This week on Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob looks at Justin Verlander's recent no-hitter, his late career resurgence, the Twins continuing their record home run barrage, and Reds' rookie Aristedes Aquino's rookie record August tear. He also names his Top 3 MLB Teams of the Week, this week's 'Twitter Trash Talk' Winner, 'Fair or Foul' and the Analytic Stat of the Week.
Guests: Michael Bourne - Former MLB Outfielder and stolen base leader discusses the decline of the stolen base, and why it will come back.; Lavelle Neal - Twins Beat Writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune discusses watching the Twins record home run barrage, and playoff possibilities.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
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 one oh three, Rob Parker. Welcome into Inside
the Parker. I'm your host, Rob Parker. Coming up on
(00:24):
the podcast, former Major league outfielder Michael Bourne will join
us talk about what he's up to and his former team,
the Atlanta Braves. Plus we'll talk with Minneapolis Star Tribune
baseball writer Lavelle Neil. He'll talk about those home run
hitting twins, that and much more. I'm here, you're there.
(00:47):
Let's go up to lead off. It's getting robbed and
keep him on. Rob's hot take on the three biggest
stories in Major League Baseball. Number one for sure, Justin
Verlander has joined the elite class of pictures. Went on Sunday.
He no hit the Toronto Blue Jays and recorded his
(01:12):
third no no of his career. He becomes only the
sixth pitcher in baseball history to record more than two
no hitters. Four of the previous pictures. And we're talking
about Nolan, Ryan, Sandy Kofax, Bob Feller, and Cy Younger
(01:33):
all Hall of famers. So that tells you where where
Justin Verlanders is headed. And this is the thing about
Justin Verlander that's been really impressive. He's one of those
guys when you look back at thirty six years old.
He won early when he was a young stud with
the Detroit Tigers, and now he's winning late as a
(01:57):
veteran pitcher. He won his first World Series in seventeen,
was a big part of that with the Houston Astros.
So Justin Verlander has been one of those guys who
struggled a little bit in the middle of his career.
People thought maybe he wasn't gonna reach the plateau of
of greatness, but he got it right. It big time
(02:19):
winner early, big time winner late. He is one of
those guys will look back now and think that, uh,
Justin Verlander was one of the best pictures that we
were able to see during this time. Because you start
talking about a lot of guys when you add the
World Series, when you add an m v P, when
(02:41):
you add a side young, you add those things all
together and a few no hitters now three Justin Verlander
is on top of the pitching world right now. Number two.
The Minnesota Twins, that's right, slug their way to a
major league record on Saturday night when they hit their
(03:03):
two hundred and sixty eight home run and a loss
to the Tigers didn't matter that they lost. They broke
the previous record set by the New York Yankees. But
this Twins team has been unbelievable with young players, the
addition of Nelson Cruise, a veteran and with a big bat,
(03:25):
and the Twins now entered the month of September with
seven players totally twenty plus home runs. Polanco, their shortstop,
entered September with nineteen, so they have a chance of
having eight players were twenty or more home runs. The
(03:45):
Yankees surpass surpassed the Mariners with their two hundred and
sixty seven home run campaign last season, and just one
Yankee hit thirty or more home runs in eighteen, while
the Twins have two players with just two players i
should say with thirty plus home runs and two in
(04:05):
September as well. And it's the only little funny part
about this whole thing is if you think that it's
their record and it's a done deal with a month left.
Guess again, the Twins are the only club that could
break the previous record. The Yankees have two hundred and
fifty four home runs with a month left in the season,
(04:26):
so it's not inconceivable that the Yankees could actually catch
them and beat them in the same season. But for
right now, the Twins on the whole run uh champs
of Major League Baseball number three. Don't look now, but
the Cincinnati Reds have a stud and rst as a Kenyo.
(04:47):
What a historic start to a Kenyo's career. He joined
the shortlist of players to sweep the National League Player
of the Month and Rookie of the Month awards. He
has fourteen home runs in the month of August, which
is course is a league record for rookies. A Keno
(05:07):
had thirty three hits thirty three RBIs in the month
of August, bat at three twenty with a three one
on base percentage, his slugging point seven six seven, the
highest in the majors. He becomes the first rookie since
Yacio Puig and coincidentally, he's the player who replaced Puig
(05:30):
when Pueague was traded from the Red City Indians. In
right field in the same month. The list of rookies
to win both awards in the same month since the
Rookie of the Month was introduced in twenty oh one,
Puig Buster, Posey, Ryan Brawn and now a Keno. Here
(05:51):
comes the Big interview. Listen Hedler Good, All right, let's
welcome into the podcast. Michael ball In, the former major
league center fielder, played eleven major league seasons, broken of
course with the Phillies, played with the Astros, the Braves,
a couple of times Indians Diamondbacks, finished up with the Orioles. Michael,
(06:13):
welcome to the podcast. Well, thanks for having me, Rob,
thanks for having me. It's always good conversating, which no doubt.
So first let's start off with you and what's going
on after you've retired from Major league baseball. What are
you doing? Well, I, you know, I have three kids now,
have a son that's team that's in the baseball a
lot actually has playing fallball right now, trying to get
(06:36):
into play soccer. But you know, Cozy don't want to
listen to Daddy, just let work on his footwork. Have
a daughter that's playing tennis, uh, she's just turned six.
And I have a newborn basic where it should be
a year old actually in a few days. So I
got that going on, got a couple of businesses going
on on the side, and man just just just trying
to continue to grow as a person, continue to grow
(06:57):
business wise. And uh, that's about there. Keeping his body
in shape, and that's that. That's it, no doubt about it.
Are you seeing all these balls flying out of all
these ballparks? You want to get up there and take
some swings because you might you might be able to hit.
You might be able to hit forty out of out
of the park. Yeah, the right team called me, I
go ahead and take a squeen and get it. Weren't
no matter if any team comment gave me the chance,
(07:18):
I probably take a squen get it. But you know
I'm I'm cool either way. If they cam and they
wanted me, I come. If not, I keep doing what
I'm doing. What jumps out at you. The most about
baseball is it that the home runs is it's all
the good young players out there. It's amazing how many
young players who are really really good playing major League baseball.
(07:40):
I think a little bit of both um and I
think those young players are good because you know, coming
up when I played, I think I don't think we
played as much baseball, um, And I think they're playing
a little bit more baseball as they're coming up, even
through like Little League, you know, come going on all
these showcases. So they're there used to being on the
scene a lot more than we were, and they're playing
(08:01):
a lot more a lot more often than we are.
