On this week’s edition of Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob discusses Juan Soto’s quietly dominant debut season with the New York Mets, why Aaron Judge still has the inside track to win the American League MVP award, and why Robert Redford’s ‘The Natural’ still resonates with people today. Later, Marquee Sports Network host Cole Wright swings by to discuss all the latest happenings around the Chicago Cubs. Plus, Rob's latest appearance on MLB Network, and a very special Parker Pushback aimed at Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
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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 fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
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 (00:30):
I love this game. Let's go. Welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm your host, Rob Parker, and what a show we
have for you today. Coming up, we're gonna dive into
the Chicago Cubs who have made the postseason with Cole Wright.
He's a host pre and post game for the Cubs
on the Marquee Sports Network. We'll do that, plus we'll
have a pushback and much more.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Let's go better up to lead off, it's getting rocked
and keep them mind. Rob's hot take on the three
biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one. All right,
I'm gonna own it.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I was the one who said that Juan Soto would
struggle to start the season in his career with the Mets,
and I was right. Didn't make the All Star Team.
I gave him the nickname one so so and all that,
but now I have to own up to the season
that he has put together. The one weird caveat is
that the Mets are worse than they were a year ago,
(01:35):
which makes no sense when you think about the numbers.
So here's a milestone. I gotta put my glasses on
for this. He's gonna have forty home runs, thirty steals,
one hundred and ten runs scored. Only two players have
ever put up those numbers after changing teams in the
first year, sho Hail Tani when left to Angels to
(01:55):
the Dodgers, and now Juan Soto from.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
The Yankees to the Mets. It's weird both players.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
We talk about, or basically both players went to the
same city, different teams. Here's the other stuff. He's on
pace to finish with a more run score than Tattis Junior,
more RBIs than Otani, more hits than Raleigh, more walks
than Judge, more home run than Alfonso.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I mean, let's pick that up.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Rob Gi, more home runs than Pete Alonso, more steals
than Carol. Just an unbelievable amount of numbers that he
was able to put together when you think about this
guy didn't make the All Star team, that this guy
got off to such a rough start despite the seven
(02:48):
hundred and sixty five million dollar contract, but his numbers
wound up being the numbers that people expect from him.
And maybe that's why the Mets paid him seven hundred
and sixty five million dollars because he lived up to
the those numbers. Obviously, the Mets need to make the
playoffs and they're teetering on that. If they do, people
can look past this season and move forward.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
With Juan Soto number two coming into Thursday, Aaron Judge
is batting three twenty nine and leads the American League
in hitting.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
With about nine or ten games to go in the
baseball season, he has a real shot to win the
AL batting title, which will be his first in his career.
He had three hits on Wednesday night in a finale
against the Minnesota Twins, so Aaron Judge has not faded
at the stretch. He's actually playing really well and I
(03:43):
think a batting title will add to his resume and
add to how impressive he is as a hitter. We
know he's a slugger and we know, the average batting
average in the major leagues is two forty two, and
yet this guy's nearing in on an another fifty home
run season and he can now win a batting title.
(04:06):
It looks like he's gonna win a batting title. So
I think that that separates him from his peers. Guys
are either sluggers or their hitters for average. Very seldom
you see a guy hit this many home runs and
still able to hit such a high batting average.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Go look at Kyle Schwarber with the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
He's a home run hitter and batting two twenty thirty forty.
You know, in that range, he's not batting three twenty
nine with ten games nine games to go.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
It's impressive by Aaron Judge.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
It tells you about how good he is and where
he ranks in baseball. Number three movie icon Robert Redford
died this past week at eighty nine years old. What
a life, what a movie maker, director, activists and all that.
But we talk about in sports all the time how
hard it is to make sports move and for actors
(05:01):
to look natural like they are, you know, athletes, And Robert.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Redford did that in baseball movies.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
And a lot of people look at him and think
of the natural He played Roy Hobbs and just to
swing in that and how dramatic that movie was.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It's one of my favorite movies.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Some people think it's their favorite baseball movie, you know,
for a comedy Major League that was very funny.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
You know, Feel the Dreams. I don't know how you.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Could be a baseball fan and not love Feel the
Dreams and what that stood for. And then when baseball
had to feel the Dreams game in Iowa and just
what that looked like and the whole nature of it
is another one I love recently forty two, the Jackie
Robinson story told through Wendell Smith, the Baseball Black Baseball writer.
(05:56):
I love that version of the Jackie Robinson movie, of course,
called forty two.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And then A real sleeper was in the seventies. Robert
de Niro starred in this movie. He was the.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Catcher, a sick catcher who a star pitcher held up
and made him his private catcher so that he could
stay in the Big league. This's a heartwarming story called
Bang the Drums Slowly. If you're a baseball fan, try
to find that movie and watch it. Bang the drums slowly.
I think it was Moriarty and de Niro or the
(06:32):
stars of that and it resonated with me.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
I don't know it's one of those.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
But Robert Redford dad in eighty nine and people always
remember him as Roy Hobbs in the Natural.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
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. Now, let's welcome in. Cole Wright.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
He is the host, pre and post for the Chicago
cub for the Marquee Sports Network. Friend of mine, one
of the best in the business. We worked together at
FS one at ESPN. We could go on and on
and on. And the thing we both love more than
anything other than family and wives and all that.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Kind of stuff is baseball. What's up, Cole? How are you?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Rob? How you doing? Man? Glad to be on the
show today? Man, How you doing doing great?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Always a pleasure, my man.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
And you know I had to get into you and
talk to you to get a deep dive on the
Cubs and where they are. They clinched a playoff spot
for the first time since twenty twenty. Was this expected
or not.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I mean, I think it was expected.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
I think the one thing that the team set out
at the very beginning of the season that they said,
you know, we want to be a ninety win team,
and then everything else kind of falls into place. And
I think, you know, when you look at the track
record of ninety win teams over the last I don't know,
five seven ten seasons that they have had a whostseason trajectory.
So I think that one went Craig and Carter when
(08:01):
they constructed this of Jed and Carter and Craig, when
they constructed this team, they really thought that they wanted
to have a ninety win team with postseason aspirations. They
went out, they got Kyle Tucker, They made sure that
they had all these these pieces of the puzzle in
place and right now, and man, if they don't win
ninety games, and that's their own fault. I mean, you know,
they're you know, they're over twenty games above the five
(08:23):
hundred mark.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
They clinched that postseason birth. Like you said, so right
now not.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Necessarily smooth, Salem with with the playoff in hand, there's
still work to be done. It's like I tweeted out,
with the Kobe Bryant gift the other day. You know,
job's not finished. And that's exactly what Craig said after
they clinched yesterday during the celebration.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I saw that and I thought right away, no
doubt about it. I mean, it's nice to get in.
When you get it, you have a chance, But there's
other work to be done, for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I want to just talk about some of the players.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Pete crow Armstrong, who started a season he was in
the MVP, you know conversation.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
He had put together.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Such a strong start to the season, coming into Thursday
batting two forty seven.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
What's happened there with Pete?
Speaker 5 (09:05):
I mean, he's young, and baseball's hard. I mean, he's
still really good. I mean, was anyone going to take
anything away from him on the defensive side of the ball.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I don't think so.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
You know, the the amount of five Star plays that
he has, everyone else's pales in comparison to this dude.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I mean, everything that he brings to the table every day.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
Being able to watch him play defense in person, I
mean I never watched Willie Mays play, but I mean
I now only saw Ken Gripey Junior play in person.
