March 24, 2026 • 51 mins
Hosts Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci discuss Opening Day and the need for teams to get off to a good start! What is the biggest thing a team will see in the first few weeks of the season? Joe reveals the team he thinks can most challenge the Dodgers in the NL. Tom talks about the players who will benefit from a solid performance in the WBC. Following a memorable Babe Ruth story, Joe and Tom name their World Series teams!
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
The Book of Joe Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hey Darren, welcome back to the Book of Joe Podcast.
It's me Tom Berducci with of course Joe madd and
we've got opening day coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Joe.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
We're going to get into that right in a quick
minute here, But.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
First I want to make sure did you actually drop
sixteen thousand dollars on an espresso machine?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, I would though if I had it.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Okay, somebody did.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I'm talking about, of course, the espresso machine that was
in the team Italy dugout during the WBC. It was
put out over and the winning bid was sixteen thousand,
five hundred and ten dollars.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's for a good cause.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The money goes to the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.
But yeah, it's just one of those simple one cups,
you know, plastic jobs in sixteen.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
That's what I thought I saw.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I thought maybe it was you.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I thought he saw that.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
On TV that when you said that, I thought, I
remember seeing something very basic. So again, it went to
a good cause. Somebody overpaid for it. But that's that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
By the way, the viewing audience for the final of
the WBC Venezuela USA.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Drew ten point eight million people.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
That's more than watched every game but one in the
NBA Finals last year. Wow, and more than nineteen of
the last thirty five NBA Finals. This is for a
quote unquote exhibition game in March. It has really arrived
in terms of buy in by the players and by
the fans. And please, please, people stop with talk about
(01:48):
moving it to the All Star Break. We just established
this thing as a tent pole in the baseball calendar
in March.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It's a great run up to Opening Day.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Joe, Why do people, especially in baseball, it seems to me,
think they need to fix quote unquote everything, even what's good.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Sometimes just leave it alone.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Yeah it sometimes it can't help yourself everybody. It's just
in general, just the way the game is structured and
run right now, and it's.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So tight to the best.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Honestly, fun has been put on the back burner, although
it appeared to be a lot of fun, and it is. However,
there's a lot of stress involved in that you're playing
in March. People can't talking about players getting insurance, You're
talking about players getting hurt. You're talking about managers having
to call into front offices to see who's.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Available or not.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
There's just there's this really overwhelming sense of having to
control things.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
And by the way, Joe, sorry to interrupt you, there
no go ahead please.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
If you play it during the All Star break, those
same issues are in play.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Do you really think the Dodgers are gonna yet?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
No, Let Yoshinobu Yamamoto throw seven or eight innings in
a game that has no effect on the standings in July, when,
as you know, everybody is looking to give their guys
a pit stop for the mid season.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Yeah, listen, I'm I'm in. I wanted a pit stop
in the middle of the season. I mean, having to
go to the All Star Games wonderful. But I'll tell
you what's It's tough when you have no break during
the course of the year at all.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
It is difficult.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
But what I was beginning to say, I think this
morning I saw a feed on Don Zimmer and Jerry
Crawford getting after it during a game in Cincinnati with
Sutcliffe had a net Pat gets called on on a
check swinging and Zim said something from the dugout and
here we go. But I'm watching Zim come out from
the dugout. I'm watching him and Jerry, are you? And
I love Jerry Crawford. Also, it was so good, it
(03:38):
was so entertaining, it was so real, And my only
takeaway from it was the fact that the manager, Zim
was omnipotent in a sense that he was running the
Cubs without really any any kind of interference.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Is that a good or bad thing? I don't see
why it's a bad thing.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
I don't think any teams are better, and I don't
think the team's back there were worse. For the fact
the way the power structure was implemented, it's just different
the way everybody wants to control outcomes and situations compared
to back then, when the control lever was smaller, shorter,
the manager was pretty much he had dominant rain over
(04:15):
the control lever, where today it's so spread out and
it's so the control lever needs to be controllers, and
back in the day it didn't have to be controlled
so much. So I enjoyed that. I really watching Zim
getting after it. I saw Jerry get after it, very entertaining.
Just the point is going back that you're talking about,
the need it seems to be to have to control
(04:37):
things and not just permit things to play out sometimes.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Again, I really.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Believe if the Dodgers did not have one ounce of
analytics but had the same group of players that they have,
and every other team had the best analytical department in
the world with the same players that they have, the
Dodgers would still win.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Well, that's a great transition, Joe, to a topic I
want to talk about, since Opening Day is right around
the corner here. You hear it all the time, the
phrase getting all off to a good start, and I
want to talk to you about that. From the manager's perspective,
we know how important that everybody wants to get off
to a good start, whether it's.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
A team or whether it's a player.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
You can see guys almost relaxed when they get their
first hit, So how important is it. I'll just remind
you that last year, the team that was tied with
the Dodgers for the best record at the end of
April was the New York Mets.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
They did not make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
The Toronto Blue Jays, who did make the World Series
and came within two outs of winning the darn thing,
were fourteen and sixteen, the fifth worst record in the
American League. Basically, Joe, the bottom line, and I'm going
to go through this with you and the teams you've had.
There are many different ways to get to the World Series.
Getting off to a good start. Yeah, everybody wants it.
(05:52):
It's not paramount. The old saying is you can lose
a postseason spot in April, but you can't really win it.
To you, Joe, as a manager, how important was it
to get off a good start?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I talked about it all the time.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I mean, I'm I'm looking for the ability to absorb
that bad moment that's going to happen. You're going to
have that bad moment, and it's just like when you
start your you know, the record is so glaring and
everybody's on top of it, and sometimes you could create
a really negative narrative. And you're right that the Nationals
did it a couple of years ago, horrible start winning
the World Series.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Of course it can happen.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
But then I was part of the Rays going to
a World Series with the good start, and I've been
part of a Cubs team going to the World Series.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
With a good start. I prefer the good starts, just
to be able to absorb that bad moment. I would
talk to the guys about that.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Listen, it's going to go bad here at some point,
and how we react to that bad moment's going to
separate us and permit us either to go on to
good things or not. When the Rays went to the
World Series, we had two seven game losing streaks during
the course of that season. Bad moments, difficult moments. But
then again, I thought that the good start then helped
permits you mentally to absorb these a little bit better.
(07:01):
I think the teams that get off to a good
start and then go south something probably happened, maybe injury wise,
but a lot of times when the team gets off
to a good start, could you if you were with
the Cubs at that time or with the Rays at
that time, you would have felt it. And even in
two thousand and two, the Angels got out to a
bad start, that was here my pop passed the way
I remember, I think we were like six and fourteen, maybe.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Rateing fourteen exactly. You started six and fourteen. After twenty games, yeah,
the Angels were ten and a half games out. That's
almost unbelievable, massa twenty games to be ten and a
half out, and you wind up winning the Pennant.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I'm sitting in Pennsylvania, you know, I'm tending my dad's services,
and the game happened to me. And We're playing Oakland
and watching the game, and I'm seeing that Mike Mearsy
hit a home run I think for Oakland Myers the catcher,
and we lose, and I'm looking at our guys and
just from the TV screen, it looks so defeated, and
I'm thinking, my god, how are we going to fix this?
(07:59):
Because we were coming off a bad ending of the
previous year nine to eleven when that happened.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I mean, by god, we were terrible after that.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
You know, just you know, flying around in your heads
and literally not in the clouds. You're just not grounded
at all. But anyway, here comes two thousand and two.
We were confronted with who's going to play shortstop. We
had Benji Gill doing it and Adam Kennedy at second.
We were trying to get Exstein involved and then eventually
we decided on David. And David had a big weekend
(08:28):
against the Blue Jays in Anaheim.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I had a couple of Grand.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Slams, believe it or not, Right down on the left
field line. That's what he did, and all of a
sudden things just changed. And then all of a sudden,
the rotation followed where Sean Wootin became him and Benji
started killing lefties, and all of a sudden, we had
this nice rotation going on here.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
We just took off.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
So I don't know that there's one formula, obviously, because
there's so many examples both ways. But from a managerial perspective,
I preached it anything I wanted us to be during
the course of the season. I talked a lot about
it during camp to be part of my original meeting.
I would talk about these things, and I would talk
specifically about the ability to absorb bad moments. So that's it.
(09:12):
I mean, I've seen it from both sides. I prefer
getting off to a good start.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, two thousand and eight Rays actually started eight and eleven.
But then when seven of the last of the next eight, yeah,
to finish come out of April at fifteen and twelve.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yeah, that was another good thing. I used to go
by the months. I wanted to win the month. That
was a big thing for me. You want to win
the week, and then you want to win the month,
and I used to look at those things as markers
all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
And then the twenty sixteen Cubs, my goodness, seventeen to
five coming out of April. If the extended a little farther,
twenty five and six, an eight and a half game
lead after thirty one games. Basically, you blew the doors
off the division. I don't want to say you salted
it away, but you had it pretty much locked up
(09:59):
by even before school was out.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Yeah, and then the guys felt it something to be felt.
And then you get that city being turned on, in
that ballpark being turned on.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
And then again you look at our players too.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
I mean, it was such a wonderful mix of veterans
and youth. We were the youngest team to win a
World Series apparently at the end of it all. But
that wouldn't have happened without all these wonderful veterans mixed
within that group, whether it was David or Miggy, you know,
John Lackey, Jake was a veteran at that time. Jason
Heyward was a young veteran at that time. I mean,
(10:32):
we just and Dexter, we had all this, We had
this bland man and I look at it as I
thought it was such a charismatic group. It was so
fun to be with these guys every day. They took
care of their own clubhouse, et cetera. But anyway, it
was all about, I thought, getting off to the good start.
And then it became believable that was coming off of
a really good twenty fifteen where nobody thought we would
(10:53):
have gotten to the NLCS.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, which brings me to a point that I have
and I want to get your take on this, Joe,
that it's important to get off to a good start
for teams that aren't.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Sure of what they are sure, Like if you're.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
A team that has been crystallized, like your team in sixteen,
as you mentioned, a younger team but the playoff running fifteen,
you pretty much knew who you were, not a lot
of open questions and not a lot of changes, right.
I look at a team like the Yankees and the Phillies,
the teams that are the Dodgers, teams that essentially are
running it back this year. They know who they are, right,
(11:27):
They've established an identity, established a way of winning. If
you don't start well, you don't panic, You still know
who you are. I look at teams that made a
lot of changes, whether it's the manager or personnel and
or both. I think it's important for them to get
off to a good start. And that's why I think
the team this year out of the thirty Major league
teams that's essential to get off to the good start
(11:48):
is the New York Mets. They'll put their lineup on
the field opening day against Paul Skiings with essentially only
Francisco Lindor at the same position as started.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Opening day last year.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
In the outfield is entirely new, with once So moving
to left field, Luis Robert Junior in centerfield, Carson Benge,
the rookie, gets the start, and right field. They've got
two shortstops playing on the corners with Polanco and Bashett.
They've got Marcus Simi at second base Francis galver As catching.
He was not in the opening day lineup last year,
(12:21):
so that's a lot of change. Back into the bullpen
obviously has changed, with Devin Williams replacing Edwin Diaz. The
coaching staff was almost entirely flipped. This is a team
I think, even though it's more of a veteran team, Joe,
I think they really need to get off to a
good start to have convinced themselves more than the rest
(12:42):
of the world that they are a good team. Give
me your thoughts on the Mets, and again, it's New York.
If you don't start well, and I'm talking about the
first week of the season, not the first month, you're
gonna hear it.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And I think that's when some of the doubts may
creep in.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Well, your I think your evaluation is right on that.
