the Pirates are really in this
playoff race and what direction they're gonna take. By August third, again,
I've got the Pirates five and seven in these twelve
Everything balances out. They're the Costanza of baseball. It all
evens out. Was that that was Jerry? Actually that was
That's right. That episode was Jerry. Everything even out for Jerry.
(11:22):
Had a friend go up, had a friend go down.
It was George going up. It was a lane going down,
lost twenty bucks, found twenty bucks in his suit. Like
that's that's who the Pirates are. They're that Seinfeld episode.
Everything balances out. Get a little hot, go a little cold,
Somebody gets back in the line. If somebody gets hurt,
this picture picks up the slack like Braxton Ashcraft. Mitch
(11:44):
Keller gets worse. Greg Risoto does a little bit better
in the bullpen than as Santana does worse. Get a
little bump from Endy Rodriguez. Henry Davis goes into a slump.
Henry Davis gets hot and he gets hurt. Like they
are the Seinfeld balancing team. So my guess is they
did better and expected in that thirteen game stretch before
the All Star Break. They'll probably wane in the twelve
(12:06):
game stretch coming out of the All Star break. Four
one two, three three three ninety nine thirty nine or
eight three to three four one two wxdx. The big
question is Cruise when he comes back, which of these
hot hitters sits? And we're not there yet. Doesn't sound
(12:28):
like they're gonna come back, at least for the Cleveland series,
probably not for the Yankees series, but Mangam will probably
sit a bunch once Cruz comes back. He's been hot.
He'll go back to being a role player. Valdez. Does
he sit against righties for Mangum on occasion? Does the
Zena ever play again, even though he appears to be
figuring things out a little bit? Maybe at some point
(12:53):
oh Her or Horowitz is gonna have to sit against
a rity that gets problematic, doesn't it. So it's like,
how how much of a concession do you make for
O'Neal Cruz and how much of a coincidence is it
really that they've been this hot and haven't missed Cruise
as much as a lot of Pirates fans were panicking
that they would when he got hurt in the first place.
(13:15):
You're starting to hear Cruise's name brought up as somebody
that might dangle for Mason Miller or somebody else out there.
I don't think the Pirates would ever bring themselves to
do it, but I'd consider it. I'd certainly consider it
for Mason Miller. And speaking of that, we come back
in the Bucko Roundup. There's a weird twist to the
Mason Miller trade talks. We'll discuss that. We come back
(13:36):
one five nine The X Bucko Roundup, Tim Benson from
Mark Maddenday one five.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Nine The X.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
About twenty minutes in England and Argentina. I'll keep you
up to day. In the World Cup game, it's scoreless
again at the nineteen thirty seven mark of the first half.
No Pirates in the All Star Game to play anyway.
Yesterday Brax n Ashcraft was there, Paul Skeens was there.
He's not a Yankee yet. You might have heard about that. Yeah,
that got some chatter. We'll get to that. At the
(14:08):
four o'clock hour. Our oldest Chapman ex Pirate everybody's wondering
if he'll get delts, but the Red Sox have been
playing better. Chapman two thirds of an inning, struck out
a guy he got into the game. Mason Miller, the
local kid who ended up going to Waynesburg, just faced
one guy struck him out, of course, on four pitches,
three of them for strikes. Mason Miller is now the
(14:30):
coveted guy. Every single Pirates fan is salivating over the
notion of him getting dealt. There are trade conversations hither
and yawn about Mason Miller. And I know we always
played grita van Fleet coming into the Bucko round it,
but justin if we're gonna talk about Mason Miller, I
think I need the accompanying music. If people are gonna
(14:51):
think about him coming to Pittsburgh, there we go. Oh
(15:43):
can you imagine that at PNC Park, when Pittsburgh's own
Mason Miller will be coming out of the bullpen to
save games. If these guys are somehow still in it
when it matters, Oh, that would hit so big, it
would be perfect. He's got to bring the intro with
him if he comes back, right, I would obviously the
(16:06):
Padre games as you started doing that. He could have
gone with grete Van Fleet for all I know at
this point, but if he does, he should bring it
here if it happens. The thing is, though, like I
don't know what the Pirates have that the Padres would want,
and I would imagine ONEO Cruz would have to be
involved in that deal if there were to be a deal,
if it's not gonna be one of their best prospects,
(16:27):
none of whom that they ever want to give up anyway,
I think that the Padres would prefer to get high
end prospects, but they're not gonna give up Hernandez. If
it's not Hernandez, then who do they want. I wouldn't
give up Hernandez either. I'd consider Cruz, honestly I would,
but I wouldn't give up Hernandez. They need Hernandez because
he's gonna be the next Skeens. He's gonna be the
(16:48):
next beacon of hope.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
He's gonna be.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
The next syllable unseen, unwrapped toy that everybody can say.
