This week on Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob looks at who's buying and who's selling at today's trade deadline, if the Mets are buyers or sellers, and how he handicaps the current NL Cy Young race. He also names his Top 3 MLB Teams of the Week, this week's 'Twitter Trash Talk' Winner, 'Foul or Fair' and the Analytic Stat of the Week.
Guests: Bo Porter.- Former MLB manager/executive and current Nationals analyst on Washington's second half surge and pennant chances; Ken Davidoff - NY Post MLB Columnist on what the Mets and Yankees will do at the deadline.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
From the Burkes 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 one oh three, Rob Parker. Welcome into
the Inside the Parker Podcast. I'm Rob Parker, your host.
(00:24):
Coming up on the show, former major league manager Bo
Porter stops by. We'll talk about the surging Nationals, plus
will also talk to New York Post Baseball columnus Ken
David Off. With the big trade deadline approaching, that and
much more coming up, let's go up to lead off.
(00:49):
It's getting robbed and keep him on. Rob's hot take
on the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number
one today is the trading deadline, and may your league
baseball the drop dead date this year July thirty one,
four pm Eastern. This is it. In years going by,
(01:09):
you were able to still uh add to your team
through the waiver wire and a couple other opportunities to
get guys on your roster in time for the postseason.
Not anymore. This is it. So we have to think
that there's gonna be a lot of action uh today
as you listen to this podcast, because teams have to
(01:29):
firm up their rosters, add stars, UH, add players that
they think are gonna be able to put them over
the top. And the big player out there supposedly the
Houston Astros. They are supposedly in on everybody as far
as adding a top notch starter. Let's talk about Wheeler,
(01:50):
uh Power, bum Gardener and Synderguard that that that they
were in on all of these guys and are trying
to land a big pictures just like a few years
ago when they got Justin Verlander and they made a
trade and they helped uh, he helped him win a
World Series. So they look at they're looking to make
(02:11):
that happen again. I still look back at that a
couple of years ago when the Dodgers needed a starter,
and so did the Astros. The Dodgers settled for uh,
you Darvish, and the Astros got Justin Verlander, and Verlando
was the one that paid dividends, was the reason why
the Astros won. You Darvish wasn't that good? And I
(02:35):
always think back to that, did the Dodgers take you
Darvish because of the contract situation, and because he didn't
have any more years left, so he's basically a rental
when they didn't they weren't stuck with him after the season,
whereas Verlander had two more years left and maybe the
Dodgers didn't want to pay the rest of that contract
(02:58):
and be saddled with him at stros. It is paid
off for them going taking verlanda not worrying about the
money situation, and since then Verland has gotten another extension,
So Verlander has really worked out. You shouldn't be afraid
of grabbing a picture or grabbing a player, even if
they have money. If they're really gonna put you over
(03:20):
the top and give you that honest shot to win
a championship, I say go for it. Windows are small
in baseball. You can't think about four year plans, five
year plans, there's no such thing. If you have a
chance to win, it can add a top notch player,
even if it might cost you a little dough. I
say make that move number two. What are the New
(03:43):
York Metropolitans, that's right, what are the New York Mets doing?
I do not understand they went out and traded for
Marcus Stroman. I like the move. I like Marcus Stroman,
but I thought they were gonna be sellers, not buyers.
They also traded Vargas to the Phillies, which was another surprise.
(04:05):
What are they doing there? I know as of Tuesday
they were only five games out of the wild card race,
but I'm sorry the Mets feel like they're out, not
that they're in. And also, the Mets supposedly are gonna
be willing to trade either Wheeler or a Synder guard,
(04:28):
so they're willing to trade some of their pictures. So
I don't I don't understand really where they're headed. They
made a lot of moves in the off season, even
got the Robinson canoe hoping for a change of scenery. Scenery.
They made some real big moves that people said, Wow,
the Mets are trying something, and it really hasn't worked out.
(04:50):
So I am surprised that the Mets so far have
been buyers and uh, maybe come to trade deadline today
by four o'clock Eastern, they will be buyers. I mean
be sellers and moving people and realizing that they really
don't have a shot to win and it doesn't make
(05:10):
sense to take on more players if you're not legitimately
in the mix. So I am confused by the New
York Mets. Don't know what they're doing. Yes, on paper,
they're still in the race. But you know what, Mets,
I'm not buying you. I think you should be sellers
(05:32):
number three. I don't know about you, but U and
Max Scherzer are locked in on a national Side Young
Award winning pace. Those two are buying. I know everybody
in the National League have talked all year about Cody
(05:53):
Bellinger Christian Yellis for National League MVP. That was the
buzz for all the year, and now people are starting
to finally take a look at the cy young and
where that is and where you is? Eleven and two.
This was as of Tuesday with the one point seven
(06:15):
f E r Ray. He has been spectacular for the Dodgers.
Sers is nine and five as of Tuesday with the
two four one E r Ray. So you say, wait
a minute, how could it be that close? How can
these guys be battling it out? But in reality, there's
some other numbers you gotta look at a little closer. Ray.
(06:37):
You as a whip of not point nine six suzer
point nine nine. So the whips are almost identical, very
very close. And when it comes to strikeouts, Suser is
killing Ray you one eight nine to one sixteen. This
(06:57):
will be interesting a spe actually, since the Nationals are
now playing red hot baseball, they're in the mix to
make the postseason, maybe even win the National League East.
