This week on Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob gives looks at Christian Yelich's shot to become the first 50 HR, 30 SB player ever, why Joe Maddon is probably done with the Cubs, and why Tito Francona deserves credit for the Indians coming back to take the AL Central lead after appearing dead in the water. 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: Pat Mahomes - Former MLB pitcher discusses his son, NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes' baseball career, and why he thought he would make it in baseball over football; Jason Beck - Tigers' beat writer for MLB.com discusses everything that's gone wrong for Detroit during a brutal season, and the decline of Miguel Cabrera
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
From the Burke Shears to the sound from wherever you
live in MLB America. This is Inside the Parker. You
give us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the
scoop on major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of
Fame voter number one oh three, Rob Parker. Welcome into
Inside the Parker Podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker, and
(00:25):
coming up on the show Pat Mahomes, former major league
pitcher and just the father of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Plus,
we'll talk with MLB dot COM's Detroit Tiger b writer
Jason Beck. That and so much more. Let's go to
(00:45):
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, What a season for Christian Yellow from the
Milwaukee Brewers. He he has a chance of doing something
so special. In fact, no one in Major League Baseball
(01:07):
has ever done it. He has a chance to be
the first player in baseball history to hit fifty home
runs and have thirty stolen bases in a single season.
He's got a major league best thirty nine home runs
as of Tuesday and twenty three steals, so he needed
eleven more home runs and seven more steals in the
(01:31):
Brewers final forty three games. It's definitely not gonna be easy,
but it is not impossible for him to break through
to this threshold. It would be incredible what a season
he's been able to put put together. And right now
with his current numbers, he's on pace for fifty three
(01:54):
home runs and thirty one steals. Who would have ever
thought that Christian Yellis would be that guy to be
the first devil We always heard about the forty forty.
There used to be the thirty thirty club, But imagine
the fifty thirty club, and Christian Yellis would be the
first guy to enter those uncharted waters. I'm watching, I'm waiting,
(02:20):
and I'm hoping. Number two. Don't look now, but one
of the most popular managers in baseball, Joe Madden, is
a lame duck manager with the Chicago Cubs. Doesn't have
a contract for next year. Cubs, of course, they're in
the playoffs. Madden, of course, is the only manager who
(02:43):
was able to all win a World Series, breaking that
one hundred and eight year drought back in team with
the World Series win over the Cleveland Indians. Madden is
the only manager in Cubs history to lead the team
to fourth second of postseason berths. He's done everything in Chicago,
(03:04):
and yet he has no deal for next year. And
you know what people should wonder about it, wonder if
Joe Madden's gonna go the same way as all the
other veteran managers in Major League Baseball. Owners have decided
they don't want to pay the older guys. They'd rather
use young guys analytics. They'd rather make out the lineups
(03:29):
in the front office rather than let managers do it
in the dugout. We saw Dusty Baker, we saw Joe Girardi,
we saw Buck show Walter, we saw John Ferrold. We
saw all these old time skippers get shuttled out and
not to be seen again. Is this gonna happen to
(03:49):
Joe Madden? Madden says he remains optimistic about getting a
new deal with the Cubs, but it is interesting that
he went into this season without having more than just
this season on a contract, despite the Cubs all the
success that he's had. Theo Epstein, the president of Baseball Operations,
(04:10):
says that he'll wait and see sit down At some
point and they'll discuss the future of Joe Madden. But
let's face it, unless they win a World Series, it
doesn't seem as if the Cubs are interested in bringing
back Joe Madden number three. Just when you were ready
to write the Cleveland Indians off in the horrible a
(04:35):
L Central and the Twins have been dominating most of
the year, the Indians now went back in the first
place on Monday. They somehow, some way, we're able to
do it on a walk off home run. The Indians
were twenty six and twenty six in the last week
of May. They were like eleven and a half games
(04:58):
behind the Minnesota Twins in the first week of June.
But since June fourth, the record went to forty three
and seventeen, the best in baseball. And it's hard not
to look at their manager, Terry Francona and not think
to yourself, Terry had something to do with this. Terry
(05:18):
was able to get this d team right in. It
just looked like it was going to go astray, that
the Indians were basically dead in the water. We'ren't gonna
have a chance to compete again come October, come to playoffs,
maybe even the World series. But you know what, there
it is the Indians are alive and well and it's
(05:42):
hard not to give Terry Francona most of the credit.
Here comes the big interview listen held. All right, let's
welcome into the podcast. Pat mahomes the former Major league
pitcher pitch the number of teams UM Minnesota, Boston, the Mets, Rangers, Clubs, Pirates,
(06:07):
also played a couple of years in Japan. Pat, thanks
for joining the program. Thanks for having me, Pat. How
much is baseball change since you pitched, uh back in
the last year you pitched with two thousand three? Do
you recognize this game? Uh, it's a lot different, you know. Um.
I actually, you know, do a lot of stuff with
(06:29):
the MLP and I mean m l v P A,
you know, running camps from some of the younger kids, uh,
kids that are getting ready to going to high school
and the kids that are in high school. Uh uh
So we have about thirty thirty five former big league
players and we have camps down in Baro Beach, Florida.
So you know, it's it's still the same game, but
we're just trying to bring some of the old stuff back,
(06:51):
no doubt about it. Now. I saw, of course, your
your son is Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs,
who just had an unbelievable will break out second year
m v P. I see, I've seen video of him
as a picture. How good was he? We know how
good he is as a football player. How good was
he as a as a baseball pitcher? Well, he was
(07:13):
a hard thrower, you know, I think he topped out
of by n by the time he was a senior.
Uh for the picture, I mean you use the word loosely.
