HR 2 - Mike DeCourcey Joins, Dave Smith on Buccos

Mark is joined this hour by Mike Decourcey to wrap up the World Cup and by Dave Smith to talk Buccos

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yes, Mark Madden a supersions, what were you afraid more of?

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Satan or Tea bagging.

Speaker 3 (00:04):
Quart Tea bagging.

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Great story from Telling and Rich Exit.

Speaker 4 (00:10):
I pride myself and not having talked about the Steelers
a lot recently, because there's gonna be plenty of that
coming training camp just around the corner. I'm doing my
show from Dino and Sharky's and Latrobe during training camp,
and of course I'm fired up for Will Howard and
Drew Aller making their Steeler debuts in the exhibition season.

(00:31):
What you got right here, brother, is the new world
order a Steeler quarterbacking dude it. Here's a great tweet
from Scarps, who used to work for the Steelers. The
Steelers had a solid off season. We'll see what happens.
What we do know is that no player hasd to
be traded and tomlins departure had no impact on free agency.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
That's true.

Speaker 4 (00:57):
Remember people said that that players came to the Steelers
and stayed with the Steelers because they wanted to play
for Tom Win.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Him leaving had zero impact.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
In fact, after hot minute, I bet those already here
were glad to see that fraud departs.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Let's come out of Tommy trifected tom what do you
got for the day? Trifector mark?

Speaker 5 (01:19):
Since the World Cup has wrapped up, I have my
three favorite games from the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Number three in the round of thirty two, the Belgium
and Senegal game, which had Senegal winning two nothing until
the eighty six minute Belgium scored twice within three minutes,
then scored again an extra time. England versus Mexico is
I think the number two game of the World Cup.
The stage at Stadio as Teca was one of the

(01:41):
most insane atmospheres I've ever seen, and then the game
delivered after that. But number one I think was the
Argentina and caba Verde game. I know it didn't end
with David beating Goliath there, but even just the effort
was so insane and some spectacular goals scored in that
game as well. I think that was the game of
the World Cup.

Speaker 4 (01:57):
It was a great game, and it should be noted
Cabo Verdi didn't park the bus. They played right at
Argentina scored one of the goals of the tournament an
extra time to make it too too. Yeah, just definitely
a worthy choice. There the trifecta brought to us by
Danny's Petron Hogies family owned and operated since nineteen sixty.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
That's Danny's en Route eighty eight and Bethel Park. Tom.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
At the top of the show, I talked about Cam
Scatibo trying a backflip after a broken leg.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
What a dipstick? Did you see it?

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (02:26):
He just epitomizes meathead.

Speaker 5 (02:27):
He's like the perfect culmination of all the meatheads meeting
into one. And boy, that career I just think is
going to be so short lived because of how stupid
he is.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
He almost fell, correct if I saw he fell. He's
not hurt.

Speaker 4 (02:42):
But Tom, the reason people love him is because he's stupid,
because it's a stupid country.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
I mean, he's the king of the white bro meat heads,
am I right?

Speaker 5 (02:50):
Yeah, he is right now, and people do love that
stupidity right now. But Giants fans aren't gonna love it
when he's never available to play because he's always getting
hurt because he's just a moron.

Speaker 4 (02:58):
Well, when you do something like that, I remember he
did like a wrestling angle, a scuffle from a ringside
seat when he was still recovering.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
He got his boot on. All he cares is.

Speaker 4 (03:07):
About himself, like people think, because he's a big white
meat head. He's a team first guy. He is the
least team first guy we've seen in a long time.

Speaker 5 (03:16):
Absolutely team first guy's recovering off of an injury after
the rookie year, don't do backflips on TV like that.

Speaker 4 (03:21):
And the big thing is, and I say this after
careful consideration, he's really stupid.

Speaker 6 (03:27):
He is.

Speaker 4 (03:28):
And you would only do stuff like he does if
you're really stupid.

Speaker 5 (03:32):
And what else frustrates me Mark is he's not that
good of a player either. I mean, he's a fine player.
He's just, you know, a go between the tackles kind
of back, workhorse guy. But he's not a feature back
by any stretch of the imagination. He's not an all
pro caliber player. He's an ass.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
Hey, why would Tom Brady do a WWE match with
Logan Paul Because that's where this is headed. It's so
low rent. First off, he's the football goat arguably. Second off,
it's a few that started with flag football and it's
one hundred percent work And I don't think Brady can
see that.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
It makes him look like a geek.

Speaker 5 (04:08):
It feels really beneath him to be honest with you,
And I know he doesn't need the money because he's
getting paid insane amount from Fox. He made an insane
amount in his career, Like, he's not hurting right now
to have to get a fifty million, one hundred million
dollar pay day. It has to just be that he
He kind of likes wrestling, right, No, he likes the stars,
being in the spotlight.

Speaker 4 (04:28):
I think a day's end we might realize he's a
bigger attention more than even Lebron.

Speaker 5 (04:32):
It's the spotlight thing. Yeah, well, you know what he's
he hung on. I don't know if you can say
he hung on too long in the NFL. He's still
pretty good at the end, but he hung on for
a long time. It cost him his family. His wife
cheated on him with a yoga instructor because he kept
hanging on to football.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
I wonder if he got alimony because she made more
than him in the divorce and.

Speaker 5 (04:53):
She cheated on him. So that's a good question. I
wonder if that's the case.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
Do we know for sure that she cheated on him,
do you feel.

Speaker 5 (04:58):
I don't know if we know that for sure, but
I think you can connect those dots. Do we feel
like he's maybe competing with her, Like I need to
get all this money so I can pass Gazelle and
be the breadwinner for the family.

Speaker 4 (05:08):
Maybe she should do a match with Logan Paul like
like she did with the yoga instructor.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
All right, that's uh, Tommy Radio up next.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
Gonna wrap up the World Cup and talk a little
buckos too with Mike. The course of the Sporting News
one O five nine. Now here's your chance to win
one thousand dollars just as you're this nationwide keyword on
our website. Bank.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
That's bank.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
Answer it now, double ux.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
D X FM, It's burg and I heart radio station
guaranteed human.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
A pleasure to be joined.

Speaker 4 (05:59):
Now by the course, you covered the World Cup for
the Sporting News. But Mike, before we talk World Cup,
would you trade Seth turn In as the Pirate's number
one prospect to San Diego for Mason Miller if the
Pirates could well?

Speaker 7 (06:12):
I the way I would answer that question is to
say that, first off, I know Hernandez only by reputation,
that he is the number one prospect, et cetera, that
he's very well respected, and I certainly know of what
Miller's capable of and have seen him do it. But

(06:37):
if you're if Hernandez is that good, then the answer
would be no. If you have any reservations about him
and you think he might be a good picture, well.