Rare you and the Dodgers are coacheding. It'll be interesting
to see how they finished the last two months of
the regular season. So there's a battle for cy Young
(07:21):
and uh, I'm paying attention and so should you. Here
comes the big interview. Listen Headler Good. All right, let's
welcome into the podcast former major league manager Boll Porter,
who is now working pre and post game with the
Washington Nationals. Bow, welcome to the podcast. Appreciate it well, Rob,
(07:44):
thank you for having me. It's the un pleasure to
join you on the podcast. Well, Bo, let's get started.
I mean, obviously you were a manager with the Astros
and so where are you? Where are you? I mean,
I get the analytics part of it, and they want
these guys who are analytic friendly, But I do have
a problem Bow. When I saw the Dodgers go into
(08:06):
Fenway Park and their top four home run hitters set
on the bench because they didn't fit the analytical part
that they had mapped out for the team, and they
wind up losing the World Series to the Red Six.
But how do you bend your top four home run
hitters in Fenway Park? Well, I think that I'll say this,
as far as analytics go, I think there's a place
(08:30):
where the baseball I and analytics need to be married.
And there are times where the analytic I believe can
help you when you're in the process of making decisions,
but once the ball is in play or once you
get into the game, there there there are there are
times where you're a baseball acronym or your ability to
(08:52):
understand people, because at the end of the day, we
can look at all the numbers in the world, but
the game is being played by people, and people change
age day to day, pitch the pitch ending too ending.
What the numbers may have told you at two o'clock,
that person may be a different person at nine o'clock.
And you have to be able to devour that information
(09:14):
and you have to be able to make those decisions
that put your team in the best position you know
to to to win the game that day or to
be successful or put your players in position to be successful.
But I will speak to the point that you made.
You know, when you think about having a hundred home
runs sitting on your bench and a given World series,
(09:36):
obviously you've gotten to that point because of the production
of those players. You've also gotten to that point because
of the production of whoever you decide to put and
those players play. I would I would venture to believe
that those players were part of your success. So if
you're not going against what got you to the dance
(09:58):
and then you end up losing in that fashion, that's
the way you played the whole year. So I mean again,
I have tremendous respect for Dave Roberts. He's one of
my best friends in the game. Yeah, I think he's
one of the best managers in the game as well.
So I'm not gonna sit here in question his lineup,
construction of his decisions. I think after organization decisions have
(10:18):
made based on all the information that they have about
their twenty five players, well, would you like to manage again?
I would love the opportunity to manage again. I think
that was part of the reason why I decided to
get back into the day to day at Baseball And
when I when I take took a look at, you know,
my two years in Houston, I think is pretty well
(10:38):
well spoken. That evident that, you know, the organization went
through a complete chair down, and I happened to be
the person that was charged with with leaving that organization
on the field doing that chair down. Um, the wins
and losses speak for itself as far as the talent
pool that was assembled. But I would love the opportunity
to manage again. And I would say this, I learned
(11:00):
a lot of things going through that prodcast. Jeff Blue
now and I we've had a chance to visit, you know,
over the course of the last few years. I mean,
there are some things that I know that I would
do differently understanding all the things that I understand now.
And I've been on record of saying this, I actually
wish I would have taken this meteor route before I
(11:21):
set in the manager chair. I think it's allowed me,
you know, the experience I had in Atlanta in the
front office. It's allowed me to see the game through
a number of lenses that less frankly put, I didn't
have that experience the first time I set in the
manager chair, tell me about the Nationals. They've made an
incredible They look like they want the brink of collapse
and things were going to be really bad and all
(11:44):
of a sudden they turned it on started winning second
in the NL East. Look at their road record there
even at five hundred which as of Tuesday. So what
has been the big turnaround? Obviously they have pitching, but
what's what's done the job? Well, the first thing, the
first thing I would do, I will give credits to
Dave Martinez in his entire staff, being around this team
(12:06):
each and every day, and when you are picked to
win by arguably majority of the media picked the Nationals
to win the East and make a deep run into
the playoffs. If not, some picked them to go to
the World Series and to have the first fifty games
go the way they went, and to see Dave Martinez
stay as positive as he stayed, the coaching staff stays
positive as they stayed. There were some factors that wait
(12:28):
into that. A lot of it had to do with one.
You know, they lost some key players. Trade Turner was
out and even Dooe mistime, Uan Soto, midtime Roan Jimmerman
was out. So when you start to look at having
your top you know, five guys in your lineup or
four the top five guys in your lotup misconsiderable amount
of time. You know that's gonna play a role in
your overall record. But you know, as we all know,
(12:50):
no one's gonna feel sorry for you. And that's the
great Bill Parcels say, your record is. What your record
said is these guys basically rallied together. They stayed positive.
I think that the schedule makers basically smelled down on
this team, and over the course of the next fifty
game we were able to run off a thirty five
and fifteen clip and you look up and we were
(13:11):
right back in the thick of this race. But I'll
tell you it starts with the starting pitching. When you
look at the big three at the top of this rotation,
with Max, Stross and Corbyn, you can put that three
up against anybody in baseball and I think they will
hold their own empty. Rendome has become a legitimate m
VP candidate, and he's arguably, you know, one of the
best third basis, if not the best third basis at
(13:33):
all a baseball and I just think it's a deep
line up When you look up and down the lineup.
