On this week’s edition of Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob discusses Aaron Judge's latest assault on the MLB history books, Randy Johnson's poignant advice for Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes and the surging Arizona Diamondbacks. Plus, Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington swings by to discuss the injury bug that derailed the club's season and how baseball has changed since he first broke in to the Majors more than 40 years ago. Later, New York Amsterdam News sports editor Jamie Harris checks in to discuss Judge's record-setting season, Juan Soto's huge payday on the horizon, the resurrection of Jazz Chisholm and much more! Finally, we’ve got appearances by MLBBro.com managing editor JR Gamble and analytics guru Anthony Masterson.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
From the Berkshars to the sound from wherever you live
in MLB America. This is inside the Parker. You give
us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop
on Major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame
voter number seveny Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. What
a show we have for you today. Los Angeles Angels
manager Ron Washington. He stops by talks about managing in
the big leagues these days. Also Jamie Harris, he's the
sports editor of the Amsterdam News in New York.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
He has a lot of stuff to talk about with
the Yankees.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
We'll talk with him, plus foul affair, all that and
much more.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Let's go better to lead off, it's getting robbed and
keep him on. Rob's hot take on the three biggest
stories in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Number one, Aaron Judge has done it. Oh my goodness, gracious.
On Wednesday in Chicago, somehow the White Sox had the
nerve to walk Juan Soto in an intentional walk ahead
of Aaron Judge.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And guess what he did.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
He had his three hundredth career home run, becoming the
fastest player in Major League Baseball history to hit three
hundred home runs. He beat Ralph Kiner's record as far
as games by one hundred and thirty two games, almost
a full season.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
That's ludicrous.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
And he'd beat Babe Ruth by four hundred at bats,
four hundred fewer at bats to reach three hundred home runs.
I know we've talked about it before in the podcast.
I was ridiculed in twenty seventeen when I put Aaron
Judge in my top five sluggers list of all time.
Everybody thought it was premature, and I just did I
(01:53):
know he was gonna do this?
Speaker 4 (01:54):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
But did I know he was a special home run
hitter back in twenty seventeen when I watched this kid
get started. Don't forget he hit a home runn in
his first at bat, right, I mean, he's an incredible
home run hitter. Everybody can't hit home runs. And here's
the other thing that's incredible going into Thursday, his batting
(02:19):
average Are.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
You ready for this? Is three thirty three? Hello?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Is this on?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Most guys are hitting two hundred in the big leagues
now three thirty three.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
With forty three home runs going into Thursday.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Incredible, What a season, What a slug Number two. We
already know Paul Skeins, who started the All Star Game
for the National League the Pittsburgh Pirates, hard throwing right hander,
is a special player phenom. But Randy Johnson, the Hall
of Fame left hander, loves what he's seen out of Schemes.
(02:57):
But he did have a message for him, and it
was basically that he shouldn't let the Pirates baby him,
and that he told Schemes that in order to reach
his full potential, he needs to assert to the team
that he can do more than he has been allowed
to do so far with regard towards workload. So basically
(03:20):
he's saying, don't let them take you out out after
five or six innings if you have more in the tank.
He's a young pitcher. They baby everybody. It doesn't stop
people from getting hurt. We see this in the NBA
with load management. Kawhi Leonard was on load management and
still got hurt. People get on load management and they
still wind up hurt. So I don't know what you
(03:42):
can really do about it. So Randy Johnson was in
an interview with CBS Sports and he said basically quote,
but if you want to be the picture that you're
capable of being talking about schemes, you need to step
up and show people what you're capable of doing and
(04:04):
voice your opinion, because going five or six innings, you're
not gonna win very many ball games.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
In very many games.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
In today's game, you're gonna have to go seven or
eight innings and you're not gonna hurt yourself because the
game has been around for one hundred and fifty years
and people win seven or eight innings all the time,
and they threw one hundred and fifteen one hundred and
thirty five pitches. I mean, end quote. Randy's right, Sorry,
(04:35):
he's right. Stop babying these guys. All skins is a
young kid. If he can't pitch, now, win can he pitch?
If he's hurt, don't push them to the limit or
he's not feeling right. But if he's feeling good and
rolling along, let him pitch. I'm with Randy Johnson on this.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Number three.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
I guess I'm gonna be wrong on this. I thought
that Arizona Diamondbacks were dead and buried before the season started.
I said they wouldn't make the postseason and the Texas
Rangers wouldn't make the postseason.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Both of course made it to the World Series.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
But here we are with about six weeks left in
the Major League Baseball season, and here come the Diamondbacks,
only two and a half games behind the first place
Dodgers in the NL West, coming into Thursday. And get this,
they swept the last place Rockies on Wednesday, giving them
eighteen wins in their last twenty one games. They've won
(05:34):
six in a row, nine out of ten, fifteen out
of eighteen and you heard me right, eighteen out of
twenty one. And and the NL West is like an
unbelievable division now because the Padres are two and a
half behind the Dodgers too. When the season started, most
just stamped in the Dodgers winning the division with that roster,
(05:56):
and instead it's a race. There's plenty of time left,
and the Diamondbacks are in a good situation.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Can they keep winning at this pace? You just wonder.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But it's been pretty amazing to see them bounce back
and get themselves in a, you know, a situation where
they can win a wild card or maybe even continue
this and win a division. But my goodness, graations. Give
the Diamondbacks credit, as Charlie Hayes would say, give them credit.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
They have been phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
It's so good.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Let's welcome into the podcast. Angels manager Ron Washington. Ron,
thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Well, thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I want to talk about your career, first year here
in Los Angeles with the Angels.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
How is this season progressing for you? Let's start there.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Well, it's progressing the way I saw the thought it
would once we lost our straws. You know, Mike Rendon,
Drury and Ward is not having a Tail Award year.
Those guys are the impact guys on the team. So
I'm very pleased with the way that these young kids
have handled themselves.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
But they're not the straw the liquid.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
No doubt about it. There been some bright spots too.
