April 5, 2025 • 8 mins
US sports correspondent Leon Busby joined Piney to recap a full week in the world of American basketball.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's get your state side to update you on all
things American sport with our man Leon Buzzby Leon, thanks
for joining us. As always, Let's start with basketball and
the march madness into the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Yes, so much madness is into the final stages with
the women's Final four taking place. It took place yesterday
in Tampa, Florida and Tan San Antonio. For the men
this year, there was a bit of pushback because there
were no Cinderella Cinderella stories eight that's that's been a
much lower seeded team upsets one of the favorites. But
(00:46):
at the end of the day we were left with
the best four teams of both competitions. So yesterday in
the women's Final four, we saw in semifinal won the
overall top seed, the u c. L A Bruins. They
lost heavily to the number two seed, the Yukon Huskies.
In the other semi final, the number one seed and
the fenning champion South Carolina game Cocks in interesting eighth
(01:06):
also dominated the bidding. The Texas Longhorned, another lot stided
games so hard to pick a win in the National
Championship game. It's both uknnents Outh Carolina evenly match, but
should be a compelling contest none the less.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Pony absolutely looking forward to that, and of course the
men's games on at the moment, so we'll see who's
who's cutting down the net as they say, next Tuesday.
You're right though, about March madness. It is about the
Cinderella stories, isn't it When when a less fancy team
gets gets up over the top of somebody who's ranked
much higher. Just a lack of those this year, no
particular reason. It's just the way that it went. The
(01:41):
top sides just remained the top sides.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, it's just the way of pair not this year.
So everyone loves to see the Cinderella story, but you know,
for obvious reasons, it just didn't happen this year. And say,
there was a bit of pushback from the fans, but
the end of the day, we've got the best teams
competing for their national total.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Okay, let's go to Major League Baseball, and I want
to start with the torpedo bats. This seems to be
dominate discussion now. Unlike a traditional bat that tapers down
towards a thick end cap. The torpedo bat shifts that
mass lower down the barrel. It creates a bowling pin
like shape. And I guess the idea is to concentrate
(02:20):
the weight where the players most often make contact, so
it gives hit us more power and control. Well, I mean,
why has there been so much discussion about these new bats?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, I don't know if I should say that too
much more Pony, you still my thunder there, but there's
been a lot of discussion around the recent use of
this bat. Say, for your listening audience, point, I'll try
to span the best that I can. So it was
first used last year by All Star Yankee Jean Corlis Stanton.
He's a renowned slagger in Major League Baseball. So in
(02:51):
October of last year, when he first started using it,
it's betting average for that month increased dramatically when he
had seven home runs of a boarding game span. Then
you fast forward to this season where the Yankee batters
they crushed fifteen home runs in their there has three
games of the season using that particular bat. Now that's
an unprecedent a strike grade poney and then unders bear
(03:12):
the south. So There are currently forty one approved manufacturers
that supplied bats for the Major League Baseball The bats
themselves have to meet stript measurement criteria as you alluded to,
and as long as they are within those parameters, you
can distribute the weight of the bat however you want. Now,
with that in mind, the creator of the unconventional torpedo
(03:34):
bat as a retired physics professor, Aaron Lennart, who at
the time was a New York Yankees front office staffer
but is now employed by the Miami Marlins as a
field coordinator. The logic that Lenhard had was to redistribute
the weight of the bats in intense moving the so
called sweet spot to where the better strikes the ball
most frequently, which is about six or seven inches down
(03:55):
from the end of the bat. Now, I won't go
any deeper. The matter would be her all day, Piney,
but to a pfat as well, within the rules that
any player can use it. Just to note, they're not
all Major League Baseball players choose to use that bat,
but it's certainly a game changer. Personally, I think it's
a positive innovation for baseball because in recent years pitching
is dominated to the detriment of the game.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, and crowds love big hits, which they're getting with
the torpedo bat.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Absolutely. So we're still early on in the Major League
Baseball season. But how are the standings panning out in
the American League in the National.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
League, Yes, so in terms of early season fixed point,
it's a long regular season grind, as you know, one
hundred and sixty two games before the playoffs even begin. Now,
I mean it's a real war of patrician for Major
League Baseball in terms of the amount of games they played,
and the team that lifts the Commissioners Trophy at the
conclusion of the board series you'll find as the deepest
and healthiest roster they're currently The teams that are off
(04:48):
to a good start are the defending champion LA Dodgers,
of course, in the San Diego Padres, and the Philadelphia
Phillies in the National League. In the American League, the
Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and LA Angels are leading
the way. However, if you were to compared both leagues,
the National League is superior to the American League in
terms of overall winning percentage. Case in points ken of
(05:11):
the fifteen teams in the National League over five hundred,
while in the American League only six of the fifteen
or five hundred or better. Big disparity there.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Let's go to the NBA, then, where we find ourselves
near the end of the regular season eighty two game
regular season, about seventy seven seventy eight games for most
of these teams. Where are we with those teams that
are likely to be playoff bound and those who are
making a late season run for it.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
In the NBA, there are only a handful of games
left before the postseason starts. In the Eastern Conference it's
the Cleveland Cavaliers and DEPINNY champion Boston South is basically
ahead of everybody else here. However, in the top heavy
Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, although they're one of
the younger teams in the league, they have the best record,
closely followed by the Easton Rockets, and the next six
(06:03):
teams following them are just simple position to trying to
cure that all important home court advantage in the opening
rounds of the playoff.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
What about for MVP discussion, leon Net's always as big
a discussion as who's actually going to win the whole thing.
