On this week’s edition of Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob expresses concern from Mike Trout after his first month of the season ends with an abysmal batting average and injury concerns. Rob breaks down why the Cubs have been the most impressive team in the NL to start the season. Rob talks with Athletics OF Lawrence Butler to get his thoughts on the A's first month in Sacramento. Nationals Beat Writer Andrew Golden gives insight on James Wood and CJ Abrams carrying a young roster in Washington. Plus, the latest editions of Fair or Foul with JR Gamble, Weekend Wagers, Rob's latest appearance on MLB Network, and much more!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
From the Burke shears 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 fifty seven.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
How you have another hot take?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Will not andnot make the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Show?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hey me the money, Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Come on, I've been covering Major League Baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati, in Detroit,
in LA.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I love this game.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker, and
what a show we have for you today. Coming up,
we talk with Athletics rightfield the Lawrence Butler he joins us.
Plus we'll go to the nation's capital and talk to
Andrew Golden. He covers the National for the Washington Post.
That plus foul Affair and more.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Let's go better up to lead off, it's getting runned
and keep him on. Rob's hot take on the three
biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one, it's what
we didn't want to see this year.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
We did not want to see Mike Trout come out
of a game due to injury.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
But that's exactly what happened on Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
When Trout left the game with a problem with his
left knee. This year was supposed to be about trying
to keep Mike Trout healthy. He moved from centerfield to
right field to cut down on having a run as much.
And yet here we go again with yet another injury.
We saw power from Trout. Trout had nine home runs
(01:51):
coming into Wednesday. Only problem is the batting average is
under two hundred, so it's not the full package.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
It's not the MVP Mike Trout.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
He's not fully back. He's had power, but not hitting
for average. And yet here's another blow maybe to the
Angels and to Mike Trout and his you know, future
Hall of Fame Career's done so much earlier in his career.
He's probably gonna be good enough to still get in
the Hall of Fame, but it is disappointing that.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
He can't stay healthy.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
It's a shame to the Angels, shame to the Angels fans,
and shame, you know, for baseball fans who want to
see one of the best players healthy and able to play.
So Mike Trout Out will see how damaged this is,
and damaging this is, and whether or not he'll be
able to bounce back quickly or is this yet another
(02:47):
thing that sidelines him for extended period of time.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Number two.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I don't know about you, but the best team in
the National League through the first month or so, you
know the scene started in March, first month of the season,
is the Chicago Cubs. Yes, I know, is this on? Yes,
it's on. And I'm not tripping because the Metro off
to a great start, winning twenty one of their first
(03:13):
thirty games. But I'm gonna give it to the Chicago
Cubs who won eighteen games through their first thirty one
or so. And look at the schedule that they've had
that they play played Padre six times, they played the
Diamondback six times, they played the Dodgers five times, also
(03:37):
played the Texas Rangers or a good team, and the
Philadelphia Phillies. They could have been buried in the first
month of the season easily, easily, but not the case.
Kyle Tucker a great pickup for the Cubs, and things
have been going on. They're spunky team, they come from behind,
they get big hits. I mean, if you're the Cubs,
(04:00):
the schedule will only get easier as we go on,
so they have to feel really good about leading the
NL Central getting off to such a great start given
the schedule that they had to face. They went through
the gauntlet and they came out basically unscathed and in
first place. I think that's an amazing accomplishment.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Number three.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I know you saw keyk Hernandez in mop up duty
pitching for the Dodgers. It was comical, not because he
was on the mound, because he was wearing some pitching
protective helmet. It looked like a batting helmet, but it wasn't.
It was like a pitching protective helmet, and he was
(04:42):
pitching with that on his head. Had I been at
the plate, I might have been laughing too hard to
even get my swings in. Come on, I just can't
see how baseball can allow a pitcher to wear that.
I just it just looks weird to me. It didn't
look real like. It looked like it was batting practice
and you're playing around and I don't even know how
(05:04):
you can really pitch with that on. I know you
didn't have some big wind up in motion, but to me,
that thing seemed like it would be hard to really
let loose and throw hard with that protective helmet on
your head. I don't want to see anybody using that
in a Major League Baseball game.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Even though it was legal, it didn't look right.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
It's so good. All right, welcome into the podcast. I
have Lawrence Butler from the A's is what you guys
are being called now even though we're here in Sacramento. Lawrence,
welcome to the podcast. Thanks for having me, appreciate it.
Let's talk about the Sacramento and being out here and
the changes. What has that been like, you know, leaving
(05:51):
Oakland and now you're playing here for the next few years.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I don't know, it's kind of different, you know, just
playing in a different ball park. But guys on the
team or are suited to, you know, play at these ballparks.
We've all played at them before. So I mean, just
like a turn back in the in the page where
you know, we just kind of get to play at
the minor league ball park for a couple of years.
But you know that we don't lose focus on that.
You know, we still got a plan to go out
(06:15):
there and win. Games, and you know that's what we
plan on doing. And you don't think about Las Vegas.
That's three years from now probably, right, Do you even
think about that or just kind of embrace what you have? No,
all we think about is, you know the task at
hand that day, you know, which is today. You know,
we got the White Souce today, so you know we're
focused on, you know, beating the White Sox and winning
the series.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
How about this team, you guys, five hundred after the
first twenty six games, just expectations thoughts about where you are.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
I mean, I feel like we expected to be better
than five hundred, you know, because we expect very highly.
Our expections are very high for ourselves, and you know,
we feel like we're a good team, better than with
everybody else in the media thinks we are. So you know,
we feel like we haven't even played our best baseball yet.
You know, we're just kind of just going out there
winning games, finding a way to win games, no matter
if it's ugly or pretty. So you know, we still
(07:07):
feel like we got a lot of work to do
and we're on the right track, so you know, I
feel like there'll be a lot more wins in the
future to come.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
How about you last year, you know, first full year excellent.
You know, a lot of stuff went well, power, hitting everything,
making plays in the field. How do you enter your
second year or what were your thoughts or your movements
and stuff in the off season for a year or two.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Really just trying to pick up the momentum that I
had from last year into this year. And you know,
just just continuing to be good at what I'm good at,
and you know, just kind of work on the areas
that you know, I feel like I need to get
better at. So you know, I got a great coach
of staff. You know, they're always you know, working with me,
helping me. You know, a need tips, they always give
them to me. So you know, it's really just about,
you know, trying to be all around complete player, you know,
(07:55):
in every aspect of the game.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Let's talk about that. What did you work on? Was
this something and you said, man, I want to be
able to hit the ball the other way. I want
to be able to do this, have a hit for
a higher average, have more power. What was it offensively
that you worked on in the off season?