He will be the difference, you know, for the first
four years that he's here, and then he gets Delta
Whallex Skeens would be depending on what happen is after
the work stoppage, and we'll get into the whole. He's
a future Yankee conversation, like I said in about half
an hour. But the weird hitch to the Mason Miller
thing that's come up is the Yankees are this rumored
(17:14):
destination for him. John Hayman wrote about it in New
York Post. And David Bednar has been awesome lately. He
hasn't given up an earned run. I believe since May eighteenth,
he hasn't blown a save. Since May seventeenth, He's up
to eighteen saves. His era is like two seventy now.
(17:35):
After a lousy start, he's been really good all of
a sudden again for New York. And they're talking about
making him the eighth inning guy and then Miller the closer.
I don't know if that's gonna work. I know they're
trying to recreate Mariano Rivera to John Wetland back in
the day, but I don't know that that's gonna work.
(17:56):
Four one two three three three ninety nine thirty nine
or eight three three four to one two w XDX.
I think Bennar's a closer. I don't think he thrives
in the same role as a setup guy as he
does as a closer. I don't think it's We've seen
(18:17):
little snippets of that. We've seen little pieces of that,
and to me, it just doesn't click the same way
for him as he does when he's a closer. So
I don't know what do they do. They move Bednar
to make him the closer, and then they get another
eighth inning guy back in the deal, Like the Pirates
could swing that, give you somebody and give you Soto
(18:39):
and then bring back Bednar to be the closer. You
could do that. That would work. I think about that,
but I don't think that's where the Yankees heads are
on it. I mean they might try to shoehorn that in.
I just Bednar is a seventh or eighth inning guy.
I have to squint see that because when we saw
(19:01):
it here at times we saw him in non save situations,
he didn't look as sharpest. Chuck wants to talk about
the Pirates in Bethel Park. Hichuck, you're on one of
five ninety X.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Hey, Tim first and foremost yellow Knife.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
Good just good to hear from me again.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
Yeah, I think we might have come up with a
solution for Henry Davis as batting was he should just
pretend like he's gonna lay a pun down each time
and then the next betch you at the home run.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
You know, I think there's a little something to him
coming alive here, like I said, And he's one of
these guys that you can't necessarily count on sustaining the
hot streak. Like I was talking about before, there are
some guys who just might be at their hottest in
the season right now, and it happens to have coalesced
when other guys are down, so it looks like they're
in a better shape than what they are. But like, oh, her,
he's not gonna have ten RBIs. Again, I don't know
(19:51):
if you're gonna get twenty or fifteen more homers from
Brandon Low in the second half of the season like
he got twenty one going into the All Star break.
Davis could be a guy who at least gets up
to two hundred to ten and maybe that offsets whatever
you don't get from Rodriguez. Still gotta see Rodriguez start
to hit right handed a little bit. But this is
what I was talking about with the Seinfeld thing. It
(20:13):
always evens out even Stephen like that. That's why they
are a five hundred team, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Right, Yeah, I got a trade proposal one. I think
that San Diego right now they're they're looking for hitting,
So I would I would pack at Jonio Cruise with
this Murph Gray guy. This this prospect is shooting up
their ranks a third base prospects at parts he just
kind of moved up the double A. But uh, and
then maybe a couple of pictures because San Diego is
(20:40):
looking for hitting. I would throw a Cruise, but either cruising.
