August 23, 2024 • 11 mins
Gene Watson, our resident MLB insider and the Vice President of Player Personnel with the Chicago White Sox, joins the show to talk about the latest storylines in Major League Baseball including the demise of the Seattle Mariners, the race for the AL and NL pennants, and Shohei Ohtani's chance at a 50-50 season.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I did mention that we wanted to get to some baseball,
so I'm going to just do that. A couple of things.
First of all, the updated standings at the Astros now
hold the largest lead they have held all season in
American Legue West after their winner of the Orioles last night.
That was game one of a big four game weekend
(00:20):
series between the Astros and and the Astros by the
way four to zero against Baltimore this season, but they're
now up by five and a half games on Seattle.
Of course, we know yesterday the Mariners fired Scott Service,
who had been their manager, and they had been at
one point held a ten game lead in the American
League West back in June, but it's all slipped away
(00:41):
and as a result of that, now five and a
half back in the American League West.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
And they parted company with Scott Service yesterday. Rangers are
ten and a half.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Back there, Cleveland up two on the Twins, and the Royals,
who continue to surge. They won seven of their last
ten and the Royals talk about big series this week,
about the Royals hosting the Phillies this weekend in Kansas
City and then in the East the Yankees and Orioles.
Yankees up a game and a half on Baltimore in
(01:12):
East and like we said, the Oriols with that big
series going on this weekend between the Oriols and the Astros,
an important weekend series, and then the Oils go to
Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers, who of course
lead the National League West.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
That'll be happening after this weekend.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
The wild card standings right now have Baltimore, Minnesota, and
Kansas City holding down those three spots in the American League,
with Boston at three and a half back and the
rest have fallen off reallygue Tampa Bay is seven back
and a Mariner seven and a half, and I don't
know that they can catch them. The Seattle's best chance
would be to catch Houston in the West, but again
(01:51):
they're five and a half back in that division. Right now,
the wild card race seems to be shaping up in
the American League to be Baltimore, Minnesota and Kansas City.
It could be Yankees have Baltimore's close enough to New
York where they could overtake the Man. Either the Twins
or Royals could overtake the Guardians in the Central and
Cleveland could wind up being a wild card.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
In the National League, the.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Hottest teams had been of late, San Diego and Arizona.
Padres have slipped up and dropped their last two contests,
their four and a half back of.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Los Angeles in the West.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Arizona's still hot, they're four back in the National League West.
The Dodgers right now the best record in all the baseball.
They're seventy six and fifty two, but it's barely ahead
of both the Phillies and Brewers for best record, and
the Yankees for that matter, for best record and all
the baseball it's very tight for that for that overall
top record. In Milwaukee, which drop the last two games
(02:47):
of its series to the Cardinals, still holds a comfortable
ten game lead in the Central and Philadelphia holds a
six game lead on Atlanta in the National League East
and in the wildcard standings. The teams in the National
League would be Arizona, San Diego right now, Atlanta, the
Mats are game and a half back, Giants are four back,
and the Cardinals five and even the Cubs five and
(03:09):
a half. So things not yet settled with regard to
the National League and what happened there and.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
What's to become of all of that going forward.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
One other story, which I think is really interesting is
if you follow baseball, and if you're a big fan
of the game of baseball and all that sort of stuff,
you undoubtedly, in hearing of the history of the lore
of the game, have heard all the legendary stories. One
(03:43):
of the most legendary of all the baseball stories is
that of Babe Ruth calling his shot in the nineteen
thirty two World Series Game number three against the Chicago
cub For You see him pointing out the center field
and all that and then hits a home run. There's
one kind of fuzzy photograph we can kind of see
(04:04):
him gesturing out there, but there's been debate whether he
actually did it or not or whatever.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
What is not up for debate is the jersey he
wore that day.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
His uniform a New York d It says New York
on the front, Capitol letters, kind of like what the
Yankees wearing these days, and had the number three on
the back. That jersey is up for auction right now,
and it's advertised by Heritage Auctions as the nineteen thirty
(04:40):
two Babe Ruth game worn New York Yankees world series
called Shopped Jersey. So with that in mind, we welcome
to the program our good friend from the Chicago White