I mean he threw a lot of strikes, struck out
a lot of guys, didn't give up a lot of hits.
But he was more of a position player than he
was a picture. How did you get him to play
two sports? You know? The big thing now in a
(07:35):
AU and a lot of these coaches is they want
kids to specialize in one thing. And I'm still I'm
still bothered by it because we just saw Kyler Murray
played baseball and football and become the first player ever
to be drafted in the first round in both sports.
So why how did you get Patrick to play both? Well,
(07:56):
he actually played three, you know, he played all three
to Big three. You know, I played three. Uh, he
grew up that way, playing all of them. So you know,
I just didn't want to limit his options. And as
people you know, are starting to realize, you know, the
others can help, you know, whatever sports you choose, uh,
you know, to specialize in once you have to make
that decision. But until somebody makes you make a decision,
(08:19):
you know, I think it's best to keep all your
options open because you never know what's going to develop.
Like you know him, I mean he really didn't start
playing quarterback to his junior year and and in in
high school and he took off. So I mean he
always had baseball, you know, option open. He had the
basketball option open, and U he was actually would have
(08:41):
been drafted you know at the Sandwich pit in the
first round, but he he told him that the money
wasn't right, so he end up, Uh he wanted to
go play football, and that's what he did. Did you know,
I mean, I know everybody says, well, I can remember
having conversations in Detroit and Cecil Fielder back then. He
was always telling me about man, my son. Man, he's
(09:02):
a stud. You know, he's so good. Did you know
your son was going to be I mean rip up
the record books in the NFL. Or did you think
it had a chance to be a really good quarterback?
Or did you really know I had something special? To
be honest with, the football would have been the last
one I thought he would have played. Uh. I knew
about the age he was five or six years though.
(09:22):
I actually made a bed with one of my coaches
that I was playing with that he was gonna be
a first round pick in baseball. I mean he was.
He was just a special kid. Uh, the way he learned,
the way process and information. I knew that with his
ability and how strong his arm was, that he was
gonna have a chance to do some things. Uh. There
was a report that just came out about, uh the
(09:45):
drop in kids participating in the state of California in football.
I think it's down participation. Do you understand why some
people wouldn't want their kids to play football? Are you
can scarned about the long term effects on your son
playing football or or do you just accepted that it's
(10:06):
a part of the game. Well, I understand that the concerns.
I mean any time that you see what's going on
and with the guys, you know, with all the concussions
and all the things that are happening. I mean, I
have some lingering effects from from playing baseball, you know that.
You know, things are still bothering me every day. But
you know, I got lucky. I mean, he got to
(10:28):
play the position where they don't get here too much.
You know, as long as you're smart, you know, you
can always take the intentional ground and you can always
throw the ball away. So I was, you know, fortunate
and lucky enough to actually, um, he chose that position
to play any and he sailed at it. I said
earlier that you have played for uh six or seven
(10:49):
different major league teams, including a Japanese team, and you
played the longest in Minnesota. Is that the team you
feel because uh they drafted you, they brought you up
as is that your debuted with them? Is that the
team you feel most closely to the Twins? It would
be the Mets. You know, Uh, I always wanted to
(11:09):
be in New York Met when I was in high school. Uh,
you know, I grew up, you know, UH following you know,
Doc Gooden and and Darryl Strawberry and those guys, and
I always wanted to be a Met. And then uh,
once I got the chance to go there, I actually
thought I was gonna get drafted by them, and then
the Twins scooped in and and chose me as a
picture because the Mets were gonna draft me as an outfielder.
(11:32):
And uh, once I got there and the success I
had there and the success the team had, you know, uh,
going to the you know NLCS and nine and nine
and then going to the World Series of two thousand,
it just felt like home. Playing the Yankees in two
thousand and that Subway Series? What was that like in
New York? Just reliving that of the crowds, both two
(11:53):
teams in one city. What was that like? Do you
remember that? Yeah, it's a feeling I can't describe. You know.
I was actually with the Twins the ninety one went
the World Series, and that was pretty amazing. Um. I
actually wasn't you know, on the team yet. I was.
They called me up to you know, they get the
experience because they knew I was gonna be there the
next year. But in two thousands of Yankees in the myths,
(12:16):
I've never seen anything like it, and you know it's electric.
Uh great series. Uh one we should have probably won,
but you know, how do you know how the fall pounces? Uh,
you know the Clemens pr of the thing and all
that stuff. You just took a turn for the worst.
His name is Pat Mahomes, former Major league pitcher of course,
(12:38):
his son NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the Kansas City Chiefs. Hey, Pat,
thank you so much for doing this. We appreciate you
joining the podcast anytime. Robin once again, and thank you
all for having me. And uh, thank you for all
the words you're saying about my son and everything. I
watched you on the all time. Man, it's great to
be on there. I appreciate that. Thank you so much. Right,
(13:00):
thank you. It's time for the Pocket protect Or Central
the analytic numbers you need to know. Well maybe FS
ones Anthony Masterson is his name, BS analytics is his game.
What's it got for me, Anthony? Well, the term of
clutch has been a point of contention between the old
(13:22):
and new schools for years. Is there really a clutch gene?
Is it just hitting with men on hitting in the postseason? Well,
we've got a stature that we put a number on
the whole clutch controversy. Win probability added. Now w P
A is a perfect context dependent stat goes in conjunction
with the game's win probability graph, and players get credit
(13:43):
based on how much or how little their action contributes
to their odds of winning. Now, a home run in
a tie game of the ninth is obviously worth more
than a homer in the fifth inning, and attend to
one game right now. Win probability added highlights the big
and usually most exciting moments of a game. On Monday,
the Red Sox Sander Bogart to the game tying double
Indians closer Brad Hand with two outs in the ninth.