I would go Cruise Florentina or Cruise and Murph Gray
and a few throw thrown a couple other prospects. It'd
be worth it just to hear the Greta Vans should
go it.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
No, that's no, we have corn coming in.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Well.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I guess you could go with Credit Van Fleet if
you wanted to. But the Korn song to me would
hit real big here. Thanks Juck, appreciate it. Four one two, three, three,
three ninety nine to thirty nine. We got to step aside.
Jason Bay, former Pittsburgh Pirates All Star coming up next.
Twenty years ago this week, the All Star Game at
PNC Park two thousand and six. There was the big
debut on a national stage really for PNC Park. Jason
(21:18):
Bay was a part of it because during the All
Star week, when there's nothing else going on currently, you
bask in the glory days of the past, and Jason
will help us do that when we come back on
one O five ninety x three o'clock hour of the
Mark Badden Show. All Star Game last night as the
National League loses four to nothing to the American League.
(21:41):
Twenty years ago. It was the All Star Game here
in Pittsburgh two thousand and six, the first one ever
hosted at PNC Park. Before that, of course, the memorable
nineteen ninety four All Star Game, the last one at
three Rivers, but it was the first time a lot
of people got to see P and C Park on
(22:02):
a national stage. It was only five years old at
that point, and two Pirates were in that game, Freddy Sanchez,
who we're going to hear from a little bit later
on in the show for the last Word, and our
guest at this time, Jason Bay, outfielder made three All
Star Games in his career, two with the Pirates. The
year before in Detroit and that two thousand and six
(22:23):
game at P and C Park. Jason, great to have
you on the show today. Thanks for reminiscing with us,
and let's start right there. What do you remember about
the vibe about the scene that year at P and
C Park for its first All Star Game.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
I mean, you know, it's interesting because those years leading
up to that for me and Pittsburgh and for a
while there we you know, we weren't a playoff team, right,
and so that was the first time you know that
I had really kind of felt that palpable buzz in
the city about sports, you know, if that makes sense.
(22:59):
You know, we had just kind of been grinding regular
season wise, and all of a sudden you get dropped
in it's like proverbial, like worse to first, all of
a sudden you just get boom, overnight, there's this massive buzz.
And that was something that kind of stuck with me
because we hadn't had that, you know, I hadn't had
that in Pittsburgh and my tenure there, and so it
(23:20):
was very It was fun because it was obviously very different.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
You had been at the All Star Game the year
before in Detroit. Did that sort of ready you for
what you were going to see the next year, even
though it was a totally different thing with your team
as the host city.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
Yeah, that was it was different because it was the
first year.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I was in Detroit. You know, I was still maybe
it's my second.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Year full year in the league, and I just kind
of felt I felt like a fan there, to be
honest with you, you know, in the clubhouse with Poohols
and all these guys, and just like, I'm still trying
to get a foothold on my career and try to
you know, make this a lengthy, a lengthy career. And
so it was more, you know, just kind of feeling
around and kind of get an idea of like where
you kind of stand in this whole thing, and and
(24:10):
also realizing.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
That you deserve, you know, man, I deserve to be here.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
And I think the second go around, I had already
experienced that once and so that the second time I
felt a little more comfortable, you know, I kind of
you know, I felt like I belonged.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
And obviously being at home, you know, that was a
big deal.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
You know, Obviously there was a lot of demands on
time for anyone that has they're also a game of
their home park.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
There's demands on you know. I had so much family
and friends come out obviously, which.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Is great, and then obviously local media things like that,
So it was it was a whirlwind. I do remember
that because it was like super busy time for me
and the city. But it was actually when the game
started it was like, okay, right now, I can just
get to this because there's been a lot of lead
up up to it.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Jason Bay with us. Jason, talk a little bit more
about what you learned, if you did learn something from
that trip to Detroit or your experience for the next
game in Pittsburgh. I know that's a frequent question that's
asked of younger players when they make All Star teams.
And to your previous quote what you said about, you know,
just being around pool holes and some other guys in
(25:18):
the locker room, do you actually take stuff away baseball
stuff away from those experiences, and if so, what were
those things that you remember taking away from those games.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
I think the biggest thing for me was, like I
said earlier, it was just that part of kind of belonging.