Sox front office, Geene Watson, Jo Gino, if you could
(05:00):
you possibly you maybe have already seen this story. Have
you seen what this babe Ruth called Shot Jersey may
fetch by the time the auction closes on Sunday, I have.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Not seen it, but I can only imagine just in
the world of memorabilia that I'm involved in.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I'm a huge Jersey guy.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
I have a hallway full of Hall of famers, and
when you really do a deep dive into the memorabilia
world and the number of old school baseball fans that
there are out there, it's gonna be in the multimillions.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I would assume.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Do you know you've got to spare thirty million on you?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
My god, I've got my own Tani.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I've got an o Tani Jersey that I've got a
fifty thousand dollars price tag on anytime anybody wants it.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
So there you go, there you go.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Well, a lot number eight oh one sixty two that
Jersey opened opened at seven and a half million. Today
it stands at fifteen million. With a standard twenty percent
buyers premium, the amount is up to eighteen million. The
auction schedule to close Sunday. They said many would not
be surprised if the jersey exceeds thirty million dollars he
(06:09):
originally sold back at two thousand and five or nine
hundred and forty thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
But you're right, memorabilia being it is insane. It is
a world like none other.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
When you I mean, I'm on the just the top
layer of it with very casual hall of famers from
the early nineties. When you get into the forties, fifties,
and sixties, it gets insane, and the market and the
number of people that are involved in it is extremely high.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Geene Watson, John, let me let me throw a couple
of quick items at you can get your thoughts on this.
First of all, you mentioned Choeyo Tani show he's at
thirty nine home runs and thirty nine stolen bases. If
he gets one more of each, he'll be the six
man in baseball history to hit the forty to forty mark.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
He expects to be the quickest to do it.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Soriano I think did it in game one forty five
or one forty seven last year and they're only at
one twenty seven out for the Dodgers, there's speculation he.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Might have a shot at fifty fifty. Do you think
he can get there? It's one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
And I think once he hits forty forty, the drive
for fifty to fifty will be will be on even more,
especially with the fact that they've got some very big
games coming up in September that I think they'll they'll
pump up the volume a little bit on him. But Craig,
we're just scratching the surface on what this guy could
be over the next five years. I mean, it is
you know, this is my thirty fifth year in the game.
(07:29):
I was with him for one year. I've never seen
anything like this guy and what he brings to the
table for a ball club, and and just how easy
he makes the game look. I mean, he hits pitches
that you're like, how was he even looking there for
that pitch? And it's just a remarkable testimony to his talent.
And again, I think we're just scratching the surface on
what the next five years could be for him.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Can Aaron Judge get to sixty home runs.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Again, no question. I mean, if he gets on a
hot streak.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
And and I was in Arlington when he when he
got there the last time, and uh, there's no question.
I mean, especially as you know, it's it's heating up,
it's it's the end of summer.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Pitching is really worn down.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
You get into September, more injuries, more people coming up
that probably wouldn't be at the major league level if.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
It wasn't for injuries.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I think he's got a chance to feast on some
really uh marginal pitching down the stretch to get there.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Are those two guys, Judge and the Judge in the
American League and Otani in the National League. The obvious,
if not definite MVPs this year.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Hands down.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
But I mean what Bobby Witt Junior is doing is
just unbelievable and what what he means to that team
and that organization in that city. I mean, he's gonna
probably get some serious votes.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
And and that's not to say that his day is
not coming, but I think right now Judge and Otani
have to be the guys.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay, Uh, is Paul Skiing's gonna win Rookie of the
Year in the National League.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
No, it might be unanimous. Wow, it might be us.