Joe Adell.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think he's finally got an opportunity to play a
little bit more and has had shown some power. I
had some big hits this year. Just talk about his
progress and what have you seen from Joe Adell.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Well, it's been night and day since spring training. Number one,
we had to try to get his mind right. Number Two,
we had to try to get him to open up
and trust people. Number Three, we had to make certain
that he learned how to listen, and when you listen,
you learn, and it's the opposite. Also when you're learning,
that's because you're listening and what you're seeing right now
(07:54):
is just a little bit of the surface of what
he has to offer. He's still learning how to play
the game. He's still learning what people are doing to
him and how to react to it. He's still learning
how to get out of his feelings. But each and
every day he's progressing, and that's what it's about in
the game of baseball.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Progression. This will be his first.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Time going through a full one hundred and sixty two
championship major League season, and he's going to learn everything
he needs to learn and then he'll be able to apply.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
It without fear.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
You got to have some courage, and courage is doing
something without fear, and he's learning how to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Let's talk about you. You debut with the Dodgers nineteen
seventy seven. You played a number of years with the
Twins and some other teams, obviously, but how much does
the game change it from a player's standpoint, from when
you were a player out there to these guys today,
has it changed much? Is there much more pressure? Is
it a little easier because you know, the expectations are
(08:57):
like when I look at baseball today, guys can back
at one seventy five or under two hundred and still
sticking the big leagues.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
When you played, you weren't going to be in the
big leagues?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Am I right?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
If you were batting under two hundred.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
Well that's that's certainty. You wasn't gonna be here. But
the game has changed, and it's changing the way of youth.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Now.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
We got so many young kids that are talented but
still don't know how to play the game. And they'll
bring them to the big leagues on the talent alone,
and then there's things that happen in the game show
you that they're not ready for the game. But there
isn't anything we can do about that. But the one
thing we can do about that is touch them every day,
(09:37):
guide them in the right direction every day, help them
understand what its taked to stay here. And it's a
certain fact that it's easy to get to the big leagues,
it's hard to stay and a lot of these young
kids are experiencing that, and that's what actually making the
game look like it's watered down. It's not because the
kids can't play. It's just that they don't have the
(09:58):
experience to play at the highest level.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
And we got them.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Here, and as I said earlier, there is anything we
can do about it. So for me, the change is
the youth, and you have to be able to teach,
and you have to have patience, and you have to
help them to get through the grind. You got to
help them to get through the adversity. I've always told
my young kids, you're not failing, You're just dealing with adversity.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Adversity is physical.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
When you fail, that's mental, and when you get mentally
messed up, you are messed up.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Our guest is Angels manager Ron Washington joining us here
on inside the Parker the All Star Game. They were like,
I don't know, almost thirty first time All Stars. The
game is in a good spot, right. You talk about
the youth, Who do you like out there outside of
your team just watching baseball seeing some of these young
kids who are on their way.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Anybody jump out to you, just like, my goodness, this
guy camply.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Well, a kid in Baltimore. Henderson at shortstopped that whole team.
Those young kids lost hundreds of games together, and now
they're finally understanding.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
What it takes to win.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
You like seeing that Kansas City, the way they went
through two years there where they lost one hundred ball games.
And now those young kids have learned through that process
of how to win, and those two organizations, they just
show what means to be patient.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
And Bobby Wood Junior, my goodness, gracious, is he a
good player?
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Yes he is. There's nothing that he can't do.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
He can hit for power, he got speed, he can
play defense, he can throw, he can run. So he's
just a full package, just like the kid in Baltimore.
And to look at the way the Houston Astros recovered,
there was a lot of talk about breaking them up,
getting rid of this one, getting rid of that one.
Those guys are champions and you just got to let
(11:48):
him play. They got to figure it out. Sometimes you
get off in this game real good, and sometimes you
get off in this game not so good. But if
you don't get off not so good, then that means work.
And they know how to work because they got that
champion inside of their bloodstream, and you know that's what
it's about. You just got to get out there and
you got to play the game. You got to learn
the game. You got to go through the ups and
(12:08):
you got to go through the downs. And if you
don't have no patience, then you got to quit bringing
these young kids to the big leagues.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
That's the last thing you as a manager. Texas Rangers,
you had a successful run there. You guys just didn't
win the World Series. It could have easily won both
of them. In my opinion. They did finally win last year,
the Rangers, they won the World Series. Just talk about
your experience there and now you know here in Los Angeles,
(12:37):
but do you have fond memories of Texas and everything
that was there.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Well, everything that's happened in my career to this point,
it was because of the opportunity I got in Texas.
I had a good group of kids over there, and
I call them kids, but I had a great mixture
of veterans and youngsters, and those veterans made certain that
those youngsters were made accountable for what they were there
to do. And the difference right now is in the
(13:03):
beginning of the year we hope they have a whole team,
but for some reason, the injury bug hitters and our
whole team became our young kids. That gave our young
kids an opportunity to learn and understand that they can.
And that's the biggest part of the game of Major
League Baseball is knowing that you can. And our young
(13:24):
kids got an opportunity to know that their can that
they can. So now when we get our whole team back,
and it probably won't happen until going into next year,
the Los Angeles will be a force to be reckoned with,
I have no doubt about that.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
His name is Ron Washington, one of the best in
the business. My man, I appreciate you and continue success.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
Well, thank you so much. But as a manager, you're
only as good as your players perform. They perform good,
I'm a genius, they don't perform good. I'm not so smart.
So I just allow these guys to come every day
and do what they got to do, to be prepared
and let them play and we will get done what
needs to get done. But as far as Michael, as
(14:03):
far as me myself, I'm just the leader and I've
always been a leader, and that's all I'm trying to
do is lead. The rest is up to them between
those lines.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Appreciate you so much, Thank you, Ron, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It was a big week in the big leagues.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Who's a believer?
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Is it foul or is it fair? And now from
mlbdbro dot com, here's jrgamball.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Is it foul or fair? To say that The additions
of Victor Scott the second and Jordan sky Walker, recently
called up from the minors and reunited with shortstop Mason Wynn,
has made the Saint Louis Cardinals favorites to capture the
third NL wild card spot.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
That's foul. That is a foul ball.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
The Cardinals are too one and a half games behind
the Braves right now for the last NL wild card
spot and also have to leap over the super solid
New York metch with thirty plus games left in this season.
This isn't impossible, and don't get me wrong, Saint Louis
needs all of the offensive help it can get. Ranking
in the bottom of the league in homers and RBI
(15:21):
and runs. Victor Scott is already showing that his bat
is improved after opening the season as a starting outfielder
and immediately having a rough go of it getting sent
down quickly. He's had his first career homer and some
key hits over the past week since being recalled. He's
also a base stealing maniac with a ridiculous speed, so
(15:44):
he will help Saint Louis manufacture runs. Jordan Skott Walker
should have never been sent down, but he was hitting
one fifty five in his first fifty eight at bats
this sophomore season and had zero homers. The only knock
on the twenty twenty three rookie season, in which he
hit two seventy six with sixteen homers and fifty one
(16:05):
RBI was that Cardinals brass more than more fly balls,
more bro bombs leaving the park. Walker was sent down
and retooled a few things, and now he's ready to
bomb more often for the Cars. His potential for power
is always there because he makes contact, so that's a
huge plus for the Cardinals down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Mason Win has been a godsend, and his.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
Play at shortstoped this season garnered the rookie All Star consideration.
With all that being said, the schedule is murder. A
bunch of games against the Brewers and the Yankees, and
the Padres and Giants Southwest, the Guardians in Minnesota, Twins.
It's a relentless scontlet of teams playing for huge stakes
(16:50):
that are very good. It's gonna be tough, but the
presence of this soul patrol, they can really boost the
team and deepen the squad, so you never know.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
It's time for the pocket protector centrum. The analytic numbers
you need to know.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Well, maybe Anthony Masterson is his name, BS.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Analytics is his game. What do you got for me, Anthony?