You know, you have Sodo and Rendome in the middle,
but you gotta seed at the top with Trade Turner
and at a meeting, and then you have some great
complimentary players as you go down the line up with
you know, Matt Adams and Howie Kendrick and Bryan Dozer
and Kurta and Zookie and young Don. It's a bunch
(13:54):
of guys that can actually hurt you. So when you
look at having you know, those guys hitting six, seven,
eight enough to get up Rictor Roban who's putting together
at outstanding rookie season as well. Bow Man, thank you
so much for your insight and I appreciated his name.
Bo Porter, former major league manager and now of course
with the Nationals pre impost game show on television. Thank
(14:17):
you so much, Bob, Best of luck, Thank you, Rob,
Thank you for having me on. It's time for the
Pocket Protector Central. The analytic numbers you need to know, Well,
maybe FS one's Anthony Masterson is his name, b S
Analytics is his game? What you got for is Anthony? Alright?
Robert comment stat of the New School reads like a
(14:38):
kind of t no. Not boba, but wOBA or weighted
on base average. It's a rate stat that credits hitter
is based on each outcome, with extra credit being sort
of hitters who not more extra base hits. Now, wOBA
attempts to be a catch all stat based on one
simple premise that gets lost in normal batting average, that
all hits are not created equal on baseb stet. It
(15:00):
doesn't differentiate between a single and a double, while strugging
percentage ignores all other ways of reaching basse besides base hits,
and those are the two components of OPS. That number
doesn't quite give you the best representation of a player's
run producing ability. Enter wOBA. The beauty of the stat
is that paints a better picture of how the batter
leach base, not just if he reached base, thus giving
(15:22):
more value to a player who records a high number
of vestra base hits rather than one who walks a lot.
The metric is always scaled for the league average o
b P, so an average player puts up a wOBA
around three. This season, Christian Yellow leads all of baseball
with a wOBA a four fifty three, thanks to his
pension for hitting on runs a league leading thirty six
(15:42):
and his sixty extra base hits, putting him in the
top five in the league. No surprise Yellows, followed by
Trout and Bellinger on the Wobo leaderboard. So ops can
get you in the same ballpark, but wOBA tells a
more accurate story of run production. Anthony, I remember her
Downtown Julie Brown on MTV Wobo, Wobo, Wobo. That ball.
(16:05):
It was a big week in the Big league. Who's
Who's Is it followed? Or is it? Fair? And now here?
Shadow League dot Com MLB insider Jr Gambo Indians picture
Trevor Bauer in the tantrum threw the ball over the
(16:29):
center field fence. Is that behavior, Jr? Foul or fair
for a Major league fair? That's a fair ball. There's
definitely nothing new to baseball, but in this social media age,
everything is blown out of proportion and people act as
if something is happening for the first time in history.
(16:50):
This often happens after a picture, usually a closer it's
a bit blows the site and then gets he ain't.
It's a display of emotion. It means he cares. The
first picture I saw it through it was Dave Righetti
back in eighties. Six when he blew back to back
savee with the Yankees. Um nasty boy Rob Dibble did
it in ninety one. Check it back? Remember the Backs.
(17:13):
Close up, Young Young Kim who melted down in the
two thousand one World Series and Games four and five
when in two thousand two he tossed the ball over
the wall as a celebration after saving a game. An
exorcism of past demons if you will. Carlin Sambrono threw
a ball into the outfield and Fernando Rodney airmails wanted
to the press box after a winning two thousand nine
(17:36):
So Trevor ballance tantrum isn't unusual to the game? Is
actually a common method? Is it childish? Maybe? But baseball
is a kid's game. Is just played by men. To me,
checking the ball over the fence is just one of
baseball's go to move for frustrated pictures. Just as impressive
as a batter breaking a back over his leg after
(17:57):
a strikeout. Fair Old Problem Jr. That ball in the
press box almost hit me. Fasten your seatback, give me,
give me. Here comes Parker's top three MLB teams this week.
Number three, the New York Yankees. They were rolling until
(18:18):
they went up to Boston this past weekend and laden
egg losing three out of four and the Yankees starting
pitching and just all over the place five or more
runs in nine h straight games. So that was just
pretty bad. They do. I'll give them credit. Despite everything
(18:38):
that's going on this year. The Yankees do have the
fewest losses in baseball. They don't have the most wins,
have the fewest losses as of Tuesday, so the Yankees
this past week, we're five and five. They are the
third best team in baseball. Number two the Los Angeles Dodgers.
(19:00):
They continue to pile up the winds. They do have
some misues Cody Bellinger, who was like on fire in
Fuego in the first half of the season, but do
you know what, since the All Star Break, at least
coming into Tuesday night, Cody only has one home run,
so he slowed down to a molasses pace. Dodgers lost
(19:24):
the two games series to the Angels at home. They're
just five and five in their last ten. The Dodgers
are the second best team in baseball. Number one, the
Houston Astros. I know they've had some bumps in the
road along the way, but of late, they are rolling.
(19:46):
They've won eight of their last ten games. And the
other part on why you should be very afraid is
that the Astros are in the hunt as we move
forward to the MLB trading deadline, which of course is
today Wednesday at four pm Eastern. Supposedly, they were in
(20:09):
the mix for a big time starter, so by the
time you hear this podcast, they could have bolstered their
starting rotation and make themselves even tougher. So right now,
the Astros are the best team in baseball. Take out
(20:31):
the It's time for trash talk Twitter, Twitter with your
chance to trash anyone or anything in Major League Baseball.