Later in his career. You know, I never saw him
as a as a Seattle Mariner. I saw him as
a Cincinnati Red So I think that being able to
watch Pete car Armstrong, you do get to watch one
of those elite style defensive players. However, his bat, what
(09:45):
he was able to do at the beginning of the year,
it's tough. Like I said, it's baseball's hard. These guys
are starting to figure him out. And the one thing
I've seen lately, he's had some really good takes, and
takes are a good indicator of how a guy is
going about his play appearances, and Pete he's had some
more productive plate appearances as of blat And if he
gets going during the postseason in these last ten games,
(10:08):
then I say watch out for everybody. Don't let him
get hot in Cincinnati over the next four because the
ball is going to jump in Cincinnati.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
It's still warmer there right now. It's a ballpark.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
And Pete, I mean, he's one home run away from
being just the second Chicago Cub to join the thirty
thirty clubs. Sammy did it twice, and no one has
ever had thirty home runs thirty stolen bases in thirty
doubles as Chicago cub.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
So Pete, he's doing all right.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
I think this needs to corral some of that youthful
energy and he'll be just fine.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Man, those are good numbers. Did not know that. Let's
talk about Kyle Tucker. Came over in the trade big
for Chicago.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
There was talk off to his start that he's going
to sign a four hundred million dollar plus contract, and
then the rains came, or what they call the slump
in baseball and so bad that he was benched at.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
One point during this season.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
What do you make of Kyle Tucker and what he
went through and him rebounding from that.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
Well, I think he you know, there was clearly an
injury going on in his hand that that was aggravated
by a slide earlier in the campaign. And I think
the one thing that just speaks to him is he's
a gamer. He's gonna go out there, he's gonna play
sometimes maybe to a detriment, but I think that's the
one thing that you'll get from all gamers, like they'll
like they'll think to themselves, Okay, sixty percent of me
is better than one hundred percent of my backup. So
(11:32):
I think that's that's the mindset that Kyle was under,
and he was going out there every day trying to
just play through it and go get after it. And
I don't it wasn't necessarily a benching. It was more
so of a Okay, let's take this time, let's let's reflect,
let's get you feeling a little bit better, and then
once you are better, we'll get you back in the mix.
And now him dealing with the calf, that's that that's
(11:53):
tough because there are only ten games left in the season.
He still is on the shelf, and he is going
down to Tampa right now to get some extra work in.
So I just feeling like the best thing for everybody
would be to have a full a full health for
Kyle Tucker for the postseason, because I mean, you've seen
him play before. I mean, he's a champion, and when
he's going good, there's not a whole bunch of guys
(12:15):
in the league who are that much better than him.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
I mean, pitching to him.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
If you're on that mound and you see Kyle Tucker
digging in a healthy Kyle Tucker, you know that you're
gonna have your hands full. And that's what the Cubs,
and that's what every Cubs fan is hoping for, to
have a full bill of health for Kyle Tucker in
the postseason.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Cole, tell me about Matt Boyd.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
He leads the Cubs and wins coming into Thursday with
thirteen but just tell me about that starting staff, a
third best er ray in the National League, so obviously
it's not just a one man band. Tell me about
how good this pitching is.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Well, the Cubs pitching staff has been unbelievable. And Matthew Boyd,
you know, last night things didn't necessarily go exactly how
he wanted him to go, but we talked about that.
Flyff Floyd and I were doing a pre pre and
post game and in the first inning, Matthew Boyd was
was Peyton corners pow pow pow, and he wasn't getting calls.
And I looked at Cliff and I said, oh, boy,
(13:12):
I said, this is going to turn into runs because
then he has to go over the heart of the plate.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
And that that's what we saw.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
I mean, we saw him give up a three run
home run in the first inning and just before the
Cubs have already already built a four zero lead, boom,
it's a one run game, it's four to three, and
then it was tied, and I just think it's Matthew
Boyd has had just a few bumps along the way
right here, but he's been.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
So steady all season long and he's won.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
I don't know if you've ever had a chance to
talk with Matthew Boyd or or meet Matthew Boyd in person,
but he's one of the nicest dudes.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
And it's not an act.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
It's there's there's there's no there's no there's no falsehoods
about him. Everything this dude says is true. That he
told us the story one time where he said, I
was going to my little my kid's little league.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Games, and you know, people were asking, hey, what do
you do?
Speaker 5 (13:56):
And this is when he was in limbo, didn't know
where he was gonna go before he the Cubs and
they said, well, you're a baseball player.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
What team are you on?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
And he said, well, and he had to tell him,
you know, he was a free agent and they just
looking to pick up with a new squad. So that's
one of the reasons why he always has so much gratitude,
Like he walks around every ballpark.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Before every start, he kind of looks around and he soaks.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
It in and he realizes that I don't have to
be here right now. They wanted me to be here.
I'm here to go out and pitch well, and that's
what I need to do. And that's what he does.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Man.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
I think that the win loser draw, he's going to
let you know if he pitched well, if he didn't.
He's always going to let you also know what needs
to be worked on. And I think that's the kind
of guy that you want to have that's leading your staff.
And he's not just the only one. Like you said,
this staff is dirty, Colin Ray. He's a guy who
I don't think a lot of people expected to be
a whole bunch this season. But the Cubs are are
(14:50):
sixteen and nine when he starts. Brad Keller signed to
a minor league deal. He's a former starter. This dude's
coming out here blowing doors now ninety eight ninety nine.
Daniel Palenci is hurt. So who we have in the
closer role, it's Brad Keller. Brad Keller can also come
in and he can chew up the eighth inning. He
can chew up the ninth inning. So those are good
things about the staff right now. I mean, there's so
(15:10):
many guys Kate Horton. I mean, if Kate Horton hasn't
already locked up the National League Rookie of the Year,
I don't know who has. They're talking about Drake Baldwin.
That makes me think of the Breakfast Club meme with
Soldier Boy.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Like that.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
I mean, it's not even close. The things that Kate
Horton does when he goes out there. I mean, he's
on a pitch count. He knows he's about to carve
you up, and I think, you know you're about to
get carved up when he's out there, and that's what happens.
And that's I mean, just look at him after the
All Star break. He's he's Paul Skeins, He's twenty fifteen
to twenty sixteen, Jake Arieta.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
He's that good right now. That's sub one eer.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
And I keep saying I would throw him Game one
of the postseason. We got into, you know, a little
bit of a debate yesterday Bruce Levin, myself, cliff Elise Meniker,
We're on the show, and Bruce said that he would
go Matthew. I love Matthew Boyd. He's been he's been
a rock solid presence so far this year. But right now,
when you need a win, who you're going with, You're
(16:07):
going with your stopper, You're going with Kate Horton.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
He's been that dude and the lefty lefty matchups.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
You know, I'm not really worried about Showda Monaga or
Matthew Boyd going back to back games because real gamers
don't care who's on the mounta.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
They want to go out there and hit.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
We had Derek Lee on the other day because it
was Derek Lee and Sammy Sosa day for the Chicago
Cubs them going into the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
We had d Leon doing an.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Interview before I said, d Lee, lefty, righty, what matchup
did you prefer? He said, I don't care, man, bring
them all on. That's what That's how real hitters think.
So Kate Horton, he's a former position player at Oklahoma.
He thinks like a real hitter, he thinks like a
real pitcher, he thinks like a gamer. He is ready
to shove every single time he's out there, and that's
that's what we've seen, and sometimes we've seen.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Some great starting performances squandered.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
So the Cubs bats slowly but surely starting to come
around because you saw what they were able to do offensively.
I mean, they were an absolute juggernaut beginning of the sea
and just not their fourteenth shutout win of the year.