And you know, I think sometimes some guys have some
imposters syndrome.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Ya, guys.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
There they're in their eighth, tenth, twelfth Fall Star game,
and there you are with a year or two in
the big leagues, and all of a sudden you're there too,
and you know, you kind of kind of figure out
where you fit into that whole thing.
Speaker 2 (25:48):
And so that was the biggest part for me.
Speaker 4 (25:50):
It was just after the first but that was kind
of like the introduction, you know, and that was after
they had had the tie, and so there was I
didn't end up playing that game. I think a lot
of other people ended up making a bigger deal than
I thought it was. You know, I was one of
those just kind of happy to be here and whatever
you need me to do things.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Yeah, we were all mad, were my parents.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
But you know, for again, it was just it was
you know, whether you play or not, you still get
that All Star designation. And then that's why the next time,
you know, going to Pittsburgh and starting knowing all of that,
you know, knowing that what you're getting into is a
lot more helpful. But yeah, for me, it was just
more about kind of knowing that you belong to be
there and that it was it was deserved.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
That was also the year where they tried something different
with the home run contest, right, weren't you like representing Canada.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah that was that was a debacle.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
For you or for the whole contest.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
No, for me personally, I think I think it went over.
They were trying to they were trying to promote the WBC,
so they had like eight different nations represented. And I mean,
while I hit some home runs, I'm not a batting
practice home run hitter.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
And so they were trying to.
Speaker 4 (27:01):
Get a lot of the guys that already had made
the teams that were going to make the teams already
going to be there to participate in this.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
And so I agreed to and then did no prep
for it.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
Not that you can really prep for it, but just
you know, I Detroit at that time was a cavernous ballpark,
and you can pull up the video. I think I
went second and Bobby Abrady went first, and I think
he broke a record. His bat started flaking a party,
hit like twenty four home runs, remember that, standing there waiting,
And then I went out there and put up a zero,
(27:32):
and it was the most the happiest zero of my life.
I just wanted that over with and as fast as
it could possibly be done, and it was. I helped
coach a high school baseball team. I tell a lot
of these kids that they hit as.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
Many home runs in the home run derby as I did.
So it's it lives on.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
That was like still a swing format then. It wasn't
clocked yet, was it Like did you just take swings
and you never done?
Speaker 2 (27:57):
Yeah, you got to.
Speaker 4 (27:58):
If you hit a home run, it didn't count as
an out, right, so you just kept and if you
didn't hit one out.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Uh, you know, it was it was an out.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
And I remember I was kind of in the cage
warming up, and Jim Edmonds was like nervous and I'm like.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Yeah, and he was like I don't worry, you know what.
Speaker 4 (28:14):
He whatever, whatever, whatever you can do has already been done,
you know, Like you hit zero, it's been done multiple times,
Like whatever, right, And I'm like that's fair. And so
I remember I got up there and they had stuck
these cameras into maybe the first thing they had done it.
They had buried the cameras in the third and first
baseline right by the batter's box, so you could kind
of get that view straight straight up into the into
(28:35):
the hitting zone, and my first swing, I absolutely torched
the ball. I missed the third base camera by about
two inches. And then I got real nervous because I
was like, man, no, I don't think I was sort
of blown up a camera before, and so it was,
it was, it was, it was.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
It was a great way to start.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Jason Bay, I guess we're talking about the memories of
the twenty six All Star Game at P and C Park,
So let's get to this one. We spent a lot
of time talking about your experience in Detroit the year before.
Now were you asked to do the home run hitting
contest again the next year? I don't remember.
Speaker 4 (29:08):
Oh yeah, no they were again. They wanted, you know,
the hometown. They wanted, they desperately.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Wanted, and I was like, I'm never doing that again.
Speaker 4 (29:17):
And the MLB kept at they kept asking, and I
was holding strong not to mention it was just kind
of at home. Like I said, there was already like
a lot of demands on the time and all this stuff,
and I was just like, I can't add that.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I did not want to add that to my plate
right now.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
So they came at me pretty hard multiple times, and
I was like, guys, I'm not doing that ever again.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
So they tried.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
They ended up with I'm just looking at the list here, Cabrera, Wright, Howard,
and Berkman. They ended up pitting for the National League?