Speaker 4 (06:51):
Mike, my reservation with hernan As would be, we don't know.
He's still a prospect. We know what Miller is and
Miller has three years arbitration after after this season. So
to Skeens, you could have both of them for three years,
and if you hit like y'r and I, you win
a World Series.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
I think it's that you get to a World Series anyway.

Speaker 8 (07:08):
I don't think either of those is automatic.

Speaker 7 (07:11):
I do love the way the offense is playing, and
I do think that the pitching is still quite solid,
and of course if Schemes gets back to being Scheens,
then it's a level above that.

Speaker 8 (07:26):
But you're still in the same league as the Dodgers.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
But I want to try to win something. I don't
want to wait. We're waiting for future that never comes.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
Mike.

Speaker 7 (07:37):
I realize that, but you again, you're paying the people
who know baseball to know baseball.

Speaker 4 (07:43):
I don't trust them as far as I could throw
a boulder.

Speaker 8 (07:47):
But then what if you don't trust them, then they
could be.

Speaker 7 (07:50):
Trading away the next Raley fingers for someone else and
that's that or the next well, they're getting the next
Rally fingers, but they would be trading away the next
tom sever Well.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
No, I mean, you make a good point.

Speaker 4 (08:03):
I don't trust them to wash my car, so whatever
they do do is probably the opposite of what what
should be done.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Let's talk World Cup.

Speaker 6 (08:13):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (08:13):
I felt like that was a lousy last game for
Leono Messi.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
He didn't play great.

Speaker 4 (08:18):
Argentina played very negative football and I thought they played
like thugs. Especially. I didn't like Argentina after the game.
That's probably the best way to put it.

Speaker 7 (08:28):
Oh, that is that is the worst behavior I've ever
seen ever that I can recall for a post championship circumstance,
whether it's World Series, Stanley Cup, NBA, whatever you might
want to say, that's the worst I've ever seen.

Speaker 8 (08:46):
It was abysmal. There there was an.

Speaker 7 (08:50):
Instance that has been caught on video of one of
the argent Tina players striking one of the Spain players
who was coming off the bench and a penny, so
you knew he was a reserve and he's coming off
the bench celebrate with his guys, and he ran past
the Argentina player. He didn't get into his space, but
he got close enough that the Argentina player was able

(09:11):
to reach out and pop them in the chest as
he went by.

Speaker 8 (09:14):
And then there was what happened that led to the
red card. And then there was.

Speaker 7 (09:20):
The fact that and I saw this, I wrote about Messi,
but I could I didn't see him in this, so
I couldn't describe it as this. But Argentina as a whole,
during the trophy celebration after they got their silver medals,
turned their backs to the metal stand, to the trophy stand,
which I've never seen in covering soccer. It was just

(09:43):
awful sportsmanship from Argentina. And that's on top of, of course,
the way they played the game, even down to the ridiculous.

Speaker 8 (09:52):
You're in the world.

Speaker 2 (09:53):
Remember how silly.

Speaker 7 (09:54):
It was for Zadan to headbutt Matterazzo. That was ridiculous, right,
but this wasn't far from it. You're on a yellow
and there's and you're at midfield. You're not stopping a
scoring chance or anything. You're just so mentally lazy. A
minute from the whistle of regulation, which really for the

(10:14):
whole game. That was Argentina's goal. Get to get to
zero zero and then see if you can beat him
in a penalty shootout, because they had no chance beyond that.
And you take a guy's legout for no reason at all,
that was a and so that was a ridiculous play.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
Absolutely, he played for Chelsea.

Speaker 4 (10:32):
What do you expect now now looking at the good
side of of what happened yesterday and during the tournament?
Is this among the most convincing World Cup wins ever?
Spain allowed zero shot some goal yesterday and only one
goal in the tournament. Uh, they were thoroughly worthy of winning.

Speaker 8 (10:49):
Absolutely.

Speaker 7 (10:50):
And the thing that was interesting about yesterday's game, and
I didn't pick up on this watching TV against Saint
France or whoever, but every time Argentina played a basic
backpass to try to get a reset, to try to
every time they did that, they were in trouble.

Speaker 8 (11:08):
It wasn't like.

Speaker 7 (11:10):
They're gonna get a reset and then they're gonna come
forward and then maybe they get picked off at midfield
or whatever. No, here comes Spain with the full wave
into your area, pushing you back, pushing you to the sideline,
pushing you all the way to the end line in
some instances.

Speaker 8 (11:25):
I've never seen a press like that.

Speaker 7 (11:28):
I've seen presses that are really effective at wrecking teams
that they try to play out of the back, but
one that can absolutely transform a game by taking away
safety from you. That that was something I'd.

Speaker 8 (11:42):
Never seen before. They were amazing in that respect.

Speaker 2 (11:46):
Who is the World Cup MVP? They don't give one,
but who would you say?

Speaker 8 (11:50):
Well, they did give the golden ball to Rodery and
I think that was the cost.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
Oh okay, that's okay. Yeah, I think he's the guy.

Speaker 4 (11:59):
And I don't feel most American soccer fans appreciate what
Rodrey meant to this win because he totally owned the
midfield in every single game.

Speaker 7 (12:09):
Yeah, it's hard to always see what a guy like
him does because there's not a lot of flash and
and and he's not like somebody like Macherano back in
the day for uh, for Liverpool, who would just blow
guys up in the midfield and take the ball away
and and was so obvious.

Speaker 8 (12:28):
He's very subtle.

Speaker 7 (12:29):
That's what I wrote about in my in my column
in respect to Spain was how subtle everything is when
when Nico Williams and Lamina Mal are healthy, and they
were neither was anywhere near it for this World Cup.

Speaker 8 (12:43):
You could see it with.

Speaker 7 (12:43):
How limited Liminia Maul was during he played a bunch
and how limited the fact.

Speaker 8 (12:48):
That Nico barely got on the field.

Speaker 7 (12:50):
It wasn't that was not a strategic decision, that was
he can't go much more than twenty minutes.

Speaker 8 (12:56):
And it turned out that he created.

Speaker 7 (12:59):
Uh with that great header, the opportunity for far and
Torres to score the winning goal. He was able to
deliver some stuff and of course Lamina Mal got the
penalty that basically finished France. Those guys were just when
they are not healthy. France is not I mean, excuse me,
Spain is not the same. But you come back in
two years and I don't know where Rodri will be

(13:21):
and some of the others, but those guys will be
able to be really dynamic again, and Spain will probably
be different, probably more exciting, maybe a little bit more vulnerable.

Speaker 8 (13:31):
But you're going to have to stop.

Speaker 2 (13:32):
Those two now.

Speaker 4 (13:33):
They're going to be tough to beat at the Euros
in two years than in the World Cup again in four. Now,
I know you've already written Mike that Messi is the
goat anyway despite losing the final. I'm not sure I agree,
So convince me well.