He is such a talent. I mean, if you look
at just what he's done since he got to.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
The major league level. I was looking at the stat yesterday.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Where his you know, the vertical incline of his fastball
has raised like three inches since he's gotten to the
major league and it's a fastball that plays better down
in the zone. I mean, he's he's he's got a
chance to be a unanimous winner of that award.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Bigger series this weekend it started last night, Houston at Baltimore, Philadelphia,
Kansas City or and what's the other one. I was
leaving out New York at San Diego. Biggest of those
of those series this weekend, you know, I think the
(09:39):
Kansas City Series. I think the Kansas City stew Stoness
Block By.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Sorry, I think the Kansas City Series is big for
them because they're really trying to make a statement right now.
Seventeen of their next twenty games are against first or
second place teams. Their bullpen has been pretty stretched out
and hurt over the last few weeks, and so so
I think this is a stretch for them where they
have to like really prove that hey, we're we're going
(10:06):
to stay in this fight.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And so that's a big series.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But all of them are great like statement series, and
and it you know, they're all going to be in
the playoffs. Any any sweep of one team or the
other doesn't really affect, you know, that what the teams
are going to look like in October. But these are
kind of statement series, like, hey, you know what, this
team's ready to go and we're clicking on all cylinders.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yeah, I guess we could also throw Arizona at Boston
in there.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, And but I don't I don't think you you
put too much, you know, in late August, you put
too much importance on it. Other than really, Kansas City
is the start of a really tough grind, uh and
that you know, the whole season's kind of been. I
don't want to say a surprise, but you know, I
don't think people thought that they would be where they
are right now.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
And so you know, you know you're going into the stretch.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
If you have a rough start to the stretch now,
it can begin to spiral out a and go the
other way fast.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
So I think it's the biggest series of the week.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
All Right, hey, I appreciate you taking the time to
do it. We'll do it again next week. Thank you,
Gino guy.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
It's been a crazy day in Chicago. I appreciate you,
no doubt. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
All right, Geene Watson joining us. He was able to
as That's why I said a little surprise thing. He
was able to pop in with us after all, and
getting back up to Chicago. All Right, we'll be back
to wrap up the hour on Sports Radio A in
thirteen under the Zone.
I did mention that we wanted to get to some baseball,
so I'm going to just do that. A couple of things.
First of all, the updated standings at the Astros now
hold the largest lead they have held all season in
American Legue West after their winner of the Orioles last night.
That was game one of a big four game weekend
(00:20):
series between the Astros and and the Astros by the
way four to zero against Baltimore this season, but they're
now up by five and a half games on Seattle.
Of course, we know yesterday the Mariners fired Scott Service,
who had been their manager, and they had been at
one point held a ten game lead in the American
League West back in June, but it's all slipped away
(00:41):
and as a result of that, now five and a
half back in the American League West.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
And they parted company with Scott Service yesterday. Rangers are
ten and a half.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Back there, Cleveland up two on the Twins, and the Royals,
who continue to surge. They won seven of their last
ten and the Royals talk about big series this week,
about the Royals hosting the Phillies this weekend in Kansas
City and then in the East the Yankees and Orioles.
Yankees up a game and a half on Baltimore in
(01:12):
East and like we said, the Oriols with that big
series going on this weekend between the Oriols and the Astros,
an important weekend series, and then the Oils go to
Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers, who of course
lead the National League West.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
That'll be happening after this weekend.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
The wild card standings right now have Baltimore, Minnesota, and
Kansas City holding down those three spots in the American League,
with Boston at three and a half back and the
rest have fallen off reallygue Tampa Bay is seven back
and a Mariner seven and a half, and I don't
know that they can catch them. The Seattle's best chance
would be to catch Houston in the West, but again
(01:51):
they're five and a half back in that division. Right now,
the wild card race seems to be shaping up in
the American League to be Baltimore, Minnesota and Kansas City.
It could be Yankees have Baltimore's close enough to New
York where they could overtake the Man. Either the Twins
or Royals could overtake the Guardians in the Central and
Cleveland could wind up being a wild card.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
In the National League, the.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Hottest teams had been of late, San Diego and Arizona.