There's a lot of teams who are really good who
don't even have ten. So that's that's the thing that
the Cub's pitching. They'll hold you down. They'll take in
the deep end and they'll hold you under the water man.
They won't let you up.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Our guest is cold Right from Marquee Sports Network in Chicago.
He does the pre and post game for the Chicago
Cubs and a couple more things.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Colin, I'll let you go definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Craig Council, of course, came over from the Brewers last year.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Second year as Cubs manager.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Just changes from twenty I know the Cubs went eighty
three and seventy nine his first year, but changes. Have
you seen anything changes or it's just different with the players,
or what's happened here to take this team to the
next level.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
I think it's just a just a calm demeanor that's
how That's how Craig is man. You know, he never
gets too high, it never gets too low. He's like
those those low Kai bracelets. You ever seen those ones,
all the little bubbles in them, like they have mud
from the Dead Sea and they have water from the
from Mount Everest. So it just reminds you not to
get too high, not to get too low, just kind
of stay even keel. That's the kind of dude that
Craig is, and I think a lot of his players
(18:06):
they kind of they attach themselves to that mindset. You know,
Dansby Swanson, he's just cool man, that's just what he is.
He's gonna make plays, he's gonna get some knocks. I mean,
and when you look at it, are there situations where
you'd be like wow, you look for another a bigger
hit sometimes, But when you look at Dansby stats, you
(18:26):
know it could begin the year he struggled with runners
in scoring position. However, when you have a shortstop who
plays gold glove caliber, I mean, that's what he is.
He's a gold glover who's going to bat two fifty
because that's right around what all shortstops hit right now.
It's not like you have shortstops that are that are
burning up the charts. Hitting three twenty five, it doesn't happen.
He's gonna hit two fifty. He's going to hit you
(18:46):
right around twenty five home runs and he's going to
drive in about eighty five stakes. So I mean, I mean,
think about that. That's pretty good in the grand scheme
of things, along with playing gold glove defense. So I
think that Dansy Swanson he is also taken on that
kind of personality like Craig has, and I think that's
a lot of guys that are just even keel just
the easy demeanor or Justin Turner. He's one of the
(19:07):
sources of inspiration for this team. I mean, he's been
there before. But he's also not a player coach because
Clips says that all the time, like guys don't want
to be called the player coach, but that's kind of
what he is. He came in yesterday had two huge
hits that drove in runs, which was really big. So
I think for him to be able to chip in
and still remain relevant with this squad and be able
(19:27):
to impart wisdom on some of these young guys, man,
I think that's one of the biggest things.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
I think it all starts with Craig all right.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Last thing, where do you see the Cups. Can they
get to the World Series or are they just almost there?
Or do they have enough to go through the Dodgers
and the Padres or whatever team they have to the Phillies,
you know, the Mets in order to make this happen.
Speaker 5 (19:50):
Well, they've got three with the Mets after these next
four with the Reds. So we're gonna see because the
Reds are hungry team right now, they're right on the
outside looking in. And the Mets right now they're kind
of spiraling. We've seen what's going on with them. They're
pitching not really there. I think that anyone has a
chance in this, in this postseason tournament this year. I mean,
(20:11):
there's not really one world beater squad. You know, the
Cubs have had a winning record.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
I agree with that. I agree there a lot of
all the teams have flawed.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I don't I don't think anybody knows who's going to
be in the World Series for sure.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I don't.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
And that's and that's the best part of it. I mean,
it's it is. It is a crapshoot, right now. And
like I said, the Cubs they won the season series
against the Dodgers. You know they're they're they're taking on
the Mets these next these next three after Cincinnati, a
four pack Insinsey. So I think these next ten will
be a big indicator. Like we talked about it on
our pregame show, Cliff and I, there's thirteen games left
(20:45):
to go. This was three games ago, and I said,
what needs to be done is win as many of
these games as possible and get as hot as you can,
and every one of these series needs to be looked
at as a playoff series. You got to win against Pittsburgh.
They won three against Pittsburgh. You need to win three
or four versus Cincinnati. If you could do better than that,
(21:07):
that'd be fantastic. Then you have three with the Mets
and then three with the Cardinals. And if you don't
think the Cardinals are gonna come in and play spoiler,
if they're not still in the mix with the last
three games left, then shame on you because you don't
you must not know about Saint Louis Cardinals baseball. So
and then I'm not talking to you, Rob. You know
Saint Louis Cardinal Becks. You know, you know what I'm saying.
(21:27):
But I just think that that's gonna be how these
guys run through the tape here is going to be
a big indicator. I mean, having three games at Wrigley,
it's gonna be huge, you know, if you're able to
lock down and solidify that that top spot in the
wild card.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
San Diego they're good, the Mets, they can play.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
There's always those those land those land mines that you
have to watch out for, Pete the Killer, Juan Soto.
So it's it's all about matchups really in the postseason
and who gets the hottest is it? All the good
teams make it, but who is the best of the
good teams at that time and was playing the best baseball?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
That's gonna be the biggest picture right there, no.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Doubt about it.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
His name is Cole Wright from Marquee Sports Network in Chicago,
does the pre impost for the Chicago Cubs.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
One of the best baseball guys out there. Man. I
appreciate you, my man. I'll see you soon.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Thanks any time.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
Rob, when you come to Wrigley, Man, let me know
know it.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
In case you missed Rob Parker on the MLB Networks.
Here's his latest appearance on mL DINA.
Speaker 6 (22:30):
All right, time now for the showdown with Rob Parker. Rob,
good to see how you doing, Buddy.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I'm doing great, Steve, how are you doing great?
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Glad to have you here today. All right, so let's
talk Padres Dodgers NL West. Two game advantage right now
for the Dodgers in that division, and it looks like
it's probably gonna finish this way. We'll see if it
does or not. But if it does, and even if
it doesn't, can the Padres beat the Dodgers in postseason baseball?
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Well?
Speaker 1 (22:57):
I know that they're still kicking themselves from last year.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
They should have been to Dodgers last year and they
let that one get away.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
I still like the Padres.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
I picked them before the season, and there's a couple
things Steve. Obviously, they have a tremendous bullpen. They made
some great pickups at the trade deadline. We know about
the lineup. They just have to go and get it done.
Here's what I don't like about the Dodgers is that
they started a season eight No. They spent like twenty
(23:25):
billion dollars in the off season.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
They were supposed to.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Run through everybody, and it just hasn't been that kind
of season. And I know they played better of late,
but I still think they can be had and be beaten.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
So I think the Padres have a shot at this.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
So here's the way I look at I don't think
the Dodgers are invincible, but they've had so many injuries
to explain where they are in the standings. Yet they've
had so many injuries they're still going to win the division.
I don't think the Padres can beat the Dodgers. I
think there is the thing they've got the thing. Take
a look go back to twenty twenty. The Padres are
thirty two and fifty five against the Dogs, and even
(24:00):
when they had them on the brink last year in
the playoffs, they couldn't finish them off. I think that
the Padres road to the World Series cannot be through
the Dodgers. My Mets teams couldn't beat the Braves back
of the day we went to the World Series in
two thousand because somebody else took the Braves out. The
way that these playoffs are set up right now, they'd
be in different brackets. The Dodgers would play probably the
(24:23):
Mets have it started right now. The winner of that
would play the Phillies with the Padres need is for
the mets of the Phillies to take the Dodgers out
of it and then they can go on in advance.
But I don't think that they can beat the Dodgers
head to head. They need somebody else to take them out.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Yeah, I disagree. I don't think the Dodgers are invincible.