(14:05):
The win probability added of that play was zero point
three eight or percent, because it took Boston's win probability
from eight percent to forty six at plays like that
up over the course of the season and this year.
The Brewers Christian Yellow owns a plus six point one
w k A this season, or than the full number,
better than the next two on the list, Tody Bellinger
(14:27):
and Mike Trout. When a probability attic can tell you
who the real put's players are once and for all. Wow, Anthony,
something that I finally can use. I love it. Thanks
so much. It was a big week in the Big League?
(14:48):
Is it followed? Or is it fair? And now here?
Shadow League dot Com MLB insider JR. Gambo taking a
MLB seemed to be at an all time high this season.
There are so many bad teams. Is it fair or
foul Jr? To say that MLB should take a page
(15:10):
out of the Premier League's book and institute relegation where
the six worst teams, three from each league are set
down to triple A. It would never happen, but shouldn't
That's fair? MLB has to do something. The Tigers in
(15:30):
the Orioles have already lost with eighty games, the Royals
on pace to lose a hundred games, and the Blue
Jays are staring at a hundred losses for the first
time in four decades. The major market teams are dominating
and I never thought we'd get to the point where
MLB squads are thinking like NBA teams and taking for
draft picks. Well here we are. When the season began,
(15:54):
they were realistically about and teams with the shot to
win it all. Now there's about full are Yankees, Houston, Cleveland,
maybe the Dodgers. You can changed a couple of different teams.
But you get my drift. From two thousand two thousand six,
we had a different team win the World Series every
year since two thousand six, we said Boston winning three times,
(16:17):
the Giants win it three times, and in recent years
it's been all about Boston, Houston and the Yankees. The
players Union will never allow it, but sending the first
three teams down from each league, we're not only be
embarrassing for the franchise, but definitely inspired them to at
least not be the worst team in the league, even
while we're buildings are creative by there. But unfortunately, I
(16:41):
don't think it would ever happen. I'm with you, it
would never happen. So let's just scrub that. Fasten your seatbelt,
give me. Here comes Parker's top three MLB teams this week.
Number three the Houston Astros. Coming into Tuesday, there were
(17:07):
seventies seven and forty one and just continue to win.
The only bad spot was that everybody, once they traded
for Zack Grinky, thought it was gonna be a piece
of cake that they had three top guys in their
starting rotation. Of course, Garrett Cole, Justin Berlin and Zac Granky,
but Granky was rocked in his Houston debut, so that
(17:31):
didn't make people feel that good, at least not yet.
They're still one of the best teams, easily. The top
three teams could be interchange, but we're gonna go with
Houston at number three. Number two the Los Angeles Dodgers,
coming into Tuesday seventy nine and eighty one, an incredible record.
(17:54):
They continue to win again. The only buggaboo was about
the bullpen. I talked about it every week because I
think that ultimately is gonna be the Dodgers downfall. But
as far as everything else that the Dodgers have going,
it's a team that's hard to not like, hard not
to think that they're gonna make it to the World
(18:15):
Series for a third year in a row, and also
look as if they're gonna be a hard out because
they're so talented, so deep, and score so many runs.
But the bullpen, Remember I warned you, it's the reason
the Dodgers aren't the number one team and instead are
(18:35):
number two, number one. The number one team this week again,
the New York freaking Yankees. I know you get tired
of me saying it. I told you early on way
way way even with all the injuries, how good this
team has been won eight of their last ten, and
coming into Tuesday there was seventy nine and forty one. Again,
(18:57):
only forty one losses. When you look all the injuries
and all the things that's going on with this team,
it's amazing where they are. And if they were able
to get some of their star players back, how dangerous
this team is. Again, as of Tuesday, they were a
plus one fifty nine, second best in the American League.
And they just keep steamrolling over teams that aren't good.
(19:20):
And they feasted on the Baltimore Orioles. And that's what
you do the bad teams to beat them up. You
hit home runs, and uh you continue to mount those
wins despite some bumps in the road by their starters.
The Yankees are the best team in baseball. They out
(19:40):
it's time for trash talk Twitter twit with your chance
to trash anyone or anything in This week's winner is
at lead to lap and he tweeted this, My pick
for National League Rookie of the Year is Fernando Tattoos Junior.
Forget Pete Alonso and all his home runs, tat Teach
(20:04):
is only the second rookie shortstop ever with that least
twenty home runs and fifteen stolen bases in a single season.
He is the National League Rookie of the Year. If
you want a chance to win a New Era snapback
just like Lee, send your trash to at Rob Parker
(20:25):
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 into the podcast a buddy of mine, long
time Detroit Tigers be writer seventeen years in fact, Jason
(20:47):
Beck from MLB dot com. Jason, thanks for joining the podcast.
Thanks for having me on. Rob. I'm a fan of
the podcast. Uh I thought. I love listening to him.
I'm going for a run and it's so great to
be on. Thank you. So let's talk about the Terrible Tigers,
That's what I'm gonna call him, and uh boy, what
a bad year uh Detroit has had. At one point
(21:10):
they had lost twenty eight out of thirty two and
it looked like they might set the Tigers all up
losing record all time in the American League for a
regular season. Uh they've kind of stemmed the tide a
little bit. What's going wrong in Detroit? Oh gosh, um.
I mean you can look at a short long term,
(21:32):
you know, short term. They find some veteran free agents
who they hoped would kind of help them through this season,
and basically none of them have worked out. Matt Moore
in Tyson Ross, you know, we're supposed to staywise the rotation.