This week's winner is Nate at Nate Sargy. He tweaks
this the Pirates absolute collapse in the second half from
(20:53):
contender to basement dweller. The Mets swept them and became buyers.
Look out, Miami and Baltimore. We're coming for the number
one overall draft pick. Hey, if you want a chance
to trash anyone anything in the world of sports, and
if you want a chance to win a new era,
(21:15):
snapback just like Nate. Send your trash at Rob Parker
FS one on Twitter. When Rob was a newspaper columnist.
He lived by this motto, if I'm writing, I'm ripping.
Let's bring in a writer, a broadcaster, older new All right,
let's welcome to the podcast. Ken david Off, baseball columnists
(21:37):
for the New York Post, A damn good one too,
and my c WPF and Kenn that stands for a close, warm,
personal friend. What's happening? I'm all right, well, we this
is gonna be different this year. We've already seen this.
The baseball trade deadline is on the thirty first, four
(22:00):
pm Eastern on Wednesday, and you know this is it
for teams. There's no other options to pick up players
to boast of their teams after this. So I just
want to start with the Mets, who made a surprising move,
crazy move, I don't know how else to categorize it,
but they get Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays. How
(22:22):
shocking was that? Very very surprising, rob, very curious, very odd.
I think, I think the team that's uh middling on
the periphery of the playoff race, and they give up
two of their better pitching prospects for a guy who's
under team control only through next year. It's very hard
(22:43):
to envision the Mets making a World Series run, uh
this year or next year, and then Marta strong incomes
to creating after that, and you know, there's been talked
that the Mets are are going to trade other just so,
how does this impact nowhere synder Guard, you know what
(23:03):
I mean, like and what's going on? And also Wheeler
right as well? How does this impact then? Well, it is.
It's fascinating in the sense that they got the guy
who everyone knew was going to get traded. Most of
these starting pitchers are kind of on the bubble because
they're pitching for teams that are on the bubble. The
(23:24):
Blue Days are clearly out of it. So, uh, they
knew everyone knew was gonna get traded and other Mets
get him. That the Mets have more leverage in the
in their discussions as they contemplate moving wheel or synder
Guard and they've already moved. Jason Vargas in the Phillis
it's it's amazing. What's going on? All right? Two teams
(23:45):
I want to get to and do we expect them
to make moves? I'm expecting a busy trade deadline because
there's only you know, one opportunity. But we all know
the Yankees need another starter and the Dodgers need I
would leave a bull pen help. You expect both of
these teams to make deals one I do, rob I
(24:08):
think for the Yankees and the starter, it's just it's bleak.
You're just talking about the obvious targets, even the Mets guys,
and the Mets are not going to give those pictures
across the bridge to the Yankees. And then when you
talk about the guys like Trevor bau or Madison Bumgarner,
these are are pictures that more likely than not will
(24:28):
will not be traded because their teams are The Indians
are very much at the race there head wild card
in the American League and not too far behind the
Twins and Giants are on the periphery of the wild
card race, and that they have a manager who's retiring
at Bruce bog At, a fan base that I think
largely would like to see them go for it. So
(24:50):
you know, that leaves the Yankees with very few options.
I think they'll still figure out something. It could be
the equivalting equivalent of Luke boy La. See a guy
under the radar who and they cope, they can turn
into an asset, but this is not uh the optimal July?
Did you looking for starting pitching? What about the Rays?
(25:12):
They they feel like they have a shot as well, obviously, Uh,
and went out and made a few traits. Did you
like they did? Sure? What's interesting about the Rays is
they've fallen on hard times this month, falling a while
behind the eighties, but their schedule is very inviting. You know,
(25:32):
they americanly had so many terrible teams that you know
the Rays can peace on those teams. They just finished
with the Blue Jays this weekend and and won that series. Uh,
so they they can go for him. Well, it's gonna
be hard for the Rays to advance beyond the Division Series,
(25:52):
but they might as well try. They have enough talent.
They're not gonna blow up their farm system or anything
like that. So yeah, I would be eyes that they
was for a couple more says you get a few
more bats or maybe even a low and starting picture. Ken.
Before the season started, who did you pick to make
the World Series? And Uh, I'd love to hear that.
(26:14):
And who do you have now? As we uh start
to head almost into August. Before the season, Rob I
pick the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals to
make the World Series, and I never changed my picks.
I owned them, I wear them, I am proud of them.
So I have no choice but to stick with those picks.
And I think I could be doing far worse. To
(26:36):
be frank with you, I'm with you. I picked the
Phillies and the Yankees, and I'm the same way. I
never changed my pick. But his name is Ken david Off,
a fine baseball columnist for the New York Post. Hey, Ken,
we appreciate you so much. Thanks for joining the podcast.
You're the best rob. I follow you at the end
(26:56):
of the year. My man in the Closer. Here's why
MLB is better than the NFL or NBA, and it
isn't even close. Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Is
the perfect person to tell you this week why baseball
(27:19):
is better than the NBA, better than the NFL any day,
any week. You know why. You don't have to have
an NFL player's body. You don't have to be have
an NBA body. You don't have to be a certain height,
certain weight, have a certain strength. Anybody can play baseball
(27:40):
if you're a kid, so you can aspire to be
a major League baseball player. Tell him junr Wise, baseball cool.