Who are the main names of the discussion for MVP.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yes, so this discussion or this narrative has been going
on for a while now. So there's much speculation around
us because as most people are aware, ok see Thunderstars, Shine,
gilgerst Alexander, everyone for them, SGA, there's odds on favorite
winners first Individual Award despite three time MVP winner the
Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic putting up historical numbers this year
(06:44):
as on pace for the greatest statistical season of the
modern era. This season, the Joker is averaging a triple
double and a few games ago recorded an incredible sixty
one to ten and ten in a double overtime game
on which ten were lost. That's crazy numbers there. So
if we relate that to the NBA, and obvious example
when we think back is when Michael Jordan was playing
(07:06):
the NBA during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls. Everyone
knew he was the best player in the league year
in year out, but was not awarded the regular season
MVP Award every year. Some of those that voters felt
like it was time to give something else to the award,
even though that player was close to being but not
only considered the best player that season. Another very recent
example was in the NFL this past season. Previous two
(07:30):
time MVP winner Lamar Jackson, he's a quarterback for the
Baltimore Ravens, had much better number than his previous MVP years,
but the voters chose to award the regular season MVP
to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had a breakout year.
That was because the voters were tired of Jackson. I
felt it was someone else's turned to win the Covenant Award.
(07:51):
Now in a way, that seems really unfair because the
vote against the words evan player. It happens often more
often than we think. But I opened away that shit.
Someone them have paid the debate about the MVP race
in the NBA and the likely the outcome.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
It certainly does leon thing. This is always for you
timely on buzzby Stateside, with us regularly here on Weekend Sport.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's get your state side to update you on all
things American sport with our man Leon Buzzby Leon, thanks
for joining us. As always, Let's start with basketball and
the march madness into the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Yes, so much madness is into the final stages with
the women's Final four taking place. It took place yesterday
in Tampa, Florida and Tan San Antonio. For the men
this year, there was a bit of pushback because there
were no Cinderella Cinderella stories eight that's that's been a
much lower seeded team upsets one of the favorites. But
(00:46):
at the end of the day we were left with
the best four teams of both competitions. So yesterday in
the women's Final four, we saw in semifinal won the
overall top seed, the u c. L A Bruins. They
lost heavily to the number two seed, the Yukon Huskies.
In the other semi final, the number one seed and
the fenning champion South Carolina game Cocks in interesting eighth
(01:06):
also dominated the bidding. The Texas Longhorned, another lot stided
games so hard to pick a win in the National
Championship game. It's both uknnents Outh Carolina evenly match, but
should be a compelling contest none the less.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Pony absolutely looking forward to that, and of course the
men's games on at the moment, so we'll see who's
who's cutting down the net as they say, next Tuesday.
You're right though, about March madness. It is about the
Cinderella stories, isn't it When when a less fancy team
gets gets up over the top of somebody who's ranked
much higher. Just a lack of those this year, no
particular reason. It's just the way that it went. The
(01:41):
top sides just remained the top sides.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, it's just the way of pair not this year.
So everyone loves to see the Cinderella story, but you know,
for obvious reasons, it just didn't happen this year. And say,
there was a bit of pushback from the fans, but
the end of the day, we've got the best teams
competing for their national total.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Okay, let's go to Major League Baseball, and I want
to start with the torpedo bats. This seems to be
dominate discussion now. Unlike a traditional bat that tapers down
towards a thick end cap. The torpedo bat shifts that
mass lower down the barrel. It creates a bowling pin
like shape. And I guess the idea is to concentrate
(02:20):
the weight where the players most often make contact, so
it gives hit us more power and control. Well, I mean,
why has there been so much discussion about these new bats?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, I don't know if I should say that too
much more Pony, you still my thunder there, but there's
been a lot of discussion around the recent use of
this bat. Say, for your listening audience, point, I'll try
to span the best that I can. So it was
first used last year by All Star Yankee Jean Corlis Stanton.