Speaker 7 (17:16):
One of the running teams of the twenty twenty four
seasons so far as how many teams are still in
the running for a playoff spot. Here in the middle
of August, there are four teams in the AL within
eight games of the final wildcard spot, and a wopping
seven teams in the NL in that same predicament. Basically,
the only teams in baseball without a chance in hell
of making the postseason are the Angels, A's, and White
Sox in the AL, and the Marlins and Rockies in
(17:38):
the NL. And it's not just the parody with the
number of teams involved, but even the teams destined for
October all have their own flaws. Through roughly one hundred
and twenty games of the season, the teams with the
best records in each league are the Guardians in the
AL and the Dodgers in the NL, both at seventy
one and forty nine, about a ninety six win pace.
In MLB history, excluding shortened seasons, the lowest percentage by
(18:00):
the best team in baseball was five eighty six by
the nineteen eighty two Brewers, who finished ninety five and
sixty seven and won the AL pennant.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Prior to that, it was the nineteen twenty six.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
Yankees who had a five ninety one win percentage, with
the Dodgers and Guardians currently slotting in just behind them
at five ninety two. It's been a full decade since
we have had a full MLB season without at least
one team winning one hundred games, the last being twenty fourteen.
But it goes deeper than that. This season, we can
see the team with the worst record in the history
of the game in the White Sox, and perhaps the
(18:32):
worst best team in baseball. If someone can't crack the
ninety five win barrier, all that means is October will
be anybody's game.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
It's the Gambler here. Vice president of Operations for mlbbro
dot Com and executive producer of the MLB Bro Show
podcast The Mixtape.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Every Friday. You heard that right.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
Every Friday, we bring you the best from the world
of Black and Brown baseball. We cover the seven point
two percent of melanated Major leaguers from soup to nuts,
but with our own cultural flair and unique voice, will
take you on a ride reflecting on the accomplishment, clutch moments,
and contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe
(19:18):
into baseball.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
From Mookie Wilson to Mookie Betts.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
Doctor k to Doctor Styx, from Bro Bombs to stolen
bases to Black Aces. We're live at the ballparks and
also bringing you segments like Classic Hits with David Gruff,
the Black Ace Report, The Rundown, the Walk Off, and
Going Deep, just to name a few of the segments
that truly capture the voice of black baseball. If things
(19:45):
get out of hand, is the Boss Rob Parker. He's
kicking up dust. We will gladly pay you on Tuesday
from an MLB bro doubleheader today.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Remember the heart of the.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Game lies in the diversity of the game and the
spirit of black baseball, all that dates back to.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
The Negro leagues.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
I'm the gambler, your friendly neighborhood diamond checker, making sure
that you stay on top of the game and in
touch with the soul of MLB, fucking up for a
wild baseball journey, showing respect to the Ogs and highlighting
the new breed of melanated Malma. Robins first thing through
MLB's pipeline, all pitching with the sound of Black Baseball.
(20:26):
We got the best starting five in the business. Listen
to the MLB bro Show podcast the Mixtape on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto.
If I'm writing, I'm ripping, Let's bring in a writer
of broadcaster old or new.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Now let's welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
He's the sports editor and longtime sportswriter in New York
for the Amsterdam News. A friend of mine, mister Jamie Arras. Jamie,
welcome to inside the Park of my man.
Speaker 8 (21:04):
After noon, my brother, how you feeling.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Doing doing great?
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And you are the right guy to talk to because
the New York Yankees are running wild and guys are
doing all kinds of incredible stuff.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
And let's start with Aaron Judge.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Wednesday night became the fastest player the three hundred home runs.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
And you remember the way the seeson started. You're there
in New York.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Fans booed him in April. Don't forget that, fans booed
him at Yankee Stadium. He got off to a terrible
start and people were not happy.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
But here we are.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
How surprised are you that he's the fastest guy to
reach three hundred home runs in the career, You.
Speaker 9 (21:44):
Know, Rob, I am really surprised. And we look at it,
as you said April, to consider where Aaron Judge is
today in terms of his numbers, and not just the numbers, Rob,
the impact. I mean there was panicked a couple of
weeks ago. The Yankees went into a tailspan, and you
know how New York fans overreact. All the sky is falling,
the seasons over and now we look and they're half
(22:04):
a game up on the Orioles. And that is a
direct result of two players. That's Aaron Judge and that's
Juan Soto. And if not for Aaron Judge, one, Sodo
will probably be the leading candidate for MVP in the
American League right now.
Speaker 8 (22:19):
But Judges already Robbed.
Speaker 9 (22:21):
We have roughly forty games remaining in the season, about
six weeks, and Aaron Judge is a runaway MVP. He
has been absolutely phenomenal. And Ron, let me say this,
Maybe you could call Grady Sizemore and you can tell him,
no matter how many home runs solo hits consecutively, you
don't walk Juan Soda or anybody to get the Aaron Judge,
(22:41):
I don't care if you have a base open. So
I think it was ironic that he hit the home
run his three hundredth, the fastest ever, and in that
bat three and oh only the third time he's ever
hit a home run on a three and oh pitch, and.
Speaker 8 (22:55):
He was intentionally walked. I think there's a lot of
irony to that milestone.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Rob, no doubt about it.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
He's been incredible and in a league where guys back
two twenty regularity now and under two hundred, he's betten
three thirty three. That's an incredible number to be a
power hitter. Yeah, he's today's game, Rob.
Speaker 8 (23:14):
He's right there.
Speaker 9 (23:15):
I mean, you know, Bobbywood Junior's at three forty nine,
and so you're not a sizeable gap, but a couple
of advats either way, and Judge could be right behind him.
Speaker 8 (23:24):
So he's contending for the triple crown.
Speaker 9 (23:26):
Because right now he's the runaway leader in RBIs obviously
in home runs. But what makes it even more rob
more impressive is he's tied for the league leading walks
with Juan Sodo. And coming into the season, you know,
Judge wasn't someone who historically had high walk numbers, but
this year he is leading the league or tied for
the league league with Juan Soto, who we know is
(23:48):
a guy who has been throughout his career, someone who's
very discerning at the plate, high on base percentage, and
that is a result of him walking a lot. So
he's continued that coming over from San Diego to the Yankees.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
And let's talk about Juan Soto as our next topic,
because my goodness, he got off to that great start.
I was there in Houston on the opener for the
Yankees against the Astros, and he has just had a
phenomenal season.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Last year he had a career high thirty five home runs.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
This year, coming into Thursday thirty four, at one point
in Chicago, four home runs in a row, right, because
there was a walk mixed in between that, but four
home runs in a row. And he's been he's been incredible,
batting three oh seven. He's been everything the Yankees could
have imagined. And the one thing I remember asking before
(24:42):
the season started and doing the podcast was you know
that rightfield porch where he tried to hit more home runs,
and you know, people were like, we don't want him
to hit more home runs.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Just you know, play your game, don't try to do anything.
Be who he is.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
And he's going to have a career high in home
runs and could hit forty home runs befo or it's
all over.
Speaker 8 (25:01):
Oh no, he will hit forty.