Uh that we were at the time. But at the
same time, I'm still an old school person at hard
because I still like the kids to play every other
sport in childhood sports team. You know, once they kneel
it down in round fourteen or fifteen or sixteen, they
think they want one spot, didn't do it. I'm I'm
into like trying different things because one thing about baseballers,
(08:22):
you know, row you play a lot of it is
keep playing right, no no doubt about it. Now the
game to you. You were the National League stolen base
leader two thousand nine to two thousand and eleven, three
years in a row. But people don't steal bases anymore.
Are you surprised how the game has changed and they
don't look at it the same way manufacturing runs and
(08:42):
stuff like that. Um, I am surprised, but at the
same time, I think that it will come back over time.
I think the home run ballers took over right now,
and uh I did it before, um, right before I
was coming up, to be honest with you, and then
they went to I came in at the right time
when they were looking for to manufacturer runs. And if
(09:02):
you go before that, before the home run came the
first time, you remember William McWilliam McGee and Vince Coleben
and all those guys, and Ricky Henderson and Kenny Left.
They were they were part of the stealing bates there
that was going on before. So I think it'll switch again. Um.
I think analytics has taken over a lot, which I
think have a part in the game, but I also
think that it can be used too much. I heard
(09:24):
Kobe say something about it. He was doing an interview
at the USO, but he said he hates analytics, and um,
I think it's I think I think it could be
over you because it came measure certain things at certain times.
So I mean, numbers are good always, but I think
it can also be over you. So I think a
little bit of both is good. I think it's all
the Bass to come back. You said I something about
their Malex Smith and uh, you know you still got
(09:45):
d going out that they representing well for the line
of the shields. Uh, they still got something that's running
a little bit. And I think I've got the commundacy
Mondacy from Kansas City. I'm still keep up Billy Hamilton's
so you know, it's still it's just not as much.
And I think home run ball has taken over. I
think certain people are, you know, they they're taking a
green life for some of these kids, which I think
(10:06):
if you, if you could prove yourself that you can
steal the base of the high rate, I think you
should have a green life, you know. I think that's
I think that's you know, if you want to get
to the next base as soon as possible. And and
the home run ball works a lot in the regular season,
but as you know, in the in the postseason, I
don't think it plays as much. You know, I think
it still plays, but not as much. That's all that
that's that's that's what I think. I agree with you,
(10:26):
because it is harder. You're facing the best pictures, you're
not facing the also rans like you do during the
regular season. Speaking of the playoffs. Uh, two of your
former teams, the Braves, Uh look good and so do
well obviously the Houston Astros. Tell me about the Braves
and the Astros. Who do you like? Oh, man, that's
(10:47):
that's that's a you know, I'm from Houston, but I
love Atlanta and they know that was a great organization
towards me. But if you have to actually, honestly, I
think Houston a little bit better team, a little bit
more depth. Um. I mean they just all around the board.
They can beat you so many ways. You know. Uh,
they have great pitching, a great one to punch and
(11:08):
you have Grinky in there too, so there really a
one to three punch. And I said, they just moved
James to closer. So I mean who with that offense? Man,
I mean you're talking about starting off with with Springer
out to Aise, Bregman, Brandt, Lee, Correa, Alvarez, the young kid,
and then you gotta I mean Reddick and there you
(11:28):
got you got kids. That I mean, that's the one
through six, one through seven. Not to mention garyl who
was the player of the month I think one last
month and Bregman was the player of the month this month,
so I'm gonna have to say the astros on that
was sorry Freddy Freeman. Shout out to Freddy Freeman. You
know he's gonna be hurt that you're not talking about
the brand. You know, he's my god man. He one
(11:49):
of the best hitters around man. And uh, I do
think the Braves have a chance, you know, I think
we think they have They do have a chance. And
I like their manager, Nigger. He was my third base
coach and I love him as well. I think that's
a great organization. They have a great upside. I like
the young kid that's playing left field for him right now.
I can't remember the name. Just blak my blak, my mind,
(12:10):
but I like him. He's in the second year and
he's he looks he looks amazing, you know, Ronald Ronald Jr. Right,
he's nice man. And I think they have a great nucleus.
You know, they got donaldsant over there that's hitting well
for him, So they got they got a good team, man.
They got good young players, good prospect that's coming up.
(12:31):
But right now, if you actually, right now, I have
to lean into the Strokes, man, they look real good.
I think the Dogs are good too. That's going That's who.
It's gonna be hard for the Braves to get across
in the NNL. I was gonna ask you that it's
gonna be tough for the Dodgers to get to the
World Series three years in a row. It's not easy.
It's not easy. But do you know what I have
(12:52):
to say, the Astros versus the Dogs the last time
they faced off of the World Series is one of
the best World Series I have ever seen from both sides.
Man is that matchup was amazing, you know, and um,
I think it would be amazing again. You know. I
know the Doctors wants to get back, but you know,
I gotta rut with my hometown boys, the Houston Astros. Man,
I got them taking it all and I hope they
(13:13):
come through for us. That uh, the city of that
definitely be rooting them on. Shout out to Michael Brander.
That's one of my that's one of my good friends too.
So I just think that, man, baseball is you know,
of course, you know, sports things changes, like you know,
when Jordan was playing the basketball, the mid range game
was more of a game, and now you know in
the NBA to three point games more the more of
(13:34):
the game. Now, a lot of people are are going
towards the three points, just like in the NFL, you've
got nothing. But you know they used to run the
ball a lot more thread offenses. So you know, it's
just you know, stuff involved. But you know, I think
things are you know, take it. We'll turn back the
clock and you know the clock go just like a
clock in real life, it'll go around and come back again.
(13:56):
You know, it's just it's just part of life. I go.
You know, so I think that I think it's on
the base will come back, and I think that speed
is always necessary, not on just the base, has in
the outfield as well. You know, defense always wins championships.
To me, that's another thing Nastros have. They have real
good defense, and so to the Braves. But the Astros
have real good defense. And I think that you know,
when you when you're talking about when the championships, you
(14:19):
have to be able to play defense. I really think
that's a big key to win it is playing defense.
There you go. His name is Michael Born, former Major
league center fielder for eleven years. Mike, always a pleasure.
Next time I have you on, We're gonna break down
some NBA like we used to always talk always, Rob.