Speaker 7 (13:46):
I think, first of all, you start off with the
length of his career and how he's continued to be
great through all of that. Two World Cup finals, five
Copa America finals, a World Cup type, two Copa America titles,
and then you look to his club career eight ballon doors.

Speaker 8 (14:07):
I believe it was four.

Speaker 7 (14:08):
Champions leagues in Spain going up against Real Madrid, and
not like Real Madrid in a slump Real Madrid, but
like they were good, and they were at times contending
for and winning the Champions League, and they won ten
leagues when he played for Barsa ten league titles in Spain,
and I know it's only a two and a half

(14:29):
team competition, but you're still facing them, and to be
better than Real Madrid ten times is amazing. Look, I understand,
Pele the limitations were put on his club career because
Brazil wouldn't let him go to Europe, and that's not
his fault, but as well, he only won six leagues
in Brazil, So I mean compare those two results to

(14:52):
out the guy I.

Speaker 4 (14:53):
Compare Diego Maradona and I rank him number one because
I saw him play and I never saw anybody better.
And even though he didn't win as much, he won
with teams that shouldn't like for Naple to win Siri
A is just incredible back then, especially he won a
European Trophy with Napoli and Argentina when they won, wasn't

(15:16):
the best team, but he was the best player.

Speaker 6 (15:18):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 7 (15:20):
I was listening to a soccer show today, a soccer podcast,
and they were talking.

Speaker 8 (15:24):
They basically described the eighty six Argentina team. It's basically
a bunch of guys. And then Messi, excuse.

Speaker 7 (15:31):
Me, and then Maradona, and I understand that, but I
have to devalue him some for what he did with
his career.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
He threw it away.

Speaker 7 (15:40):
He didn't love the sport like Messi does, and so
I'm sorry, but I have to take him down at
least a half a peg.

Speaker 8 (15:48):
And that takes him off the same plane as Messi.

Speaker 4 (15:51):
You can tell you've never done cocaine. Hey, will Messi
be back at age forty three?

Speaker 2 (15:57):
I hope not.

Speaker 4 (15:59):
I would rather remember him like this than is I
would assume by then it'd be a substitute or a
part time player.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
I just want him to be done well.

Speaker 7 (16:08):
I think the thing about Messi and I've been comparing
him to like Lebron and comparing him to Brady prior
to Brady's last.

Speaker 8 (16:16):
Year, wherein like, you're not you know, you're not what.

Speaker 7 (16:21):
You were, but you're still better than almost everybody you see.
You may you know, you're not as good as Lemnamullett
when he's healthy and all that, but you're still pretty
good and it's hard to walk away at that point.
So I think I don't know that he's going to
make any announcements immediately.

Speaker 8 (16:39):
I think that he will see how this year goes
with with the rest of this year with Inter.

Speaker 7 (16:46):
Miami, and then we'll see, like what is next year like,
and then he might start thinking about whether or not
he's going to continue with the with the national team
because they don't have to qualify. My understanding is for
twenty thirty, he wouldn't have to go through that if
if he wanted to continue with the national team.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
Because they're a host for the early part of the tournament.

Speaker 7 (17:11):
Exactly, it's only like one game, but they still.

Speaker 8 (17:14):
Have to make them automatic, which is kind of funny.

Speaker 2 (17:16):
But Mike, they're they're doing that to try to get
him to play.

Speaker 8 (17:21):
Well, that's that's why they're having a couple.

Speaker 4 (17:24):
Of games prequalifiers in Argentina and that that that's pretty transparent.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
But again, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (17:29):
I don't think it'll go like we wanted to if
he comes back. Finally, Mike, was it a successful World
Cup for the host nations?

Speaker 2 (17:37):
I think so? And I thought the TV covers was exceptional.

Speaker 7 (17:41):
Oh, I think that this was a spectacular success. Everywhere
I went, and I was in LA, I.

Speaker 8 (17:47):
Was here in New York.

Speaker 7 (17:49):
We covered games in San Jose, Santa Clara, we covered
games in Atlanta, we covered games in KC. We had
people at all those places, and every single report was
how wonderfully receptive. The visitors were those who were visiting
the country, those who were who were in, the citizens

(18:11):
who happened to be supporters of other countries as well
as perhaps the US. Everybody really had a blast. And
like you said, the TV coverage was great. I know
I do work for Fox, so there is a little
asters there, but I thought they were fantastic.

Speaker 4 (18:26):
No, No, it was good. I mean, I hope Latin
never comes back. I hope he keeps his promise. I
like Glawless more than most, but I thought the whole thing,
from top to bottom, Mic was just terrific, including your
coverage at the Sporting News in coming on this program.
But you're not going anywhere. We will talk to you
again next week, and as always, a great job.

Speaker 8 (18:44):
Thanks Mark. Great to talk.

Speaker 4 (18:46):
That's Mike the course of Pittsburgh's own read him at
the Sporting News. Up next, somebody came within one out
of a perfect game in MLB.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
I'm not sure you realized it.

Speaker 4 (18:59):
I'll talk about that just around the corner, and then
we have Dave Smith talking more baseball at the bottom of.

Speaker 2 (19:04):
The hour one oh five ninety X from.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
The NJAM Insurance Traffic Center.

Speaker 9 (19:09):
This report is sponsored bind Liberty Mutual Insurance. Only pay
for what you need.

Speaker 1 (19:14):
It's a thirty minute jam on twenty eight inbound from
Millvale to Chestnut Street that because of a crash, one
lane is blocked, Parkway eastermains closed both ways. Edgewood, Swiss
failed to the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. That's due to construction
scheduled to stay that way till about August third Brendan
Joseph Total Traffic.

Speaker 9 (19:30):
I I pay full price when you can customize, and
say switch to Liberty Mutual and he'll customize your auto
and home insurance market.

Speaker 10 (19:38):
Afternoon galling the mark Madden?

Speaker 2 (19:40):
What do you what? What do you want?

Speaker 1 (19:41):
Dammit the exit one oh five to nine.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
It's Madden on the X.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
Here's how you can pitch a perfect game in MLB now,
except Jared Jones didn't quite. But you remember before the
All Star Game, Jones pitched those six perfect innings eighteen up,
eighteen down, and got pulled because of pitch count. He's
recovering from elbow surgery and we can't have nice things.

(20:18):
And then on Saturday at Cleveland, in his next start,
Jones retired the first eight batters and then gave up
a single. That's eight and two thirds perfect. One batter shy.
Maybe that's how you pitch a perfect game in twenty
twenty six, when complete games are so rare, never mind

(20:39):
no hitters or perfect games. Jones has been very good
in admittedly short doses. World Cup wrapped up, Spain beat Argentina.
This is Hercules Gomez on ESPN, the x US national teamer,
and he says, the lost yesterday doesn't affect Messi's legacy.