Speaker 9 (25:02):
And I think Rober if we, you know, deconstruct this
season and we look at just the Yankees lineup, the
Yankees are top heavy. You know, there's Solo and Judge
and really there's no consistency throughout the rest of the lineup.
You know, Rizzo got hurt, Glebor Torres hasn't been the
player in terms of just at the plate that the
Yankees thought. He's been inconsistent, Volpi's had an uneven season,
(25:25):
but yet Judge and Soto have been able to put
up these phenomenal numbers, and they're not just empty stats.
Those stats have driven this team into first place as
of today, again a half a game ahead of the Orioles,
without really having any protection. You know, Soto's hitting in
the two hole, Judges sitting in a three hole now.
Giancarlo Stanton has come back from the hamstring injury that
(25:45):
had Kevin Mount since June twenty second. He was activated
again on July twenty ninth. He had a slow start,
Lease starting to pick it up now, but they really
haven't had anyone else in a lineup, So Judge, you know,
you look at the protection, which we know is critical.
Rob they really even have even protection and that lineup
and have been able to do what they've done. And
I think Soto has shown everyone he's just not a
(26:06):
power hitter. He's just not a hitter. Soto is a
damn good player. He's played extremely well in the field.
He's someone who, again you could argue that in terms
of having a discerning eye. You know, he's one of
the most discerning hitters in the league. He identifies pitch
as well. He knows where he wants to go with
the ball. He's just said Robb, he's just not trying
(26:28):
to hit home runs. He's really trying to hit the
ball into the gap and as a result, he's driving
the ball out of the park. So Soto has been
absolutely phenomenal. And every time he hits a home run,
what do we hear from Scott boris Cha ching a
register rings Rob because his value is going up.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
That's my next question. Our guest is Jamie Harris. He's
the sports editor of the Amsterdam News in New York.
And you know, I know that there are the owners,
David Cone, Steve Cohene with the Mets covets him, would
love to steal him from the Yankees. But I don't
(27:06):
know if there's a guy who doesn't fit better with
the Yankees. We know the Dominican people in the Bronx,
they are in love with him. He's embraced the fans there.
They treat him so well. He's playing well, he's on
wearing the pinstripes.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
You know, I.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Can't see him leaving. If the Yankees make the offer,
I expect. I think it's a perfect match.
Speaker 8 (27:30):
No agree, but I think we have to qualify that.
Speaker 9 (27:32):
Remember Hal Seimn said early in the season, you know,
he just talked about you know, payroll in reference and
in context to Soto's impending free agency. So I think
Hal Simon has also set the stage to try to
lessen the blow for the fans if for some reason
he doesn't sign him. I think there would be an
(27:55):
uprising in the Bronx because Queens, because Queens, because Cone,
and even Rob even still, he's gonna have to hol
Starburn is gonna have to outbid, because Steve Cone is
gonna outbid the Yankees. I believe, as you said, clearly
Soto loves playing for the Yankees. You know, his father's
become someone of a celebrity. His father's after games, you know,
fans are coming up to his father. You can see
(28:16):
they have rob transition and fit comfortably as if they've
been here at the entires he's been in his entire career.
It says if he was made to be in the Bronx,
made to be a Yankee. And I do think that
the Yankees are gonna offer him, you know, a substantial
amount of money. It just depends on what the disparity
between what Cones and the Mets will offer him versus
what the Yankees will offer him. But right now, Rob,
(28:39):
he seems like he is a Yankee.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
And last thing here, Jamie, Uh, let's talk about Jazz
Chisholm Junior, who of course is now injured.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
H and uh. But but what a.
Speaker 6 (28:51):
A h.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
In addition for the Yankees as they trade for him
at the trade deadline from the Marlins. Got off hit
for home in his first three games in Pinstripes. He
has been a spark too for that team. Plays great
at third base, great defended the player on defense, but
also as a power hitter and a hitter his addition.
Just quickly, just talk about what he means and when
(29:16):
he gets back with the Yanks.
Speaker 9 (29:18):
And let me just say this, Rob, you know, shout
out and big up to MLB Bro, which I am
a part of, because MLB bro has covered Jazz extensively,
and maybe a month before or three weeks before the
trade deadline, you know, you guys talked about how perhaps
a change in scenery would infuse you know, the energy
(29:39):
and we'd see the old Jazz Chisholm. That's exactly what happened.
Jazz came to the Yankees, Rob and he began to
look like that all star player. And not only that,
he was invaluable in early Rob again, the injury was unfortunately,
he injured as ucl sliding head first. You know, he
always told not to slide head first, you know, but hey,
that happens. But what his value was an example in
(30:03):
the doubleheader, one game he played center field, the next
day he played third base.
Speaker 8 (30:07):
Jazz was playing all over the field.
Speaker 9 (30:09):
You know, he was the utility man's utility man, but
more than just a utility player. He's a utility player
that has a high level of talent and he was
infusing that talent into this lineup. It was critical because
now the Yankees had another player and you know, part
of the Yankees' problem Rob. Over the past few years,
Brian Cashman, the general manager, has built the team just
you know, solely producing runs via power via home runs.
(30:32):
Right now, the Yankees and Oriels are tied for the
league leading home runs at one to eighty six. Now
you had a guy who steals bases, who can go
from first to third, who could really get the picture
on the mound, you know, concentrating on him at first
base or second base, because Jazz is a guy who
creates havoc on the basis, so him being that lineup
rob changed it completely change the dynamic of the team,
(30:55):
just not offensively either defensively. They put him at third base.
He played well in the field, he played well, and
so it's unfortunate. And I do think right now they're
not sure if he'll need surgery, but if he does
and he's out for the rest of the season, that
is a huge blow to this team because Jazz certainly
was a guy who was beginning to provide that needed
(31:15):
help to Solo and Judge no doubt.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
His name is Jamie Harris. Check him out Amsterdam News
in New York. Of course, I had to come to
the source of all the stuff on the Yankees.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
We appreciate you, my man, have a great day always,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Now bring in the closer. Here's why MLB it's better
than the NFL or NBA, and it isn't even close.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Reason number four hundred and fifty five why Major League
Baseball is better than the NBA and better.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Than the NFL will be revealed when you watch the.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
MLB Network special with Greg Maddox and Barry Bonds. Talking
about and at bat and how these guys went at
each other, the thought process. It's really intriguing. I watched
part of it. I think that they didn't spend time
ripping each other. Wasn't this big debate on who's the
(32:20):
golden who's the greatest pitcher, who's the greatest hitter. It
was just about two great players doing battle against each
other and what they needed to do to try to
overcome and come out on top. And it was really interesting.
They're both holding like an iPad, they're both watching the
(32:40):
at bat and each pitch, talking about what they're thinking
was and what each of them and it goes back
and forth.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I watched it.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
It's riveting, it's interesting, it's goods. It really is really
good stuff. So that's a special that's coming up on
the MLB Network, and I'm telling you gotta watch it.
It's better than these just conversations over and over about
who's the goat, he won more championship, he's the goat.