Those are a really good points you just made regarding
teams that have recently done it have a culture established
as compared to those who do not. Yeah, I think
the Mets have a nice group, and it was It's
going to be part of what I was going to
talk about later when we get to the end. But
you know, they're they're projected according to the New York Post,
which can be a little bit biased, but their numbers
(13:19):
and projected win total. They got new guys at a
lot of positions and guys playing different positions, and that
to me is you know on paper that you know,
like Bow going a third base and Polanco at first base.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And these kind of things.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Simeon at second base was done before, but it's thirty
five years of age.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
I mean, they're nice names. I'm curious. I'm just curious
to see how this all holds up. I like some
of their young pitching, of course, McLean. I mean, they
got some really good stuff going on there, but again
their bullpen has got like these, these refurbished names from
the Yankees, and Williams was.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Not the same.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I mean, I know his numbers. I mean I guess
the if you break them down, it was still a.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Very good year for him.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
But then again, if by the eyeball test, I didn't
think it was as good as it i'd been.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
And the same thing with Warren.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
So there's a lot of unanswered questions there, and they
they're putting back in the bullpen because all of a
sudden his velocity is down. Although he could be in
the starting rotation within a week or so, it depends
on injuries.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Et cetera. So I think there's a lot of question
marks there.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I mean, the hamlet bone that Lindor's coming back from
very interesting. Normally you know, of course that does heal,
but sometimes it takes a while for a hitter to
get over that and really trust his hand et cetera.
And plus the fact they didn't get all the reps
during camp, and again that could lead to a less
than perfect start.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
So there's a lot of question marks there.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
So it's kind of surprised that they were picked above
the Phillies and the Braves going into this thing right
now according to the New York Post the Bible. But yeah,
I'm not completely sold. I like what they did.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I do.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I'm a fan of what they did, Sterns did, but
I still think it has to play out because there's
a lot of moving parts there that guy's got to
get comfortable with.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, we're going to take a quick break.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
We get back, we're going to talk about what you
just brought up, Joe. Win totals and predictions for who's
going to be a surprise team if any this year.
But I think you're going to be surprised if you
haven't been already on the one team that has been
picked to most challenge the LA Dodgers in the National League.
(15:23):
We'll reveal who that team is right after this on
the Book of Joe. Well, Joe, it's not just the
New York Boast, Uh, it's Vegas. Looking at win totals,
for teams. Now, I realize this is not, you know,
(15:47):
entirely a one.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Percent evaluation of a team's talent.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
A lot of times it reflects the betting market and
who's who's betting on what teams. But if you look
at projected win totals, obviously the Dodgers a number one
Baseball as they should be they have. Vegas has them
at one oh three half, which I think is actually
way too high because the Dodgers have learned that they
do not go all out to pile up as many
(16:12):
wins as they can.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
They just don't. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
It's about making sure their pitchers are healthy in October.
If it cost them a win here or there, they're
more than happy to sign up for that. So I
would go below that. But the one team they have,
actually there's two. But in the National League, the team
that to most challenge the Dodgers as far as total
win total at ninety and a half wins is the
New York Mets, And I'm with you, Joe.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
I would not have them above the Philadelphia Phillies.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I'm not sure to have them over the Chicago Cubs.
Bras are a different story. We'll get to them.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
The minute.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
But who do you see as the one team in
the National League that can most challenge the LA Dodgers
for the National League Pennant.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yeah, I mean I was the first thing that stood
out to me was the parody involved in these numbers.
I mean, there was only one team that blew their division,
like you suggested, was the Dodgers. Everything else was kind
of like even steven to the point, and some of
them were like between number one and two and three
was like a tremendous disparity. And even the one group
(17:15):
and again the Post picked the Brewers at eighty four
and a half wins to beat the Cubs at eighty
and a half.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I don't even if they misprinted that or not. But
if there's one, if there's one club, I still I
still like. I still like is the Phillies. I do.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I still like the Phillies. I know the fact that
Schure went back there. You know, they made some nice
moves during the off season. I still like the Phillies
to be the greatest challenge. It's going to be difficult
for the Brewers to repeat what they had done. They
got rid of Peralta and there's you know, it's just
other little floaters around there. The Padres I think have
really sunk. I don't think there are a challenge anymore.
(17:51):
I think the Cubs, if they really get out of
their pitching staff with they potentially can't get o their
pitching staff, they can be a threat.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yes, But I still think for me.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
If I had to pick one team for me, the
Phillies still are the main challenge to the Dodgers, repeating
in the National League, I'm.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
With you, I go with the Phillies, and again I
go back to a team that knows itself battle tested.
To me, the whole key for them as far as
a postseason team is Zach Wheeler, you know, coming back
from the surgery he had with the thoracic outlet surgery.
I think, you know, you have to wait until these
guys get back on the mound. You just can't say, oh,
Zach Wheeler is coming back, Let's see what he's like.
(18:29):
But if he's anything close to what he was before,
that's a formidable rotation. With the breakout year Lizardo had
last year with the sweeper and Christopher Sanchez.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
So I'm with you on the Phillies and the Cubs.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I'd have them above the Mets in terms of challenging
the La Dodgers. The other thing to look for every year, Joe,
and this happens. It's happened every year in the wildcard
era except once. There's going to be one team and
usually at least two that makes the postseason this year
that had a losing record last year. It just it
(19:02):
happens all the time. You had the Blue and the
Reds do it last year. So if you see people
making their preseason picks and they're just taking the chalk,
go somewhere else. There has to be you better find
room because this is just the nature of the game today,
teams with a losing record making the postseason. And I've
(19:23):
been tracking this for ages and it happens every year.
I always try to identify the teams. Last year identified
the Rangers and the Reds. The Reds came through for me.
I missed a whiffed on the on the Rangers. But
I try to find two teams every year they're gonna
be in a postseason that had a losing record this year.
So I want to get your take, Joe, which teams
(19:44):
that had a bad year last year.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Are going to be playing baseball in the fall this year.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I'll give you probably some choices year, just to refresh
your memory on who had a losing record, because a
team like the Giants was a flat five hundred, they
would not qualify for this. So you've got the Braves,
the Pirates, the Diamondbacks, the Marlins, the Orioles, the Athletics,
(20:11):
the Rays. I don't think you're gonna go to the
Rockies and the White Sox and some of these teams
that lost a ton of games last year.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
But those are your picks.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
The Braves, the Pirates, the Diamondbacks, the Marlins, the Orioles,
the A's, the Rays. Any two of that group float
your boat. In terms of a surprise playoff team this year, you.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Didn't say Kansas City, right, Did they had a winning
record last year?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah, they had a winning record.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
They didn't.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Okay, Well, if all start with the Braves. I like
the Braves. I just saw those Striders. Something wrong with
his arm. He's got an issue.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I wasn't oblique, but yeah, at least it's not the arm.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But as you know, those things a.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Month exactly so. But I still like the Braves. Love
to see Walt Weiss got an opportunity to do well.
I mean, he's a good fellow man, and I know
he's a steady eddy. He's a steady hand. So I
liked the Braves re establishing their pedigree on the American leagues. Man,
that's a that's a tough one because I had in
(21:06):
my head the Royals, but they didn't realize they had
a winning season. I don't see the Rays getting all
the way back yet.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I just although they're gonna do, they're gonna be a
lot better playing in their building again than they were
playing outside.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I think there's something to be said for that.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
How about was it mcclanahand the their left handed pitcher.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Where's he at Sean McClanahan. Yeah, yeah, long worry, but
he's not opening Dave roster. Hopefully he's gonna be back
somewhat soon.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
I'm gonna go Baltimore than if I have, I'm I
have to make a pick. I mean, I just I
think Alonzo is gonna help a lot. I mean, they
have they felt so hard from grace. They just did.
Because I was all over them last last couple of
years when Hyder was there. I thought they did a
great job. Their pitching has been a little bit suspect. Absolutely,
But out of that whole group that you mentioned that,
(21:53):
I would think that that would be the one group
that has the best opportunity to get back to solveigncy
and possibly make the playoffs this year. They could be
the Blue Jays of the ALE this year. So I'll
go with Baltimore and Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, oriole is interesting. I almost went with them. The
division works against them. They've got to be better than
one team among Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays, and
I don't see that happening. I do like everything that
they've done. Their pitching staff is better than advertised. I
know people say they didn't pick up an ace, but
it's a deeper rotation now and Alonso will make a difference.
(22:32):
It's a good It's an interesting choice. They'll definitely be
better in the mix. I also went with the Braves, Joe,
And when I look back on these teams that do
bounce back, a couple of things stand out. Number one
is they had a terrible record in one run games
the year before, because those things tend to be fungible.
Everybody thinks that, oh, it's like, you know, they know
(22:53):
how to win a game. It's a lot of luck
involved in one run games, and it tends to vary
from year to year. They had the third worst one
run record in baseball last year. The other thing that
stands out teams that step up tend to improve a
lot in run prevention, more so than run production. And
the Braves had a bad staff last year. You mentioned
(23:13):
Spencer Stryder. He's out for the first month of this season.
I get it they've had a horrible spring in terms
of injuries, but I do like the staff to be
better than it was last year. And the other factor
that turns up a lot, actually forty percent of the
time is a change of managers. And you mentioned Walt
Weiss taking over this team internally. Obviously he was a
coach on the staff for Brian Snicker. But this team's
(23:35):
loaded with high end talent. That's what I like about
the Braves, and I think they will bounce back. My
other team, though, is I can't believe I'm gonna say this,
but I will the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Listen, they've got a really good rotation.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
We all know that the Pirates have not been as
high as twentieth, which obviously is not very high in
run scored in almost a decade, which is like negligent
for a major league team.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
All they need to.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Do is be an average offensive team, and I think
they can make the postseason with their pitching staff, and
I think they have a chance. Joe, I think there's
two guys to me that stand out that can be
different makers. O'Neil Cruz, who is just it can be
a beast offensively and just really has been way too
inconsistent to be anywhere near that player. I think the
(24:23):
wb WBC experience for him is going to do wonders
being around Albert Cruz, Albert Pouhols and Nelson Cruz and
Connor Griffin. I mean, I saw this kid play in
spring training and I'm telling you this is going to
be a plug and play impact player when he arrives,
which is going to be very quickly. I think he's
got that kind of a bet to be. You know,
one of these guys, like at Chipper Jones, hits the
(24:44):
ground running in the major league level. So I had
the Pirates as my other team, tempted to go with
the Arizona Diamondbacks. I think they're a really good dynamic
offensive team who's bullpen was terrible last year. I think
that would turnaround, so it's a good call. I like
the Orioles. I almost went there, but I'm gonna go
Braves and Pirates. What do you think of the Pirates, Joe.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I listen.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
I'm I'm a closet Pirate fan from when I was
a kid. I U still love their uniforms, so it's
always a Pirate guy. I love their ballpark, I love
the city there, and yes, I mean pitching staff. I
watch schemes, you know, during a WBC. This guy just
seems to do everything right beyond being a good picture
or out standing on picture. If there's anybody who want
(25:26):
to lead your staff right now as a young future
I mean potential Hall of famer has as he stays well.
I was always in the beginning concerned about his armstroke
and how the arm work, but all it is is
he's he's he takes such great care of himself and
he's been doing it that way for so long. Obviously
it works for him, and I'm it's a part of
his success because it's got to be deceptive and uncomfortable
(25:47):
from hitters, the way he unwinds the hitters the ball
comes to the plate. His ability to he's almost like
he's almost like a show hey or you darbish. It
seems to be like he's he's always he's curious and
he's able to like almost create on the fly. He
always wants to get better, trying different pitches, do different things.