That's a very simple question because it's the best game,
you know, because it doesn't matter how big you are,
how small you are. What counts is right here. You
see all kinds of shapes and sizes everywhere you look,
but right here that's what means everything. In the words
(28:08):
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 get it. This could be an
inside the Parker to see you next weekend, same bad time.
Save Man Station
From the Burkes 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 one oh three, Rob Parker. Welcome into
the Inside the Parker Podcast. I'm Rob Parker, your host.
(00:24):
Coming up on the show, former major league manager Bo
Porter stops by. We'll talk about the surging Nationals, plus
will also talk to New York Post Baseball columnus Ken
David Off. With the big trade deadline approaching, that and
much more coming up, let's go up to lead off.
(00:49):
It's getting robbed and keep him on. Rob's hot take
on the three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number
one today is the trading deadline, and may your league
baseball the drop dead date this year July thirty one,
four pm Eastern. This is it. In years going by,
(01:09):
you were able to still uh add to your team
through the waiver wire and a couple other opportunities to
get guys on your roster in time for the postseason.
Not anymore. This is it. So we have to think
that there's gonna be a lot of action uh today
as you listen to this podcast, because teams have to
(01:29):
firm up their rosters, add stars, UH, add players that
they think are gonna be able to put them over
the top. And the big player out there supposedly the
Houston Astros. They are supposedly in on everybody as far
as adding a top notch starter. Let's talk about Wheeler,
(01:50):
uh Power, bum Gardener and Synderguard that that that they
were in on all of these guys and are trying
to land a big pictures just like a few years
ago when they got Justin Verlander and they made a
trade and they helped uh, he helped him win a
World Series. So they look at they're looking to make
(02:11):
that happen again. I still look back at that a
couple of years ago when the Dodgers needed a starter,
and so did the Astros. The Dodgers settled for uh,
you Darvish, and the Astros got Justin Verlander, and Verlando
was the one that paid dividends, was the reason why
the Astros won. You Darvish wasn't that good? And I
(02:35):
always think back to that, did the Dodgers take you
Darvish because of the contract situation, and because he didn't
have any more years left, so he's basically a rental
when they didn't they weren't stuck with him after the season,
whereas Verlander had two more years left and maybe the
Dodgers didn't want to pay the rest of that contract
(02:58):
and be saddled with him at stros. It is paid
off for them going taking verlanda not worrying about the
money situation, and since then Verland has gotten another extension,
So Verlander has really worked out. You shouldn't be afraid
of grabbing a picture or grabbing a player, even if
they have money. If they're really gonna put you over
(03:20):
the top and give you that honest shot to win
a championship, I say go for it. Windows are small
in baseball. You can't think about four year plans, five
year plans, there's no such thing. If you have a
chance to win, it can add a top notch player,
even if it might cost you a little dough. I
say make that move number two. What are the New
(03:43):
York Metropolitans, that's right, what are the New York Mets doing?
I do not understand they went out and traded for
Marcus Stroman. I like the move. I like Marcus Stroman,
but I thought they were gonna be sellers, not buyers.
They also traded Vargas to the Phillies, which was another surprise.
(04:05):
What are they doing there? I know as of Tuesday
they were only five games out of the wild card race,
but I'm sorry the Mets feel like they're out, not
that they're in. And also, the Mets supposedly are gonna
be willing to trade either Wheeler or a Synder guard,
(04:28):
so they're willing to trade some of their pictures. So
I don't I don't understand really where they're headed. They
made a lot of moves in the off season, even
got the Robinson canoe hoping for a change of scenery. Scenery.
They made some real big moves that people said, Wow,
the Mets are trying something, and it really hasn't worked out.
(04:50):
So I am surprised that the Mets so far have
been buyers and uh, maybe come to trade deadline today
by four o'clock Eastern, they will be buyers. I mean
be sellers and moving people and realizing that they really
don't have a shot to win and it doesn't make
(05:10):
sense to take on more players if you're not legitimately
in the mix. So I am confused by the New
York Mets. Don't know what they're doing. Yes, on paper,
they're still in the race. But you know what, Mets,
I'm not buying you. I think you should be sellers
(05:32):
number three. I don't know about you, but U and
Max Scherzer are locked in on a national Side Young
Award winning pace. Those two are buying. I know everybody
in the National League have talked all year about Cody
(05:53):
Bellinger Christian Yellis for National League MVP. That was the
buzz for all the year, and now people are starting
to finally take a look at the cy young and
where that is and where you is? Eleven and two.
This was as of Tuesday with the one point seven
(06:15):
f E r Ray. He has been spectacular for the Dodgers.
Sers is nine and five as of Tuesday with the
two four one E r Ray. So you say, wait
a minute, how could it be that close? How can
these guys be battling it out? But in reality, there's
some other numbers you gotta look at a little closer. Ray.
(06:37):
You as a whip of not point nine six suzer
point nine nine. So the whips are almost identical, very
very close. And when it comes to strikeouts, Suser is
killing Ray you one eight nine to one sixteen. This
(06:57):
will be interesting a spe actually, since the Nationals are
now playing red hot baseball, they're in the mix to
make the postseason, maybe even win the National League East.
Rare you and the Dodgers are coacheding. It'll be interesting
to see how they finished the last two months of
the regular season. So there's a battle for cy Young
(07:21):
and uh, I'm paying attention and so should you. Here
comes the big interview. Listen Headler Good. All right, let's
welcome into the podcast former major league manager Boll Porter,
who is now working pre and post game with the
Washington Nationals. Bow, welcome to the podcast. Appreciate it well, Rob,
(07:44):
thank you for having me. It's the un pleasure to
join you on the podcast. Well, Bo, let's get started.