Speaker 5 (08:12):
Really just everything, you know, just being more consistent, you know,
trying to take away the you know, the bad stretches
that you know a lot of players go through, you know,
just trying to shorten them up, you know, to where
they don't last longer than they should be. So, you know,
really just trying to be more consistent at the pay
with my approaching, you know, just everything and game playing
with pitchers. So I really say that on the officierve side,
(08:33):
that was more of what I was just kind of
working on being more consistent.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
And how about defensively, because you're a really good defensive
player as well. Is that something that's always been a
part of you. Do you enjoy playing defense? I've talked
to people who say they, you know, they get a
kick out of it stealing the ball or robbing the
ball for a home run, or diving catch or throwing
somebody out at the play. Where are you defensively?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
You know, I kind of want to just get my
arms stronger, and I kind of worked on it in
the off season. But you know, defense is a huge
of the game. You know, that's kind of how you
save runs, key runs off the board, and you know,
just kind of help your team win games. You know,
if you could so take away runs. You know that
just kind of takes the momentum away from the other team,
and you know it brings momnimum for your team. So
you know, just always just playing hard on defense and
(09:15):
just you know, going out there with the ball, and
you know, I try to just get better at defense
every year.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
I guess it is Lawrence Butler from The A's let
me ask you personal goals. Do you set personal goals
when you come into a season, I know you're still
young player, or do you just, like like you said earlier,
just try to get better or is there anything you say, man,
it would be great to do this or do that.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
I mean, I feel like everybody kind of got like
a little personal goals they have, but you know, the
majority of the time, it's me is just winning. You know,
if you win and you play the game the right way,
you know, things that just happened for you. So you know,
I just kind of think of just going out there
playing to win and you know, whatever happens or whatever
comes with it, accomplishments, you know, anything, that's just what
it is. So that's kind of my mofucker is Maron
(10:01):
is winning the World Series. That's like a real personal goal.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
For me, that's real. Yeah, no, I can't imagine if
you play the game you want to win, and win
at the highest level. Just want to ask you one
more thing about hitting home runs. And for a lot
of people, you know, it's easy to say I want
to hit home runs and everybody doesn't have a home
run swing and all that kind of stuff, But can
(10:24):
you be a home run hitter? I mean, you hit
home runs, but a home run hitter maybe hit thirty
five forty home runs? Is that in your wheelhouse?
Speaker 5 (10:34):
I mean I kind of just go out there and
hit the ball. I mean, if it goes over the fence,
it goes over the fence. I kind of don't try
to focus on trying to hit home runs because when
I try to hit home runs, I usually don't do it.
So I just kind of like to just hit the
ball hard and then if it goes over the fence,
it goes over the fence.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
The best home run you've hitting the big leagues, you
got one was the first one.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
I would have to say, the third one at Cincinnati
and the third home run game. The third one it was,
and we're down one top knife and I kind of
tied the game and that was my third home run.
I said that was pretty cool. I said that was
the coolest one.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
All right, Lawrence Butler, thank you for joining us here
on Inside the Parker Man. We appreciate you. Continue success
to see. Thank you for having me appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. In case you missed Rob Parker on the
MLB networks, here's his latest appearance on Mlbina.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Name dropping Rob Parker left and right. He's on the
show down. He does it every week.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And I give it. I give him credit. Rob.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
You have to say, I don't hate on you. I
give you credit when you're right.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And you were the.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
First guy to say Juan Soto could struggle in Queens.
He will be wan So so, Rob, He's been so
so this first month. I thought he was gonna break
out last night, you know, but he didn't. He had
a good walk. I can't throw a good walk in
your face in the ninth inning. He's been so so.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
You've been right, BK.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Always a pleasure and I'm not you know, Juan Soto
is a tremendous player. Okay, I'm not saying he's not,
but I'm not surprised by this, and let's make it.
He's not a career three hundred hitter. When he first
went to San Diego, I think he batted two thirty
six in about fifty semi game that year, added two
forty six.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
But he's been on four hundred on base each and
every year he's been in the major leagues. So I thought,
all right, given what he did going to New York.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
The Bronx is in New York.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
I know you're from Queens, but the Bronx is New York,
and then going to Queens, it's not gonna matter. But
you know what he's He has bad at bats and
I was a good at bat late last night. He
has good process. He's on basis three sixty eight, which
is not terrible. He's above lygue average, but he's not
an impact bat and that surprises me year one anywhere,
especially Queens.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Yeah, and the thing that has helped him is that
the Mets are winning, so he's kind of not had
to take the brun of it. If they were struggling,
people would be on Juan Soto. There's no doubt about it,
because he's not what he had. He had a career
year with the Yankees last year, oh forty home runs.
You know, it seemed like every time there was a
big hit, he was the guy behind it or him
(13:15):
and Aaron Judge. And Aaron Judge is in the Bronx,
still raking and being unbelievable. Yeah, and Toto leaves the
Yankees and he's scuffling.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah. Did you get my personal shot?
Speaker 6 (13:26):
I said, you put a curse on the Borough of Queens,
which you long ago abandoned.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Do you get that I did not abandon it.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
It's still my home.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I love Los Angeles, though, I will say that.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You said, where do you live, Rob, Where do you live?
Speaker 1 (13:39):
I live in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That's you know, not of his own park. That's all
I'm saying. So they got murals of you and Queens
and you left, all right?
Speaker 6 (13:46):
Aaron Judges start? How about that four twenty seven?
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Where are on Orange? Aaron Judge?
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Unbelievable? Start to a seat. It was just a year ago.
He was being booed. I mean, he was terrible. In
April last year, Yankee fans were frustrated. He's bat under
two hundred and in a league where what the the
average batting average is what two forty two or something
like that, This good dude's hitting over four hundred. But
(14:13):
I'm gonna state it, and I stayed this with all sincerity.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
It's almost if he's healthy.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
These are what.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
We expect from Aaron Judge, the numbers.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
The power to batting average.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
All of this stuff, because this is like normal.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
He's now reached a point where we're going to look
at him and start to only judge him in the postseason.
And I'm not saying he last year gets Cleveland. Remember
he had the big home run to tie the game.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
And he was breaking out against the Dodgers and then
suddenly the series ended.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Right, Absolutely, he's been bad.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
People are going to start turning to that to say
he has to win a World Series and he has
to perform and get some of these big hits and
home runs in those moments. But he is just off
the charge, the best player in the league, in the game,
and I cannot every day I look up, I can't
believe he's gotten another hit.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Yeah, another numbers go off.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
I want to throw on one thing you're right about
the postseason. He's been he's been bad. He goes from
he's head and shoulders above everybody else, even Soto, even
you know Tatis, everybody, and yet he is bad in
the playoffs. But I'll say this, he now is number
two in baseball in singles.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
So he's changed his approach.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
So don't you see that like Judges changing his approach
in his game. Now, if say he's not swinging for
the fences and has to drill every ball in October,
spray a couple of singles, be productive and wait to pounce.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
I like what he's done.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
He's redeveloped his game, re engineered it so it now
might be better for a playoff run.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
I agree with that because you know, in a playoffs, sho,
you're not feasting on fourth and fifth starters and guys
who aren't good. It's the best of the best pitchers
out there. That's why a lot of superstars struggle in
the postseason. We saw Barry Bond's struggle TOI lle Fani
broke out in two thousand and two, you know, against
the Angels. But but a lot of big time players
(16:13):
have struggled. You face the best of the best. Every
pitch matters and you can't just be swinging for defenses.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
But I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
I see same singles and doubles every night from Aaron Joe.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (16:24):
No, he's changed his game and right, and that's more,
you know, transformable to bring to the playoffs. And then
when the ball comes to you, like again, Soto has
good at bats in the playoffs. If they're walking, you
let them walk. If a tough pitch is single, and
then when you get a fat one, hit it out,
which I think Judge will do.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I want to get to one more thing.