And again I'm a little bit concerned about that, but
apparently he's able to do those things.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
But I just like his look. I like his look
a lot.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
And there's a lot of other really good arms on
that staff. If they could ride those arms and they
got to catch the ball, they got to catch the
way you just brought up run prevention. Yes, they got
to score some points, but dang, I mean with those
kind of pitchers, man, I want to catch the baseball.
I want to give the other team twenty seven outs
only as often as possible, and really, from an offensive perspective,
(26:36):
just don't try to bang.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
The ball over the wall all the time.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Really, this is a situation with Kelly there and being
at Leland protege. I'd like to think that they're going
to be more concerned about moving the ball in counts
and accepting the blueberry right field to drive in a run,
I mean, just play of a more traditional based offense. Sure,
go for the bomb, go for less than two strikes,
but understand, when you get to two against quality pitching,
(26:59):
it's hard to square this stuff up. I think if
they could really bear down on their defense and a
little bit more situational hit and ride that pitching staff,
that's going to be the ticket for them to really
be successful this year.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
A good call on Don Kelly, by the way, really
impressed with the way he ran things last year taking
over in May, so he has, as you'd like to
put it, Joe, he's got his own baby now from
the start of the season, and I think he is
a difference maker.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
It will only get better.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You mentioned the Leland comparison, and I think that's an
apt one.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Let's talk about predictions for MVPs now.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
I don't know how you go anywhere else other than
Aaron just show right. I mean, they've won seven of
the last ten MVPs, and if they're healthy, they're going
to win the MVPs again.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
So you really have to.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Go off the board to find somebody Joe, to take
the MVPs away from these two guys.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
I don't see it happening.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
You know, show he's going to make say a twenty
to twenty two starts. He's not going to make thirty starts.
He's not going to throw two hundred innings. He's gonna
throw about one hundred and fifty innings over over twenty
twenty one starts. And when you do that and hit
forty home runs, you're a lock to win the MVP.
There's literally no competition for Shoe a Otani and Judge
is the guy who's hitting three thirty one with fifty bombs.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
I mean, how is anybody going to top that?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
But I'll I'll just let's humor of people, Joe and
come up with any other somebody else who may break
through at least challenge these two guys who both won
unanimously last year. You got anybody in either league who
challenged these two guys?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Well, americally, I'll start there.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
I got you know, I think Vladimir, you know, they
really tasted it last year and that and that matters.
I mean, I think internally the Blue Jays, these solid
of these players are gonna be elevated mentally. They like
what happened last year. They became so close. Actually, they
should have won it but didn't. So I think there's
a high level of motivation there. And I like what
(29:05):
I saw out of Ladd Junior at the end of
last year, and I think that, you know, just to
really with being directed mentally on his own this year
from the beginning, having tasted a bit of it, I
think he could. He's very dangerous. I think with Junior
is also very dangerous. I know he came close a
while back. But those two guys, to me out of
(29:25):
the America League, would think are the greatest challenges in
the National League.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I do like Schwarbert. I like Schwrober going back to
the Phillies.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
I know he's a DH, but god, he could put
up some gaudy numbers this year in Acunya. Needs to,
you know, put everything aside and just go out there
and be a great baseball player.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
That he is a kid. You just watch him swing
the bat. It's different.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
So among the I'll take two from each division are
two leagues. I don't think the catcher a Ralely. I
don't think he could replicate what he did last year
and settle That's going to be hard. So I'm gonna
go with Schwarbur and Acunya in the National League threatening show,
and I got Flat Junior and Witch Junior, the two
the American League side threatening judge.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Yeah, all good calls. I'm with you. I thought about
Ronald Cunya Junior.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
I just think looking at him watching him play, He's
not quite as dynamic as he was pre knee injuries.
So I don't know how much he's going to run,
but we'll see that. That's a good call in the
National League, I guess, I don't know. Schwarber is a
tough one as a DH. I love Schwarz as D.
(30:32):
It's tough to be the the MVP. I'll start out
in the American League. I got a surprise for you,
Roman Anthony. I was really impressed with his bats throughout
the WBC. I mean, this guy does not chase at all.
He reminds me of Juan Soto. When you see a
guy at twenty one who understands the strike zone the
way that he does. Wow, I mean he's really impressive.
Bobby Witt Junior a really good call. I mean, that guy,
(30:55):
he's just he plays baseball a different way than everybody else.
The way he runs, the explosiveness, I said, the way
he plays defense, Joe is like you know in t ball,
when kids first playing t ball and the ball is
hit and they run after it like a puppy chasing
a tennis ball. That's Bobby Witt playing shortstop. I mean,
he goes after everything. So I love that call. So
(31:19):
I guess I'll go with Ocunya as well. In the
National League. I think the Braves, as we said, are
going to bounce back, and usually you have to be
playing on a good team to win the MVP.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
But other than that, yeah, just can't go against Judge
and Otani. How about this job.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
By the way, I'm looking at Otani's pitching numbers in
spring training, and again it's spring training. You can't put
too much into it. Guys are working on things or
trying different things. But I noticed Otani has really bumped
the use of his splitter. I mean last year, during
the regular season, he threw the split only four percent
of the time. Remember he was coming back from a
second elbow procedure, and he threw it about ninety miles
(31:54):
an hour, which is a hard split. Postseason, he bumped
it up, almost doubled the usage, still only eight percent
and he's throwing it eighty eight eighty nine. This year
spring training he threw his split twenty three percent of
the time and it's down to eighty six and a half.
So he's deadening that split more and he's throwing it more.
(32:14):
You know what's show? Hey, he's always working on something
like skiens, always trying to get better. I and again,
I'm not gonna put some stock into this until I
see him on the game mound in a real major
league game, But I thought that was interesting.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Clearly he was.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Working on the split in spring training and throwing it,
you know, at a much more of an off speed
pitch than it had been before. By the way, how
good is that split?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Show? He's thrown more than a thousand splits in.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
His major league career and giving up thirty four hits
on a thousand plus splitters a one pH one batting average.
So if it's better this year, that's bad news for
major league hitters.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
It sounds like an analytical suggestion. It's like an airplane.
When you get into some turbulence, you they normally back
off a little bit. They take to take the sp
us off the airplane. Maybe they're backing off the turbulence
of another arm operation. By having him slow it down
just a little bit. I would almost bet this is
an analytical thing, and to use it as often as
(33:18):
you did in camp, he probably felt good after he
threw it, less stress, less concern in a sense. So
go ahead and throw it a little bit more. See
how you feel about it. Let's work through it, and
then we'll make our decision at the end of camp.
So that's what it sounds like to me. It sounds
like it could be equally effective. It probably has a
little bit more depth to it with the less speed possibly,
(33:38):
but it's still going to look I mean, with everything
else that he does, it's still going to be very
deceptive to the hitter. So again that really reeks of
analytical I don't want to say interference analytical aid right here,
and I would be curious to find out if that's
exactly it. Just take a little bit of stress off
the arm, slow it down, just a little bit, little turbulence,
bumpy air ahead, and let's just see if we do
(34:01):
do that, if we can somehow avert the next potential
arm surgery, because that's that's got to be with drives
them regarding the work they do on show is how
do we prevent this from happening again. They're gonna have
some solid opinions based on that information, whatever slow motion
stuff that they're going to do, and I would bet
(34:23):
that has something to do with it.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
It's really fascinating to watch.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
You know what is driving pitching these days, And for
years and years and years, it was velocity and.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
That's still there.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
But now you see getting these pitchers in their quote
unquote labs and shaping the baseball. Everybody now needs a
menu of pitches to both right handed and left handed hitters,
and everybody needs the ball to go both ways on
both sides of the plate. That's why you see pitchers
really expanding their repertoire. You know, the old fastball, card
(34:56):
ball change up. You just basically don't see that anymore,
even among the great pitchers. I'll give you an example
what I saw in spring training Joe Ryan Weathers, young
pitcher the Yankees picked up from the Marlins. They essentially
put him through their pitching lab car wash, the way
they did Max Freed last year. Remember how Max Freed
used to be fastball, curveball guy up and down, and
(35:17):
he became in and out, up and down and using
everything kitchen sink kind of pitching. That's where baseball is going,
you know, sort of deemphasized the fastball at the expense
or the benefit, if you will, of shaping pitches with spin.
So Ryan Weathers this last year through twenty two percent
(35:38):
sinkers and sweepers, that's essentially moving the ball left and right.
This year in spring training he's throwing forty seven percent
sinkers and sweepers. And the very similar thing happening with
Max Freed last year, you know, not quite as pronounced,
but he increased the sinkers and sweepers, so making the
ball go both ways in and away from hitters on
(36:01):
both sides of the plate. Keep your eye on Ryan
weather And by the way, he added a tick to
his fastball too. His velocity is up a tick, but
he's throwing the fastball less. So, uh, you know, you
saw the year that Max Freed had last year. If
you've got a guy who's got the aptitude to be
able to handle the expanded repertoire.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
You got yourself a breakout player. It might be Ryan Weathers.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
So then why can't they pitch the third term through
the batting order.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
You know you're giving them more we right, you got
more weapons, you're not more platoon neutral. And yet third
time around, oh get him out.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
That's exactly right to platoon nuts. And that's what I
always Oh, my god, when you have that picture. It's
so nice when you go into a game and your
starting pitcher is like really dominant on one side or
the other over the other. It's it's always concerning because
you're going to see them load up on the on
the weak side versus this picture. My relief pictures. I
love neutral relief pictures, my god. And that's when you
(36:54):
actually didn't have the three battery minimum and you were
able to match things up.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
In today's world of the three battered minimum, I would
think that neutral pictures are at a premium right now.
That's exactly what you want to have. I remember, you know,
I used to bring in Joel Peralta to pitch two lefties.
Finally Boumel figured it out and he let Johnny go
and stay in the game against Peralta and at the
trump and boom the ball went out to the left center.
(37:20):
I was upset when he when he didn't bite and
bring him to pinch it or I knew were in trouble.
So that's that's it you want, because he was Actually
he was a reverse split guy.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
You like the neutral guys. I love neutral guys.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
I can understand that being part of what they're trying
to develop. I would if I had a minor league
organization and my pictures and I saw but not just
relief pictures, but especially relief pictures, I would try to
make them neutral. I would try to make them so
that I, especially in the world of the three batter minimum,
I could I could pitch through some difficult situations because
(37:53):
of that. That's to me where a lab would be important.
That's where these stats and numbers are important. And it's
an easy sell when you're talking to a young picture
that maybe he has a deficiency on one side or
the other. Listen, you know, we like what you do,
you like how you are. We to get a great makeup. However,
you have a deficiency against one side or the other.
We need to get you better in this particular area.
(38:16):
And that's where this is really valuable stuff.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Yeah, the Yankees, they're building a really good pitching staff. Man.
I mean, Louis Heal can't even make the opening day rotation.
Keep your eye on Will Warren, who's got.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
An elite fastball.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
It just needs a little better command and to mentioned
whether it could be a breakout candidate.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
We're going to take a quick break when we get back, Joe.
I got a couple of Babe Ruth stories to tell
you. You can never have enough Babe Ruth stories. And somehow
they're all true as well.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
You'll like these coming up next to the Book of Joe.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Welcome back to.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
The Book of Joe. Babe Ruth.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
I mean, sometimes I think it's like Paul Bunyan, but
it's an American legend, right, they made him up, but
he actually did exist. And I was looking up on
this date. Back in nineteen thirty three, Baby Ruth took
a pay cut from seventy five thousand dollars to fifty
two thousand dollars. That's a huge cut, right, Obviously it's
(39:21):
nineteen thirty three. It's the depression. How about these numbers, Joe.