Was it Berkman? Then that replaced you?
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Maybe I have that's a good quote. I don't.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I never was actually in and the thing before they
announced it, you know, they were kind of trying to
get guys, and so they never announced it.
Speaker 2 (29:57):
I remember David. I remember Wright did pretty well.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Yeah, right, had a homer in the game, and he
also finished second to Howard. I mean, I remember Howard
hitting all sorts of moon shots, and I think Ortiz
almost hit the broadcasters in center field, like he almost
hit John Crock or something if I remember right.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
I don't remember, but that does all add up.
Speaker 1 (30:17):
What do you remember about the game itself?
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Kind of just crazy. It was field Gardner.
Speaker 4 (30:23):
We did a little speech before the game, and this
is kind of where we're doing the whole like it,
you know, it matters for home field advantage.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Tight, Yeah, Game seven in the World Series home field advantage.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Yeah, and so I remember that, and then yeah, I
just remember I heading out there.
Speaker 4 (30:37):
I played right, field because Alfonso Soriano had to play left.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Uh, and that was that was new.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
That was a very interesting look for me, just seeing
P and C from the right from right field, I'd
never you know, other than shagging balls or VP or
something out there, I had never done that, and so
that was a That's one of the big takeaways I
had was just how uncomfortable I was out in the
right field. Because as well, it probably looks easy, it's
(31:04):
it's a lot when you're staring at the same thing
for thousands of games, it's it's tough.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And so that was a big one. And then yeah,
it was just I mean, uh, the energy.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
My kids still kind of bring up some clips from it,
you know, Carrie Underwood singing the national anthem. I gotten
People magazine in the background. I never thought that would happen,
you know, just little things like that. But as far
as the game, you know, I don't remember much about it.
It was kind of just flying by and those games
with the pitching there is, you know, and and as
(31:35):
you know, those those games and end up going pretty
fast for the most part, they're just go, go go,
And so it all kind of went buying a blur
and It's one of those things too. I think that
people say it all the time, but at the time,
it just kind of like it happened, Okay, great, and
we move on, you know, like next next one's our
next regular season game. And then once you're out of
the game or way past, that is a much better
(31:56):
time to kind of look back on it and remember
all these things that were like, wait a minute, that
she was pretty cool, But at the time it was
just kind of the next thing on the on the schedule.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
Well, Garner gave you some runway because you had three
at bats. Do you remember the hitoff holiday, I do.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
Because that was the only that was the only uh.
I was playing three All Star games. That was the
only hit I got, So I do remember that. It
was a little squibber up the middle, but I didn't
telling anyone it was a bullet. They don't know, but.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Yeah, it was, uh, yeah, it was, you know.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
And that's the other thing too, is you're I think
a lot of those games are just with every pitcher
every inning is a new All Star arm, and so
your thoughts of even trying to do well in an
All Star game, it's just more about save and face
and it was like, oh, you know, the guys are
going up there and trying to work on at bats
and stuff, and so it was the first two at
one or two at bats, I'm just like happy. It
(32:46):
almost felt like you're happy to be there, and then
after that you're kind of like, Okay, now there's a
job to do with this.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Kenny Rogers and Johann Santana were the other two guys
that you faced that night.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
It was remember Johann, you do what do you remember
about that at I know, I know I struck out
my first.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
Two at bats.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
I think it was I actually think Halliday was in between.
I think it was Rogers first. According to the box score.
I thought it was Rogers first, then you singled, and
then Santana struck you out.
Speaker 4 (33:12):
Okay, yeah, that that makes sense. I forgot about Kenny Rogers. Yeah,
that was that good year, But I think right I did. Yeah,
And I think that's why, you know, getting voted in
by the fans at the home ballpark and then you know,
like you said, Garner basically giving me some runway, you know,
with the three at bats.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
I think that with the home thing, you know, being
at home or whatever. You know, it was a it was.