You know I'm a big NBA fans. The Rockets put
(14:41):
it out too. But we'll see. Well, whenever you have
the time, I love to join the park podcasting the time.
I love talking sports. We'll do that, my man. Thank
you so much, appreciate you, Thank you, Rob, thank you
for having me. It's time for the pocket Protector Central,
the analytic numbers you need to know, well maybe FS ones.
(15:02):
Anthony Masterson is his name. BS analytics is his game.
What you got for me today, Anthony, Rob? Today, I'm
here to tell you that not all hour fastballs are
created equal, because all pitchers are not created equal. Randy
Johnson at six ten and Pedro Martinez at five eleven
might have both thrown hard, but to the batter, their
fastballs looked like night and day. This is because of
(15:23):
a metric we can track now for pictures called extension,
which ties right in to perceived velocity to a hitter.
Extension quantifies how much closer a pitcher's release point is
to home plate than the rubber which stands out on
the mound at sixty six inches, while perceived velocity is
you guess it how fast the pitch appears to a
batter compared to what it reads on the radar gun.
(15:44):
Take Tampa Bay Ray starter Tyler Glass. Now Glass now
stands on the mounted an imposing six eight two or
thirty pounds with a four seam fastball that averages nineties
six point six miles per hour this season, one of
the top marks in the league. Now Blast now has
an outstanding extension this pitches, reaching over eight feet at
times that puts has perceived velocity of that pitch at
(16:06):
an average of ninety nine point four miles per hour,
highest of any starting pitcher in baseball this season, and
nearly three miles per hour added onto his radar gun readings.
No surprise hit, he is hitting a paltry two sixteen
on that pitch this season. Rob Perception versus reality has
found its the way in the world of baseball analytics.
And I might even pay attention to that reality. Thanks Anthony.
(16:30):
That is, it was a big week in the Big League.
Is it foul or is it fair? And now here's
shadow league dot Com MLB insider JR. Gamble. I don't
(16:50):
want to say that the Houston astro gm had his
panties in a bunch put. After the Yankees and the
Dodgers played that epic weekend series in Los Angeles, he
went on the record and said that his team would
pass both the Yankees and the Dodgers and have the
best record in baseball. J R. Are his comments foul
(17:13):
or fair? Fair? That's a fair ball, definitely fair. Not
that having the best record that baseball means anything wants
the playoffs start, but basses of playing well and they
will probably finished strong. It's simply jis braggnen right though
we all remember when Seattle won a hundred and sixteen games?
When was that Robert two thousand one and couldn't have
(17:35):
finished the job in the a MCS lord knows the
regular season is just one hundred and sixty two game
audition for the October get down. Now. I don't know
why the assosgain will be concerned with that. Right now,
these guys have the best team in baseball in my opinion,
led by Verlander, Cole and pitches that nobody wants to face.
(17:55):
The only mission shouldn't need to get back to that
World Series that they got the two and continue the
dynasty using have great stars that talents. They could dominates
to come, but they'll never get as much press as
the Yankees or the Dodgers. Big market rule a baseball
stop blinding, go in another ring, Fasten your seatbelt, you
(18:18):
do give me? Here comes Parker's top three MLB teams
this week. Number three, the Los Angeles Dodgers. I know,
people think I'm crazy. As of Tuesday, they were ninety
and fifty. Despite that gaudy record, can you imagine the
(18:39):
Dodgers don't even have the best record in baseball. In fact,
there are two teams with a better record than the Dodgers,
and the Dodgers did have some bad news this past week.
Max Monksey will miss a couple of weeks with a
small fracture in his right wrisk So that's not uh,
that's not really a good thing. And are you The
(19:01):
other problem is he's had a couple of bad starts,
allowing eighteen runs in his last three starts, covering fourteen
and two third innings after he had been lights out
for the Dodgers. So I dropped the Dodgers down to
number three. Number two, the second best team in baseball
(19:23):
is the Houston Astros. They move up and you know what,
they deserve it. Last night they won a big game
against the Milwaukee Brewers. That was on Monday night with
some heroics by Springer late. And as of Tuesday, they
were ninety and forty nine, tied with the Yankees for
(19:46):
the best record not only in the American League but
in baseball as a whole. So the Astros with their
top heavy pitching staff and uh, they're big bats, and
uh they seem to be you know, loaded and getting
better and better every week as far as health. So
(20:06):
there you go. The Astros are the second best team
in baseball, Number one the New York freaking Yankees. We
keep talking about the week after week. I know people
are tired of hearing about it, but let's just be honest.
As of Tuesday, they had the best record in baseball,
tied with the Astros at ninety and forty nine, an
(20:30):
incredible record. The Yankees were the first team in baseball
to get to the ninety win mark. That is impressive
when you think of all the players who have been heard.
We have now seen Aaron Judge come alive. That home
run bad, that's scary, that's right in the nick of time.
And then when you talk about the heroics. We saw
(20:53):
the Yankees with a couple of dramatic walkoff wins against
the A's or a really good team. D J. Le
Mayhew hit a home run in the eleventh inning on Saturday,
and then on Sunday in a while five to four win,
Gardner hit a home run and Mike Ford hit a
home run and the Yankees walked off. We're able to
(21:17):
win that game as well. So there you are. The
Yankees are the best team in baseball. Take out the favor.
It's time for trash talk Twitter, Twitter with your chance
to trash anyone or anything in Major League Baseball. This
(21:37):
week's winner is Talent Chapelle. He's at Tea chap sixty six,
and he tweeted me this. MLB pictures are the biggest
prima donna's in all of sports, even worse than wide
receivers and soccer superstars. I'm baffled how often their frail
little eagles get shattered when a guy goes to the
(21:59):
sweet bat flip after bashing a pitch over the upper deck.
Hashtag get over it. If you want a chance to
win a new era, snapback like Talented, send your trash
to at Rob Parker fs one on Twitter. You ain't
(22:21):
gonna rock and roll no more, don't go. 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, now, let's welcome to the podcast Lavelle
Neil from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He covers the Twins
(22:43):
and Major League Baseball has been doing it for a
long time, twenty two years. Lavell, what's up? Buddy tells
everything with you? Man? All is well, thanks for joining
the podcast. Let's get right to those twinkies. And what
a year it's been thus far, just set the record
(23:04):
for most home runs in a single season and still
there's uh, you know, a month ago, still almost a month.