He's coming off a season in which he hit three
forty one with forty one homers and one hundred and
thirty seven RBIs. He took a pay cut from seventy
five grand down to fifty two grand. Oh my goodness, wow,
(39:43):
I mean a different day and age.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
So that was that was just because of the numbers
from the previous year decline. Is that what that's is
all about.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Well, his numbers didn't really decline, but the economy was
in the tank. Okay, great depression and he was a
good America start to go down and hey, baby, you
gotta do is a solid and take a hit here.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Yeah, And actually they I recently read he actually played
at Cranberry Ballpark in Hazelton, PA at one point too.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
During that time.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
He guess he went out and barnstormed a little bit,
and I guess a local coal miner struck him out twice.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
I just read that the other day.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
I mean, I just love the idea that Babe Ruth
did this, Like that's like showing going around different cities
during the off season and facing the local you know,
Stud Pitcher and all the fan for that that would
be incorporated around something like that. But again, the Babe
Ruth stuff. Jimmy Reese, Jimmy Reesa, who happened to be
a friend I talked about, you know the fact that
(40:36):
you know the six degrees of separation. I mean, I
go back to Babe Ruth because of Jimmy Reese. He
did exist. You're right, he did exist because Jimmy validator
verified that. But it's so interesting and you just can't
get enough of the guy.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
Yeah, you're right, he did barnstorm.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I mean sometimes I think they ought to put up
brass plaques the way they do for Washington slept here.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
Yeah, bab Ruth played here. I mean, he don't forget.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
This is the day and age before it just started
coming out with some of the newsreel footage. Somebody could
go to the theater and see some film of Babe Ruth.
But for the most part, you followed bab Ruth on
the radio or the newspapers, and people didn't actually see
Babe Ruth. So if he was coming to your town,
I mean, to borrow a phrase that was like seeing
(41:18):
the elephant, where you know, you saw something that was
extraordinary and rare and just you know, you would everything
would stop in that town if Baby Ruth was coming
to town, different day and age. Also, it happens to
be the birthday of Ernie Shore, one of Baby Ruth's
teammates with the Boston Red SOX. I'm not sure if
(41:39):
you know what Ernie Shore is most famous for. One
particular game. It was June twenty third, nineteen seventeen. Babe
Ruth was a starting pitcher. He walks the leadoff at
her on four pitches and I don't know whether he
was not feeling so good that day, but he went
after the umpire immediately on four pitches called balls and
actually clocked the umpire with a punch. Obviously, Babe was
(42:03):
ejected from game, so Ernie Shore is hustled into the game.
They only gave him five warm up pitches to get ready,
but the first batter before he gets the first batter,
the guy that first tries to steal and gets thrown out.
Ernie Shore gets the next batter, the next two batters
on a couple of pitches, and winds up pitching a
(42:23):
complete game without allowing a base runner. Wow, twenty six up,
twenty six down with the one caught stealing.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
It sounds like a perfect game.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
At the time, it was considered a no hitter, but
it went into the books as a combined no hitter officially,
so you know, one batter did reach base and two
pitchers did pitch in the game, but the equivalent of
a perfect game. Ernie Shore got twenty seven ounce without
anybody reaching base against him, and it happened on the
(42:52):
spur of the moment thanks to Baby Ruth punching an umpire.
Speaker 4 (42:56):
That sounds that sounds contrived, their pre planned I'm betting.
I'm betting that the man was out the night before,
not feeling so good. He might even gone up to
the empire. He actually hit him?
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Is that right? He actually hit the guy?
Speaker 3 (43:08):
He did?
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Wow? Did wow?
Speaker 4 (43:10):
I never I never knew that, but yeah, it does
wreak of a hangover to me. And gosh, it almost
like did he pull the punch? Did he actually smoke him?
And then and then and then he doesn't get suspended
or nothing? Right that he makes his next start right
after smoking an umpire?
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Does he make his next start?
Speaker 1 (43:28):
You know that Back in the day man umpires, man,
that was a dangerous job. Really, I mean, in the
early part of the century. Uh, it was a dangerous job.
Fans players, they were not well respected. They were in
harm's way for the most part. You only had two
at the time, you know, the base empire and the
home plate umpire. But yeah, I mean the safety of
(43:50):
the Empires was was I want to I want to
say it's a modern convenience, but back in the day
it was a dangerous, much more dangerous job.
Speaker 4 (43:57):
It sounds like a Little League, now right. I mean
you read about all this stuff that's going on.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
In the Little League.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
You know, guy, parents are coming out of the stands. Yeah,
I didn't realize that. I didn't know that, And that's
kind of interesting it also, you know then, and of
course it speaks to probably the lackluster umpiring. I mean,
it's got to be difficult two guys. So two guys,
like one guy works the plate daily, that works the
bases back and forth during the four game series. I mean,
I had to be tiring as hell if they didn't
(44:24):
have more than that.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
I never even thought. I never even thought about.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
That's that's a pretty interesting thought process there, the fact
that there was two umpires.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Only didn't know that.
Speaker 1 (44:34):
Yeah, Babe Ruth also was famous for and I forget
the exact year, but he was famous for becoming the
first player to earn a salary of one hundred thousand
dollars and he wanted more money than the President of
the United States, who I think was Hooper at the time,
and he said, yeah, why not, I had the better year.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I remember that. It's such a great line, right, awesome.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Speaking of great lines, we've reached the ninth inning here, Joe,
you've got the ball in your hands.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
What do you have for us this week at the
Book of Joe to finish us out?
Speaker 4 (45:07):
Well, you know again it dovetails and everything we've just
been talking about, because I was I was reading the
post this morning and I saw the different projected win totals,
and I was just looking at the lack of the
overpowering team other than the Dodgers. I mean, the Yankees
ninety point five tops Inner Division, Detroit eighty five to
five projected wins, Seattle eighty nine to five, Mets ninety
(45:28):
point five with the Phillies on their heels, and then
of course the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
So you know, every spring training.
Speaker 4 (45:35):
Mic go was that we would win more than ninety games,
and I always thought it took about ninety five to
get to the playoffs to be successful. So that was
kind of and again that there's like a parody look
to all of that. And again I think parody argued
the point the fact that everybody's kind of working from
the same sheet of music, looking for the same kind
of players, and working from the same analytical background. I
(45:58):
guess that to be equal would be kind of makes sense.
So I was looking at that, and then from that
I found this quote from Damon Runyon sports columnist short story.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
Writer from back in the day, and he said.
Speaker 4 (46:14):
The race is not always to the swift, nor the
battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet.
So with the gambling part of it, it's not always
to the swift, nor the battle goes to the strong,
but that's the way to bet.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
You're always going to bet for the swiftest and the strongest.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
I thought that was really well stated and obvious, but
this reflects reality that even when the odds favor a
strong contender, outcomes are never guaranteed. And that's exactly what
we're talking about right now. And then on top of that,
I did a little more research on Damon Runyon. Born
in Manhattan, Kansas, but grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, which
(46:53):
we played at with the Boulder Collegians and then he
managed to semi pro team and Trindada Colorado. That's where
I burned the infield. In the Book of Joe, we
burned the infields in order to watch Danny Jackson pitch.
This guy, Damon Runyan, actually managed a semi pro team
in Trinidad called about all this stuff started to unwind.
It was a Spinks Award winner Baseball Writers of America.
(47:14):
Pretty interesting fella, but really a great writer at that time.
And it really, I think, absolutely encapsulate exactly what's going
on right now. Everybody's expecting the Dodgers, the swift and
the strong, but outcomes are never guaranteed, and I don't
think it's going to be guaranteed this year among all
these you know, everybody's you know, crying about the Dodgers.
(47:36):
I think it's gonna be hard for them to come
back into it again. I think somebody's gonna unseat them
this year.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Well said. I love the Damon Runyan reference. Terrific writer.
Speaker 1 (47:45):
By the way, I read some terrific fiction as well,
created just memorable characters.
Speaker 3 (47:52):
I'm with you on the Dodgers. Put it this way, Joe.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
In the last two years, no team has won more
than ninety eight games.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
Two straight years.
Speaker 1 (47:59):
So if you're thinking about the Dodgers being one hundred
and three win team.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
You mentioned that word.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
There is more parody here, and I think teams realize
that it's about positioning yourself for October, that you know,
running up a huge number of wins. Listen, you want
to win what you can to get into the postseason.
You don't want to, you know, get barely over five
hundred and think you're going to slip in. But I
don't see the Dodgers going over one hundred wins. And
(48:27):
we think about two years ago the Padres nearly took
the Dodgers out, had them on the ropes, and of
course last year the Toronto Blue Jays had them down
to the last two outs and nearly took them out.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
So they are not, by any means a lock.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
I do think, though, Joe, if they're pitching, is healthy
in October again and nobody's gonna beat them. I'm sorry,
I think they're that good, but we'll see.
Speaker 4 (48:52):
I like the Phillies pitching til you already brought that up.
I still like the Philly been on the Phillies for
a couple of years right now, I've been on them,
and I still do like them. Out of the American League,
of course, that's a nationally going to act situation that
would put the Phillies in the World Series against one
of those teams, which I still think the Philly staff
could could match up against the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
All right, so let's end it with our World Series picks.
I'm actually with you on the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
I do.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
I like the makeup of this team. I think the
clock is ticking on them and they know that. But
I also like the fact that they have they bringing
in some young blood this year with Crawford and center
field painter and the rotation Aid Miller is probably gonna
come up at some point. I like that blend, if
you will, with the established star players, the veteran players,
and the American League. I'll go with the Seattle Mariners.
(49:39):
Love their pitching staff. They got a taste of it
last year, got within one win of the World Series,
actually had a lead in Game seven against Toronto. So
I'll go with a Philadelphia Seattle World Series.
Speaker 3 (49:53):
That's a lot of travel. I just signed up for.
What do you got?
Speaker 4 (49:56):
In the famous words of Meatloa, if you took the
words right out of my mouth, I had the same
thing I had Seattle, I.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Did or as The New York Times referred to him,
mister Loaf missed reference.
Speaker 3 (50:09):
It was mister Love.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Mister Loaf, I love the Bad out of Hell. You know.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
He had a The Rocky Heart Picture Show is playing
in a small theater in Monterey, California, if I don't
know how long, and it was a midnight show and
people would come in sit on pillows. I didn't do it.
I should have done it. I was capable of that,
but I didn't. But meat Love was one of my
all time favorites. And so the words right out of
my mouth, Seattle and the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
I see that. I can definitely, definitely see that.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Look forward to opening day and a great twenty twenty
six baseball season. Always a pleasure. Joe, We'll see you
next time on the Book of Joe.
Speaker 2 (50:47):
Thanks Tom. What are you starting? Where are you going?
Speaker 3 (50:48):
I had?
Speaker 1 (50:49):
I'm in a studio for opening Day, and then on
the weekend I have the Minnesota Twins at the Baltimore Orioles.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
I'm really curious about the Oriols. I just checked their schedule.
By the way, their first sixteen games they do not
play a team that had a winning record last so
I should have mentioned this. Teams getting off the good starts.
The Orioles, they need to re establish who they are.
Schedule says they've got it set.
Speaker 3 (51:12):
Up to get off to a good start. Really important
for them as well as the New York Mets.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Sounds good. Just stress warm, We'll.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
Do see you next time, See you buddy, all right.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
The Book of Joe podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Book of Joe Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio.
Hey Darren, welcome back to the Book of Joe Podcast.