Speaker 11 (21:02):
It's not gonna affect Messi's legacy, and this is where
I want to go. Messi's still going to be the
all time great in this sport. And if you need
statistics or trophies to tell you otherwise, I think you're
in the wrong sport.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
Messi is in a different realm.

Speaker 11 (21:14):
We could have a serious argument about his place in
sporting history and where he is amongst the world's best
athletes in the history of sports. I can't imagine this
is the last time we see him. Four years from now,
the World Cup will be part of it in Argentina.

Speaker 2 (21:29):
If you were to ask me if it's.

Speaker 11 (21:30):
The last reason and Leone Messi, I thought we would
have seen.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
The last of him in guitar. So I'm not too sure.

Speaker 4 (21:36):
Okay, but the loss does affect Messi's legacy, if only
because Argentina lost, and now he's not the soul goat.
He's still in that pack of four with Maradonna, Pele
and Christiano Ronaldo. Argentina played like thugs and they were
sore losers. Messi didn't play like the thug and wasn't

(22:00):
a sore loser. All he did was cry, But he
was out there when all that happened, and Messi absolutely
should not play in twenty thirty. Messi was out of
gas in both of Argentina's last two games.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
He conjured up.

Speaker 4 (22:16):
A special moment to set up the winner in the
semi against England and got it going a very little
bit at the end of yesterday's final. But Messi's thirty nine,
He'll be forty three in twenty thirty. And he walked
around most of this tournament ding dong. Hello, I mean,

(22:38):
were you watching? This is MLB Network add non verkan
Our dude Sean Casey talking about the Pirates, Ezmerlin Valdez.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
This was just for my insurers out there, like Sean.

Speaker 5 (22:53):
Casey, My favorite guy's Zmerlyin Valdez, Like, I just love
this guy.

Speaker 4 (22:57):
He had ten.

Speaker 2 (22:57):
Homers per stut. I'm calling a thirty run season.

Speaker 5 (23:01):
That means he's gonna get twenty homers in the next
sixty games.

Speaker 2 (23:03):
I think that's crazy.

Speaker 5 (23:05):
Garry Sanchez hit twenty homers in fifty three games.

Speaker 3 (23:07):
I'm calling.

Speaker 2 (23:11):
I want to see Merlin the magician. This guy is
bringing the fire back.

Speaker 4 (23:14):
To Pittsburgh baseball boy, does Casey have a great laugh?
Just terrific, so hardy not at all means spirited, like
for example.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
Mine thirty home runs for Valdez this.

Speaker 4 (23:30):
Season, that would mean eighteen more from here on, Nott,
he hit number twelve yesterday. To do that would be titanic.
It might happen, Burke and Casey, You're right, it just might.
Valdez is not slowing down the other teams. Yeah, they
got taped now, and they got tendencies now, and the

(23:51):
ball is still flying out the park. Valdez has real power.
He got get full power, he got just power. He's
a decent bet to keep it up and a long
shot to get thirty on the air, but not as
long as some might think. He is that kind of
home run hitter. He's got that kind of power. We'll

(24:16):
keep talking baseball just around the corner with our baseball guy,
Dave Smith. But right now I want you to join
me and make your downtime fun time all summer.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
Long with the bet Parks app.

Speaker 4 (24:28):
Bet Park brings the casino to you on the beach,
the boat, the lake, on the land, or on the
water by the pool, or right on your couch. The
casino is at your fingertips. Bet Parks is the only
online casino in sportsbook gap that I recommend.

Speaker 2 (24:45):
I use it.

Speaker 4 (24:46):
I love it so much fun Well, I bet on
Bucco's Baseball, or on Pro Golf, MMA Tennis, Women's Pro Basketball.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
Do it all on the bet Parks app right now.

Speaker 4 (24:58):
Bet Park's got a great offer for new online casino users.
Join me and get up to five hundred dollars casino
bonus back in your first twenty four hours. Plus, get
five hundred bonus spins on the hot new online slot game.

Speaker 3 (25:13):
Goal Goal Goal.

Speaker 4 (25:15):
Collect Them the Betpark's online casino and sportsbook app, where
there's always another way to win. You gotta be twenty
one and in PA, New Jersey, Maryland or Michigan. New
users only. Terms and conditions apply. Get the details at
betparks dot com. Casino bonus must be wagered. You got
a gambling problem called one eight hundred Gambler, Gonna.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
Talk baseball with Smitty up next on the X. Hey everybody,
it's the Hoodie Show.

Speaker 12 (25:44):
Yeah, if you're a Dave Matthews band fan, we got
an announcement The Hoodies Show giving away tickets all week long.
Dave Matthews Band back in town for next show out
at Starlake on Friday night. Tickets are on sale noow
livenation dot com. All this week you can win them
cool with the Woody Show A one to five ninety
X from the NJM Insurance Weather Center.

Speaker 2 (26:06):
This report is sponsored by Expresspros dot Com.

Speaker 13 (26:09):
We're gonna see clouds increasing tonight, areas of smoke at
times overnight low sixty eight showers and thunderstorms expected tomorrow.
Look for Hive seventy seven and gotta version of the
Pokey Pokey mark.

Speaker 12 (26:20):
You are the Virginia I know.

Speaker 3 (26:22):
It's the ex At one oh five nine.

Speaker 4 (26:25):
Bucko's at the Yankees tonight, first game of three at
Yankee Stadium. You can come watch the game with me
at the All Star Sports Bar and Grill. That's the
South Point location technically Cannonsburg. Joining me out of Talk Baseball.
He's our baseball guy, Dave Smith Smitty. Here's the big question,
du jour. If the Pirates could, should they trade seth

(26:47):
turn in as from Mason Miller?

Speaker 2 (26:49):
Why or why not?

Speaker 14 (26:51):
Well, one, it would never happen because San Diego's first
step right now If they're gonna trade Mason Miller to anyone,
it's gonna be someone who's all They're going to also
be able to pin Xander Bogart's contract on, So that's
got to be a package deal for.

Speaker 3 (27:06):
Them right now.

Speaker 14 (27:06):
I mean, Bogarts has owed a lot of money for
a lot of years, and if somebody wants to pick
that horrid contract up, they they can get Mason Miller easy.
But if you're not gonna want to waste all that
money on Xander Bogart's it's going to be tough to.

Speaker 15 (27:19):
Get Mason Miller.

Speaker 14 (27:20):
Having said that, okay, Hernandez from Miller, I mean, you
know what, I get two different schools.

Speaker 3 (27:27):
A thought on that Hernandez.

Speaker 14 (27:28):
Looks very very good and they could be a really
good pitcher after Schemes has gone. But another factor of
that mark is this team, this team can go now,
this team, this team can go and take off. Now
I believe they're going to they have a possibility of
making the NLC.

Speaker 15 (27:42):
Yes, and if you could.