How crazy has that been? That's been really remarkable, man.
I mean, they thought they had a chance to hit
a few home runs, you know, going into the regular season,
but they didn't know things are gonna take off the
way they did. But you know, if you sit back
(23:26):
and look at it, you know, it was just a
kind of a confluence of factors here because they had
a young core with Max Kepler or Hey Polanco, and
and and a Rosario and Bron Bucks and and and
go Mitch Garbins. That makes me all took steps forward
in their games. You know, Bucks has been injured a
lot this year, but when he's been on the field,
he has shown the ability to put the bat on
(23:47):
the ball. So you mix those guys in and then
you add you added a veteran free agent crew of
Nelson crew, Johnathon Scope, c J. Cron and Marignzalez and
the result has been the ball flying out of the park.
And the more remarkable thing about this is that if
you look at like the strikeout numbers in baseball, the
(24:09):
Twins are every one of the I think they're in
the bottom ten in terms of frequency of strikeouts. This
team takes good at bats from top to bottom, and
the home runs a result result most of the time
of them taking at bats. Now they're hitting coach Jeff
James Rowlson, he advocates an aggressive approach to the plate.
(24:30):
He allows these guys to hunt for strikes. It was
in the strike zone, go ahead and crush the ball.
And they've been given that green light and they have
focused on hitting strikes and the balls taken off man
it's been, there's been something to see, and it really
puts pressure on a lot of opposing pictures because every
third in that batten or at the top third, middle third,
bottom third as a guy who's got at least twenty
(24:50):
home runs somewhere in it. And you cannot relax against
this line up. I was gonna say they have seven guys,
uh with twenty or more. Polanco has nineteen as of Tuesday,
So that's unbelievable. That's eight guys almost yeah, and they
should get to eight would be a major league record.
Uh uh. And then uh, they have Marion Gonzaz and fifteen,
(25:15):
you know, and he's a hot streak away from becoming
a ninth guy. So um, he said, it's been fairly
remarkable to see Harla. Home runs have been spread up
and down the lineup. And you got a couple of
guys and Max Kepler and Nelson Cruz who have a
chance at forty home runs this year, you know, And
that's that's Harmon Killer grew numbers right there when she
(25:35):
gets the forty man, and that's been uh, and you
got a couple of guys with them they are gonna
have like great season. And he resire I was probably
gonna drive in a hundred runs. Max Kepler is going
to driving a hundred runs and score a hundred runs
while hitting forty home ers, and then that's a tremendous year.
And I thought you couldn't hit all home runs in
that ballpark. Wasn't that Wasn't that the wrap on that
(25:58):
on target field. They just didn't have the muscles at
the time. That's what it was. It was more muscles
than Homer's because they used to see the guys like
Miguel Cabrera, Uh Edwin and Karnacia and all the big
boppers that come in and go deep to the right
center fields like kind of heckul he hit the balling fire. Well,
now you see the Twins do that. And it's a
combination of guys getting more mature, uh filling out and
(26:22):
I no one want to strike us, and then punishing
the baseball. So um, it's been you know, it took
a couple of years for this to develop the way
it has. But now it's not a park they can't
home er. And I mean if it's eight home runs
in the game twice, I think they did six home
runs in the game five times, and they won the
first four and they happened to lose on Saturday when
they hit six home runs against the Tigers, and that
(26:44):
was actually the ninth in which they broke the record
for most home runs hit in the season. The other
part about this team I like is that they come back,
come from behind. They don't give up. That that's a
that's a great trade, isn't it about about a young team?
It is They have twenty eight come from behind when
some most recent one was yesterday at Tiger Stadium when
they were trailing three to two and Jordan's pitch a
(27:06):
pretty good game, I guess adding a sinker to his repertoire.
It's helped them out. Uh, and the Twins at one
home run in the game, but then in the Athan
and Mexic effort came through with a two run single.
Uh that gave them the fourth three lead. So they
they hang in there, man, They battle, and they've come
back against good teams. They come back in the Red Sox,
that come back in the Yankees. Um. They trust in
their ability, man, and they're not going to uh. You know,
(27:29):
they're not going to give up when they fought behind.
I'm not gonna poop Pool on a great regular season
and obviously to win the division and what not get
to the playoffs when some people didn't think it was possible. Uh.
The other part is they haven't won a playoff series
since two thousand two. Is this going to be another
Twin story or could this team really advance and move forward? Well,
(27:51):
they're not to prove that there more than just a
one series team. But it's gonna be tough because right
now at the postseason begin today, uh, they will be
going to Houston play the Asters, and the answers are
loaded now, their offenses unlocked in they're a better team
than when they face the Twins earlier in the season
because uh are average was not in the lineup and
they hadn't trade for St. Greaky yet and both those
(28:13):
people on board, and it's taking them to a non level.
Plus Houston's healthy. So the Twins to three out of
fergust Houston early in the season and target Field and
he lost to on and three at Houston. But that's
gonna that's gonna be a tough team to goodbye in
the first round in the postseason, and the Twins have
to do it with their bats. I mean, the pitcher
staff is solid but not spectacular. Uh and the start
(28:33):
rotations kind of faltered a little bit during the second half.
So they've got the out hit teams. And that's gonna
go against the old adage that claims that good pitching
will stop good hitting. But we'll see, but they're gonna have.
It's gonna be a talent for them to break that drought.
Going back to the two dozen too. All Right, his
name is Lavelle Neil, been covering the Twins in Major
League Baseball for twenty two years. From the Minneapolis Star Tribute.
(28:56):
My man, thank you, appreciate your time. All right, my pleasure.
Thanks for having me all I appreciate you now bringing
the closer. Here's why MLB is better than the NFL
or NBA, and it isn't even close. Here's reason number
(29:17):
nine thousand why Major League Baseball is better than the
NBA and better than the NFL. You just never know
what you're gonna get when you go to a baseball game.
You could get Justin Verlander pitching a no no. You
could get the Minnesota Twins hitting six home runs in
(29:37):
the game and losing. You could get the Yankees being
shut out for the first time in two hundred and
twenty games, which seems incredible with the bats and the
players that they have that they've actually gone this long
without ever being shut out in a game. The last
time the Yankees would shut out was July one, two
(29:58):
thousand eighteen, but the Rangers did it. You just don't know.