I mean, obviously you were a manager with the Astros
and so where are you? Where are you? I mean,
I get the analytics part of it, and they want
these guys who are analytic friendly, But I do have
a problem Bow. When I saw the Dodgers go into
(08:06):
Fenway Park and their top four home run hitters set
on the bench because they didn't fit the analytical part
that they had mapped out for the team, and they
wind up losing the World Series to the Red Six.
But how do you bend your top four home run
hitters in Fenway Park? Well, I think that I'll say this,
as far as analytics go, I think there's a place
(08:30):
where the baseball I and analytics need to be married.
And there are times where the analytic I believe can
help you when you're in the process of making decisions,
but once the ball is in play or once you
get into the game, there there there are there are
times where you're a baseball acronym or your ability to
(08:52):
understand people, because at the end of the day, we
can look at all the numbers in the world, but
the game is being played by people, and people change
age day to day, pitch the pitch ending too ending.
What the numbers may have told you at two o'clock,
that person may be a different person at nine o'clock.
And you have to be able to devour that information
(09:14):
and you have to be able to make those decisions
that put your team in the best position you know
to to to win the game that day or to
be successful or put your players in position to be successful.
But I will speak to the point that you made.
You know, when you think about having a hundred home
runs sitting on your bench and a given World series,
(09:36):
obviously you've gotten to that point because of the production
of those players. You've also gotten to that point because
of the production of whoever you decide to put and
those players play. I would I would venture to believe
that those players were part of your success. So if
you're not going against what got you to the dance
(09:58):
and then you end up losing in that fashion, that's
the way you played the whole year. So I mean again,
I have tremendous respect for Dave Roberts. He's one of
my best friends in the game. Yeah, I think he's
one of the best managers in the game as well.
So I'm not gonna sit here in question his lineup,
construction of his decisions. I think after organization decisions have
(10:18):
made based on all the information that they have about
their twenty five players, well, would you like to manage again?
I would love the opportunity to manage again. I think
that was part of the reason why I decided to
get back into the day to day at Baseball And
when I when I take took a look at, you know,
my two years in Houston, I think is pretty well
(10:38):
well spoken. That evident that, you know, the organization went
through a complete chair down, and I happened to be
the person that was charged with with leaving that organization
on the field doing that chair down. Um, the wins
and losses speak for itself as far as the talent
pool that was assembled. But I would love the opportunity
to manage again. And I would say this, I learned
(11:00):
a lot of things going through that prodcast. Jeff Blue
now and I we've had a chance to visit, you know,
over the course of the last few years. I mean,
there are some things that I know that I would
do differently understanding all the things that I understand now.
And I've been on record of saying this, I actually
wish I would have taken this meteor route before I
(11:21):
set in the manager chair. I think it's allowed me,
you know, the experience I had in Atlanta in the
front office. It's allowed me to see the game through
a number of lenses that less frankly put, I didn't
have that experience the first time I set in the
manager chair, tell me about the Nationals. They've made an
incredible They look like they want the brink of collapse
and things were going to be really bad and all
(11:44):
of a sudden they turned it on started winning second
in the NL East. Look at their road record there
even at five hundred which as of Tuesday. So what
has been the big turnaround? Obviously they have pitching, but
what's what's done the job? Well, the first thing, the
first thing I would do, I will give credits to
Dave Martinez in his entire staff, being around this team
(12:06):
each and every day, and when you are picked to
win by arguably majority of the media picked the Nationals
to win the East and make a deep run into
the playoffs. If not, some picked them to go to
the World Series and to have the first fifty games
go the way they went, and to see Dave Martinez
stay as positive as he stayed, the coaching staff stays
positive as they stayed. There were some factors that wait
(12:28):
into that. A lot of it had to do with one.
You know, they lost some key players. Trade Turner was
out and even Dooe mistime, Uan Soto, midtime Roan Jimmerman
was out. So when you start to look at having
your top you know, five guys in your lineup or
four the top five guys in your lotup misconsiderable amount
of time. You know that's gonna play a role in
your overall record. But you know, as we all know,
(12:50):
no one's gonna feel sorry for you. And that's the
great Bill Parcels say, your record is. What your record
said is these guys basically rallied together. They stayed positive.
I think that the schedule makers basically smelled down on
this team, and over the course of the next fifty
game we were able to run off a thirty five
and fifteen clip and you look up and we were
(13:11):
right back in the thick of this race. But I'll
tell you it starts with the starting pitching. When you
look at the big three at the top of this rotation,
with Max, Stross and Corbyn, you can put that three
up against anybody in baseball and I think they will
hold their own empty. Rendome has become a legitimate m
VP candidate, and he's arguably, you know, one of the
best third basis, if not the best third basis at
(13:33):
all a baseball and I just think it's a deep
line up When you look up and down the lineup.
You know, you have Sodo and Rendome in the middle,
but you gotta seed at the top with Trade Turner
and at a meeting, and then you have some great
complimentary players as you go down the line up with
you know, Matt Adams and Howie Kendrick and Bryan Dozer
and Kurta and Zookie and young Don. It's a bunch
(13:54):
of guys that can actually hurt you. So when you
look at having you know, those guys hitting six, seven,
eight enough to get up Rictor Roban who's putting together
at outstanding rookie season as well. Bow Man, thank you
so much for your insight and I appreciated his name.