Speaker 14 (27:43):
Get Miller and you could trade her, you could trade
South Hernandos.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
For him and get a hold of them, go for it.

Speaker 14 (27:49):
Same thing with Edward Florentino, he hasn't really done that
well since he's moved up to Triple A. Sure, he's
a fantastic prospect offensively, defensively, power can put some.

Speaker 3 (27:58):
Weight on it even better.

Speaker 14 (28:00):
But you know what, you've got an opportunity right now,
you really do. And if they just if they don't
get bold, and if they just like walk away and say, ah,
we'll try it again next year, you're gonna completely alienate
this fan base that really wants to see something happen.

Speaker 4 (28:16):
Well in that vein, whether it's to ad Miller or
add anybody who significants. At the deadline, Smithy, which is
just two weeks away, do you trust the Pirates to
add payroll to get better because Bob Nightingale, the baseball
writer of some repute, Bob says they will not.

Speaker 14 (28:33):
No, I don't trust them to do anything bold. You know,
I can sit here and dream that I want them
to get East sac paratus or Matt Chapman to come
in and play third base and give him some real
leadership in the team, or go out and like even
pick up somebody like like Garrett Whitlock from the Red Sox,
or Antonio sends a tele from Colorado, for the bullpen.
But I just don't think they're gonna do it. I

(28:53):
think they should, but they just don't think they're gonna
do it. I think they're just gonna play their cards
tight to the vest, and then at the end they're
gonna say, well, stucks, we tried and it's not gonna
be enough.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
I said exactly that, not not an hour ago. There.

Speaker 4 (29:07):
It's gonna be like the Kyle Schwarber thing where they
where they you know, come up short, because they intended
to come up short quite honestly by way of not
adding payroll. Now, Noah Howe's the Post Gazette thinks the
Pirates are going to shut down Braxton Ascraft for one
hundred and fifty innings, which would be mid September.

Speaker 2 (29:26):
I don't think they will.

Speaker 4 (29:27):
That would be the worst optics possible, but I don't
rule it out either.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
What do you think.

Speaker 14 (29:33):
I'll tell you what, if they do shut him down,
it will show me one thing.

Speaker 15 (29:37):
It will show me that this franchise.

Speaker 14 (29:39):
Has no idea what to do whenever they're.

Speaker 15 (29:42):
In the race.

Speaker 3 (29:43):
None.

Speaker 14 (29:44):
They have no idea what to do with a good season,
because they're just going to back off and back off
and back off. And if they're going to continue to
do that now if he has if he has an
arm problem, if his elbow's hurting or something like that,
that's a different story. But if you're just going to
get to a certain innings level in the middle of
a darn tennant race.

Speaker 15 (30:01):
And say, Okay, you're gonna sit.

Speaker 14 (30:03):
Down now, We're just going to like ride the rest
of the ride to the rest of the wave in.

Speaker 15 (30:07):
That is absolutely ridiculous. If they did something like.

Speaker 4 (30:10):
That, you're not rolling it out either, are you.

Speaker 9 (30:14):
No?

Speaker 14 (30:14):
No, no, because I think because they mark you said
up many times, this franchise only sells hope. They don't
sell victory, they don't sell wins, they don't sell playoffs.

Speaker 3 (30:24):
They just sell hope. And that's what they're going.

Speaker 14 (30:26):
To continue to do because they're already doing it with
guys like Fiorentino and Seth Hernandez even in the face
when you could actually make some moves and you could
actually go far in this sea this season, right.

Speaker 4 (30:38):
No, No, Hernandez thing is he's kind of on to
be the successor to Schemes when Scheme leaves, and not
in terms of necessarily being the ace, in terms of
the hype in terms of being the savior.

Speaker 2 (30:51):
Boba was supposed to be next in line, but he
ain't done it.

Speaker 14 (30:55):
There's always the hope, There's always the there's always the
Hope guy. There's always the prospect porn that we play
with his team all the time.

Speaker 3 (31:01):
There's always that.

Speaker 14 (31:02):
Guy raking down in double A. Don't you worry about it, grandson, because.

Speaker 3 (31:06):
That guy raking down in double A.

Speaker 14 (31:07):
I don't care who he is, run right or whoever
happens to be at the George Spriggs for all I know.

Speaker 15 (31:13):
But like you know what, it's just the same old thing.
They have a chance, they.

Speaker 3 (31:17):
Have an opportunity right now this.

Speaker 15 (31:18):
Season to actually change.

Speaker 14 (31:21):
The entire paradigm on this franchise right now.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
And it's very.

Speaker 14 (31:26):
Important to watch this because you know, you look down,
you look down the path mark another thing too, You
get the trade deadline in two weeks, but they have
a relatively easy schedule in September. This is one thing
that's I've been looking at. They'll they'll they play four
series is in September with teams that are going to
be Bonify sellers.

Speaker 3 (31:43):
At the trade deadline.

Speaker 14 (31:44):
And you know, if I'm looking at their September schedule
with the Giants, the Angels, the Royals, the Tigers. My goodness,
I mean that's going to give them a big springboard
right there, so that you have to keep moving right
now and do something smart and not just like play
your cards close to the vest.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
We're talking our baseball guy, Dave Smith here on the X. Now.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
On a good note. You got Valdez with another home
run yesterday. He's got twelve and thirty one games. It's
hard to not believe he's for real. We just spoke
a bit about manufactured optimism. This seems like real optimism
with this guy that truly does.

Speaker 14 (32:18):
He selects his pitchers well, he's pitch as well. He's
not a nutty free swinger up there.

Speaker 15 (32:23):
He really had.

Speaker 3 (32:23):
Watched him over the weekend.

Speaker 15 (32:24):
In Cleveland, and he's just like he's really for a kid.

Speaker 14 (32:27):
He's got, he's smart, he's smart, he's playing the game well.
And I think he's going to continue to do this.
I mean, continue to be a very successful player. He's
not getting I don't think he's gonna wind up with
thirty home runs in the Europe. He does, that'd be fantastic,
But they who knows better than mayor Casey about that.
But like, seriously, he really is. I think he's the
real deal, you know.

Speaker 15 (32:46):
But thank you, thank goodness because this team, this team.

Speaker 14 (32:49):
That had you know, was a banking on Connor Joe
a couple of years ago, and like you're still waiting
for Turmar Johnson to hit two thirty.

Speaker 15 (32:56):
I mean, to.

Speaker 14 (32:57):
Get somebody like this out of there is just absolutely fantastic.
And I think he's a good kid too, That's what's good.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
He's good.

Speaker 14 (33:03):
He follows his leaders well and he's really doing well
in the clubhouse.

Speaker 15 (33:07):
And that's that's just that's just.

Speaker 3 (33:09):
Added icing on the cake.

Speaker 4 (33:11):
Smitty Schemes won yesterday. I thought he pitched pretty good,
pretty good, But I feel like he's definitely pitching the contact.
I think he's made a business decision to protect his arm.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
What's the look like to you?