Baseball is full of surprises. That's why I think people
still love to go out. It's not the same thing
every day. It's not automatic that the team with the
best record or the best players win every day. Baseball
(30:21):
is indeed like a box of chocolate. You just never
know what you're gonna get. In the words of New
York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for
your time this time until next time. Rob Parker out
he can't give it. This could be an inside the
(30:43):
Parker to see you next week. Time cost of costial
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 one oh three, Rob Parker. Welcome into Inside
the Parker. I'm your host, Rob Parker. Coming up on
(00:24):
the podcast, former Major league outfielder Michael Bourne will join
us talk about what he's up to and his former team,
the Atlanta Braves. Plus we'll talk with Minneapolis Star Tribune
baseball writer Lavelle Neil. He'll talk about those home run
hitting twins, that and much more. I'm here, you're there.
(00:47):
Let's go up to lead off. It's getting robbed and
keep him on. Rob's hot take on the three biggest
stories in Major League Baseball. Number one for sure, Justin
Verlander has joined the elite class of pictures. Went on Sunday.
He no hit the Toronto Blue Jays and recorded his
(01:12):
third no no of his career. He becomes only the
sixth pitcher in baseball history to record more than two
no hitters. Four of the previous pictures. And we're talking
about Nolan, Ryan, Sandy Kofax, Bob Feller, and Cy Younger
(01:33):
all Hall of famers. So that tells you where where
Justin Verlanders is headed. And this is the thing about
Justin Verlander that's been really impressive. He's one of those
guys when you look back at thirty six years old.
He won early when he was a young stud with
the Detroit Tigers, and now he's winning late as a
(01:57):
veteran pitcher. He won his first World Series in seventeen,
was a big part of that with the Houston Astros.
So Justin Verlander has been one of those guys who
struggled a little bit in the middle of his career.
People thought maybe he wasn't gonna reach the plateau of
of greatness, but he got it right. It big time
(02:19):
winner early, big time winner late. He is one of
those guys will look back now and think that, uh,
Justin Verlander was one of the best pictures that we
were able to see during this time. Because you start
talking about a lot of guys when you add the
World Series, when you add an m v P, when
(02:41):
you add a side young, you add those things all
together and a few no hitters now three Justin Verlander
is on top of the pitching world right now. Number two.
The Minnesota Twins, that's right, slug their way to a
major league record on Saturday night when they hit their
(03:03):
two hundred and sixty eight home run and a loss
to the Tigers didn't matter that they lost. They broke
the previous record set by the New York Yankees. But
this Twins team has been unbelievable with young players, the
addition of Nelson Cruise, a veteran and with a big bat,
(03:25):
and the Twins now entered the month of September with
seven players totally twenty plus home runs. Polanco, their shortstop,
entered September with nineteen, so they have a chance of
having eight players were twenty or more home runs. The
(03:45):
Yankees surpass surpassed the Mariners with their two hundred and
sixty seven home run campaign last season, and just one
Yankee hit thirty or more home runs in eighteen, while
the Twins have two players with just two players i
should say with thirty plus home runs and two in
(04:05):
September as well. And it's the only little funny part
about this whole thing is if you think that it's
their record and it's a done deal with a month left.
Guess again, the Twins are the only club that could
break the previous record. The Yankees have two hundred and
fifty four home runs with a month left in the season,
(04:26):
so it's not inconceivable that the Yankees could actually catch
them and beat them in the same season. But for
right now, the Twins on the whole run uh champs
of Major League Baseball number three. Don't look now, but
the Cincinnati Reds have a stud and rst as a Kenyo.
(04:47):
What a historic start to a Kenyo's career. He joined
the shortlist of players to sweep the National League Player
of the Month and Rookie of the Month awards. He
has fourteen home runs in the month of August, which
is course is a league record for rookies. A Keno
(05:07):
had thirty three hits thirty three RBIs in the month
of August, bat at three twenty with a three one
on base percentage, his slugging point seven six seven, the
highest in the majors. He becomes the first rookie since
Yacio Puig and coincidentally, he's the player who replaced Puig
(05:30):
when Pueague was traded from the Red City Indians. In
right field in the same month. The list of rookies
to win both awards in the same month since the
Rookie of the Month was introduced in twenty oh one,
Puig Buster, Posey, Ryan Brawn and now a Keno. Here
(05:51):
comes the Big interview. Listen Hedler Good, All right, let's
welcome into the podcast. Michael ball In, the former major
league center fielder, played eleven major league seasons, broken of
course with the Phillies, played with the Astros, the Braves,
a couple of times Indians Diamondbacks, finished up with the Orioles. Michael,
(06:13):
welcome to the podcast. Well, thanks for having me, Rob,
thanks for having me. It's always good conversating, which no doubt.
So first let's start off with you and what's going
on after you've retired from Major league baseball. What are
you doing? Well, I, you know, I have three kids now,
have a son that's team that's in the baseball a
lot actually has playing fallball right now, trying to get
(06:36):
into play soccer. But you know, Cozy don't want to
listen to Daddy, just let work on his footwork. Have
a daughter that's playing tennis, uh, she's just turned six.
And I have a newborn basic where it should be
a year old actually in a few days. So I
got that going on, got a couple of businesses going
on on the side, and man just just just trying
to continue to grow as a person, continue to grow
(06:57):
business wise. And uh, that's about there. Keeping his body
in shape, and that's that. That's it, no doubt about it.
Are you seeing all these balls flying out of all
these ballparks? You want to get up there and take
some swings because you might you might be able to hit.
You might be able to hit forty out of out
of the park. Yeah, the right team called me, I
go ahead and take a squeen and get it. Weren't
no matter if any team comment gave me the chance,
(07:18):
I probably take a squen get it. But you know
I'm I'm cool either way. If they cam and they
wanted me, I come. If not, I keep doing what
I'm doing. What jumps out at you. The most about
baseball is it that the home runs is it's all
the good young players out there. It's amazing how many
young players who are really really good playing major League baseball.
(07:40):
I think a little bit of both um and I
think those young players are good because you know, coming
up when I played, I think I don't think we
played as much baseball, um, And I think they're playing
a little bit more baseball as they're coming up, even
through like Little League, you know, come going on all
these showcases. So they're there used to being on the
scene a lot more than we were, and they're playing
(08:01):
a lot more a lot more often than we are.