Speaker 6 (16:41):
I don't know if you saw a small dust up
Yanks and O's last night, is not watching.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Shouldn't have been a big thing. I get that the
players on the field are.
Speaker 6 (16:49):
Having a beef, right. You had an infielder land On
heston kers dad there. He didn't like that, and it
really you know, all right, it's it's a physical game.
But is there something to be done to limit the
dugouts and especially the bullpens from joining in on these
things and escalating. Because there's a shot here of the
bullpen guys coming in.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It's like the charge of the light brigade.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
What are you guys doing There's no fight that you're
running to, and yet watch this them coming in. There
should be something to be done about.
Speaker 9 (17:17):
That, Rob, No way, no how, how in the world,
b K, could you ask teammates to sit on the
sidelines and act like nothing's going on when they're teammates
or in a mix up.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
You're a team. You win together, you lose together, you
fight together, you celebrate together.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I never could, Rob.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
Something's got something's gotta be done. The one thing I'll
say that you're right, like David Stern in the NBA
could with Alonzo Morning and Van Gundy and they they're
having fights and guys are still on the on the floor.
At least it's five on five out there there. You
could have one guy standing and surrounded by ten guys.
I you know, eight guys. I get it, But that's ridiculous.
That's ridiculous. The bullpen at least close the bullpen gates
(18:03):
and say anybody that runs out from the bullpen to
join a fight thirty days right, So no.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I'm not doing that.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
And here's the thing that the ironic thing coming from you, BK.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
What is the bullpen?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
They come in to save the day at the.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
End of the game, the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
We're here to join the fight. No, no, this eliminate
those numbers you have. It's a gang war like.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
So say, all right, there's thirteen guys out there, Now
are twelve. Let's say there's twelve guys in each bullpen.
You're all out. Let the guys here, slug it out.
Let you know, just slug it out with your position players.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
If you got to do it now, you got to.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Show support for your team. BK, you couldn't be more
wrong for this. It would be like, you know what,
you're mixing it up with some guys from ESPN and
all your buddies at MLB Network. Sit on the side
and say.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
There's certain guys I want.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
I want Jake Pavian, but we can keep Amazinger out.
How about that? Like, you know, you got to stay
in the bullpen, stay there. I want Jake running.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Out of the field. How about that?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
No, No, I'm not BK this one.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You lose.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You can disagree.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
So I already lost jan So So yeah, Wan Soso,
you won. You already got your win, all right. Queen's
native Rob Parker joining us here.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Thank you Rob. When Rob was a newspaper columnist. He
lived by this motto, if I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's
bring in a writer or broadcaster, old or new.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Now, let's welcome into the podcast one of my favorite
baseball writers, Andrew Golden at the Washington Post, one of
the young and upcoming guys.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Andrew, thanks for joining us. Welcome to the podcast, my friend.
Speaker 8 (19:36):
Hey, thanks for having me on. I'm excited to talk baseball.
Appreciate you have me.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
On, Rob always always.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
And let's talk about these Washington Nationals that you cover.
And let's start with James Wood. I mean, we know
we saw him come up last year and now this
year out of the box, home runs, hits, RBI, all
kinds of stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
He's fantastic. Just tell us about his progress.
Speaker 8 (19:59):
Yeah, I thinklast year you saw bits and pieces of
what he could be.
Speaker 10 (20:02):
I think what you saw last year's him trying to
figure out how major league pitchers were pitching him and
what adjustment he needed to make. But in the second
half of the season he led the team in homers
and RBIs and runs scored, so you saw the flashes
and potential there.
Speaker 8 (20:14):
He leved the team and walks too, So not only
was he keating well.
Speaker 10 (20:17):
He's also being extremely disciplined as well, and so this
year you kind of hope that he was able to
put things all together and even take the nest step forward,
and that's exactly what he's done. I think he said
nine home runs in the first month of the season,
so that puts him on pace.
Speaker 8 (20:28):
For a lot more than nine home runs. I think
it's probably probably probably forty five.
Speaker 10 (20:32):
You're probably pays like forty five or fifty homers, which
is pretty impressive to see for a guy that young.
And so just his ability to go to the opposite
field has been really impressive. His ability to be patient
and not chase it has been really, really, really good too.
And as he grows into his body and learns more
about himself and figures out how to pull the ball
at the right time, Like, once he does that, i'm
not sure how you pitch him. So he's been he's
been getting guys with almost every pitch in out of way.
(20:56):
He struggled a little bit up in him, but for
the most part he's getting some of those two. So
he's he's been really impressive.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
And if your ownership or front office management, you gotta
love this this is a local kid. He's from Maryland, right,
I mean, you can't ask for anything better. Big, strong, hits,
the home runs like I've seen this kid smile. He
seemed like a great kid, you know, with all those things.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
He's what you're looking for.
Speaker 10 (21:21):
Yeah, personality and marketing wise, I mean, that's exactly what
you want. You have a local kid you can kind
of build around. And obviously he's shown me he has
the potential to be that guy. And so yeah, from
a front office and marketing perspective, it is great to
have a guy, you know, that is somewhat homegrown.
Speaker 8 (21:34):
I know they I know they didn't.
Speaker 10 (21:35):
I know they traded for him obviously, but just to
have a guy who's pretty local, I think that has
to mean something to them for sure.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
No doubt.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
All Right, that's another guy who they got and a
big trade. But I ce j Abrams who last year
had a bad incident where he you know, came late
to the ballpark and you know, management didn't play around.
They sent him to the minor leagues last year. And
this guy was an All Star and who had done
things in the league. What is his uh year started like?
(22:03):
And has he changed a different person? Or how would
you classify him.
Speaker 10 (22:08):
Yeah, I think I think obviously that was a big
message to send it to him, that that that they
weren't you know, they weren't playing around with you know,
him showing up later, him him missing being legally on
the last team bust and those sort of things and
staying out. I think that tweet has something to do
obviously of being sent down a major factor in it.
Speaker 8 (22:23):
And so yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 10 (22:25):
But when we came in this year, like he wanted
to move on, the team wanted to move on. They
said that he was still their shortstop. And they've been
saying that CGS got out to.
Speaker 8 (22:33):
A good start.
Speaker 10 (22:33):
He was hurt for a little bit with and so
he was on the injured list for about fifteen games.
But you know, he he when seges at the top
of the lineup, he kind of he kind of you know,
electrifies the offense, like like the offense seems to go
when he goes.
Speaker 8 (22:45):
And so he's kind of a table set at the
top of the order.
Speaker 10 (22:47):
He's not your traditional leadoff hitter, right, Like he's not
gonna like take pitches like he's very aggressive and somebody.
He's not your traditional lead off hitter, but he has
the speed, he can do a little bit of everything.
I think, you know, he's shown that when he goes,
the offense goes, and so he he's a major part
of it. I thought he's he's performed well so far
at the plate and the fieldies, but he's been decent.
I think one of the big questions we could he
improve is his defense, and I think it's looked about
(23:08):
the same as last year. Maybe a little bit better,
but still kind of looked the same as last year.