Speaker 15 (33:24):
To me, it just looks like he's using all his pitches.

Speaker 14 (33:26):
I mean, he's like he's more like working out his
repertoire with his seven or eight pitches.

Speaker 2 (33:31):
Yeah, he ate never popping one hundred, not once all season.

Speaker 14 (33:36):
Well maybe you know, if he's as good and crafty
a pitcher as opposed to a thrower.

Speaker 3 (33:41):
He really doesn't have to do that.

Speaker 14 (33:42):
I mean, if he can shitt, he moves speeds around.
If the sweeper and the and the and the other
pitches are working very well.

Speaker 15 (33:49):
And the change up's working very.

Speaker 3 (33:51):
Well, he doesn't have.

Speaker 14 (33:52):
To be Missereruski out there like a hitting one oh
five on the gun. He can go out there and pitch.
Because we found out now ball skis as a smart
guy and he's more of a throw more of a pitcher,
and less than the thrower, and we shouldn't get.

Speaker 2 (34:04):
Really I'd like to combine the two a little bit more.

Speaker 14 (34:10):
Well, you know, there is a there is a glory
to be held with knocking the gun at one h three, Uh,
particularly when you want to, you know, give him the heater, Ricky.

Speaker 15 (34:17):
But like, seriously, I enjoyed watching him this week.

Speaker 14 (34:21):
I mean that was the one that was the one
start that he had mark that I actually enjoyed watching
it because I think he really was in charge of
the game.

Speaker 4 (34:28):
I think that's his best in a while. I think
that's fair to say.

Speaker 15 (34:31):
Yeah, I mean he said that too.

Speaker 14 (34:33):
You know, with Jose Raminez is not playing, Uh, the
Guardians have had trouble offensively, but but still he really
I enjoyed watching schemes work and it was it was good.

Speaker 4 (34:43):
Now we got a three game series with the Yankees
at the new Yankee STAATEI beginning tonight where the Yankees
at currently with Judge out, I look at that lineup
and I think it's pretty good, but no better.

Speaker 15 (34:56):
Yeah, they're overrated. You know, you're going into.

Speaker 14 (34:57):
The national media spotlight in the Bronx too, so the
Pirates can make themselves them maybe a name for themselves
with this team for the season. You know, the media
that didn't where they think no baseball plays played west
of the Hudson or east of the Golden State Freeway.
So it'll be good seeing them there in the Bronx
making a name for themselves and showing off without Judge.

Speaker 15 (35:16):
You know that they still you know, gold Schmid is.

Speaker 3 (35:18):
A Hall of Famer coming up, you know, and.

Speaker 14 (35:20):
Cody Bellinger's a painting a butt and Ben Rice has
really had a good season. But those are the three
guys they have. But other than that, you know, they're
they're twenty third and batting average. They have a really
low count on doubles and triples. They've got.

Speaker 15 (35:32):
I mean the Yankees, you know, their second in.

Speaker 3 (35:35):
Home runs, but they've taken a lot of walks.

Speaker 15 (35:37):
But you know, there's holes.

Speaker 3 (35:39):
In their lineup.

Speaker 15 (35:39):
But that's the thing about the Yankees.

Speaker 14 (35:41):
There's always holes in the lineup. But they always have
a way of.

Speaker 15 (35:44):
Getting to like these little like.

Speaker 14 (35:47):
Buzzy flies like what's his name, jass Chisholm and that
to get in there and burn you when it hurts,
and that's what they're able to do. So you really
have to stay down on them. Just don't get up
and think, Okay, we got these guys now, because.

Speaker 3 (35:59):
They they bounce back easy.

Speaker 15 (36:01):
You know the you know, the Yankees haven't a plus.

Speaker 14 (36:03):
Eighty five run differential in the season, and you scratch
your head thinking like.

Speaker 3 (36:06):
Hey, they're the Bronx bombers, now bring back.

Speaker 15 (36:09):
Ruth and Garrick, until.

Speaker 14 (36:10):
You look at the look beneath those numbers. Thirty three
of those runs were against Kansas City alone, So they
can beat up on bad teams, but they're they're fighting
with the Rays and now the Red Sox and they
haveew Orioles are back into it in.

Speaker 3 (36:25):
The Al East.

Speaker 14 (36:26):
So I don't know, it's tough and it's gonna be
tough without Judge because he may not be here for
the rest of the season.

Speaker 4 (36:31):
Pirates are currently tied for the last wild card with
Saint Louis and Miami. Who is the biggest threat of
those two teams, and why.

Speaker 15 (36:39):
That's Saint Louis for sure. Miami's played over their heads
and you saw that in the.

Speaker 14 (36:43):
Last week when they took they suddenly got way out
to use that phrase, way out over their skis, and
now they're back to like four games over five hundred, and.

Speaker 15 (36:52):
They'll continue to sink.

Speaker 14 (36:53):
I think the Cardinals are still playing with some uh
I don't know, they're playing with Voodoo fifty one and
forty seven right now. I think the Pirates really I
gotta worry about the Diamondbacks a little bit more in
that wild card race because the Snakes have a really
good bullpen. They've had some trouble with starting pitchers. But
you know, when you got that k tel Marte and
the leadership of Nolan Ernado and that Corbyn Carrol, I.

Speaker 15 (37:15):
Mean, I just think the Snakes are someone to deal with.

Speaker 3 (37:18):
Coming up in the future.

Speaker 14 (37:19):
I don't worry about the Marlins, but the Cardinals, you know,
they played well, they played better than anybody expected, and
so they're always going to give you a little bit
of trouble.

Speaker 4 (37:29):
Smitty, We constantly talk about the Pirates bullpen. We parse
everything about it. Isn't it more simple than that? I
think it's two things. A. The starters don't pitch deep enough,
and that reveals the lack of depth in the bullpen.
And B Soto and Santana were supposed to be good
and they're.

Speaker 14 (37:45):
Nots Tantanna has really tailed off, and he's tailed off
so badly that I wouldn't be surprised that after the
trading deadline he's DFAD if somebody, if they don't try
to deal them, because you know, it's what the last
seven appearances, he's only had three clean appearances.

Speaker 3 (38:02):
He's had four ones.

Speaker 15 (38:02):
When he's got four appearances, when he's.

Speaker 14 (38:04):
Given up two, two and four runs, you can't be
doing that. You can't be doing that in a position
he's expected to fill. I think, so do we still
have confidence Cinema? Okay, but you can't over use them.
You can't expect them to pitch more than one inning.

Speaker 3 (38:17):
The whole thing falls on Donnie Kelly right now. Mark.

Speaker 14 (38:19):
I mean, look, he got a great, great performance out
of Kristen Curtis. Kristen Curtis over the weekend, and he's
and Mason the other guy that Montgomery. You guys started
the opener that one day. Donny Kelly's got to make
the right moves. That's what's happening right now.