I think you're living in last year and you're looking
at the roster, living in Los Angeles and watching them
on a nightly basis.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
I'm just not that impressed.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Despite the injuries, even when they've had people together, it
just doesn't feel the same as a year ago. And
they got awful lucky to win a World Series without
starting pitching, because that's what they got. Had the Yankees
won Game five, the Dodgers wouldn't have won the World Series.
And they got the big hit from Freddie Freeman in
Game one which changed the whole series. I'm not buying
(25:12):
the Dodgers this year under any circumstance. I'm out on
the Dodgers.
Speaker 6 (25:16):
Well, boy, the Dodgers starting pitching put on a show
against the Philadelphia Phillies, including Bake Blake Snell, Snell on
the mountain yesterday, you know, into the seventh inning, and
he ends up getting a little bit of trouble. Dave
Roberts goes out to try to take him out of
the game, and Snell tells him, no, I can get
this guy and a man called Otto, and he gets him.
He strikes him out, stays in the game. Dave Roberts
(25:36):
celebrating it from the dugout. I love this. I love
this from Dave Roberts and Blake Snell. How about you?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
I don't love it?
Speaker 2 (25:44):
No, come on, this is a big game. He had
walked two guys in a row. That's your undermining the
manager of that blew up in Dave Roberts face and
the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Because he was running out of gas.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
It worked out, so you can pump your fist, Dave
Roberts and the Dodgers, but only a two game lead.
Your pitcher's tiring in the seventh then and you do
a season high one hundred and seven pitches in that
game and you're playing with fire. It worked out, but
I didn't like it, and I think at some point
that's why you're the manager and we've seen him take
(26:16):
out Show Hey pitching a no hitter because he's thrown
too many pitches or whatever it is. Blake Snell just
should not be able to demand or or get his
way in that situation when the whole team and it's
a playoff, lives on the line.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
I just didn't like it.
Speaker 6 (26:35):
Two times Cy Young Award winner who tells the manager,
I can get this guy. And I believe that we
teach people how to treat us, and I think that
Blake Snell was always the guy that came out after
facing the lineup twice. Kevin Cash took him out that
in San Diego.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
That was the way.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
But I think now he's returned to the point and
he's proven the Dave Roberts he can get that big
out when he needs it. I thought this was great.
I never want a guy who wants to come out
of the game. I want him to fight the manager
taking him out. He did it respectful.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
It would be everybody, Steve, you can't have that. Everybody
you would do that guy. Everybody wants to stay in.
Oh no, don't pinch it for me. I can get
a hit here. That's why you have a manager.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
That's why you have a guy absolutely to make those
decisions sometimes for the players.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Yeah, so you think that if it blew up, it
would have been Snell's fault. I think that's on Dave
Roberts to make the college while he gets paid the
big bucks. If the pitcher says I can get him,
it's up to him at that point to make a decision.
Vessia was on his way onto the field end of
the game and Dave Roberts says, you know what, I'm
gonna give him this one, and that can make a
difference down the stretch. And for Snell not to be
a two times through the lineup guy, I think is
(27:40):
huge considering how poor the bullpen it pitched for the
Dodgers in the first two games.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
But if you're gonna win the.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Series, Steve, if you're gonna win a World Series, that
bullpen has to come through. So if you want to
avoid the bullpen at all costs, and that's the messager
sending to the bullpen that a guy can walk to it,
guys or loses control and you're still not going to
the bullpen, how is that going to help you come
postseason time?
Speaker 1 (28:06):
It's not If they don't like it.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Pitch better.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
All right? How about this?
Speaker 6 (28:09):
The Tigers in danger of collapsing? Is that true? Four
and a half game lead the Al Central. The Guardians
playing great baseball right now, they are four games remaining
with the Guardians. Are the Tigers in jeopardy the better
first place? It feels like all season long.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Yeah, they could wind up being in nineteen sixty four Phillies,
which lost ten of their last twelve games and gave
up the division.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
And the Tigers, as you know, have been very streaky
this year.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
They had an awful stretch in July where they lost
a twelve out of thirteen and they've lost nine out
of fourteen to start the month of September.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
They're in trouble. Look at their schedule.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
They played the Braves three games at home, but then
they go on the road for three against Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
This is after today's game against Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
They going to road for three against Cleveland and another
three against Boston. Could I see them losing their final
six games and losing a division? Absolutely, because other than
schoolbul and if they Cleveland beat schoobl today, they're.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Really going to be in trouble.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
That's a game they need, and I think that if
they lose that game, there's a good chance they could
choke down the division.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
My goodness, that dark cloud. I'm from Detroit, Rob, you've
been there, and you put this dark cloud cloud over
my family there right now. I'm not that worried about
him at all. I think that they're going to rally through.
They've been a very resilient team in aj Hinch, one
of the best managers in the game. They'll find their
way through. They'll still end up winning the division overall.
All right, the Yankees bullpen in October? Is that really
(29:35):
going to be something that is a strength or a weakness?
Could it cost them or will it be the reason
that they win?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I just think that if you look at the arms
there and just look at Devin Williams his last five outings,
he looks like the stuff he has, the stuff he
had in Milwaukee, Rookie of the Year, one of the
best closers. I look at the movement on the pitches
and then the other guys they brought into the other yeah, yeah,
you know, like they bought it during the trade deadline.
(30:03):
The Yankees got high marks on those pitchers. Now they
haven't performed up to their abilities. And even Luke Weaver
has struggled. But if you look at what these guys
have done and what they're capable of, and if they
get righted, like Devin Williams to me has gotten righted,
they will be tough.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
In the postseason. If these four.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Guys can pitch like they like they're expected to pitch now,
if it's the same miss Moss that we've seen, obviously it's.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Not gonna work.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
And you know this, in the postseason, it's about the bullpen.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
The reason the Yankees won all those World Series.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
They have Mariano Rivera, who was the best of the best,
and that's what you need in the postseason to win.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
I have more confidence in the Dodgers' bullpen right now
than the Yankee bullpen to get things turned around. Rob,
thanks so much, always great debating with you. Have a
great afternoon.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
All right, Steve, always no, this is bloding. It's the
Parker pushback.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Here.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Rob tackles the outlandish takes in Major League Baseball shop.
Speaker 7 (31:07):
I'm Rob Parker, and here's my pushback. All you Dodger
fans and people who are you know, rallying around manager
Dave Roberts for letting Blake Snell basically talk him out
of coming out of the game in the seventh inning.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
After a couple of walks, and he was struggling and
looks like he was losing it.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
And I get it.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Everybody wants to play. Nobody wants to come out. Give
me another chance, coach, manager, whatever you want to say.
But that's why a manager's hired. Dodgers don't have anything
sold up. They could get knocked out. Can you imagine
had they blown that game or they left Blake Snell
and and everything blew up in their face, Dave Roberts
(31:52):
would be facing the music today.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
No player Anthony Richardson maybe the only player I can
remember a recent in the NFL, asked out. Said he
was tired or something. But all players want to play.
All players want another at bat, another chance to face
the next batter. I get all that. It's a dangerous
move by Dave Roberts. You're the manager, and fans and
(32:18):
Dodger apologists, stop making an excuse because it just doesn't.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
It didn't make sense. Not when your start had walked.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Two batters in a row in the inning, it tells
you he had lost something and could have blown up
in the Dodger's face.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I'm Rob Parker and that's my pushback.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Rob Parker out. He can't get it. This could be
an inside the Parker.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
See you next week, the same bad time, say Matt 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 fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
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 (00:30):
I love this game. Let's go. Welcome into the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
I'm your host, Rob Parker, and what a show we
have for you today. Coming up, we're gonna dive into
the Chicago Cubs who have made the postseason with Cole Wright.