(33:08):
This is about great players doing battle with each other.
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Rob Parker out he can't, Gavin.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
This could be an inside of Parker. See you next week,
same bat time, from same Matt's station.
From the Berkshars to the sound from wherever you live
in MLB America. This is inside the Parker. You give
us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop
on Major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame
voter number seveny Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. What
a show we have for you today. Los Angeles Angels
manager Ron Washington. He stops by talks about managing in
the big leagues these days. Also Jamie Harris, he's the
sports editor of the Amsterdam News in New York.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
He has a lot of stuff to talk about with
the Yankees.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
We'll talk with him, plus foul affair, all that and
much more.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Let's go better to lead off, it's getting robbed and
keep him on. Rob's hot take on the three biggest
stories in Major League Baseball.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Number one, Aaron Judge has done it. Oh my goodness, gracious.
On Wednesday in Chicago, somehow the White Sox had the
nerve to walk Juan Soto in an intentional walk ahead
of Aaron Judge.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
And guess what he did.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
He had his three hundredth career home run, becoming the
fastest player in Major League Baseball history to hit three
hundred home runs. He beat Ralph Kiner's record as far
as games by one hundred and thirty two games, almost
a full season.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
That's ludicrous.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
And he'd beat Babe Ruth by four hundred at bats,
four hundred fewer at bats to reach three hundred home runs.
I know we've talked about it before in the podcast.
I was ridiculed in twenty seventeen when I put Aaron
Judge in my top five sluggers list of all time.
Everybody thought it was premature, and I just did I
(01:53):
know he was gonna do this?
Speaker 4 (01:54):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
But did I know he was a special home run
hitter back in twenty seventeen when I watched this kid
get started. Don't forget he hit a home runn in
his first at bat, right, I mean, he's an incredible
home run hitter. Everybody can't hit home runs. And here's
the other thing that's incredible going into Thursday, his batting
(02:19):
average Are.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
You ready for this? Is three thirty three? Hello?
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Is this on?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Most guys are hitting two hundred in the big leagues
now three thirty three.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
With forty three home runs going into Thursday.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Incredible, What a season, What a slug Number two. We
already know Paul Skeins, who started the All Star Game
for the National League the Pittsburgh Pirates, hard throwing right hander,
is a special player phenom. But Randy Johnson, the Hall
of Fame left hander, loves what he's seen out of Schemes.
(02:57):
But he did have a message for him, and it
was basically that he shouldn't let the Pirates baby him,
and that he told Schemes that in order to reach
his full potential, he needs to assert to the team
that he can do more than he has been allowed
to do so far with regard towards workload. So basically
(03:20):
he's saying, don't let them take you out out after
five or six innings if you have more in the tank.
He's a young pitcher. They baby everybody. It doesn't stop
people from getting hurt. We see this in the NBA
with load management. Kawhi Leonard was on load management and
still got hurt. People get on load management and they
still wind up hurt. So I don't know what you
(03:42):
can really do about it. So Randy Johnson was in
an interview with CBS Sports and he said basically quote,
but if you want to be the picture that you're
capable of being talking about schemes, you need to step
up and show people what you're capable of doing and
(04:04):
voice your opinion, because going five or six innings, you're
not gonna win very many ball games.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
In very many games.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
In today's game, you're gonna have to go seven or
eight innings and you're not gonna hurt yourself because the
game has been around for one hundred and fifty years
and people win seven or eight innings all the time,
and they threw one hundred and fifteen one hundred and
thirty five pitches. I mean, end quote. Randy's right, Sorry,
(04:35):
he's right. Stop babying these guys. All skins is a
young kid. If he can't pitch, now, win can he pitch?
If he's hurt, don't push them to the limit or
he's not feeling right. But if he's feeling good and
rolling along, let him pitch. I'm with Randy Johnson on this.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Number three.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
I guess I'm gonna be wrong on this. I thought
that Arizona Diamondbacks were dead and buried before the season started.
I said they wouldn't make the postseason and the Texas
Rangers wouldn't make the postseason.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Both of course made it to the World Series.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
But here we are with about six weeks left in
the Major League Baseball season, and here come the Diamondbacks,
only two and a half games behind the first place
Dodgers in the NL West, coming into Thursday. And get this,
they swept the last place Rockies on Wednesday, giving them
eighteen wins in their last twenty one games. They've won
(05:34):
six in a row, nine out of ten, fifteen out
of eighteen and you heard me right, eighteen out of
twenty one. And and the NL West is like an
unbelievable division now because the Padres are two and a
half behind the Dodgers too. When the season started, most
just stamped in the Dodgers winning the division with that roster,
(05:56):
and instead it's a race. There's plenty of time left,
and the Diamondbacks are in a good situation.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Can they keep winning at this pace? You just wonder.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
But it's been pretty amazing to see them bounce back
and get themselves in a, you know, a situation where
they can win a wild card or maybe even continue
this and win a division. But my goodness, graations. Give
the Diamondbacks credit, as Charlie Hayes would say, give them credit.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
They have been phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 4 (06:32):
It's so good.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Let's welcome into the podcast. Angels manager Ron Washington. Ron,
thank you for joining us.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
Well, thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
I want to talk about your career, first year here
in Los Angeles with the Angels.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
How is this season progressing for you? Let's start there.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Well, it's progressing the way I saw the thought it
would once we lost our straws. You know, Mike Rendon,
Drury and Ward is not having a Tail Award year.
Those guys are the impact guys on the team. So
I'm very pleased with the way that these young kids
have handled themselves.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
But they're not the straw the liquid.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
No doubt about it. There been some bright spots too.
Joe Adell.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I think he's finally got an opportunity to play a
little bit more and has had shown some power. I
had some big hits this year. Just talk about his
progress and what have you seen from Joe Adell.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
Well, it's been night and day since spring training. Number one,
we had to try to get his mind right. Number Two,
we had to try to get him to open up
and trust people. Number Three, we had to make certain
that he learned how to listen, and when you listen,
you learn, and it's the opposite. Also when you're learning,
that's because you're listening and what you're seeing right now
(07:54):
is just a little bit of the surface of what
he has to offer. He's still learning how to play
the game. He's still learning what people are doing to
him and how to react to it. He's still learning
how to get out of his feelings. But each and
every day he's progressing, and that's what it's about in
the game of baseball.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
Progression. This will be his first.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
Time going through a full one hundred and sixty two
championship major League season, and he's going to learn everything
he needs to learn and then he'll be able to apply.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
It without fear.