Speaker 15 (38:34):
He's got horses in the bull.

Speaker 4 (38:37):
Is to have the starters pitch deep or smitty like
I think if you narrowed that bullpenn down to five
guys for any high leverage situation after the fifth, that
bullpen to be five.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
But the problem is the starters.

Speaker 4 (38:50):
I mean, Jones is averaging under five innings per start,
and I understand that because of the elbow, But at
what point is winning a bigger priority than making sure
that these guys agents are happy and they're healthy for
their next team.

Speaker 3 (39:04):
It's got to be a priority now right now.

Speaker 14 (39:06):
You know you have to go to If a guy's
not pitch five innings, you go out there and you're
going to take them out and say, hey, you're feeling okay,
you're feeling okay, keep pitching, not just doing on a
pitch comp but doing on whether the guy's feeling okay.
You know this is the big time for relievers right now.
The great Dwayne Ward, one of the greatest relievers of
my lifetime, passed away a couple of days ago, and.

Speaker 15 (39:25):
When he died, I started thinking.

Speaker 3 (39:27):
About all the great relievers.

Speaker 14 (39:28):
Who sometimes get they pass under the radar, And this
is a thing the Pirates don't have right now.

Speaker 3 (39:34):
They don't have somebody like that.

Speaker 14 (39:35):
Hey, this guy's doing really good, but we're really not
noticing it because we're focusing in on these guys who
are not doing very well. And I think they really
either Donnie Kelly has to shake up the bullpen or
get the starters to go further, or see what they
can add in a trading deadline. I don't care if
it's Luke Weaver, Tyler Holton, senzatela Aroldis Chapman, Louis Varland,

(39:56):
Tyler Rogers. I mean they need to just get one
or two extra bodies in your Let's see what happens.

Speaker 4 (40:01):
Smitty is always great stuff. We will do it again
next week. Enjoy the baseball.

Speaker 3 (40:06):
Take care of Mark, Kevin Goodwin.

Speaker 4 (40:07):
That's Dave Smith, our baseball guy. Uh, it's time not
to ask Mark anything. Eight three three four one two
w xdx. Now that number right now. I want calls
you so rarely get the call. We fill the show
with good content that doesn't involve you, which is why
it's good content. But now you've got a shot eight

(40:29):
three three four one two w xdx. I'll say it
again real slow eight three three four one two.

Speaker 3 (40:42):
W x d.

Speaker 15 (40:48):
X.

Speaker 4 (40:49):
Or you can leave a talk back via the microphone
icon at the iHeartMedia app. Ask Mark anything, Oh my God,
breaking news. Cook in the lineup again tonight for the pirates.
Mascot makes good on five nine.

Speaker 16 (41:04):
It's The Woody Show weekday mornings at six ninety.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
X eighty four.

Speaker 4 (41:09):
Lumber is built for everyone who builds, whether you're a homeowner,
starting your first project or a pro.

Speaker 2 (41:16):
It's not fair. It's not fair.

Speaker 8 (41:17):
It's not fair.

Speaker 3 (41:18):
The ex at one.

Speaker 4 (41:25):
Thanks to Smithy for talking baseball. But now it's time
to ask Mark anything. Brought to list by People's Natural Gas,
People's Hyphengas dot Com.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
I'm in demand, as we all know.

Speaker 4 (41:39):
I hosted a World Cup Final viewing party at Pittsburgh
Brewing last night, big crowd.

Speaker 2 (41:49):
Tonight, I'm at All.

Speaker 4 (41:52):
Star Sports Bar and Grill in South Point for the
Bucco game, then at Schoolhouse, Tavern and Clarridge for the
Bucco game tomorrow night. Then next Monday, I'm an mcsummer
Fest to McDonald pa at Heritage Park six St.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
Eight pm.

Speaker 4 (42:05):
They got a band, they got beer, comped me in.
And then the Pittsburgh There's there's a comedy festival at
Pittsburgh Brewing coming up. I'll give you more information on
that as I continue to pimp myself out as much
as possible. Not as much as Tom Brady though then
again he's getting the Saudi money. Then you Sadi's are

(42:27):
listening for a big payday. I'm in blood money or not.
Like I said, now it's time to ask mark anything
brought to us by people's hyphengass dot com.

Speaker 2 (42:38):
Let's go to Liam William. You're on with Double M.

Speaker 15 (42:41):
Hey man.

Speaker 6 (42:42):
How you doing today?

Speaker 2 (42:43):
Good Liam?

Speaker 17 (42:45):
So, first of all, I want to say thank you
for being a huge part of my parents' lives and
my childhood. Whenever I was growing up, he used to
listen to you all the time whenever I was in.

Speaker 3 (42:55):
The car with them.

Speaker 16 (42:57):
Okay, great, And second, I really wanted to ask what's
your opinion whenever it comes to either economy cars or
like fun sporty your cars.

Speaker 4 (43:08):
I can't fit in them, BROV like I love, I love,
I know, I'm serious. I love Mustangs. When I was
younger and just starting to drive, I couldn't fit in them.
So I won big and luxurious dis Nissan Morano.

Speaker 3 (43:21):
I feel you that I got.

Speaker 2 (43:22):
Now it's big enough and it's luxurious enough. Let's go
to Dave. Dave, you're on with Mark.

Speaker 14 (43:29):
Hey and Santino is talking about standing the World Cup
to sixty four teams.

Speaker 15 (43:36):
Do you think that's said they could finally get Italy.

Speaker 4 (43:38):
In Italy will qualify next time?

Speaker 2 (43:41):
This was a fluke, although I maybe not. That's two
in a row, I think.

Speaker 4 (43:46):
But they were in the while, they were in the
Euro Final a couple a couple of euros ago. I
think the problem with sixty fourteens is gonna be there
aren't many countries that have like the training facilities to
accommodate all those teams. The games are no problem, but
you need sixty four separate and exclusive, high quality training facilities,

(44:08):
so that makes it a lot tougher. Thank you for
the call that it's the Iron City Comedy Festival. I'm
hosting that it's August fifteenth. That's a Saturday, August fifteenth
at Pittsburgh Brewing in Creighton. And let's see what it
says here. Oh, Jim Florentine's on it, my buddy, my

(44:30):
other buddy, Matt White, Jeff Conkole, Mike Waisaki, my buddy
from deck cockey, Mike Travers.

Speaker 2 (44:37):
So you don't want to miss that. Let's go to Darren. Darren,
you're on with Double M.

Speaker 6 (44:42):
Hey, Mark, what's up.

Speaker 15 (44:43):
I'm calling from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Speaker 18 (44:45):
I'm wondering if you're have any plans to get Jordan
Stall on the show.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
Yeah, I'm sure we will before the summer's over.