He's a host pre and post game for the Cubs
on the Marquee Sports Network. We'll do that, plus we'll
have a pushback and much more.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Let's go better up to lead off, it's getting rocked
and keep them mind. Rob's hot take on the three
biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one. All right,
I'm gonna own it.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I was the one who said that Juan Soto would
struggle to start the season in his career with the Mets,
and I was right. Didn't make the All Star Team.
I gave him the nickname one so so and all that,
but now I have to own up to the season
that he has put together. The one weird caveat is
that the Mets are worse than they were a year ago,
(01:35):
which makes no sense when you think about the numbers.
So here's a milestone. I gotta put my glasses on
for this. He's gonna have forty home runs, thirty steals,
one hundred and ten runs scored. Only two players have
ever put up those numbers after changing teams in the
first year, sho Hail Tani when left to Angels to
(01:55):
the Dodgers, and now Juan Soto from.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
The Yankees to the Mets. It's weird both players.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
We talk about, or basically both players went to the
same city, different teams. Here's the other stuff. He's on
pace to finish with a more run score than Tattis Junior,
more RBIs than Otani, more hits than Raleigh, more walks
than Judge, more home run than Alfonso.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
I mean, let's pick that up.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Rob Gi, more home runs than Pete Alonso, more steals
than Carol. Just an unbelievable amount of numbers that he
was able to put together when you think about this
guy didn't make the All Star team, that this guy
got off to such a rough start despite the seven
(02:48):
hundred and sixty five million dollar contract, but his numbers
wound up being the numbers that people expect from him.
And maybe that's why the Mets paid him seven hundred
and sixty five million dollars because he lived up to
the those numbers. Obviously, the Mets need to make the
playoffs and they're teetering on that. If they do, people
can look past this season and move forward.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
With Juan Soto number two coming into Thursday, Aaron Judge
is batting three twenty nine and leads the American League
in hitting.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
With about nine or ten games to go in the
baseball season, he has a real shot to win the
AL batting title, which will be his first in his career.
He had three hits on Wednesday night in a finale
against the Minnesota Twins, so Aaron Judge has not faded
at the stretch. He's actually playing really well and I
(03:43):
think a batting title will add to his resume and
add to how impressive he is as a hitter. We
know he's a slugger and we know, the average batting
average in the major leagues is two forty two, and
yet this guy's nearing in on an another fifty home
run season and he can now win a batting title.
(04:06):
It looks like he's gonna win a batting title. So
I think that that separates him from his peers. Guys
are either sluggers or their hitters for average. Very seldom
you see a guy hit this many home runs and
still able to hit such a high batting average.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Go look at Kyle Schwarber with the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
He's a home run hitter and batting two twenty thirty forty.
You know, in that range, he's not batting three twenty
nine with ten games nine games to go.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
It's impressive by Aaron Judge.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
It tells you about how good he is and where
he ranks in baseball. Number three movie icon Robert Redford
died this past week at eighty nine years old. What
a life, what a movie maker, director, activists and all that.
But we talk about in sports all the time how
hard it is to make sports move and for actors
(05:01):
to look natural like they are, you know, athletes, And Robert.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Redford did that in baseball movies.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
And a lot of people look at him and think
of the natural He played Roy Hobbs and just to
swing in that and how dramatic that movie was.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
It's one of my favorite movies.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Some people think it's their favorite baseball movie, you know,
for a comedy Major League that was very funny.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
You know, Feel the Dreams. I don't know how you.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Could be a baseball fan and not love Feel the
Dreams and what that stood for. And then when baseball
had to feel the Dreams game in Iowa and just
what that looked like and the whole nature of it
is another one I love recently forty two, the Jackie
Robinson story told through Wendell Smith, the Baseball Black Baseball writer.
(05:56):
I love that version of the Jackie Robinson movie, of course,
called forty two.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
And then A real sleeper was in the seventies. Robert
de Niro starred in this movie. He was the.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Catcher, a sick catcher who a star pitcher held up
and made him his private catcher so that he could
stay in the Big league. This's a heartwarming story called
Bang the Drums Slowly. If you're a baseball fan, try
to find that movie and watch it. Bang the drums slowly.
I think it was Moriarty and de Niro or the
(06:32):
stars of that and it resonated with me.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
I don't know it's one of those.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
But Robert Redford dad in eighty nine and people always
remember him as Roy Hobbs in the Natural.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
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. Now, let's welcome in. Cole Wright.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
He is the host, pre and post for the Chicago
cub for the Marquee Sports Network. Friend of mine, one
of the best in the business. We worked together at
FS one at ESPN. We could go on and on
and on. And the thing we both love more than
anything other than family and wives and all that.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Kind of stuff is baseball. What's up, Cole? How are you?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
Rob? How you doing? Man? Glad to be on the
show today? Man, How you doing doing great?
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Always a pleasure, my man.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
And you know I had to get into you and
talk to you to get a deep dive on the
Cubs and where they are. They clinched a playoff spot
for the first time since twenty twenty. Was this expected
or not.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I mean, I think it was expected.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
I think the one thing that the team set out
at the very beginning of the season that they said,
you know, we want to be a ninety win team,
and then everything else kind of falls into place. And
I think, you know, when you look at the track
record of ninety win teams over the last I don't know,
five seven ten seasons that they have had a whostseason trajectory.
So I think that one went Craig and Carter when
(08:01):
they constructed this of Jed and Carter and Craig, when
they constructed this team, they really thought that they wanted
to have a ninety win team with postseason aspirations. They
went out, they got Kyle Tucker, They made sure that
they had all these these pieces of the puzzle in
place and right now, and man, if they don't win
ninety games, and that's their own fault. I mean, you know,
they're you know, they're over twenty games above the five
(08:23):
hundred mark.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
They clinched that postseason birth. Like you said, so right
now not.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
Necessarily smooth, Salem with with the playoff in hand, there's
still work to be done. It's like I tweeted out,
with the Kobe Bryant gift the other day. You know,
job's not finished. And that's exactly what Craig said after
they clinched yesterday during the celebration.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I saw that and I thought right away, no
doubt about it. I mean, it's nice to get in.
When you get it, you have a chance, But there's
other work to be done, for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I want to just talk about some of the players.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Pete crow Armstrong, who started a season he was in
the MVP, you know conversation.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
He had put together.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Such a strong start to the season, coming into Thursday
batting two forty seven.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
What's happened there with Pete?
Speaker 5 (09:05):
I mean, he's young, and baseball's hard. I mean, he's
still really good. I mean, was anyone going to take
anything away from him on the defensive side of the ball.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
I don't think so.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
You know, the the amount of five Star plays that
he has, everyone else's pales in comparison to this dude.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
I mean, everything that he brings to the table every day.
Speaker 5 (09:22):
Being able to watch him play defense in person, I
mean I never watched Willie Mays play, but I mean
I now only saw Ken Gripey Junior play in person.
Later in his career. You know, I never saw him
as a as a Seattle Mariner. I saw him as
a Cincinnati Red So I think that being able to
watch Pete car Armstrong, you do get to watch one
of those elite style defensive players. However, his bat, what
(09:45):
he was able to do at the beginning of the year,
it's tough. Like I said, it's baseball's hard. These guys
are starting to figure him out. And the one thing
I've seen lately, he's had some really good takes, and
takes are a good indicator of how a guy is
going about his play appearances, and Pete he's had some
more productive plate appearances as of blat And if he
gets going during the postseason in these last ten games,
(10:08):
then I say watch out for everybody. Don't let him
get hot in Cincinnati over the next four because the
ball is going to jump in Cincinnati.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
It's still warmer there right now. It's a ballpark.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
And Pete, I mean, he's one home run away from
being just the second Chicago Cub to join the thirty
thirty clubs. Sammy did it twice, and no one has
ever had thirty home runs thirty stolen bases in thirty
doubles as Chicago cub.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
So Pete, he's doing all right.