Speaker 5 (08:27):
You got to have some courage, and courage is doing
something without fear, and he's learning how to do that.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Let's talk about you. You debut with the Dodgers nineteen
seventy seven. You played a number of years with the
Twins and some other teams, obviously, but how much does
the game change it from a player's standpoint, from when
you were a player out there to these guys today,
has it changed much? Is there much more pressure? Is
it a little easier because you know, the expectations are
(08:57):
like when I look at baseball today, guys can back
at one seventy five or under two hundred and still
sticking the big leagues.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
When you played, you weren't going to be in the
big leagues?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
Am I right?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
If you were batting under two hundred.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
Well that's that's certainty. You wasn't gonna be here. But
the game has changed, and it's changing the way of youth.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
Now.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
We got so many young kids that are talented but
still don't know how to play the game. And they'll
bring them to the big leagues on the talent alone,
and then there's things that happen in the game show
you that they're not ready for the game. But there
isn't anything we can do about that. But the one
thing we can do about that is touch them every day,
(09:37):
guide them in the right direction every day, help them
understand what its taked to stay here. And it's a
certain fact that it's easy to get to the big leagues,
it's hard to stay and a lot of these young
kids are experiencing that, and that's what actually making the
game look like it's watered down. It's not because the
kids can't play. It's just that they don't have the
(09:58):
experience to play at the highest level.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
And we got them.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Here, and as I said earlier, there is anything we
can do about it. So for me, the change is
the youth, and you have to be able to teach,
and you have to have patience, and you have to
help them to get through the grind. You got to
help them to get through the adversity. I've always told
my young kids, you're not failing, You're just dealing with adversity.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Adversity is physical.
Speaker 5 (10:22):
When you fail, that's mental, and when you get mentally
messed up, you are messed up.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Our guest is Angels manager Ron Washington joining us here
on inside the Parker the All Star Game. They were like,
I don't know, almost thirty first time All Stars. The
game is in a good spot, right. You talk about
the youth, Who do you like out there outside of
your team just watching baseball seeing some of these young
kids who are on their way.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Anybody jump out to you, just like, my goodness, this
guy camply.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Well, a kid in Baltimore. Henderson at shortstopped that whole team.
Those young kids lost hundreds of games together, and now
they're finally understanding.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
What it takes to win.
Speaker 5 (11:06):
You like seeing that Kansas City, the way they went
through two years there where they lost one hundred ball games.
And now those young kids have learned through that process
of how to win, and those two organizations, they just
show what means to be patient.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
And Bobby Wood Junior, my goodness, gracious, is he a
good player?
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Yes he is. There's nothing that he can't do.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
He can hit for power, he got speed, he can
play defense, he can throw, he can run. So he's
just a full package, just like the kid in Baltimore.
And to look at the way the Houston Astros recovered,
there was a lot of talk about breaking them up,
getting rid of this one, getting rid of that one.
Those guys are champions and you just got to let
(11:48):
him play. They got to figure it out. Sometimes you
get off in this game real good, and sometimes you
get off in this game not so good. But if
you don't get off not so good, then that means work.
And they know how to work because they got that
champion inside of their bloodstream, and you know that's what
it's about. You just got to get out there and
you got to play the game. You got to learn
the game. You got to go through the ups and
(12:08):
you got to go through the downs. And if you
don't have no patience, then you got to quit bringing
these young kids to the big leagues.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
That's the last thing you as a manager. Texas Rangers,
you had a successful run there. You guys just didn't
win the World Series. It could have easily won both
of them. In my opinion. They did finally win last year,
the Rangers, they won the World Series. Just talk about
your experience there and now you know here in Los Angeles,
(12:37):
but do you have fond memories of Texas and everything
that was there.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
Well, everything that's happened in my career to this point,
it was because of the opportunity I got in Texas.
I had a good group of kids over there, and
I call them kids, but I had a great mixture
of veterans and youngsters, and those veterans made certain that
those youngsters were made accountable for what they were there
to do. And the difference right now is in the
(13:03):
beginning of the year we hope they have a whole team,
but for some reason, the injury bug hitters and our
whole team became our young kids. That gave our young
kids an opportunity to learn and understand that they can.
And that's the biggest part of the game of Major
League Baseball is knowing that you can. And our young
(13:24):
kids got an opportunity to know that their can that
they can. So now when we get our whole team back,
and it probably won't happen until going into next year,
the Los Angeles will be a force to be reckoned with,
I have no doubt about that.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
His name is Ron Washington, one of the best in
the business. My man, I appreciate you and continue success.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
Well, thank you so much. But as a manager, you're
only as good as your players perform. They perform good,
I'm a genius, they don't perform good. I'm not so smart.
So I just allow these guys to come every day
and do what they got to do, to be prepared
and let them play and we will get done what
needs to get done. But as far as Michael, as
(14:03):
far as me myself, I'm just the leader and I've
always been a leader, and that's all I'm trying to
do is lead. The rest is up to them between
those lines.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Appreciate you so much, Thank you, Ron, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It was a big week in the big leagues.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Who's a believer?
Speaker 1 (14:26):
Is it foul or is it fair? And now from
mlbdbro dot com, here's jrgamball.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Is it foul or fair? To say that The additions
of Victor Scott the second and Jordan sky Walker, recently
called up from the minors and reunited with shortstop Mason Wynn,
has made the Saint Louis Cardinals favorites to capture the
third NL wild card spot.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
That's foul. That is a foul ball.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
The Cardinals are too one and a half games behind
the Braves right now for the last NL wild card
spot and also have to leap over the super solid
New York metch with thirty plus games left in this season.
This isn't impossible, and don't get me wrong, Saint Louis
needs all of the offensive help it can get. Ranking
in the bottom of the league in homers and RBI
(15:21):
and runs. Victor Scott is already showing that his bat
is improved after opening the season as a starting outfielder
and immediately having a rough go of it getting sent
down quickly. He's had his first career homer and some
key hits over the past week since being recalled. He's
also a base stealing maniac with a ridiculous speed, so
(15:44):
he will help Saint Louis manufacture runs. Jordan Skott Walker
should have never been sent down, but he was hitting
one fifty five in his first fifty eight at bats
this sophomore season and had zero homers. The only knock
on the twenty twenty three rookie season, in which he
hit two seventy six with sixteen homers and fifty one
(16:05):
RBI was that Cardinals brass more than more fly balls,
more bro bombs leaving the park. Walker was sent down
and retooled a few things, and now he's ready to
bomb more often for the Cars. His potential for power
is always there because he makes contact, so that's a
huge plus for the Cardinals down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Mason Win has been a godsend, and his.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
Play at shortstoped this season garnered the rookie All Star consideration.
With all that being said, the schedule is murder. A
bunch of games against the Brewers and the Yankees, and
the Padres and Giants Southwest, the Guardians in Minnesota, Twins.
It's a relentless scontlet of teams playing for huge stakes
(16:50):
that are very good. It's gonna be tough, but the
presence of this soul patrol, they can really boost the
team and deepen the squad, so you never know.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
It's time for the pocket protector centrum. The analytic numbers
you need to know.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Well, maybe Anthony Masterson is his name, BS.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Analytics is his game. What do you got for me, Anthony?