And so we'll see how he continues to progress.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Our guest is Andrew Golden. He covers the Nationals for
the Washington Post. How about pitching wise, give me some
surprises or some guys who are you know pitching well
for the Nationals.
Speaker 10 (23:27):
I'll go to the guy who wasn't a surprised, which
is Mackenzie Gore. Like they want him to be ace
top of the rotation guy, and he's performed that way.
He struck out thirteen on an opening day and only
allowed one hit no walks, which is like, I think
only only Bob Getson's ever done that before an opening day.
Speaker 8 (23:39):
So that's a pretty good company to be in.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Going to say those numbers are tremendous, like yeah.
Speaker 10 (23:44):
Yeah, so he was so he was election he was
electrifying that day. And so he's been everything that they've advertised,
and even in the starts since he hasn't been as perfect,
but he's been able to limit the damage. That's been
big for them. But Mitchell Parker has been the most
impressive starter to me. Last year, he wasn't even supposed
to be the first guy called up to debut, but
he did.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Over the road against the Dodgers.
Speaker 10 (24:01):
Last year, he was really good in the first half
and you could tell he kind of asked the fatigue
and the second half wasn't the same guy. This year,
he's changed his arm slide a little bit, he's throwing
a little bit higher, and he's been really effective in
that role. And so I've been impressed by I've seen
for Michelle Parker. He's been really good and I'm looking
forward to seeing what he can continue to do moving forward.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
We saw them, you know, have a couple of nice
walkoffs against the Mets. You know, Mets one of the
hottest teams in the National League. But through the first
thirty one games, like literally the first Month thirteen and eighteen,
nine and seven at home, bad road record. What are
the realistic expectations for the Nationals as we head into May.
Speaker 10 (24:40):
I think the goal is learning to be to be
your friends team that could compete for a wildcard spot.
Speaker 8 (24:43):
I think that was the goal. Obviously, like the Phillies
and the Mets are and the Bras were.
Speaker 10 (24:47):
It's a tough division to shake out of, especially giving
out Gavin West was. But I think that was kind
of the goal in the expectation kind of entering the season.
But I think the thing when when you were talking
about the walkoffs is and then they follow those up
with not great performances. So the Keys like they have
not consistent like one day they will formally well, do
everything right, will walk off, and the next day they just
kind of have these dues where they don't perform well,
they don't hit well, they make mistakes in the field,
(25:08):
their bullpen doesn't come through. So it's like they're almost
weird path of like inconsistency where they'll be really good
for a stretch and then they'll be inconsistent for a stretch.
And so you know, good teams were able to overcome
those inconsistent stretches and turn things around and find ways
to win those games. And so I think when you're
looking for the national need to do moving forward, just
find ways to build on their momentum instead of losing
their momentum by losing the next game. I need to
(25:28):
be able to continue and take what they did the
day before and apply it moving forwards.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
I think that's the key for.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Them, all right.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
His name is Andrew Gold and he covers the Nationals
for the Washington Post. And Andrew always a pleasure man.
You know, I'll see you out at the yard down
the road. Thank you, my man, Thank you.
Speaker 8 (25:45):
Absolutely looking forward to the next time I see you.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. That is, it was a big week in
the big leagues.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
Who's Who's a fives believer?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Is it foul or is it fair? And Now from
mlbdbro dot com, here's Jrgambo.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Coming into Thursday night Yankee Second Basement Jazz Chisholm Junior
was batting one pint eighty one in one hundred and five.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
At bats Jr.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Is it foul or fair to say that Jazz Chisholm
Junior isn't providing enough at the plate for the Yankees?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Fair?
Speaker 11 (26:40):
Jazz Chism isn't hitting the ball or putting in him play.
Speaker 7 (26:43):
Enough for me.
Speaker 11 (26:44):
Rob, I'm sorry, he's just not as much as I
love Jazz, and I hope he doesn't get mad at
me when he sees me at the All Star Game
in Atlanta, because I believe he will make it this
season based on popularity alone. But batting one eighty one,
it's just not cutting it.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Rob.
Speaker 11 (27:02):
The seven home runs top twenty in baseball, that's cool,
But I don't need my second basement to be Marcus
Simeon in twenty twenty one and hit close to fifty
bro bombs and break records. I just need him not
to be seventh in all of baseball and strikeouts. I mean,
(27:25):
he should be hitting at least one hundred points higher.
He doesn't seem to make the adjustments when he needs
to at the plate, and he's not elevating into an
elite player. In my opinion, Jazz has the tools and
the occasional flash of potential dominance, but I'm not even
getting super solid starter vibes right now from him. Yes,
(27:49):
he's behaving and kissing all the babies and doing all
the things he's supposed to do. The smiler's infectious. The bravado.
The bravado is so New York, right. He was a
perfect fit. But I look up and the OBP is
point three h four his lowest census rookie season in Miami.
In twenty twenty one, the Yankees are hanging on in
(28:12):
first place, but Boston's creeping and that division's tough, and
that lineup is great, so Jazz will need to give
them more and more hits in the words of Knights
and Smooth, especially when the playoffs come around, because he's
underachieving right now and the Yankees, if they have any
(28:34):
chance to win in the World Series, they'll have to
break out of this year long slump. Twenty twenty is cool,
but I need that batting average up. I need you
being the catalyst that you're supposed to be, and I
need to see you really getting into your hitting and
studying it. I hope you're doing film and working on
those things that will allow you a greater talents to
(28:56):
shine through because You're a better wait in this jazz
and I'm telling you because I love you so fam
you gotta.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Get the Yankees more, much more.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Make way for weekend wagers.
Speaker 12 (29:13):
Yo, it's shine bo with fire up those bed naps.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Let's go one win, one loss.
Speaker 12 (29:21):
Last week brings a season total of six wins, four losses.
Speaker 7 (29:24):
Let's get that two to zero, though.
Speaker 12 (29:26):
Go ahead and start off your Friday with the Los
Angeles Dodgers.
Speaker 7 (29:29):
Y'ama Moto has been nearly unhittable so far in the season.
Speaker 12 (29:32):
So even with the Dodgers visiting the Atlanta Braves, we
know that minus one and a half on the run
line and the way the rocket to get your pockets right.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Saturday, we're gonna go back to.
Speaker 12 (29:42):
That winning well the the A's of West sac I'm
gonna go ahead and say it. Our visit against the awful,
despicable Miami Marlins, and with neither team keeping the ball
the park, the A's are actually leading.
Speaker 7 (29:54):
The MLB with home runs allowed.
Speaker 12 (29:56):
Go ahead and take the over over eight and a half,
over nine, even take it over nine and a half.
Neither team knows what they're doing on the mount and
so it's safe money all money all day.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
Let's go as MLB fans.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
When it comes to Major League Baseball, no one covers
it better than the odd couple fast.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
I am the baseball kid first, second, and third, and
we're leading shows with baseball.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It'll watch it, It'll again, all in one place, right
here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I love baseball.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time. Rob Parker out he can't Gavin.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
This could be an inside of Parker.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
See you next week, same bat time, from same Matt station.
From the Burke shears 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 fifty seven.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
How you have another hot take?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Will not andnot make the playoffs?