Padres have slipped up and dropped their last two contests,
their four and a half back of.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Los Angeles in the West.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Arizona's still hot, they're four back in the National League West.
The Dodgers right now the best record in all the baseball.
They're seventy six and fifty two, but it's barely ahead
of both the Phillies and Brewers for best record, and
the Yankees for that matter, for best record and all
the baseball it's very tight for that for that overall
top record. In Milwaukee, which drop the last two games
(02:47):
of its series to the Cardinals, still holds a comfortable
ten game lead in the Central and Philadelphia holds a
six game lead on Atlanta in the National League East
and in the wildcard standings. The teams in the National
League would be Arizona, San Diego right now, Atlanta, the
Mats are game and a half back, Giants are four back,
and the Cardinals five and even the Cubs five and
(03:09):
a half. So things not yet settled with regard to
the National League and what happened there and.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
What's to become of all of that going forward.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
One other story, which I think is really interesting is
if you follow baseball, and if you're a big fan
of the game of baseball and all that sort of stuff,
you undoubtedly, in hearing of the history of the lore
of the game, have heard all the legendary stories. One
(03:43):
of the most legendary of all the baseball stories is
that of Babe Ruth calling his shot in the nineteen
thirty two World Series Game number three against the Chicago
cub For You see him pointing out the center field
and all that and then hits a home run. There's
one kind of fuzzy photograph we can kind of see
(04:04):
him gesturing out there, but there's been debate whether he
actually did it or not or whatever.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
What is not up for debate is the jersey he
wore that day.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
His uniform a New York d It says New York
on the front, Capitol letters, kind of like what the
Yankees wearing these days, and had the number three on
the back. That jersey is up for auction right now,
and it's advertised by Heritage Auctions as the nineteen thirty
(04:40):
two Babe Ruth game worn New York Yankees world series
called Shopped Jersey. So with that in mind, we welcome
to the program our good friend from the Chicago White
Sox front office, Geene Watson, Jo Gino, if you could
(05:00):
you possibly you maybe have already seen this story. Have
you seen what this babe Ruth called Shot Jersey may
fetch by the time the auction closes on Sunday, I have.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Not seen it, but I can only imagine just in
the world of memorabilia that I'm involved in.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I'm a huge Jersey guy.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
I have a hallway full of Hall of famers, and
when you really do a deep dive into the memorabilia
world and the number of old school baseball fans that
there are out there, it's gonna be in the multimillions.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
I would assume.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Do you know you've got to spare thirty million on you?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
My god, I've got my own Tani.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I've got an o Tani Jersey that I've got a
fifty thousand dollars price tag on anytime anybody wants it.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
So there you go, there you go.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Well, a lot number eight oh one sixty two that
Jersey opened opened at seven and a half million. Today
it stands at fifteen million. With a standard twenty percent
buyers premium, the amount is up to eighteen million. The
auction schedule to close Sunday. They said many would not
be surprised if the jersey exceeds thirty million dollars he
(06:09):
originally sold back at two thousand and five or nine
hundred and forty thousand dollars.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
But you're right, memorabilia being it is insane. It is
a world like none other.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
When you I mean, I'm on the just the top
layer of it with very casual hall of famers from
the early nineties. When you get into the forties, fifties,
and sixties, it gets insane, and the market and the
number of people that are involved in it is extremely high.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Geene Watson, John, let me let me throw a couple
of quick items at you can get your thoughts on this.
First of all, you mentioned Choeyo Tani show he's at
thirty nine home runs and thirty nine stolen bases. If
he gets one more of each, he'll be the six
man in baseball history to hit the forty to forty mark.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
He expects to be the quickest to do it.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Soriano I think did it in game one forty five
or one forty seven last year and they're only at
one twenty seven out for the Dodgers, there's speculation he.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Might have a shot at fifty fifty. Do you think
he can get there? It's one hundred percent.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
And I think once he hits forty forty, the drive
for fifty to fifty will be will be on even more,
especially with the fact that they've got some very big
games coming up in September that I think they'll they'll
pump up the volume a little bit on him. But Craig,
we're just scratching the surface on what this guy could
be over the next five years. I mean, it is
you know, this is my thirty fifth year in the game.