I mean, he was a good He was a good
dude for that for sure.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
Are you a Pearl Jam fan? And do you remember
Eddie Vedder campaigning for you at Melon Arena during that summer?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
I do. I am a Pearl Jam fan. Uh still am.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
Uh he was actually at that the US Belgium FIFA
game and uh he was up on the he was
on the on the scoreboard a lot. Uh he gets
he gets a lot of a lot of pub here.
But yeah, I was a Pearl Jam fan my whole life.
And I do remember that. You know, he's huge baseball guy,
big sports guy, and so that's another thing that you know,
(34:12):
as part of that whole journey. There was a lot
of things that went into that, especially being in you know,
Pittsburgh's not La New York, you know, one of those
massive markets, and so I think that every every little
campaign helped.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
I was at that show. I'm trying to remember him
doing that. I'm struggling, or were you there or were
you guys on the road.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
No, I obviously no, I wasn't.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
I don't know if we were in town or if
we we probably weren't in town, but I do remember
getting multiple multiple messages, text calls about it, which was
kind of cool because I mean, I don't know Eddie personally,
you know, exchanged pleasantries here or there or something through
mutual people. But so that was kind of to me anyway,
(34:57):
unprompted or prompted from somebody that wasn't in my in
mic corner.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Last couple of things here, Jason Ga Jason Baher guests
talking about the twenty h six All Star Game at
P and C Park. What do you remember about Freddy's
season that year and how good he was?
Speaker 4 (35:13):
I remember him well, Freddy and then Jack too that
one season.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
They both had the two hundred hits.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
It was just the ability to put the barrel on
the baseball was I tell the story all the time.
I mean, it doesn't matter how you do it, but
there's a knack to it. Dustin Bedroia had it. You know,
There's there's just certain guys that can figure out how
to get the barrel of the baseball, of the bat,
sorry to the baseball. And that year Freddy, it's like
(35:40):
you couldn't miss it was super fun to watch, you know,
and a little bit like me too, Like you know,
Freddy wasn't a. He wasn't a first round draft pick.
He was you know, he wasn't one of these can't
miss guys and so uh he was a grinder and
he that year was one of those things I think
where every thing came together for him and its super
(36:02):
fun to hit behind that and watch.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Do you remember Michael Young's hit to win it for
the AL I do. That was Trevor Hoffman. Oh two,
And he got that hit to right center for.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
A million dollars.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
If you had asked me where Michael Young hit the ball,
I would have said it on the right field too,
So that's our Yeah, these are funny.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
Some of the names I haven't heard of in a while.
This is interesting.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
There were fifteen Hall of Famers in that game. And
I remember back the ninety four game in Pittsburgh at
three Rivers before the Strike, which is regarded by many
as one of the best All Star games ever, especially
for the cast that was there. There were eighteen uh
in that game, So you guys rivaled that, and that
eighteen list doesn't even count a Rod and Manny. So
(36:46):
I mean, like you got you played amongst some all
time greats in that game. Do you ever like take
a second to look at that roster and say, wow,
I played with these guys.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
Yeah, it came across.
Speaker 4 (36:57):
I came across an Instagram feed the other day and
it was like that they keep showing these random starting
lineups from these All Star games, and like I said,
I remember myself and if you, but like that one
those six one came across my feed and I had
to show my kids. I was like, you don't know
who any of these guys are, but this is like
a video game, Like this is a joke, and I'm
(37:18):
not talking about myself. I'm talking about everybody else on here.
I mean, this is is crazy. But at the time,
you know, that was just that was it. You showed
you did that. But to looking looking back on it now,
you know, I remember now that we're talking about I
got to hit off Halliday.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I went rounded first.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
I came back and David Ortiz gave me this huge
bop on the top of the helmet, and I was
just like, man, I've I've made it.
Speaker 2 (37:40):
Like this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (37:42):
I'll wrap up with this because you brought it up
and you talked about how you were immersed in what
that city was like for a big time sports event
and what the stadium in particular was, like, did you
get an opportunity to watch the thirteen game against the
Cincinnati Reds the Equato drops the ball game, or you know,
did you did you take it any of the any
(38:02):
of the playoff games to see what p and C
Park looked like when it was playoff ball here?
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Absolutely? So.