More was done for the year by the end of
May thanks to a knee injury. Cross I'd be I'd
(21:56):
be surprised if we see him again this season. Between
in thorassic outlet, synthumbs and neck issues. He hasn't pitched
since I think mid May. Um. You know, Josh Harrison
really didn't do much of anything at all for them.
They fined him in the middle of spring training. Jordy
Mercer has been okay but not great, and he missed
(22:18):
a good chunk with quad issues. So you know, those
are short term issues for long term issues. And you
know this rob being around here, you know this team
is paying the price for trying to extend the window
of contention for as long as they did, instead of
you know, waiting so long to carry down and try
to rebuild. Uh, you can look at what they tried
(22:41):
to do in sixteen and seventeen as adding to the damage. Um.
You know, the Jordan's Verman contract is a huge weight
on these guys. The contract extension that they gave Miguel
cab are just the same. And they're really they're caught
in the middle ground right now where they're trying to
build a farm system that really got decimated by some
(23:05):
lost draft pics and also got ignored in their with
Now philosophy that they basically operated under for the better
part of the decade. Speaking of Miguel Cabrera, what what
is the deal? Migge lost his power? I mean he's
a singles hitter now, is he? Or what's happened to Magi?
(23:26):
I think the injuries have caught up with him. I
really had. I mean you you saw some of the
things he played through over the years here and he
played for a growing terror At one point, he played
through essentially what was a broken foot the one year
down the stretch. Uh, He's played through lower leg problems,
(23:48):
he played through back injuries more recently, and he's paying
the price for that. UM. And he's he's had to
remake his swing to an extent to try to take
some pressure off of his legs because there's been so
much wear and tear down there and now you're kind
of you're seeing some better results, but you're not seeing
(24:08):
the power that he used to have. And given his
age and given the injuries, I I don't know if
we're going to see that type of power ever. Again.
I do think he's got double edged and home run power.
I just don't know if we'll see him get out
of the teams again in his career unless he makes
some sort of major adjustment and find something that really
(24:30):
clicks for him. And I think you can live with
that if he's stole a three hit Earth and I
think he's going through tweaks and adjustments right now to
try to at least get back to that point. Speaking
of home runs, unbelievable. The most home runs at Comerica
Park this season Jacobe Jones with seven and in the
(24:52):
list of the top uh like ten six five of
them are are visitors that had the most home ones
at Comerica Park. What is that, Well, it's a product
of the lineup. They're really able. Went into this season
without a whole lot of power surrounding Cabrera and Cassianos.
(25:14):
We got into the reasons why Cabrera is not hitting
for power and Nick, Yeah, I think it was a
combination of not having a whole lot of support aroundhim
in the lineup, and to be honest, I think the
contract here got to him. I think that had a
huge effect on him. He basically went into the season
as a lame duck, knowing that this team wasn't going
(25:35):
to resign him and knowing that he was playing for
a new contract on the team that he had no
chance of coming back to, but also a team that
couldn't have a whole lot around him to further his numbers.
And I think it was just creating an awkward situation. Yeah,
I think both sides would acknowledge as much. And I
(25:56):
think you're seeing through, you know, the impact by looking
at how free and easy he seemed to be playing
and how much he's enjoying the game ever since he's
trade through the Cubs a couple of weeks ago. Hey, Jason,
we got a minute ago. Tell me about Edwin Jackson.
The Tigers picked him up. Of course, he's been on
like a million teams. What's the plan there are you
(26:18):
just to fill a spot. Why did the Tigers pick
up Edwin Jackson? Well, they needed the innings, uh, you know,
with all the injuries, especially once it became clear that
Ross was if you to come back at all, you know,
they signed him to a minor league deal hoping he
could provide some depth. They got to a point last
week where they needed another starter, and the result was
(26:43):
a really good start at six and third innings, one run.
He had the same renovation on his way off the field,
and I think a lot of people, you know, even
those who don't remember him, appreciate the effort he put
in for this team and talking with them before, before
and after that out. And he feels a kinship here.
You know, this is a place that special to him,
(27:05):
given what he saw here in that playoff RaSE No. Nine.
How the thing responded. And you've got some family here,
he's got some carsins. I think it's a good marriage.
I don't know if it's going to be long term.
I kind of be surprised, giving the pitching prospects they
have coming up. But right now they really like him,
and he likes being part of his team. He wants
(27:26):
to help some of the young guys out all right.
His name is Jason Beck, one of the best baseball
writers out there from MLB dot com. Thanks Jason, appreciate
you absolutely Rob. Thanks for having me on now bringing
the Closer. Here's why MLB is better than the NFL
(27:46):
or NBA, and it isn't even close. On Sunday we
saw why Major League Baseball is better than the NBA
or the NFL. It was a classic match up Toronto
blue Jay's third basement Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Against Yankees closer.
All this Chapman and boy did they go tote the
(28:09):
tone the showdown Sunday in the night then and we're
basically the game on the line. A runner on one out,
slugger against flamethrower, veteran against twenty year old rookie. It
was a third team pitch at bat for Glad Jr.
And he battled, He fell behind in the whole oh
(28:31):
two against one of the best closes in baseball, and
Chapman and my goodness, Blad Junior fouled off seven pitches
in the thirteen pitch battle. At one point he had
a foul ball for a home run that would have
won the game for Toronto, but indeed it was foul
(28:51):
and in the very end it was experience over talent
and youth. And it was a roll, this Chapman getting
the game inning double play on Vlad Jr. To secure
the win, and the Yankees won the ball game, very
(29:13):
won the game one to nothing. Very rarely do you
see mano imano in most sports where it comes down
to one against one. We saw that on Sunday and
it was spectacular thing to watch. That's why Major League
Baseball is the best board going. In the words of
(29:39):
New York TV legend of late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you
for your time this time until next time. Rob Parker out.