Speaker 5 (10:32):
I think this needs to corral some of that youthful
energy and he'll be just fine.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Man, those are good numbers. Did not know that. Let's
talk about Kyle Tucker. Came over in the trade big
for Chicago.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
There was talk off to his start that he's going
to sign a four hundred million dollar plus contract, and
then the rains came, or what they call the slump
in baseball and so bad that he was benched at.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
One point during this season.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
What do you make of Kyle Tucker and what he
went through and him rebounding from that.
Speaker 5 (11:09):
Well, I think he you know, there was clearly an
injury going on in his hand that that was aggravated
by a slide earlier in the campaign. And I think
the one thing that just speaks to him is he's
a gamer. He's gonna go out there, he's gonna play
sometimes maybe to a detriment, but I think that's the
one thing that you'll get from all gamers, like they'll
like they'll think to themselves, Okay, sixty percent of me
is better than one hundred percent of my backup. So
(11:32):
I think that's that's the mindset that Kyle was under,
and he was going out there every day trying to
just play through it and go get after it. And
I don't it wasn't necessarily a benching. It was more
so of a Okay, let's take this time, let's let's reflect,
let's get you feeling a little bit better, and then
once you are better, we'll get you back in the mix.
And now him dealing with the calf, that's that that's
(11:53):
tough because there are only ten games left in the season.
He still is on the shelf, and he is going
down to Tampa right now to get some extra work in.
So I just feeling like the best thing for everybody
would be to have a full a full health for
Kyle Tucker for the postseason, because I mean, you've seen
him play before. I mean, he's a champion, and when
he's going good, there's not a whole bunch of guys
(12:15):
in the league who are that much better than him.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
I mean, pitching to him.
Speaker 5 (12:18):
If you're on that mound and you see Kyle Tucker
digging in a healthy Kyle Tucker, you know that you're
gonna have your hands full. And that's what the Cubs,
and that's what every Cubs fan is hoping for, to
have a full bill of health for Kyle Tucker in
the postseason.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
Cole, tell me about Matt Boyd.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
He leads the Cubs and wins coming into Thursday with
thirteen but just tell me about that starting staff, a
third best er ray in the National League, so obviously
it's not just a one man band. Tell me about
how good this pitching is.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Well, the Cubs pitching staff has been unbelievable. And Matthew Boyd,
you know, last night things didn't necessarily go exactly how
he wanted him to go, but we talked about that.
Flyff Floyd and I were doing a pre pre and
post game and in the first inning, Matthew Boyd was
was Peyton corners pow pow pow, and he wasn't getting calls.
And I looked at Cliff and I said, oh, boy,
(13:12):
I said, this is going to turn into runs because
then he has to go over the heart of the plate.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
And that that's what we saw.
Speaker 5 (13:20):
I mean, we saw him give up a three run
home run in the first inning and just before the
Cubs have already already built a four zero lead, boom,
it's a one run game, it's four to three, and
then it was tied, and I just think it's Matthew
Boyd has had just a few bumps along the way
right here, but he's been.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
So steady all season long and he's won.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
I don't know if you've ever had a chance to
talk with Matthew Boyd or or meet Matthew Boyd in person,
but he's one of the nicest dudes.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
And it's not an act.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
It's there's there's there's no there's no there's no falsehoods
about him. Everything this dude says is true. That he
told us the story one time where he said, I
was going to my little my kid's little league.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
Games, and you know, people were asking, hey, what do
you do?
Speaker 5 (13:56):
And this is when he was in limbo, didn't know
where he was gonna go before he the Cubs and
they said, well, you're a baseball player.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
What team are you on?
Speaker 5 (14:04):
And he said, well, and he had to tell him,
you know, he was a free agent and they just
looking to pick up with a new squad. So that's
one of the reasons why he always has so much gratitude,
Like he walks around every ballpark.
Speaker 4 (14:15):
Before every start, he kind of looks around and he soaks.
Speaker 5 (14:19):
It in and he realizes that I don't have to
be here right now. They wanted me to be here.
I'm here to go out and pitch well, and that's
what I need to do. And that's what he does.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Man.
Speaker 5 (14:29):
I think that the win loser draw, he's going to
let you know if he pitched well, if he didn't.
He's always going to let you also know what needs
to be worked on. And I think that's the kind
of guy that you want to have that's leading your staff.
And he's not just the only one. Like you said,
this staff is dirty, Colin Ray. He's a guy who
I don't think a lot of people expected to be
a whole bunch this season. But the Cubs are are
(14:50):
sixteen and nine when he starts. Brad Keller signed to
a minor league deal. He's a former starter. This dude's
coming out here blowing doors now ninety eight ninety nine.
Daniel Palenci is hurt. So who we have in the
closer role, it's Brad Keller. Brad Keller can also come
in and he can chew up the eighth inning. He
can chew up the ninth inning. So those are good
things about the staff right now. I mean, there's so
(15:10):
many guys Kate Horton. I mean, if Kate Horton hasn't
already locked up the National League Rookie of the Year,
I don't know who has. They're talking about Drake Baldwin.
That makes me think of the Breakfast Club meme with
Soldier Boy.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Like that.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
I mean, it's not even close. The things that Kate
Horton does when he goes out there. I mean, he's
on a pitch count. He knows he's about to carve
you up, and I think, you know you're about to
get carved up when he's out there, and that's what happens.
And that's I mean, just look at him after the
All Star break. He's he's Paul Skeins, He's twenty fifteen
to twenty sixteen, Jake Arieta.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
He's that good right now. That's sub one eer.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
And I keep saying I would throw him Game one
of the postseason. We got into, you know, a little
bit of a debate yesterday Bruce Levin, myself, cliff Elise Meniker,
We're on the show, and Bruce said that he would
go Matthew. I love Matthew Boyd. He's been he's been
a rock solid presence so far this year. But right now,
when you need a win, who you're going with, You're
(16:07):
going with your stopper, You're going with Kate Horton.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
He's been that dude and the lefty lefty matchups.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
You know, I'm not really worried about Showda Monaga or
Matthew Boyd going back to back games because real gamers
don't care who's on the mounta.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
They want to go out there and hit.
Speaker 5 (16:20):
We had Derek Lee on the other day because it
was Derek Lee and Sammy Sosa day for the Chicago
Cubs them going into the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (16:27):
We had d Leon doing an.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Interview before I said, d Lee, lefty, righty, what matchup
did you prefer? He said, I don't care, man, bring
them all on. That's what That's how real hitters think.
So Kate Horton, he's a former position player at Oklahoma.
He thinks like a real hitter, he thinks like a
real pitcher, he thinks like a gamer. He is ready
to shove every single time he's out there, and that's
that's what we've seen, and sometimes we've seen.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Some great starting performances squandered.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
So the Cubs bats slowly but surely starting to come
around because you saw what they were able to do offensively.
I mean, they were an absolute juggernaut beginning of the sea
and just not their fourteenth shutout win of the year.
There's a lot of teams who are really good who
don't even have ten. So that's that's the thing that
the Cub's pitching. They'll hold you down. They'll take in
the deep end and they'll hold you under the water man.
They won't let you up.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Our guest is cold Right from Marquee Sports Network in Chicago.