It's me Tom Berducci with of course Joe madd and
we've got opening day coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Joe.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
We're going to get into that right in a quick
minute here, But.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
First I want to make sure did you actually drop
sixteen thousand dollars on an espresso machine?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
No, I would though if I had it.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Okay, somebody did.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I'm talking about, of course, the espresso machine that was
in the team Italy dugout during the WBC. It was
put out over and the winning bid was sixteen thousand,
five hundred and ten dollars.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's for a good cause.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
The money goes to the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.
But yeah, it's just one of those simple one cups,
you know, plastic jobs in sixteen.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
That's what I thought I saw.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
I thought maybe it was you.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I thought he saw that.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
On TV that when you said that, I thought, I
remember seeing something very basic. So again, it went to
a good cause. Somebody overpaid for it. But that's that's
pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
By the way, the viewing audience for the final of
the WBC Venezuela USA.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Drew ten point eight million people.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
That's more than watched every game but one in the
NBA Finals last year. Wow, and more than nineteen of
the last thirty five NBA Finals. This is for a
quote unquote exhibition game in March. It has really arrived
in terms of buy in by the players and by
the fans. And please, please, people stop with talk about
(01:48):
moving it to the All Star Break. We just established
this thing as a tent pole in the baseball calendar
in March.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It's a great run up to Opening Day.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Joe, Why do people, especially in baseball, it seems to me,
think they need to fix quote unquote everything, even what's good.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Sometimes just leave it alone.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Yeah it sometimes it can't help yourself everybody. It's just
in general, just the way the game is structured and
run right now, and it's.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So tight to the best.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Honestly, fun has been put on the back burner, although
it appeared to be a lot of fun, and it is. However,
there's a lot of stress involved in that you're playing
in March. People can't talking about players getting insurance, You're
talking about players getting hurt. You're talking about managers having
to call into front offices to see who's.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Available or not.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
There's just there's this really overwhelming sense of having to
control things.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
And by the way, Joe, sorry to interrupt you, there
no go ahead please.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
If you play it during the All Star break, those
same issues are in play.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Do you really think the Dodgers are gonna yet?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
No, Let Yoshinobu Yamamoto throw seven or eight innings in
a game that has no effect on the standings in July, when,
as you know, everybody is looking to give their guys
a pit stop for the mid season.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Yeah, listen, I'm I'm in. I wanted a pit stop
in the middle of the season. I mean, having to
go to the All Star Games wonderful. But I'll tell
you what's It's tough when you have no break during
the course of the year at all.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
It is difficult.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
But what I was beginning to say, I think this
morning I saw a feed on Don Zimmer and Jerry
Crawford getting after it during a game in Cincinnati with
Sutcliffe had a net Pat gets called on on a
check swinging and Zim said something from the dugout and
here we go. But I'm watching Zim come out from
the dugout. I'm watching him and Jerry, are you? And
I love Jerry Crawford. Also, it was so good, it
(03:38):
was so entertaining, it was so real, And my only
takeaway from it was the fact that the manager, Zim
was omnipotent in a sense that he was running the
Cubs without really any any kind of interference.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Is that a good or bad thing? I don't see
why it's a bad thing.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
I don't think any teams are better, and I don't
think the team's back there were worse. For the fact
the way the power structure was implemented, it's just different
the way everybody wants to control outcomes and situations compared
to back then, when the control lever was smaller, shorter,
the manager was pretty much he had dominant rain over
(04:15):
the control lever, where today it's so spread out and
it's so the control lever needs to be controllers, and
back in the day it didn't have to be controlled
so much. So I enjoyed that. I really watching Zim
getting after it. I saw Jerry get after it, very entertaining.
Just the point is going back that you're talking about,
the need it seems to be to have to control
(04:37):
things and not just permit things to play out sometimes.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Again, I really.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Believe if the Dodgers did not have one ounce of
analytics but had the same group of players that they have,
and every other team had the best analytical department in
the world with the same players that they have, the
Dodgers would still win.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Well, that's a great transition, Joe, to a topic I
want to talk about, since Opening Day is right around
the corner here. You hear it all the time, the
phrase getting all off to a good start, and I
want to talk to you about that. From the manager's perspective,
we know how important that everybody wants to get off
to a good start, whether it's.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
A team or whether it's a player.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
You can see guys almost relaxed when they get their
first hit, So how important is it. I'll just remind
you that last year, the team that was tied with
the Dodgers for the best record at the end of
April was the New York Mets.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
They did not make the playoffs.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
The Toronto Blue Jays, who did make the World Series
and came within two outs of winning the darn thing,
were fourteen and sixteen, the fifth worst record in the
American League. Basically, Joe, the bottom line, and I'm going
to go through this with you and the teams you've had.
There are many different ways to get to the World Series.
Getting off to a good start. Yeah, everybody wants it.
(05:52):
It's not paramount. The old saying is you can lose
a postseason spot in April, but you can't really win it.
To you, Joe, as a manager, how important was it
to get off a good start?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
I talked about it all the time.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
I mean, I'm I'm looking for the ability to absorb
that bad moment that's going to happen. You're going to
have that bad moment, and it's just like when you
start your you know, the record is so glaring and
everybody's on top of it, and sometimes you could create
a really negative narrative. And you're right that the Nationals
did it a couple of years ago, horrible start winning
the World Series.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Of course it can happen.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
But then I was part of the Rays going to
a World Series with the good start, and I've been
part of a Cubs team going to the World Series.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
With a good start. I prefer the good starts, just
to be able to absorb that bad moment. I would
talk to the guys about that.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
Listen, it's going to go bad here at some point,
and how we react to that bad moment's going to
separate us and permit us either to go on to
good things or not. When the Rays went to the
World Series, we had two seven game losing streaks during
the course of that season. Bad moments, difficult moments. But
then again, I thought that the good start then helped
permits you mentally to absorb these a little bit better.
(07:01):
I think the teams that get off to a good
start and then go south something probably happened, maybe injury wise,
but a lot of times when the team gets off
to a good start, could you if you were with
the Cubs at that time or with the Rays at
that time, you would have felt it. And even in
two thousand and two, the Angels got out to a
bad start, that was here my pop passed the way
I remember, I think we were like six and fourteen, maybe.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Rateing fourteen exactly. You started six and fourteen. After twenty games, yeah,
the Angels were ten and a half games out. That's
almost unbelievable, massa twenty games to be ten and a
half out, and you wind up winning the Pennant.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I'm sitting in Pennsylvania, you know, I'm tending my dad's services,
and the game happened to me. And We're playing Oakland
and watching the game, and I'm seeing that Mike Mearsy
hit a home run I think for Oakland Myers the catcher,
and we lose, and I'm looking at our guys and
just from the TV screen, it looks so defeated, and
I'm thinking, my god, how are we going to fix this?
(07:59):
Because we were coming off a bad ending of the
previous year nine to eleven when that happened.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
I mean, by god, we were terrible after that.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
You know, just you know, flying around in your heads
and literally not in the clouds. You're just not grounded
at all. But anyway, here comes two thousand and two.
We were confronted with who's going to play shortstop. We
had Benji Gill doing it and Adam Kennedy at second.
We were trying to get Exstein involved and then eventually
we decided on David. And David had a big weekend
(08:28):
against the Blue Jays in Anaheim.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
I had a couple of Grand.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Slams, believe it or not, Right down on the left
field line. That's what he did, and all of a
sudden things just changed. And then all of a sudden,
the rotation followed where Sean Wootin became him and Benji
started killing lefties, and all of a sudden, we had
this nice rotation going on here.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
We just took off.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
So I don't know that there's one formula, obviously, because
there's so many examples both ways. But from a managerial perspective,
I preached it anything I wanted us to be during
the course of the season. I talked a lot about
it during camp to be part of my original meeting.
I would talk about these things, and I would talk
specifically about the ability to absorb bad moments. So that's it.
(09:12):
I mean, I've seen it from both sides. I prefer
getting off to a good start.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Yeah, two thousand and eight Rays actually started eight and eleven.
But then when seven of the last of the next eight, yeah,
to finish come out of April at fifteen and twelve.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Yeah, that was another good thing. I used to go
by the months. I wanted to win the month. That
was a big thing for me. You want to win
the week, and then you want to win the month,
and I used to look at those things as markers
all the time.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
And then the twenty sixteen Cubs, my goodness, seventeen to
five coming out of April. If the extended a little farther,
twenty five and six, an eight and a half game
lead after thirty one games. Basically, you blew the doors
off the division. I don't want to say you salted
it away, but you had it pretty much locked up
(09:59):
by even before school was out.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Yeah, and then the guys felt it something to be felt.
And then you get that city being turned on, in
that ballpark being turned on.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
And then again you look at our players too.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
I mean, it was such a wonderful mix of veterans
and youth. We were the youngest team to win a
World Series apparently at the end of it all. But
that wouldn't have happened without all these wonderful veterans mixed
within that group, whether it was David or Miggy, you know,
John Lackey, Jake was a veteran at that time. Jason
Heyward was a young veteran at that time. I mean,
(10:32):
we just and Dexter, we had all this, We had
this bland man and I look at it as I
thought it was such a charismatic group. It was so
fun to be with these guys every day. They took
care of their own clubhouse, et cetera. But anyway, it
was all about, I thought, getting off to the good start.
And then it became believable that was coming off of
a really good twenty fifteen where nobody thought we would
(10:53):
have gotten to the NLCS.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, which brings me to a point that I have
and I want to get your take on this, Joe,
that it's important to get off to a good start
for teams that aren't.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Sure of what they are sure, Like if you're.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
A team that has been crystallized, like your team in sixteen,
as you mentioned, a younger team but the playoff running fifteen,
you pretty much knew who you were, not a lot
of open questions and not a lot of changes, right.
I look at a team like the Yankees and the Phillies,
the teams that are the Dodgers, teams that essentially are
running it back this year. They know who they are, right,
(11:27):
They've established an identity, established a way of winning. If
you don't start well, you don't panic, You still know
who you are. I look at teams that made a
lot of changes, whether it's the manager or personnel and
or both. I think it's important for them to get
off to a good start. And that's why I think
the team this year out of the thirty Major league
teams that's essential to get off to the good start
(11:48):
is the New York Mets. They'll put their lineup on
the field opening day against Paul Skiings with essentially only
Francisco Lindor at the same position as started.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Opening day last year.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
In the outfield is entirely new, with once So moving
to left field, Luis Robert Junior in centerfield, Carson Benge,
the rookie, gets the start, and right field. They've got
two shortstops playing on the corners with Polanco and Bashett.
They've got Marcus Simi at second base Francis galver As catching.
He was not in the opening day lineup last year,
(12:21):
so that's a lot of change. Back into the bullpen
obviously has changed, with Devin Williams replacing Edwin Diaz. The
coaching staff was almost entirely flipped. This is a team
I think, even though it's more of a veteran team, Joe,
I think they really need to get off to a
good start to have convinced themselves more than the rest
(12:42):
of the world that they are a good team. Give
me your thoughts on the Mets, and again, it's New York.
If you don't start well, and I'm talking about the
first week of the season, not the first month, you're
gonna hear it.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
And I think that's when some of the doubts may
creep in.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Well, your I think your evaluation is right on that.
Those are a really good points you just made regarding
teams that have recently done it have a culture established
as compared to those who do not. Yeah, I think
the Mets have a nice group, and it was It's
going to be part of what I was going to
talk about later when we get to the end. But
you know, they're they're projected according to the New York Post,
which can be a little bit biased, but their numbers
(13:19):
and projected win total. They got new guys at a
lot of positions and guys playing different positions, and that
to me is you know on paper that you know,
like Bow going a third base and Polanco at first base.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And these kind of things.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Simeon at second base was done before, but it's thirty
five years of age.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
I mean, they're nice names. I'm curious. I'm just curious
to see how this all holds up. I like some
of their young pitching, of course, McLean. I mean, they
got some really good stuff going on there, but again
their bullpen has got like these, these refurbished names from
the Yankees, and Williams was.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Not the same.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I mean, I know his numbers. I mean I guess
the if you break them down, it was still a.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Very good year for him.