This could be an inside the Parker as psial
From the Burke Shears to the sound from wherever you
live in MLB America. This is Inside the Parker. You
give us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the
scoop on major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of
Fame voter number one oh three, Rob Parker. Welcome into
Inside the Parker Podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker, and
(00:25):
coming up on the show Pat Mahomes, former major league
pitcher and just the father of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Plus,
we'll talk with MLB dot COM's Detroit Tiger b writer
Jason Beck. That and so much more. Let's go to
(00:45):
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, What a season for Christian Yellow from the
Milwaukee Brewers. He he has a chance of doing something
so special. In fact, no one in Major League Baseball
(01:07):
has ever done it. He has a chance to be
the first player in baseball history to hit fifty home
runs and have thirty stolen bases in a single season.
He's got a major league best thirty nine home runs
as of Tuesday and twenty three steals, so he needed
eleven more home runs and seven more steals in the
(01:31):
Brewers final forty three games. It's definitely not gonna be easy,
but it is not impossible for him to break through
to this threshold. It would be incredible what a season
he's been able to put put together. And right now
with his current numbers, he's on pace for fifty three
(01:54):
home runs and thirty one steals. Who would have ever
thought that Christian Yellis would be that guy to be
the first devil We always heard about the forty forty.
There used to be the thirty thirty club, But imagine
the fifty thirty club, and Christian Yellis would be the
first guy to enter those uncharted waters. I'm watching, I'm waiting,
(02:20):
and I'm hoping. Number two. Don't look now, but one
of the most popular managers in baseball, Joe Madden, is
a lame duck manager with the Chicago Cubs. Doesn't have
a contract for next year. Cubs, of course, they're in
the playoffs. Madden, of course, is the only manager who
(02:43):
was able to all win a World Series, breaking that
one hundred and eight year drought back in team with
the World Series win over the Cleveland Indians. Madden is
the only manager in Cubs history to lead the team
to fourth second of postseason berths. He's done everything in Chicago,
(03:04):
and yet he has no deal for next year. And
you know what people should wonder about it, wonder if
Joe Madden's gonna go the same way as all the
other veteran managers in Major League Baseball. Owners have decided
they don't want to pay the older guys. They'd rather
use young guys analytics. They'd rather make out the lineups
(03:29):
in the front office rather than let managers do it
in the dugout. We saw Dusty Baker, we saw Joe Girardi,
we saw Buck show Walter, we saw John Ferrold. We
saw all these old time skippers get shuttled out and
not to be seen again. Is this gonna happen to
(03:49):
Joe Madden? Madden says he remains optimistic about getting a
new deal with the Cubs, but it is interesting that
he went into this season without having more than just
this season on a contract, despite the Cubs all the
success that he's had. Theo Epstein, the president of Baseball Operations,
(04:10):
says that he'll wait and see sit down At some
point and they'll discuss the future of Joe Madden. But
let's face it, unless they win a World Series, it
doesn't seem as if the Cubs are interested in bringing
back Joe Madden number three. Just when you were ready
to write the Cleveland Indians off in the horrible a
(04:35):
L Central and the Twins have been dominating most of
the year, the Indians now went back in the first
place on Monday. They somehow, some way, we're able to
do it on a walk off home run. The Indians
were twenty six and twenty six in the last week
of May. They were like eleven and a half games
(04:58):
behind the Minnesota Twins in the first week of June.
But since June fourth, the record went to forty three
and seventeen, the best in baseball. And it's hard not
to look at their manager, Terry Francona and not think
to yourself, Terry had something to do with this. Terry
(05:18):
was able to get this d team right in. It
just looked like it was going to go astray, that
the Indians were basically dead in the water. We'ren't gonna
have a chance to compete again come October, come to playoffs,
maybe even the World series. But you know what, there
it is the Indians are alive and well and it's
(05:42):
hard not to give Terry Francona most of the credit.
Here comes the big interview listen held. All right, let's
welcome into the podcast. Pat mahomes the former Major league
pitcher pitch the number of teams UM Minnesota, Boston, the Mets, Rangers, Clubs, Pirates,
(06:07):
also played a couple of years in Japan. Pat, thanks
for joining the program. Thanks for having me, Pat. How
much is baseball change since you pitched, uh back in
the last year you pitched with two thousand three? Do
you recognize this game? Uh, it's a lot different, you know. Um.
I actually, you know, do a lot of stuff with
(06:29):
the MLP and I mean m l v P A,
you know, running camps from some of the younger kids, uh,
kids that are getting ready to going to high school
and the kids that are in high school. Uh uh
So we have about thirty thirty five former big league
players and we have camps down in Baro Beach, Florida.
So you know, it's it's still the same game, but
we're just trying to bring some of the old stuff back,
(06:51):
no doubt about it. Now. I saw, of course, your
your son is Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs,
who just had an unbelievable will break out second year
m v P. I see, I've seen video of him
as a picture. How good was he? We know how
good he is as a football player. How good was
he as a as a baseball pitcher? Well, he was
(07:13):
a hard thrower, you know, I think he topped out
of by n by the time he was a senior.
Uh for the picture, I mean you use the word loosely.
I mean he threw a lot of strikes, struck out
a lot of guys, didn't give up a lot of hits.
But he was more of a position player than he
was a picture. How did you get him to play
two sports? You know? The big thing now in a
(07:35):
AU and a lot of these coaches is they want
kids to specialize in one thing. And I'm still I'm
still bothered by it because we just saw Kyler Murray
played baseball and football and become the first player ever
to be drafted in the first round in both sports.