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Show?
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hey me the money, Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Come on, I've been covering Major League Baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati, in Detroit,
in LA.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
I love this game.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Let's go.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker, and
what a show we have for you today. Coming up,
we talk with Athletics rightfield the Lawrence Butler he joins us.
Plus we'll go to the nation's capital and talk to
Andrew Golden. He covers the National for the Washington Post.
That plus foul Affair and more.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Let's go better up to lead off, it's getting runned
and keep him on. Rob's hot take on the three
biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one, it's what
we didn't want to see this year.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
We did not want to see Mike Trout come out
of a game due to injury.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
But that's exactly what happened on Wednesday.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
When Trout left the game with a problem with his
left knee. This year was supposed to be about trying
to keep Mike Trout healthy. He moved from centerfield to
right field to cut down on having a run as much.
And yet here we go again with yet another injury.
We saw power from Trout. Trout had nine home runs
(01:51):
coming into Wednesday. Only problem is the batting average is
under two hundred, so it's not the full package.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
It's not the MVP Mike Trout.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
He's not fully back. He's had power, but not hitting
for average. And yet here's another blow maybe to the
Angels and to Mike Trout and his you know, future
Hall of Fame Career's done so much earlier in his career.
He's probably gonna be good enough to still get in
the Hall of Fame, but it is disappointing that.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
He can't stay healthy.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
It's a shame to the Angels, shame to the Angels fans,
and shame, you know, for baseball fans who want to
see one of the best players healthy and able to play.
So Mike Trout Out will see how damaged this is,
and damaging this is, and whether or not he'll be
able to bounce back quickly or is this yet another
(02:47):
thing that sidelines him for extended period of time.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Number two.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I don't know about you, but the best team in
the National League through the first month or so, you
know the scene started in March, first month of the season,
is the Chicago Cubs. Yes, I know, is this on? Yes,
it's on. And I'm not tripping because the Metro off
to a great start, winning twenty one of their first
(03:13):
thirty games. But I'm gonna give it to the Chicago
Cubs who won eighteen games through their first thirty one
or so. And look at the schedule that they've had
that they play played Padre six times, they played the
Diamondback six times, they played the Dodgers five times, also
(03:37):
played the Texas Rangers or a good team, and the
Philadelphia Phillies. They could have been buried in the first
month of the season easily, easily, but not the case.
Kyle Tucker a great pickup for the Cubs, and things
have been going on. They're spunky team, they come from behind,
they get big hits. I mean, if you're the Cubs,
(04:00):
the schedule will only get easier as we go on,
so they have to feel really good about leading the
NL Central getting off to such a great start given
the schedule that they had to face. They went through
the gauntlet and they came out basically unscathed and in
first place. I think that's an amazing accomplishment.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Number three.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
I know you saw keyk Hernandez in mop up duty
pitching for the Dodgers. It was comical, not because he
was on the mound, because he was wearing some pitching
protective helmet. It looked like a batting helmet, but it wasn't.
It was like a pitching protective helmet, and he was
(04:42):
pitching with that on his head. Had I been at
the plate, I might have been laughing too hard to
even get my swings in. Come on, I just can't
see how baseball can allow a pitcher to wear that.
I just it just looks weird to me. It didn't
look real like. It looked like it was batting practice
and you're playing around and I don't even know how
(05:04):
you can really pitch with that on. I know you
didn't have some big wind up in motion, but to me,
that thing seemed like it would be hard to really
let loose and throw hard with that protective helmet on
your head. I don't want to see anybody using that
in a Major League Baseball game.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Even though it was legal, it didn't look right.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Here comes the big interview. Listen and learn.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
It's so good. All right, welcome into the podcast. I
have Lawrence Butler from the A's is what you guys
are being called now even though we're here in Sacramento. Lawrence,
welcome to the podcast. Thanks for having me, appreciate it.
Let's talk about the Sacramento and being out here and
the changes. What has that been like, you know, leaving
(05:51):
Oakland and now you're playing here for the next few years.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I don't know, it's kind of different, you know, just
playing in a different ball park. But guys on the
team or are suited to, you know, play at these ballparks.
We've all played at them before. So I mean, just
like a turn back in the in the page where
you know, we just kind of get to play at
the minor league ball park for a couple of years.
But you know that we don't lose focus on that.
You know, we still got a plan to go out
(06:15):
there and win. Games, and you know that's what we
plan on doing. And you don't think about Las Vegas.
That's three years from now probably, right, Do you even
think about that or just kind of embrace what you have? No,
all we think about is, you know the task at
hand that day, you know, which is today. You know,
we got the White Souce today, so you know we're
focused on, you know, beating the White Sox and winning
the series.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
How about this team, you guys, five hundred after the
first twenty six games, just expectations thoughts about where you are.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
I mean, I feel like we expected to be better
than five hundred, you know, because we expect very highly.
Our expections are very high for ourselves, and you know,
we feel like we're a good team, better than with
everybody else in the media thinks we are. So you know,
we feel like we haven't even played our best baseball yet.
You know, we're just kind of just going out there
winning games, finding a way to win games, no matter
if it's ugly or pretty. So you know, we still
(07:07):
feel like we got a lot of work to do
and we're on the right track, so you know, I
feel like there'll be a lot more wins in the
future to come.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
How about you last year, you know, first full year excellent.
You know, a lot of stuff went well, power, hitting everything,
making plays in the field. How do you enter your
second year or what were your thoughts or your movements
and stuff in the off season for a year or two.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Really just trying to pick up the momentum that I
had from last year into this year. And you know,
just just continuing to be good at what I'm good at,
and you know, just kind of work on the areas
that you know, I feel like I need to get
better at. So you know, I got a great coach
of staff. You know, they're always you know, working with me,
helping me. You know, a need tips, they always give
them to me. So you know, it's really just about,
you know, trying to be all around complete player, you know,
(07:55):
in every aspect of the game.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Let's talk about that. What did you work on? Was
this something and you said, man, I want to be
able to hit the ball the other way. I want
to be able to do this, have a hit for
a higher average, have more power. What was it offensively
that you worked on in the off season?