He does the pre and post game for the Chicago
Cubs and a couple more things.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Colin, I'll let you go definitely.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Craig Council, of course, came over from the Brewers last year.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Second year as Cubs manager.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Just changes from twenty I know the Cubs went eighty
three and seventy nine his first year, but changes. Have
you seen anything changes or it's just different with the players,
or what's happened here to take this team to the
next level.
Speaker 5 (17:43):
I think it's just a just a calm demeanor that's
how That's how Craig is man. You know, he never
gets too high, it never gets too low. He's like
those those low Kai bracelets. You ever seen those ones,
all the little bubbles in them, like they have mud
from the Dead Sea and they have water from the
from Mount Everest. So it just reminds you not to
get too high, not to get too low, just kind
of stay even keel. That's the kind of dude that
Craig is, and I think a lot of his players
(18:06):
they kind of they attach themselves to that mindset. You know,
Dansby Swanson, he's just cool man, that's just what he is.
He's gonna make plays, he's gonna get some knocks. I mean,
and when you look at it, are there situations where
you'd be like wow, you look for another a bigger
hit sometimes, But when you look at Dansby stats, you
(18:26):
know it could begin the year he struggled with runners
in scoring position. However, when you have a shortstop who
plays gold glove caliber, I mean, that's what he is.
He's a gold glover who's going to bat two fifty
because that's right around what all shortstops hit right now.
It's not like you have shortstops that are that are
burning up the charts. Hitting three twenty five, it doesn't happen.
He's gonna hit two fifty. He's going to hit you
(18:46):
right around twenty five home runs and he's going to
drive in about eighty five stakes. So I mean, I mean,
think about that. That's pretty good in the grand scheme
of things, along with playing gold glove defense. So I
think that Dansy Swanson he is also taken on that
kind of personality like Craig has, and I think that's
a lot of guys that are just even keel just
the easy demeanor or Justin Turner. He's one of the
(19:07):
sources of inspiration for this team. I mean, he's been
there before. But he's also not a player coach because
Clips says that all the time, like guys don't want
to be called the player coach, but that's kind of
what he is. He came in yesterday had two huge
hits that drove in runs, which was really big. So
I think for him to be able to chip in
and still remain relevant with this squad and be able
(19:27):
to impart wisdom on some of these young guys, man,
I think that's one of the biggest things.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
I think it all starts with Craig all right.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Last thing, where do you see the Cups. Can they
get to the World Series or are they just almost there?
Or do they have enough to go through the Dodgers
and the Padres or whatever team they have to the Phillies,
you know, the Mets in order to make this happen.
Speaker 5 (19:50):
Well, they've got three with the Mets after these next
four with the Reds. So we're gonna see because the
Reds are hungry team right now, they're right on the
outside looking in. And the Mets right now they're kind
of spiraling. We've seen what's going on with them. They're
pitching not really there. I think that anyone has a
chance in this, in this postseason tournament this year. I mean,
(20:11):
there's not really one world beater squad. You know, the
Cubs have had a winning record.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
I agree with that. I agree there a lot of
all the teams have flawed.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
I don't I don't think anybody knows who's going to
be in the World Series for sure.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
I don't.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
And that's and that's the best part of it. I mean,
it's it is. It is a crapshoot, right now. And
like I said, the Cubs they won the season series
against the Dodgers. You know they're they're they're taking on
the Mets these next these next three after Cincinnati, a
four pack Insinsey. So I think these next ten will
be a big indicator. Like we talked about it on
our pregame show, Cliff and I, there's thirteen games left
(20:45):
to go. This was three games ago, and I said,
what needs to be done is win as many of
these games as possible and get as hot as you can,
and every one of these series needs to be looked
at as a playoff series. You got to win against Pittsburgh.
They won three against Pittsburgh. You need to win three
or four versus Cincinnati. If you could do better than that,
(21:07):
that'd be fantastic. Then you have three with the Mets
and then three with the Cardinals. And if you don't
think the Cardinals are gonna come in and play spoiler,
if they're not still in the mix with the last
three games left, then shame on you because you don't
you must not know about Saint Louis Cardinals baseball. So
and then I'm not talking to you, Rob. You know
Saint Louis Cardinal Becks. You know, you know what I'm saying.
(21:27):
But I just think that that's gonna be how these
guys run through the tape here is going to be
a big indicator. I mean, having three games at Wrigley,
it's gonna be huge, you know, if you're able to
lock down and solidify that that top spot in the
wild card.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
San Diego they're good, the Mets, they can play.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
There's always those those land those land mines that you
have to watch out for, Pete the Killer, Juan Soto.
So it's it's all about matchups really in the postseason
and who gets the hottest is it? All the good
teams make it, but who is the best of the
good teams at that time and was playing the best baseball?
Speaker 4 (22:01):
That's gonna be the biggest picture right there, no.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Doubt about it.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
His name is Cole Wright from Marquee Sports Network in Chicago,
does the pre impost for the Chicago Cubs.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
One of the best baseball guys out there. Man. I
appreciate you, my man. I'll see you soon.
Speaker 4 (22:16):
Thanks any time.
Speaker 5 (22:17):
Rob, when you come to Wrigley, Man, let me know
know it.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
In case you missed Rob Parker on the MLB Networks.
Here's his latest appearance on mL DINA.
Speaker 6 (22:30):
All right, time now for the showdown with Rob Parker. Rob,
good to see how you doing, Buddy.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
I'm doing great, Steve, how are you doing great?
Speaker 6 (22:37):
Glad to have you here today. All right, so let's
talk Padres Dodgers NL West. Two game advantage right now
for the Dodgers in that division, and it looks like
it's probably gonna finish this way. We'll see if it
does or not. But if it does, and even if
it doesn't, can the Padres beat the Dodgers in postseason baseball?
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Well?
Speaker 1 (22:57):
I know that they're still kicking themselves from last year.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
They should have been to Dodgers last year and they
let that one get away.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
I still like the Padres.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
I picked them before the season, and there's a couple
things Steve. Obviously, they have a tremendous bullpen. They made
some great pickups at the trade deadline. We know about
the lineup. They just have to go and get it done.
Here's what I don't like about the Dodgers is that
they started a season eight No. They spent like twenty
(23:25):
billion dollars in the off season.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
They were supposed to.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Run through everybody, and it just hasn't been that kind
of season. And I know they played better of late,
but I still think they can be had and be beaten.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
So I think the Padres have a shot at this.
Speaker 6 (23:39):
So here's the way I look at I don't think
the Dodgers are invincible, but they've had so many injuries
to explain where they are in the standings. Yet they've
had so many injuries they're still going to win the division.
I don't think the Padres can beat the Dodgers. I
think there is the thing they've got the thing. Take
a look go back to twenty twenty. The Padres are
thirty two and fifty five against the Dogs, and even
(24:00):
when they had them on the brink last year in
the playoffs, they couldn't finish them off. I think that
the Padres road to the World Series cannot be through
the Dodgers. My Mets teams couldn't beat the Braves back
of the day we went to the World Series in
two thousand because somebody else took the Braves out. The
way that these playoffs are set up right now, they'd
be in different brackets. The Dodgers would play probably the
(24:23):
Mets have it started right now. The winner of that
would play the Phillies with the Padres need is for
the mets of the Phillies to take the Dodgers out
of it and then they can go on in advance.
But I don't think that they can beat the Dodgers
head to head. They need somebody else to take them out.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Yeah, I disagree. I don't think the Dodgers are invincible.