So why how did you get Patrick to play both? Well,
(07:56):
he actually played three, you know, he played all three
to Big three. You know, I played three. Uh, he
grew up that way, playing all of them. So you know,
I just didn't want to limit his options. And as
people you know, are starting to realize, you know, the
others can help, you know, whatever sports you choose, uh,
you know, to specialize in once you have to make
that decision. But until somebody makes you make a decision,
(08:19):
you know, I think it's best to keep all your
options open because you never know what's going to develop.
Like you know him, I mean he really didn't start
playing quarterback to his junior year and and in in
high school and he took off. So I mean he
always had baseball, you know, option open. He had the
basketball option open, and U he was actually would have
(08:41):
been drafted you know at the Sandwich pit in the
first round, but he he told him that the money
wasn't right, so he end up, Uh he wanted to
go play football, and that's what he did. Did you know,
I mean, I know everybody says, well, I can remember
having conversations in Detroit and Cecil Fielder back then. He
was always telling me about man, my son. Man, he's
(09:02):
a stud. You know, he's so good. Did you know
your son was going to be I mean rip up
the record books in the NFL. Or did you think
it had a chance to be a really good quarterback?
Or did you really know I had something special? To
be honest with, the football would have been the last
one I thought he would have played. Uh. I knew
about the age he was five or six years though.
(09:22):
I actually made a bed with one of my coaches
that I was playing with that he was gonna be
a first round pick in baseball. I mean he was.
He was just a special kid. Uh, the way he learned,
the way process and information. I knew that with his
ability and how strong his arm was, that he was
gonna have a chance to do some things. Uh. There
was a report that just came out about, uh the
(09:45):
drop in kids participating in the state of California in football.
I think it's down participation. Do you understand why some
people wouldn't want their kids to play football? Are you
can scarned about the long term effects on your son
playing football or or do you just accepted that it's
(10:06):
a part of the game. Well, I understand that the concerns.
I mean any time that you see what's going on
and with the guys, you know, with all the concussions
and all the things that are happening. I mean, I
have some lingering effects from from playing baseball, you know that.
You know, things are still bothering me every day. But
you know, I got lucky. I mean, he got to
(10:28):
play the position where they don't get here too much.
You know, as long as you're smart, you know, you
can always take the intentional ground and you can always
throw the ball away. So I was, you know, fortunate
and lucky enough to actually, um, he chose that position
to play any and he sailed at it. I said
earlier that you have played for uh six or seven
(10:49):
different major league teams, including a Japanese team, and you
played the longest in Minnesota. Is that the team you
feel because uh they drafted you, they brought you up
as is that your debuted with them? Is that the
team you feel most closely to the Twins? It would
be the Mets. You know, Uh, I always wanted to
(11:09):
be in New York Met when I was in high school. Uh,
you know, I grew up, you know, UH following you know,
Doc Gooden and and Darryl Strawberry and those guys, and
I always wanted to be a Met. And then uh,
once I got the chance to go there, I actually
thought I was gonna get drafted by them, and then
the Twins scooped in and and chose me as a
picture because the Mets were gonna draft me as an outfielder.
(11:32):
And uh, once I got there and the success I
had there and the success the team had, you know, uh,
going to the you know NLCS and nine and nine
and then going to the World Series of two thousand,
it just felt like home. Playing the Yankees in two
thousand and that Subway Series? What was that like in
New York? Just reliving that of the crowds, both two
(11:53):
teams in one city. What was that like? Do you
remember that? Yeah, it's a feeling I can't describe. You know.
I was actually with the Twins the ninety one went
the World Series, and that was pretty amazing. Um. I
actually wasn't you know, on the team yet. I was.
They called me up to you know, they get the
experience because they knew I was gonna be there the
next year. But in two thousands of Yankees in the myths,
(12:16):
I've never seen anything like it, and you know it's electric.
Uh great series. Uh one we should have probably won,
but you know, how do you know how the fall pounces? Uh,
you know the Clemens pr of the thing and all
that stuff. You just took a turn for the worst.
His name is Pat Mahomes, former Major league pitcher of course,
(12:38):
his son NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the Kansas City Chiefs. Hey, Pat,
thank you so much for doing this. We appreciate you
joining the podcast anytime. Robin once again, and thank you
all for having me. And uh, thank you for all
the words you're saying about my son and everything. I
watched you on the all time. Man, it's great to
be on there. I appreciate that. Thank you so much. Right,
(13:00):
thank you. It's time for the Pocket protect Or Central
the analytic numbers you need to know. Well maybe FS
ones Anthony Masterson is his name, BS analytics is his game.
What's it got for me, Anthony? Well, the term of
clutch has been a point of contention between the old
(13:22):
and new schools for years. Is there really a clutch gene?
Is it just hitting with men on hitting in the postseason? Well,
we've got a stature that we put a number on
the whole clutch controversy. Win probability added. Now w P
A is a perfect context dependent stat goes in conjunction
with the game's win probability graph, and players get credit
(13:43):
based on how much or how little their action contributes
to their odds of winning. Now, a home run in
a tie game of the ninth is obviously worth more
than a homer in the fifth inning, and attend to
one game right now. Win probability added highlights the big
and usually most exciting moments of a game. On Monday,
the Red Sox Sander Bogart to the game tying double
Indians closer Brad Hand with two outs in the ninth.
(14:05):
The win probability added of that play was zero point
three eight or percent, because it took Boston's win probability
from eight percent to forty six at plays like that
up over the course of the season and this year.