Speaker 4 (14:00):
But then again, if by the eyeball test, I didn't
think it was as good as it i'd been.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
And the same thing with Warren.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
So there's a lot of unanswered questions there, and they
they're putting back in the bullpen because all of a
sudden his velocity is down. Although he could be in
the starting rotation within a week or so, it depends
on injuries.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Et cetera. So I think there's a lot of question
marks there.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
I mean, the hamlet bone that Lindor's coming back from
very interesting. Normally you know, of course that does heal,
but sometimes it takes a while for a hitter to
get over that and really trust his hand et cetera.
And plus the fact they didn't get all the reps
during camp, and again that could lead to a less
than perfect start.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
So there's a lot of question marks there.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
So it's kind of surprised that they were picked above
the Phillies and the Braves going into this thing right
now according to the New York Post the Bible. But yeah,
I'm not completely sold. I like what they did.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I do.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
I'm a fan of what they did, Sterns did, but
I still think it has to play out because there's
a lot of moving parts there that guy's got to
get comfortable with.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, we're going to take a quick break.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
We get back, we're going to talk about what you
just brought up, Joe. Win totals and predictions for who's
going to be a surprise team if any this year.
But I think you're going to be surprised if you
haven't been already on the one team that has been
picked to most challenge the LA Dodgers in the National League.
(15:23):
We'll reveal who that team is right after this on
the Book of Joe. Well, Joe, it's not just the
New York Boast, Uh, it's Vegas. Looking at win totals,
for teams. Now, I realize this is not, you know,
(15:47):
entirely a one.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
Percent evaluation of a team's talent.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
A lot of times it reflects the betting market and
who's who's betting on what teams. But if you look
at projected win totals, obviously the Dodgers a number one
Baseball as they should be they have. Vegas has them
at one oh three half, which I think is actually
way too high because the Dodgers have learned that they
do not go all out to pile up as many
(16:12):
wins as they can.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
They just don't. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
It's about making sure their pitchers are healthy in October.
If it cost them a win here or there, they're
more than happy to sign up for that. So I
would go below that. But the one team they have,
actually there's two. But in the National League, the team
that to most challenge the Dodgers as far as total
win total at ninety and a half wins is the
New York Mets, And I'm with you, Joe.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
I would not have them above the Philadelphia Phillies.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I'm not sure to have them over the Chicago Cubs.
Bras are a different story. We'll get to them.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
The minute.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
But who do you see as the one team in
the National League that can most challenge the LA Dodgers
for the National League Pennant.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
Yeah, I mean I was the first thing that stood
out to me was the parody involved in these numbers.
I mean, there was only one team that blew their division,
like you suggested, was the Dodgers. Everything else was kind
of like even steven to the point, and some of
them were like between number one and two and three
was like a tremendous disparity. And even the one group
(17:15):
and again the Post picked the Brewers at eighty four
and a half wins to beat the Cubs at eighty
and a half.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I don't even if they misprinted that or not. But
if there's one, if there's one club, I still I
still like. I still like is the Phillies. I do.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I still like the Phillies. I know the fact that
Schure went back there. You know, they made some nice
moves during the off season. I still like the Phillies
to be the greatest challenge. It's going to be difficult
for the Brewers to repeat what they had done. They
got rid of Peralta and there's you know, it's just
other little floaters around there. The Padres I think have
really sunk. I don't think there are a challenge anymore.
(17:51):
I think the Cubs, if they really get out of
their pitching staff with they potentially can't get o their
pitching staff, they can be a threat.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Yes, But I still think for me.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
If I had to pick one team for me, the
Phillies still are the main challenge to the Dodgers, repeating
in the National League, I'm.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
With you, I go with the Phillies, and again I
go back to a team that knows itself battle tested.
To me, the whole key for them as far as
a postseason team is Zach Wheeler, you know, coming back
from the surgery he had with the thoracic outlet surgery.
I think, you know, you have to wait until these
guys get back on the mound. You just can't say, oh,
Zach Wheeler is coming back, Let's see what he's like.
(18:29):
But if he's anything close to what he was before,
that's a formidable rotation. With the breakout year Lizardo had
last year with the sweeper and Christopher Sanchez.
Speaker 3 (18:39):
So I'm with you on the Phillies and the Cubs.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
I'd have them above the Mets in terms of challenging
the La Dodgers. The other thing to look for every year, Joe,
and this happens. It's happened every year in the wildcard
era except once. There's going to be one team and
usually at least two that makes the postseason this year
that had a losing record last year. It just it
(19:02):
happens all the time. You had the Blue and the
Reds do it last year. So if you see people
making their preseason picks and they're just taking the chalk,
go somewhere else. There has to be you better find
room because this is just the nature of the game today,
teams with a losing record making the postseason. And I've
(19:23):
been tracking this for ages and it happens every year.
I always try to identify the teams. Last year identified
the Rangers and the Reds. The Reds came through for me.
I missed a whiffed on the on the Rangers. But
I try to find two teams every year they're gonna
be in a postseason that had a losing record this year.
So I want to get your take, Joe, which teams
(19:44):
that had a bad year last year.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Are going to be playing baseball in the fall this year.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
I'll give you probably some choices year, just to refresh
your memory on who had a losing record, because a
team like the Giants was a flat five hundred, they
would not qualify for this. So you've got the Braves,
the Pirates, the Diamondbacks, the Marlins, the Orioles, the Athletics,
(20:11):
the Rays. I don't think you're gonna go to the
Rockies and the White Sox and some of these teams
that lost a ton of games last year.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
But those are your picks.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
The Braves, the Pirates, the Diamondbacks, the Marlins, the Orioles,
the A's, the Rays. Any two of that group float
your boat. In terms of a surprise playoff team this year, you.
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Didn't say Kansas City, right, Did they had a winning
record last year?
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah, they had a winning record.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
They didn't.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
Okay, Well, if all start with the Braves. I like
the Braves. I just saw those Striders. Something wrong with
his arm. He's got an issue.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
I wasn't oblique, but yeah, at least it's not the arm.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But as you know, those things a.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Month exactly so. But I still like the Braves. Love
to see Walt Weiss got an opportunity to do well.
I mean, he's a good fellow man, and I know
he's a steady eddy. He's a steady hand. So I
liked the Braves re establishing their pedigree on the American leagues. Man,
that's a that's a tough one because I had in
(21:06):
my head the Royals, but they didn't realize they had
a winning season. I don't see the Rays getting all
the way back yet.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
I just although they're gonna do, they're gonna be a
lot better playing in their building again than they were
playing outside.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I think there's something to be said for that.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
How about was it mcclanahand the their left handed pitcher.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
Where's he at Sean McClanahan. Yeah, yeah, long worry, but
he's not opening Dave roster. Hopefully he's gonna be back
somewhat soon.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
I'm gonna go Baltimore than if I have, I'm I
have to make a pick. I mean, I just I
think Alonzo is gonna help a lot. I mean, they
have they felt so hard from grace. They just did.
Because I was all over them last last couple of
years when Hyder was there. I thought they did a
great job. Their pitching has been a little bit suspect. Absolutely,
But out of that whole group that you mentioned that,
(21:53):
I would think that that would be the one group
that has the best opportunity to get back to solveigncy
and possibly make the playoffs this year. They could be
the Blue Jays of the ALE this year. So I'll
go with Baltimore and Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
Yeah, oriole is interesting. I almost went with them. The
division works against them. They've got to be better than
one team among Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays, and
I don't see that happening. I do like everything that
they've done. Their pitching staff is better than advertised. I
know people say they didn't pick up an ace, but
it's a deeper rotation now and Alonso will make a difference.
(22:32):
It's a good It's an interesting choice. They'll definitely be
better in the mix. I also went with the Braves, Joe,
And when I look back on these teams that do
bounce back, a couple of things stand out. Number one
is they had a terrible record in one run games
the year before, because those things tend to be fungible.
Everybody thinks that, oh, it's like, you know, they know
(22:53):
how to win a game. It's a lot of luck
involved in one run games, and it tends to vary
from year to year. They had the third worst one
run record in baseball last year. The other thing that
stands out teams that step up tend to improve a
lot in run prevention, more so than run production. And
the Braves had a bad staff last year. You mentioned
(23:13):
Spencer Stryder. He's out for the first month of this season.
I get it they've had a horrible spring in terms
of injuries, but I do like the staff to be
better than it was last year. And the other factor
that turns up a lot, actually forty percent of the
time is a change of managers. And you mentioned Walt
Weiss taking over this team internally. Obviously he was a
coach on the staff for Brian Snicker. But this team's
(23:35):
loaded with high end talent. That's what I like about
the Braves, and I think they will bounce back. My
other team, though, is I can't believe I'm gonna say this,
but I will the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Listen, they've got a really good rotation.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
We all know that the Pirates have not been as
high as twentieth, which obviously is not very high in
run scored in almost a decade, which is like negligent
for a major league team.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
All they need to.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Do is be an average offensive team, and I think
they can make the postseason with their pitching staff, and
I think they have a chance. Joe, I think there's
two guys to me that stand out that can be
different makers. O'Neil Cruz, who is just it can be
a beast offensively and just really has been way too
inconsistent to be anywhere near that player. I think the
(24:23):
wb WBC experience for him is going to do wonders
being around Albert Cruz, Albert Pouhols and Nelson Cruz and
Connor Griffin. I mean, I saw this kid play in
spring training and I'm telling you this is going to
be a plug and play impact player when he arrives,
which is going to be very quickly. I think he's
got that kind of a bet to be. You know,
one of these guys, like at Chipper Jones, hits the
(24:44):
ground running in the major league level. So I had
the Pirates as my other team, tempted to go with
the Arizona Diamondbacks. I think they're a really good dynamic
offensive team who's bullpen was terrible last year. I think
that would turnaround, so it's a good call. I like
the Orioles. I almost went there, but I'm gonna go
Braves and Pirates. What do you think of the Pirates, Joe.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
I listen.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
I'm I'm a closet Pirate fan from when I was
a kid. I U still love their uniforms, so it's
always a Pirate guy. I love their ballpark, I love
the city there, and yes, I mean pitching staff. I
watch schemes, you know, during a WBC. This guy just
seems to do everything right beyond being a good picture
or out standing on picture. If there's anybody who want
(25:26):
to lead your staff right now as a young future
I mean potential Hall of famer has as he stays well.
I was always in the beginning concerned about his armstroke
and how the arm work, but all it is is
he's he's he takes such great care of himself and
he's been doing it that way for so long. Obviously
it works for him, and I'm it's a part of
his success because it's got to be deceptive and uncomfortable
(25:47):
from hitters, the way he unwinds the hitters the ball
comes to the plate. His ability to he's almost like
he's almost like a show hey or you darbish. It
seems to be like he's he's always he's curious and
he's able to like almost create on the fly. He
always wants to get better, trying different pitches, do different things.
And again I'm a little bit concerned about that, but
apparently he's able to do those things.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
But I just like his look. I like his look
a lot.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
And there's a lot of other really good arms on
that staff. If they could ride those arms and they
got to catch the ball, they got to catch the
way you just brought up run prevention. Yes, they got
to score some points, but dang, I mean with those
kind of pitchers, man, I want to catch the baseball.