Speaker 5 (08:12):
Really just everything, you know, just being more consistent, you know,
trying to take away the you know, the bad stretches
that you know a lot of players go through, you know,
just trying to shorten them up, you know, to where
they don't last longer than they should be. So, you know,
really just trying to be more consistent at the pay
with my approaching, you know, just everything and game playing
with pitchers. So I really say that on the officierve side,
(08:33):
that was more of what I was just kind of
working on being more consistent.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
And how about defensively, because you're a really good defensive
player as well. Is that something that's always been a
part of you. Do you enjoy playing defense? I've talked
to people who say they, you know, they get a
kick out of it stealing the ball or robbing the
ball for a home run, or diving catch or throwing
somebody out at the play. Where are you defensively?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
You know, I kind of want to just get my
arms stronger, and I kind of worked on it in
the off season. But you know, defense is a huge
of the game. You know, that's kind of how you
save runs, key runs off the board, and you know,
just kind of help your team win games. You know,
if you could so take away runs. You know that
just kind of takes the momentum away from the other team,
and you know it brings momnimum for your team. So
you know, just always just playing hard on defense and
(09:15):
just you know, going out there with the ball, and
you know, I try to just get better at defense
every year.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
I guess it is Lawrence Butler from The A's let
me ask you personal goals. Do you set personal goals
when you come into a season, I know you're still
young player, or do you just, like like you said earlier,
just try to get better or is there anything you say, man,
it would be great to do this or do that.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
I mean, I feel like everybody kind of got like
a little personal goals they have, but you know, the
majority of the time, it's me is just winning. You know,
if you win and you play the game the right way,
you know, things that just happened for you. So you know,
I just kind of think of just going out there
playing to win and you know, whatever happens or whatever
comes with it, accomplishments, you know, anything, that's just what
it is. So that's kind of my mofucker is Maron
(10:01):
is winning the World Series. That's like a real personal goal.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
For me, that's real. Yeah, no, I can't imagine if
you play the game you want to win, and win
at the highest level. Just want to ask you one
more thing about hitting home runs. And for a lot
of people, you know, it's easy to say I want
to hit home runs and everybody doesn't have a home
run swing and all that kind of stuff, But can
(10:24):
you be a home run hitter? I mean, you hit
home runs, but a home run hitter maybe hit thirty
five forty home runs? Is that in your wheelhouse?
Speaker 5 (10:34):
I mean I kind of just go out there and
hit the ball. I mean, if it goes over the fence,
it goes over the fence. I kind of don't try
to focus on trying to hit home runs because when
I try to hit home runs, I usually don't do it.
So I just kind of like to just hit the
ball hard and then if it goes over the fence,
it goes over the fence.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
The best home run you've hitting the big leagues, you
got one was the first one.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
I would have to say, the third one at Cincinnati
and the third home run game. The third one it was,
and we're down one top knife and I kind of
tied the game and that was my third home run.
I said that was pretty cool. I said that was
the coolest one.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
All right, Lawrence Butler, thank you for joining us here
on Inside the Parker Man. We appreciate you. Continue success
to see. Thank you for having me appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. In case you missed Rob Parker on the
MLB networks, here's his latest appearance on Mlbina.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Name dropping Rob Parker left and right. He's on the
show down. He does it every week.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
And I give it. I give him credit. Rob.
Speaker 6 (11:40):
You have to say, I don't hate on you. I
give you credit when you're right.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
And you were the.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
First guy to say Juan Soto could struggle in Queens.
He will be wan So so, Rob, He's been so
so this first month. I thought he was gonna break
out last night, you know, but he didn't. He had
a good walk. I can't throw a good walk in
your face in the ninth inning. He's been so so.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
You've been right, BK.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Always a pleasure and I'm not you know, Juan Soto
is a tremendous player. Okay, I'm not saying he's not,
but I'm not surprised by this, and let's make it.
He's not a career three hundred hitter. When he first
went to San Diego, I think he batted two thirty
six in about fifty semi game that year, added two
forty six.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
But he's been on four hundred on base each and
every year he's been in the major leagues. So I thought,
all right, given what he did going to New York.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
The Bronx is in New York.
Speaker 6 (12:32):
I know you're from Queens, but the Bronx is New York,
and then going to Queens, it's not gonna matter. But
you know what he's He has bad at bats and
I was a good at bat late last night. He
has good process. He's on basis three sixty eight, which
is not terrible. He's above lygue average, but he's not
an impact bat and that surprises me year one anywhere,
especially Queens.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Yeah, and the thing that has helped him is that
the Mets are winning, so he's kind of not had
to take the brun of it. If they were struggling,
people would be on Juan Soto. There's no doubt about it,
because he's not what he had. He had a career
year with the Yankees last year, oh forty home runs.
You know, it seemed like every time there was a
big hit, he was the guy behind it or him
(13:15):
and Aaron Judge. And Aaron Judge is in the Bronx,
still raking and being unbelievable. Yeah, and Toto leaves the
Yankees and he's scuffling.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
Yeah. Did you get my personal shot?
Speaker 6 (13:26):
I said, you put a curse on the Borough of Queens,
which you long ago abandoned.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Do you get that I did not abandon it.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
It's still my home.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I love Los Angeles, though, I will say that.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
You said, where do you live, Rob, Where do you live?
Speaker 1 (13:39):
I live in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That's you know, not of his own park. That's all
I'm saying. So they got murals of you and Queens
and you left, all right?
Speaker 6 (13:46):
Aaron Judges start? How about that four twenty seven?
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Where are on Orange? Aaron Judge?
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Unbelievable? Start to a seat. It was just a year ago.
He was being booed. I mean, he was terrible. In
April last year, Yankee fans were frustrated. He's bat under
two hundred and in a league where what the the
average batting average is what two forty two or something
like that, This good dude's hitting over four hundred. But
(14:13):
I'm gonna state it, and I stayed this with all sincerity.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
It's almost if he's healthy.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
These are what.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
We expect from Aaron Judge, the numbers.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
The power to batting average.
Speaker 7 (14:25):
All of this stuff, because this is like normal.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
He's now reached a point where we're going to look
at him and start to only judge him in the postseason.
And I'm not saying he last year gets Cleveland. Remember
he had the big home run to tie the game.
Speaker 6 (14:42):
And he was breaking out against the Dodgers and then
suddenly the series ended.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Right, Absolutely, he's been bad.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
People are going to start turning to that to say
he has to win a World Series and he has
to perform and get some of these big hits and
home runs in those moments. But he is just off
the charge, the best player in the league, in the game,
and I cannot every day I look up, I can't
believe he's gotten another hit.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Yeah, another numbers go off.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
I want to throw on one thing you're right about
the postseason. He's been he's been bad. He goes from
he's head and shoulders above everybody else, even Soto, even
you know Tatis, everybody, and yet he is bad in
the playoffs. But I'll say this, he now is number
two in baseball in singles.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
So he's changed his approach.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
So don't you see that like Judges changing his approach
in his game. Now, if say he's not swinging for
the fences and has to drill every ball in October,
spray a couple of singles, be productive and wait to pounce.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
I like what he's done.
Speaker 6 (15:44):
He's redeveloped his game, re engineered it so it now
might be better for a playoff run.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
I agree with that because you know, in a playoffs, sho,
you're not feasting on fourth and fifth starters and guys
who aren't good. It's the best of the best pitchers
out there. That's why a lot of superstars struggle in
the postseason. We saw Barry Bond's struggle TOI lle Fani
broke out in two thousand and two, you know, against
the Angels. But but a lot of big time players
(16:13):
have struggled. You face the best of the best. Every
pitch matters and you can't just be swinging for defenses.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
But I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
I see same singles and doubles every night from Aaron Joe.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (16:24):
No, he's changed his game and right, and that's more,
you know, transformable to bring to the playoffs. And then
when the ball comes to you, like again, Soto has
good at bats in the playoffs. If they're walking, you
let them walk. If a tough pitch is single, and
then when you get a fat one, hit it out,
which I think Judge will do.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I want to get to one more thing.
Speaker 6 (16:41):
I don't know if you saw a small dust up
Yanks and O's last night, is not watching.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Shouldn't have been a big thing. I get that the
players on the field are.