The Brewers Christian Yellow owns a plus six point one
w k A this season, or than the full number,
better than the next two on the list, Tody Bellinger
(14:27):
and Mike Trout. When a probability attic can tell you
who the real put's players are once and for all. Wow, Anthony,
something that I finally can use. I love it. Thanks
so much. It was a big week in the Big League?
(14:48):
Is it followed? Or is it fair? And now here?
Shadow League dot Com MLB insider JR. Gambo taking a
MLB seemed to be at an all time high this season.
There are so many bad teams. Is it fair or
foul Jr? To say that MLB should take a page
(15:10):
out of the Premier League's book and institute relegation where
the six worst teams, three from each league are set
down to triple A. It would never happen, but shouldn't
That's fair? MLB has to do something. The Tigers in
(15:30):
the Orioles have already lost with eighty games, the Royals
on pace to lose a hundred games, and the Blue
Jays are staring at a hundred losses for the first
time in four decades. The major market teams are dominating
and I never thought we'd get to the point where
MLB squads are thinking like NBA teams and taking for
draft picks. Well here we are. When the season began,
(15:54):
they were realistically about and teams with the shot to
win it all. Now there's about full are Yankees, Houston, Cleveland,
maybe the Dodgers. You can changed a couple of different teams.
But you get my drift. From two thousand two thousand six,
we had a different team win the World Series every
year since two thousand six, we said Boston winning three times,
(16:17):
the Giants win it three times, and in recent years
it's been all about Boston, Houston and the Yankees. The
players Union will never allow it, but sending the first
three teams down from each league, we're not only be
embarrassing for the franchise, but definitely inspired them to at
least not be the worst team in the league, even
while we're buildings are creative by there. But unfortunately, I
(16:41):
don't think it would ever happen. I'm with you, it
would never happen. So let's just scrub that. Fasten your seatbelt,
give me. Here comes Parker's top three MLB teams this week.
Number three the Houston Astros. Coming into Tuesday, there were
(17:07):
seventies seven and forty one and just continue to win.
The only bad spot was that everybody, once they traded
for Zack Grinky, thought it was gonna be a piece
of cake that they had three top guys in their
starting rotation. Of course, Garrett Cole, Justin Berlin and Zac Granky,
but Granky was rocked in his Houston debut, so that
(17:31):
didn't make people feel that good, at least not yet.
They're still one of the best teams, easily. The top
three teams could be interchange, but we're gonna go with
Houston at number three. Number two the Los Angeles Dodgers,
coming into Tuesday seventy nine and eighty one, an incredible record.
(17:54):
They continue to win again. The only buggaboo was about
the bullpen. I talked about it every week because I
think that ultimately is gonna be the Dodgers downfall. But
as far as everything else that the Dodgers have going,
it's a team that's hard to not like, hard not
to think that they're gonna make it to the World
(18:15):
Series for a third year in a row, and also
look as if they're gonna be a hard out because
they're so talented, so deep, and score so many runs.
But the bullpen, Remember I warned you, it's the reason
the Dodgers aren't the number one team and instead are
(18:35):
number two, number one. The number one team this week again,
the New York freaking Yankees. I know you get tired
of me saying it. I told you early on way
way way even with all the injuries, how good this
team has been won eight of their last ten, and
coming into Tuesday there was seventy nine and forty one. Again,
(18:57):
only forty one losses. When you look all the injuries
and all the things that's going on with this team,
it's amazing where they are. And if they were able
to get some of their star players back, how dangerous
this team is. Again, as of Tuesday, they were a
plus one fifty nine, second best in the American League.
And they just keep steamrolling over teams that aren't good.
(19:20):
And they feasted on the Baltimore Orioles. And that's what
you do the bad teams to beat them up. You
hit home runs, and uh you continue to mount those
wins despite some bumps in the road by their starters.
The Yankees are the best team in baseball. They out
(19:40):
it's time for trash talk Twitter twit with your chance
to trash anyone or anything in This week's winner is
at lead to lap and he tweeted this, My pick
for National League Rookie of the Year is Fernando Tattoos Junior.
Forget Pete Alonso and all his home runs, tat Teach
(20:04):
is only the second rookie shortstop ever with that least
twenty home runs and fifteen stolen bases in a single season.
He is the National League Rookie of the Year. If
you want a chance to win a New Era snapback
just like Lee, send your trash to at Rob Parker
(20:25):
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 into the podcast a buddy of mine, long
time Detroit Tigers be writer seventeen years in fact, Jason
(20:47):
Beck from MLB dot com. Jason, thanks for joining the podcast.
Thanks for having me on. Rob. I'm a fan of
the podcast. Uh I thought. I love listening to him.
I'm going for a run and it's so great to
be on. Thank you. So let's talk about the Terrible Tigers,
That's what I'm gonna call him, and uh boy, what
a bad year uh Detroit has had. At one point
(21:10):
they had lost twenty eight out of thirty two and
it looked like they might set the Tigers all up
losing record all time in the American League for a
regular season. Uh they've kind of stemmed the tide a
little bit. What's going wrong in Detroit? Oh gosh, um.
I mean you can look at a short long term,
(21:32):
you know, short term. They find some veteran free agents
who they hoped would kind of help them through this season,
and basically none of them have worked out. Matt Moore
in Tyson Ross, you know, we're supposed to staywise the rotation.
More was done for the year by the end of
May thanks to a knee injury. Cross I'd be I'd
(21:56):
be surprised if we see him again this season. Between
in thorassic outlet, synthumbs and neck issues. He hasn't pitched
since I think mid May. Um. You know, Josh Harrison
really didn't do much of anything at all for them.