Speaker 7 (17:16):
One of the running teams of the twenty twenty four
seasons so far as how many teams are still in
the running for a playoff spot. Here in the middle
of August, there are four teams in the AL within
eight games of the final wildcard spot, and a wopping
seven teams in the NL in that same predicament. Basically,
the only teams in baseball without a chance in hell
of making the postseason are the Angels, A's, and White
Sox in the AL, and the Marlins and Rockies in
(17:38):
the NL. And it's not just the parody with the
number of teams involved, but even the teams destined for
October all have their own flaws. Through roughly one hundred
and twenty games of the season, the teams with the
best records in each league are the Guardians in the
AL and the Dodgers in the NL, both at seventy
one and forty nine, about a ninety six win pace.
In MLB history, excluding shortened seasons, the lowest percentage by
(18:00):
the best team in baseball was five eighty six by
the nineteen eighty two Brewers, who finished ninety five and
sixty seven and won the AL pennant.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Prior to that, it was the nineteen twenty six.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
Yankees who had a five ninety one win percentage, with
the Dodgers and Guardians currently slotting in just behind them
at five ninety two. It's been a full decade since
we have had a full MLB season without at least
one team winning one hundred games, the last being twenty fourteen.
But it goes deeper than that. This season, we can
see the team with the worst record in the history
of the game in the White Sox, and perhaps the
(18:32):
worst best team in baseball. If someone can't crack the
ninety five win barrier, all that means is October will
be anybody's game.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
It's the Gambler here. Vice president of Operations for mlbbro
dot Com and executive producer of the MLB Bro Show
podcast The Mixtape.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Every Friday. You heard that right.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
Every Friday, we bring you the best from the world
of Black and Brown baseball. We cover the seven point
two percent of melanated Major leaguers from soup to nuts,
but with our own cultural flair and unique voice, will
take you on a ride reflecting on the accomplishment, clutch moments,
and contributions to culture that the Bros continue to breathe
(19:18):
into baseball.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
From Mookie Wilson to Mookie Betts.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
Doctor k to Doctor Styx, from Bro Bombs to stolen
bases to Black Aces. We're live at the ballparks and
also bringing you segments like Classic Hits with David Gruff,
the Black Ace Report, The Rundown, the Walk Off, and
Going Deep, just to name a few of the segments
that truly capture the voice of black baseball. If things
(19:45):
get out of hand, is the Boss Rob Parker. He's
kicking up dust. We will gladly pay you on Tuesday
from an MLB bro doubleheader today.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Remember the heart of the.
Speaker 6 (19:56):
Game lies in the diversity of the game and the
spirit of black baseball, all that dates back to.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
The Negro leagues.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
I'm the gambler, your friendly neighborhood diamond checker, making sure
that you stay on top of the game and in
touch with the soul of MLB, fucking up for a
wild baseball journey, showing respect to the Ogs and highlighting
the new breed of melanated Malma. Robins first thing through
MLB's pipeline, all pitching with the sound of Black Baseball.
(20:26):
We got the best starting five in the business. Listen
to the MLB bro Show podcast the Mixtape on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto.
If I'm writing, I'm ripping, Let's bring in a writer
of broadcaster old or new.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Now let's welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
He's the sports editor and longtime sportswriter in New York
for the Amsterdam News. A friend of mine, mister Jamie Arras. Jamie,
welcome to inside the Park of my man.
Speaker 8 (21:04):
After noon, my brother, how you feeling.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Doing doing great?
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And you are the right guy to talk to because
the New York Yankees are running wild and guys are
doing all kinds of incredible stuff.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
And let's start with Aaron Judge.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Wednesday night became the fastest player the three hundred home runs.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
And you remember the way the seeson started. You're there
in New York.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Fans booed him in April. Don't forget that, fans booed
him at Yankee Stadium. He got off to a terrible
start and people were not happy.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
But here we are.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
How surprised are you that he's the fastest guy to
reach three hundred home runs in the career, You.
Speaker 9 (21:44):
Know, Rob, I am really surprised. And we look at it,
as you said April, to consider where Aaron Judge is
today in terms of his numbers, and not just the numbers, Rob,
the impact. I mean there was panicked a couple of
weeks ago. The Yankees went into a tailspan, and you
know how New York fans overreact. All the sky is falling,
the seasons over and now we look and they're half
(22:04):
a game up on the Orioles. And that is a
direct result of two players. That's Aaron Judge and that's
Juan Soto. And if not for Aaron Judge, one, Sodo
will probably be the leading candidate for MVP in the
American League right now.
Speaker 8 (22:19):
But Judges already Robbed.
Speaker 9 (22:21):
We have roughly forty games remaining in the season, about
six weeks, and Aaron Judge is a runaway MVP. He
has been absolutely phenomenal. And Ron, let me say this,
Maybe you could call Grady Sizemore and you can tell him,
no matter how many home runs solo hits consecutively, you
don't walk Juan Soda or anybody to get the Aaron Judge,
(22:41):
I don't care if you have a base open. So
I think it was ironic that he hit the home
run his three hundredth, the fastest ever, and in that
bat three and oh only the third time he's ever
hit a home run on a three and oh pitch, and.
Speaker 8 (22:55):
He was intentionally walked. I think there's a lot of
irony to that milestone.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Rob, no doubt about it.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
He's been incredible and in a league where guys back
two twenty regularity now and under two hundred, he's betten
three thirty three. That's an incredible number to be a
power hitter. Yeah, he's today's game, Rob.
Speaker 8 (23:14):
He's right there.
Speaker 9 (23:15):
I mean, you know, Bobbywood Junior's at three forty nine,
and so you're not a sizeable gap, but a couple
of advats either way, and Judge could be right behind him.
Speaker 8 (23:24):
So he's contending for the triple crown.
Speaker 9 (23:26):
Because right now he's the runaway leader in RBIs obviously
in home runs. But what makes it even more rob
more impressive is he's tied for the league leading walks
with Juan Sodo. And coming into the season, you know,
Judge wasn't someone who historically had high walk numbers, but
this year he is leading the league or tied for
the league league with Juan Soto, who we know is
(23:48):
a guy who has been throughout his career, someone who's
very discerning at the plate, high on base percentage, and
that is a result of him walking a lot. So
he's continued that coming over from San Diego to the Yankees.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
And let's talk about Juan Soto as our next topic,
because my goodness, he got off to that great start.
I was there in Houston on the opener for the
Yankees against the Astros, and he has just had a
phenomenal season.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Last year he had a career high thirty five home runs.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
This year, coming into Thursday thirty four, at one point
in Chicago, four home runs in a row, right, because
there was a walk mixed in between that, but four
home runs in a row. And he's been he's been incredible,
batting three oh seven. He's been everything the Yankees could
have imagined. And the one thing I remember asking before
(24:42):
the season started and doing the podcast was you know
that rightfield porch where he tried to hit more home runs,
and you know, people were like, we don't want him
to hit more home runs.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Just you know, play your game, don't try to do anything.
Be who he is.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
And he's going to have a career high in home
runs and could hit forty home runs befo or it's
all over.
Speaker 8 (25:01):
Oh no, he will hit forty.
Speaker 9 (25:02):
And I think Rober if we, you know, deconstruct this
season and we look at just the Yankees lineup, the
Yankees are top heavy. You know, there's Solo and Judge
and really there's no consistency throughout the rest of the lineup.