Speaker 18 (44:53):
Actually yeah, because I mean, I obviously I love the
show from Pittsburgh, but I w love to get Jordan
and he hear your conversation between you guys.

Speaker 4 (45:04):
Jordan will be on the show at some point. I
can't put a time frame on it, but I know
he's going to be on the show for sure.

Speaker 3 (45:12):
Awesome, love it, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 4 (45:15):
You know what we're gonna talk about tomorrow. By the way,
at length, I think the pirates are going to make
a big trade because they're cheap they won't want add payroll.
That was a good point by Smithy that to get
Mason Miller, the team's gonna have to take Xander Bogart's
and that big deal and the Pirates.

Speaker 2 (45:35):
I'd still do it, but it's not my money. It's
not your money either.

Speaker 4 (45:40):
But the Archer trade and the Bedner trade which have
blown up in the pirates faces. I'm not saying that
scared the Pirates off. I don't think it has money
is their only concern, but I think it's scared you
off where if they don't make a big deal, you'll
be okay, because what about the Archer trade, what about
the bed in Ard trade. Let's go to josh and

(46:04):
Bethel Park Joshua on with double m.

Speaker 6 (46:08):
Oh Hey, Mark, First of all, I want to let
you know I saw you two Roads by You at
Montley Crue. Great show, definitely. I think Vince sounded better
than I was anticipating. I don't know but what you
thought about Vince.

Speaker 4 (46:23):
Vince had a real bad run like when they were
at PNC in twenty twenty two that tour, but he's
been much better since then and was very good at Starlak.

Speaker 2 (46:32):
What else you got, Yeah, but.

Speaker 6 (46:35):
You know, one person I think that's been getting lost
in these whole pier trade talks has been Onell Cruz,
especially with his whole you know, injury thing, which has
probably kept them off the market.

Speaker 3 (46:45):
But I think that's something in the off No, bru,
he's not.

Speaker 4 (46:49):
On the market. They're they're not going to trade him,
especially not now. But I will say this, this has
been pointed out to me. If you're going to trade
O'Neil Cruz, like if Valdez can finished the season strong
and to some degree makes Cruise superfluous, let alone giving
him the big extension at some point, trading a star
like that, a talent like that, in the off season

(47:12):
is the time to do it.

Speaker 2 (47:14):
You're not forced in anything, nor is your trade partner.
You can really figure it out.

Speaker 6 (47:20):
I agree with that one hundred percent. And I think
that's somewhere where you have Floriento and triple It and
whatever he is, that eventually he'll come up, maybe even
try to get him ready by opening day next year
and right now, which is proving that you know, pirates
can find holes in center field between Mangum and Cook.

Speaker 4 (47:36):
That you know, Cruise eat Cook sucks. But I would
have no problem with Mangum and center field. Like I said,
I would trade Cruise now if I could. They won't,
and maybe they shouldn't. But let's say they did trade Cruise,
Mangum and center field and Reynolds, o'hearne, and Valdez rotate
through the corner outfield spots and d H. That would

(47:57):
work fine and would work fine moving forward forward as well.

Speaker 2 (48:01):
Let's go to Mike. Mike, you're own with double M.

Speaker 3 (48:05):
Hey, double M.

Speaker 10 (48:05):
I was just calling to ask, what ways do you
think soccer could improve after that World Cup final?

Speaker 2 (48:12):
In no way? In no way, it's it's a perfect game.
What would you do?

Speaker 10 (48:17):
I would create I'd do a lot of things, but
my number one rule would be maybe over and back,
Like once you bring the.

Speaker 2 (48:23):
Soccer, okay, that's just stupid. Anything else, Yeah, I mean,
how do you enforce that? What do you do if
you bring it back? What happens?

Speaker 3 (48:31):
Then?

Speaker 10 (48:33):
It's the same in a basketball game, you blow the whistle,
the other team gets a free kick at the halfway line.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
Yeah, it's just stupid.

Speaker 4 (48:39):
You know what I would change about soccer, I would
make it illegal for guys like you who don't understand
the game and want it to be like stupid asinine
American sports. It should be a lot you have to
shut up by Now let's go to Buffalo Bill High
Buffalo Bill. You're on with Double m.

Speaker 3 (48:57):
Yeah, Mark, Uh, really bummed to hear about how good
Molly Crewe was. I wanted to go out, but I
didn't because I thought they were cooked, because the last
time I saw them was P ANDC.

Speaker 2 (49:05):
And I was like, why would you be bummed? That's
kind of weird? Go ahead.

Speaker 3 (49:09):
I'm bummed that I'm bummed that I didn't go. But
my question for you is that what song do they
do best?

Speaker 6 (49:16):
And did you get backstage passes?

Speaker 8 (49:18):
And if not? Why not?

Speaker 4 (49:20):
I don't go backstage. My buddy Fred's uh Fred Kowalo
is six as roadie, but I haven't gone backstage in years.
I go if I'm invited somebody I've known, like Brett Michaels,
I always go backstage because I've been friends with Brett
for years. Any show Reb Beach plays, I'm like they're
doing a show. The Friday night Reb's local band, the
Red Beach Project Friday night before Labor Day at the

(49:43):
South Park Amphitheater but you know, it's like I don't
want to push myself on guys like six if if
they ever.

Speaker 2 (49:50):
Invite me back.

Speaker 4 (49:50):
The one band I'd like to meet is Greta van
Fleet because their kids and I've supported them since the
very beginning and they have recognized that from the stage.

Speaker 2 (49:59):
Let's go to a talk back.

Speaker 9 (50:01):
Mark with the improvement of the Pirates batting average and
run scoring.

Speaker 3 (50:06):
How much credit, if.

Speaker 9 (50:07):
Any, do you give to the hitting coach, Matt Haig.

Speaker 4 (50:12):
Eh, I don't know, I don't know. I mean, I
just think when you get to a professional level.

Speaker 2 (50:19):
I'll tell you what.

Speaker 4 (50:20):
Chuck Tanner, to my mind, one of the best managers
ever and certainly that the Pirates have ever had. Chuck
Tanner once said about getting a new pitching coach, He'll
hurt for the guys, help for the guys, the other
four guys, it won't matter, and I think that largely
applies with hitting coaches and hitters as well. I just
think the Pirates have a bunch of hitters on a
hot streak, and that's good. A season on hot streak

(50:43):
even better.

Speaker 2 (50:45):
Up next.

Speaker 4 (50:46):
Boy, it was a tough decision. As you'll hear get
more calls in. Let's take more calls. You don't have
a chance very often. We actually got some good calls there.
But stop trying to fix soccer. It doesn't need fixed
at all, even a little bit. A three three four
one two xdx the number to call eight three three
four one two w xd x. This is the mark manchow.
Let's not forget I am a profit of sorts one

(51:08):
oh five nine the X straining my gun