Speaker 4 (38:09):
The I live in Seattle now, I obviously follow the Mariners,
but the other team that I follow closer.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
And it is is Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
As there is my dad always says a soft spot
in my in his heart and mind, and so I so,
you know, we had that run.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
When I was there, we weren't very good, and all of.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
A sudden, you know, years go by and I'm kind
of out of baseball, but it's like, oh wow, like
it's still fun to watch.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
I was there.
Speaker 4 (38:31):
I came to do something where to present schemes.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
With as a thing.
Speaker 4 (38:38):
Yeah yeah, yeah, And I'm staying right by the hotel
and the lineup to get his bobble head that morning,
which I'm sure it was.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
It was a huge thing in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
Was it was almost like a freaking playoff game, like
the buzz and the excitement, and I tell people, you know,
people like, oh, we lived in Pittsburgh, what's that Like,
I'm like, it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (39:00):
I mean, it's it's a sports town.
Speaker 4 (39:03):
It's very kind of down to earth fan base and
down to earth people, and so I think everyone's just
looking for that, whatever the team is, you know, to
get that excitement because it's there. And I kind of
feel like lately it's it's been a little bit better.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Well, Jason, thanks a lot for the time, greatly appreciated.
Did your parents ever forgive Tony LaRussa?
Speaker 2 (39:24):
I don't think so, did you? I did?
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Yeah, Like I said, it was more people in adam
At than I was.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
But if it.
Speaker 4 (39:35):
Was my if that was the only one I ever
went to, maybe I look at it differently. But I
got to I got to start two times after that,
so it was just a footnote.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Jason Bay, former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder, flashing back to the
two thousand and six All Star Game at P and
C Park here on one O five nine the X.
Thanks Jason, and when we come back. More of those
ESPN dot com positioned by position, NFL rankings and another
position another player not necessarily cast in a great light
(40:06):
from the Steelers. We'll have that for you next one
oh five nine. The X brought to you by Danny's
Pizza and Hogy's Family owned and operated since nineteen sixty
Route eighty eight in Bethel Park. Tim Benz in for
Mark today, and I noticed over at ESPN dot com
they're continuing to do their position by position player rankings
(40:30):
across the NFL. Jeremy Fowler, formerly of this parish, at
ESPN dot com has been in charge of that, and
we've seen less than flattering rankings for a lot of
defensive players. TJ. Watt dropped from number two to number seven,
with somebody there at ESPN saying he's clearly on the decline.
Cam Hayward or he was left out of the top ten.
(40:52):
He wasn't even mentioned an honorable mention to Joey Porter
Junior at the corner back. But Patrick Queen he got
honorable mention in inside linebacker today. Surprised he did and
Cam didn't. But here's what one unnamed AFC personnel evaluator
said quote, He's very good when he turns it on
(41:12):
and uses his speed and strength. His play is too
inconsistent for my taste, I think for that of a
lot of people in Pittsburgh. Two for that matter, as
a tandem Queen and Peyton Wilson, they were expected to
take a bigger step last year. They didn't, especially against
the run. They were twenty seventh in a run stop
(41:36):
win rate as a tandem twenty eight point nine percent
last season. For the inside linebackers and for the Steelers
defense overall, they love to see some more big plays
from Queen two. In his first two years at Pittsburgh,
Queen it's just two sacks, three forst fumbles, two fumble recoveries,
and no interceptions. He was second on the team with
(41:56):
one hundred and twenty tackles behind Wilson. Eight of those
went for Law. But yeah, if this defense is gonna
get better, by the way, this just shows you the
different level of perception of the Steelers defense everywhere else
as opposed to what it is here. Everybody here in
Pittsburgh thinks it was just the offense and Mike Tomlin's
view of offense that was holding back the Steelers last year.
(42:17):
That certainly didn't help. But the defense isn't as good
as we cook it up to be. And I think
the way everybody else perceives the Steelers defense versus the
way that we do is evidence of that. Four one
two three three three ninety nine thirty nine or eight
three three four one two w XDX stay with us
(42:39):
in just thirty seconds, did you hear Paul Skeens is
gonna be a Yankee one oh five nine the X
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