Bo Porter, former major league manager and now of course
with the Nationals pre impost game show on television. Thank
(14:17):
you so much, Bob, Best of luck, Thank you, Rob,
Thank you for having me on. It's time for the
Pocket Protector Central. The analytic numbers you need to know, Well,
maybe FS one's Anthony Masterson is his name, b S
Analytics is his game? What you got for is Anthony? Alright?
Robert comment stat of the New School reads like a
(14:38):
kind of t no. Not boba, but wOBA or weighted
on base average. It's a rate stat that credits hitter
is based on each outcome, with extra credit being sort
of hitters who not more extra base hits. Now, wOBA
attempts to be a catch all stat based on one
simple premise that gets lost in normal batting average, that
all hits are not created equal on baseb stet. It
(15:00):
doesn't differentiate between a single and a double, while strugging
percentage ignores all other ways of reaching basse besides base hits,
and those are the two components of OPS. That number
doesn't quite give you the best representation of a player's
run producing ability. Enter wOBA. The beauty of the stat
is that paints a better picture of how the batter
leach base, not just if he reached base, thus giving
(15:22):
more value to a player who records a high number
of vestra base hits rather than one who walks a lot.
The metric is always scaled for the league average o
b P, so an average player puts up a wOBA
around three. This season, Christian Yellow leads all of baseball
with a wOBA a four fifty three, thanks to his
pension for hitting on runs a league leading thirty six
(15:42):
and his sixty extra base hits, putting him in the
top five in the league. No surprise Yellows, followed by
Trout and Bellinger on the Wobo leaderboard. So ops can
get you in the same ballpark, but wOBA tells a
more accurate story of run production. Anthony, I remember her
Downtown Julie Brown on MTV Wobo, Wobo, Wobo. That ball.
(16:05):
It was a big week in the Big league. Who's
Who's Is it followed? Or is it? Fair? And now here?
Shadow League dot Com MLB insider Jr Gambo Indians picture
Trevor Bauer in the tantrum threw the ball over the
(16:29):
center field fence. Is that behavior, Jr? Foul or fair
for a Major league fair? That's a fair ball. There's
definitely nothing new to baseball, but in this social media age,
everything is blown out of proportion and people act as
if something is happening for the first time in history.
(16:50):
This often happens after a picture, usually a closer it's
a bit blows the site and then gets he ain't.
It's a display of emotion. It means he cares. The
first picture I saw it through it was Dave Righetti
back in eighties. Six when he blew back to back
savee with the Yankees. Um nasty boy Rob Dibble did
it in ninety one. Check it back? Remember the Backs.
(17:13):
Close up, Young Young Kim who melted down in the
two thousand one World Series and Games four and five
when in two thousand two he tossed the ball over
the wall as a celebration after saving a game. An
exorcism of past demons if you will. Carlin Sambrono threw
a ball into the outfield and Fernando Rodney airmails wanted
to the press box after a winning two thousand nine
(17:36):
So Trevor ballance tantrum isn't unusual to the game? Is
actually a common method? Is it childish? Maybe? But baseball
is a kid's game. Is just played by men. To me,
checking the ball over the fence is just one of
baseball's go to move for frustrated pictures. Just as impressive
as a batter breaking a back over his leg after
(17:57):
a strikeout. Fair Old Problem Jr. That ball in the
press box almost hit me. Fasten your seatback, give me,
give me. Here comes Parker's top three MLB teams this week.
Number three, the New York Yankees. They were rolling until
(18:18):
they went up to Boston this past weekend and laden
egg losing three out of four and the Yankees starting
pitching and just all over the place five or more
runs in nine h straight games. So that was just
pretty bad. They do. I'll give them credit. Despite everything
(18:38):
that's going on this year. The Yankees do have the
fewest losses in baseball. They don't have the most wins,
have the fewest losses as of Tuesday, so the Yankees
this past week, we're five and five. They are the
third best team in baseball. Number two the Los Angeles Dodgers.
(19:00):
They continue to pile up the winds. They do have
some misues Cody Bellinger, who was like on fire in
Fuego in the first half of the season, but do
you know what, since the All Star Break, at least
coming into Tuesday night, Cody only has one home run,
so he slowed down to a molasses pace. Dodgers lost
(19:24):
the two games series to the Angels at home. They're
just five and five in their last ten. The Dodgers
are the second best team in baseball. Number one, the
Houston Astros. I know they've had some bumps in the
road along the way, but of late, they are rolling.
(19:46):
They've won eight of their last ten games. And the
other part on why you should be very afraid is
that the Astros are in the hunt as we move
forward to the MLB trading deadline, which of course is
today Wednesday at four pm Eastern. Supposedly, they were in
(20:09):
the mix for a big time starter, so by the
time you hear this podcast, they could have bolstered their
starting rotation and make themselves even tougher. So right now,
the Astros are the best team in baseball. Take out
(20:31):
the It's time for trash talk Twitter, Twitter with your
chance to trash anyone or anything in Major League Baseball.
This week's winner is Nate at Nate Sargy. He tweaks
this the Pirates absolute collapse in the second half from
(20:53):
contender to basement dweller. The Mets swept them and became buyers.