Speaker 6 (16:49):
Having a beef, right. You had an infielder land On
heston kers dad there. He didn't like that, and it
really you know, all right, it's it's a physical game.
But is there something to be done to limit the
dugouts and especially the bullpens from joining in on these
things and escalating. Because there's a shot here of the
bullpen guys coming in.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It's like the charge of the light brigade.
Speaker 6 (17:10):
What are you guys doing There's no fight that you're
running to, and yet watch this them coming in. There
should be something to be done about.
Speaker 9 (17:17):
That, Rob, No way, no how, how in the world,
b K, could you ask teammates to sit on the
sidelines and act like nothing's going on when they're teammates
or in a mix up.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
You're a team. You win together, you lose together, you
fight together, you celebrate together.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
I never could, Rob.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
Something's got something's gotta be done. The one thing I'll
say that you're right, like David Stern in the NBA
could with Alonzo Morning and Van Gundy and they they're
having fights and guys are still on the on the floor.
At least it's five on five out there there. You
could have one guy standing and surrounded by ten guys.
I you know, eight guys. I get it, But that's ridiculous.
That's ridiculous. The bullpen at least close the bullpen gates
(18:03):
and say anybody that runs out from the bullpen to
join a fight thirty days right, So no.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I'm not doing that.
Speaker 4 (18:09):
And here's the thing that the ironic thing coming from you, BK.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
What is the bullpen?
Speaker 1 (18:15):
They come in to save the day at the.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
End of the game, the bullpen.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
We're here to join the fight. No, no, this eliminate
those numbers you have. It's a gang war like.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
So say, all right, there's thirteen guys out there, Now
are twelve. Let's say there's twelve guys in each bullpen.
You're all out. Let the guys here, slug it out.
Let you know, just slug it out with your position players.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
If you got to do it now, you got to.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Show support for your team. BK, you couldn't be more
wrong for this. It would be like, you know what,
you're mixing it up with some guys from ESPN and
all your buddies at MLB Network. Sit on the side
and say.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
There's certain guys I want.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
I want Jake Pavian, but we can keep Amazinger out.
How about that? Like, you know, you got to stay
in the bullpen, stay there. I want Jake running.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Out of the field. How about that?
Speaker 4 (19:02):
No, No, I'm not BK this one.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You lose.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
You can disagree.
Speaker 6 (19:06):
So I already lost jan So So yeah, Wan Soso,
you won. You already got your win, all right. Queen's
native Rob Parker joining us here.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
Thank you Rob. When Rob was a newspaper columnist. He
lived by this motto, if I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's
bring in a writer or broadcaster, old or new.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Now, let's welcome into the podcast one of my favorite
baseball writers, Andrew Golden at the Washington Post, one of
the young and upcoming guys.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Andrew, thanks for joining us. Welcome to the podcast, my friend.
Speaker 8 (19:36):
Hey, thanks for having me on. I'm excited to talk baseball.
Appreciate you have me.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
On, Rob always always.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
And let's talk about these Washington Nationals that you cover.
And let's start with James Wood. I mean, we know
we saw him come up last year and now this
year out of the box, home runs, hits, RBI, all
kinds of stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
He's fantastic. Just tell us about his progress.
Speaker 8 (19:59):
Yeah, I thinklast year you saw bits and pieces of
what he could be.
Speaker 10 (20:02):
I think what you saw last year's him trying to
figure out how major league pitchers were pitching him and
what adjustment he needed to make. But in the second
half of the season he led the team in homers
and RBIs and runs scored, so you saw the flashes
and potential there.
Speaker 8 (20:14):
He leved the team and walks too, So not only
was he keating well.
Speaker 10 (20:17):
He's also being extremely disciplined as well, and so this
year you kind of hope that he was able to
put things all together and even take the nest step forward,
and that's exactly what he's done. I think he said
nine home runs in the first month of the season,
so that puts him on pace.
Speaker 8 (20:28):
For a lot more than nine home runs. I think
it's probably probably probably forty five.
Speaker 10 (20:32):
You're probably pays like forty five or fifty homers, which
is pretty impressive to see for a guy that young.
And so just his ability to go to the opposite
field has been really impressive. His ability to be patient
and not chase it has been really, really, really good too.
And as he grows into his body and learns more
about himself and figures out how to pull the ball
at the right time, Like, once he does that, i'm
not sure how you pitch him. So he's been he's
been getting guys with almost every pitch in out of way.
(20:56):
He struggled a little bit up in him, but for
the most part he's getting some of those two. So
he's he's been really impressive.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
And if your ownership or front office management, you gotta
love this this is a local kid. He's from Maryland, right,
I mean, you can't ask for anything better. Big, strong, hits,
the home runs like I've seen this kid smile. He
seemed like a great kid, you know, with all those things.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
He's what you're looking for.
Speaker 10 (21:21):
Yeah, personality and marketing wise, I mean, that's exactly what
you want. You have a local kid you can kind
of build around. And obviously he's shown me he has
the potential to be that guy. And so yeah, from
a front office and marketing perspective, it is great to
have a guy, you know, that is somewhat homegrown.
Speaker 8 (21:34):
I know they I know they didn't.
Speaker 10 (21:35):
I know they traded for him obviously, but just to
have a guy who's pretty local, I think that has
to mean something to them for sure.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
No doubt.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
All Right, that's another guy who they got and a
big trade. But I ce j Abrams who last year
had a bad incident where he you know, came late
to the ballpark and you know, management didn't play around.
They sent him to the minor leagues last year. And
this guy was an All Star and who had done
things in the league. What is his uh year started like?
(22:03):
And has he changed a different person? Or how would
you classify him.
Speaker 10 (22:08):
Yeah, I think I think obviously that was a big
message to send it to him, that that that they
weren't you know, they weren't playing around with you know,
him showing up later, him him missing being legally on
the last team bust and those sort of things and
staying out. I think that tweet has something to do
obviously of being sent down a major factor in it.
Speaker 8 (22:23):
And so yeah, it was tough.
Speaker 10 (22:25):
But when we came in this year, like he wanted
to move on, the team wanted to move on. They
said that he was still their shortstop. And they've been
saying that CGS got out to.
Speaker 8 (22:33):
A good start.
Speaker 10 (22:33):
He was hurt for a little bit with and so
he was on the injured list for about fifteen games.
But you know, he he when seges at the top
of the lineup, he kind of he kind of you know,
electrifies the offense, like like the offense seems to go
when he goes.
Speaker 8 (22:45):
And so he's kind of a table set at the
top of the order.
Speaker 10 (22:47):
He's not your traditional leadoff hitter, right, Like he's not
gonna like take pitches like he's very aggressive and somebody.
He's not your traditional lead off hitter, but he has
the speed, he can do a little bit of everything.
I think, you know, he's shown that when he goes,
the offense goes, and so he he's a major part
of it. I thought he's he's performed well so far
at the plate and the fieldies, but he's been decent.
I think one of the big questions we could he
improve is his defense, and I think it's looked about
(23:08):
the same as last year. Maybe a little bit better,
but still kind of looked the same as last year.