I think you're living in last year and you're looking
at the roster, living in Los Angeles and watching them
on a nightly basis.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
I'm just not that impressed.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
Despite the injuries, even when they've had people together, it
just doesn't feel the same as a year ago. And
they got awful lucky to win a World Series without
starting pitching, because that's what they got. Had the Yankees
won Game five, the Dodgers wouldn't have won the World Series.
And they got the big hit from Freddie Freeman in
Game one which changed the whole series. I'm not buying
(25:12):
the Dodgers this year under any circumstance. I'm out on
the Dodgers.
Speaker 6 (25:16):
Well, boy, the Dodgers starting pitching put on a show
against the Philadelphia Phillies, including Bake Blake Snell, Snell on
the mountain yesterday, you know, into the seventh inning, and
he ends up getting a little bit of trouble. Dave
Roberts goes out to try to take him out of
the game, and Snell tells him, no, I can get
this guy and a man called Otto, and he gets him.
He strikes him out, stays in the game. Dave Roberts
(25:36):
celebrating it from the dugout. I love this. I love
this from Dave Roberts and Blake Snell. How about you?
Speaker 1 (25:43):
I don't love it?
Speaker 2 (25:44):
No, come on, this is a big game. He had
walked two guys in a row. That's your undermining the
manager of that blew up in Dave Roberts face and
the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Because he was running out of gas.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
It worked out, so you can pump your fist, Dave
Roberts and the Dodgers, but only a two game lead.
Your pitcher's tiring in the seventh then and you do
a season high one hundred and seven pitches in that
game and you're playing with fire. It worked out, but
I didn't like it, and I think at some point
that's why you're the manager and we've seen him take
(26:16):
out Show Hey pitching a no hitter because he's thrown
too many pitches or whatever it is. Blake Snell just
should not be able to demand or or get his
way in that situation when the whole team and it's
a playoff, lives on the line.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
I just didn't like it.
Speaker 6 (26:35):
Two times Cy Young Award winner who tells the manager,
I can get this guy. And I believe that we
teach people how to treat us, and I think that
Blake Snell was always the guy that came out after
facing the lineup twice. Kevin Cash took him out that
in San Diego.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
That was the way.
Speaker 6 (26:49):
But I think now he's returned to the point and
he's proven the Dave Roberts he can get that big
out when he needs it. I thought this was great.
I never want a guy who wants to come out
of the game. I want him to fight the manager
taking him out. He did it respectful.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
It would be everybody, Steve, you can't have that. Everybody
you would do that guy. Everybody wants to stay in.
Oh no, don't pinch it for me. I can get
a hit here. That's why you have a manager.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
That's why you have a guy absolutely to make those
decisions sometimes for the players.
Speaker 6 (27:18):
Yeah, so you think that if it blew up, it
would have been Snell's fault. I think that's on Dave
Roberts to make the college while he gets paid the
big bucks. If the pitcher says I can get him,
it's up to him at that point to make a decision.
Vessia was on his way onto the field end of
the game and Dave Roberts says, you know what, I'm
gonna give him this one, and that can make a
difference down the stretch. And for Snell not to be
a two times through the lineup guy, I think is
(27:40):
huge considering how poor the bullpen it pitched for the
Dodgers in the first two games.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
But if you're gonna win the.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
Series, Steve, if you're gonna win a World Series, that
bullpen has to come through. So if you want to
avoid the bullpen at all costs, and that's the messager
sending to the bullpen that a guy can walk to it,
guys or loses control and you're still not going to
the bullpen, how is that going to help you come
postseason time?
Speaker 1 (28:06):
It's not If they don't like it.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
Pitch better.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
All right? How about this?
Speaker 6 (28:09):
The Tigers in danger of collapsing? Is that true? Four
and a half game lead the Al Central. The Guardians
playing great baseball right now, they are four games remaining
with the Guardians. Are the Tigers in jeopardy the better
first place? It feels like all season long.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Yeah, they could wind up being in nineteen sixty four Phillies,
which lost ten of their last twelve games and gave
up the division.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
And the Tigers, as you know, have been very streaky
this year.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
They had an awful stretch in July where they lost
a twelve out of thirteen and they've lost nine out
of fourteen to start the month of September.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
They're in trouble. Look at their schedule.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
They played the Braves three games at home, but then
they go on the road for three against Cleveland.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
This is after today's game against Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
They going to road for three against Cleveland and another
three against Boston. Could I see them losing their final
six games and losing a division? Absolutely, because other than
schoolbul and if they Cleveland beat schoobl today, they're.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Really going to be in trouble.
Speaker 2 (29:06):
That's a game they need, and I think that if
they lose that game, there's a good chance they could
choke down the division.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
My goodness, that dark cloud. I'm from Detroit, Rob, you've
been there, and you put this dark cloud cloud over
my family there right now. I'm not that worried about
him at all. I think that they're going to rally through.
They've been a very resilient team in aj Hinch, one
of the best managers in the game. They'll find their
way through. They'll still end up winning the division overall.
All right, the Yankees bullpen in October? Is that really
(29:35):
going to be something that is a strength or a weakness?
Could it cost them or will it be the reason
that they win?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
I just think that if you look at the arms
there and just look at Devin Williams his last five outings,
he looks like the stuff he has, the stuff he
had in Milwaukee, Rookie of the Year, one of the
best closers. I look at the movement on the pitches
and then the other guys they brought into the other yeah, yeah,
you know, like they bought it during the trade deadline.
(30:03):
The Yankees got high marks on those pitchers. Now they
haven't performed up to their abilities. And even Luke Weaver
has struggled. But if you look at what these guys
have done and what they're capable of, and if they
get righted, like Devin Williams to me has gotten righted,
they will be tough.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
In the postseason. If these four.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Guys can pitch like they like they're expected to pitch now,
if it's the same miss Moss that we've seen, obviously it's.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Not gonna work.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
And you know this, in the postseason, it's about the bullpen.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
The reason the Yankees won all those World Series.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
They have Mariano Rivera, who was the best of the best,
and that's what you need in the postseason to win.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
I have more confidence in the Dodgers' bullpen right now
than the Yankee bullpen to get things turned around. Rob,
thanks so much, always great debating with you. Have a
great afternoon.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
All right, Steve, always no, this is bloding. It's the
Parker pushback.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Here.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Rob tackles the outlandish takes in Major League Baseball shop.
Speaker 7 (31:07):
I'm Rob Parker, and here's my pushback. All you Dodger
fans and people who are you know, rallying around manager
Dave Roberts for letting Blake Snell basically talk him out
of coming out of the game in the seventh inning.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
After a couple of walks, and he was struggling and
looks like he was losing it.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
And I get it.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Everybody wants to play. Nobody wants to come out. Give
me another chance, coach, manager, whatever you want to say.
But that's why a manager's hired. Dodgers don't have anything
sold up. They could get knocked out. Can you imagine
had they blown that game or they left Blake Snell
and and everything blew up in their face, Dave Roberts
(31:52):
would be facing the music today.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
No player Anthony Richardson maybe the only player I can
remember a recent in the NFL, asked out. Said he
was tired or something. But all players want to play.
All players want another at bat, another chance to face
the next batter. I get all that. It's a dangerous
move by Dave Roberts. You're the manager, and fans and
(32:18):
Dodger apologists, stop making an excuse because it just doesn't.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
It didn't make sense. Not when your start had walked.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Two batters in a row in the inning, it tells
you he had lost something and could have blown up
in the Dodger's face.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I'm Rob Parker and that's my pushback.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time until
next time.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
Rob Parker out. He can't get it. This could be
an inside the Parker.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
See you next week, the same bad time, say Matt Station.
Host
Rob Parker
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