Look out, Miami and Baltimore. We're coming for the number
one overall draft pick. Hey, if you want a chance
to trash anyone anything in the world of sports, and
if you want a chance to win a new era,
(21:15):
snapback just like Nate. Send your trash at Rob Parker
FS one on Twitter. When Rob was a newspaper columnist.
He lived by this motto, if I'm writing, I'm ripping.
Let's bring in a writer, a broadcaster, older new All right,
let's welcome to the podcast. Ken david Off, baseball columnists
(21:37):
for the New York Post, A damn good one too,
and my c WPF and Kenn that stands for a close, warm,
personal friend. What's happening? I'm all right, well, we this
is gonna be different this year. We've already seen this.
The baseball trade deadline is on the thirty first, four
(22:00):
pm Eastern on Wednesday, and you know this is it
for teams. There's no other options to pick up players
to boast of their teams after this. So I just
want to start with the Mets, who made a surprising move,
crazy move, I don't know how else to categorize it,
but they get Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays. How
(22:22):
shocking was that? Very very surprising, rob, very curious, very odd.
I think, I think the team that's uh middling on
the periphery of the playoff race, and they give up
two of their better pitching prospects for a guy who's
under team control only through next year. It's very hard
(22:43):
to envision the Mets making a World Series run, uh
this year or next year, and then Marta strong incomes
to creating after that, and you know, there's been talked
that the Mets are are going to trade other just so,
how does this impact nowhere synder Guard, you know what
(23:03):
I mean, like and what's going on? And also Wheeler
right as well? How does this impact then? Well, it is.
It's fascinating in the sense that they got the guy
who everyone knew was going to get traded. Most of
these starting pitchers are kind of on the bubble because
they're pitching for teams that are on the bubble. The
(23:24):
Blue Days are clearly out of it. So, uh, they
knew everyone knew was gonna get traded and other Mets
get him. That the Mets have more leverage in the
in their discussions as they contemplate moving wheel or synder
Guard and they've already moved. Jason Vargas in the Phillis
it's it's amazing. What's going on? All right? Two teams
(23:45):
I want to get to and do we expect them
to make moves? I'm expecting a busy trade deadline because
there's only you know, one opportunity. But we all know
the Yankees need another starter and the Dodgers need I
would leave a bull pen help. You expect both of
these teams to make deals one I do, rob I
(24:08):
think for the Yankees and the starter, it's just it's bleak.
You're just talking about the obvious targets, even the Mets guys,
and the Mets are not going to give those pictures
across the bridge to the Yankees. And then when you
talk about the guys like Trevor bau or Madison Bumgarner,
these are are pictures that more likely than not will
(24:28):
will not be traded because their teams are The Indians
are very much at the race there head wild card
in the American League and not too far behind the
Twins and Giants are on the periphery of the wild
card race, and that they have a manager who's retiring
at Bruce bog At, a fan base that I think
largely would like to see them go for it. So
(24:50):
you know, that leaves the Yankees with very few options.
I think they'll still figure out something. It could be
the equivalting equivalent of Luke boy La. See a guy
under the radar who and they cope, they can turn
into an asset, but this is not uh the optimal July?
Did you looking for starting pitching? What about the Rays?
(25:12):
They they feel like they have a shot as well, obviously, Uh,
and went out and made a few traits. Did you
like they did? Sure? What's interesting about the Rays is
they've fallen on hard times this month, falling a while
behind the eighties, but their schedule is very inviting. You know,
(25:32):
they americanly had so many terrible teams that you know
the Rays can peace on those teams. They just finished
with the Blue Jays this weekend and and won that series. Uh,
so they they can go for him. Well, it's gonna
be hard for the Rays to advance beyond the Division Series,
(25:52):
but they might as well try. They have enough talent.
They're not gonna blow up their farm system or anything
like that. So yeah, I would be eyes that they
was for a couple more says you get a few
more bats or maybe even a low and starting picture. Ken.
Before the season started, who did you pick to make
the World Series? And Uh, I'd love to hear that.
(26:14):
And who do you have now? As we uh start
to head almost into August. Before the season, Rob I
pick the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals to
make the World Series, and I never changed my picks.
I owned them, I wear them, I am proud of them.
So I have no choice but to stick with those picks.
And I think I could be doing far worse. To
(26:36):
be frank with you, I'm with you. I picked the
Phillies and the Yankees, and I'm the same way. I
never changed my pick. But his name is Ken david Off,
a fine baseball columnist for the New York Post. Hey, Ken,
we appreciate you so much. Thanks for joining the podcast.
You're the best rob. I follow you at the end
(26:56):
of the year. My man in the Closer. Here's why
MLB is better than the NFL or NBA, and it
isn't even close. Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Is
the perfect person to tell you this week why baseball
(27:19):
is better than the NBA, better than the NFL any day,
any week. You know why. You don't have to have
an NFL player's body. You don't have to be have
an NBA body. You don't have to be a certain height,
certain weight, have a certain strength. Anybody can play baseball
(27:40):
if you're a kid, so you can aspire to be
a major League baseball player. Tell him junr Wise, baseball cool.
That's a very simple question because it's the best game,
you know, because it doesn't matter how big you are,
how small you are. What counts is right here. You
see all kinds of shapes and sizes everywhere you look,
but right here that's what means everything. In the words
(28:08):
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 get it. This could be an
inside the Parker to see you next weekend, same bad time.
Save Man Station
Host
Rob Parker
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