They fined him in the middle of spring training. Jordy
Mercer has been okay but not great, and he missed
(22:18):
a good chunk with quad issues. So you know, those
are short term issues for long term issues. And you
know this rob being around here, you know this team
is paying the price for trying to extend the window
of contention for as long as they did, instead of
you know, waiting so long to carry down and try
to rebuild. Uh, you can look at what they tried
(22:41):
to do in sixteen and seventeen as adding to the damage. Um.
You know, the Jordan's Verman contract is a huge weight
on these guys. The contract extension that they gave Miguel
cab are just the same. And they're really they're caught
in the middle ground right now where they're trying to
build a farm system that really got decimated by some
(23:05):
lost draft pics and also got ignored in their with
Now philosophy that they basically operated under for the better
part of the decade. Speaking of Miguel Cabrera, what what
is the deal? Migge lost his power? I mean he's
a singles hitter now, is he? Or what's happened to Magi?
(23:26):
I think the injuries have caught up with him. I
really had. I mean you you saw some of the
things he played through over the years here and he
played for a growing terror At one point, he played
through essentially what was a broken foot the one year
down the stretch. Uh, He's played through lower leg problems,
(23:48):
he played through back injuries more recently, and he's paying
the price for that. UM. And he's he's had to
remake his swing to an extent to try to take
some pressure off of his legs because there's been so
much wear and tear down there and now you're kind
of you're seeing some better results, but you're not seeing
(24:08):
the power that he used to have. And given his
age and given the injuries, I I don't know if
we're going to see that type of power ever. Again.
I do think he's got double edged and home run power.
I just don't know if we'll see him get out
of the teams again in his career unless he makes
some sort of major adjustment and find something that really
(24:30):
clicks for him. And I think you can live with
that if he's stole a three hit Earth and I
think he's going through tweaks and adjustments right now to
try to at least get back to that point. Speaking
of home runs, unbelievable. The most home runs at Comerica
Park this season Jacobe Jones with seven and in the
(24:52):
list of the top uh like ten six five of
them are are visitors that had the most home ones
at Comerica Park. What is that, Well, it's a product
of the lineup. They're really able. Went into this season
without a whole lot of power surrounding Cabrera and Cassianos.
(25:14):
We got into the reasons why Cabrera is not hitting
for power and Nick, Yeah, I think it was a
combination of not having a whole lot of support aroundhim
in the lineup, and to be honest, I think the
contract here got to him. I think that had a
huge effect on him. He basically went into the season
as a lame duck, knowing that this team wasn't going
(25:35):
to resign him and knowing that he was playing for
a new contract on the team that he had no
chance of coming back to, but also a team that
couldn't have a whole lot around him to further his numbers.
And I think it was just creating an awkward situation. Yeah,
I think both sides would acknowledge as much. And I
(25:56):
think you're seeing through, you know, the impact by looking
at how free and easy he seemed to be playing
and how much he's enjoying the game ever since he's
trade through the Cubs a couple of weeks ago. Hey, Jason,
we got a minute ago. Tell me about Edwin Jackson.
The Tigers picked him up. Of course, he's been on
like a million teams. What's the plan there are you
(26:18):
just to fill a spot. Why did the Tigers pick
up Edwin Jackson? Well, they needed the innings, uh, you know,
with all the injuries, especially once it became clear that
Ross was if you to come back at all, you know,
they signed him to a minor league deal hoping he
could provide some depth. They got to a point last
week where they needed another starter, and the result was
(26:43):
a really good start at six and third innings, one run.
He had the same renovation on his way off the field,
and I think a lot of people, you know, even
those who don't remember him, appreciate the effort he put
in for this team and talking with them before, before
and after that out. And he feels a kinship here.
You know, this is a place that special to him,
(27:05):
given what he saw here in that playoff RaSE No. Nine.
How the thing responded. And you've got some family here,
he's got some carsins. I think it's a good marriage.
I don't know if it's going to be long term.
I kind of be surprised, giving the pitching prospects they
have coming up. But right now they really like him,
and he likes being part of his team. He wants
(27:26):
to help some of the young guys out all right.
His name is Jason Beck, one of the best baseball
writers out there from MLB dot com. Thanks Jason, appreciate
you absolutely Rob. Thanks for having me on now bringing
the Closer. Here's why MLB is better than the NFL
(27:46):
or NBA, and it isn't even close. On Sunday we
saw why Major League Baseball is better than the NBA
or the NFL. It was a classic match up Toronto
blue Jay's third basement Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Against Yankees closer.
All this Chapman and boy did they go tote the
(28:09):
tone the showdown Sunday in the night then and we're
basically the game on the line. A runner on one out,
slugger against flamethrower, veteran against twenty year old rookie. It
was a third team pitch at bat for Glad Jr.
And he battled, He fell behind in the whole oh
(28:31):
two against one of the best closes in baseball, and
Chapman and my goodness, Blad Junior fouled off seven pitches
in the thirteen pitch battle. At one point he had
a foul ball for a home run that would have
won the game for Toronto, but indeed it was foul
(28:51):
and in the very end it was experience over talent
and youth. And it was a roll, this Chapman getting
the game inning double play on Vlad Jr. To secure
the win, and the Yankees won the ball game, very
(29:13):
won the game one to nothing. Very rarely do you
see mano imano in most sports where it comes down
to one against one. We saw that on Sunday and
it was spectacular thing to watch. That's why Major League
Baseball is the best board going. In the words of
(29:39):
New York TV legend of late Bill Jorgensen, thanking you
for your time this time until next time. Rob Parker out.
This could be an inside the Parker as psial
Host
Rob Parker
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