Uh that we were at the time. But at the
same time, I'm still an old school person at hard
because I still like the kids to play every other
sport in childhood sports team. You know, once they kneel
it down in round fourteen or fifteen or sixteen, they
think they want one spot, didn't do it. I'm I'm
into like trying different things because one thing about baseballers,
(08:22):
you know, row you play a lot of it is
keep playing right, no no doubt about it. Now the
game to you. You were the National League stolen base
leader two thousand nine to two thousand and eleven, three
years in a row. But people don't steal bases anymore.
Are you surprised how the game has changed and they
don't look at it the same way manufacturing runs and
(08:42):
stuff like that. Um, I am surprised, but at the
same time, I think that it will come back over time.
I think the home run ballers took over right now,
and uh I did it before, um, right before I
was coming up, to be honest with you, and then
they went to I came in at the right time
when they were looking for to manufacturer runs. And if
(09:02):
you go before that, before the home run came the
first time, you remember William McWilliam McGee and Vince Coleben
and all those guys, and Ricky Henderson and Kenny Left.
They were they were part of the stealing bates there
that was going on before. So I think it'll switch again. Um.
I think analytics has taken over a lot, which I
think have a part in the game, but I also
think that it can be used too much. I heard
(09:24):
Kobe say something about it. He was doing an interview
at the USO, but he said he hates analytics, and um,
I think it's I think I think it could be
over you because it came measure certain things at certain times.
So I mean, numbers are good always, but I think
it can also be over you. So I think a
little bit of both is good. I think it's all
the Bass to come back. You said I something about
their Malex Smith and uh, you know you still got
(09:45):
d going out that they representing well for the line
of the shields. Uh, they still got something that's running
a little bit. And I think I've got the commundacy
Mondacy from Kansas City. I'm still keep up Billy Hamilton's
so you know, it's still it's just not as much.
And I think home run ball has taken over. I
think certain people are, you know, they they're taking a
green life for some of these kids, which I think
(10:06):
if you, if you could prove yourself that you can
steal the base of the high rate, I think you
should have a green life, you know. I think that's
I think that's you know, if you want to get
to the next base as soon as possible. And and
the home run ball works a lot in the regular season,
but as you know, in the in the postseason, I
don't think it plays as much. You know, I think
it still plays, but not as much. That's all that
that's that's that's what I think. I agree with you,
(10:26):
because it is harder. You're facing the best pictures, you're
not facing the also rans like you do during the
regular season. Speaking of the playoffs. Uh, two of your
former teams, the Braves, Uh look good and so do
well obviously the Houston Astros. Tell me about the Braves
and the Astros. Who do you like? Oh, man, that's
(10:47):
that's that's a you know, I'm from Houston, but I
love Atlanta and they know that was a great organization
towards me. But if you have to actually, honestly, I
think Houston a little bit better team, a little bit
more depth. Um. I mean they just all around the board.
They can beat you so many ways. You know. Uh,
they have great pitching, a great one to punch and
(11:08):
you have Grinky in there too, so there really a
one to three punch. And I said, they just moved
James to closer. So I mean who with that offense? Man,
I mean you're talking about starting off with with Springer
out to Aise, Bregman, Brandt, Lee, Correa, Alvarez, the young kid,
and then you gotta I mean Reddick and there you
(11:28):
got you got kids. That I mean, that's the one
through six, one through seven. Not to mention garyl who
was the player of the month I think one last
month and Bregman was the player of the month this month,
so I'm gonna have to say the astros on that
was sorry Freddy Freeman. Shout out to Freddy Freeman. You
know he's gonna be hurt that you're not talking about
the brand. You know, he's my god man. He one
(11:49):
of the best hitters around man. And uh, I do
think the Braves have a chance, you know, I think
we think they have They do have a chance. And
I like their manager, Nigger. He was my third base
coach and I love him as well. I think that's
a great organization. They have a great upside. I like
the young kid that's playing left field for him right now.
I can't remember the name. Just blak my blak, my mind,
(12:10):
but I like him. He's in the second year and
he's he looks he looks amazing, you know, Ronald Ronald Jr. Right,
he's nice man. And I think they have a great nucleus.
You know, they got donaldsant over there that's hitting well
for him, So they got they got a good team, man.
They got good young players, good prospect that's coming up.
(12:31):
But right now, if you actually, right now, I have
to lean into the Strokes, man, they look real good.
I think the Dogs are good too. That's going That's who.
It's gonna be hard for the Braves to get across
in the NNL. I was gonna ask you that it's
gonna be tough for the Dodgers to get to the
World Series three years in a row. It's not easy.
It's not easy. But do you know what I have
(12:52):
to say, the Astros versus the Dogs the last time
they faced off of the World Series is one of
the best World Series I have ever seen from both sides.
Man is that matchup was amazing, you know, and um,
I think it would be amazing again. You know. I
know the Doctors wants to get back, but you know,
I gotta rut with my hometown boys, the Houston Astros. Man,
I got them taking it all and I hope they
(13:13):
come through for us. That uh, the city of that
definitely be rooting them on. Shout out to Michael Brander.
That's one of my that's one of my good friends too.
So I just think that, man, baseball is you know,
of course, you know, sports things changes, like you know,
when Jordan was playing the basketball, the mid range game
was more of a game, and now you know in
the NBA to three point games more the more of
(13:34):
the game. Now, a lot of people are are going
towards the three points, just like in the NFL, you've
got nothing. But you know they used to run the
ball a lot more thread offenses. So you know, it's
just you know, stuff involved. But you know, I think
things are you know, take it. We'll turn back the
clock and you know the clock go just like a
clock in real life, it'll go around and come back again.
(13:56):
You know, it's just it's just part of life. I go.
You know, so I think that I think it's on
the base will come back, and I think that speed
is always necessary, not on just the base, has in
the outfield as well. You know, defense always wins championships.
To me, that's another thing Nastros have. They have real
good defense, and so to the Braves. But the Astros
have real good defense. And I think that you know,
when you when you're talking about when the championships, you
(14:19):
have to be able to play defense. I really think
that's a big key to win it is playing defense.
There you go. His name is Michael Born, former Major
league center fielder for eleven years. Mike, always a pleasure.
Next time I have you on, We're gonna break down
some NBA like we used to always talk always, Rob.
You know I'm a big NBA fans. The Rockets put
(14:41):
it out too. But we'll see. Well, whenever you have
the time, I love to join the park podcasting the time.
I love talking sports. We'll do that, my man. Thank
you so much, appreciate you, Thank you, Rob, thank you
for having me. It's time for the pocket Protector Central,
the analytic numbers you need to know, well maybe FS ones.