You know, Rizzo got hurt, Glebor Torres hasn't been the
player in terms of just at the plate that the
Yankees thought. He's been inconsistent, Volpi's had an uneven season,
(25:25):
but yet Judge and Soto have been able to put
up these phenomenal numbers, and they're not just empty stats.
Those stats have driven this team into first place as
of today, again a half a game ahead of the Orioles,
without really having any protection. You know, Soto's hitting in
the two hole, Judges sitting in a three hole now.
Giancarlo Stanton has come back from the hamstring injury that
(25:45):
had Kevin Mount since June twenty second. He was activated
again on July twenty ninth. He had a slow start,
Lease starting to pick it up now, but they really
haven't had anyone else in a lineup, So Judge, you know,
you look at the protection, which we know is critical.
Rob they really even have even protection and that lineup
and have been able to do what they've done. And
I think Soto has shown everyone he's just not a
(26:06):
power hitter. He's just not a hitter. Soto is a
damn good player. He's played extremely well in the field.
He's someone who, again you could argue that in terms
of having a discerning eye. You know, he's one of
the most discerning hitters in the league. He identifies pitch
as well. He knows where he wants to go with
the ball. He's just said Robb, he's just not trying
(26:28):
to hit home runs. He's really trying to hit the
ball into the gap and as a result, he's driving
the ball out of the park. So Soto has been
absolutely phenomenal. And every time he hits a home run,
what do we hear from Scott boris Cha ching a
register rings Rob because his value is going up.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
That's my next question. Our guest is Jamie Harris. He's
the sports editor of the Amsterdam News in New York.
And you know, I know that there are the owners,
David Cone, Steve Cohene with the Mets covets him, would
love to steal him from the Yankees. But I don't
(27:06):
know if there's a guy who doesn't fit better with
the Yankees. We know the Dominican people in the Bronx,
they are in love with him. He's embraced the fans there.
They treat him so well. He's playing well, he's on
wearing the pinstripes.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
You know, I.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Can't see him leaving. If the Yankees make the offer,
I expect. I think it's a perfect match.
Speaker 8 (27:30):
No agree, but I think we have to qualify that.
Speaker 9 (27:32):
Remember Hal Seimn said early in the season, you know,
he just talked about you know, payroll in reference and
in context to Soto's impending free agency. So I think
Hal Simon has also set the stage to try to
lessen the blow for the fans if for some reason
he doesn't sign him. I think there would be an
(27:55):
uprising in the Bronx because Queens, because Queens, because Cone,
and even Rob even still, he's gonna have to hol
Starburn is gonna have to outbid, because Steve Cone is
gonna outbid the Yankees. I believe, as you said, clearly
Soto loves playing for the Yankees. You know, his father's
become someone of a celebrity. His father's after games, you know,
fans are coming up to his father. You can see
(28:16):
they have rob transition and fit comfortably as if they've
been here at the entires he's been in his entire career.
It says if he was made to be in the Bronx,
made to be a Yankee. And I do think that
the Yankees are gonna offer him, you know, a substantial
amount of money. It just depends on what the disparity
between what Cones and the Mets will offer him versus
what the Yankees will offer him. But right now, Rob,
(28:39):
he seems like he is a Yankee.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
And last thing here, Jamie, Uh, let's talk about Jazz
Chisholm Junior, who of course is now injured.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
H and uh. But but what a.
Speaker 6 (28:51):
A h.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
In addition for the Yankees as they trade for him
at the trade deadline from the Marlins. Got off hit
for home in his first three games in Pinstripes. He
has been a spark too for that team. Plays great
at third base, great defended the player on defense, but
also as a power hitter and a hitter his addition.
Just quickly, just talk about what he means and when
(29:16):
he gets back with the Yanks.
Speaker 9 (29:18):
And let me just say this, Rob, you know, shout
out and big up to MLB Bro, which I am
a part of, because MLB bro has covered Jazz extensively,
and maybe a month before or three weeks before the
trade deadline, you know, you guys talked about how perhaps
a change in scenery would infuse you know, the energy
(29:39):
and we'd see the old Jazz Chisholm. That's exactly what happened.
Jazz came to the Yankees, Rob and he began to
look like that all star player. And not only that,
he was invaluable in early Rob again, the injury was unfortunately,
he injured as ucl sliding head first. You know, he
always told not to slide head first, you know, but hey,
that happens. But what his value was an example in
(30:03):
the doubleheader, one game he played center field, the next
day he played third base.
Speaker 8 (30:07):
Jazz was playing all over the field.
Speaker 9 (30:09):
You know, he was the utility man's utility man, but
more than just a utility player. He's a utility player
that has a high level of talent and he was
infusing that talent into this lineup. It was critical because
now the Yankees had another player and you know, part
of the Yankees' problem Rob. Over the past few years,
Brian Cashman, the general manager, has built the team just
you know, solely producing runs via power via home runs.
(30:32):
Right now, the Yankees and Oriels are tied for the
league leading home runs at one to eighty six. Now
you had a guy who steals bases, who can go
from first to third, who could really get the picture
on the mound, you know, concentrating on him at first
base or second base, because Jazz is a guy who
creates havoc on the basis, so him being that lineup
rob changed it completely change the dynamic of the team,
(30:55):
just not offensively either defensively. They put him at third base.
He played well in the field, he played well, and
so it's unfortunate. And I do think right now they're
not sure if he'll need surgery, but if he does
and he's out for the rest of the season, that
is a huge blow to this team because Jazz certainly
was a guy who was beginning to provide that needed
(31:15):
help to Solo and Judge no doubt.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
His name is Jamie Harris. Check him out Amsterdam News
in New York. Of course, I had to come to
the source of all the stuff on the Yankees.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
We appreciate you, my man, have a great day always,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Now bring in the closer. Here's why MLB it's better
than the NFL or NBA, and it isn't even close.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Reason number four hundred and fifty five why Major League
Baseball is better than the NBA and better.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
Than the NFL will be revealed when you watch the.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
MLB Network special with Greg Maddox and Barry Bonds. Talking
about and at bat and how these guys went at
each other, the thought process. It's really intriguing. I watched
part of it. I think that they didn't spend time
ripping each other. Wasn't this big debate on who's the
(32:20):
golden who's the greatest pitcher, who's the greatest hitter. It
was just about two great players doing battle against each
other and what they needed to do to try to
overcome and come out on top. And it was really interesting.
They're both holding like an iPad, they're both watching the
(32:40):
at bat and each pitch, talking about what they're thinking
was and what each of them and it goes back
and forth.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I watched it.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
It's riveting, it's interesting, it's goods. It really is really
good stuff. So that's a special that's coming up on
the MLB Network, and I'm telling you gotta watch it.
It's better than these just conversations over and over about
who's the goat, he won more championship, he's the goat.
(33:08):
This is about great players doing battle with each other.
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Rob Parker out he can't, Gavin.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
This could be an inside of Parker. See you next week,
same bat time, from same Matt's station.
Host
Rob Parker
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