(07:29):
I was with him for one year. I've never seen
anything like this guy and what he brings to the
table for a ball club, and and just how easy
he makes the game look. I mean, he hits pitches
that you're like, how was he even looking there for
that pitch? And it's just a remarkable testimony to his talent.
And again, I think we're just scratching the surface on
what the next five years could be for him.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Can Aaron Judge get to sixty home runs.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Again, no question. I mean, if he gets on a
hot streak.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
And and I was in Arlington when he when he
got there the last time, and uh, there's no question.
I mean, especially as you know, it's it's heating up,
it's it's the end of summer.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Pitching is really worn down.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
You get into September, more injuries, more people coming up
that probably wouldn't be at the major league level if.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
It wasn't for injuries.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
I think he's got a chance to feast on some
really uh marginal pitching down the stretch to get there.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Are those two guys, Judge and the Judge in the
American League and Otani in the National League. The obvious,
if not definite MVPs this year.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Hands down.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
But I mean what Bobby Witt Junior is doing is
just unbelievable and what what he means to that team
and that organization in that city. I mean, he's gonna
probably get some serious votes.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
And and that's not to say that his day is
not coming, but I think right now Judge and Otani
have to be the guys.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay, Uh, is Paul Skiing's gonna win Rookie of the
Year in the National League.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
No, it might be unanimous. Wow, it might be us.
He is such a talent. I mean, if you look
at just what he's done since he got to.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
The major league level. I was looking at the stat yesterday.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Where his you know, the vertical incline of his fastball
has raised like three inches since he's gotten to the
major league and it's a fastball that plays better down
in the zone. I mean, he's he's he's got a
chance to be a unanimous winner of that award.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Bigger series this weekend it started last night, Houston at Baltimore, Philadelphia,
Kansas City or and what's the other one. I was
leaving out New York at San Diego. Biggest of those
of those series this weekend, you know, I think the
(09:39):
Kansas City Series. I think the Kansas City stew Stoness
Block By.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Sorry, I think the Kansas City Series is big for
them because they're really trying to make a statement right now.
Seventeen of their next twenty games are against first or
second place teams. Their bullpen has been pretty stretched out
and hurt over the last few weeks, and so so
I think this is a stretch for them where they
have to like really prove that hey, we're we're going
(10:06):
to stay in this fight.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
And so that's a big series.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
But all of them are great like statement series, and
and it you know, they're all going to be in
the playoffs. Any any sweep of one team or the
other doesn't really affect, you know, that what the teams
are going to look like in October. But these are
kind of statement series, like, hey, you know what, this
team's ready to go and we're clicking on all cylinders.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Yeah, I guess we could also throw Arizona at Boston
in there.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, And but I don't I don't think you you
put too much, you know, in late August, you put
too much importance on it. Other than really, Kansas City
is the start of a really tough grind, uh and
that you know, the whole season's kind of been. I
don't want to say a surprise, but you know, I
don't think people thought that they would be where they
are right now.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
And so you know, you know you're going into the stretch.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
If you have a rough start to the stretch now,
it can begin to spiral out a and go the
other way fast.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
So I think it's the biggest series of the week.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
All Right, hey, I appreciate you taking the time to
do it. We'll do it again next week. Thank you,
Gino guy.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
It's been a crazy day in Chicago. I appreciate you,
no doubt. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
All right, Geene Watson joining us. He was able to
as That's why I said a little surprise thing. He
was able to pop in with us after all, and
getting back up to Chicago. All Right, we'll be back
to wrap up the hour on Sports Radio A in
thirteen under the Zone.
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