(15:02):
Anthony Masterson is his name. BS analytics is his game.
What you got for me today, Anthony, Rob? Today, I'm
here to tell you that not all hour fastballs are
created equal, because all pitchers are not created equal. Randy
Johnson at six ten and Pedro Martinez at five eleven
might have both thrown hard, but to the batter, their
fastballs looked like night and day. This is because of
(15:23):
a metric we can track now for pictures called extension,
which ties right in to perceived velocity to a hitter.
Extension quantifies how much closer a pitcher's release point is
to home plate than the rubber which stands out on
the mound at sixty six inches, while perceived velocity is
you guess it how fast the pitch appears to a
batter compared to what it reads on the radar gun.
(15:44):
Take Tampa Bay Ray starter Tyler Glass. Now Glass now
stands on the mounted an imposing six eight two or
thirty pounds with a four seam fastball that averages nineties
six point six miles per hour this season, one of
the top marks in the league. Now Blast now has
an outstanding extension this pitches, reaching over eight feet at
times that puts has perceived velocity of that pitch at
(16:06):
an average of ninety nine point four miles per hour,
highest of any starting pitcher in baseball this season, and
nearly three miles per hour added onto his radar gun readings.
No surprise hit, he is hitting a paltry two sixteen
on that pitch this season. Rob Perception versus reality has
found its the way in the world of baseball analytics.
And I might even pay attention to that reality. Thanks Anthony.
(16:30):
That is, it was a big week in the Big League.
Is it foul or is it fair? And now here's
shadow league dot Com MLB insider JR. Gamble. I don't
(16:50):
want to say that the Houston astro gm had his
panties in a bunch put. After the Yankees and the
Dodgers played that epic weekend series in Los Angeles, he
went on the record and said that his team would
pass both the Yankees and the Dodgers and have the
best record in baseball. J R. Are his comments foul
(17:13):
or fair? Fair? That's a fair ball, definitely fair. Not
that having the best record that baseball means anything wants
the playoffs start, but basses of playing well and they
will probably finished strong. It's simply jis braggnen right though
we all remember when Seattle won a hundred and sixteen games?
When was that Robert two thousand one and couldn't have
(17:35):
finished the job in the a MCS lord knows the
regular season is just one hundred and sixty two game
audition for the October get down. Now. I don't know
why the assosgain will be concerned with that. Right now,
these guys have the best team in baseball in my opinion,
led by Verlander, Cole and pitches that nobody wants to face.
(17:55):
The only mission shouldn't need to get back to that
World Series that they got the two and continue the
dynasty using have great stars that talents. They could dominates
to come, but they'll never get as much press as
the Yankees or the Dodgers. Big market rule a baseball
stop blinding, go in another ring, Fasten your seatbelt, you
(18:18):
do give me? Here comes Parker's top three MLB teams
this week. Number three, the Los Angeles Dodgers. I know,
people think I'm crazy. As of Tuesday, they were ninety
and fifty. Despite that gaudy record, can you imagine the
(18:39):
Dodgers don't even have the best record in baseball. In fact,
there are two teams with a better record than the Dodgers,
and the Dodgers did have some bad news this past week.
Max Monksey will miss a couple of weeks with a
small fracture in his right wrisk So that's not uh,
that's not really a good thing. And are you The
(19:01):
other problem is he's had a couple of bad starts,
allowing eighteen runs in his last three starts, covering fourteen
and two third innings after he had been lights out
for the Dodgers. So I dropped the Dodgers down to
number three. Number two, the second best team in baseball
(19:23):
is the Houston Astros. They move up and you know what,
they deserve it. Last night they won a big game
against the Milwaukee Brewers. That was on Monday night with
some heroics by Springer late. And as of Tuesday, they
were ninety and forty nine, tied with the Yankees for
(19:46):
the best record not only in the American League but
in baseball as a whole. So the Astros with their
top heavy pitching staff and uh, they're big bats, and
uh they seem to be you know, loaded and getting
better and better every week as far as health. So
(20:06):
there you go. The Astros are the second best team
in baseball, Number one the New York freaking Yankees. We
keep talking about the week after week. I know people
are tired of hearing about it, but let's just be honest.
As of Tuesday, they had the best record in baseball,
tied with the Astros at ninety and forty nine, an
(20:30):
incredible record. The Yankees were the first team in baseball
to get to the ninety win mark. That is impressive
when you think of all the players who have been heard.
We have now seen Aaron Judge come alive. That home
run bad, that's scary, that's right in the nick of time.
And then when you talk about the heroics. We saw
(20:53):
the Yankees with a couple of dramatic walkoff wins against
the A's or a really good team. D J. Le
Mayhew hit a home run in the eleventh inning on Saturday,
and then on Sunday in a while five to four win,
Gardner hit a home run and Mike Ford hit a
home run and the Yankees walked off. We're able to
(21:17):
win that game as well. So there you are. The
Yankees are the best team in baseball. Take out the favor.
It's time for trash talk Twitter, Twitter with your chance
to trash anyone or anything in Major League Baseball. This
(21:37):
week's winner is Talent Chapelle. He's at Tea chap sixty six,
and he tweeted me this. MLB pictures are the biggest
prima donna's in all of sports, even worse than wide
receivers and soccer superstars. I'm baffled how often their frail
little eagles get shattered when a guy goes to the
(21:59):
sweet bat flip after bashing a pitch over the upper deck.
Hashtag get over it. If you want a chance to
win a new era, snapback like Talented, send your trash
to at Rob Parker fs one on Twitter. You ain't
(22:21):
gonna rock and roll no more, don't go. 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, now, let's welcome to the podcast Lavelle
Neil from the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He covers the Twins
(22:43):
and Major League Baseball has been doing it for a
long time, twenty two years. Lavell, what's up? Buddy tells
everything with you? Man? All is well, thanks for joining
the podcast. Let's get right to those twinkies. And what
a year it's been thus far, just set the record
(23:04):
for most home runs in a single season and still
there's uh, you know, a month ago, still almost a month.
How crazy has that been? That's been really remarkable, man.