I want to give the other team twenty seven outs
only as often as possible, and really, from an offensive perspective,
(26:36):
just don't try to bang.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
The ball over the wall all the time.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Really, this is a situation with Kelly there and being
at Leland protege. I'd like to think that they're going
to be more concerned about moving the ball in counts
and accepting the blueberry right field to drive in a run,
I mean, just play of a more traditional based offense. Sure,
go for the bomb, go for less than two strikes,
but understand, when you get to two against quality pitching,
(26:59):
it's hard to square this stuff up. I think if
they could really bear down on their defense and a
little bit more situational hit and ride that pitching staff,
that's going to be the ticket for them to really
be successful this year.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
A good call on Don Kelly, by the way, really
impressed with the way he ran things last year taking
over in May, so he has, as you'd like to
put it, Joe, he's got his own baby now from
the start of the season, and I think he is
a difference maker.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
It will only get better.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
You mentioned the Leland comparison, and I think that's an
apt one.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Let's talk about predictions for MVPs now.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
I don't know how you go anywhere else other than
Aaron just show right. I mean, they've won seven of
the last ten MVPs, and if they're healthy, they're going
to win the MVPs again.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
So you really have to.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Go off the board to find somebody Joe, to take
the MVPs away from these two guys.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
I don't see it happening.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
You know, show he's going to make say a twenty
to twenty two starts. He's not going to make thirty starts.
He's not going to throw two hundred innings. He's gonna
throw about one hundred and fifty innings over over twenty
twenty one starts. And when you do that and hit
forty home runs, you're a lock to win the MVP.
There's literally no competition for Shoe a Otani and Judge
is the guy who's hitting three thirty one with fifty bombs.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
I mean, how is anybody going to top that?
Speaker 1 (28:26):
But I'll I'll just let's humor of people, Joe and
come up with any other somebody else who may break
through at least challenge these two guys who both won
unanimously last year. You got anybody in either league who
challenged these two guys?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Well, americally, I'll start there.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
I got you know, I think Vladimir, you know, they
really tasted it last year and that and that matters.
I mean, I think internally the Blue Jays, these solid
of these players are gonna be elevated mentally. They like
what happened last year. They became so close. Actually, they
should have won it but didn't. So I think there's
a high level of motivation there. And I like what
(29:05):
I saw out of Ladd Junior at the end of
last year, and I think that, you know, just to
really with being directed mentally on his own this year
from the beginning, having tasted a bit of it, I
think he could. He's very dangerous. I think with Junior
is also very dangerous. I know he came close a
while back. But those two guys, to me out of
(29:25):
the America League, would think are the greatest challenges in
the National League.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I do like Schwarbert. I like Schwrober going back to
the Phillies.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
I know he's a DH, but god, he could put
up some gaudy numbers this year in Acunya. Needs to,
you know, put everything aside and just go out there
and be a great baseball player.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
That he is a kid. You just watch him swing
the bat. It's different.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
So among the I'll take two from each division are
two leagues. I don't think the catcher a Ralely. I
don't think he could replicate what he did last year
and settle That's going to be hard. So I'm gonna
go with Schwarbur and Acunya in the National League threatening show,
and I got Flat Junior and Witch Junior, the two
the American League side threatening judge.
Speaker 3 (30:07):
Yeah, all good calls. I'm with you. I thought about
Ronald Cunya Junior.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
I just think looking at him watching him play, He's
not quite as dynamic as he was pre knee injuries.
So I don't know how much he's going to run,
but we'll see that. That's a good call in the
National League, I guess, I don't know. Schwarber is a
tough one as a DH. I love Schwarz as D.
(30:32):
It's tough to be the the MVP. I'll start out
in the American League. I got a surprise for you,
Roman Anthony. I was really impressed with his bats throughout
the WBC. I mean, this guy does not chase at all.
He reminds me of Juan Soto. When you see a
guy at twenty one who understands the strike zone the
way that he does. Wow, I mean he's really impressive.
Bobby Witt Junior a really good call. I mean, that guy,
(30:55):
he's just he plays baseball a different way than everybody else.
The way he runs, the explosiveness, I said, the way
he plays defense, Joe is like you know in t ball,
when kids first playing t ball and the ball is
hit and they run after it like a puppy chasing
a tennis ball. That's Bobby Witt playing shortstop. I mean,
he goes after everything. So I love that call. So
(31:19):
I guess I'll go with Ocunya as well. In the
National League. I think the Braves, as we said, are
going to bounce back, and usually you have to be
playing on a good team to win the MVP.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
But other than that, yeah, just can't go against Judge
and Otani. How about this job.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
By the way, I'm looking at Otani's pitching numbers in
spring training, and again it's spring training. You can't put
too much into it. Guys are working on things or
trying different things. But I noticed Otani has really bumped
the use of his splitter. I mean last year, during
the regular season, he threw the split only four percent
of the time. Remember he was coming back from a
second elbow procedure, and he threw it about ninety miles
(31:54):
an hour, which is a hard split. Postseason, he bumped
it up, almost doubled the usage, still only eight percent
and he's throwing it eighty eight eighty nine. This year
spring training he threw his split twenty three percent of
the time and it's down to eighty six and a half.
So he's deadening that split more and he's throwing it more.
(32:14):
You know what's show? Hey, he's always working on something
like skiens, always trying to get better. I and again,
I'm not gonna put some stock into this until I
see him on the game mound in a real major
league game, But I thought that was interesting.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Clearly he was.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Working on the split in spring training and throwing it,
you know, at a much more of an off speed
pitch than it had been before. By the way, how
good is that split?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
Show? He's thrown more than a thousand splits in.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
His major league career and giving up thirty four hits
on a thousand plus splitters a one pH one batting average.
So if it's better this year, that's bad news for
major league hitters.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
It sounds like an analytical suggestion. It's like an airplane.
When you get into some turbulence, you they normally back
off a little bit. They take to take the sp
us off the airplane. Maybe they're backing off the turbulence
of another arm operation. By having him slow it down
just a little bit. I would almost bet this is
an analytical thing, and to use it as often as
(33:18):
you did in camp, he probably felt good after he
threw it, less stress, less concern in a sense. So
go ahead and throw it a little bit more. See
how you feel about it. Let's work through it, and
then we'll make our decision at the end of camp.
So that's what it sounds like to me. It sounds
like it could be equally effective. It probably has a
little bit more depth to it with the less speed possibly,
(33:38):
but it's still going to look I mean, with everything
else that he does, it's still going to be very
deceptive to the hitter. So again that really reeks of
analytical I don't want to say interference analytical aid right here,
and I would be curious to find out if that's
exactly it. Just take a little bit of stress off
the arm, slow it down, just a little bit, little turbulence,
bumpy air ahead, and let's just see if we do
(34:01):
do that, if we can somehow avert the next potential
arm surgery, because that's that's got to be with drives
them regarding the work they do on show is how
do we prevent this from happening again. They're gonna have
some solid opinions based on that information, whatever slow motion
stuff that they're going to do, and I would bet
(34:23):
that has something to do with it.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
It's really fascinating to watch.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
You know what is driving pitching these days, And for
years and years and years, it was velocity and.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
That's still there.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
But now you see getting these pitchers in their quote
unquote labs and shaping the baseball. Everybody now needs a
menu of pitches to both right handed and left handed hitters,
and everybody needs the ball to go both ways on
both sides of the plate. That's why you see pitchers
really expanding their repertoire. You know, the old fastball, card
(34:56):
ball change up. You just basically don't see that anymore,
even among the great pitchers. I'll give you an example
what I saw in spring training Joe Ryan Weathers, young
pitcher the Yankees picked up from the Marlins. They essentially
put him through their pitching lab car wash, the way
they did Max Freed last year. Remember how Max Freed
used to be fastball, curveball guy up and down, and
(35:17):
he became in and out, up and down and using
everything kitchen sink kind of pitching. That's where baseball is going,
you know, sort of deemphasized the fastball at the expense
or the benefit, if you will, of shaping pitches with spin.
So Ryan Weathers this last year through twenty two percent
(35:38):
sinkers and sweepers, that's essentially moving the ball left and right.
This year in spring training he's throwing forty seven percent
sinkers and sweepers. And the very similar thing happening with
Max Freed last year, you know, not quite as pronounced,
but he increased the sinkers and sweepers, so making the
ball go both ways in and away from hitters on
(36:01):
both sides of the plate. Keep your eye on Ryan
weather And by the way, he added a tick to
his fastball too. His velocity is up a tick, but
he's throwing the fastball less. So, uh, you know, you
saw the year that Max Freed had last year. If
you've got a guy who's got the aptitude to be
able to handle the expanded repertoire.
Speaker 3 (36:19):
You got yourself a breakout player. It might be Ryan Weathers.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
So then why can't they pitch the third term through
the batting order.
Speaker 1 (36:26):
You know you're giving them more we right, you got
more weapons, you're not more platoon neutral. And yet third
time around, oh get him out.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
That's exactly right to platoon nuts. And that's what I
always Oh, my god, when you have that picture. It's
so nice when you go into a game and your
starting pitcher is like really dominant on one side or
the other over the other. It's it's always concerning because
you're going to see them load up on the on
the weak side versus this picture. My relief pictures. I
love neutral relief pictures, my god. And that's when you
(36:54):
actually didn't have the three battery minimum and you were
able to match things up.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
In today's world of the three battered minimum, I would
think that neutral pictures are at a premium right now.
That's exactly what you want to have. I remember, you know,
I used to bring in Joel Peralta to pitch two lefties.
Finally Boumel figured it out and he let Johnny go
and stay in the game against Peralta and at the
trump and boom the ball went out to the left center.
(37:20):
I was upset when he when he didn't bite and
bring him to pinch it or I knew were in trouble.
So that's that's it you want, because he was Actually
he was a reverse split guy.
Speaker 2 (37:28):
You like the neutral guys. I love neutral guys.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
I can understand that being part of what they're trying
to develop. I would if I had a minor league
organization and my pictures and I saw but not just
relief pictures, but especially relief pictures, I would try to
make them neutral. I would try to make them so
that I, especially in the world of the three batter minimum,
I could I could pitch through some difficult situations because
(37:53):
of that. That's to me where a lab would be important.
That's where these stats and numbers are important. And it's
an easy sell when you're talking to a young picture
that maybe he has a deficiency on one side or
the other. Listen, you know, we like what you do,
you like how you are. We to get a great makeup. However,
you have a deficiency against one side or the other.
We need to get you better in this particular area.
(38:16):
And that's where this is really valuable stuff.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Yeah, the Yankees, they're building a really good pitching staff. Man.
I mean, Louis Heal can't even make the opening day rotation.
Keep your eye on Will Warren, who's got.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
An elite fastball.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
It just needs a little better command and to mentioned
whether it could be a breakout candidate.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
We're going to take a quick break when we get back, Joe.
I got a couple of Babe Ruth stories to tell
you. You can never have enough Babe Ruth stories. And somehow
they're all true as well.
Speaker 1 (38:43):
You'll like these coming up next to the Book of Joe.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Welcome back to.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
The Book of Joe. Babe Ruth.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
I mean, sometimes I think it's like Paul Bunyan, but
it's an American legend, right, they made him up, but
he actually did exist. And I was looking up on
this date. Back in nineteen thirty three, Baby Ruth took
a pay cut from seventy five thousand dollars to fifty
two thousand dollars. That's a huge cut, right, Obviously it's
(39:21):
nineteen thirty three. It's the depression. How about these numbers, Joe.