He's a renowned slagger in Major League Baseball. So in
(02:51):
October of last year, when he first started using it,
it's betting average for that month increased dramatically when he
had seven home runs of a boarding game span. Then
you fast forward to this season where the Yankee batters
they crushed fifteen home runs in their there has three
games of the season using that particular bat. Now that's
an unprecedent a strike grade poney and then unders bear
(03:12):
the south. So There are currently forty one approved manufacturers
that supplied bats for the Major League Baseball The bats
themselves have to meet stript measurement criteria as you alluded to,
and as long as they are within those parameters, you
can distribute the weight of the bat however you want. Now,
with that in mind, the creator of the unconventional torpedo
(03:34):
bat as a retired physics professor, Aaron Lennart, who at
the time was a New York Yankees front office staffer
but is now employed by the Miami Marlins as a
field coordinator. The logic that Lenhard had was to redistribute
the weight of the bats in intense moving the so
called sweet spot to where the better strikes the ball
most frequently, which is about six or seven inches down
(03:55):
from the end of the bat. Now, I won't go
any deeper. The matter would be her all day, Piney,
but to a pfat as well, within the rules that
any player can use it. Just to note, they're not
all Major League Baseball players choose to use that bat,
but it's certainly a game changer. Personally, I think it's
a positive innovation for baseball because in recent years pitching
is dominated to the detriment of the game.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, and crowds love big hits, which they're getting with
the torpedo bat.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Absolutely. So we're still early on in the Major League
Baseball season. But how are the standings panning out in
the American League in the National.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
League, Yes, so in terms of early season fixed point,
it's a long regular season grind, as you know, one
hundred and sixty two games before the playoffs even begin. Now,
I mean it's a real war of patrician for Major
League Baseball in terms of the amount of games they played,
and the team that lifts the Commissioners Trophy at the
conclusion of the board series you'll find as the deepest
and healthiest roster they're currently The teams that are off
(04:48):
to a good start are the defending champion LA Dodgers,
of course, in the San Diego Padres, and the Philadelphia
Phillies in the National League. In the American League, the
Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and LA Angels are leading
the way. However, if you were to compared both leagues,
the National League is superior to the American League in
terms of overall winning percentage. Case in points ken of
(05:11):
the fifteen teams in the National League over five hundred,
while in the American League only six of the fifteen
or five hundred or better. Big disparity there.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Let's go to the NBA, then, where we find ourselves
near the end of the regular season eighty two game
regular season, about seventy seven seventy eight games for most
of these teams. Where are we with those teams that
are likely to be playoff bound and those who are
making a late season run for it.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
In the NBA, there are only a handful of games
left before the postseason starts. In the Eastern Conference it's
the Cleveland Cavaliers and DEPINNY champion Boston South is basically
ahead of everybody else here. However, in the top heavy
Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, although they're one of
the younger teams in the league, they have the best record,
closely followed by the Easton Rockets, and the next six
(06:03):
teams following them are just simple position to trying to
cure that all important home court advantage in the opening
rounds of the playoff.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
What about for MVP discussion, leon Net's always as big
a discussion as who's actually going to win the whole thing.
Who are the main names of the discussion for MVP.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Yes, so this discussion or this narrative has been going
on for a while now. So there's much speculation around
us because as most people are aware, ok see Thunderstars, Shine,
gilgerst Alexander, everyone for them, SGA, there's odds on favorite
winners first Individual Award despite three time MVP winner the
Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic putting up historical numbers this year
(06:44):
as on pace for the greatest statistical season of the
modern era. This season, the Joker is averaging a triple
double and a few games ago recorded an incredible sixty
one to ten and ten in a double overtime game
on which ten were lost. That's crazy numbers there. So
if we relate that to the NBA, and obvious example
when we think back is when Michael Jordan was playing
(07:06):
the NBA during his tenure with the Chicago Bulls. Everyone
knew he was the best player in the league year
in year out, but was not awarded the regular season
MVP Award every year. Some of those that voters felt
like it was time to give something else to the award,
even though that player was close to being but not
only considered the best player that season. Another very recent
example was in the NFL this past season. Previous two
(07:30):
time MVP winner Lamar Jackson, he's a quarterback for the
Baltimore Ravens, had much better number than his previous MVP years,
but the voters chose to award the regular season MVP
to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had a breakout year.
That was because the voters were tired of Jackson. I
felt it was someone else's turned to win the Covenant Award.
(07:51):
Now in a way, that seems really unfair because the
vote against the words evan player. It happens often more
often than we think. But I opened away that shit.
Someone them have paid the debate about the MVP race
in the NBA and the likely the outcome.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
It certainly does leon thing. This is always for you
timely on buzzby Stateside, with us regularly here on Weekend Sport.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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