And so we'll see how he continues to progress.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
Our guest is Andrew Golden. He covers the Nationals for
the Washington Post. How about pitching wise, give me some
surprises or some guys who are you know pitching well
for the Nationals.
Speaker 10 (23:27):
I'll go to the guy who wasn't a surprised, which
is Mackenzie Gore. Like they want him to be ace
top of the rotation guy, and he's performed that way.
He struck out thirteen on an opening day and only
allowed one hit no walks, which is like, I think
only only Bob Getson's ever done that before an opening day.
Speaker 8 (23:39):
So that's a pretty good company to be in.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Going to say those numbers are tremendous, like yeah.
Speaker 10 (23:44):
Yeah, so he was so he was election he was
electrifying that day. And so he's been everything that they've advertised,
and even in the starts since he hasn't been as perfect,
but he's been able to limit the damage. That's been
big for them. But Mitchell Parker has been the most
impressive starter to me. Last year, he wasn't even supposed
to be the first guy called up to debut, but
he did.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
Over the road against the Dodgers.
Speaker 10 (24:01):
Last year, he was really good in the first half
and you could tell he kind of asked the fatigue
and the second half wasn't the same guy. This year,
he's changed his arm slide a little bit, he's throwing
a little bit higher, and he's been really effective in
that role. And so I've been impressed by I've seen
for Michelle Parker. He's been really good and I'm looking
forward to seeing what he can continue to do moving forward.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
We saw them, you know, have a couple of nice
walkoffs against the Mets. You know, Mets one of the
hottest teams in the National League. But through the first
thirty one games, like literally the first Month thirteen and eighteen,
nine and seven at home, bad road record. What are
the realistic expectations for the Nationals as we head into May.
Speaker 10 (24:40):
I think the goal is learning to be to be
your friends team that could compete for a wildcard spot.
Speaker 8 (24:43):
I think that was the goal. Obviously, like the Phillies
and the Mets are and the Bras were.
Speaker 10 (24:47):
It's a tough division to shake out of, especially giving
out Gavin West was. But I think that was kind
of the goal in the expectation kind of entering the season.
But I think the thing when when you were talking
about the walkoffs is and then they follow those up
with not great performances. So the Keys like they have
not consistent like one day they will formally well, do
everything right, will walk off, and the next day they just
kind of have these dues where they don't perform well,
they don't hit well, they make mistakes in the field,
(25:08):
their bullpen doesn't come through. So it's like they're almost
weird path of like inconsistency where they'll be really good
for a stretch and then they'll be inconsistent for a stretch.
And so you know, good teams were able to overcome
those inconsistent stretches and turn things around and find ways
to win those games. And so I think when you're
looking for the national need to do moving forward, just
find ways to build on their momentum instead of losing
their momentum by losing the next game. I need to
(25:28):
be able to continue and take what they did the
day before and apply it moving forwards.
Speaker 8 (25:31):
I think that's the key for.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Them, all right.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
His name is Andrew Gold and he covers the Nationals
for the Washington Post. And Andrew always a pleasure man.
You know, I'll see you out at the yard down
the road. Thank you, my man, Thank you.
Speaker 8 (25:45):
Absolutely looking forward to the next time I see you.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live. That is, it was a big week in
the big leagues.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
Who's Who's a fives believer?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Is it foul or is it fair? And Now from
mlbdbro dot com, here's Jrgambo.
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Coming into Thursday night Yankee Second Basement Jazz Chisholm Junior
was batting one pint eighty one in one hundred and five.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
At bats Jr.
Speaker 4 (26:29):
Is it foul or fair to say that Jazz Chisholm
Junior isn't providing enough at the plate for the Yankees?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Fair?
Speaker 11 (26:40):
Jazz Chism isn't hitting the ball or putting in him play.
Speaker 7 (26:43):
Enough for me.
Speaker 11 (26:44):
Rob, I'm sorry, he's just not as much as I
love Jazz, and I hope he doesn't get mad at
me when he sees me at the All Star Game
in Atlanta, because I believe he will make it this
season based on popularity alone. But batting one eighty one,
it's just not cutting it.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Rob.
Speaker 11 (27:02):
The seven home runs top twenty in baseball, that's cool,
But I don't need my second basement to be Marcus
Simeon in twenty twenty one and hit close to fifty
bro bombs and break records. I just need him not
to be seventh in all of baseball and strikeouts. I mean,
(27:25):
he should be hitting at least one hundred points higher.
He doesn't seem to make the adjustments when he needs
to at the plate, and he's not elevating into an
elite player. In my opinion, Jazz has the tools and
the occasional flash of potential dominance, but I'm not even
getting super solid starter vibes right now from him. Yes,
(27:49):
he's behaving and kissing all the babies and doing all
the things he's supposed to do. The smiler's infectious. The bravado.
The bravado is so New York, right. He was a
perfect fit. But I look up and the OBP is
point three h four his lowest census rookie season in Miami.
In twenty twenty one, the Yankees are hanging on in
(28:12):
first place, but Boston's creeping and that division's tough, and
that lineup is great, so Jazz will need to give
them more and more hits in the words of Knights
and Smooth, especially when the playoffs come around, because he's
underachieving right now and the Yankees, if they have any
(28:34):
chance to win in the World Series, they'll have to
break out of this year long slump. Twenty twenty is cool,
but I need that batting average up. I need you
being the catalyst that you're supposed to be, and I
need to see you really getting into your hitting and
studying it. I hope you're doing film and working on
those things that will allow you a greater talents to
(28:56):
shine through because You're a better wait in this jazz
and I'm telling you because I love you so fam
you gotta.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Get the Yankees more, much more.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Make way for weekend wagers.
Speaker 12 (29:13):
Yo, it's shine bo with fire up those bed naps.
Speaker 7 (29:17):
Let's go one win, one loss.
Speaker 12 (29:21):
Last week brings a season total of six wins, four losses.
Speaker 7 (29:24):
Let's get that two to zero, though.
Speaker 12 (29:26):
Go ahead and start off your Friday with the Los
Angeles Dodgers.
Speaker 7 (29:29):
Y'ama Moto has been nearly unhittable so far in the season.
Speaker 12 (29:32):
So even with the Dodgers visiting the Atlanta Braves, we
know that minus one and a half on the run
line and the way the rocket to get your pockets right.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Saturday, we're gonna go back to.
Speaker 12 (29:42):
That winning well the the A's of West sac I'm
gonna go ahead and say it. Our visit against the awful,
despicable Miami Marlins, and with neither team keeping the ball
the park, the A's are actually leading.
Speaker 7 (29:54):
The MLB with home runs allowed.
Speaker 12 (29:56):
Go ahead and take the over over eight and a half,
over nine, even take it over nine and a half.
Neither team knows what they're doing on the mount and
so it's safe money all money all day.
Speaker 7 (30:07):
Let's go as MLB fans.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
When it comes to Major League Baseball, no one covers
it better than the odd couple fast.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
I am the baseball kid first, second, and third, and
we're leading shows with baseball.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
It'll watch it, It'll again, all in one place, right
here on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
I love baseball.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time. Rob Parker out he can't Gavin.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
This could be an inside of Parker.
Speaker 4 (30:45):
See you next week, same bat time, from same Matt station.
Host
Rob Parker
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