He's coming off a season in which he hit three
forty one with forty one homers and one hundred and
thirty seven RBIs. He took a pay cut from seventy
five grand down to fifty two grand. Oh my goodness, wow,
(39:43):
I mean a different day and age.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
So that was that was just because of the numbers
from the previous year decline. Is that what that's is
all about.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Well, his numbers didn't really decline, but the economy was
in the tank. Okay, great depression and he was a
good America start to go down and hey, baby, you
gotta do is a solid and take a hit here.
Speaker 4 (40:02):
Yeah, And actually they I recently read he actually played
at Cranberry Ballpark in Hazelton, PA at one point too.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
During that time.
Speaker 4 (40:09):
He guess he went out and barnstormed a little bit,
and I guess a local coal miner struck him out twice.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
I just read that the other day.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
I mean, I just love the idea that Babe Ruth
did this, Like that's like showing going around different cities
during the off season and facing the local you know,
Stud Pitcher and all the fan for that that would
be incorporated around something like that. But again, the Babe
Ruth stuff. Jimmy Reese, Jimmy Reesa, who happened to be
a friend I talked about, you know the fact that
(40:36):
you know the six degrees of separation. I mean, I
go back to Babe Ruth because of Jimmy Reese. He
did exist. You're right, he did exist because Jimmy validator
verified that. But it's so interesting and you just can't
get enough of the guy.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
Yeah, you're right, he did barnstorm.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
I mean sometimes I think they ought to put up
brass plaques the way they do for Washington slept here.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
Yeah, bab Ruth played here. I mean, he don't forget.
Speaker 1 (40:58):
This is the day and age before it just started
coming out with some of the newsreel footage. Somebody could
go to the theater and see some film of Babe Ruth.
But for the most part, you followed bab Ruth on
the radio or the newspapers, and people didn't actually see
Babe Ruth. So if he was coming to your town,
I mean, to borrow a phrase that was like seeing
(41:18):
the elephant, where you know, you saw something that was
extraordinary and rare and just you know, you would everything
would stop in that town if Baby Ruth was coming
to town, different day and age. Also, it happens to
be the birthday of Ernie Shore, one of Baby Ruth's
teammates with the Boston Red SOX. I'm not sure if
(41:39):
you know what Ernie Shore is most famous for. One
particular game. It was June twenty third, nineteen seventeen. Babe
Ruth was a starting pitcher. He walks the leadoff at
her on four pitches and I don't know whether he
was not feeling so good that day, but he went
after the umpire immediately on four pitches called balls and
actually clocked the umpire with a punch. Obviously, Babe was
(42:03):
ejected from game, so Ernie Shore is hustled into the game.
They only gave him five warm up pitches to get ready,
but the first batter before he gets the first batter,
the guy that first tries to steal and gets thrown out.
Ernie Shore gets the next batter, the next two batters
on a couple of pitches, and winds up pitching a
(42:23):
complete game without allowing a base runner. Wow, twenty six up,
twenty six down with the one caught stealing.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
It sounds like a perfect game.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
At the time, it was considered a no hitter, but
it went into the books as a combined no hitter officially,
so you know, one batter did reach base and two
pitchers did pitch in the game, but the equivalent of
a perfect game. Ernie Shore got twenty seven ounce without
anybody reaching base against him, and it happened on the
(42:52):
spur of the moment thanks to Baby Ruth punching an umpire.
Speaker 4 (42:56):
That sounds that sounds contrived, their pre planned I'm betting.
I'm betting that the man was out the night before,
not feeling so good. He might even gone up to
the empire. He actually hit him?
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Is that right? He actually hit the guy?
Speaker 3 (43:08):
He did?
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Wow? Did wow?
Speaker 4 (43:10):
I never I never knew that, but yeah, it does
wreak of a hangover to me. And gosh, it almost
like did he pull the punch? Did he actually smoke him?
And then and then and then he doesn't get suspended
or nothing? Right that he makes his next start right
after smoking an umpire?
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Does he make his next start?
Speaker 1 (43:28):
You know that Back in the day man umpires, man,
that was a dangerous job. Really, I mean, in the
early part of the century. Uh, it was a dangerous job.
Fans players, they were not well respected. They were in
harm's way for the most part. You only had two
at the time, you know, the base empire and the
home plate umpire. But yeah, I mean the safety of
(43:50):
the Empires was was I want to I want to
say it's a modern convenience, but back in the day
it was a dangerous, much more dangerous job.
Speaker 4 (43:57):
It sounds like a Little League, now right. I mean
you read about all this stuff that's going on.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
In the Little League.
Speaker 4 (44:03):
You know, guy, parents are coming out of the stands. Yeah,
I didn't realize that. I didn't know that, And that's
kind of interesting it also, you know then, and of
course it speaks to probably the lackluster umpiring. I mean,
it's got to be difficult two guys. So two guys,
like one guy works the plate daily, that works the
bases back and forth during the four game series. I mean,
I had to be tiring as hell if they didn't
(44:24):
have more than that.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
I never even thought. I never even thought about.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
That's that's a pretty interesting thought process there, the fact
that there was two umpires.
Speaker 2 (44:33):
Only didn't know that.
Speaker 1 (44:34):
Yeah, Babe Ruth also was famous for and I forget
the exact year, but he was famous for becoming the
first player to earn a salary of one hundred thousand
dollars and he wanted more money than the President of
the United States, who I think was Hooper at the time,
and he said, yeah, why not, I had the better year.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
I remember that. It's such a great line, right, awesome.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Speaking of great lines, we've reached the ninth inning here, Joe,
you've got the ball in your hands.
Speaker 3 (45:03):
What do you have for us this week at the
Book of Joe to finish us out?
Speaker 4 (45:07):
Well, you know again it dovetails and everything we've just
been talking about, because I was I was reading the
post this morning and I saw the different projected win totals,
and I was just looking at the lack of the
overpowering team other than the Dodgers. I mean, the Yankees
ninety point five tops Inner Division, Detroit eighty five to
five projected wins, Seattle eighty nine to five, Mets ninety
(45:28):
point five with the Phillies on their heels, and then
of course the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
So you know, every spring training.
Speaker 4 (45:35):
Mic go was that we would win more than ninety games,
and I always thought it took about ninety five to
get to the playoffs to be successful. So that was
kind of and again that there's like a parody look
to all of that. And again I think parody argued
the point the fact that everybody's kind of working from
the same sheet of music, looking for the same kind
of players, and working from the same analytical background. I
(45:58):
guess that to be equal would be kind of makes sense.
So I was looking at that, and then from that
I found this quote from Damon Runyon sports columnist short story.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
Writer from back in the day, and he said.
Speaker 4 (46:14):
The race is not always to the swift, nor the
battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet.
So with the gambling part of it, it's not always
to the swift, nor the battle goes to the strong,
but that's the way to bet.
Speaker 2 (46:29):
You're always going to bet for the swiftest and the strongest.
Speaker 4 (46:32):
I thought that was really well stated and obvious, but
this reflects reality that even when the odds favor a
strong contender, outcomes are never guaranteed. And that's exactly what
we're talking about right now. And then on top of that,
I did a little more research on Damon Runyon. Born
in Manhattan, Kansas, but grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, which
(46:53):
we played at with the Boulder Collegians and then he
managed to semi pro team and Trindada Colorado. That's where
I burned the infield. In the Book of Joe, we
burned the infields in order to watch Danny Jackson pitch.
This guy, Damon Runyan, actually managed a semi pro team
in Trinidad called about all this stuff started to unwind.
It was a Spinks Award winner Baseball Writers of America.
(47:14):
Pretty interesting fella, but really a great writer at that time.
And it really, I think, absolutely encapsulate exactly what's going
on right now. Everybody's expecting the Dodgers, the swift and
the strong, but outcomes are never guaranteed, and I don't
think it's going to be guaranteed this year among all
these you know, everybody's you know, crying about the Dodgers.
(47:36):
I think it's gonna be hard for them to come
back into it again. I think somebody's gonna unseat them
this year.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Well said. I love the Damon Runyan reference. Terrific writer.
Speaker 1 (47:45):
By the way, I read some terrific fiction as well,
created just memorable characters.
Speaker 3 (47:52):
I'm with you on the Dodgers. Put it this way, Joe.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
In the last two years, no team has won more
than ninety eight games.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
Two straight years.
Speaker 1 (47:59):
So if you're thinking about the Dodgers being one hundred
and three win team.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
You mentioned that word.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
There is more parody here, and I think teams realize
that it's about positioning yourself for October, that you know,
running up a huge number of wins. Listen, you want
to win what you can to get into the postseason.
You don't want to, you know, get barely over five
hundred and think you're going to slip in. But I
don't see the Dodgers going over one hundred wins. And
(48:27):
we think about two years ago the Padres nearly took
the Dodgers out, had them on the ropes, and of
course last year the Toronto Blue Jays had them down
to the last two outs and nearly took them out.
Speaker 3 (48:38):
So they are not, by any means a lock.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
I do think, though, Joe, if they're pitching, is healthy
in October again and nobody's gonna beat them. I'm sorry,
I think they're that good, but we'll see.
Speaker 4 (48:52):
I like the Phillies pitching til you already brought that up.
I still like the Philly been on the Phillies for
a couple of years right now, I've been on them,
and I still do like them. Out of the American League,
of course, that's a nationally going to act situation that
would put the Phillies in the World Series against one
of those teams, which I still think the Philly staff
could could match up against the Dodgers.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
All right, so let's end it with our World Series picks.
I'm actually with you on the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (49:16):
I do.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
I like the makeup of this team. I think the
clock is ticking on them and they know that. But
I also like the fact that they have they bringing
in some young blood this year with Crawford and center
field painter and the rotation Aid Miller is probably gonna
come up at some point. I like that blend, if
you will, with the established star players, the veteran players,
and the American League. I'll go with the Seattle Mariners.
(49:39):
Love their pitching staff. They got a taste of it
last year, got within one win of the World Series,
actually had a lead in Game seven against Toronto. So
I'll go with a Philadelphia Seattle World Series.
Speaker 3 (49:53):
That's a lot of travel. I just signed up for.
What do you got?
Speaker 4 (49:56):
In the famous words of Meatloa, if you took the
words right out of my mouth, I had the same
thing I had Seattle, I.
Speaker 1 (50:05):
Did or as The New York Times referred to him,
mister Loaf missed reference.
Speaker 3 (50:09):
It was mister Love.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Mister Loaf, I love the Bad out of Hell. You know.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
He had a The Rocky Heart Picture Show is playing
in a small theater in Monterey, California, if I don't
know how long, and it was a midnight show and
people would come in sit on pillows. I didn't do it.
I should have done it. I was capable of that,
but I didn't. But meat Love was one of my
all time favorites. And so the words right out of
my mouth, Seattle and the Phillies.
Speaker 2 (50:36):
I see that. I can definitely, definitely see that.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
Look forward to opening day and a great twenty twenty
six baseball season. Always a pleasure. Joe, We'll see you
next time on the Book of Joe.
Speaker 2 (50:47):
Thanks Tom. What are you starting? Where are you going?
Speaker 3 (50:48):
I had?
Speaker 1 (50:49):
I'm in a studio for opening Day, and then on
the weekend I have the Minnesota Twins at the Baltimore Orioles.
Speaker 2 (50:55):
Cool.
Speaker 1 (50:56):
I'm really curious about the Oriols. I just checked their schedule.
By the way, their first sixteen games they do not
play a team that had a winning record last so
I should have mentioned this. Teams getting off the good starts.
The Orioles, they need to re establish who they are.
Schedule says they've got it set.
Speaker 3 (51:12):
Up to get off to a good start. Really important
for them as well as the New York Mets.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
Sounds good. Just stress warm, We'll.
Speaker 3 (51:18):
Do see you next time, See you buddy, all right.
Speaker 1 (51:29):
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