I mean, they thought they had a chance to hit
a few home runs, you know, going into the regular season,
but they didn't know things are gonna take off the
way they did. But you know, if you sit back
(23:26):
and look at it, you know, it was just a
kind of a confluence of factors here because they had
a young core with Max Kepler or Hey Polanco, and
and and a Rosario and Bron Bucks and and and
go Mitch Garbins. That makes me all took steps forward
in their games. You know, Bucks has been injured a
lot this year, but when he's been on the field,
he has shown the ability to put the bat on
(23:47):
the ball. So you mix those guys in and then
you add you added a veteran free agent crew of
Nelson crew, Johnathon Scope, c J. Cron and Marignzalez and
the result has been the ball flying out of the park.
And the more remarkable thing about this is that if
you look at like the strikeout numbers in baseball, the
(24:09):
Twins are every one of the I think they're in
the bottom ten in terms of frequency of strikeouts. This
team takes good at bats from top to bottom, and
the home runs a result result most of the time
of them taking at bats. Now they're hitting coach Jeff
James Rowlson, he advocates an aggressive approach to the plate.
(24:30):
He allows these guys to hunt for strikes. It was
in the strike zone, go ahead and crush the ball.
And they've been given that green light and they have
focused on hitting strikes and the balls taken off man
it's been, there's been something to see, and it really
puts pressure on a lot of opposing pictures because every
third in that batten or at the top third, middle third,
bottom third as a guy who's got at least twenty
(24:50):
home runs somewhere in it. And you cannot relax against
this line up. I was gonna say they have seven guys,
uh with twenty or more. Polanco has nineteen as of Tuesday,
So that's unbelievable. That's eight guys almost yeah, and they
should get to eight would be a major league record.
Uh uh. And then uh, they have Marion Gonzaz and fifteen,
(25:15):
you know, and he's a hot streak away from becoming
a ninth guy. So um, he said, it's been fairly
remarkable to see Harla. Home runs have been spread up
and down the lineup. And you got a couple of
guys and Max Kepler and Nelson Cruz who have a
chance at forty home runs this year, you know, And
that's that's Harmon Killer grew numbers right there when she
(25:35):
gets the forty man, and that's been uh, and you
got a couple of guys with them they are gonna
have like great season. And he resire I was probably
gonna drive in a hundred runs. Max Kepler is going
to driving a hundred runs and score a hundred runs
while hitting forty home ers, and then that's a tremendous year.
And I thought you couldn't hit all home runs in
that ballpark. Wasn't that Wasn't that the wrap on that
(25:58):
on target field. They just didn't have the muscles at
the time. That's what it was. It was more muscles
than Homer's because they used to see the guys like
Miguel Cabrera, Uh Edwin and Karnacia and all the big
boppers that come in and go deep to the right
center fields like kind of heckul he hit the balling fire. Well,
now you see the Twins do that. And it's a
combination of guys getting more mature, uh filling out and
(26:22):
I no one want to strike us, and then punishing
the baseball. So um, it's been you know, it took
a couple of years for this to develop the way
it has. But now it's not a park they can't
home er. And I mean if it's eight home runs
in the game twice, I think they did six home
runs in the game five times, and they won the
first four and they happened to lose on Saturday when
they hit six home runs against the Tigers, and that
(26:44):
was actually the ninth in which they broke the record
for most home runs hit in the season. The other
part about this team I like is that they come back,
come from behind. They don't give up. That that's a
that's a great trade, isn't it about about a young team?
It is They have twenty eight come from behind when
some most recent one was yesterday at Tiger Stadium when
they were trailing three to two and Jordan's pitch a
(27:06):
pretty good game, I guess adding a sinker to his repertoire.
It's helped them out. Uh, and the Twins at one
home run in the game, but then in the Athan
and Mexic effort came through with a two run single.
Uh that gave them the fourth three lead. So they
they hang in there, man, They battle, and they've come
back against good teams. They come back in the Red Sox,
that come back in the Yankees. Um. They trust in
their ability, man, and they're not going to uh. You know,
(27:29):
they're not going to give up when they fought behind.
I'm not gonna poop Pool on a great regular season
and obviously to win the division and what not get
to the playoffs when some people didn't think it was possible. Uh.
The other part is they haven't won a playoff series
since two thousand two. Is this going to be another
Twin story or could this team really advance and move forward? Well,
(27:51):
they're not to prove that there more than just a
one series team. But it's gonna be tough because right
now at the postseason begin today, uh, they will be
going to Houston play the Asters, and the answers are
loaded now, their offenses unlocked in they're a better team
than when they face the Twins earlier in the season
because uh are average was not in the lineup and
they hadn't trade for St. Greaky yet and both those
(28:13):
people on board, and it's taking them to a non level.
Plus Houston's healthy. So the Twins to three out of
fergust Houston early in the season and target Field and
he lost to on and three at Houston. But that's
gonna that's gonna be a tough team to goodbye in
the first round in the postseason, and the Twins have
to do it with their bats. I mean, the pitcher
staff is solid but not spectacular. Uh and the start
(28:33):
rotations kind of faltered a little bit during the second half.
So they've got the out hit teams. And that's gonna
go against the old adage that claims that good pitching
will stop good hitting. But we'll see, but they're gonna have.
It's gonna be a talent for them to break that drought.
Going back to the two dozen too. All Right, his
name is Lavelle Neil, been covering the Twins in Major
League Baseball for twenty two years. From the Minneapolis Star Tribute.
(28:56):
My man, thank you, appreciate your time. All right, my pleasure.
Thanks for having me all I appreciate you now bringing
the closer. Here's why MLB is better than the NFL
or NBA, and it isn't even close. Here's reason number
(29:17):
nine thousand why Major League Baseball is better than the
NBA and better than the NFL. You just never know
what you're gonna get when you go to a baseball game.
You could get Justin Verlander pitching a no no. You
could get the Minnesota Twins hitting six home runs in
(29:37):
the game and losing. You could get the Yankees being
shut out for the first time in two hundred and
twenty games, which seems incredible with the bats and the
players that they have that they've actually gone this long
without ever being shut out in a game. The last
time the Yankees would shut out was July one, two
(29:58):
thousand eighteen, but the Rangers did it. You just don't know.
Baseball is full of surprises. That's why I think people
still love to go out. It's not the same thing
every day. It's not automatic that the team with the
best record or the best players win every day. Baseball
(30:21):
is indeed like a box of chocolate. You just never
know what you're gonna get. In the words of New
York TV legend the late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for
your time this time until next time. Rob Parker out
he can't give it. This could be an inside the
(30:43):
Parker to see you next week. Time cost of costial
Host
Rob Parker
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